'I've got the cheat that I was promised, so...'
Xenos, who was now sitting on the side of a small grassy hill, laid his back on the ground.
'…guess I'll have to hold my end of the bargain too.'
His eyes looked towards the sky.
'But first...'
Or rather, they looked at a projection in his mind's eye.
'Let's see what I've got.'
—
╔═══════════════╗
║{Game System Online}║
╚═══════════════╝
{Level: 1}
[• EXP: 0 / 10 •]
{Health Points}
[• HP: 40 / 40 •]
{Divinity}
[• D: 45 / 45 •]
{Statistics}
{Map}
{Inventory}
{Runes}
{Rune Path}
{Titles}
{Soul Glyphs}
{Reputation}
{Quests}
—
He nodded, pleased.
It was as he expected, not too different from the game.
Having an inventory was going to be incredible, saving him the trouble of carrying everything on his back or wasting a mountain of gold drachma on a Divine Relic with the space Element, something most called a Dimensional Item.
It was basically giving him a Space Root Rune for free, which, if it hadn't been stated enough, was very good, as he certainly wasn't going to get one.
He honestly didn't really care for the Space or Time Element; those two were two… boring, but at least this was free and useful.
Again, what was once so rare became common, leaving what was so common now rare.
That wasn't only a dig at this world, but at most of the novels he read.
'It's a bit ironic, eh~?'
Xenos personally found it hilarious but thought nothing more. He knew he had better move on before a witch cult came after him.
And what better way to 'move on' than to realize that this little feature couldn't be used?
It was grayed out, and he barely felt a connection to it.
'That's going to change very soon.'
—
{Inventory}
[• Level: 1 / 10 •]
—
'Very soon... '
It was pretty easy to 'level up' in the early game, and no, his system wasn't going to help with that.
From what he understood, once it fully initialized, 'unlocking' itself, it wasn't going to be the overpowered type, only assisting him in accomplishing his main quest.
Yes, he was going to gain 'experience' and 'level up,' but that was something that everyone could do in this world.
Both Runebearers and monsters gained the Soul remnants of those they slew, strengthening their own.
This system basically gamified that...
If that was even a word.
There were no stat points he could allocate, either, at least not himself.
—
{Statistics}
[Strength] 5 (F) (World Avg: E)
[Intelligence] 16 (E) (World Avg: F)
[Willpower] 19 (E) (World Avg: F)
[Speed] 5 (F) (World Avg: E)
[Endurance] 5 (F ) (World Avg: E)
[Appearance] 70 (B+) (World Avg: C)
[Personality] -1 (G) (World Avg: D)
[Luck] 60 (B) (World Avg: C)
—
With every 'level up,' the stats that Xenos focused on would increase.
His only advantage here was that he'd apparently gain such 'experience' from Quests as well.
He didn't know how that worked exactly or where this 'experience' came from, but it definitely related to the Space Soul Glyph he likely had, the one that was now begging to be seen, pulsating.
Curious, Xenos leaned in mentally and opened the {Soul Glyphs} tab, scanning the new script before him.
—
[Rule Breaker]
[Description: ???]
—
'Hm, not too bad a name.'
The '???' was an expected cliché, but thankfully, he could deeply... feel it to be that of Space.
And of course, this wasn't the only Soul Glyph he had, as just below it, there was another.
—
[Beholding Eyes]
[Description: Your eyes are those of the author.]
—
'Ah, so that's what helped me read those Runes.'
Beholding Eyes did just as the name implied, allowing his eyes to 'behold'all that was, meaning that he, just by focusing on an object or enemy, could know what it was and what it could do, unless what stood before him was too strong, hiding from his gaze, much like in most MMOs.
Also, this system of his was of the same Soul Glyph. A mark upon his Soul, changing how his body carried Divinity, the mana of this world.
So yeah... this was it.
This was his somewhat golden but not-so-much finger.
Again, it was obvious that his system was on the less-op side.
The first sign of that was the lack of a shop.
He didn't care for one, seeing it as wack.
Damn every system with a shop in it!
Oh, and damn every gift package system!
He would die on this hill!
'Actually...'
Well, maybe there were a few decent ones with such a system feature, but he wasn't going to admit that now.
[Yeah, fuck'em.]
Xenos's head spun in all directions.
Who the hel—Tartaros just spoke?!
Wait...
"…Are you a sentient system?"
[…]
He squinted his eyes.
"I know what kind of system you are."
[…]
"Staying silent is a smart choice. I hate those types more than the shop systems."
[…]
"Good."
Good indeed, and hey...
'They' weren't too lazy, the changes 'They' made weren't only to remove a few tabs but also to add some new ones.
This might surprise some, but {Titles} and {Reputation} weren't there in the game before.
Maybe they were added now because the stakes were real? Or was it just a side result of his Beholding Eyes?
'...Probably the latter.'
Finally done checking most of what he found interesting in the system, his eyes lowered to the final tab.
'Let's see if it's there...'
—
{Quests}
[Main Quest: Break The World]
[Objectives: ???]
[Rewards: ???]
—
…So 'They' really wanted that.
He didn't bother thinking why... One simply does not pry into the secrets of Gods.
Rather, he was more focused on the fact that there wasn't anything else, only another question mark... a forced mystery, or perhaps a personal issue.
Xenos didn't actually have a goal, or well, at least not a grand one, so it made sense why such a vague quest held no objectives.
His family... he didn't care enough to beat them up, the same went for those above them, nor did he care to prove them wrong and clear his name.
He only wanted to have fun and thrive…
Was that bad?
He didn't know.
Maybe that'd change in the future, but for now…
'Let's go have some fun.'
Pushing himself up, he started heading back home, expecting a very warm welcome.
...
And, of course, before he could even pass through the manor's gates, two figures blocked his path.
Those 'figures' were his father, Vaynar, and that rooster brother of his, Draven.
Xenos casually paused before his father, believing he knew exactly what the man was going to say.
"This evening, I'll have Theodore of Lower House Gift visit the manor."
But this time...
"I'll wed you to his bastard daughter to strengthen our relationship."
Xenos was completely gobsmacked.
"We can't have our hold on our vassel Houses loosen. Especially not after your disaster of an Ascension today."
Veynar's every word was out of left field.
"After you meet your fiancée, we'll send you to one of our far estates. So once you finish eating, start packing, the maids won't help you."
Indeed, this took him off guard.
Veynar was a lot cooler-headed than Xenos expected, making logical decisions even now, not the emotional outburst he expected from such characters, though he still didn't let his surprise show on his face.
For that to happen, the entirety of Runethera would need to fall; in other words, it was an impossibility.
And that seemed to completely vex Draven, who had only come here to see the look of failure on his brother's face.
After all, he, a child of a Main House, marrying a bastard from a Lower House would forever bind him to the lower caste of Runebearers for the rest of his measly life.
Of course, Xenos could still climb out of there, getting more Runes, raising his land, and expanding it, but Draven never thought that possible.
Luck was useless!
"Hah! I knew you'd never be a Derived Element! Plant is too good for the likes of you!"
Xenos stared at his brother...
'Why?'
Why did this little thing have such animosity towards him?
Nothing in his memories really explained the reason.
Did he forget, or was this rooster hard-coded to act in such a way?
Xenos didn't know, and so...
He could only come to one conclusion.
"Did you transmigrate from a Chinese novel?"
Veynar immediately wiped his face, knowing where this was headed, as Draven, confused as ever, stepped towards his brother.
"What did you just say?! I don't know what those words mean, but I'm sure it's an insult made by that trash brain of yours! Trash!"
Veynar sighed, as did Xenos, only louder.
"You are pitiful. If I were an Author, I'd be depressed after writing that dumb shit you just spewed out of your whore mouth."
His father's head quickly snapped up at that insult, as it seemed that Xenos's words had finally hit his limit too, angering him enough that Draven's quiet held from the sheer pressure.
"Boy, don't trouble me any further. Apologize to your older brother right this moment."
Xenos grinned.
"Or what?"
He stepped right before his father and stared straight at him, without needing to look up... unlike a certain someone.
"What? What will you do? You'll kill me now? Hours before this marriage you pushed on me? Yes, they are our vassel House, a Lower House, but even then, it's not in our best interest to go around making enemies, right?..."
His grin remained wide.
"Our owners wouldn't like that."
Veynar's brows flinched a little at that line.
"Besides, strategically speaking, shouldn't you wait? I might be a 'lost cause,' but I'll still get into Pluto Academy; my name alone will allow me to get that second Rune and become a Disciple, skipping the test entirely."
None of what he said here was false.
"Of course, you could still bypass their Rune Contract by killing me outside Academy grounds. So... wouldn't it be a real waste? Abusing the Rune-Leash Decree this early? And just for a Luck Rune, might I add?"
Finally, he paused and glared at the still surprised Draven.
"…Will you do it?"
"..."
"..."
Neither of them said a single word.
"That's what I thought."
Xenos walked on, a tiny drop of sweat trailing down his still-grinning face.
'Hm... I survived.'