Before I could ask any follow-up questions, my vision was filled with a holographic screen that flashed into existence in front of me, and all my inquiries stopped as I started to read over the presented information.
[Paradise System]
Status:
Name: Ramon Young
Race: Primordial Incubus
Age: 26 [Eternal Youth]
Clock: Day 1
Traits: None
SimLife:
Level: 1 [0/10 DP]
Money: $ 5000
Maintenance: $ 0
Properties: Abandoned Grillhouse
[Perks: 0 PP (+)]
None
[Skills: 0 SP (+)]
Cooking I: 0/1
DatingLife:
Life Stage: Imp
Coven Tier: I
Lust Meter: 0/100 [+10 daily]
Tantric Reserves: 5/5
[Hexes: 0 HP(+)]
Charm I: 0/1
[Thralls 0/5]
None
Quests:
Status: None
SimLife: None
DatingLife: None
"Please tell me what the hell am I looking at?" I muttered as my eyes scanned over the organized and categorized holographic character sheet.
[This is your Paradise System, it displays all the vital information you need to make the most of your eternal afterlife]
"And you're what, the system's AI voice assistant?" I asked as I tried to touch the screen, only for my finger to go straight through it.
[Precisely, also the system only responds to mental commands as it only exists within your mind, meaning no one else can see either. Now would you like me to give you the rundown of how everything works?
"I don't know why I would say no," I replied as I sat back down on the edge of my bed, preparing myself for what was sure to be a lengthy explanation.
[Very well, let's start broad and then work our way in. First, you can see that the system is split into four main categories, which are Status, SimLife, DatingLife, and Quests. Status is most straightforward and the least likely to change; the only real thing you need to keep track of in this section is your Traits. Traits are powerful modifiers that grant permanent boons to your person; they can be unlocked by completing certain hidden achievements that only reveal themselves after you stumble upon their criteria.]
"Alright, so I should just try a bunch of random shit?" I asked, trying to clarify what exactly qualified as criteria.
[I suggest focusing on activities you actually enjoy and or wish to excel at, most often you'll find a Trait worth unlocking. Now moving on to the SimLife category, this is the one that will change the most and that you'll need to keep the closest eye on. Your overarching goal is to increase your Level by earning Development Points, or DP for short. I'll go over how you can earn them at the end, along with most other specialty points that you can redeem.
The next subcategory on the list is simple enough, I doubt I even need to explain it, but I will. Money is where all your monetary funds will go, both digital and hard cash. You can withdraw or deposit funds at will, so no need to worry about forgetting your wallet or getting robbed. And you'll always want to keep some funds in the system because at the end of every month the total amount under your Maintenance Tab will be deducted from your Money tab, if you don't have enough, not only will all your funds be taken, but you incur a debt that grows over time.]
"Wait a minute, so you're saying that even in my perfect world I still have to worry about taxes and interest rates?" I protested with a rueful shake of my head.
[My understanding is that without some level of challenge, things become pretty boring after a while, but back to the topic at hand. Any property you buy or rent will add to your maintenance tab, so you need to think carefully when considering buying or upgrading in the future.
And to make sure you're getting the most out of your properties, invest in the right perks, which are essentially re-flavored traits. However, they're not as powerful to start with and need to be upgraded with Perk Points or PP, which are also used to buy the perks to begin with. You can find the full list by selecting the plus icon, though some of them are rather expensive, and I imagine you won't be buying them for quite some time. You can also figure out what a specific perk does by selecting it, and the same goes for both skills and hexes.
Speaking of skills, unlike perks, they're designed to be universally accessible as they all start at the same base cost of 1 Skill point. Which is great because there are practically an infinite number of skills, as every action or activity you can think of has a corresponding skill, with each level being the equivalent of 1 year of consistent professional training.]
"So I buy the skill and instantly learn all the related information," I repeated before nodding with a smile, "I like the sound of that."
[Well, you're gonna like this last part even more, you perv, because now we're onto the DatingLife section of the rundown. I took the liberty of syncing this part of the system with your race, so you're welcome for that. As you can see, as far as Primordial Incubi go, you're rather weak being at the youngest life stage, so if you want to mature, your main priority will be upgrading your coven, which can be accomplished by first creating the maximum number of thralls for your current tier in addition to some secondary objectives.
You'll also want as many thralls as possible for two other reasons, the first of which is your lust meter. The higher it gets, the more discomfort and pain you'll feel until eventually you'll hardly be able to control yourself and go on a sexually frustrated rampage. To keep it down, you'll need someone to provide you with some physical release, though the amount will vary depending upon the specific action and that person's skill.
The second reason you want as many Thralls as possible is that each Thrall you possess gives you one point of tantric energy every day. You can use these tantric points to cast your Hexes which can help you in everyday life like Charm, click on it now to see what it does.]
Following directions I clicked on the Hex and watched as a small pop up window appeared.
[Hex: Charm]
Level 1
Cost: 1 TP per Cast
Duration: 24 hours
Effect: While looking into the eyes of the person you want to charm, cast this Hex to increase the rate at which your bond level increases with the charm individual and make them suggestible.
"Bond level?" I repeated questioningly.
[That's part of the dating sim mini game, which I can't comment on until you naturally come across it, but I imagine it won't take long. Now onto the very last part of the system, the Quest tab. Quests are your main source of progression, as completing them will give you all the various kinds of points you need to grow stronger, but also so much more. The main way to unlock them is by simply living your life; they'll naturally generate depending on what scenario you find yourself in and reward you for accomplishing their objectives.
"Sounds straightforward enough," I muttered as I closed out of the system window, leaving my vision blissfully clear. "Alright, what's next on the agenda?"
[What's next is that I give you your first quest and then go back to sleep. Ciao!]
Before I could reply, another, thankfully a smaller window appeared in the corner of my vision, and I didn't so much as read it as have all the necessary information downloaded into my brain.
[SimQuest: Grill Master I]
Objective: Prepare [ Abandoned Grillhouse] for opening!
1. Clean restaurant, exterior, interior, and kitchen [0/3]
2. Buy 5 [Small Wooden Tables] from the property manual [0/5]
3. Buy 4 [Fuax Leather Booth] from the property manual [0/4]
4. Create a menu with at least ten food items [0/10]
5. Hire 1 waitstaff [0/1]
Reward(s):
1. +2 Skill Points
2. +2 Development Points
3. +1 Perk Points
4. +$2000
Info: You've just woken up in your new reality, a paradise world where you can finally fulfill all your inner aspirations and achieve true happiness. However, it seems that not even the dead can rest. As the story goes, you've just moved into town after buying an abandoned restaurant with hopes of bringing it back to life and starting the beginning of your culinary empire!
As I read over the quest details, I realized that I was becoming more and more excited for what the future had in store for me. By the end of the quest screen I couldn't remember the last time I had looked forward to something, 'Maybe the soul crystal was on to something after all.'