Cruzer wandered aimlessly through the city streets, the weight of his expulsion pressing down on him like a suffocating fog. The bustling life around him seemed like a distant echo, a world from which he was now irrevocably separated.
Each step felt heavier than the last, his mind replaying the events of the past few hours in an endless, torturous loop. Every sneer, every word of contempt, every look of disappointment was etched into his memory, forming a painful montage of his downfall.
He found himself in a secluded park, far from the prying eyes of the academy and its students. The tranquil surroundings provided a stark contrast to the turmoil within him. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds seemed to mock his inner chaos.
He sank onto a bench, burying his face in his hands, allowing the tears he had held back to flow freely. For a moment, he let himself be vulnerable, feeling the full extent of his loss, pain, and betrayal.
He felt helpless. First, he suddenly awoke in this world with two confusing sets of memories. Then he was humiliated by two people with whom he felt some familiarity in this unfamiliar environment. He lost his powers, the one thing people in this world respected so much.
He had to fight with his life to buy time to secure his future, and with all the painstaking effort, he managed to complete his task only to be humiliated and expelled from the academy.
His hope of a bright future dashed; no orthodox academy would ever take him now that he was labeled a cheater. His mind was full of chaotic thoughts.
He thought of his friend Hiroshi, who had so quickly distanced himself. The one person he believed would stand by him had turned away. The betrayal stung deeply, amplifying his sense of isolation.
"Why did it have to be this way?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. "What did I do to deserve this?"
He then thought of the root of the problem, his system. The anger and frustration boiled over, and he suddenly screamed, "System, you motherfucker, get the fuck out here! Ever since I met you, no good thing has happened to me. You took away my level and talent; you were even boasting no one will ever find out. See what the consequences are now!"
The park echoed with his outburst, and for a moment, everything was silent. Then, with its familiar mechanical voice, the system replied, "Host, I did not expect your luck would be so bad that you would encounter someone with True Sight. I admit I underestimated the situation. Cool your head; this is the only time I will allow you to vent at me."
Cruzer's breathing was heavy, his fists clenched, and his heart pounded in his chest. The system's admission did little to quell his anger. "You ruined everything," he hissed. "My future, my friends, my life—all gone because of you."
"The system has its limitations," it replied calmly. "I cannot foresee every variable, and I did not anticipate the presence of someone with True Sight at that moment. However, I assure you, not all is lost. You still possess your awakened talent, and you cannot even imagine in your wildest dreams the latent power of that talent."
Cruzer screamed with anger, "What dogshit talent? Because of it, I have lost everything!"
"Calm down, host. The system was created to help its host awaken their talent step by step," the system explained. "Completely awakening your talent at once would not only leave you without even ashes."
Cruzer's eyes widened and asked, "What is my talent called then? Who created you? Was it that mysterious entity in that dark room?"
"You are too weak to even be able to bear the name of your talent, let alone hear it, not to mention inquiring about my creator," the system replied. "You need to reach the Sage level to unlock the authority to ask these questions."
Cruzer felt a wave of deflation wash over him. As a novice adept, he had no chance of reaching the Sage level. The manuals and guidance required for such advancement were secrets held only by the academies or the stronger noble clans. His resentment and hatred towards the world's system of power grew.
"So, I'm stuck," he muttered bitterly. "No way to advance, no way to learn about my talent."
The system, sensing his despair, interjected, "Host, still has reward to claim."
Cruzer's brow furrowed in confusion. "The reward?" he echoed, angered. Here he was in despair about his future due to the system and it was asking him to claim a reward, as if mocking him, as if he was rewarded for failing his life miserably.
"Yes," the system confirmed. "You have yet to claim your chance to use system shop once."
His anger doused as he remembered this reward was one from the completion of his mission to collect materials. Due to how much he was in need of time, he had completely forgotten about this reward and only claimed the temporary talent rating reward only.
Cruzer then proceeded to navigate to the system shop interface in his mind. As the virtual screen materialized before him, his eyes widened as if they were about to fall from their sockets. The inventory displayed an array of items, each more astonishing than the last.
His heart began to race, and the hopelessness that had clouded his eyes started to dissipate, replaced by a spark of flickering hope.
A holographic interface materialized before his eyes. The shop was divided into several categories, such as weapons, cultivation manuals, techniques, skills, materials, accessories, etc., each brimming with items that could change anyone's fate.
He first asked system," I get to chose an item for free right?"
"Yes, host," replied the system.
Although he had already decided what to pick from the shop, he still decided to browse through casually to see what kind of items he could buy in the future.