There's no way to halt the invasion, but there's a method to weaken it – clearing the Labyrinth.
No one knows what will happen after clearing the remaining Labyrinths. Apart from the Labyrinth, every adventurer's occasional go-to is the 'Dungeon'.
Now, dungeons, on the other hand, only exist in a place where the source of power or magic is dense, creating a core which will be the system of the dungeon. Once the core is broken, the dungeon will naturally close and destroy.
Some dungeons have existed for the longest time, and there are some that could be cleared if any guild pooled their resources, but they didn't do that. Because dungeons became the main source of income for most countries, as long as they maintain order inside the Dungeon, an outbreak would not occur.
An outbreak is similar to the Fractured, but the difference lies in the Fractured having otherworldly beings. They're particularly weak and can be easily killed, yet the problem is their numbers. Countless of them surround you, and all you can do is kill as many as you can before meeting your demise.
As for outbreaks, the funny thing is that this is what causes most countries to fall. Compared to the Fractured, the monsters are mostly inhabitants of this world. However, inhabitant monsters don't rely on numbers as they possess skills. The most dangerous are those called 'Unique Beings.' Aside from being a monster, they have intelligence comparable to humans and can use skills with reason, not just mindlessly attacking.
That's why even in small numbers, they can cause devastating damage to any city or country, which is why Dungeons are maintained regularly to avoid any outbreaks.
'Not just that, but most probably those greedy royals want the materials inside the dungeon,' Rave thought.
But Rave's reasoning is not far off, as most nobles treat this as a business. The materials dropped when killing a monster inside can be used for anything. After learning about the world, he also learned the currency of this world. They use a simple system of coppers, silvers, golds, etc., where every thousand of them will convert to another (e.g., 1000 Coppers = 1 Silver Coin).
He also learned about the grades, noticing this on his Talents already, as he had a talent which is currently Standard.
Standard is used for the most common and lowest of all the grades. The current grades that contain the books are Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythical, and Divine. After that, the book didn't say or write anything. This might be due to the book being too old or the author not having any knowledge about them.
He also learned that beings in this world undergo a trial called 'Awakening.' It is a path that every being pursuing power must traverse. The book mentions that upon completing this journey, individuals attain a specific 'Class,' and they can choose from various options. Each class offers different abilities, and the allocation is random when you undergo the awakening.
However, the Awakening experience is unique for each individual. There is no set date or day for it. But once you've reached a certain level, the world's law will subject you to a trial. Upon completion of the trial, you can attain a specific class.
"So it's like choosing your class—Warrior, Archer, Mage, or Priest with a trial involve? Fair enough," Rave thought.
...
Aside from that, he learned other important things in his System. One of them is how he understood the language in the book. He didn't notice this immediately, but after a while, he noticed that the language is vastly different. They're not using an alphabet on any letters or words in the books; it's like a scribble written by a child, but he understands them.
By using the system, he noticed that the settings from the game were brought to his system. He pulled out his system and called for the current function he has.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
'System Function,' Rave thought, and a list of functions was given to Rave.
---
Inspect: Enables players to closely examine items, limited to providing information on equipment and resources. Offers no to minimal information on monsters, beasts, etc.
Inventory: Allows players to view, organize, and manage their acquired items, equipment, and resources.
Language Translator: Enables players to understand and communicate in different languages. This feature enhances interactions with other players who may speak different languages, fostering better communication and collaboration.
Quest Log: Displays active quests, objectives, and progression status, helping players keep track of their goals and achievements.
Map: Opens a map of the game world, revealing explored and unexplored areas, landmarks, and quest locations. (Map will only show locations the player has visited.)
Titles: Displays a list of earned titles based on the player's achievements, accomplishments, or specific milestones. Players can select a chosen title, adding a personalized touch with additional effects on the character.
Social: Facilitates communication and interaction with other players, including friend requests, party invitations, and guild management.
Character Sheet: Provides an overview of the player's character, including statistics, skills, and attributes.
---
Every function is working well. Inspect, as per the description, gave him information. He tried to use it on the piles of books in front of him that he finished reading.
---
Inspect: Piles of Books x4
Description: Piles of Books, weathered by the passage of time, quietly resting on the Library's forgotten shelves. The pages, once filled with profound knowledge, bear the scars of countless years – brittle and delicate. The ink, faded and nearly illegible, speaks of wisdom lost to the annals of history. Despite the evident decay, traces of the written word remain.
---
As for the inventory, he already used it in the alley when he checked the token. As for the Language Translator, this might be the reason for how he can understand the words and letters in this book.
Because of this function, he might be speaking English in his mind, but the outcome is different when he says it out loud. This function only serves the player in New Horizon, as there might be a situation where two different languages encounter each other. To balance and avoid miscommunication, the system created this to convey the message of the other to another.
'But I'm no longer a 'Player'; I'm alive in this world, but I can still use its function. Does this mean my system is different? But how?' Rave thought, but he didn't dwell too much on it. He was happy that everything is functional.
He already checked the others; the quest log is blank at the moment. He didn't know how this works, but he didn't care much. As for the map, it only shows the alley he came from earlier on the way to the Library; everything is grayed out. As for titles, there are none. The social is a weird one, since he wasn't a player anymore. What's the use of this? After using it, there's (0/0 Friends Online), which is sad, to be honest.
For the character sheet, Rave found it interesting.
---
Name: Rave
Title: None
Level: 1 (0%)
Talent: LuckForge (Standard) [Redeemable]
-----
Strength: 10
Defense: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 15
Luck: 80 (+15)
-----
Active Skill: None
Inherent Abilities: None
---
The first thing that Rave noticed is that there are no health or mana points. In his character sheet, he doesn't know the reason much, but it might be related to how this is not a game anymore. A being's ability cannot be calculated by numbers, and that's true when it comes to a being's life. But this is all just a thought by Rave.
Of course, he saw the 'Redeemable' in his talent, but he has no plan on using it just yet. His current attributes are also understandable. His body currently is young. As for the charisma, he just smiles after looking at it, but he's curious about the (+15) in his Luck.
'What's the +15 on my luck?' Rave thought, but he didn't expect that the system will answer back to him. All he thought is that the system will function as normal, the same in the game. If he knew this in the beginning, he would ask about everything and not read the entire description in his system.
---
[The corresponding +15 beside your luck came from your talent. The geographical location and surrounding area were able to influence your luck,] the system replied.
---
'Why does it sound human-like? I thought systems are machines with a cold voice initiated with them?' Rave asked. He was curious because in every AI, they have the same cold, mechanical voice. But what he heard is different. After a while, Rave didn't wait for the system to reply, since it looks like it has no intention to talk again.