[Congratulations, dear host, for completing the daily quest. You've earned a reward of 5 attribute points!]
Zephyrion sat in contemplation, savoring the flavor of the bread and the notification from the system. The five attribute points he had received were a significant addition.
"Hmm, that brings my total attributes to thirteen points, right? Quite a lot," he whispered, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
However, he knew that having thirteen attribute points was just the beginning of his journey to becoming a formidable martial artist and a mage.
Thinking of this, Zephyrion's thoughts drifted back to a memory buried deep within his mind.
When Yashin's parents had tragically passed away, the guild had retrieved their weapons and belongings from the site of their death and entrusted them to Yashin for safekeeping.
Over time, those possessions had gathered dust in a forgotten corner, as Yashin had no use for them, and he casually flung them into a room, including his parents' combat manual book.
"Hehe, a combat manual book?" Zephyrion's mind skipped a beat as he recalled the information he had read on the computer screen earlier.
Becoming a ranked martial artist was no simple feat. In fact, it required talent and, most importantly, a connection to internal energy (Qi). This internal energy was the fundamental distinction that set martial artists apart from ordinary individuals.
To attain the early outer stage of martial arts in this world, one must grasp the combat style they possess talent for or select the one they wish to pursue. Once a style was chosen, dedicated training and cultivating of internal energy were necessary for breaking through the next realm.
With years, months, or even days of tireless effort, depending on talent and opportunities, the practitioner could break through the bottleneck, becoming a ranked martial artist when their accumulation of internal energy reached a certain level.
While martial arts were one avenue to strength, magic offered another.
To embark on the path of magic and become a mage, individuals needed to determine the natural elements they had an affinity for through a visit to the 'Magic Assessment Association.' After that, the next challenge was to raise their mana capacity, a measure of their magical potential.
This was achieved through rigorous training, learning spells, and accumulating mana. When enough mana was gathered, a natural breakthrough occurred, signaling the mastery of the attunement stage of the magic art.
While it might appear deceptively simple on the surface, it was easier said than done. Possessing talent alone did not guarantee one to become powerful; individuals could encounter a formidable bottleneck within their realm, potentially preventing any further progress until the end of their life.
[The host has received a new main quest]
[°Main Quest: Become rank in both martial and magic art within two days°]
[°Reward: 10 physical attributes to assign to any stats]
[°Punishment: 5 attributes randomly deducted from any stats°]
"Should I become ranked tonight or wait until tomorrow?" Zephyrion thought as he remembered Yashin's parent's combat manual book that had been collecting dust in a certain room.
Zephyrion didn't care about the system's punishment; he had more time anyway, and he was not in a hurry. Zephyrion had a faint feeling, sensing that the system wanted him to become stronger quicker, always giving out quests he naturally had to undertake, even if they weren't issued.
[As my host, I naturally have to make you stronger and more powerful. But don't think having me means you can act recklessly and seek death. If you get yourself in trouble and ask for my help, then don't blame me for being ruthless like your brother, Varian.]
The system's robotic tone seemed colder than usual.
"You... You!" Zephyrion was furious, jumping up twice in agitation. He momentarily forgot that since the system resided within him, it was capable of hearing his thoughts naturally.
But this time, the system had gone too far. He was a hundred percent sure that the system deliberately mentioned his brother's name to taunt him.
Upon hearing his brother's name once again, Zephyrion's anger flared up, and he clenched his fist hard. "If you are bold enough, come out now and show yourself. Let's see if I will not beat you hard." Zephyrion couldn't contain himself this time, roaring aloud, his yell echoing through the neighboring houses.
["You want to beat me? Want me to show myself? You, a hairless prick, isn't even worthy enough."]
Zephyrion was suddenly stunned when he heard the system's words, and then suddenly, his face flushed red with embarrassment. "This... This system is so shameless; it even saw that when I was bathing in the bathroom."
Despite Yashin's well-maintained body, he'd been hairless from birth and had never grown a single hair on his lower part, and most importantly, Yashin was still a virgin throughout his life until his death.
So when the system suddenly mentioned his physical conditions, Zephyrion was first stunned, his heart calmed, and his anger gradually deflated.
He shook his head as he realized he could never win against this shameless system. Besides, he still had to rely on it to become stronger.
Zephyrion squinted his eyes as he became suspicious, and a thought popped up in his mind, but he decided not to dwell on the matter further, for fear the system would read his thoughts again.
["Rest assured, dear host. I'm a system, and my purpose is to make you stronger. I mean you no harm."]
The system reassured him.
Zephyrion said nothing more, heading to the living room. Though he knew the system meant well and had aided him since his arrival in this world, it's just that the system was so annoying that he couldn't stand its shamelessness.
He turned on the TV and sat on the sofa, a news reporter popped up, broadcasting vital information.
"Welcome to Solara Kingdom News Network. Tonight, we have information about the three most extraordinary prodigies our kingdom has ever produced in ages. These prodigies were unlike any other generation before them, and their names had already echoed through the land: Seraphina, Aric, and Elowen.
Seraphina, at the age of 18, is a master of elemental magic, capable of bending fire and earth to her will. Aric, at 17, was a prodigious swordsman whose blade danced with an otherworldly grace. Elowen, also 17, possessed a talent in ranger combat style, shooting arrows from long distance, and hitting its mark was not a problem.
These three are already at the second stage of their respective arts. Seraphina, a mage, is already at the early novice stage, while the other two are also at the early inner stage. The government of Solara had promised to protect these geniuses from the clutches of vampires and werewolves in case any of the races suddenly decide to break the peace treaty and attack.
"Huh, these youths actually surpassed my past life's strength at just eighteen years old? Hehe, good. It seems I'm not without a challenge in this world after all." Zephyrion smiled slightly as he gazed at the three images on the screen.
But he wasn't concerned in the slightest. Zephyrion just needed a little more time. With the system by his side, he was certain that those three geniuses would be far compared to him in the future.
"Anybody who dares to block my path of survival and becoming stronger, just one word - DIE!"
Zephyrion said with clenched teeth, his gaze still fixated on the images of these remarkable youths on the screen.
With the knowledge of different novels he had read back on Earth, he was certain he would probably cross paths with one of those geniuses shown on the screen, and maybe one of them would try to kill him or something like that. Zephyrion wasn't going to be merciful toward anyone trying to kill him for the second time.
["Idiot, stupid."]
Zephyrion was thinking of this when the system's cold tone interrupted his thoughts.
He was about to ask the system what it meant when, as if fate had intervened, the news reporter's voice caught Zephyrion off guard.
"But now, onto other news. Amon Yashin has done it again wi..."
Zephyrion's heart raced as his name was being mentioned on the news. Fear and panic gripped him as he wondered if the authorities had found the two corpses in the jungle, revealing him as the killer. The suspense hung in the air, leaving him drenched in sweat as he anticipated the news reporter's next words.