I found myself amidst a whirl of spirals, as if my eyes had been replaced by kaleidoscopes, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. The transition of my soul and body into another world was certainly taking its toll on my senses, as the disorientation and ringing in my ears persisted for several minutes after I awoke in my village's chief estate before getting flashbanged by the floating screen of the system.
【SYSTEM】
[Welcome, Howard Williams, to the Phantasia Realm! Your journey now begins anew!]
You have become the chief of Gallimaufry 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!
I quickly dismissed the blinding light of the system screen and turned to take in the interior of my new traditional Chinese-themed abode, my vision gradually adjusting to the sunlight filtering through the windows. With a soft rustle, I pulled back the curtains of my canopy bed preparing to rise and test the stability of my physical body.
I couldn't help but notice the loose white Chinese robe draped over me. The fabric felt remarkably high quality, arguably worthy of being featured in a high-end clothing catalog. Stepping onto the wooden flooring, I rose to my feet, making slow deliberate movements to warm up my motor skills.
Now, taking a little house tour as I strolled through the rooms with the scrutiny of an estate agent, I couldn't help but notice the minimalist design aesthetic, typical of traditional Chinese architecture. In the bedroom, a small round wooden table and stool accompanied the bed, offering a serene and simple ambiance.
In the living room, a plane cross pattern folding screen made of bamboo caught my eye, its design unremarkable. Behind it, two wooden chairs and a larger rectangular table completed the scene. From my right leads to a miniature kitchen with a clay stove looking contraption, a rusty wok, and a wooden shelf displaying white porcelain bowls and silverware.
As I surveyed the kitchenware, my eyes fell upon a meat cleaver hanging on the wall. Its blade, once sharp and gleaming, now appeared dull from neglect and disuse. Despite its condition, it served as a reassuring presence—a potential weapon in times of need. In this unfamiliar world of Phantasia, where potential dangers lurked around every corner, having a means of defense was essential.
With a wry smile, I noted the irony of relying on a kitchen utensil for protection against otherworldly threats. Nonetheless, I resolved to make do with what I had. Though uncertain of how well it would fare against the monsters of Phantasia, if push came to shove, at the very least I could deliver some blunt trauma by hitting with its flat side.
On the left side of the living room, I found the bathroom, a small square room barely able to accommodate more than two people. A wooden bucket stood before me, serving as the primary means of doing my business before dumping it straight out of the window.
Despite its rudimentary setup, the absence of any foul odor genuinely surprised me. Perhaps the previous owner was exceptionally meticulous, or maybe hygiene standards varied across different regions of Phantasia.
After familiarizing myself with the layout of my house, I retreated to my bedroom in search of any documents, paperwork, or newspapers that might offer clues about the world or my village. After a thorough search, I stumbled upon what appeared to be a ledger detailing my village's financial records. Aside from that, I found nothing else of significance.
Initially, I worried that I wouldn't be able to decipher the language of this world. However, those concerns dissipated when I realized that, thankfully, God had translated all the writing into standard English for me. Skimming through a dozen or so pages, it became apparent that Gallimaufry village was renowned for its textile production which makes sense considering the quality of the clothing I was currently wearing.
A sense of relief washed over me as I perused the ledger. It appeared that the village's economy was in decent shape, thanks to the textile trade and even surplus crops sold to exclusive merchant companies that frequented the village. These dealings seemed to have sustained the village's livelihood for over a decade, if not longer as I continued to sift through the ledger's pages before placing it down.
Now, as I tried to collect my thoughts to determine my next course of action, I almost forgot the fact that God had given me a system, as I was too engrossed in contemplation. Not wasting another second before uttering the word “status,” the moment the command escaped my lips, the system once again reappeared before me, displaying the requested information.
【STATUS】
Howard Williams | Human | Lv 1/100
Job: Unemployed
Title: Chief of Gallimaufry
【STATS】
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HP: 160/160 | MP: 5/5 | EXP: 0/100
【ATTRIBUTES】
VIT: 16 | INT: 8 | MAG: 1 | STR: 9 | END: 14 | AGL: 16
Remaining Free Points: 0
Active Perks: Accelerated Learning, Auto Translate
Taking a good look at my specs... Damn, I have no magic talent, huh? Eh, whatever. Not really a big deal, in my opinion. Swinging a sword is faster than chanting a spell and more convenient. I don’t have time for all that chanting and remembering verses upon verses of hocus pocus.
Also, damn, my physical stats are pretty darn good. I suppose that the 4 years of taekwondo and 3 years of soccer I was forced to do really paid off. Not like I remember any of the content I learned, but if anything, it was a good fitness program for what it's worth. I made it all the way up to black belt before quitting because frankly it was burning way too much money.
Auto-Translating is incredibly convenient; I have no interest in being illiterate in this world, so thank God for that.The Accelerated Learning perk sounds useful as well. If I can learn things at a faster pace than normal, then it seems like I won’t bite the dust so easily in this life.
Speaking of perks, how do I obtain them? I wonder if there's a way to see the perks I can possibly acquire in the future. Perhaps there's a way to know what I need to do to acquire a certain perk that I might want the effects of.
The moment I pondered these questions in my head, it seemed as if the system was listening to me, much like how a desktop browser would eavesdrop on users' conversations to display relevant advertisements.
【SYSTEM TIP】
[About Perks: Perks can activate specific effects, either temporary or permanent, that greatly benefit the host's quality of life. Hosts can receive specific perks from quest rewards or by equipping special equipment or artifacts.]
Oh, the system can answer some questions without being asked out loud? That's quite handy; after all, the speed of thought is way faster than sound. The faster the response time, the better. Well then, let's see what else my system can do.
After tinkering with the system for a bit, it seems like it possesses the majority of the functionality of a typical smartphone. The weather forecasting function seems really handy for farming, and I can think of a number of uses for its other features.
Before I start heading out of my house to see Gallimaufry in the flesh, noticing the time displayed on the system is 6:51 AM, I should really start kicking off with my daily exercise routine. Thus, I hop onto the floor, engaging in some basic dynamic stretching followed by my usual repertoire of high-repetition push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.
Then, I delve into shadow boxing, using whatever remnants I remember from my taekwondo classes. All I recall are a variety of roundhouse kicks picked up from my classes, combined with some random fast paced punching combos I've seen on TV. For all I know, the moves I'm doing might as well be impractical as hell, but hey, at least it looks cool and helps me break a sweat way faster.
Aftering finishing my session at 7:21 AM I oddly felt way better than I usually do which prompted me to check my status once again. Glancing at my parameters once more I realized the cause of my sudden physical and emotional elevation. I have leveled up.
【STATUS】
Howard Williams | Human | Lv 2/100
Job: Unemployed
Title: Chief of Gallimaufry
【STATS】
HP: 170/170 | MP: 10/10 | EXP: 50/300
【ATTRIBUTES】
VIT: 17 | INT: 9 | MAG: 2 | STR: 10+2 | END: 15+1 | AGL: 17+1
Remaining Free Points: 1
Damn, did my typical workout routine really boost me to this extent? Well, since my magic sucks anyway, I'll just focus on strength for now. It's my biggest method of dealing damage, and being physically capable will certainly come in handy for manual labor in the village. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
This leveling archetype is more generous than I anticipated. I can't think of many systems where every single attribute increases with each level up without having to spend free points. And what's more, I get additional plus points through training, from what it seems.
In that case, I'll take the career path of a warrior or maybe a martial artist. Who needs weapons when you've got your hands and feet? Plus, it saves money. I'll just keep honing my body with my discount martial arts until I can one-punch everything.
Speaking of careers, I just realized... How am I unemployed? Aren't I the chief? Why does being a village chief not count as a job? System, explain yourself.
【SYSTEM TIP】
[About Jobs: There are many jobs in Phantasia! Some of the popular ones include Warrior, Mage, Archer, Thief, Knight, Alchemist, Blacksmith, Cleric, Ranger, Herbalist, Bard, and more.]
Oh, you mean like an RPG class? Quite the confusing word choice instead of "class" or something, God. Wait. So am I unemployed or just classless? I pondered, but the system remained silent. Not wanting to dwell on useless topics any longer, I allocated my free points into strength with a simple thought, and the system updated it for me.
【ATTRIBUTES】
[STR: 10+2 → STR: 11+2]
I couldn’t discern much of a difference after allocating those extra points, leaving me to suspect that I might have been scammed by the system. Well, I guess the only way to gauge any improvement is by putting those 13 points of strength to the test. Returning to the kitchen, I retrieved my dull cleaver before summoning the system's inventory interface, where I stuffed it into one of the two available slots.
Despite being only at level 2, the slots were surprisingly capacious, accommodating items up to a weight capacity of 20 kg each. This meant I could potentially carry about 21 more cleavers in the same slot for reference.
With my body and weapon prepared, I swung open the door, nibbling on a cured meat stick I had found lying around in the kitchen. Surprisingly, it tasted far better than the processed crap churned out by the meat industry. Now I truly understand the appeal and hype of local and organic produce.
As I stepped outside, savoring the scent of the fresh isekai air, the system abruptly intruded, assaulting me with a pop-up right in front of my face. Seriously? I was having a moment here. Talk about being insensitive…
New Quest Alert!
Difficulty Classification: Crisis
Main Quest: Defend Gallimaufry and repel the monster invasion!
Objectives:
- Survive and clear the waves of monster rush [0/3]
- Maintain a casualty count of less than 30 [0/30]
Wave 1 starts in: 00 Hours 59 Minutes 59 Seconds
Huh? I thought, my eyes widening before I suddenly started choking on the raw meat stick, which had become lodged in my throat.
"AAUGHh– AHAOEUGHh… F-faaukkk…"