After two years of being a mere explorer, I realized I had nothing to lose and faced the famous "Cave of Greed." I just didn't expect to make it out alive.
"Wow..."
I came across mountains and mountains of gold and thousands of other items.
Thanks to the basic function that all systems in my world had, I could see the colors of the items stuck in the gold and thus determine their rarity.
There were green, blue, and purple items, meaning uncommon, rare, and epic. My eyes glowed with greed at that moment, as if my pupils had taken the shape of two gold coins.
If I could get just a few of these items, I would be able to retire and live a peaceful life forever. So, I wanted to take everything that would fit in my small 3-slot inventory, but it was impossible.
[This item cannot be obtained.]
"Tsk! How stingy..."
Few could reach the end of the 'Cave of Greed'. It was a tremendous challenge. An ancient legend said that all the items in this place were not real, but mere physical illusions. That meant that when I put anything in my bag or inventory, it would return to its original place like a mirage.
This situation was like a pie in the sky, or like playing Stardew Valley and wanting Robin as your wife.
In the end, I could only stare at the items and wish for them with all my heart.
"But the truth is, if someone could take as many items from this place as they wanted, the legend about this cave wouldn't even exist in the first place. The first person to reach this sea of treasure would have taken everything for themselves and become very rich, without spreading the existence of this place to the world."
Anyway, I didn't come this far for battle equipment, nor for rare items that gave legendary spells. I calmed my mind and turned my attention away from the pile of treasure equipment.
Yes, I didn't desire wealth—I mean, yes, I did, but I wasn't looking for it in this place. What I was really looking for in the 'Cave of Greed' was the legendary magic book capable of changing my System.
At eighteen, I finally gained admission to the Wushia Compulsory Education Academy in Republic City and proved myself worthy of receiving a System.
At that time, I was hopeful because I firmly believed that, because of my exceptional grades, I would receive a legendary combat System, such as the Crimson Swordsman System, or even a Profession System, such as the Divine Chef System. However, what I received was the 'Explorer System'.
There were thousands and thousands of people with the 'Explorer System'. It wasn't the worst of the systems, but it meant that I would only have skills that helped with exploration, meaning I could create maps, see hidden traps, and be resistant to any poison. In other words, I had a visual support system, but nothing very powerful.
Holders of the Arcane Mage System could also create magic maps, and those with the Assassin System could identify traps and become resistant to poisons, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never obtain a combat skill.
Being an explorer wasn't a very profitable profession unless you found rare or higher quality items. So, I was doomed to be a nobody for the rest of my life from the age of eighteen.
However, my outlook on this terrible future changed when, during one of my explorations in a cave, I found the skeleton of a dead man.
There was no one around, and I'm not proud to say this, but I needed money, so I accessed his NeuroGear to loot it.
I didn't find many credits, but the skeleton had a document marked as important, and I decided to read it out of curiosity.
This document was where I remembered the "Cave of Greed" and was reminded of the myth that among all the fake items, there was one real one, an item from the First Era of Systems.
And according to the document, this was the only item in existence capable of changing someone's system.
So, finally in the Cave of Greed, I shook my head, took my focus off all that gold, and focused on looking for something.
There were many items in this place, and any one of them could be the right item, but I could stay in this cave as long as the food in my backpack lasted.
So I took it off my back, unzipped it, and... the backpack was practically empty. I had a half-full canteen and two protein bars.
It had been three days since I entered the Cave of Greed. It was hard to get to the end, very hard.
I knew the way back because I had created a map, and getting out wouldn't take more than a day.
However, there was also a legend that the "Cave of Greed" changed every five days, meaning that the path would have already changed by the time I returned.
So, I didn't have much time here.
Quickly, I raised my head and my eyes scanned those mountains of gold, looking for items that looked important.
At that moment, I saw something that made my eyes light up.
A beautiful blue sword, probably made of meteorite crystals.
I had always wanted a Combat System; it was the easiest way to achieve something in life in this world where everyone had a system, so the first thing I wanted to touch in this place was that blue sword.
I started climbing the mountain of gold where the sword was stuck and even dug with my bare hands to unearth it and grab it by the hilt.
It was at that moment that I suddenly heard the voice of the system in my mind.
[You have acquired a legendary item!]
[It is not in a proper state. You can check the details using your
I stopped and looked at the item I was holding in my right hand.
I was about to throw it behind me while trying to reach the blue sword, but I stopped when I heard the system.
At first, I thought I had just picked up an old bird feather, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a quill, the kind used in the days when ink pots were still in use.
"All-seeing eye"? Why would I use a weekly skill...?
I was about to automatically dismiss it when I finally realized that this item was emanating a golden aura and the system said I had acquired it.
"What the hell am I saying? I don't even have the right to hesitate. It's a fucking legendary item!!!!!"
I was still in shock when I looked at the feather in my hand and said:
"Evaluate."
+
[Item: Divine Feather of Eros]
Description: This feather contains all of Eros' techniques and abilities. The first person to touch this feather after Eros dropped it will receive his abilities and become the Multiversal Romantic Screenwriter.
Effects: Becomes the descendant of Eros.
Classification: Unique
Requirement: None.
*Level and stats will change when used.
+
[A system-changing item has been found!]
[Do you want to merge the common rarity 'Explorer System' with the unique rarity 'Multiversal Romantic Screenwriter System'? YES/NO.]
My body began to shake. A legendary aura item that was unique?! I had never heard of it, but it was the item I had been looking for!
For a moment, I wondered if I had read it wrong, so I blinked several times and read the item description again. However, even after reading it ten times, there was no change in the content.
"I really found it!!!"
I was so excited that I could hear my heart beating wildly in my chest.
Having a Unique System didn't necessarily make me powerful, mainly because I didn't even know exactly what my system did, but there was no way a unique system could be bad.
"KUAHAHAHAT! I'm the happiest guy in the world!"
Before I knew it, tears were streaming from my eyes.
During these last two years, I could barely pay the interest on the student loan I had taken out to study at the Wushia Academy. I graduated from school, and I experienced the bitterness of the Explorer profession.
My friends left me one by one, my former classmates laughed at me because I had been one of the best students in the class and had achieved nothing.
My only plan in life as an Explorer was to sell the items I found and turn them into money so I could pay off my tuition and help with the household bills, but even though Earth was a world full of ruins to explore, I could barely get equipment for myself, let alone any I could sell.
However, now everything would be different! A thrill spread through my body as I trembled.
"It's over...! I can say goodbye to this nightmare of a life!"
I was eager to try out the system change item. Then I stopped to think and finally asked myself:
"What does a Multiversal Romantic Screenwriter do? Ah, it doesn't matter! It can't be worse than an Explorer!"
[The system change has been authorized!]
[You may feel your consciousness waver during the change. Try not to faint.]
[Starting system change!]
[Installing 'Multiversal Romantic Screenwriter System'...]
[0%...]
[28%...]
[67%...]
[99%...]
[100%!]
[Congratulations, Leonard! 'Multiversal Romantic Screenwriter System' has been successfully installed!]
[You have acquired the following skills...]