"Alex Arnold: Awakened. Talent: Common House Cat," the teacher said, his voice as bland as unseasoned porridge.
Alex simply nodded and joined the rest. After the awakening ceremony concluded, the students gathered before the Principal.
"As you all know, you have successfully become Awakeners. From now on, the journey is yours to carve," the Principal began. "There are only six months before the college exams. If you manage to get into a good college, you might gain access to the Inner City."
"But even before that, it's gonna be extremely tough. Seriously. You have to work harder and show them you are powerful. Even the Top Ten colleges from the Inner City will be visiting, sending scouts to find potential talent."
"The school will provide you with ten Astral Stones per month to help you cultivate, along with a basic cultivation manual. You can collect them on your way out."
"Yes, Ma'am!" they all replied, the weight of their future settling in.
Alex, meanwhile, just wanted to go home and slack off already. He maintained his lane for now, meeting up with his friend Charlie as they headed to collect their resources.
"Alex, what do you think about the entire thing?" Charlie asked, eyes gleaming. "Just imagine what we could do with all that power! I can't wait to start cultivating. I'm definitely going to hit Bronze 1 tonight, I can feel it!"
"Wow, that's nice," Alex replied lazily. "What beast did you awaken again?"
"Damn you, Alex! You weren't paying any attention at all, were you?" Charlie asked, his face twisting in displeasure.
"I was... maybe. We all know how things go around here. Besides, I think I'm just gonna head home."
"No problem then," Charlie said, waving him off.
After receiving his Astral Stones and manual, Alex went straight to his apartment. He immediately started doing what the system required: slacking off. After eating dinner, he took a quick bath and hit the bed.
[Host Slacking Off: +1, +1, +1...]
Wait a minute. "System, what happens to these points? Are they the currency I need?"
[Yes, Host.]
[Slacking Off Points (SOP) can be converted into Skill Points, Cultivation, or Stat Points.]
[For every 100 SOP, Host can exchange them for 1 Stat Point.]
"That's pretty simple and clear. Thanks, System," Alex muttered before drifting off into the land of slumber.
A Few Hours Later... (A/N: If you read that like the narrator in Spongebob, you are a legend.)
Amy arrived at the apartment, weary and tired. When she walked in, she saw Alex sprawling on the floor, sleeping like a piece of dead wood. She ignored him, freshened up, and went to make dinner—only to find he had already prepared it for her.
"Aww, it seems he isn't fully stupid after all," she whispered. "I thought he was just dumb and lazy. Shouldn't he be cultivating? He's still laying around at this hour... I'm curious what soul he awakened, though."
Alex woke up a few hours later to see Amy working on a project. "Yo, when did you get back? Yaaawn... That sleep was simply amazing."
"See who's asking," Amy teased. "Aren't you meant to be the one cultivating? Instead, you're here sleeping on the floor like dead wood."
"Ouch, that really stings. Besides, I'm still going to cultivate. I just needed to energize my body."
"If it's just that, you did a whole lot. But I'm curious—what beast did you awaken? Let me know, please!"
"Fine, stop squeaking in my ear. I awakened a White Common House Cat."
"A house cat? That's cute! Can I pet it? What rank is it? Is it strong?"
"I'm speechless... how did you come up with such questions? Girl, you need to chill. Take a deep breath. In and out. You'll be alright."
"Fuck off! You aren't gonna tell me? Not like I'm that interested anyway," she pouted, looking like he'd stolen her candy.
"Sigh. You win. You can pet it. My cat is a Common Bronze 1. Still weak, but it has a lot of potential."
"So, what can it do?" the ever-curious Amy asked.
Alex sighed and began to explain. "It gives me the abilities of a cat. I can jump high, have sharp reflexes, and other cat-related stuff. I really haven't read up on all the skills yet," he said, his voice laced with pure tiredness.
Amy looked surprised. "Wow, then that's nice! Even better than some others. The abilities of a cat shouldn't be underestimated at all. Cats are great creatures—from climbing to seeing in the dark. They're like multipurpose friends... though with a bad mood every day. They're fascinating! So, do you have the nine lives stuff yet?"
"No, Amy, I don't. You just heard: 'Normal Cat, Bronze Stage.' Not 'Gold Cat,'" Alex said, already half-asleep.
"Okay, okay! I just got too excited. Sorry," Amy said.
"No need. And stop pouting. I'm going back to sleep, and you need to go to bed too," Alex said, his voice dripping with genuine concern.
Amy nodded and headed to bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Alex sighed before calling up his screen. "System, show status window."
[Host: Alex]
[Level: Bronze (1)]
[SOP: 1200]
[Beast Souls: White Horse, Red Bull, Simple House Cat]
[Beast Soul Grade: White]
[Attributes]
[Strength: 0.7]
[Agility: 1.5]
[Dexterity: 0.6]
[Endurance: 2.0]
[Spirit: 150]
"System, add 2 to Strength, 3 to Agility, and 1 to Endurance. Also, level up each beast path, and add one more point to the Cat."
[Distributing Stats...]
[Health : 2000/2000]
[Strength: 2.7]
[Agility: 4.5]
[Dexterity: 0.6]
[Endurance: 3.0]
[Spirit: 150]
[Beast Soul Level Up!]
[White Horse: Level 1]
[Red Bull: Level 1]
[House Cat: Level 2]
[New Skills Unlocked:]
[Cat Physiology: You have all powers associated with cats (Active), New ability gained Cat fury(Host can sacrifce health for power)]
[Bull Physiology: You have all powers associated with bulls (Active)]
[Horse Physiology: You have all abilities relating to horses (Active)]
[Time Limit for Abilities: 1 Hour]
[Ability Usage: 30 Min per Beast Soul]
"Yes. At least I'm no longer weak or defenseless," Alex whispered. "With these skills, I can finally protect myself. I still need to train in martial arts and learn to use a weapon, though."
"But for now... I'm gonna go test my abilities at the abandoned park."