One year later…
Michael did what he usually did: sit at his desk and wait for patients.
This day was different.
He stared into the mirror and muttered, "Status."
+---+
Name: Michael
Age: 9 years old
Race: Human
Class: Healer [Common]
Level 9 [9000/9000 EXP] (+)
Titles:
Born Anew [Unique] [Temporary]
Increases experience gain by 50% until level 10
Stats:
HP: 340/340 / Regen 48 HP per hour
MP: 520/545 / Regen 89 MP per hour
STR: 4 -> 40
END: 2 -> 48
AGI: 2 -> 37
INT: 17 -> 89
CHA: 5 -> 6
Skills:
Hand-to-Hand Combat [Level 5 | 0/2500 EXP] [Common] [Passive]
Discipline [Level 7 | 250/3500 EXP] [Uncommon] [Passive]
Shooting Mastery [Level 6 | 0/3000 EXP] [Uncommon] [Passive]
Heal [Level 10 MAX] [Common] [Active]
Heal the target / Restore 150 HP
Cost: 25 MP
Focus Heal [Level 10 MAX] [Common] [Active]
Heal the target's injuries in the area focused / Restore 150 HP
Cost: 15 MP
+---+
Michael had received five unassigned stat points for maxing each healing skill. With the +1 gained per skill level, it added up quickly.
Intense training let him raise Discipline three times, gaining three more stat points.
He had invested every level-up point into INT, bringing it to 89.
His other stats had slowed. Early gains were fast; later, a week might pass before a single point appeared, and even that was not guaranteed.
[Congratulations. You finally reached Level 10. Click the button.]
For an entire year Michael had done nothing but work, train, eat, and sleep. Torture, in a way. He had endured and now looked at the results with pride.
His relationship with the system felt like that of brothers, with Michael as the younger one.He had noticed the system's personality mirrored his own. When he asked, the system admitted a fragment of its sentience contained some of Michael's memories.
It shocked him, but it explained the system's insight.
'Anyways.' He focused on the plus sign next to his level and pressed it.
-DING
[Level Up! 9 -> 10 | 0/10000 EXP][Health and Magic Points fully restored][5 Unassigned Stat Points obtained][Milestone reached! +10 to all stats][HP and MP Ratio readjusted 1:5 -> 1:6][New System Functions added]
The wall of text flooded his vision. Before he could celebrate, another sound chimed.
DING
+--+
[Random Healer Skill Generated]
Purify [Level 0 | 0/100] [Rare] [Active]
Purify the target, curing all diseases and illnesses
Cost: 100 MP
+--+
'Curing all diseases and illnesses?' It seemed overpowered.
[Correct. It is overpowered.]
'Bastard, now you can hear my thoughts?' He hadn't expected that.
[That is one of the new functions. The best addition is Skill Merging.]
'Oh? Can I merge Shooting Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Combat? I do not use them anyway.'
[No. The skills must be the same rarity, both active, and both max level. Passives cannot be merged.]
'That's a bummer.'
[On the bright side, you no longer have to say skills out loud. Think them, and they manifest.]
'It is not my fault this system handicapped me,' he thought with a shrug.
[The only thing handicapped was you when you started training. Now merge your healing skills.]
'Get lost,' he thought, opening the interface and selecting [Skill Merging].
A window showed two options: [Heal] and [Focus Heal]. He selected both, confirmed, and a chime followed.
DING
[Skills merged. Generating new skill.]
+--+
Greater Heal [Level 0 | 0/100] [Uncommon] [Active]
Heal your target / Restore 500 HP
Cost: 20 MP
+--+
'Five hundred HP?' His eyes widened.
[More than I expected as well. It leans Rare in power, but it is still a basic heal.]
'Maybe.' He didn't care much. If he gained another Uncommon active skill, he would merge again.
[Check your status. I already assigned the stat points.]
Michael nodded and, out of habit, said, "Status."
+---+
Name: MichaelAge: 9 years oldRace: HumanClass: Healer [Common]Level 10 [0/10000 EXP]
Titles:None
StatsHP: 448/448 / Regen 58 HP per hour
MP: 724/724 / Regen 104 MP per hour
STR: 40 -> 50
END: 48 -> 58
AGI: 37 -> 47
INT: 89 -> 104
CHA: 6 -> 16
Skills / [Skill Merging]
Hand-to-Hand Combat [Level 5 | 0/2500 EXP] [Common] [Passive]
Discipline [Level 7 | 250/3500 EXP] [Uncommon] [Passive]
Shooting Mastery [Level 6 | 0/3000 EXP] [Uncommon] [Passive]
Greater Heal [Level 0 | 0/100] [Uncommon] [Active]
Heal your target / Restore 500 HP
Cost: 20 MP
Purify [Level 0 | 0/100] [Rare] [Active]
Purify the target, curing all diseases and illnesses
Cost: 100 MP
+---+
'So you are going to dump every stat point into INT now?' Michael smiled, though it did not match his mood.
[Pretty much, yes.]
'So my opinion does not matter?'
[Incorrect. I only distribute stats. I will still ask before level-ups.]
'Whatever…'
His shift had ended. He clocked out and headed toward the stadium where he trained. The habit had stuck; at some point, he began going willingly.
On the way, a woman stepped in front of him. Her face was blank, emotionless. "Rebecca wishes to see you." She left without another word.
'Strange,' he thought, then turned toward Rebecca's office.
[She is under a mind-affecting spell.]
'Can I use Purify to remove it?'
[No. It is magic, not disease. You would need proper dispelling, which you do not have.]
'I see.'
After a few minutes he reached Rebecca's door. As he reached for the handle, Hilda opened it and followed him in.
[She is also brainwashed.]
Michael flinched.
"Is something the matter, Michael?" Hilda asked.
"It is nothing…"
'Could you at least warn me sooner?' he snapped inwardly.
[My bad.]
'Your bad? You waited on purpose,' he thought, but the system stayed silent.
"Thank you for coming, Michael," Rebecca said, standing and circling a battlefield of paperwork.
She told Hilda to wait outside. Hilda obeyed.
Rebecca pointed to a chair buried in stacks and lifted the papers telekinetically. "Sit."
Michael carefully threaded through the mess. It was worse than last time, as if she had skipped paperwork for a year.
"Why was I called?"
"There is a situation. Before that, place your hand on this again," she said, producing the device that displayed levels.
He set his hand on it.
-+-
Name: Michael
Age: 9
Class: Healer
Level: 10
-+-
Rebecca's eyes widened. Level 10 in a year. She knew how hard the early levels were, especially for a healer.
She cleared her throat. "Perfect. Michael, how would you like to accompany a party that will hunt monsters?"
"In a dungeon?" he asked.
Rebecca shook her head with a small smile. "No. Several monsters escaped a dungeon. They are not very strong, so the government is using them as practice dummies."
"It is a good chance to see the real world."
Michael did not answer immediately. He weighed it. He had grown a lot, but he had never used his new strength outside work and training. As a former veteran, he had field experience and had seen death. He was not worried about freezing.
[You should go.]
The system's voice surprised him. Since calling him weak, it had never urged him toward danger.
[Do not overthink it. Trust your training. You can keep up with adults. Most people awaken at ten; you have a head start. You still need Level 20 to enter dungeons. I do not go back on my word.]
Warmth stirred in his chest. They argued often, but the bond felt real.
"I will go," he said to Rebecca.
"Great. I will pick you up in a week. Oh, and here." She handed him a keycard. "These are the keys to your new room. I meant to give them to you on your birthday, but I was busy. Sorry."
'A new room…' Relief washed through him. Bunk beds and crowded nights had worn him down.
"Thank you," he said, genuinely.
"It is no problem. You can go. Send Hilda in on your way out."
He nodded, said goodbye, and headed toward his new room.