*Click*
[Congratulations!]
[Rewards successfully awarded.]
[+1 New Ability.]
[+1 New Special Skill.]
[+1 New Ability Skill.]
[Click here to check details.]
*Click*
[New Ability: Mech Control.]
[New Special Skill: Scan.]
[New Ability Skill: Mechabeetle.]
[Mech Control (SSS Rank): Ability to create, command, and manipulate machines. It consumes a lot of Mana Points (MP) being an SSS Rank ability, and is limited by the user's imagination. Multiple skills are available for its user, promoting versatility.]
[Scan: Grants access to information of persons, objects, and places. User has to gaze the desired object or person, and make the inquiry with his mind.]
[Mechabeetle: User can summon mechanical beetles with his mind, controlling them to perform tasks and create machineries. The skill is limited by the user's imagination.]
Syril's jaw remained dropped, his mouth widening with every sentence read.
"Wake me up," Syril whispered to himself, his lips quivering like he had just been struck by lightning.
"You're awake, boy. Hehehe!" Raja spoke.
"You should check your stats now."
With his thought, the screen's display changed, and a lot of personal info flashed before him. Even ones that weren't there before.
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[STATS.]
[Name: Syril Sylvester.]
[Age: 18.]
[Sexual Status: Non-virgin.]
[Race: Human.]
[Ability: Mech Control (SSS Rank).]
[Mana Point (MP): 50.]
[HP: 100.]
[Strength: 40.]
[Agility: 20.]
[Stamina: 50.]
[Charm: 10.]
[Ability Skills: Mechabeetle (Level 1).]
[Special Skills: Scan (Level 1).]
[Fighting Skills: Locked.]
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His eyes quickly darted through the info showing before him, processing everything faster than ever.
"Wow, a lot has... changed. Wait... hold on. Why am I seeing levels attached to the skills I just got? What does that mean?"
"Hehe... you don't expect the system to give you all of those crazy power at once, do ya?"
"Huh, I... guess?" Syril responded hesitantly.
"Hm. You'll continue completing quests, and with every accomplished one, you get a reward. Your reward can be Ability Skills, Stat Points, Special Skills, Fighting Skills, Mana Points (MP) or Quest Points (QP)."
"This... it seems like a whole lot of jargons and work," Syril stuttered, putting substantial effort in comprehending the info at his disposal. "This is going to take some getting used to."
"Oh, relax! You're in safe hands." Raja voiced with his playful giggle, clearly amused.
"Ahah!" Syril suddenly snapped his finger in remembrance of something he had nearly forgotten. "What does the SSS Rank tag attached to the ability mean?"
"Oh, you see, there's a way to measure ability ranks, boy. It starts with the D Rank all the way to SSS. In essence, your ability is the greatest in the world, proving that no one possesses an SSS Rank ability in the world. Matter-of-factly, no one has an SS Rank ability. The highest your world has to offer is an S rank, and even that can't match your prowess."
Syril staggered from the confession. The words struck like a blow, wobbling his legs like a quake.
Raja didn't bother to hide his amusement, his laughter booming in Syril's head like a megaphone.
Then suddenly, his tone lost all playfulness and regained seriousness.
"Syril, what you have isn't a joke. It's the greatest this world can offer. There'll be people after this kind of power, and it's all in your hands to protect it. Remember, you're still weak. You haven't unlocked its full potential. Play it safe."
"Um..." Syril gulped. "Yeah."
"Now, let's put this baby to practice. Let's see if it's worth all the hype." He smirked, hurling jabs at Raja.
"For an amateur, you're quite cocky. Look who was sobbing earlier." Raja sneered back.
Syril ignored his insult and prepared for his move. He buckled his knees, bending and stretching his arms out like he had seen other ability users during their manifestation.
With a deep inhalation and exhalation, he extended his arms out, pretending to release something.
Nothing. No reaction, nothing.
"Um, aaah, ha-ha-ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Raja started with slow giggles before he erupted into a loud, savage laughter.
He laughed until Syril could have sworn if he was physical, he would be bending on the floor, wheezing and almost breathless.
"You... HAHA," he spoke mid-laughter. "You looked so pathetic! Who... HAHA–told you to do that? Boy, you looked so serious and stupid."
"Enough! You're gonna teach or insult?" Syril retorted, his anger visible as facial scrunching.
"You should have asked in the first place, idiot. If you're gonna use your ability, you can only use the skills available. Now, you only have Mechabeetle. Let your mind connect to the system, and you'll summon your beetles."
He did as told. He stretched his hand, thought about the skill, and an object popped out of thin air with a blue flash.
It was a mechanical beetle with metallic body, silvery and shiny like stainless steel. Its antennae were also metallic, but had this strange blue tinge that occasionally glowed.
"The glowing atennae shows the neural connection established between both of ya."
The beetle couldn't speak, but it seemed alive and kicking. Raja further explained that the beetle could project its visuals and thoughts into Syril's head, establishing communication between both parties.
"What can it do?" Syril asked.
"Oh, it can do almost everything. From espionage to lifting things, delivering stuffs like condoms and all, you know?"
Syril was more than infuriated. He opened his mouth to say something, but he got shut by Raja.
"Calm your balls. Keep those guts for that pretty lady you banged yesterday. What's her name again? Amy, right!"
"Keep her name out of your mentions!"
"Pfft! As I was saying... the only thing your beetles can do now is perform meager tasks. It's still a level one ability skill, and it's the only skill you have. You will need time," He cleared his throat. "And a lot of quests to maximize its effectiveness and unlock its full potential."
"The system added a new feature. You can now get skills and other items in the store." He added.
"Store?" A puzzled Syril asked.
The system's interface opened again, this time, revealing new features and accessibilities that weren't present before.
Although, most of them were grayed, locked and inaccessible at the moment.
He scrolled through and kept finding skills with preposterous prices, huge Quest Points (QP) he didn't have in possession.
He checked his available quest point, and it read zero, a cruel joke he didn't find funny. He almost let out a bitter laughter.
He closed the system and stared back at the mechanical beetle gently whirring in his hand.
'I wonder if I can summon more.' He thought.
He thought of more beetles, and four more appeared, identical and still connected neurally.
He sent a telepathic command to all five to get a mug from the kitchen, and they came shortly afterwards, all five working hand in hand to lift the mug.
They were no bigger than the size of an imago cockroach, yet they had done the task of lifting a mug.
Just as the mug was about to reach his grasp, a flash of blue skimmed through the tiny, metallic bodies of the insects, and they vanished, letting the mug fall uselessly on the ground.
"Huh? What just happened?" Syril questioned his aide.
"You've exhausted your mana," Raja answered.
"What? They were barely out for five minutes, and now they're gone? I've seen numerous ability users using their abilities for more than an hour. Even the weakest ones can maintain for more than thirty minutes." He complained exasperatedly.
"Remember, the ability is a powerful one, and consumes a lot of Mana Points. Your mana pool is still small for now, so, nothing much to do."
"Isn't the system being stingy now?"
"I think you're the ungrateful one here. You have leverage over others with basic stats like strength, agility, stamina, and the rest. Adding your ability, don't you think you're insanely powerful already?"
Syril slumped on his bed, staring and scrutinizing his changed body. Even him can tell the changes... yeah, he might not be recognized now as an elite, but there's no doubt for future improvements.
A teardrop broke free from his eye, its warmth reminding him that even the innocent can be hurt, and there's no telling of what can be done by covetous people.
"So much has changed..." He smiled amidst his soliloquy. "I have an ability now, but I'll refuse to be like them. I'll rise, but only to protect my loved ones..."
"I'll show them that even the weakest shouldn't be scorned and rejected in this kind of society, show them that even the weakest can rise..."
A memory flashed in his head. The gruesome image of his larruped and frail body appeared in his head. He remembered everything; how he was beaten to almost a lifeless being by Oliver and his cohorts.
His fists automatically clenched, trembling with pure and unrefined rage.
"Oh, they'll know. They'll know what it feels like to lose something dear, to lose everything..."
"I WILL PAYBACK!!!"
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