[-System-]
[Do you accept the inclusion of quests in your system?]
[Yes / No]
My eyes widened as I read the words "skill points." I scratched my head, unable to focus on the ongoing lesson. Quests with rewards?
In theory, it sounded like a great opportunity to improve and advance faster. I remembered the times when skill points were incredibly hard to come by. They were limited, and in a normal game, there was only a handful of them.
You could spend coins to reassign them, but that would only let you adjust your stats without gaining new points. It was a considerable advantage to level up the skills and spells you wanted, but every decision was critical.
'The best use for skill points is to level up only spells. This is because skills can be unlocked and leveled up naturally as your character levels up.'
"Hmm..." I thought, glancing at Tesline, who was taking notes attentively while the professor continued his explanation.
'On top of that, spells and skills can also be unlocked naturally with books and scrolls. These were handed to the respective NPCs, and you could buy spells quickly. I assume it's not going to work that way here.'
If I accepted these quests, I could improve my current situation, but Showman always had some hidden trick up his sleeve. What kind of penalties would come from failing a quest? It wasn't entirely clear, and knowing very little about the nature of this world, the last thing I needed was more trouble.
But the temptation to get extra skill points was huge. After all, my magic was key to my survival, and in this limited body, I needed all the power I could get.
Without making a sound, I selected the Yes option on the floating screen. If there was one thing to learn from this place, it was that staying still got you nowhere.
The screen vanished, and a new notification briefly appeared.
[-System-]
[Quests now available.]
[Assigned Quest: Finish training as one of the top ten.]
[Reward: 1 skill point.]
[Penalty for failure: 10 hours of migraines and you'll lose 50 gold coins.]
My heart skipped a beat. "10 hours of migraines and 50 coins?" I thought, feeling a bead of sweat trickling down my forehead. I didn't have anywhere near that amount of money. Where on earth did the system expect me to get 50 coins if I failed? This wasn't a video game anymore—I couldn't just restart if things went wrong.
And finishing in the top ten? This body wasn't exactly built to stand out physically. From what little I knew about the "old Rurik," he barely put in any effort.
And now the system expected me to finish in the top ten! Why not first? I knew how these things worked. If the reward was a skill point, the challenge wouldn't be easy.
I sighed, glancing at Tesline, who seemed completely unaware of the crisis going on inside my head. She was still taking notes on the professor's explanation about dungeons.
My mind started racing, planning how I could possibly pull this off. "Top ten? How hard could it be? Well, harder than hauling heavy sacks, I hope..." I thought with a hint of irony, remembering how badly I struggled the day before trying to move the pots and the coal stove.
The problem was that I had competition. Tesline was probably one of the best in her class. She had natural talent and impressive physical strength. And then there was Darius, that condescending jerk. I remembered how in the game he was described as a prodigy. If anyone was going to take first place, it'd be him. And me? I was the guy who had a two-day stomachache from eating raw cookie dough, all because I was too lazy to use the microwave.
'The worst part is I'd do it again if I had the chance.'
"How the hell am I going to pull this off?" I asked myself as the system continued floating around me, as if it hadn't just dumped a mountain of pressure on my shoulders.
My gaze drifted toward the classroom window. I could see the green hills in the distance, my house carved into one of them. The thought of going back there and forgetting all about this was very tempting.
But I had already accepted, so I had no choice but to complete the quest. The one upside in all of this was that I might be able to level up one of my spells.
When the professor finally stopped talking about dungeons, the classroom went quiet for a second. Tesline looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, what's up with you?"
"Nothing, I just... feel like trying harder."
The professor raised his voice, addressing the whole class. I think he was getting tired of how we kept talking to each other.
"Alright, everyone, it's time to change for physical training. I want you all in proper gear and ready in the courtyard in ten minutes."
We all got up from our seats and, along with the rest of the students, headed toward the locker room. As we walked, I could feel my nervousness growing, but I tried to stay calm.
Once in the locker room, I opened my locker and pulled out the training suit. To my surprise and dismay, the gear was... tight, to put it mildly. In the game, it was something you easily overlooked.
The black, stretchy fabric looked more like a spandex suit than anything else. It covered the whole body, clinging to every muscle and curve, and was designed to allow maximum movement without getting in the way. You could wear it under your uniform or any extra clothing, but even so, this looked more like something a rejected superhero would wear.
"This suit... is ridiculous," I muttered, eyeing it cautiously. I couldn't see myself wearing something so... tight.
Beside me, some of the other students were already changing, paying no attention to the embarrassment I was feeling at the moment. I sighed, deciding I didn't have much choice. 'It's just clothes,' I told myself, trying to calm down as I took off my uniform and put on the training suit.
Once I had it on, I looked at myself in the mirror. 'Wow,' I thought, noticing how strange I looked. The suit highlighted how scrawny I was compared to some of the other students. I felt like a stick wrapped in plastic.
I quickly put my uniform back on over it, trying to cover as much of the tight suit as I could. The feeling of having something so snug against my body was strange and didn't make me feel any more comfortable, but at least with the uniform on, it didn't look so bad.
As I finished adjusting the overalls, the black shirt, and put on the gloves, I sensed someone approaching, but I couldn't see anyone.
I was putting on the welding goggles, an accessory that, although unnecessary at the moment, gave me a sense of comfort and familiarity. I was about to adjust the last glove when, out of nowhere, something slammed into my side. I was violently thrown against the locker room wall, pain spreading across my back.
"What did you do to Tesline?!" Darius's voice echoed in my ears.
I tried to pull myself together as he grabbed me by the neck, shoving me forcefully against the wall. The air was knocked out of me for a moment, and I struggled to process what was happening. 'What the hell…?'
"I didn't do anything to her!" I managed to say, raising my hands in surrender. I didn't want a confrontation with Darius. I knew that, right now, it wasn't in my best interest.
"Don't give me that. Maybe you've fooled everyone with your stupid amnesia act, but I know who you really are. And I'm warning you, I'm going to show Tesline the trash you really are." Darius was gritting his teeth so hard it looked like they were about to break.
I resisted the urge to laugh at the irony of the situation, but I knew now wasn't the time for sarcastic remarks. I didn't want to make things worse. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.
"Listen…" I started, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I really don't remember anything from my past. I'm not trying to fool anyone, and I'm sorry if it gave you that impression. Really."
For a second, I thought my words had calmed him down, but I was wrong. Darius threw me against the wall again, harder this time, as if he wanted to send me through it.
"Don't give me excuses! Why do you two seem so close?! What the hell did you do to make her trust you?!"
The pressure on my neck increased, and the pain in my back grew more intense. I could feel Darius's fury, but I also knew I couldn't just tell him the whole truth.
That wouldn't just ruin my relationship with Tesline; it could also dangerously alter the course of the few future events I could still recall from the 'game.'
I decided to give him a partial version of the story.
"Tesline and I met at the guild in the nearby town." My voice sounded calmer than I expected, considering I could barely breathe. "I'm not going to lie, it was tough at first, but we ended up becoming friends after I helped her with a mission."
I hoped that would be enough to calm him down, but Darius only looked at me with even more anger.
"I don't believe a word! You must be manipulating her somehow!"
The pressure increased again, and this time, I really thought he was going to break something. Just when I was about to lose consciousness, a strong hand grabbed Darius by the shoulder and pushed him away from me with surprising force.
"That's enough," said a deep, gravelly voice.
Turning my head, I saw a tall, muscular guy with two horns and determined eyes. He looked like he belonged to the oni race. He stood firmly, showing no fear of Darius at all.
"This isn't the place or time for tantrums." The oni pushed Darius back with one hand and stepped between us. "If you've got a problem, deal with it some other way, but not like this."
Darius looked around, noticing that several students had stopped to watch what was happening. Their gazes were filled with disapproval, and it was obvious they didn't want this kind of spectacle in the locker room.
He growled in frustration, and though he seemed ready to keep fighting, he finally relented. Reluctantly, he left the locker room, throwing me one last hateful look.
Once he was gone, I felt my whole body relax. I let myself slump a bit against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for that," I said to the oni, who was now looking at me with a mix of sympathy and understanding.
"No problem." He offered me a hand, and I accepted it, standing up with his help. "It's understandable why Darius is mad at you, and I know it well. The old you... well, you messed him up pretty bad." He smiled ironically. "It's going to take a lot to repair the damage you've caused so far."
I scratched my head, feeling a mix of discomfort and embarrassment.
"Yeah, I can imagine. I just hope I can clean up at least half the mess my predecessor left behind."
The oni laughed and gave me a slap on the back that nearly knocked me off balance.
"You'd better work hard. Oh! Name's Grunthar, by the way."
"Nice to meet you."
I smiled at him, appreciating the support. I had gotten out of this one, but from now on, I'd need to stay more alert to avoid it happening again.
*・・*・・*・・*・・*・・*
The training was about to begin, but before that, the instructor decided to have us do some warm-ups, which he claimed were absolutely necessary. For me, it meant slow torture.
After several minutes of stretching, squats, and other activities that seemed designed to kill someone, I ended up gasping on the ground, exhausted and drenched in sweat.
As I tried to catch my breath, I saw Tesline approaching with a small smile and a drink in her hand.
"Here, this will help," she said, offering me the drink.
I appreciated the gesture and took a sip. It was simple, just water with refreshing herbs, but in that moment, it felt like a magical elixir. I handed the bottle back with a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, really."
However, Tesline didn't reply right away. She remained silent for a few seconds, which felt odd. Then, she glanced at me sideways, as if carefully choosing her words.
"Rurik..." she began, her tone more serious, "did something happen in the locker room?"
My muscles tensed up. Darius and his outburst of anger immediately came to mind. I didn't want to worry Tesline, and even less cause a scene, so I hesitated.
For a moment, I thought about telling her the truth, about spilling everything that had happened with Darius. But then I realized the implications. If I told her the truth, it might worsen the situation between them, and honestly, I didn't want to get involved in something so complicated. I sighed, trying to sound casual.
"Nothing happened, everything's fine. I'm just getting used to the training gear."
She looked at me for a few seconds, as if deciding whether to press me further. Then, she sighed and sat down beside me. For a moment, I thought she would insist, but instead, she simply changed the subject.
"Do you know what kind of training they'll put us through?" she asked, playing with a small twig she had picked up from the ground.
I shook my head.
"I'm not sure, but I imagine it'll be tough. I don't think they'll make it easy for us." I tried to joke, though part of me knew I was probably right.
We both stayed quiet for a while, just enjoying the brief break before what was sure to be a tough training session. However, as I glanced around, something caught my attention.
Near a group of students, a boy dressed in obviously noble clothes was harassing a girl with rabbit ears, most likely a member of the beastmen race.
It was clear that the boy came from a powerful family by the way he dressed and his arrogant attitude. The girl, visibly uncomfortable, was backing away, her ears drooping in a sign of submission and fear. The noble boy stepped closer, intimidating her with words I couldn't hear from where I was.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind, something I'd rather not have remembered.
In my original life, I had witnessed something similar. A student from a wealthy family bullied my best friend in high school.
I remember it perfectly. My friend looked at me at that moment with a desperate expression, pleading for help with just his eyes, but I... I didn't do anything.
I stood frozen, pretending I hadn't seen anything, because I didn't want trouble with someone who had such powerful connections. Shame and guilt had followed me ever since.
I shook my head, trying to push that memory aside, and returned to the present. I told myself this was probably just some event from the game.
Maybe, in this world, certain interactions were predestined to happen, and I shouldn't interfere. Besides, if Darius showed up to intervene, maybe it was a sign that it wasn't my role to get involved.
However, when I saw the face of the girl with rabbit ears, everything changed. Her eyes reflected the same desperation as my friend's back then, the same silent plea. My heart sank, and a wave of nausea washed over me.
"Damn it…" I murmured, standing up abruptly.
Tesline looked at me, confused, but she understood what was happening when she turned her head to see where I was looking.
She didn't stop me as I made my way toward the noble. Each step I took toward him made me feel more tense. What was I doing? This wasn't part of the plan. Intervening could possibly alter the course of the 'game.' But at the same time, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing again.
The air around the courtyard grew tense when I stopped the noble's hand. He turned his head sharply, surprised and indignant.
His face, which had been a mask of arrogance until that moment, twisted into an expression of fury. He stared at me, and in his gaze, I noticed something more than simple disdain. Recognition. There was something deeper in his eyes, something that left me with an uneasy feeling.
"You…" he said, a mocking smile curving his lips. "I know you very well, Rurik. I don't understand why you're interfering. No one hated the lower races more than you."
My stomach churned at hearing that. It was as if every time someone mentioned something from my past, I was sinking deeper into a swamp of mistakes and hatreds that weren't mine.
I looked him directly in the eyes, with a mix of calm and firmness I didn't know I had.
"Maybe that was the old Rurik, but I'm not going to let this happen now."
For a moment, the noble studied me with curiosity, as if he was really evaluating whether what I said was true. Then, an arrogant smile crossed his face, and he let out a mocking laugh.
"It seems the rumors were true after all," he said, his eyes gleaming with malice. "So, you lost your memory, Rurik? Then…" He paused, considering his next move. "I wonder if the other rumor is true too. They say you've lost your noble status. If that's the case, I think I could have a lot of fun with you."
I felt anger rising in my chest. It wasn't just because of the noble's words, but because of the arrogance and superiority that dripped from his every gesture. However, I knew losing my temper wouldn't help. I took a deep breath, trying to stay in control, and with a quick movement, I shoved the noble, making him step back.
"Find something else to do to fill your empty life," I snapped, my voice cold, hoping that would end the confrontation.
The noble, surprised at first by my push, quickly regained his composure. However, something in his eyes changed, and I could see rage building in his expression. Without warning, he unsheathed his sword in a swift motion, pointing it at me. His intentions were clear. He wanted to fight.
My heart was pounding, but my mind was surprisingly calm. And then, a thought crossed my mind. In RPG-style games, there was a very interesting mechanic called 'parry.'
I remembered how many hours I had spent practicing that technique in virtual reality, perfecting the reflex until I could do it instinctively. I became practically a master, memorizing attack patterns and defending with surgical precision.
When the noble attacked, my body reacted on instinct. I raised my arm and deflected his strike with my shield. The sound of steel clashing echoed in the air, and before the noble could understand what had happened, his posture was broken. His balance faltered, and his face flushed with anger when he realized his attack had been deflected so easily.
"What the hell…?" he muttered, clearly not understanding how someone he considered weak had managed to stop his attack so easily.
I tried to calm the situation, hoping he would back down without further problems.
"There's no point in continuing this," I said, trying to sound reasonable. Besides, I wasn't sure I could pull off what I had just done again.
But the noble didn't want to listen. His wounded pride prevented him from backing down. His eyes sparkled with hatred, and instead of retreating, he attacked again with more fury.
Before he could strike again, a loud voice interrupted the scene.
"Wait!" It was Tesline, who had been watching everything from a distance. Now, she approached with a sly smile and, in a teasing tone, proposed an idea that caught everyone's attention. "How about we settle this with a bet?"
The noble, surprised by the intervention, frowned, but Tesline continued without missing a beat.
"Since you both seem so eager to fight, why don't we let the training sessions decide?" Tesline proposed, a glint in her eyes. "Whoever performs best during their respective class training will be the winner. If Rurik wins..." she paused, as if calculating the stakes, "you'll have to give him 100—no, 200—no... 500 gold coins."
The noble laughed incredulously.
"500 gold coins?" he repeated, nearly choking with laughter. "Knowing Rurik, he'll end up at the bottom of his class, just like he always did. I'm not worried at all. I accept the bet, but let's make it more interesting."
The crowd that had gathered around began to murmur amongst themselves. Tesline smiled, knowing she had trapped him.
"If Rurik finishes lower than me," the noble said, with a malicious grin, "then Rurik will have to do whatever I want." His smile widened, dripping with cruelty. "And while we're at it, if I win, I'll have the right to humiliate him publicly."
A chill ran down my spine upon hearing those words. I tried to stop this madness, but Tesline accepted without hesitation.
"And if I happen to lose," she said, without missing a beat, "I promise in the name of my family that I'll give you and your friend 1,000 gold coins."
"Deal," the noble agreed.
They shook hands after wagering my fate like it was a game. I was starting to reconsider whether my friendship with Tesline was more likely to give me a migraine or something much worse.