Renzo's consciousness floated in the void, waiting for a response from the mysterious voice.
"Who are you?" Renzo repeated, his voice echoing through the emptiness.
"I am the System," the voice replied. "And you, Renzo, are a candidate for initiation."
Renzo's consciousness jerked in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"The System is a realm of consciousness," the voice explained. "A place where the boundaries of the physical world are transcended. And you, Renzo, have been chosen to join us."
Renzo's mind reeled as he tried to comprehend the System's words. "But how?" he asked. "I'm just a warrior from a small village."
"Your physical body may have been defeated," the System said, "but your consciousness remains strong. And it is this strength that we seek to harness."
Renzo's consciousness felt a surge of excitement mixed with trepidation. "What do I need to do?" he asked.
Renzo's consciousness felt a thrill of anticipation. "Let's do it," he said.
The System fell silent, and Renzo's consciousness was enveloped in a bright light. When the light faded, Renzo found himself in a new body. He looked down and saw that he was now in the body of a young, humanoid alien. The body was lean and athletic, with a series of scars on the chest. Blood seeped from the wounds, but Renzo felt no pain.
A small, AI-generated voice spoke in his mind. "System Installation Interface Activated," the voice said. "Welcome, Renzo."
Renzo's eyes widened in surprise. "What's my status?" he asked.
"Installing System Interface... Complete," the voice replied. "Your current stats are:
- Level: 1
- Strength: 2
- Agility: 3
- Intelligence: 1
- Endurance: 2
- Luck: 5
- HP: 100/100
You have the following skills:
- Stealth: +2
- Assassination: +1
Debuffs:
- Bleeding: -1 Endurance, -5 HP/minute (Duration: 10 minutes)
Experience: 0/100
Missions:
- Assassinate a demon beast kin (Reward: 50 EXP, +1 Strength)
- Complete a stealth mission to earn bonus experience (Reward: 20 EXP, +1 Agility)
Accessing host body memories... Complete."
Renzo's eyes narrowed, determination burning within him. He saw flashes of memories from the body's previous owner, Kael. He saw Kael's training as an assassin, his missions, and his eventual betrayal and death.
Renzo's grip on his new body's fists tightened. "Let's get started," he said.
The System AI, ECHO, chimed in, "I'll guide you through the process, Renzo. Let's begin your journey."
As Renzo stood there, trying to process his new surroundings, he heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Suddenly, a massive demon beast emerged from the underbrush, its eyes fixed on Renzo's body. The beast had the body of a lion, but with wings sprouting from its back.
Renzo realized that the beast thought he was dead, and he decided to play along. He remained still, holding his breath as the beast approached him.
The demon beast sniffed at Renzo's body, then picked him up in its jaws. Renzo felt a surge of fear, but he remained still, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The beast flew through the air, carrying Renzo towards its cave. Renzo remained still, playing dead as the beast flew over the forest.
After a few minutes of flying, the demon beast descended into a cave. Renzo waited until the beast set him down on the ground, then he struck.
He stealthily reached for the beast's neck, his hand closing around its throat. With a swift motion, he stabbed the beast with his dagger.
The beast let out a deafening roar as it collapsed to the ground, dead. Renzo felt a surge of energy flow through him.
"Absorption successful," ECHO said. "You have absorbed 250 energy from the demon beast."
Renzo stood up, looking down at the beast's lifeless body. He saw that it was a level 5 creature, five times his own level.
"Missions updated," ECHO said. "You have completed the mission to assassinate a demon beast kin. Reward: 50 EXP, +1 Strength."
Renzo's stats updated:
- Level: 2
- Strength: 3
- Agility: 3
- Intelligence: 1
- Endurance: 2
- Luck: 5
- HP: 120/120
"System Store available," ECHO said.