When suddenly [initialization... 50%]
A gold interfaced screen appeared in his face out of nowhere, almost blinding him.
"Huh? What the..." he muttered with a confused look forgetting he was about to get mauled.
[Initialization... 90%]
The screen appeared again, but the lion had already reached him with just a leap away from digging its flaming claws into his little skull.
[Initialization... 100%]
[Initialization complete]
[Congratulations, you have acquired a celestial system]
The screen popped up yet again with some weird information
"What the hell is this? What's a celestial system?" henry asked
He got no answer and unfortunately the lion pounced directly at him before he could think further
[Do you accept with the system terms and conditions]
The message flashed in his eyes again
[yes] [No]
"What fucking terms and co.... ahh fuck it who cares!" Henry screamed in his head, and when the lion's hot claw was just a hair breath from his face, he accepted
"Yes, fucking yes!" Henry replied with fear and at the same time anticipation as he braced for the worst
But the worst never came, he slowly removed his hands from his head wondering why his head is still attached to his body, and the reason was quite astonishing.
Henry was dumbfounded with what he was currently witnessing, time had completely stopped.
"What the fuck is going on?" he said with a surprised expression
Everything around him had stop moving normally or in his case was moving incredibly slower than normal, like time itself had slowed down for him.
"Woah, this is so cool," he muttered, admiring the inexplicable phenomenon happening around him, he stared at the lion in front that was moving in slow motion with jaws open and claws ready to rip apart whatever was in front of it.
"Man i would've definitely ended up back in that dark hell by now," Henry said as he slowly stepped away from the death furnace claws in front of him, remembering the loneliness of the great nothing.
"But am i doing this? Or perhaps it's the weird system thingy from before," he questioned, trying to decipher what was really going on, as this was officially the weirdest thing he had experienced since he came out of the black abyss, but as he thought of the system it triggered the interface.
[Welcome host to the celestial {god of speed} system]
[You have successfully acquired all the functions and priorities of the system, including the merits and demerits]
"Wow cool, i guess i should be honored. Wait! What do you mean by demerits?" he asked but got no reply.
"Okay it doesn't matter anyways but system, are you doing this?" Henry asked again, but this time, the system answered him.
[Yes, this is part of the safety measures provided by the system and was activated subconsciously when host was in danger]
"Wow, so i don't have to worry about getting hurt or dying, you're just gonna save me right?" he asked the system while smiling, but once again got the silent treatment.
"Right?..." Henry muttered, slowly removing the smile on his face.
[Host, please be notified that this is a once in a lifetime measure as it was triggered because the host was in grave danger just after fully merging with the system and would not be given the same chance again]
[As any other situation the host finds himself in, host is on his own].
"What, that's very unprofessional, so this was just a measure that didn't protect me but the system?" Henry snickered
[Host is correct, if current host had refused, you most certainly would have been dead]
[However, host shall be granted a skill similar to this later as he levels up]
"I see, so this is some kind of game where I level up and grow in strength. No."
[Host is correct, leveling up increases stats and gives various rewards including skills and more]
"So how do I level up exactly?"
[Host can level up by increasing experience points and completing missions and quests or simply buying experience points]
Henry had an understanding of what the system was talking about as he was a gamer in his past life who loved playing mmorpgs.
"Wow, i can really just buy exp instead of working so hard for it?" He asked
[Indeed, by using shop points, host can buy anything the system has to offer, but please know that getting shop points is not as easy]
The system replied yet again and henry asked a few more questions to which the system answered well, but the most important question on Henry's mind was still unanswered.
"Wait so what exactly are you and what is your function?" he finally asked
[Sigh* Is host just going to ask questions all day or move his lazy, sorry ass]
The system replied seemingly annoyed at his persistent questions.
"Woah, did i make you mad?... sorry about that, I've just been alone for some time and having someone to communicate with is kinda relieving, you know,"
[No, i do not know, neither do I care, I'm just an AI that Is programmed to carry out system functions, i do not know what loneliness or anger feels like]
The system replied obviously frustrated
"Are you sure you are an AI, cause your reply feels quite human-like?" Henry stated
But the system didn't reply him this time, as the screen faded off.
"Okay i probably deserved that, but how do i access the system, do i just think about it or say something?"
Then the screen reappeared in his face with a prompt
[Host can simply say 'Open interface' or just think about opening the system]
[However, host please be notified that this slow motion perception doesn't last for long, host is advised to leave the area and find a safer spot]
"Ohh i see but what if i... Wait, what do you you mean 'doesn't last for long? How many minutes does it take?" Henry asked, starting to feel uneasy
[Host has precisely thirty seconds left before the current phenomenon ends]
[Host is advised to leave the area immediately]
"Whaaat! You could have warned me earlier, fuck i have to get out of here!" Henry exclaimed as he began to run in a direction different from where the beast might decide to take when it notices it's prey had escaped.
[Host did not ask]
"Yeah, no shit," he replied leaving the danger zone as he disappeared from the spot completely.
....
"I think i should be, uhh, safe now," Henry voiced out as he tried to catch his breath, he had run as fast as he could far away from the beast.
"Okay, let's see what we have here," he muttered as he sat beside a large tree, finally resting and free from danger for the moment, he gladly spoke.
"Open interface,"
Then a, not so foreign
screen materialized in front of his eyes.
"Woah, i didn't know i had an inventory," he said seeming surprised.
"But first, status," he selected
*Name: Henry
*Race: Human
*level 1
Exp: [0/10]
*Hp: 10/10
*Ep (Energy points): 0
*Strength: 10
*Agility: 15
*Stamina: 10
*Defense: 10
*Perception: 10
[Speed Rate: 120 km/hr]
none
none.
"Well this is just pathetic, and to think i wanted to actually wrestle that beast, what was i thinking?" henry sighed and lamented on how sad his stats were.
"Except for my agility stat though, I'm currently as fast as a cheetah... or maybe that's just average in this world though," he said as he sighed once again remembering the terrifying speed which the lion had, but still knowing nothing about the world he was in.
"But based on what I've seen forehand, this world animals seem a little different in size and other physical features," Henry stated, remembering the four-eyed wolves.
"But the resemblance is still there, one can tell that they were wolves and that saber-toothed monster was actually a lion," he continued
"Which means the animals of this world
went through some kind of evolution." Henry declared, behaving like a scientist proposing an hypothesis.
"But if that's the case then, the food chain had probably reset and these animals... No beasts are the ones on top, all human life might have been eradicated, leaving the world to be in some kind of prehistoric era," Henry concluded, getting more restless with the thought of being all alone on the planet.
"Nah i doubt that. Even if it did happen like that then somewhere some humans would have surely survived and I just have to find them," he continued deducing possible answers based on what little information he had gathered from the wide and thick forest.
" But for now, back to the system,"
"Energy points huh, system what's that?" henry asked the system.
[Energy points are necessary to activate certain skills, it can be increased same way as normal stats]
[All stats can be improved by gaining stat points or leveling up]
[Each level up adds +5 to every stats].
"Okay cool, so why is it zero and what about the speed rate, i can guess it doesn't just increase normally, does it?" Henry asked
[Host doesn't have any skills yet, host would begin to receive Energy points when host gains a skill]
"Oh alright, carry on,"
[Host is right, the speed rate increases on its own basically by host's efforts and missions or leveling up likewise. Stat points cannot improve speed rate, but certain levels can]
[Speed rate increases agility too]
"Does that have to do with the name of the system, which clearly stated god of speed?" Henry's curiosity piqued
[Indeed]
The system replied with that single message and nothing more.
"Hmmm, i see, thanks atleast for answering me this time, perhaps you will answer my important questions huh?" Henry asked trying to pursuade the system to answer the questions he asked beforehand, but was unlucky yet again
[Host should not push it]
"Oh and why does it just show my first name and not my last name too," he asked
[I do not know but it is probably because host is not completely his former self anymore]
"Oh well it doesn't matter anyways, it's a new world and i will make the best of it," Henry stated
[Host should consider starting with leveling up stats]
"Fine, guess I should do that, cause with these horrible stats of mine, i could die of a single blow from any of these monsters," he muttered
[Host can check for available quests in the
"Oh right, of course, quests," Henry's face brightened, before opening the windows and selecting the quests option.
"Now let's see,"
*Daily quest
[Run a mile]
Quest reward : 5 exp
*Random quest
[Level up once]
Quest reward: one giftbox
*Seasonal quest
[Reach level 10 before the end of the month].
Quest reward:???
"This is just fucking great."