Upon reaching the third district, Ethan didn't rush back to the comfort of his home. He still needed to find a place to administer the healing potion on his wounds and change his clothing back into something more ordinary.
With that intention, he made his way deeper into the labyrinth of the third district.
Before long, Ethan stood before a large, two-story abandoned factory, its upper floor mostly in ruins.
The building was encircled by the debris of crumbled walls and scattered metallic remnants of the factory's once-operational machinery.
Ethan advanced slowly toward the structure, careful to avoid the sharp metal scraps strewn about.
After cautiously navigating the hazardous terrain, Ethan reached the entrance door of the factory and ventured inside.
The place buzzed with the signs of human presence and the makeshift adaptations of residents.
The deserted factory had become a sanctuary for many without homes.
With dusk on the horizon and the afternoon waning, most of the homeless population had retreated from their daily endeavors, seeking shelter within the factory's walls as a refuge for the night.
They had already laid out cardboard and bags on the filthy ground and were settling down.
Upon Ethan's entrance, no one spared him a glance, each absorbed in their struggles.
Ethan, in turn, paid no one any mind as he continued his way into the factory. Eventually, he reached a secluded corner with a few pieces of abandoned machinery.
Reaching behind one of them, Ethan pulled out a bag. His memory confirmed that the bag had been tampered with; it wasn't exactly as he had left it that morning. However, Ethan harbored no fear of loss; there was nothing of value inside.
With the bag in hand, he walked over to a nearby piece of machinery and took a seat.
He exerted a bit of force on his ragged shirt, ripping it from his body to reveal his wounded torso.
Ethan grunted in pain as he removed the shirt; parts of it had adhered to the dried blood of his injury, reopening the wound as the fabric tore away.
Once free of the shirt, Ethan unlocked the vial containing the healing potion.
Upon opening the vial, a minty fragrance filled the air, and as he inhaled, his body and mind relaxed, momentarily distracting him from the pain.
After a moment, Ethan's eyes reopened, and he began to carefully apply the healing potion to his injury, mindful not to waste any of the precious substance.
Suddenly, a system notification screen materialized in front of him.
._._._._._.
[DING! DING!!]
_A foreign substance has come in contact with the host's body.
===Analyzing the substance===
._._._._._.
'What now? Can't I use a healing potion in peace?' Ethan thought in frustration as he stared at the holographic screen.
After a few moments, the analysis was complete, and the system announced:
._._._._._.
[DING! DING!!]
_Analysis completed.
_Substance detected = ??? [Not enough level to process the information]
_Harmful substance found = None
._._._._._.
"Dismiss," Ethan muttered, waving away the holographic screen as he resumed applying the healing potion.
After tending to his burns, he also made sure to apply some to his swollen foot.
There was still about half the bottle of the healing potion left after he was done attending to his injuries.
Ethan gently set down the remaining healing potion and leaned back, allowing the potion to start its work.
Before long, a burning sensation spread across the areas where he had applied the potion. Ethan clenched his teeth, enduring the pain.
Suddenly, another holographic screen appeared before him.
._._._._._.
[DING! DING!!]
_The host is undergoing a healing process. Would you like to hasten the healing time?
[YES] / [NO]
._._._._._.
Without hesitation, Ethan selected 'No'.
._._._._._.
_Answer detected, healing time acceleration terminated.
._._._._._.
He closed his eyes, dismissing the system notification, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out in pain from the intense burning.
Based on the potion's quality and his injury level, Ethan estimated it would take around 20 minutes for complete healing. He was averse to the idea of using the system to speed the process, knowing there would be a price for hastening the healing time.
The pain persisted for a while, but about ten minutes later, the burning eased to a warm sensation, and his injuries were roughly half-healed.
With the pain subsiding, Ethan slowly opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze then shifted to the holographic screen he had not dismissed earlier. To his surprise, the message on the screen had changed.
He had been so focused on enduring the pain that he hadn't noticed the system screen's alteration.
The new message on the holographic screen read:
._._._._._.
_Would you like to check your stats?
[YES] / [NO]
._._._._._.
Ethan considered the screen for a moment before selecting 'Yes'.
As soon as he made his choice, the system chimed and the screen display changed.
._._._._._.
_Answer detected.
============
==BASIC STATS==
_NAME: Ethan Callahan
_AGE: 17
_RACE: Human
_ABILITIES: ???
_LEVEL: 0 (???)
_TITLE: None
============
STAT POINTS
_Energy Points: 100/100 (Level )
_Health point (HP): 100/100
_STRENGTH (STR): 2
_DEXTERITY (DEX): 0
_AGILITY (AGI): 0
_INTELLIGENCE (INT): 5
_WISDOM (WIS): 0
_RESILIENCE (RES): 0
_LUCK (LUK): 0
_Unallocated stat points: 13
============
SKILLS
_Active Ability: ????
_Passive Ability: Resilient (???)
============
_Ongoing quest: None
._._._._._.
Ethan studied his stat points, his brow furrowing with a complex expression.
Then, the system screen changed again with another message.
._._._._._.
_You have 13 unallocated stat points. Would you like to allocate them?
[YES] / [NO]
._._._._._.
"Yes," Ethan muttered under his breath without hesitation.
Aware of his need for strength, he intended to allocate most of his points to strength, and then to defense, which corresponded to the [RES] points.
._._._._._.
_Answer detected. You can now choose how to allocate your unallocated stat points.
._._._._._.
With his decision made, Ethan spoke about his allocation:
"Add 8 points to the [STR] point, 3 points to the [RES] point, and 2 points to the [AGI]," Ethan said clearly.
._._._._._.
_Are you sure you want to allocate 8 points to the [STR] point, 3 points to the [RES] point, and 2 points to the [AGI]?
._._._._._.
The system inquired, seeking confirmation of his choices.
"Yes," Ethan affirmed softly, confirming his decision to finalize the allocation of the stat points.
Right after his confirmation, the screen updated, reflecting the new changes to his stats.