Noah found himself debating whether he should tell Levy about the ability or not. On one hand, they could discuss what his next steps should be; on the other, Levy would probably laugh in his face. They hadn't even known each other for forty-eight hours, yet Noah was one hundred percent certain of how it would go. Levy would laugh and make a big ordeal out of it before giving his input.
He decided to keep the information to himself for the time being. Maybe, just maybe, he'd let him know later. At least then his mind wouldn't still be in shambles.
"Some new skills. You know, standard stuff," Noah said.
"Yeah fuck this," Levy replied, getting up from the couch. "I'm gonna loot the place to see if they got anything better than a kitchen knife. Hopefully some of that luck can rub off on me."
Levy didn't even wait for a reply before walking off. He muttered something under his breath about Lady Luck as he disappeared into one of the rooms.
Noah's lips curled slightly as his attention shifted back to the list of abilities. He read through it once more and chose the obvious answers: 〔Domain〕, 〔Enhanced Perception〕, and 〔Barrier〕.
The moment his selection was confirmed, the three windows vanished.
〔Beginner Rewards Selected〕
〔Integrating rewards...〕
Noah barely had time to read the message before an influx of information surged into his already muddled mind. His eyes widened, already bracing for the worst. But it never came.
It wasn't painful—not like the Awakening—but the sudden flood of knowledge left him even more disoriented. Understanding that hadn't existed moments ago began to settle into place, each ability becoming instinctively familiar as though he'd known how to use them all his life.
Noah pressed a hand against his chest. Something had changed. Not physically, exactly; it was more like a sensation buried somewhere beneath his ribs, slowly expanding outward from a single point. Before he could make sense of it, an intense itch crawled across his left eye, then spread to his ears and nostrils.
Noah immediately raised his hands, rubbing at the corner of his eye as he blinked several times. The sensation only intensified, creeping deeper into his ears and along the inside of his nose. Whatever was happening, it was spreading. And judging by the strange sensations in his orifices, Noah had a pretty good idea what it was connected to.
The itching gradually faded, taking the sudden influx of knowledge with it. As the sensation disappeared, something else took its place.
The room seemed clearer somehow. He could hear the faint creak of the floorboards beneath Levy's footsteps somewhere deeper in the house, the subtle hum of electricity running through the walls, even the distant groans of walkers outside. Everything sounded sharper than before, as though someone had turned up the volume on the world around him. And beneath it all was something else.
Understanding.
He knew how to use the abilities he'd just received. Noah lifted his hand and focused; gradually, a violet light gathered in front of his palm.
The energy expanded outward, forming a translucent barrier roughly the size of a door. Its surface was composed of interlocking triangular patterns that shifted and vibrated faintly, each section pulsing with a dim purple glow.
Noah stared at it.
So that's Barrier...
He moved his hand slightly, and the barrier responded as though relaying directly to his thoughts. After studying it for a moment, he released his concentration. The barrier dissolved into scattered motes[1] of violet light before disappearing completely.
Noah smiled.
Domain can wait.
He had a feeling that was something he'd want to experiment with when he had more time and was at home.
He turned his attention back to the remaining System rewards.
〔Beginner Rewards Available: 2〕
Two more notifications appeared beneath it.
〔Appraisal〕
〔Beginner's Loot Bag〕
Noah stared at them for a moment. Unlike the abilities he'd just selected, neither required a choice. They had simply been granted to him. His attention settled on 〔Appraisal〕.
"Guess I'll find out what this does."
The violet prompt disappeared after he selected it. A faint sensation passed through his eyes once again.
"...Huh."
Nothing happened—no pain or itching.
"I could get used to that."
Noah looked around the room before his eyes settled on the coffee table.
Let's see...
He focused on it. Almost immediately, a translucent window appeared before him.
〔Three-Legged Coffee Table〕
〔Type: Furniture〕
〔Condition: Good〕
〔Durability: 72/100〕
"That's... actually pretty cool. I feel like a web novel character, right now."
He leaned forward slightly, studying the information. The ability was far more straightforward than he'd expected. He could focus on something, and the System would provide information about it. Noah glanced around the room again.
This could be clutch.
He thought turning his attention to the final reward window.
〔Beginner's Loot Bag〕
He stared at it for a moment before selecting it. The reward vanished, replaced by a small purple bag that materialized in front of him. He grabbed it and opened it. Empty. He tilted the bag upside down and shook it—still nothing.
"Seriously?"
Before he could inspect it any further, the bag suddenly collapsed in on itself.
Poof!
A cloud of violet smoke erupted from its opening, engulfing Noah and the surrounding area.
"What the—!"
He waved his hands frantically as smoke clouded his vision. His eyes watered as the strange haze lingered for a moment before rapidly dissipating, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. As his vision cleared, something hovered in front of him. Not the bag.
A new notification.
〔Main Quest Unlocked〕
〔The Red-Headed Archer〕
〔Objective: Convince the red-haired archer to join your team.
Reward: Unknown
Failure Penalty: Revert back to Level 1.
Time Left: 09:59:56〕
Noah stared at the screen. His brows slowly furrowed.
"Red-haired archer? Who the hell is that?"
[1] Tiny pieces or small specks of a substance, especially dust floating in the air or caught in a beam of light