As Blake came back to his senses, he warmly asked the system, "That's great, so when can I start and how? Do you give some kind of quests like those systems in the stories I read?"
[Affirmative, Host can start immediately and will have to complete quests to become stronger]
[Does Host wish to see the quests]
"Go Ahead", said an excited Blake as he imagined what kind of incredible rewards he might get from accomplishing those tasks .
The profile panel then shifted into another panel showing various lines of words depicting what Blake will have to do so as to become stronger.
____________________
- Strong people are made but with an untapped potential, a monster is born. Reach the apex of your species and surpass your limits. A special quest will be triggered at the end of the main quest in order to test your qualifications.
Quest duration: 100 years
Objectif:
- Tamper your mind and body and achieve your full potential:
100 pushups
100 situps
100 squats
10 kilometers run
(5 times a week)
Note: Host receives an additional year to prepare himself
- Healthy Mind, Healthy Body:
Meditate for at least 5 minutes every single day (Host really needs it)
Rewards:
- Immortal Rebirth
- 1,000,000 SP (System points)
- Removed Limiters
- Title (New)
- +50 to all stats
...
____________________
"..."
"System?" Blake asked calmly
[Yes?]
"What is this?"
[Your quests, Host]
"..."
[...]
Silence ensued as Blake intensely looked at the floating screen as if wanting to pierce a hole through it.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"I though those quests will be something like killing stuff, harvesting stuff. Harvesting stuff after killing the stuff, you know. Like the rpg games I play from time to time. Heck I was even hoping for you to pull out something like a tower with monsters to farm or something."
Blake blankly looked at the screen and sighed, "And what kind of quests take a hundred years to finish, I wouldn't even be able to do a pushup if I manage to live that long."
[The Main Quest automatically adjust itself based on the age and physical capability of the host]
[As for life expectancy, the system will make sure the host lives until he reaches 121 years of age]
"121? So it really starts after accepting the quest huh?"
[Affirmative]
"Then what happens if I refuse to do it?" Blake asked curiously.
[...]
The disembodied voice freezed for a moment as if not believing what its non existing ears just heard.
Suddenly, an eerie feeling enveloped Blake as he felt as if he was a puny ant before a mighty giant, or a makeshift raft inside a stormy and ferocious sea. Completely at the mercy of what was emanating such terrifying feeling. He felt a chill running down his spine.
"S-system?"
[If Host refuses the missions assigned to him...]
[Then Host will live a normal human life and the System will leave the host after his body ceases to be]
Blake noticed that the mechanical voice had a unusually colder tone than usual. "Dude, chill, I was just asking, why would I refuse this opportunity of a lifetime. I'm not dumb," said Blake as he nervously laughed.
"And what about the rewards? What's that Rebirth thingy? Is it my ticket for leaving this world?" Blake diverted the topic to something that greatly aroused his interest.
The system took a few seconds before it replied.
[Affirmative, Host will unlock the Immortal Rebirth feature after finishing the Main quest]
[Host will also have the opportunity to choose a world of his choosing for his first Rebirth]
Blake's attention reached its pic and asked, "whew any world? Do you mean that if I want to go to a fictional world, and during a specific timeline, you'll be able to do it?"
[Affirmative]
Blake lost his focus as his mind wandered in the vast, colorful plains of memories, sometimes he was thinking about a blond haired kid dreaming of becoming the Ninja President, the next moment of a dragon slayer whose power is friendship itself, or even the illegitimate child of mister fantastic in a pirate world.
However, his thinking was suddenly interrupted when he thought about what the system said.
"Did you say I can only choose the world I want just for one rebirth?'
[Affirmative]
"So I will randomly get rebirthed after the first time?"
[Affirmative]
"Why"
[Host's authority is too low, please become stronger]
"..."
[...]
"Alright, at least my first time will be with a world I know. It's already good, no no, it totally doesn't look like a scam, not at all."
[...]
In front of Blake's blatant complaining, the system could only keep quiet. Then as he kept rambling on, he got up and left the entrance of the park to finally heads towards his destination.
"Ok, I accept the quest, as for the world I want to go in, can you give me more time to choose?"
[Main Quest accepted]
[Affirmative, host has until the last year of his life expectancy to choose a world]
"Neat, Anyways where was I, ah yes, you have the power to make someone live another life in another world but you can't indefinitely choose which world he goes in next? Something is wrong, I tell you."
Blake kept verbally assaulting his invisible system as he entered a 5-story building and then took the elevator to the last floor. As he came out, he looked around him. The greyish, pallid color of the infrastructure coupled with Blake's own gray clothing and the weak lighting made him look like he was part of the building itself.
As He sighed, his past demeanor disappeared and an emotion of sadness overwhelmed him. He walked until he arrived to a door with the number 25 written on it, unlocking the door, he muttered almost like a reflex.
"I'm home."
The place was in the same state as before ; The same towel that he left into the sofa, the same basic piece of furniture messily laying around the room. And the same television, in which a picture of a happy couple with their child was hung.
Blake moved towards the small table, opened his backpack and laid down its contents on the table; 3 cartons of milk were followed by a wrapped birthday cake and again followed by a birthday hat.
"Happy birthday mom and dad. Guess who's the lucky guy who was given the opportunity to become a god? It's ya boy of course! I bet if you were here dad, you would be screaming like a girl and saying how cool I am." As Blake was chuckling, his half closed eyes were reflecting a deep sadness. His abyss like eyes lightly dimming as he talked.
"Eh, I even made a new friend, you guys always complained that I didn't have enough friends. Eh you wanna say hello to them system?"
[...]
[...Hello]
"hahaha, that's a good start!" As if reinvigorated by the system's words, the 20 year-old Blake slightly became more lively.
"Anyways, I really miss you guys, and here, look. You favorite cake, vanilla chocolate." A smile formed itself on Blake as he said.
"Enough talking, like dad would say it so well, eat first then talk." With these words, Blake finally put on his birthday hat, went to the kitchen to take a knife, and began cutting the cake. And as he was slicing the pastry, he hummed the notorious birthday song.
"Happy Birthday to you..."
...