The abyssal darkness. It seemed I was becoming accustomed to it, this being the third time I found myself within its embrace. Yet, something felt different this time. Something new had emerged:
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System Greeting!
You have perished!
Do you wish to initiate the game or continue your journey through the paths of Samsara?
Yes (Start game) / No (Perish)
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A revelation dawned upon me – the culprit behind the monumental surge of energy that swept across our planet. It defied logic to attribute it to a mere localized cataclysm; it felt more like a tidal wave of mana had engulfed the entire Earth. Could it be a new deity manifesting as a system? Yet, "deity" seemed too paltry a term for such a behemoth. The young Babylonian gods, at their peak, could only shroud half a city in their anomalous presence, and that for a mere nine months. This… this encompassed the whole planet and for millennia! Or perhaps even more? Was it mere coincidence?
But I digress. Let us return to the message. The choices presented were hardly inspiring. I had grown weary of perishing, having found solace in this world, and now, something novel beckoned. So, I pressed "Yes".
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Greetings!
You have officially become part of the system! And you are among the first thousand participants!
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Commencing race rank determination procedure!
Please wait for the process to complete!
Time remaining:
10… 9… 8… 7… 3… 2… 1… 0
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Based on the test group's data, your planet's dominant intelligent race has been temporarily assigned rank E.
Confirm or deny this decision!
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Task
(Qualification Selection)
Locate and secure the planetary place of power!
Description
The inhabitants of planet Thea, facing defeat in a war for planetary dominance, initiated terraforming procedures but were annihilated in the process. Find and seize their planetary point of power!
Global Mission Objective:
Locate and utilize / transfer to the Gods of the Earthly Pantheon / claim the planetary point of power.
Global Objective Reward:
Elevation of the race's rank by one level.
Local Mission Objective:
Ensure the survival and completion of individual mission objectives for more than fifty percent of your planet's control raid group.
Individual Mission Objective:
Accumulate 20 development points (XP)
Survive for 24 hours.
Individual Objective Reward:
Doubling of XP earned
Gaining the D ragu skill/trait.
Penalty for failure of the local objective:
Demotion of the race's rank by one level.
Penalty for failure/refusal to complete individual mission objectives:
Loss of "player" status.
Accept?
Yes / No?
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Intrigue mounted with each passing moment. It appeared that Earthlings had stumbled into a colossal predicament. Terraforming an entire planet? What kind of threat would compel such drastic measures?! And who could possibly intimidate beings capable of such feats?! I was in deep. And then there were these race ranks. What did they signify? What was the lowest rank? Did we even need them?
As for the deities of the Earthly Pantheon? No, in Babylon, there were super-beings who called themselves gods. Their power was so immense that any powerful mage, upon entering deep meditation, could sense the echoes of their strength. Of course, only if they so desired. The problem was, on this Earth, such beings were absent.
Well, alright, there was no alternative anyway. Acceptance was the only path. Losing player status simply meant another reincarnation for me. I clicked "Yes."
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Player Status Familiarization Procedure Initiated.
To access the status window, mentally issue the command "Status."
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Well, that was convenient, no need to tug an earlobe or close an eye like in some fantasy novels. Let's try it: Status!
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Status
True Character Name: Alexander Oleksiyovych Stone
Alias: -
Species: Human (E) 99%
Race Rank: E
Level: 0
Planetary ID: 10
Interplanetary ID: -
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Interreality ID: -
Attributes:
Strength: 9/10
Agility: 8/10
Endurance: 5/10
Vitality: 3/10
Intellect: 9/10
Luck: 1/10
Racial Traits and Attributes: ?
(Locked until Qualification Selection is complete)
Bonus Attributes: 0
Experience Points: 0
Traits: -
Skills: -
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Well, it seems my full name was extracted from the databases of my world. Otherwise, this list would have included three more variations. Although officially Alexander, everyone called me Alex. I was fortunate with my surname, having grown up in an orphanage in this world, where it was bestowed upon me. The caregiver of the younger group was an avid reader of comics and novels, hence the gift of such a splendid yet unusual surname for my people. I was present during the naming process and vividly recall the scene. I even had to applaud to make the imaginative fellow settle on that particular one. But I digress, let's continue.
Upon focusing on this menu item, the system offered to conceal my true name, to which I agreed.
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Conceal True Character Name?
Yes / No
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Attempting to "touch" the alias option brought up another system window.
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Do you wish to enter an alias and exit the status screen?
Yes / No
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For now, I clicked "No," as I still needed to understand the attributes.
Focusing on the race option yielded nothing, but the race rank revealed something new.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Race Rank" parameter grants the race representative access to system functions.
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The Planetary ID displayed:
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Access to reference information granted.
The Planetary ID parameter indicates the character's number in the planetary player registry.
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The Interplanetary and Interreality IDs, however, remained unresponsive.
Hovering over the menu items, the system provided the following explanations:
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Strength" parameter determines the physical might of the organism and its ability to release a momentary impulse of physical energy.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Agility" parameter influences speed, coordination of movements, and reflexes.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Endurance" parameter determines the ability to withstand physical exertion and resist fatigue.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Vitality" parameter influences the overall state of the organism, resistance to damage, and the ability to survive injuries.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Intellect" parameter determines mental capabilities, memory, logic, and the ability to learn.
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Access to reference information granted.
The "Luck" parameter influences the probability of success in random events and favorable coincidences.
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Quite a concise description. Well, I had been developing my physical attributes since birth, both through exercise and the circulation of life energy throughout my body. No questions there. I wasn't the strongest person on Earth, of course, but I wasn't weak either. But why were my vitality and endurance so low? Perhaps it was due to the state I was in before arriving here? A fractured skull, nearly burned-out mana channels, zero life energy reserves, and a cocktail of painkillers coursing through my blood – I would have diagnosed myself as a goner. The main question was – could I change anything without resorting to the system's help? A question for another time, though. For now, changing anything was beyond my reach.
Ah, a timer appeared.
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04:59:28
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It seemed I needed to hurry. As the other menu items remained unresponsive, I decided to return to the alias option.
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Do you wish to enter an alias and exit the status screen?
Yes / No
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I mentally confirmed the proposition.
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Enter your alias below
___________________
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Despite the ticking clock, some deliberation was in order. It was unlikely I would be able to change my alias anytime soon. I had no desire to be stuck with some cringe-worthy "SuperSlayer" moniker for the rest of my existence. In games, I often used the alias "Stone," but I didn't want anything associated with my true name. There was a reason it was suggested to be hidden. Besides, it didn't shorten well. And in battle, they would shorten it anyway. If they couldn't, they would come up with another nickname. So, I would choose Aqua. The abbreviations AK or the English aq didn't evoke any aversion in me.
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Enter your alias below
_________Aqua_________
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Are you sure?
Yes / No
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Choose your first skill or trait
· Composite Bow Marksmanship
· Dagger Combat Technique
· Swordsmanship
· Polearm Mastery
· Spear Combat Technique
· Axe Combat Technique
· Mimicry
· Acrobatics
· Hand-to-Hand Combat
· Minor System of Bodily Energy Circulation
· Minor System of Magical Energy Circulation
· Minor System of Immortal Soul Energy Circulation
· Minor System of Mind Energy Circulation
· Minor System of Emotional Energy Circulation
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Hmm. An interesting selection. If I lacked experience with weaponry and knowledge of magic, I would have opted for combat techniques. Although… who was I kidding? I would have chosen magic anyway. The risk of remaining a warrior wasn't worth it. I was a mage through and through. What if magic was impossible in this world without this magical energy circulation system, and other worlds had their own anomalies? Well, in the worst-case scenario, I could still pummel someone with my fists. They were quite sturdy. Therefore, the decision was final. Minor System of Magical Energy Circulation!
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Minor System of Magical Energy Circulation
Description
Establishes/creates a closed system of mana channels and a small mana core within the bearer's body.
Unlocks the Magic parameter in the system.
Trait Level: 1
Trait Rank: E
Choose Minor System of Magical Energy Circulation?
Yes / No
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A mana core? I never thought I would become gifted. Even in my past life, forming one had been beyond my reach. It was a luxury reserved for the children of archmages. They could effortlessly match their parents' mana reserves by the age of thirty. Little monsters. I had clawed my way to my mana reserve with blood and sweat, reaching the lowest archmage level only at fifty. To form a core independently required modifying both body and soul. And not every archmage specializing in healing could perform such a modification.
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Choose the type of system weapon/artifact you will use
· Staves
· Wands
· Rings
· Rods
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Hmm. They were short-changing our mage brother, oh yes they were. But for me, the choice was clear. A staff was my familiar and beloved tool. I had even missed it in this life, which might explain why I joined the wushu club – they were the only ones who taught staff wielding and allowed me to practice with it.
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Choose the appearance of the artifact
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And then I was transported to a vast chamber filled with shelves upon shelves of staves. Straight, curved, adorned with intricate patterns or plain. There was even a serpentine one. Wooden, iron, bronze, and even gold. They came in all sizes, shapes, and materials imaginable.
But none of them were mine. I longed for my staff, the one I had left behind in Babylon. Closing my eyes, I summoned its image down to the smallest detail, each symbol I had personally etched upon it. A straight bronze staff, reaching up to my shoulder, with a small dark obsidian stone of Frai embedded in its base, which was equipped with a retractable spike. I had once hoped to capture the soul of a demon within that stone.
image [https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/103985045/88a88b52c6314d7d97f266c0b8266ac5/eyJ3Ijo4MjB9/1.png?token-time=1716854400&token-hash=xgFqQMWg99bEMlh2plLGcZ-y-u3DyjXdHxoeccRZcdQ%3D]
Suddenly, the skin of my palms felt the coolness and weight of my staff. The chamber of staves vanished, and a new system message appeared before my eyes:
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Weapon and Trait Selected!
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Attention!
Commencing system integration with the player's body!
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And in that instant, I plunged once more into the darkness of oblivion.