Beneath a towering tree, sunlight dappled through the leaves, Herris summoned his System window by tracing the insignia on his left hand. With a sigh of relief and time on his side, he activated the System Window. It shimmered into existence, glowing a soft green:
***
[Avatar]
[Skills]
[Shop]
[Inventory]
[Quests]
***
Five tabs appeared in the sidebar, reminiscent of a start menu on the left. He selected [Avatar], intending to explore each one sequentially.
***
*[Avatar]*
[Herris]
[Talent: Forging]
[Title: Manipulator of Truth]
[Job: Homeless]
[Level: 0/∞]
[HP: 100/1000]
[MP: 100/1000]
[Exp: 12/100]
[Quest Points: -150/∞]
---
*[Attributes]*
[Combat Status]
[Attack: 36]
[Defense: 11]
[Lethality: 11]
[Critical Chance: 11%]
[Accuracy: 06%]
[Dexterity: 11]
[Agility: 11]
---
[Miscellaneous Status]
[Crafting: 00]
[Production: 00]
[Learning: 08]
***
"It's exactly like MMORPG games," Herris mused, studying the interface.
"Homeless... Forging... Manipulator and the curse of number 11... The gods must really hate me, don't they?"
Herris reflected, a frown creasing his brow as he mulled over the labels. However, one detail kept snagging his attention.
"What's this about Quest Points? Why are they negative, Val?"
**[OHH... That's my consulting fee for talking to you. If it's in the negative, then I have to reduce your lifespan.]**
"Wait, what? Loki never mentioned anything like this. How much of my lifespan did you take?"
**[HA...HA....]**
Val's laughter reverberated in his mind. Herris retorted, irritation lacing his words,
"What is so funny?"
**[Your pitiful existence... But don't fret, psycho. Quest Points aren't what I told you earlier.]**
"Then why did you lie?" Herris's voice was laced with anger.
**[That's your punishment for provoking me earlier. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll reduce your lifespan to tomorrow.]**
Val's voice thundered with fury, issuing a threat.
"We both know I'll keep pushing your buttons until there's no one left to stop me. So, spill the beans about this System window, so I can entertain you more."
A wide grin spread across Herris's face, his mind already scheming on how to coax the truth out of Val.
After a moment of silence, Val replied in a composed tone.
**[Navigate to the Skills tab. You'll find its purpose there.]**
Herris selected the [Skills] tab on the left sidebar, which materialized on the right side of the window screen.
***
*[Skills]*
[Quest Points: -150/∞]
---
*[Skills Obtained]*
[Unlocked]
[Roots of Will]
---
[Locked]
[Clone of Reality]
[Sense of Surrounding]
***
The Roots of Will skill was etched in Herris's memory, a lifeline that had kept him alive.
He selected [Roots of Will], and another prompt overlaid the window.
***
[Roots of Will]
[Aptitude: Ability to control roots at will. The Elder Sage sacrificed his eyesight as an offering to the Plants Nature Spirit to obtain this skill.]
[Skill forged successfully]
[Activation: Chant the name aloud]
[Offering: One's Eyesight
10 Quest Points]
***
After Loki's departure, Herris had a mere five seconds before being engulfed in flames. Among the three skills, 'Roots of Will' caught his eye. He quickly recalled how the Elder Sage manipulated the bed made of stem roots and speculated that this skill might be similar.
Loki had granted Herris the privilege to purchase the skill using 100 Quest Points, despite his balance being zero. After acquiring it, Herris instinctively shouted the name, much like he had seen in anime.
Swiftly, the tree roots surged from the ground and cocooned Herris within the tree. However, the fire seared through the roots. Herris invoked it four more times in quick succession to evade the fiery death.
Herris pondered over the remaining skills and noticed the "Aptitude" in the "Roots of Will" skill. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. He voiced his question aloud,
"Hey, Val. How did I acquire that old geezer's skill? Did I gain it after killing him?"
**[Indeed, your Forging talent enables you to replicate the skill of those you kill and forge a duplicate. As much as it pains me to admit, your Forging skill surpasses the original, much like how you copied and enhanced Rome's novel.]**
Herris's Forging talent empowers him to replicate every skill of the person he kills, modify it to better suit him, and create a superior version of the original skill. However, Herris can't utilize every skill, as it requires Quest Points to unlock. Activating a skill consumes both Quest Points and offerings.
After he activated [Roots of Will], he experienced a slight discomfort in his eyes but didn't notice anything else, so he didn't dwell on it. Herris was well aware that offerings were a crucial part of using spirit magic, so he braced himself for the worst.
"YES!" Herris punched the air in triumph as soon as he heard Val's words and queried,
"Now I understand why I managed to escape that inferno."
The fire torch the elf hurled at Herris was not ordinary fire. It was conjured by a Fire Nature Spirit that doesn't extinguish until it reduces everything it touches to ashes. Herris gambled on whether the skill would work or not. In the end, he made a narrow escape.
**[Don't get too carried away. You see the negative 150 Quest Points. You need to make it positive within a week to avoid any penalties.]**
"So, how can I turn it positive again?" Herris asked, a triumphant smile playing on his lips, convinced he had outsmarted Rome.
**[Navigate to the Quests tab to undertake quests to enhance your attributes.]**
Herris promptly switched to the Quests tab, and a new prompt appeared:
***
[Daily Quest]
[Main Quest]
[Side Quest]
[Character Quest]
***
Herris selected [Daily Quest] and proceeded to the other tabs:
***
[Daily Quest:]
[Hunt down 10 Wolves: 0/10]
[Reward: 150 Quest Points
Exp: 10]
---
[Main Quest:]
[Defeat Rygel, The Demon Lord]
---
[Side Quest]
[Not available]
---
[Character Quest:]
[Not available]
***
"So, Rome has truly become the Demon Lord Rygel, huh."
A grin spread across Herris's face, the thought of slaying Rome igniting his blood and stoking his desire to confront and kill him right away.
Driven by rage, he was primed to undertake the Daily mission. Herris was about to select the Daily mission tab, but Val intervened.
**[Idiot, first inspect your inventory and shop for a weapon. Are you going to fight the wolves with your branch stick again?]**
"Well, that's my plan anyway."
**[UGH! You're insufferable!]**
"I will check the shop and inventory. Don't cry, and thanks for your concern."
**[I'm not concerned about you. I can't let you perish without amusing the gods.]**
"I completely believe you," Herris responded sarcastically while he selected the [Inventory] tab.
Herris saw three items.
***
[Gears]
[A Traveller's Sword]
---
[Divine Items]
[Headband of Slavery]
[Apple of Discord]
---
[Items]
[NIL]
***
"Monkey King's headband and Eris's apple. I'm familiar with the headband's properties, but I'm never touching that apple. I'm sure it will lead to chaos."
Herris had already resolved to undertake the Daily quest, but heeded Val's advice.
He opened the [Shop] tab.
***
*[Shop]*
[Reach Level 10 to Unlock Next Shop window]
---
[Gear]
[Nil]
---
[Divine Items]
[Nil]
---
[Items]
[NIL]
***
"Is this real?"
Herris found himself questioning not the empty display of the shop, but the presence of the Divine Items. He had assumed that these artifacts from the gods would be his only aids in this journey.
Yet, the shop hinted at the possibility of purchasing items once he reached level 10. This revelation provided ample motivation for him to complete the Daily quest, thereby increasing his Exp and turning his Quest Points into a positive figure.
With a swift click on the [Inventory] tab, Herris summoned the Traveller's Sword into his grasp.
The sword was unremarkable; a basic double-edged longsword capable of felling wolves. Forged from iron, its blade was sharp, and its hilt was just small enough for Herris's hand. Despite its practicality, Herris found the sword to be rather ordinary and uninspiring.
In an attempt to check the status, Herris voiced out, 'Status' and even its name. But his efforts were met with silence, with Val remaining unresponsive to his inquiries.
Growing impatient, Herris navigated to the Daily Quest tab and prompted the quest to appear.
[Initiate Quest]
[Yes] [No]
Without a second thought, Herris selected [Yes].
"GRRR..." The moment he confirmed his choice, the woods behind him erupted with echoing growls.
A foreboding smoke began to shroud him. A grin spread across Herris's face, his mind already picturing the day he would stand victorious against Rome.
[End of Chapter]