As time paused, an interface popped up. Being the only thing, I can see in the current sea of darkness.
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[Info] You have killed Melissa, An Infantry Soldier of the Woles Empire, Level 2. Current Experience points: 100%/100% till Level 1.
[Info] Congratulations on reaching level 1. You have reached the Awareness Stage (Level 1-20), As you start your journey to the path of power, you become faintly aware of the chains of fate that binds everyone in existence.
[Info] Fate's Awareness Stage Bonus: Base Stats +1. +5 Free Stat Points to distribute.
Current Stat Points:
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Strength | 3 -> 4
Perception | 3 -> 4
Vitality | 3 -> 4
Endurance | 3 -> 4
Origin Affinity | 1 -> 2
Origin Energy | 5 -> 6
Luck | -70
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Utilizing the pause in time, I mentally took a deep breath to calm myself.
The familiar - RPG interface suited was definitely a welcome after all this blood shed. I can already see Alice grinning from ear to ear upon seeing this. The note regarding the inevitable chains of fate did reel in some of the worst moments in my vision but I easily shrugged them off.
The alternative text for Origin Energy seems to be pertaining to how large your mana pool is, and and Affinity being how well you control Origin Energy or what they call in games 'Mana'.
I chuckled at the display of the negative luck. Darned luck.
Just by watching the others spawn in the trial, it was clear that the spawn location is designed to spawn players within a reasonable distance from their first adversary. For some awful reason my reality warping negative 70 luck, not only arranged me to spawn directly in front of my enemies, it also paired me to fight with a skilled swordsman and a sniper of an archer that is talented enough to predict the movement of her teammate and shoot an arrow right beside her teammate's head. Not to mention that the others only had to fight, one lightly armored trainee looking of a soldier.
Sigh.
One of these days, a potted plant will inevitably crash on top of my head while walking in the city streets. Come to think of it, that already had happened.
Also, back during elementary, we always got to fights into fights, it all started when I met Edizon...
...
Ah...
So that's how it is...
That's a bit... Well...
Anyway.
Continuing to the next notification...
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The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
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[Info] You have unlocked access to the following features of the Interface:
-Status Page
-Inventory (0/10)
-Notification Logs
[Info] You have unlocked the NOIM related skill, Identify
Identify - Allows you to access information of an Object or Entity the same tier as you. Please note that access to information will depend on your deeds and contributions to the benefit of NOIM.
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Unfortunately, testing out the features that were mentioned couldn't be tested where time is frozen, making another mental note to check the logs later, I proceeded to check the final notification.
By the looks it, the inevitable pause was brought about by this:
[Info] Congratulations on gaining your first level, in support of your rise in power NOIM has granted you a reward.
Choose one from the three skills below.
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-Feathered Step
-Mana Body Strengthening
-Second Cut
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I paused, taking my time to understand the options. Glancing at the skill descriptions, The skill [Feathered Steps] seems to be a movement skill that briefly utilizes the concept of -lightness. I imagine the skill to allow me to take leaps and move quickly even without much physical exertion. The brief mention of a 'Concept' tells me that learning the skill will allow me to get a glimpse of how the concept of -lightness works, and even create other skills from it.
Second Cut on the other hand, is a pure offensive skill that allows you to cut your opponents by twice upon successfully hitting once. With the Second Cut arriving after a slight delay. The whole skill intruged me.
Rather than a 'Concept' this skill, guides you towards a specific 'Path' of Swordsmanship, revealing that while 'Concepts' and 'Paths' both help you bend Reality, A 'Path' can be interpreted as one way to accomplish power. And seeing my instincts scream at me to not take this skill, this type of approach skill must be detrimental to the 'Path' my previous skill took.
'Or was forced to take...'
I imagined myself mumble as I recalled the struggle and desperation I felt during my previous vision. It must have been hard. Even without my experiences left behind by what it looks to be my 'previous timeline', I find it hard to simply accept the skill. Even during the early days my career in the World Arena, I found it hard to train under coaches. Sure, some of my skills were derived from various martial arts moves, but they were all my own interpretation of how I felt and think it happened.
Not that it's a bad thing, even science spans across multiple fields and specializations. Most of which, a collation of knowledge from all sorts of people across our time.
Thinking it through, I eventually decided against picking the two. Though the first two options were admittedly both useful and advanced enough to help me Jumpstart and quickly advance by leaps and bounds, both of them touch upon complexity that I'm not sure I'll be willing to invest in.
For all I know there could be hundreds, no even thousands of Paths and Concepts that exist out there. Who knows what would happen if I find a concept that I really like only to find that I couldn't learn throughly embrace it because I've learned too much about a concept that directly contradicts it?
Sure that is way far into the future, but with my negative 70 luck already bending Reality against me well... It's best if I stick to the basics for now.
With that in mind, I went ahead and read the last option...
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[Info] Mana Body Strengthening
Channel Mana/Origin Energy from your Origin Core to the body, to boost resilience as well as physical abilities.
Skill Dependecies: Origin Energy, Origin Affinity, Vitality, Endurance
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The skill itself was simple enough to learn without any help, and seeing that Mana is inherently available in NOIM. I'm pretty sure this skill can be bought from just about anywhere in NOIM. Heck it might even be free in libraries of Larger kingdoms like Asgard.
Judging by Vitality as well as Endurance being included in the skill's dependecies, operating beyond the limits of your body did come with it's repercussions. One thing that I need to consider before distributing Stat points. The Basics indeed... Come to think of it, those two that I've killed must have had abilities, as well as Mana Body Strengthening in their repertoire.
Luckily the inherited battle experience I had gave me the chance to fight back allowing me to end the fight before they could even register the situation they were in...
Resigning myself to all of this. I went ahead and selected the skill.
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To be continued.