He put the headset down to get up and get the much-needed glass of water. The feeling of being sweaty and having a raw throat because of 'fever' felt so real that even now, he felt as if his body was sticky, even though it wasn't. He got up and put on his kameez to not feel embarrassed if his roommates had come back. But it seemed that they wouldn't return until tonight. It was the weekend, so both of them had gone back to see their families in nearby towns.
Since Saad's family lived back in a village hours away, he usually just stayed at his apartment unless there were more than two vacations coming. Either way, it was a hassle, and he felt utterly crushed under the pressure of his family. It was less relaxing than just staying at the apartment without the judgmental gazes of his relative.
Once he got hydrated and filled up the empty water bottle, he came back and saw that still a lot of time was left. So, this time, he finally grabbed the guidebook that came with the set, feeling defeated once more by the mishap that happened as soon as he had started the game.
As he sat cross-legged on the bed, Saad started to read the manual from start to end, having set an alarm for his game. As he began reading, he realized that the topic of synchronization was the very first one in the guidebook. He had been so overexcited that he completely ignored reading the manual. The world tube really was a scary thing. He had seen so many world tubers unboxing the VR set and then using it, so he knew exactly what to do, but he forgot the most important step in his arrogance.
Either way, it was no use crying over spilled milk.
He was only halfway through when his alarm blared, so he quickly turned it off, put away the manual, and took off his kameez, leaving him in the body suit. He then laid down with the headset, and the game started once more.
[The game is starting. Please wait patiently.]
Saad saw the watery interface and black letters, and it only took a second before the next window popped up.
[Welcome to Chimerical World System soul 1221: Kael Emberflame]
'Huh, so my player ID is 1221? What a fun number,' Saad absentmindedly thought to himself as another window popped up. He had clearly forgotten that he had read the number on his character profile.
[Congratulations. You have combated your first cold with the help of divine.]
[Your resistance to the negative status effect 'Brainfreeze' has been lifted. You have 1% less chance to fall into 'Brainfreeze'.]
[Your resistance to the negative status effect 'Arctic shivers' has been lifted. You have 1% less chance to fall into 'Arctic Shivers'.]
[Your resistance to the negative status effect 'Fever Haze' has increased a little. You have 1% less chance to fall into 'Fever Haze'.]
[Your resistance to the negative status effect 'Am I a slug' has increased a little. You have 1.5% less chance to fall into 'Am I a slug'.]
Well, it seemed that something good had come out of this whole thing. But that made him wonder—could he perhaps increase his resistance to at least fever to the max if he kept getting healed? If he gets 'healing' 100 times, won't his resistance increase to the max?
It was a genius idea on his behalf, but would it really work? That aside, Saad felt much better now that the negative status had lifted. His stats were back to normal, and he felt much better. Now it was time to finally get out of this room and really start the game.
As Saad got out of the bed. He stretched a little and moved around to see how his body felt so light. He marveled at how just a while ago he couldn't even move. Only in game was this possible to get rid of such a high fever so easily. Checking his character profile, he found that all of his negative status effects had completely disappeared, and he had even gained a bit of resistance to those negative effects. Although he still couldn't see them in his profile, he knew that different levels would unlock different perks, similar to having no 'class' listed in his character profile, which could only be unlocked after completing certain missions and meeting level requirements.
Looking down, he noticed that he was wearing a rather thick shirt and trousers, clearly meant for indoor wear. On the chair, he saw a set of much nicer brown and black warm clothing that must be his beginner's attire. Curious about the specs of these clothes, he activated his interface, and silver boxes with black writing appeared with the descriptions of each item:
[Young Master's Warm Woolen Coat] [Common]
A sturdy, knee-length coat made of thick wool to provide insulation against the cold.
Durability : 10/10
Negative status affect 'Chill' resistance 8%
Cold weather resistance 7%
HP+1
[Young Master's Fine Frostfallen Fur Scarf][Common]
A soft and luxurious scarf made of Frostfallen's fur that your family's wealth could afford.
Durability : 10/10
Negative status affect 'Chill' resistance 2%
Cold weather resistance 5%
[Young Master's Leather Gloves][Common]
Durable and well-fitted leather gloves to protect your hands from the biting cold.
Durability : 10/10
Cold weather resistance 5%
[Young Master's Trousers][Common]
Thick, well-tailored trousers that are comfortable for movement and provide additional warmth.
Durability : 10/10
Agility +1
Cold weather resistance 8%
[Young Master's Knee-High Boots][Common]
Sturdy leather boots with Frostfallen's fur lining to keep his feet warm and dry in the snow.
Durability : 10/10
Negative status affect 'Chill' resistance 2%
Cold weather resistance 5%
Agility +1
[Young Master's Knit Hat][Common]
A hand-knit hat that covers your ears, ensuring you stay warm while traversing through winter landscapes.
Durability : 10/10
Negative status affect 'Chill' resistance 5%
Cold weather resistance 5%
[Young Master's Silver Pendant][Common]
A small family heirloom, perhaps a pendant or a charm, and also a symbol of your family's status.
Durability : 10/10
Intelligence +3
Charm +3
Fame +15
"Wow! Now this is what I'm talking about," Saad exclaimed, momentarily feeling envious of those who had been able to choose a better 'soul'. He shook off the feeling and focused on the game. Having read the user manual, everything felt a lot less confusing. If only he had done it sooner.
Walking closer to the chair, he examined each item and noticed the word 'EQUIP' written in every box of item description. Eagerly, he started clicking them one by one, and message windows popped up in front of him.
[Young Master's Warm Woolen Coat- Equipped]
[Young Master's Fine Frostfallen Fur Scarf- Equipped]
[Young Master's Leather Gloves- Equipped]
[Young Master's Trousers- Equipped]
[Young Master's Knee-High Boots- Equipped]
[Young Master's Knit Hat- Equipped]
[Young Master's Silver Pendant- Equipped]
[You have equipped the full set of Young Master's winter attire.]
Charm +10
Agility +5
[Achievement Unlocked !You have acquired your first full set!]
Frost-woven Finery: +10 Exp
+15 Quills
"Sweet!" Saad exclaimed with excitement as he felt the effects of the extra stats from the newly equipped clothes. He recalled reading about the currency system in the user manual. Quills were a part of the money system in this world, with 100 Quills making 1 Sphere, and 100 Spheres making 1 Luminous Lirum, or simply called Lirum without the addition of "Luminous."
Taking a moment to look around the room, Saad decided to thoroughly inspect everything before embarking on any quests. He pulled the thick curtains apart and saw that everything outside was covered in snow. Despite the cold, there were still plenty of people on the streets, indicating that either the cold wasn't as severe or Kael's resistance was exceptionally low due to the mysterious fate.
Upon closer examination, he found various pieces of furniture in the room, each made of Ash wood. The user manual had informed him that Seraphia had forests of Ash wood trees, which were not only sturdy but also had low fire resistance, making them ideal for furniture making. The rug on the floor was made from Furry sheep, a domesticated monster used similarly to real-world sheep.
As he explored the cupboard, he found different pairs of clothing, but none had any additional status points like the Young Master set. They were ordinary clothes with no special attributes. In a small wooden box, he discovered 10 spheres and decided to store it in his inventory. Speaking of which, his inventory could currently hold 15 items, but he had 14 empty slots, which he felt was enough for now. However, he couldn't help but feel worried about not having a weapon yet. His search yielded nothing significant, so he left the rest of the items behind and exited the room.
Moving on to the next room, he saw that it belonged to Kael's sister, Arabella Emberflame, as indicated by the description box. The room adjacent to Arabella's was the bathroom and to the opposite side was library. As he descended the stairs, he encountered the silent greetings of the servants, who maintained a respectful distance, giving him a sense of relaxation in their demeanor.