As I gazed out over the misty horizon, the wind whipped around me, sending a shiver through my body. It was one of those nights that felt like a memory slipping through time—detached but familiar. I could recall standing on this very spot before, with echoes of past events swirling in my mind.
*"What the hell is that?"* I muttered back then, turning to see if anyone was behind me.
But no one had been there—just the wind and the house that seemed to hum with its eerie life, the kind that crept under your skin.
"I'll be back, Master. I need to go somewhere,"_ Sesy's voice, smooth and reassuring, had echoed in my mind, though it was just as much a part of me now as my own thoughts.
I remember turning again, this time seeing the ghoul butler and the Evil Spook. They had both nodded before vanishing into the shadows, leaving me standing alone.
"My lord," the ghoul butler had said before disappearing, "I also need to leave for a while. Too many spirits are causing disturbances. You cannot come with us, not until you've met the Lucist Elders."
The house felt heavier after they left, pressing down on me with its silence. It was almost suffocating. _"This place is definitely haunted,"_ I muttered to myself. But for all its dark and foreboding aura, I was still thankful. _"At least my father gave me this place."_
Back in my room, I eyed the plastic bag of canned food and instant noodles—my makeshift dinner. Hunger gnawed at me, so I opened one of the cans and ate quietly, each clink of the spoon against metal echoing in the silence.
Curiosity had gotten the best of me after a while. Setting the food aside, I cleared my throat and said, _"Status,"_ with a confident tone, even though part of me wasn't ready for what I might see.
---
**[STATUS]**
> **Profile**
Rank: F
Rank Title: Page Tamer (Trainee), Esquire Medic Healer (Candidate)
Title: Head of Lucist Family, Loved by His Powerful Grandfather, Master of Butler Ghouls, I Can Tame Even the Evil
Name: LU SHIAN
Age: 21
Race: Human
> **Stats**
Strength: 3
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 28
Health: 11
Endurance: 6
Charm: 2
Magic: None
Mana: 6
> **Skills**
Clerical Magic: 2/1000
Miracle Manipulation: 5/1000
Possession Resistance: 6/1000
Rune Manifestation: 3/1000
Sealing Bolts: 1/1000
Space-Time Magic: 400/1000
Cutting: 3/1000
Throwing: 4/1000
> **Ability**
Magic Merging: 0/1000
Combat Merging: 100/1000
> **Pets:** None
(Available Stat Points: 0)
> **Currency**
Gold: 600,000
Coins: 50,000
Wealth: Unknown
I frowned at my stats. _"This system looks cool, but what's with my stats?"_ I grumbled. My journey had only just begun, but the numbers staring back at me felt like a frustrating reminder of how much further I had to go.
And then came that familiar sound—
*Ding*—breaking the quiet.
**[Assigned Quest!]**
An upgraded house is equal to an upgraded person. Upgrade your house and become the first person in centuries to achieve this.
**§ Reward:** 100,000,000 gold, Title: I'm the Great Head
*"A hundred million gold! Is this for real?"* I had exclaimed, my heart racing with excitement. The reward felt unreal.
"And no consequence this time? Not like that beginner quest..."_ But reality quickly settled in. _"How do I even upgrade the house?"_
Right on cue, the system responded.
**[House upgrades are available in the System Market. To open the market, simply say "market market."]**
I took a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill my lungs. Closing my eyes briefly, I muttered, _"Market market."_
The hologram flickered to life, revealing a list of options.
**[System Market (open)]**
**Currency**
Gold: 600,000
Coins: 50,000
> **Market**
- Skills
- Magic Potions
- Combat Weapons
- Armor
- Food
- **House Upgrade**
*"Ho... so many choices,"* I had murmured, intrigued. But then, in classic Lu Shian fashion, I decided to check the **Food** category first. _Priorities, right?_
**[Food]**
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
**Snacks and Drinks**
Others
I chuckled to myself. _"I should focus on the house upgrade... but food first!"_Scrolling through the snacks and drinks, I couldn't help but indulge my curiosity.
*"Only 10 coins? I'll buy everything here!"* I grinned, excitement bubbling up inside me. Sure, the house upgrade was important, but I couldn't resist. _"I'm happy I checked the food first,"_ I had thought with a small twinge of guilt.
After the purchase was confirmed, I waited patiently as the system prepared to send my items.
**[Successful purchase! Your items will be sent to your inventory shortly.]**
The system instructed me to raise my hand and imagine retrieving the items. I followed the directions, and within moments, my purchased snacks and drinks appeared.
*"Ho... so much food!"* I marveled.
Then, out of nowhere, the system chimed again, almost as if it were mocking me.
**[Heh... Gullible.]**
_"What? Gullible? Wait... the system spoke?"_ I asked aloud, looking at the screen in disbelief.
**[Of course, Light Headed.]**
*"Yes, people call me that, but my real name is Lu Shian,"* I replied, smirking. Taking a sip of the strawberry lemonade, I was pleasantly surprised.
"Wow... this tastes like a drink that would cost $276."
[Frivolous daft, don't forget your quest. It's a one-day process. If I had known this would happen, I would've added a deadline.]
*"You should have!"* I said, still distracted by the chocolate bar I was unwrapping.
But now, as I stood here, in the present, I realized how distant that memory felt, like a dream. Everything that had happened—it was real, yet it was as though I had just stepped out of the past.
I blinked, the weight of time settling around me. The misty horizon no longer seemed so far away. It was Nero's voice that pulled me back.
[Finally, we are back. Do you know what happened]
I exhaled, letting the present moment sink in fully. No matter how far I'd come, or how many memories felt like a blur, one thing remained certain what happened a while ago is not real.
"Nero?" I called out, half-expecting the familiar voice of my system companion to answer me. A moment of silence passed before his voice echoed in my head.
[You're back in the present now."
I exhaled slowly, letting his words sink in. "I know, it's all from the past right?" I asked, though part of me already knew the answer.
The vivid memories, the status screen,
[Not exactly]
I paused, processing his words. "So, I'm living in the past and the present at the same time?"
[In a sense, yes. Time is flexible for us now. What you went through was both a memory and reality. It's how the system works. You're learning, growing, and moving forward, even if it feels like you're going back.]
I stood there, silent for a moment, trying to wrap my head around it. I wasn't sure if I fully understood, but I trusted Nero. I always had.
As I scrolled through the system a new set of instructions appeared on the screen, neatly laid out in glowing text
**[System Currency Overview]**
*There are three main currencies in your system:*
- **Gold**
- **Coins**
- **Neither Gold**
**[Gold]**
Gold is the primary currency, and it can be used in three different ways:
1. **Convert to Neither Gold**
- *Neither Gold* is a specialized currency that can only be used in the 'New Underworld,' 'Underworld,' and 'Neither World.'
2. **Convert to Coins**
- Coins can be used to level up skills, buy stat points, or acquire various system perks like gotcha tickets to boost your physical and mental capabilities.
3. **Convert to Real Money**
- One Gold can be converted into real money, which will be transferred to your bank account. *One Gold is equal to $1 million or 50,000 Coins, and 100,000 Neither Coins.*
**[Coins]**
Coins are versatile and can be spent to purchase upgrades or boost your abilities within the system.
**[Neither Gold]**
Neither Gold is exclusively for use in the 'New Underworld,' 'Underworld,' and 'Neither World.' It cannot be converted back to Gold or Coins.
**[Important Rules]**
- You can convert Gold into Neither Gold or Coins, but you **cannot** convert Neither Gold or Coins back into Gold.
- Real-world money can be converted into Gold, but the exchange rate is steep: *$500,000 is equal to 1 Gold.*
**[Note]**
You can earn more Gold, Coins, and Neither Gold by completing various system-assigned quests.
"I see, even the currency change" I mumbled,
[That's right, it was just two ways before but I think it's still like that to others]
"Then aren't I too spoiled then?"
[(+_+) yeah well, anyways I kind of feel un real why not look at your status now]
"Fine.... Status"
[•Status Window•]
•Profile• ✓VIP-King
Name: Lu Shian
Nickname: SPHYNX
Titles:
'King of new underworld
'Head of Lucist Family'
'Loved by his powerful grandfather'
'Master of Butler Ghouls'
'I can Tame Even the Evil'
Level: 100
Rank: Page Tamer (Trainee), Esquire Medic Healer (Candidate),
1st Class: Summoner
2nd Class: N/A
Species: Miracle Human
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Height|Weight: 185.5cm|75.5kg
*Skills**
Double Screen [Level 500]+500
Charme [Level 150]+150
Focus [Level 100]+100
Mist [Level 200]+200
Mana Refill [Level 100]+100
Fire Magic [Level 100]+100
Earth Magic [Level 100]+100
Water Magic [Level 100]+100
Wind Magic [Level 100]+100
Purification [Level 100]+100
Clerical Magic: [100/1000]+100
Miracle Manipulation: [500/1000]+500
Possession Resistance: [600/1000]+600
Rune Manifestation: [300/1000]+300
Sealing Bolts: [100/1000]+100
Space-Time Magic: [4000/10000]+4000
Cutting: [300/1000]+300
Throwing: [400/1000]+400
**Ability**
Magic Merging: [10/1000]+10
Combat Merging: [1000/10000]+1000
[Hp: 20000/50000]+20000
[Mp: 25000/30000]+25000
[Strength: 1500/5000]+1500
[Vitality: 1600/2000]+1600
[Agility: 15000/100000]+15000
[Intelligence: 6000]+6000
[Luck: 2500]+2500
[Life Force: 50000]+5000
*You have unspent Attribute Points*
[Remaining Points: 150000]+150000
**Since you have a 'Double Screen' skill, all skills, stats, and remaining points will be x2. You will also have 2 different classes, which is only possible for you.**
"The fuck!?"
[The Hell]
Nero's voice trembled with shock as the status window displayed numbers that made no sense.
[Error!]