He was struck by a rush of emotions as the holographic window appeared before him.
He had finally obtained a system, something that could help him understand and navigate this new and strange world.
Unfortunately, he was still crowded by the jubilant villagers, their cheerful screams forming a constant noise that made his head ache even further.
In such an environment, interacting with the system would be troublesome and distracting.
Thus, he decided to utilize the memories he had just gained.
He was the leader of these people. He could command them as he pleased.
With that thought in mind, he slowly lifted his hand and raised his upper torso.
The noise gradually reduced and died down completely after a couple of seconds. Soon, only the chirping of crickets in the nearby bushes and the gentle drifting of the night wind could be heard.
The moonlight remained, softly illuminating the moment as the villagers turned to look at him, admiration and expectation clearly visible in their gazes.
Fortunately, as one of the school prefects back on Earth, he was used to such looks. As a result, he remained unfazed.
Calmly, he beckoned for one of the three muscular men from earlier to help him up. He could still feel the ache spreading all over his body, although it was weaker than before.
The man approached without hesitation and helped him up without a single complaint.
Now standing on his feet, he observed the villagers' faces one after the other before finally speaking.
"I am happy to be alive and here with you people."
He began, his voice firm and steady.
"I would have loved to spend the night with all of you, but unfortunately, my body is still tired and battered, and proper rest is needed."
He explained further, and the villagers quickly understood his situation.
"Young chief, would you like to eat before you sleep? I managed to hide some potatoes. I can cook them for you if you want."
A middle-aged woman, dressed in worn rags that barely covered her body, spoke with care and concern in her voice.
Other women in the crowd, mostly middle-aged with a few elderly among them, also volunteered to cook for him and take care of his needs.
The men went further, volunteering to guard his room throughout the night.
Some of the children even wanted to sleep inside his hut, addressing him warmly as big brother.
Floki listened to them with a firm expression on his face.
There were only a few people in the village, barely reaching fifty from a rough headcount. Aside from the children, most of the others appeared to be in their late thirties.
The younger adults had all been taken away by Blackstone soldiers to work as slaves.
'I need to do something about this. I am their leader after all.'
He thought to himself with a sense of responsibility.
Raising his hand once more, he gently waved at them.
"Thank you all for your care. But I want to be alone tonight."
At his words, the villagers looked visibly dejected.
He waved at them one last time, and the crowd slowly dispersed.
Only the three men from earlier remained behind, escorting him toward his hut, which was different from the one he had awakened in earlier.
On the way, he spoke with them, calmly and politely requesting their identities.
"My name is Jabba," the tallest one introduced himself.
Jabba was at least six foot three in height. He was bald, with a full black beard, and had a small quarter-moon shaped scar beneath one of his eyes.
Beside him, the second tallest man, with muscles comparable to professional bodybuilders back on Earth, introduced himself as Viktor. He was bald with a black beard just like Jabba, but lacked the peculiar scar.
Compared to Jabba, Viktor appeared calmer, yet he felt fiercer than the third man, who introduced himself as Anton.
Unlike the first two, Anton had black hair on his head, long enough to fall over his shoulders.
He looked like the very depiction of a handsome barbarian.
Upon closer observation, Floki concluded that Anton should be in his mid-twenties at most.
After observing the three of them for a moment, Floki noticed a clear resemblance among them.
"Are you three, by any chance, brothers?" he asked carefully.
Anton chuckled lightly before nodding his head.
"We are all sons of Harald the Hunter. I am the youngest, and Jabba is our big brother."
"Oh."
Floki exclaimed softly.
He could not tell whether he was more impressed by the cool name of their father or by the fact that he had managed to produce these three monsters.
"We have arrived."
Viktor called out as they halted in front of a hut that stood out among the others.
It was larger and wider, standing in far better condition than the nearby huts.
Floki thanked them sincerely, making sure they had left the area before entering his hut.
The interior was very dark. The faint moonlight filtering through the small window was insufficient for him to see clearly.
Managing the dimness as best as he could, he found a mat on the ground and laid down on it.
'How can I call back those notifications?'
He wondered quietly.
"Notification."
He called out, but nothing happened.
"Message. System. Character status."
Only when he mentioned character status did something finally occur.
[Revealing character status]
[System Status]
[Name: Floki Ironside]
[Role: Lord | Territory: Village (E)]
[Power Rank: Novice]
[Power: 1 (0%)]
[Health: 100/100] [Mana: 10/10]
[Special Talent: Infinite Reward Multiplier (?)]
[Talent: None | Affinity: None]
[Path: Locked | Silver Rank]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[Strength 10] [Agility 10] [Intelligence 10] [Vitality 10] [Dexterity 10] [Defense 10] [Stamina 10/10] [Luck 2%]
[Free Points: 0]
[SKILLS 2/3]
[Basic Martial Art (F)] [Basic Authority (F)]
[Skill Points: 0]
[INVENTORY 0/2] [SHOP: Locked] [QUESTS]
[Infinite Reward Multiplier: A rare passive talent that enhances all rewards gained by the user. It begins with a small multiplier such as ten times, then gradually increases to one hundred times and beyond as the user grows.]
Floki's eyes fluttered as he carefully read the description of his special talent.
A reward multiplier that grew alongside its user. Calling it a cheat was nothing but an understatement.
Yet, he could not reach a conclusion so easily.
He recalled seeing something about a hell-level difficulty mission earlier.
Instinctively, he selected the option marked [Quests].
And his suspicions were immediately confirmed.