The transparent blue screen illuminated before Ren, displaying an array of different categories.
From physical strength to mental prowess, from gaining weight to becoming a corpse, a myriad of shiny potion bottles danced before his eyes, each promising its own unique effects.
After looking at the descriptions, Ren ended up in a dilemma.
Ah! What to choose? Everything looks so cool!
Should he take this muscle-gaining pill and directly fight the killer? But for that, he also needs to have some killer moves. Perhaps he should begin with martial arts training.
However, before diving into that, he needed to assess his current skill level. Only then can he choose the suitable grade upgrade pill.
Or how about he starts with magic spells?
Before Ren's imagination whisked him away to another fantasy adventure, the cub who could hear all those thoughts presented a new idea.
"How about you start with checking the prices of those things?"
Yeah, Ren needs to carefully look at all his requirements. Only then can he find a perfect tool for himself.
All the thrill disappeared from his heart like air from a deflated balloon. Ren looked at the prices and then at his pitiful balance of 600 points. He double-checked the prices, half-hoping that his eyes were in fact playing tricks on him.
Alas, there they were, extra zeros or a few extra zeros in some cases.
Ren, "..."
"Say, little god. Is it only me or your mall is calling me poor in 36 different languages?"
What can little god do? It knows very well how expensive those things are. However, their effect can not be underestimated at all.
Once upon a time, there was a person who used these mall items as freely as water and caused a huge mess for higher-ups. Since then, the price has been increased.
"Just pick the suitable one. I promised to give you a discount on your first purchase, remember?"
Does Ren remember such a thing?
The answer is obviously no. He was too out of his mind at that time and hence only remembered a few important bits.
So, Ren focused his gaze on the little cub and nodded his head like a chicken picking grain.
"Of course, I remember! How can I not remember such a good thing? Thanks, my little god!"
The system nonchalantly waved its paw, conjuring three rows, each with four grids, directly before Ren.
These were the things the system carefully selected for its host. After all, unlike other systems that thrive on the intelligence of their hosts, this poor one only has the pitiful itself to rely on.
These options contained a 20-minute invisibility cape, which had a cooling period of an hour after every use. However, it can also be used five times.
A Medusa's eye. It sure can turn someone into a stone but only for 10 seconds. A very useful option for those who want to change the course of a fight in mere seconds.
An unbreakable fort. Just like the name implies, it gives absolute protection from any type of attack. From a shit of a fly to a nuclear weapon. It sure gives you a sense of security. However, what breaks the deal is its limited one-time use only for 1 minute.
Another option which tilted Ren's heart in its favor was the 1-minute heaven-defying fighting spirit card. Ren would have bought it if not for the one-time-use logo blinding his eyes.
All these items were marked at 1000 points. Some were at 1200 and 1500 points. In short, the only few things under 1000 points were a bottle of 100% pure water bottle, a bun and a pain soup.
After thinking for a few minutes Ren finally decided to go with the best option for his current state.
A Portal to the wisher's heart.
This portal can be used for a total of eight times.
All Ren has to do is think about the place and the gate will open. This portal will stay open for 10 seconds and then close on its own.
Howbeit, there is one thing that concerned Ren. It was the place where the portal appeared. Once the wisher makes a wish of a certain place, it cannot be changed. So, if Ren appeared on the roof of some building, he would have to use the same place to return as well.
Only once the cycle of entering and exiting the portal is completed, the wisher can select a new destination.
Thinking it in this way, this portal can only be used a total of four times.
After careful consideration, Ren finally picked this option.
In an instant, a slender form with twin heads encircled Ren's wrist in a comfortable grip. A black serpent coiled on Ren's wrist has some silvery lines winding around its black body from head-to-head.
Glimmering crimson eyes, crafted from age-old gemstones shone with brilliance. The bracelet of some unknown material was light enough to not hinder the wearer's movements.
Ren carefully inspected every nook and cranny of the bracelet and nodded with satisfaction. It was quite a unique design, exuding an air of mystery.
The system, as promised, gave Ren a discount of 50 % at the original price of 1500 points. After the additional discount of 6.6% due to the principle of the first purchase gift, Ren was only left with a pitiful amount of 49.5 points as his remaining balance.
"So, let's go over the plan."
Ren's face looked serious enough that the system thought it got a virus and forgot about the plan.
"What plan?" When did they even make any plans?
Ren, without blushing continued, "The plan we are going to make right now."
The system, "..."
Forget it.
It didn't want to waste its codes any more than necessary, "Go ahead."
"So, all we know is that all the people who died had their life sucked out somehow. There were no signs of any self-defense injuries either. The bodies were clean.
This leads to two conclusions- First the victims were unconscious.
Second, the attacker was someone known to the victims. Hence, they never expected to be killed by this 'Life Sucker'.
After going over the list, thanks to you-my little god, we have a few people who are linked to all three victims.
So, we will go to school and try to connect these common people with school."
The system couldn't resist a disdainful eyeroll. This was such a basic thing that anyone with a few working brain cells could deduce such a connection.
"All you can do is go look for clues. Only after that can we get any results." the system concluded.
Ren had very few options to begin with. Either he follows the news and finds something or goes into the field himself.
After taking the nutritional solution from his favorite robot nurse, Fir...Okay, who was he kidding with? Fir is the only robot he knows till now.
With a full but unsatisfied stomach, Ren and an already invisible system stood beside the comfy bed.
With a solemn face, Ren looked at the equally serious cub. After receiving the nod from his system, Ren raised his hand.
Ren's lips parted, "Open,"
The black bracelet shone with silvery hue and a portal appeared out of thin air.
It was a pitch-black hole, and nothing could be seen through it.
The familiar dull blankness made Ren's heart beat a bit faster.
"How sure are you that this is not a portal to hell? I mean... I can't even get a glimpse of what's behind it."
Before Ren could continue his chatter, he was pushed inside the strange pit and disappeared along with the portal.
Ren appeared at the grounds of the academy. In the next second, the system saw Ren touching the pillar with ever so gentle fingers, again.
The system, "...." It almost lost its happy mood.
'If you are done molesting the pillar, we have to go. There is a killer on the loose, you see?'
Ren instantly turned around to look at the system who was squatting behind him.
'You pushed me to hell gate, and I can't even enjoy a little touch?' Even though Ren wanted to say that he was not molesting anyone or anything in his case. How come his wording sounds so weird?
'Yeah, keep standing there and we will surely pass through the gates of jail if we somehow manage to not get killed by the murderer."
Well. That's true. Ren was still not oh-so-enthusiastic about the whole thing of living a grand or was it brand new life?
However, he was also not a fan of getting killed twice in just a few days.
Getting the much-required attention from its host, the system opened a 3-D map of the whole academy.
The bustling academy took on an eerie transformation under the cloak of night.
The darkness covered every inch of the walls. Ren could swear he saw something rustling behind the window.
If it wasn't for the cub who acted as if they were on a stroll through some Royal palace and not a haunted academy, Ren was tempted to just open the portal, and run away.
Everything aside, Ren wasn't a big fan of Horror. The oppressive silence stretching through the endless corridor didn't do anything to better the situation.
While Ren tried hard to remember some mantras to get rid of the senior sister in red clothes ( from a horror movie he ince watched), he followed the cub's directions.
If everything went according to the stories, the three ghosts already lurked in the shadows. This was a novel world, which makes this possibility even higher!
In his anxiousness, Ren forgot that the senior sister in red was not even from his world now.
Ren absentmindedly followed the directions while chanting a mantra he suddenly remembered.
'Oh, Budha...' Ren only remembered this much, so like the human being he was, he made his own mantra.
'Oh, Budha,
Hide me, please!'
While chanting, he almost knocked at the door with his head...again.