After taking a quick shower to freshen up, Sy spent the next hour staring at his reflection, trying to identify any physical changes on his body.
He immediately took notice of his facial appearance. Although he neglected looking at his own image for a while now, he was sure that the structure of his face has inexplicably changed.
"Strange fellow you are.." Sy muttered, a soft smile slowly appeared on his face, "You look even more handsome than I am."
If a few men were on the same room with him, they would have ganged up together and obliterate him on the spot for over complimenting himself.
Sy ran his fingers through his black hair with strands of violet and blue, a visual indication of his inherent genetic modifications.
Pioneers had the ability to upload countless information and knowledges directly into their brain that would overload a normal human's mind. Even though they couldn't understand most of it, they could just keep it as a stock in which they would eventually apprehend later in their life.
Sy sorely lacked this ability. He could only manually access databases in the simulation pods. When he graduated even without a neural affinity, he proved to be a competitive individual thanks to his genes. Although he would always lag behind his able peers.
The young pioneer continued to observe himself. At first, he thought that somebody might have sneaked some cybernetic implants within his body, but found that his dark-brown eyes were normal with no sign of alterations.
[Status:
Name: Sy Verdin
Profession: Level 0 Pioneer
Pioneering Score: 0
(Attributes)
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 11
Vitality: 20 ==> 21
Intelligence: 20 ==> 21
Wisdom: 12 ==> 13
Innovativeness: 7 ==> 8
Focus: 9
Neural Affinity: 0
(Martial Skills)
Basic Weapons Mastery = Level 0
(Technology Skills)
Basic Weapon-tech = Level 0
Basic Energy-tech = Level 0
Basic Construction-tech = Level 0
Basic Computer-tech = Level 0
Basic Propulsion-tech = Level 0
Basic Bio-tech = Level 0
(Specialty)
Basic Miniaturization = Level 0]
It puzzled Sy how he could see these texts in his vision with his normal human eyes. Somehow, he recalled a far superior technology still out of reach from human touch. A bio-organic computer equipped with biological components and neural systems capable of being autonomous and self design.
His face showed visible signs of a stunned expression whenever he had a glimpse at the accuracy of the Technology Skills and Specialty. All Pioneers started with basic knowledge in every technology, and they were labeled as Level 0. This was exclusively disclosed only to him and his fellows.
The Martial Skills, however, was only for self-defence, most importantly when exploring and coming into contact with hostile aliens races, and sometimes, to discourage delinquents with no fear of invoking the ire of a whole faction. Pioneers were born out of war, but their services were required to the advancement of humanity in the form of exploration. It was about 500 years ago when Pioneers last participated in a war, and that was against a destructive Xeno race.
The Attributes panel displayed that his Intelligence, Wisdom and Innovativeness had increased by a single point. It explained the foreign feeling he had with his mind, like he was more apprehensive and creative at the same time.
Moreover, whenever his gaze hovered over the multicoloured cube he had unwrapped from the second package, a new line of texts would appear.
[Mission:
Be a pioneer to open the Innovation Cube!]
Sy could only hopelessly shook his head, reaching no linear conclusion but some theories of a distant technology. He was hoping to meet whoever sent the package to him, the wonders he would learn. Moreover, he was not inclined to believe that some game-like features with some numbers going up would somehow magically increase his functions.
"I can't be stalled with something I don't understand." He said to himself, "I better get to work."
Although physically tired, his mind was still capable of functioning for a few more hours before his body would totally collapse from fatigue.
The room was empty, even the presence of a single cooking utensil was null. He mentally made a repertoire that he would buy after he earned some money; a good bed, a cooking platform with a ten-year energy cell, and anything within the limit of his funds.
With nothing to sit on, Sy sprawled on the white tiled floor, tossing a mouthful of cheap nutrients pills into his mouth, then crunch on it with great enthusiasm. After a satisfactory booming swallow, he activated his gauntlet and browsed the galactic net in search for anything that could potentially help him with his research on mechs.
He also spent years in the academy tinkering with replicators which were capable of modifying matters. With this, it can reproduce any desired materials from any kind of resources. After this was the assembly lines where parts and finished goods were assembled and fabricated in an efficient, organized fashion. Therefore, he was knowledgeable with machines but needed some confident boost with mechs.
In his search, he found out that the internet these days was a cluster of random informations mashed up together that formed into nonsensical things.
"What kind of crap is this?!"
The holographic display from his gauntlet featuring mech philosophies and some cults inflating the capabilities of mechs were like digesting dirt. It wasn't good with his stomach. How he wished he could access a reliable database. Perhaps, he could go to Logria's Databank Department tomorrow, flash his Pioneering License, and with luck, they would cheerfully lead him to their Archives.
He had severely underestimated how these smaller factions treated the mechs with utmost secrecy. Not even a single blueprint, even ones that were a failure, could be seen online.
"It seems like I'll dive into Steel Arena with my current knowledge tomorrow."
Even though the plebs had treated it as a normal VR Game, Sy knew it was an advance simulation readily made for the public. He did not need to go to some establishment with the highest form of security protocols just to test his theories in its simulation pods.
With his mind wandering somewhere else, he ought to find something productive with his brain. A few minutes later with nothing to do but scratch his head on whatever cringe thing he saw in the internet, he finally summoned back the System panel using his mind.
He first read the description of his attributes. He took note of Vitality which wholly represents health and longevity. Each point, represents life expectancy by 10 years.
"So, I can live ten years longer?"
It came to his mind that even normal people nowadays, won't have a vitality below 10. They all lived past the hundred due to the advancement of medicine, genetic enhancement, nutrient extraction and many more. There were even some 300-year-old grandmas looking like they're at their twenties. However, these individuals were rich beyond comprehension and can afford the most expensive cell-regenerations bay, purified water as if poured out from the holy grail and food devoid of any harmful substances but still retained its natural tastes and were way more nutritious. Something that normal people couldn't even dream of having.
Sy kept reading his attributes. Another description that caught his attention was the Wisdom. The process of a child to adulthood, and the character development behind it was wisdom. Intelligence was static while Wisdom is an ever increasing progress. Children who were intelligent, lacked the common sense or practicality to back up their thought process, and they wouldn't be able to create something that was logically sound. With Wisdom, imagination and theories could become reality with enough knowledge. This stat, was the guiding hand for Intelligence. Knowledge could be practically used, while unnecessary inputs in a theory could be completely eliminated.
Now that he thought about it, he just recently had an idea about testing a few theories that suddenly popped out from his mind.
"Do I have any way to increase my Wisdom?"
As soon as this question appeared in his thought, a new panel appeared in his vision.
[New Mission!
Find a new function from existing technologies.
Reward: +1 Wisdom]
Sy was just thinking the same thing. Just a single increase in his wisdom, new ideas had been forming in his brain. He wanted to try them out, but saved this itch to innovate for tomorrow.
Firstly, he needed to get a good rest, and build up some energy for a long, hard day of work. He snatched the white blanket placed on top of his luggages and laid down on the cold, hard floor. His mind restless, still assessing his current situation.
"The mechs should provide me some income, while Steel Arena is my research lab." Muttering silently, his eyes slowly gave up to drowse and he fell asleep shortly after.
His apartment in the outer rim secured silence from the busy parts of the city. Only the soft sounds of the desert sands, being swept by the wind could be heard. It was his first time getting a peaceful sleep after months of forgettable events.