After taking the bus back to his apartment, it took Alexander about 15 to 20 minutes to travel back to his apartment. Once he was in, he took a quick shower and stood up only wearing a towel.
"System, show me the money I earned today," he said to himself. A high-tech voice responded.
[Sure Host]
[After calculating for about 17 hours, 36 minutes, and 12 seconds, the host has accumulated about 35,205 pesos.]
[Do you want to claim it and add it to your balance?]
Alexander nodded, and the money he had earned was instantly transferred into his bank account.
[Status
Experience: 170/200
Name: Alexander
Free Points: 0
Title: None
Level: 2
Strength: 12
Speed: 9
Defense: 9
Charisma: 9.5
Earnings: 0 pesos
Balance: 319,211 Pesos
Skills: None]
As Alexander looked at his balance, he couldn't help but feel frustrated at how slowly it was growing. He tapped the shop button on the interface, knowing that the thugs he'd angered wouldn't just let him off easily. His experience told him that grudges like that weren't easily forgotten.
The shop opened, revealing a list of options. There seemed to be an entire tier above the regular system shop. He was still stuck at level 1, which made sense, since he hadn't purchased anything yet.
[Shop]
{Skills} {Techniques} {Potions} {Weapons & Armors}
Seeing the four options, Alexander decided to go with "Skills" because the name sounded cool to him. As he clicked on the button, a list of various skills appeared on the screen.
[Skills
{Basic Swordsmanship: Increases proficiency with a sword, slightly enhancing accuracy and attack speed. Ideal for beginners looking to improve their combat effectiveness.
Price: 10,000,000 Pesos
}
{Swift Step: A footwork skill that provides a small boost to movement speed, allowing the user to dodge or retreat quickly in battle.
Price: 5,000,000 Pesos
}
{Focus Strike: Heightens concentration, enabling the user to deliver a slightly stronger and more precise attack on their opponent.
Price: 5,000,000 Pesos
}
{Iron Skin: Temporarily hardens the skin, offering minor protection against physical attacks. Effective for short-term defense in combat.
Price: 5,000,000 Pesos
}]
When Alexander saw the prices, he realized they were much higher than he had imagined. He had expected them to be around 100 to 500 thousand, but they were far more expensive. Frowning, he couldn't help but feel how poor he really was, letting out a sigh of disappointment.
He switched the options to "Techniques," though he didn't hold much hope, assuming the prices wouldn't be any more affordable.
[Techniques
{Thunder Clap: A technique that involves clapping the hands together to generate a shockwave, disorienting and pushing back nearby enemies. Useful for crowd control.
Price: 10,000,000 Pesos
}
{Flowing River Strike: A fluid, continuous striking technique that combines multiple sword slash into a seamless attack, overwhelming opponents with a series of rapid strikes.
Price: 15,000,000 Pesos
}
{Shadow Strike: A technique that hides the user presence, allowing the user to strike with quick, unpredictable attacks. Great for catching opponents off guard, recommended for assassins.
Price: 10,000,000 Pesos
}
After scrolling endlessly, Alexander felt hopeless seeing the high prices. But finally, he came across something affordable that he could actually buy.
{Serpent's Coil: A grappling technique that allows the user to ensnare and immobilize an opponent with fluid, serpentine movements. Effective for close-quarters combat.
Price: 400,000 Pesos
}
Seeing the affordable price and realizing he was 800 pesos short of his current balance, Alexander tapped around the app for a while and claimed the amount he needed.
With a 20% discount from the novice gift pack, the price changed to 320,000 pesos. He couldn't help but think about how useful this coupon was.
After buying the skill, he gained some knowledge related to it. The concept of Serpent Coiling started to appear in his mind.
He saw himself standing in a dimly lit room, surrounded by multiple opponents. With a sudden, fluid motion, he extended his arms, weaving through the air like a serpent.
His hands moved in a serpentine pattern, wrapping around an opponent's torso with swift, precise grips. Each twist and turn of his body was calculated to entangle and immobilize, pulling the opponent into a controlled hold.
As he opened his eyes a profound look emerged in his gazed, not just his technique improved but also he felt his self become a little light.
Standing up he did a stretching, and he felt that his arms were flexible and even his body was flexible and nimble as a serpent.
"System, can you show me my current Status" Alexander said as he want to see the changes in his self.
[Status
Experience: 170/200
Name: Alexander
Free Points: 0
Title: None
Level: 2
Strength: 16
Speed: 14
Defense: 10
Charisma: 9.5
Earnings: 0 pesos
Balance: 0 Pesos
Skills: None
Techniques: {Serpent Coil}]
Seeing the huge boost in his stats, he was stunned and amazed. With just one technique, he could actually nourish himself and boost his strength and speed. Clenching his fist, he was eager to test out his new power.
Suddenly, he heard a growl and looked down to find his stomach growling with hunger. He had forgotten that he hadn't eaten anything, but just had a few drinks earlier. So, he put on a black t-shirt and some short and went out, feeling a new, unusual sensation as he wore it.
He noticed his chest was noticeably fuller, giving him a broad and powerful look that filled out his shirt, but it wasn't as bulky as a bodybuilder's. His waist, on the other hand, was much slimmer, tapering sharply to create a sleek and defined silhouette.
It was like he trained his body for years to attained this physique, with his charm and added by his tall silhouette and with his great physique. He became a model but with an aura of a man at that.
He then left the place and used the Tap Money app to make some money, earning 3,000 pesos. After stopping, he arrived at the nearest convenience store, where he looked around for a bit, he bought some food and ate at a table inside.
In the street, a man with red hair and a bandaged face, using a crutch, walked by with a group of thugs carrying bats behind him.
Next to him was another guy, about the same age but a little smaller, and they seemed to have a good relationship.
"James, are you sure you don't want to take the car? We can just meet over there if you prefer," said the blonde-haired guy, who carried the air of a young master. Besides him two people in black clothes followed him.
"Of course, I'm fine, Gavin. If I catch that guy, I'm going to torture him and teach that little punk a lesson," James replied, his voice tinged with fury.
Gavin, seeing the anger on James's face, felt sympathy for the young man who had been beaten by the cruel guy. He was just a waiter with no connections and seemed to have gotten himself into a lot of trouble.
James then calmed down and looked at Gavin. "Oh, by the way, why did you suddenly come here? Are you here for some business?" he asked as they continued walking.
Hearing this, Gavin replied, "Yes, my father sent me here on business. A wealthy foreign investor will be attending a stone gambling event on Saturday. He wants me to close a deal that could significantly earn us a big sum of money"
James's interest was piqued at the mention of stone gambling. They finally arrived at the convenience store.
"Hey, go buy some drink with this money," James said, handing a stack of cash to one of the thugs.
The thug nodded and went off to get the drinks. Meanwhile, the group of about 18 people settled at a table outside. The place was large but packed with people.
James had brought his crew to drink and calm his anger while waiting for information on the person who had beaten him up.
Before they could enjoy the moment, the thug who went inside was running and it seems he was in panic and full of fear.
All of them stood up while James and Gavin look at him with a bewildered expression.
"What is it Rey, spell it why does it look like you've seen a demon" James said impatiently.
Rey the thug who was still catching up his breathe pointed at the convenience store and said a little flustered, "Boss, the guy who beat us up his inside the convenience store" he said.
James was stunned by what he heard. Then a twisted smile spread across his face as he laughed with anger.
"This is fate," he said.
"Let's go inside. I'm going to make him pay ten times for what he did to me."
He stood up, using his crutch to walk, with his friend Gavin and the thugs following him. Rey, the thug who led the group, guided them through the store.