I may have been homeless for most of my life, but in my youth, back when I still lived with my mother, I had been able to read manga and novels alike. It was all we could afford, and it was something I had grown to love and cherish as the years went by.
This…this felt almost like it came from one of those novels.
My death was meant to be the end, yet somehow, I had survived and awoken with a body that was not my own. With a magical System that should have been nothing more than imaginary.
"Have I lost my mind…?"
My fingers shook, as I slowly moved my hand and clicked the screen. Translucent it may have been, under my touch, it felt far too real.
The message fizzled into nothing, then the black box grew larger, wider and taller, until something new sat within it.
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[Name]: [Artorias Regulus]
[Level]: [1]-[0/500]
[Health Points]: [498/500]
[Mana Points]: [1000/1000]
[Stamina Points]: [750/750]
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[Vitality]: [10]
[Strength]: [8]
[Dexterity]: [8]
[Intelligence]: [12]
[Wisdom]: [12]
[Luck]: [5]
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[Stat Points]: [15]
[Perk Points]: [10]
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"Artorias…that's my new name then…what are the chances?"
My mother had been raised with Arthurian legends, and she had loved them more than any other. That love had been showed when she named me Arthur and taught me the same tales that she had once learned as a child.
It felt…fitting. I may have lost my mother's hair and eyes, but at the very least, I retained something of her. Artorias wasn't Arthur, but I knew my names origin, and they were one in the same.
"How do the stats work, erm, System?" I asked the floating screen, feeling surprisingly calm. It felt unnatural, but I had read enough stories to know that the answer laid within this mysterious System.
I just had to find it.
The screen shifted again, blinking and growing a tad wider, before showing me a slew of information.
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[A Breakdown]
[Level]: [This stat provides a representation of your general power level. Every level is gained through [Experience], which can be gathered through a variety of ways, such as [Quests]. Every level gained provides you with a [Stat Point] and every fifth level provides you with a [Perk Point]
[Health Points]: [This stat represents the total amount of health you have. The higher the points the more you'll be able to survive. For every level gained this stat receives an additional [+25]-[Health Points]
[Mana Points]: [This stat represents the total amount of mana able to be used by you. For every level gained this stat receives an additional [+50]-[Mana Points]
[Stamina Points]: [This stat represents the total amount of physical energy you have. The higher the points the longer you'll be able to move. For every level gained this stat receives an additional [+75]-[Stamina Points]
[Vitality]: [This stat represents your physical toughness. The higher this stat is, the more damage you can take. Every level invested in this stat also provides you with an additional [+25]-[Health Points]
[Strength]: [This stat represents your physical strength. The higher this stat is, the more damage you do]
[Dexterity]: [This stat represents your physical nimbleness. The higher this stat becomes, the faster you physically become. Improving on your fine motor skills and reaction time. Every level invested in this stat also provides you with an additional [+25]-[Stamina Points]
[Intelligence]: [This stat represents how smart you are. The higher this stat becomes, the more skilled you become at doing things. Improving on your ability to learn, your recognition of battle tactics and the speed at which you think. For every two levels invested in this stat, you gain one in [Wisdom]
[Wisdom]: [This stat represents your street-smarts. The higher this stat becomes, the more perceptive you become. It directly influences your decision-making skills and the way you view the world. Every level invested in this stat also provides you with an additional [+25]-[Mana Points]
[Luck]: [This stat represents your fortune. The higher this stat becomes, the more likely you become of receiving better chances]
[Stat Points]: [This stat represents how many available points you have. You can use these points to level up any of the previously mentioned stats. These can be gained from simple level up and through other activities, such as [Quests]
[Perk Points]: [This stat represents how many available points you have. You can use these points to unlock new [Aspects] and [Attributes]. One of these points can be gained from every fifth character level up and through other activities, such as [Quests]
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"That's certainly…comprehensive. But useful, very useful, actually." I muttered, watching as the screen flickered at my words, growing slightly stronger before becoming translucent again.
"What are Aspects and Attributes?" They had caught my attention, and I knew within my gut, that my answer lay within them.
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|| [Attribute]: [A passive supernatural ability that benefits the user directly] ||
|| [Aspect]: [A supernatural ability that the user has active control over and usually requires Mana Points to activate] ||
|| [Title]: [A passive supernatural ability which grants boons] ||
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"Thought so," A slow grin grew across my face. "System, do I have any currently unlocked, or available?"
How it usually went in the stories I read, there was always an added boon which was carried by the System, something that made the main character different to everyone else around them.
The screen flickered at my question, before revealing two blinking texts.
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|| [Attribute]: [Mind of The System] ||
|| [Level N/A]: [Progression: N/A] ||
|| [Status]: [Passive/Active] ||
|| [Rarity]: [Mythic] ||
|| [Description]: [The user's mind is an impenetrable fortress, granting him the ability to calm down with greater ease and allowing for easier logical thinking and a semi-peaceful state of mind even in the most stressful or dire of situations] ||
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|| [Attribute]: [Body of The System] ||
|| [Level N/A]: [Progression: N/A] ||
|| [Status]: [Passive] ||
|| [Rarity]: [Mythic] ||
|| [Description]: [Grants the user the ability to live his life as if it was a video game, granting him stats and letting him deal and view damage as visible numbers] ||
|| [Note]: [Sleeping in a bed restores all physical stats to the max] ||
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"That explains why I'm so calm about all of this." I mused, looking at the first Attribute. "If it were anybody else in my position they would have gone crazy from the panic alone."
I could see the benefits of it as well. Whilst the Body of the System was incredible on its own, it was the Mind of The System which would turn out to be my greatest boon in this new world.
"How can I unlock further Attributes, Aspects and Titles?"
It shifted again, growing smaller before flashing a single message at me.
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|| [Gamble] ||
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I blinked.
"Come again…?"
It shifted again, growing wider and taller again, before revealing a slowly spinning wheel. It was made of a white marble and decorated with gold. In its centre sat a small golden arrow, and surrounding it, were tiles which each gleamed a certain colour.
Grey. Green. Blue. Purple. Red. Yellow. Orange. White.
Inside of them, sat a specific inscription, correlating to the colour.
Common. Uncommon. Rare. Very Rare. Epic. Exotic. Legendary. Mythic.
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[Welcome to The Celestial Wheel]
|| [Spend one Perk Point to receive either an Attribute, Aspect, Title or Item] ||
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