"According to what I overheard Argus say," Elias began, "all creatures in this world can see and access information about themselves through a status window, is that correct?"
"Indeed, Master," Prometheus confirmed, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice.
"That's the system I designed."
"Hmm... that explains it then," Elias muttered.
"The problem is, I can't seem to see or access this window at all. Is it because I'm from another world?"
"Oh no, Master! Don't worry, you're definitely an immigrant from another world, but you're not considered illegal in any way," Prometheus reassured him, his voice laced with a touch of panic.
"However," he continued, "there's a reason why I haven't implemented your status window yet."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'not implemented yet'?"
Before Prometheus could answer, Elias spoke again.
"But yesterday, Argus was clearly able to see my status information," he added, glancing at Argus who had returned with the hot coffee and placed it in front of Elias.
Prometheus cleared his throat awkwardly. "Forgive me, Master. My carelessness caused this situation."
Elias remained silent, waiting for a full explanation.
"Every creature in this world possesses a detailed status window containing information about their stats, attributes, skills, abilities, and more," Prometheus began.
"As the system's designer, I, along with any creations I grant administrative access to, like Argus, can see this information clearly – as long as we have direct contact with the creature."
He paused and sighed deeply.
"Regarding your specific case, while we can still access your basic status information, you can't access it yourself. There are a few reasons for this, some related to your arrival from another world, and others..." he trailed off, his voice hesitant.
Elias smiled and nodded, interrupting Prometheus. "So, because I'm from another world, accessing the status window is a little more complicated, huh?"
"That shouldn't be the case," Prometheus admitted, his voice laced with guilt.
"Every creature in this world, whether newborn or an immigrant, can automatically see and access their status window."
"Your situation is a bit unique," he continued, his gaze dropping.
"Due to the urgency of transferring you here, I couldn't take immediate action. I simply placed you in the closest location to me at the time."
"Back then, I was coordinating with all the administrators, developing various new systems for the world," he explained, glancing back at Elias.
"Hmm, it's alright," Elias said with a faint smile.
"But considering the sudden transfer, what happened to me back on Earth? Did I die and get revived here, or was it just a transfer?" He asked, trying to clear the doubts forming in his mind.
Prometheus sighed. "At this moment, I can't give you a definitive answer. It's related to your daughter's safety back on Earth."
"What does that mean?" Elias pressed, confused.
"For your safety and your daughter's, I've deliberately locked down information about your identity here. Please understand, I can't reveal it now," Prometheus explained.
"However, what matters is you're alive and well here. You'll be reunited with your daughter someday."
"Okay..." Elias calmed down slightly, a flicker of hope rekindled. "So, what about my status window?"
"Apologies, Master," Prometheus said. "Let me explain."
"Alright," Elias replied curtly.
"Ideally, I'd like to implement your status window myself, right away," Prometheus said.
"However, developing a new system that indirectly affects various parts of the world's systems takes a significant amount of time. That's why I couldn't meet with you sooner." He spoke with a tinge of regret.
"Only today did I have the opportunity to see you in person. Unfortunately, I got a bit carried away by my excitement to finally meet you again," Prometheus mumbled, looking down in shame.
Elias couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of Prometheus's sheepish grin and flushed face.
Prometheus darted his eyes around the room, then looked at Argus, who was equally bewildered by Elias's amusement.
"There's no need to be so serious, Prometheus, and please don't feel guilty," Elias reassured him with a wide smile.
"Now, how can I access my own status window?"
"One moment, Master," Prometheus replied, his smile returning. He reached under his garment and produced an object that resembled a sleek tablet computer.
"Simply place your palm on the tablet's screen," Prometheus instructed as he approached Elias and extended the device.
"All the information regarding your status will be automatically recorded on this tablet and integrated into the world's main system," he explained.
Elias's eyes widened in surprise and delight.
He couldn't believe Prometheus possessed such an advanced technological device, something eerily familiar from his own world. "Like this?" he asked, cautiously placing his right palm on the screen.
Prometheus and Argus watched intently, a flicker of apprehension in their eyes.
A sharp TRING resonated within Elias's head, like a booming bell. Then, as if by magic, he saw flashes of blue light appearing and disappearing before him in rapid succession.
"Wow..." Elias breathed in awe.
"These appear to be... notifications? But why are there so many flashes, like holographic windows appearing and vanishing one after another?" he muttered, his astonishment clear.
A wave of relief washed over Prometheus and Argus as they heard Elias's bewilderment.
"Those, my lord," Argus explained, "are notifications for all the achievements you've earned since arriving in this world."
"Precisely, Master," Prometheus added. "You can review them later in the main window display by accessing your achievements menu."
Driven by curiosity and a surge of enthusiasm, Elias attempted to access his status window. "Hmm, how do I do this?" he muttered, glancing at Prometheus and Argus.
Seeing his determination, Prometheus and Argus exchanged smiles. "Just focus on it mentally," Argus instructed.
"Oh..." Elias followed the advice, picturing the status window in his mind.
A holographic screen materialized in a flash of blue light, hovering before him. On this screen, he could see all his information displayed clearly.
Elias squinted at the information displayed on the holographic window. It revealed basic details about him:
Base Information
Name: Elias Frostborn
Race: Human (Enhanced)
Age: 46
Alignment: Neutral Good
Occupation: Beast Hunter, Unique NPC
Level: 0 (+)
Detailed Information →
"Hmm... NPC?" Elias muttered, a frown creasing his brow. "What does that mean?"
Prometheus, his gaze fixed on the status window, hummed thoughtfully. "Don't worry, Master," he reassured Elias, noticing his confusion.
"Only we can see this information. No one else can access your status window, and even for us, we can only view it directly here. If you leave my domain, we'll need your permission to see it again."
"This window currently shows your basic information," Prometheus explained, pointing to the section below your level.
"There's a 'Detailed Information' button down there. Clicking on that, or rather, simply focusing on accessing it, will reveal more complete information about you."
"Just imagine tapping it," Prometheus clarified, seeing Elias's questioning look.
"Okay, understood," Elias replied. "But what about this 'NPC' thing?"
"NPC stands for Non-Player Character," Prometheus explained. "It signifies you have a similar role and position as the native inhabitants of this world."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, the 'Unique NPC' designation in your Occupation section indicates you belong to a special category."
"You possess dual characteristics. While you're considered a native due to your presence here, you also retain a degree of freedom not bound by this world, similar to a player character in a game, because you originated from another world."
"I see..." Elias muttered, a flicker of understanding crossing his face.
"That's right, Master," Prometheus elaborated. "Imagine an NPC in a game who can function as both a character with special authority for players and a player themself."
"Hmm, alright, that makes sense," Elias said, nodding.
"Currently, since your level is still 0, some parts of your status window are locked," Prometheus explained.
"Oh, right," Elias added.
"Speaking of that, when I finished all the food and drinks you provided earlier, shouldn't that have boosted my attributes permanently? Since most of them seemed to have reached their limit, did those stats automatically convert into experience points?"
"Indeed, Master," Prometheus confirmed with a smile. "That's exactly what happened."
"Thanks, Prometheus," Elias said, a grin spreading across his face.
"I'm actually quite curious... what's it like to level up?"
Argus interjected this time, offering an explanation.
"There are many ways to raise your level, Master. You can slay creatures, conquer dungeons, complete quests, make discoveries – the possibilities are vast."
"Indeed, Master," Prometheus added, following Argus's explanation.
"You've already completed a few quests: reading the message I entrusted to Argus, embarking on a journey with him to meet me, and finally, meeting me in person."
"These quests should have granted you a significant amount of experience points. However, since you weren't yet integrated with the main system, you didn't receive them."
"My apologies, Master," Prometheus continued, a hint of regret in his voice.
"But now that you are integrated, and I hold complete control over the system, I'll grant you those points now."
'TRRING'
A sudden notification resonated within Elias's head, like a digital chime.
Before his eyes, several small windows materialized, each displaying information about achievements related to the quests Prometheus had just explained.