The disembodied voice next to me echoed again and I decided to do as it said for now. At least it's speaking to me again.
Maybe it's like a nonplayer character and only has a set amount of responses to me currently. So I should ask questions that are more likely to trigger a response. Like questions pertaining to what it wants…
It wants me to complete this mission. So it should have a set of responses just for it.
"How do I get a status window?"
"Simply say the words and it will appear."
As I thought. It's only responding to questions that go along with its previous line of questioning. It's all about this mission thing. Let's do what it wants for now. I still don't know how to get here.
Ew. My feet are wet.
"Status window?"
Another blue window appeared and I studied it. It's like a survey. On both my past life and my current life. Female...seventeen...non-related. Violent end.
I entered my current name and all of my other information into the format. The survey loaded and then turned into a typical status report found in games. My information was compiled and then uniformly presented to me.
[Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.]
[Level: 1]
[Race: High Dark Elf, Pure Blood Vampire, ???]
[Age: 364 Days]
[Health: 64/200]
[Strength : 3]
[Vitality: 10]
[Intelligence: 15]
[Agility: 5]
"I'm done right?"
The penguin wobbled towards me."Almost done. Ask me about my functions."
Ugh. "What are your functions?"
The penguin walked towards a screen and went over all of its accessible features with me. It took forever but I eventually memorized all of them and how to use them.
This is kind of like an unskippable tutorial. Annoying.
"Status screens, the skill tree, the missionboard, the navigation menu, and the inventory. Correct?"
The penguin waddled and replied jovially. The mission board was brought to my attention again. The Side Mission was greyed out.
So it means completed. What did I complete before then?
"Correct! Congratulations Host! You completed your first side mission! Prepare to receive your reward."
The missionboard let off a little jingle and the mission turned green before something banged in the distance.
I jumped.
"Congratulations! You received Hidden Lineage activation. One hundred experience points and one skill point. Congratulations!"
"You have leveled up once!"
"Status."
I checked the blue screen and swiped down my list. I received ten new status points and my health was restored to full.
Which is a neat perk of leveling up.
That's convenient.
[Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.]
[Level: 2]
[Race: High Dark Elf, Pure Blood Vampire, Godkiller.]
[Age: 364 Days]
[Health: 300/300]
[Strength : 3]
[Vitality: 10]
[Intelligence: 15]
[Agility: 5]
Wait! I scrolled back up to race. Godkiller?!
"Why does that say Godkiller?!"
"You are of the rare hidden lineage Godkiller. Would you like to use your skill points and distribute your status points now?"
I sat back down on the floor in shock.
A Godkiller?
"Are you talking about the Godkillers? The heretics? The most hated race of people to ever exist?"
My voice turns shrill as I blurt out. "The very extinct race?!"
"No."
Oh thank—
"The race is not extinct."
Fuck! In the many books I have read. One of the only mentions of the term Godkiller was in a religious text.
To summarize a very long story.
There was a big argument between this radical group and the main religion of the Fae a long time ago.
The radical group was convinced that the Gods were exploiting the Fae and would descend to Earth to destroy the Fae one day.
The Fae King at the time called them heretics and banished them.
The radical group then went to heaven and killed a whole bunch of gods. Which was said to be impossible until then.
The secret of how to kill a god is still unknown.
The gods were enraged by this and punished everyone equally. Even the other kingdoms were affected. The entire realm sought out, hunted these evil creatures, and killed them. The Fae then offered them in sacrifice to their gods to appease them.
The gods reluctantly accepted their sacrifice and gave relief to the people. However, they promised that should such a slight occur again they would have no mercy.
The entirety of the Fae have lived in immense fear of Godkillers for centuries.
"You're telling me—!"
The penguin chirped and raised its flippers."Yes. You're the last blood descendant of that group."
"Take it back!"
"Take what? Your reward? That's not possible. I would however recommend that you look at your skill tree."
Skill tree.
I looked over the stupid grey screen and grew frustrated when I couldn't find what it was referring to.
"What are you talking about?"
The stupid penguin manipulated the screen and scrolled down until I saw a specific skill. Oh.
"You want me to pick this so I can conceal my identity."
"It would certainly help your case."
I spent the skill point on it.
[Telekinesis. The manipulation of matter using only the mind. This skill set can also help shield the user from the scrutiny of others.]
My status screen has a new addition to it. That's all well and good. But how do I shield myself like it said?
"How do I use it?"
"Tap the skill and direct it as you wish."
I tapped on the skill and used my finger to erase the words Godkiller from the screen. Smudge it up. Disappear!
It disappeared but the space it left behind didn't fill up. Whatever. Good enough.
"So that will help me hide it right?"
"Only to those who are judged to be below Level 100. Otherwise…"
It didn't finish and I felt a shiver roll down my imaginary spine.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Could you please specify what you mean?"
I completed its mission so it should be able to respond to normal questions now. "Why are you helping me? What made you want to help me? Why am I even here?"
"Why are you here? That's beyond my comprehension. I am helping you because I am your system admin. I am a piece of data. I have no desires or biases. You acquired my help after completing the hidden quest."
"What quest? Show me."
The screen for the missionboard pulls up and switches to the completed folder.
[Hidden Quest: Derrick the Terrible.]
"Oh no. This better not be what I think it is. What exactly did I do? What were the conditions that I fulfilled?"
"You made Derrick lose favor with the Duke. You ruined his reputation and then you had him punished. Lastly, you had him banished to the Obsidian Sea."
The Obsidian Sea! That's a death sentence. That can't be true.
"The what! I don't remember that?!"
"Of course you don't. I pulled you into this space just before he was to be persecuted so I could communicate with you. To outsiders, you seem to be in a coma from your injuries."
"Send me back!"
"Use your status points and I'll consider it."
I growled and did as I was told. Blackmailing me huh? I'm gonna get you back for that.
After I was finished I was given another value.
Mental energy? That's unexpected. No magic. That's a bummer.
"Does everyone have one of you?"
"Of course not! System's like me are reserved for special hosts like you!"
That's comforting. I guess.
[Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.]
[Level: 2]
[Race: High Dark Elf, Pureblood Vampire, ]
[Age: 364 Days]
[Health: 390/390]
[Mental Energy: 180/200]
[Strength: 5]
[Vitality: 13]
[Intelligence: 20]
[Agility: 5]
[Skill : Telekinesis]
"Mental energy? How do I replenish any of this? What happens when I run out? Why don't I have magic?"
"It's the energy associated with the waves that your brain gives off. A good night's rest will do. You'll enter a state of exhaustion and will be sent to the soul space for recovery. I don't know."
"Wow. Can I leave now?"
"Almost. I would advise that you open your gift bag before leaving."
I grumbled and swiped towards my inventory. Of the ten transparent blue boxes floating before me only one was filled. I reached into the blue bubble and grabbed the girly pink pouch.
Ew. Also, what's with this place and pouches? What happened to a good old gift box or a purse?
"Do I just open the strings?"
"Yes."
I pulled apart the strings and a bright red light came from the pouch. A bell rang and something popped out of the bag. I reared back and narrowly avoided it.
A few other things popped out and floated in the air.
What is it? What am I supposed to do?
"Congratulations Host! You have been awarded five amazing gifts! Allow me to introduce them!"
Ugh, he's got that mock excited voice again. So creepy.
The Penguin did a little twirl and I cringed.
The red-glowing object floated in front of me and lost its glow. Revealing its contents.
"Within this glass bottle is a premium-grade Health Potion! One drop can cure a poison and two can heal an injury! Congratulations!"
The potion was sent into my inventory and locked away safely in a bubble.
The next two objects had a golden glow and when it lost said glow. It was revealed to be two golden scraps of paper. Wonderful.
"Next! We have two golden tickets! When you reach a certain level you can use them to get a special prize! Congratulations Host!"
I sneered. So it's useless. The next two objects had a black-and-white glow to it.
"Congratulations Host! You pulled a map of your world!"
Now that's useful. The map was sent into my inventory and I reminded myself to check it out later.
"Congratulations Host! You pulled a system function!"
I perked up."A what? I can do that?"
"Of course Host. The new system function is Inspection! You can now inspect anything and anyone around you! Congratulations!"
"That's all well and good but I need to go back. How long have I been here?"
"A few hours. Ejection from the soul space commencing…"
A countdown began and I looked around me. What the hell kind of world was I born into?
My eyelids got heavier until it felt like they were stuck together. I inhaled and opened my eyes again. The stars. The mobile.
This is my room.
"She's awake!"