I have to admit, traversing worlds feels like shit. The sensation of being isekaied is akin to being thrown into a washing machine at full throttle, with jagged chunks of concrete swirling around you. If the process had lasted even a second longer, I'm 100% certain I would have been reduced to nothing more than a traumatized husk. But hey, I survived and that's all that matters.
Once my poor soul finished coping with the rollercoaster of emotional damage, I was jolted awake by the blaring ringtone of my fully integrated system. Its looming presence felt like a mocking reminder of the shit show I've landed myself in.
It appears I'm lying in bed, situated within what could only be described as my chief estate for the village. Though calling it an estate would be quite generous, as it resembles nothing more than a rustic wooden cabin, the kind you'd expect to find in a discounted summer camp program.
The interior is sparse, featuring only a crusty wooden table, a drawer with missing doors, and two dilapidated wooden chairs. In one corner stands a neglected stove-cum-fireplace, with cobwebs dangling from it.
The only halfway decent feature of this abode—well, my abode now, if it can even be called that—is the bed I'm currently occupying. Though far from the standards I'm used to from the modern era, the mattress and blanket are serviceable enough to accommodate my body, especially considering the exhaustion that will likely plague me from this moment onward as I glance at the system panel beside me.
【SYSTEM】
[Welcome, Kevin Weng, to the Phantasia Realm! Your journey now begins anew!]
You have become the chief of Xuanwu village! Your duty is to oversee its growth, prosperity, and protection. Guiding its inhabitants toward a better future will be your ultimate mission. Build your kingdom!
"Kingdom building, my ass," I muttered, the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. The idea of being accountable for the livelihood of an entire civilization seems laughable when I can barely manage my own existence. Now, I can truly empathize with those protagonists yearning for the simplicity of a slow-paced life, I yawned before laying back down on my new bed.
Oh, did I forget to mention that I didn't even have a pillow to lay my head on? I’m literally sleeping on an incomplete bed over here! Did God seriously have to increase the difficulty level any higher than it has to be by assigning me a village that is stricken in poverty?
Forcing myself to sit up from my bed, I examined the floating panel screen with a keen eye. I have already discerned the first step I needed to take. The process was familiar, almost routine. Drawing upon every reserve of willpower, I closed my eyes gradually, preparing to issue the command that had become second nature to me almost instinctively.
"Status."
My word became the law as the system obeyed my will as the floating white panel contracted and manifested letters and numbers that rearranged into legible statistics revealing to me whether or not I’ll receive the overpower tag in this life.
【STATUS】
Kevin Weng | Human | Lv 1/100
Job: Unemployed
Title: Chief of Xuanwu
【STATS】
HP: 60/60 | MP: 20/20 | EXP: 0/100
【ATTRIBUTES】
VIT: 3 | INT: 10 | MAG: 4 | STR: 7 | END: 8 | AGL: 6
Remaining Free Points: 0
Active Perks: Accelerated Learning, Auto Translate
Right from the get go, my initial parameters don't exactly scream "powerhouse," so I can scrap the idea of having an overpowered start. Seriously? I actually have to work hard and genuinely put in an effort to level up. What a pain in the ass, especially when I've got a whole village to manage.
My saving grace seems to lie in my intellect stats; I've always managed to ace exams without exerting much effort. However, considering how magic reigns supreme in the majority of stories, my abysmal magic stats nullify literally the only redeeming quality about me.
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Being painfully aware of how most watered-down, copy-paste magic systems operate, even with the qualifications to learn high-level magic, without a sufficient mana pool I can't do jack shit with it. I'm nothing more than a second-rate mage only capable of casting third-rate spells. In simpler terms, I'm trash in a golden color garbage bag.
Examining my other stats, I can't bring myself to argue against my severely lacking vitality. To be honest, I've always been a bit lazy when it comes to my health habits, opting for a more sedentary lifestyle. It seems that this negligence has manifested in my stats here in this isekai world, or "Phantasia" as it's apparently called.
On the bright side, my starting physical parameters aren't all abysmal. My moderate strength likely derives from lugging around a heavy backpack, my passable agility from numerous mad dashes to catch the bus, and my outstanding endurance from the countless beatings I received both in and out of school.
And then there's my "perk"... Who even uses that word? In all the novels I've read, literally no one refers to it as such. Shouldn’t it be called a talent or trait or something more fitting? This damn God can't even design a system correctly.
Judging by the name "Accelerated Learning," I’m guessing it’s probably the mechanism God mentioned, doubling my experience gain. As for the perk, “Auto Translate,” I don’t even need to guess to understand how it works. As I pondered the specifics of my active perks, another notification pinged, and another floating panel appeared beside my status.
Perk: Accelerated Learning (A)
Effect: Increases EXP gained by the host by 100%
Duration: Indefinite
Perk: Auto Translate (S)
Effect: Automatically translates linguistic input and output between the host and third parties.
Duration: Indefinite
Ah, so that's how it works. If I require a more thorough explanation, I merely need to concentrate on my query, and the system will provide an answer. Not bad at all—it seems that I was too hasty with my initial review.
Perhaps I owe God an apology for my earlier remarks. The prospect of sparing myself from the necessity of verbal communication in public regarding system inquiries is indeed very appealing. I have no desire to invite countless awkward situations by appearing to talk to no one in the eyes of bystanders.
On the topic of communicating with the system, I couldn't help but wonder if it possessed a mind of its own. However, this notion was swiftly dispelled after a fruitless ten-minute conversation attempt yielded no replies. It seemed that the system was purely responsive to inquiries about its functions or basic Phantasia trivia.
Anytime I tried to delve into more complex questions, such as "what's the easiest magic to learn?" or "How many outlanders are there in Phantasia?", the answers remained elusive, hidden behind level requirements or simply nonexistent.
I either receive the message “System Error: Level too low for requested information” in flashing red lights or am met with silence, regardless of whether I speak verbally or communicate through thought with the system.
Based on my observations from the replies I received, the system operates akin to a hybrid of a game tutorial and wiki, gradually unveiling features and information as I progress. Alongside this, it offers basic modern software conveniences like a digital calendar, weather forecast, alarm setting, camera recording, and even direct messaging.
However, I don’t really give a rat's ass about this since the only person I can message through the system is Howard, because he also has a system. What's the point of DMing people when you can only message one person?
Besides that, what really irks me is the absence of any form of appraisal skill, likely due to my insignificant level. So, by the off chance I get into a fight—which will probably be fucking a lot—I’ll likely be screwed over if I can’t gauge whether an opponent is someone I can afford to offend, especially if they are the mysterious type.
All I can say now is that it's time to level up. I climbed out of bed, clad in nothing but a medieval diaper, and dropped to the dusty wooden floor to start a 1 hour routine. I imitated the caped baldy training regimen, minus the running part because, frankly I don’t feel like it. Every 10 minutes, I took a minute to rest, but with each push-up, sit-up, and squat, I felt like I was actually losing hair from the sheer intensity. Perhaps I should stop overestimating myself, especially considering I spend the entirety of PE on my phone.
After sweating profusely starting at 6:40 AM and clocking out at 7:47 AM, leaving the floor gleaming from my literal sweat, the results of my training paid off twofold, all thanks to my ace in the sleeve—my perk. I rose from the floor with newfound confidence, realizing that my intuition was spot on. It seemed that a typical workout could earn me enough experience to break through from level 1 to 2.
I'll stick to safely earning experience through mundane training for now; there's no need to jump straight into mob grinding. Slow and steady wins the race, and there's no race to win if I end up dead, anyway.
Now, let’s see the changes in my status, I thought, and as if on cue, the system obeyed my will, displaying the requested information right before my eyes. I couldn't deny that there was something oddly satisfying about progression and seeing those numbers go up.
【STATUS】
Kevin Weng | Human | Lv 2/100
Job: Unemployed
Title: Chief of Xuanwu
【STATS】
HP: 75/75 | MP: 25/25 | EXP: 20/300
【ATTRIBUTES】
VIT: 4 + 1 | INT: 11 | MAG: 5 | STR: 8 + 1 | END: 9 +1 | AGL: 7
Remaining Free Points: 1
Active Perks: Accelerated Learning, Auto Translate
It seems like the leveling gimmick of this world is quite straightforward; every attribute increases by 1 for each level up, and attributes can also increase through methods besides using free points like training, which is a feature I can certainly take advantage of.
As for what exactly is the limit for increasing attributes through training or is there even a limiter? Who knows? The damn system won’t tell me. And as for the amount of free stat points gained per level up… What the hell? ONLY 1? How stingy. How am I gonna solo the verse now? Looks like I'll have to make every point count so for now I’ll save it for later.
I began to notice the rumbling of my stomach, signaling my growing hunger after the rigorous training session. It seemed like the perfect time to explore the village I was now responsible for overseeing and perhaps grab a bite to eat, especially since there was no food to be found in my very humble abode. Retrieving my coin pouch from under the mattress, I found it half-filled with an unfamiliar currency, a detail I made a mental note to inquire about from the system later.
With a deep breath, I prepared myself to step out into Phantasia and finally lay eyes on my village, Xuanwu. However, just as I opened the doorknob, the system suddenly interrupted, manifesting a floating panel that appeared directly in front of my face, obscuring my view."
What is it this time?
New Quest Alert!
Difficulty Classification: Crisis
Main Quest: Solve Xuanwu's food shortage and avert famine!
Objectives:
- Restore cultivation to failing plantations [0/3]
- Prevent starvation among villagers [102/205]
Time Limit: 29 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes
Are you fucking serious…