The faint noon light seeped through the curtains as I sat on the toilet, staring blankly at the interface floating before me. It wasn't exactly the picture of a legendary Rank S individual, but no one was around to see me like this—except the glowing System panels hovering in front of my face.
"Alright," I muttered, flexing my fingers. "Time to figure out what makes you tick."
I swiped a hand experimentally, and the translucent tabs shifted smoothly in response, lighting up one after another. The first tab drew my attention: Stats.
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The first tab flickered to life, revealing a neatly arranged grid labeled Stats. It felt like opening a personal report card—except this one had the potential to dictate my life, death, and everything in between.
Seven attributes stared back at me, each accompanied by a small, glowing icon.
"Stats," I muttered, leaning forward. The icons were almost too polished, like they were designed by a celestial marketing team.
I tapped the Strength icon, which featured a flexed arm. A tooltip popped up with a faint chime:
Strength (STR): The foundation of all physical power. Increases melee attack damage, carrying capacity, and overall physical force.
"Fifteen," I murmured, rubbing my chin. "Decent, I guess. Enough to lift a bag of groceries and maybe throw a decent punch."
Next, I moved to Agility, represented by a sprinter mid-stride.
Agility (AGI): Governs speed, reflexes, and evasion. Higher Agility improves dodging ability, reaction times, and overall movement speed.
"Twelve," I read aloud, tapping the number for details. "So, I'm not exactly a ninja. But at least I'm not tripping over my own feet."
The Vitality icon—a small heart pulsing faintly—caught my attention next.
Vitality (VIT): Affects overall health, physical resilience, and recovery rate. High Vitality reduces damage taken and improves stamina recovery.
"Fourteen," I muttered. "Guess that explains why I didn't collapse after the dungeon trials. Still, could be better."
The Intelligence stat—represented by an open book glowing softly—pulled a grin from me.
Intelligence (INT): Enhances magical power, crafting efficiency, and problem-solving skills. Required for complex alchemical techniques and skill-based learning.
"Eighteen," I said, tapping the stat. "Well, at least my brain is doing the heavy lifting."
Endurance, displayed as a boulder-shaped icon, had its own faint glow.
Endurance (END): Represents stamina, physical resistance, and the ability to withstand environmental extremes. Higher levels reduce fatigue and extend exertion time.
"Thirteen," I muttered. "That's... mediocre. Guess I won't be running marathons anytime soon."
Next up was Spirit, with a glowing flame cradled in cupped hands.
Spirit (SPI): Increases mana reserves, spiritual resilience, and mental focus. Higher Spirit enhances magical efficiency and resistance to psychic or mind-altering effects.
"Twenty?" I blinked, leaning closer. "Now that's something."
Spirit seemed to be my ace in the hole, though I had no idea what "psychic resistance" might involve. My mind flashed back to Malice creatures in the dungeon. Maybe I'd thank my Spirit stat if I ever faced another one of those things.
Finally, I hovered over Luck, the glowing icon of a four-leaf clover almost mocking me.
Luck (LUC): Affects random outcomes such as critical hit chances, rare item drops, and success in unexpected situations. Higher Luck can turn the tide in unpredictable ways.
"Ten." I frowned. "So, average luck. Not bad, but not lottery-winning, either."
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Beneath each stat, a faint progress bar glowed, showing how close it was to leveling up. A small window in the corner displayed my unallocated XP: 10,000.
"Alright," I said, leaning back. "Let's see how this works."
I tapped on Luck, and a confirmation screen popped up:
"Allocate XP to Luck? 1,000 XP will increase LUC by 1 point."
"One thousand per stat point," I muttered. "Expensive. Makes sense, though. Can't have people maxing everything overnight."
I hovered between Spirit and Agility, weighing the options. Spirit seemed like the obvious choice—it was my strongest stat and had proven useful during the dungeon trials. But then again, Agility might help me avoid getting hit in the first place.
"Balance," I said aloud, shaking my head. "We'll go with balance."
For now, I left the points unspent, deciding to hold onto them until I understood the System better. It wasn't like I'd lose them just for waiting.
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I leaned back, rubbing my temples. The stats weren't just numbers—they were the building blocks of my future, each one a path with its own challenges and rewards.
Still, one thing was clear: this wasn't a game. Every choice mattered.
"Alright," I muttered, swiping to close the tab. "What's next?"
The next tab revealed a grid of empty slots organized by categories: Materials, Artifacts, Tools, Miscellaneous.
Curiosity sparked as I grabbed my toothbrush from the sink and held it near the glowing interface. With a soft chime, it vanished from my hand and reappeared in the Miscellaneous section.
"Alright," I murmured, tapping the slot to inspect it. A description appeared: "Toothbrush. Material: Plastic. Durability: 95%. Function: Optimal dental hygiene."
I chuckled, tapping the screen again to retrieve the toothbrush. It materialized in my hand, intact and unchanged. "Handy, but let's see if it can handle more than bathroom essentials."
I tried storing my phone next, but a warning chime sounded: "Error. Devices with network access cannot be stored."
"Well, so much for stashing everything," I muttered, tossing the phone back on the sink.
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The third tab unfolded into a sprawling skill tree. Two nodes at the base glowed faintly, signaling they were unlocked to the other skills that are greyed out beside them:
Analyze (Passive): Automatically provides information about objects, materials, or living beings when observed.
Alchemic Flame (Active): Summons a controllable flame both ideal for basic crafting and basic combat.
I tapped Analyze, and a tooltip explained its functionality: "[Epic] Level 1: Reveals advanced general information of scanned items or entities. Higher levels improve detail and analysis speed."
"Well, that's practical," I muttered, locking it in as my first skill.
Next, I examined Alchemic Flame. The description felt more ambitious: "Summons a controlled flame. [Rare] Level 1: Moderate heat with a small radius. Scales with Intelligence."
"Flame on," I murmured with a grin.
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The Quest Log opened with three sections: Main, Side, Unique.
At the top, the Main Quest stared back at me: "Become the Strongest Immortal."
"Straight to the point," I muttered, skimming its vague description.
The Side Quest read:
"Orientation Initiation."
Objective: Attend the Hunter Association's orientation session.
Reward: +300 XP, Rank S Starter Pack.
I smirked. "Hope this starter pack lives up to the hype."
The Unique Quest caught my eye next:
"Seek the Book of Disciples."
Reward: +100,000 XP, Unlocks Cultivation Tab.
I leaned forward, my interest piqued. "One hundred thousand XP?" I murmured, staring at the number. But the lack of any description nagged at me.
"Why would the System hide something so significant?" I thought. "The name feels familiar, but... why?"
A faint sense of unease settled in my chest, but I couldn't deny the intrigue. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be simple.
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The final tab revealed a modest Beginner Store. The prices were surprisingly reasonable:
Basic Healing Potion: 50 XP.
Minor Energy Elixir: 75 XP.
Basic Healing Potion Recipe: 5,000 XP.
Low-Grade Material Pack: 2,000 XP.
I selected the Healing Potion, watching as it materialized in my Inventory with a soft chime. "Alright, I'll take it."
Locked tabs for the Intermediate and Advanced Stores taunted me from the corner of the screen, promising items far beyond my current means.
---
I tried accessing the Cultivation Tab, but it remained grayed out, a message stating: "Requires Unique Quest Completion."
The Simulator Tab displayed another teaser: "Advanced training for combat and crafting. Unlocked with progression."
"Locked and locked again," I muttered, shutting the System with a sigh.
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A sharp knock on the bathroom door snapped me back to reality.
"Ji!" Gale's voice sounded exasperated. "Are you done in there? You're going to be late!"
I glanced at the time in the corner of my phone. Damn it.
"Almost done!" I called back, standing to stretch and brush off the mental cobwebs.
"Are you planning to write a novel in there?"
I blinked, swiping the System away. "Just… organizing my thoughts!"
"Organize faster! You're going to miss orientation!"
"Alright, alright, I'll be out in a minute." I chuckled, stepping into the shower. "System's got me thinking in side quests now. Hope this orientation would really worth it."
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