CHAPTER 3
POWER SYSTEM
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How did earthlings become walkers?
Praise the gods! Ethereal had been a world with magic by their will. Once upon a time, Lumina, Janus, Hiemza, Agni, Zephyr, and all the gods held a conference in heaven to talk about the world they looked after. The gods seemed unpleasant to their devotees, who didn't understand how their blessings worked. The mana consumption barely moved. Magic became an exclusive thing for certain humans with proper education, while the rest gained nothing. The gods decided to redesign their method. They wanted everyone to accept their grace in the easiest way possible and take a walk to another world. After spending time as a mortal in a certain realm, the youngest god came back with an excellent idea.
“Oooo Lumina! Ooo our mother! I have learned the best way to bless humans.”
“How?” said Lumina, the goddess of light.
“I have visited Earth and spent my time in a wonderful place called an internet cafe! Holy cow! They have invented the thing we need most! Power system!”
All the gods cheered when the youngest explained how the system worked. The power system undoubtedly answered their headache. They decided to share a part of their power with mortals with the RPG-game-thingy the youngest learned from earth. However, after testing it on their devotees for hundreds of years, the results gave them more headaches. The mortals didn't get it, no matter how hard the gods explained it through their apostles. Ethereal inhabitants were too stupid. The gods were in despair and chose to summon humans from the world where the system had been invented.
Earthling.
“That's how they become walkers.”
Listening to a story from a skinny teenager with glasses, several highschoolers glared in surprise.
“Bullshit! How could the Gods come here just to play games?”
“Yes! And you said those gods tested it for hundreds of years, didn't you? There wasn't even electricity on Earth hundreds of years ago.”
The four-eyes shrugged his shoulders and giggled, indicating that his story was nowhere from the truth. “How do I know? I ain't a walker.”
“Tsk! My previous five minutes went by for waste.”
Walker, a group of special human chosen by the gods, became an everlasting topic among teenagers. Their number wasn't large. Out of 300 millions of Indonesian, new awakening didn't even reach 300 walkers per year. It said that only one out of 3000 people had been chosen to be a walker. They had completely different lifestyle, wealth, and education compared to their peer. There were only 10 Walker Academies throughout Indonesia to accommodate their education needs.
So exclusive.
“Are we going to meet any walker today?”
“Stop dreaming. Our chance to meet a walker is lower than SS-tier hero in gatchas. And they spends more time in another world. Even if they came to Earth, they would busy themselves in the TV studio or house of representatives.”
“What? They're running for the House of Representatives?”
Questioned by his friend, the smart-looking four-eyes raised his chin. “Don't you know? 20% of Indonesian policy makers are walkers. Even in the United States, 40% of their senators are walkers. We'll be old enough in next year's election, F-Y-I. I will vote for a walker.”
“Yeaah! I'm in! I will vote for the heroes!”
While walking to their school, they looked at a magnificent building with a medieval European style, the only place they might meet a walker on the street. The high school students gaped in amazement. Hope, despair, and jealousy could be seen in their eyes. Meeting a walker or taking a picture of them was a great achievement to boast about. “Dude! There's a walker ahead.” And when they passed by some people dressed in medieval clothes, the high school students simultaneously looked down without daring to look at them.
“It must be really cool to wear knight armor everywhere, huh?”
“Yes. They are so cool. Hurry up, take a picture!”
“My post on Fatebook will get thousands of reacts.”
The God of Fortune blessed them with luck. The protagonist had come. Walker passed them by with a chin high and grandiose manner among the commoners. While silently taking pictures of their idols, the high school students walked away. They celebrated their luck by taking a selfie beside a five-meter-tall majestic gate with the gold-layered letter of the Walker Academy.
“I wonder what they've learned inside.”
***
Walker Academy, a couple months prior to the portal break, several new-fresh Walkers attended their school.
“You will learn the basic theory of being a walker in your first semester. You must understand your own talent as well as learn the culture and language of Ethereal. We'll provide everything. Since most portals in Indonesia are connected to the Armin Kingdom, you'll learn their language and the surrounding area.”
Amazed by their surroundings, several teenagers in fancy attire could not hide their excitement. Some of them kept saying, “Woaaa! Woaaa!” when listening to whatever their teacher was blabbering about. Indonesian nuance had completely changed into a European-like environment with all the detail. Particularly in a round garden that was about 110 yards in diameter, they witnessed a fantasy-like object they often saw on the internet.
“Wow, is that the entrance?" A student pointed to the tower in the center of the garden.
“Yes. You'll enter Ethereal through that tower.”
“Woaaaa!”
The teacher, someone who wore fancy clothes like a noble from a girl's fantasy story, walked ahead to a 65-feet-tall (20 meters) tower that resembled Pisa in Italy. There was a mysterious black dome engulfing the bottom of the tower, a portal that connected Earth to another world. The students, half running, followed him with glittering eyes.
“Ethereal doesn't accept anything from Earth.” Showing them how the portal worked, the teacher took his pen and inserted his hand into the dome. Magically, the pen bounced off. He picked up his expensive pen and said, “you can't bring cell phones, toys, or anything else into that world. Even your clothes will bounce off.”
“Are we going to get naked? Hahahaha!” The boys burst out laughing, while the girls covered their face in embarrassment.
“Don't worry. Association provides magic weapons and clothes for beginners. You won't get naked.”
The female students breathed a sigh of relief, while the males looked disappointed. They seemed to not mind getting naked, though.
“However, the price is expensive. The most affordable clothes are $150,000. And you have to pay more for the weapon and the tuition fees. It will be millions of dollars. But don't worry, young heroes. You are allowed to pay it later, after you become a full-pledged walker. And the interest rate is only 10% per month. So cheap.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Woaaaa!” The students cheered when their teacher acted like an experienced insurance agent.
***
“Will we be able to see status board? Is there a power system like in MMORPGs?”
Satisfied by his student's question, the teacher snapped his finger. “Exactly. First time you step foot in another world, the gods will ask you to set your stats.” He signaled an assistant to bring him a rainbow-shining crystal that was pleasant to watch. “Each of you will be given a beginner crystal, which contains 80 points of free stats. And there will be four basic stats on your system interface. They are physicality, perception, magic power, and charisma. You have to distribute it according to your talent. If you are a vanguard fighter, focus more on physicality or perception. If you're a mage, put it more on magic power. Just like an RPG game or whatever you read on the internet.”
“So, we can be stronger than normal humans?”
Once more, the teacher snapped his finger and answered with a boasting manner. “Indeed. Average human physicality is 10. If you have 20 Physical points, that means your strength is twice of them.”
Those simple sentences drove the boys into insanity. Their eyes showed the need for easy strength and being overpowered overnight. The girls, meanwhile, seemed uninterested in being golden-spooned with power. They had a completely different idea, as one of them raised a hand for a question the teacher had heard so many times. “It's true that we can change our appearance in another world?”
“Yes, young lady. Charisma stats will boost your charm. Your face will be optimized according to how many numbers you put on it. Just like a face filter on social media, there are no ugly walkers in Ethereal.”
“Kyaaaa!” The girls yelled hysterically like a bunch of K-pop groupies.
While boys and girls sunk themselves into their wildest imaginations, a group of people dressed in medieval style passed by. They carried ancient weaponry like swords, shields, arrows, and wands, all of which were worth millions. The students diverted their attention. They watched a real-life magical phenomenon while their upperclassmen entered the dome.
“In the second semester, you will practice how to fight in Ethereal. Are you curious about the world behind the portal?”
***
Ethereal, the world of magic and wonder.
“Keep it in mind, Kids. This is not Earth. No wandering around without any instructor. Got it?”
“Yes, Mr. Instructor!”
With every breath they took, their eyes closed tightly, inhaling the freshness of another world's atmosphere. The bright purple sky welcomed the second-semester students first visit to another realm. Even the sun looked blue and warm and filled everyone with unrealistic feelings. Under the blue and red moons in the sky, between a gorgeous landscape and vegetation, they adored the beauty of the world behind the portal.
Several instructors in medieval combat attire kept an eye on dozens of novice walkers. Awkwardly, the students touched, looked around, and ran back and forth like a bunch of kindergarteners. It was their first time, after all.
“You will learn to fight for combat-type walkers. Or learn commerce for production and services. You will be guided by instructors until you reach level 10. You already know the rank order, don't you?”
All students nodded, clearly understanding the homework. There was a ranking system for a walker's power based on their level. Let's say they were beginner walkers. They would always start at G-rank and go up every ten levels. Leveling up was quite easy. Walker only needed to hunt monsters or make items for production classes without bothering to do physical exercise or learning any combat skills. All they had to do was punch in the numbers because the system had provided everything. And Walker had plenty of ways to boost their stats, one of which was by using a rainbow crystal distributed by their instructor.
“This beginner crystals will give you 80 points of stats. Open your status board.”
In no time, all students did the same thing.
“Woaaa! I can really open the status board. It's like a game!”
The instructor had been used to novice walkers' behavior, which became noisy as they examined the status board. Some tried to feel it while others looked around the back. The transparent blue panel was exactly the same as the role-playing game. The instructor could not wait for long. They resumed the job after every student knew their stuff. “Listen up, kids. Out of four stats, only magic power doesn't have a number. The rest are your innate conditions on Earth. Ten points are for a normal and healthy person.”
“I got six in physicals and five in perception? Jesus! My charisma stats are barely two! No wonder my crush never looked at me.” A chubby student in a yellow robe watched his stats in disbelief.
“Woaaa! I got seven, six and seven! Wulululu!”
“Cough!” The instructor cleared his throat as the student chattered around. “Put the crystal on. Use those points on the four stats according to your talent. Balance it well. Don't put too much point on one stat. Use voice commands to distribute them all.”
As soon as they put the stats in, the students got hysterical. They could notice the differences right away. Physical stats gave them muscles and body height in no time. Perception supplemented their senses. Charisma Stat, on the other hand, gave them completely different appeals. Their faces became charming. The system worked like magic. In the end, all the students were eager to put up points at will.
“Wow, you're a real hunk!”
“You've also become handsome and taller!”
“Woaaaa! My crush will regret to see me like this! Let's put more on Charisma!”
Pip!
Pip!
Piiiiiipppp!
The instructors let out a long sigh, getting used to the situation. Beginner walkers usually put too much number on charisma. Particularly female walkers, they wanted to be beautiful without effort, as if they were tired of being potatoes in the real world. One of them even passed out after she saw her own face, which would be a money magnet on OnlyFanz.
“Oh my god! I'm slim. My skin is so smooth and bright!”
“My face become gorgeous. Kyaaaaa!”
This time, the instructor sat squatting in the corner because it was impossible for his words to be noticed by the students. While the boys were satisfied enough with their muscles and hairstyles, the girls sunk themselves into insanity. Appearance was everything for female students. Some of them did the hair, colored it, got tattoos, changed the pupil color, and even sacrificed their points to enlarge their chests.
“Oh my God Oh my God Oh my God! My boobs are so hot!” The girls hysterically squeezed their own breasts without realizing the boys were watching.
“I'm in heaven ....”
“Dude, your nose is bleeding.”
***
“Form a party. Now is hunting practice!”
In the beauty of a garden-like landscape, twelve students divided their group into three parties. All of them were accompanied by an instructor for safety. The adventure had begun. They could not wait to fight monster like in the game.
Time for the adventure!
However, reality kicked in. Students had tense faces when they saw the real monster waiting. The game and reality were completely different. Otherworldly creatures were scary. They fidgeted when the instructor pointed to a duck-like creature.
“They are Carniduck. G-rank monsters. Their strength is only four time normal ducks on Earth. Each party, kill four of them.”
The duck was four feet tall, with an ugliness that made everyone wonder what command prompt someone had written on the AI art generator. All walkers nervously approached, even though four people ganged one of them. Their bodies trembled as the duck turned its head.
“Quack?”
“Oh My God! They are uglier than avocadoes!”
“Quaaack!”
“Woaaa! They took your words personally!”
All parties took their stances when the ducks approached.
“Vanguard, hold that duck. Rearguard, help the vanguard with your arrows or magic.”
The easy task became so hard when the heroes pissed on their pants. No matter how stronger a walker was compared to a normal human, mentality could not be cheated. The golden-spooned teenagers neither had experience hitting something alive nor killing it. The parties yelled hysterically when the ducks showed their creepy-looking teeth.
“Mommy! I'm scared!”
“I wanna go home! Uwaaaa!”
“Don't run! Use your skills!”
The battlefield became hectic. Swordsmen slashed out their swords in fear while the shielder ran away without looking back. On the rearguard, the archers closed their eyes when they shot their arrows. Some projectiles missed, and some ended in friendly fire. The duck laughed loudly. To make matters worse, the mage blindly cast and threw everything into chaos.
“Uwaaa! My ass is on fire!”
“Quack!”
“Mommmyyyy!”
The question was, how did those innocent kids become so wicked?