*/ System: "You just killed a Goblin for the first time!" +50 Bonus Exp
What!?
I hear a voice inside my head. It's the same voice I heard back when I died multiple times in my original world. The strange thing is this screen in front of my face—it's like a hologram, blocking my view.
Deo is doing great down there, but I'm struggling to support him with fireballs because this screen is in the way.
I try to touch it, but my hand passes right through. There's nothing physically there. Maybe it's all in my head? I focus on closing the screen... and it finally disappears. So that's all it takes to close this dumb screen!? Whoever designed this thing is worse than the Cyberpunk developers.
Anyway, I need to help Deo first before exploring this system thing.
I descend slowly from the air and suddenly sense the remaining goblins inside the cave. They're using tools to dig through the soil, trying to create another exit before they suffocate.
Deo seems aware of this, even without detection magic. He throws a dead goblin's body into the flames at the cave entrance.
-- Young Master, I need your fire magic! --
I immediately use fire magic to amplify the flames at the entrance. Deo is trying to increase the smoke entering the cave to force the goblins out, since there's only one exit.
Some of the smoke escapes into the air instead of filling the cave, so I use wind magic to redirect it back inside. Deo gives me a thumbs-up.
The vibrations in the ground grow louder as the goblins begin running toward the exit.
Deo pulls a small ball from his belt and throws it into the flames. Just as the goblins reach the exit, the ball explodes, killing all the goblins near the blast.
Now, all 17 remaining goblins are on the surface.
This is no time to hold back.
I cast earth magic, conjuring large rock projectiles, and hurl them toward the goblins.
/System: +10 Exp
Deo has already taken down 10 of the goblins.
The remaining 6 try to flee. Deo moves swiftly, swinging from tree branches like a monkey. He throws his axe, killing one goblin, then leaps onto another, choking and beating it into submission.
Two goblins are still left. I use earth magic to form spearheads from the soil. To make them harder, I use water magic to wet the soil, then fire magic to dry it quickly. Finally, I use wind magic to launch the hardened spears. They hit both goblins, killing them instantly.
/System: +10 Exp /System: +10 Exp
I used soil instead of stone because reshaping granular materials like soil is much faster than reshaping solid stone.
Finally, it's over. I managed to kill six goblins, while Deo took care of most of them. I couldn't focus well because every time I killed one, that system voice echoed in my head. Is there a way to turn it off?
*/ System: "Of course. Do you want me to turn off the voice notifications?"
What the hell? You can talk?
*/ System: "Well, I'm not deaf."
Really? So it took you five years before deciding to speak to me?
*/ System: "Yes. It took you five years to kill a goblin... just a goblin... heh."
Did you just laugh? Just turn off the notifications already. What kind of technology is this?
*/ System: "I'm not technology. what you perceive as me is based on your imagination and acceptance."
*/ System: "For example, you see a screen not because I'm a system or a computer, but because that imagery is familiar and more acceptable to you."
Deo walks toward me and pats my head.
-- Well done, Young Master! I didn't expect you to be such a great mage at your age... I'm really surprised. --
You're strong, Uncle Deo! You defeated most of the goblins. -
Is that how an innocent child should respond? I can't wait to grow up so I can stop pretending to be a child.
-- Hahaha! Of course! I'm Deo the Goblin Slayer! --
I laugh with him.
And with that, our goblin extermination mission is finally over!
I suddenly feel dizzy and fall to the ground. Maybe I used too much mana. This is the first time I've used magic this many times.
Deo immediately lifts me up and carries me on his back.
-- Are you already tired, Young Master? Let's go to the guild first, and then I'll drop you home, okay? --
I give him a thumbs-up.
As Deo walks, I check the system again.
System, open. -
The screen once again flashes before my eyes—no, in my mind, because even with my eyes closed, I can still see it.
I check my overall stats on the screen. They're divided into three sections:
Int - Intelligence - 160
Str - Strength - 10
Agi - Agility - 14
I have a huge amount of intelligence points. That makes sense since I'm a mage.
Under intelligence, there are two subcategories:
The first is maximum mana and mana regeneration—the more intelligence I have, the higher my maximum mana.
The second is strength, which covers vitality and physical power. Vitality is probably my overall health points, and physical power relates to how much physical force I can use.
In agility, it's clear that it affects movement speed and flexibility.
There's also an exp bar, but no indication of my level. I have 110 exp... that's from killing six goblins, plus bonus exp for my first goblin kill.
System, can you explain what this exp is for? -
*/ System: "Experience points, also known as EX-P, can be used to add points to any of the three main stats. 10 exp is equal to 1 stat point."
Can you speak normally and act like a human? You sound like an AI. -
*/ System: "Sigh... I told you I am what you perceive me to be. If you think of me as an AI, my responses will sound like an AI. Maybe you should think of me as a friend. Giving me a name instead of calling me 'System' would help address this problem."
No thanks, you're the reason I'm in this world... and you made me experience dying a lot of times. Do you know how painful and terrifying that was? -
*/ System: "Sigh... humans..."
I continue navigating the screen. It's surprising how easy this is—like using a smartphone. There's a tab with a huge number on it... 8.19 billion. Is this money? Am I a billionaire?
System, can you explain? -
*/ System: "I don't want to."
What? -
*/ System: "You asked me to sound and talk more like a human, so this is how humans respond to each other, right?"
Are you in a rebellious phase or something? Sigh... never mind... -
*/ System: "The number you're seeing is your accumulated souls. They can be used to resurrect when you die."
I see... so it's like extra lives in a video game, but in a ridiculously huge amount. So, my unique skill isn't immortality, but having a massive number of lives... weird.
*/ System: "You can consider it immortality since you won't die unless the number reaches zero. You can increase the number by 1 using 10,000 exp."
Where did I get all these souls, then? -
*/ System: "I don't have knowledge of that. The system you had in your past life is different from me. We were born on the same day in this world, so my knowledge is limited to this world. But we were originally born with 8.2 billion souls."
I see... -
I allocate the 110 exp I earned from killing goblins to Intelligence since I don't need strength or agility yet. My intelligence rises to 171.
In this world, magic depends on mana. The more mana you have, the more powerful your spells are. In theory, there's no limit to a mage's capability. If someone were born with unlimited mana, they could reshape the very structure of this world.
Suddenly, Deo tries to wake me up.
-- Young Master... Young Master, wake up. We're at the Guild already. --
I'm not sleeping, though. -
Deo talks to the lady at the front desk and then tells me to wait outside.
After a while, Deo follows me outside and hands me something.
-- Young Master, you should keep this. --
He gives me 10 silver coins.
-- That's yours -- he says with an awkward laugh.
Wait a minute. I remember the reward for goblin extermination being 50 silver coins. He only gave me 10, but since he did most of the work, I guess that's fair enough.
Deo then walks me home.
Thanks, Uncle Deo. Just drop me off nearby. If my mom sees you, you'll be dead since she doesn't know I was gone. -
-- Okay, I don't want to die yet so see you later young master, Thanks for your help --
Deo walks in the other direction.
I sneak inside the house quietly.
Then suddenly...
-- Where have you been, you naughty little brat?! --
My mom is standing in my room, holding a huge wooden sword.
Wait, Mom... let me explain! -
And that day, for the first time in history, I received a beating from my sweet,and loving mother...