Xuan Zhong Continent, Eastern Sky Prefecture, Cool Mist City.
*Crackle!* *Crackle!!*
The intermittent bursts of fireworks echoed through the air, layered with the lively chatter of children and adults alike.
From afar, one can see the populace weren't comprising only of humans alone. Even the wildlife residing in the nearby forest weren't shunned away by this unusual levels of hubbub, some had even stood post in amidst of the masses, seemingly observing the waves of crowds.
With the gentle wind grazing through the assembly, it seemed like all were good.
And that is true, this wasn't just any festival.
It was the Xuan Gui festival, something celebrated through the entire Xuan Zhong continent!
Originating as a tradition of respect, yet through many years, it had been shifted from a noble endeavor to one of leisure.
Alas, who shall grumble in the face of a joyous time?
"Hot paos for sale!! Hot paos for sale!! Only one ling for three paos!!"
"Blessings from the Heavenly Father!! Hurry up and come read into your future!!"
"Come and change your life!! If fortune does not strike now when else could it be!!"
Under the mild sun, hawkers and merchants were shouting out loud, hoping to strike the iron while its hot.
"Mama, I want to eat this!" A little girl in bunny ear headbands pointed eagerly at the bun stall.
The girl's mother, a woman dressed in well-woven garment, turned her attention towards the stall.
But just as she was about to get a hot bun for her daughter, a skinny figure in rugged clothes caught their eye.
It was a young man in his 30s, donned in what seemed to be makeshift clothing with patches all around. His skin is mostly covered in dry dirt, with multiple scars and smears across his face, it was hard to make out his complexion.
"Aiyhh, what a pity!" Said the mother as she saw the young man, forcibly pulling her daughter away to somewhere else.
Paying no heed to the woman, the young man with slightly hunched back came forth to the bun stall.
"Little guy, want some paos? Just one ling for three paos!" The hawker proclaimed, trying to force a smile.
"Yeah, just three of them please." Said the young man as he grabbed one ling out of the couple from his pockets.
"Alright! Please wait a moment.."
After purchasing the buns, the young man tightened up the packaging the hawker had provided, it was made with some leaves, and he had to make sure there was as little air gap as possible. Then, he quickly hurried down the street back home. With each step away from the city center, the noise faded just as quickly. With just a fifteen minutes walk, it felt like he had crossed a boundary. Perhaps living classes weren't that much of an abstraction, it can be felt crawling on his skin.
He was now in the slums -- a world both so close yet so far away.
The buildings were dilapidated, crumbling to the point where even a beggar could foresee their collapse.
The silence was oppressive, in this place, noise was considered to be trouble.
The young man tried moving as quietly as he could, while ignoring the occasional mumblings coming from the sides.
After some time, he had finally gotten to an area where there was little life.
Sighing a breath of relief, he headed into one of the empty buildings he was familiar with.
After multiple twists and turns after moving up the stairs, he came in front of a room with the door closed. Carefully, he inserted a thin rod into a particular point of opening and pushed downwards.
*-clack-*
A subtle noise reverberated throughout the area. It seemed like something had been unlocked.
He pushed the door open, and came into a small space more deemed to be a compartment than a unit. This was a single room where there were clear batches of mildew growing on the walls, but clearly that wasn't of importance now. There was at least a door, a mattress and some old furniture, with a window by the end of the room. Alongside the window was a trusty pot filled with some water and there were even some stick and stones by its sides.
This was his safe haven.
A heavy furniture was placed close to the door previously, so after moving a couple of smaller furniture to cover the little space in between the former and the door, he'd consider it safe to shut his eyes.
"Where do I even begin..." The young man thought in his mind as he sat down with his back against the wall, finally grabbing a bun to eat.
It was a week ago when he first woke up. He couldn't recall anything, not his name, not his age. His profile was a blank space, and yet, he could instinctively understand the language the people are speaking, and the consequences of his actions.
He was lost. But grim is an accomplice of opportunity, residing in his mind was something inexplicable. Visually, it looked like a translucent window. It was simple, yet incomprehensible.
His senses were revealing that it was called the System. Currently, this was all that's being shown to him.
Power - 0.63/1.1
Points - 0
At first he had no idea what it was about, but very quickly it was made obvious, it was something related to his current physical status and available currency for the system. The power had been steadily increasing from the couple of buns he had been surviving on for the past week.
The young man was deep in thought, without realizing he was on his second bun that was supposed to be carefully provisioned.
"What the..." The young man was surprised.
Power - 0.63/1.1 (+)
Points - 1
"My points...it increased! And it seems like I could add the points to my power?" The young man thought to himself, then proceeded to spend the points right away.
Immediately following this was an intense surge of energy throughout his body... It felt like his veins were filled to the brim! His heart pumping faster than ever before, it was a sensation of both pain and comfort.
"Ughh..." The young man groaned in discomfort, his eyes frowned and his fists clenched.
After a stretch of time, the discomfort finally faded. It was truly an experience, and odd one at that.
The young man gripped his fists and stood up. He had never felt such vigor before.
Excited, he went over to grab a small wooden table that had required all his might previously.
"Hupp!"
And now, he was able to raise it with just one hand!
"Incredible! It felt like my strength was doubled!"
Power - 1.63/2.1
Points - 0
"And my movements... It feels so light!" Thought the young man as he moved around with a newfound agility, his once heavy steps were now akin to feathers!
...
...
After getting used to it, the young man quickly recovered from his excitement. He sat down and took a deep breath. He needed to calm down, this was a great opportunity, and he wouldn't want to mess this up.