Chapter 7 - Not everything is what it seems

Adam was puzzled for a moment, looking at his three "companions" through the screen, while reading the contents of the windows that had popped up before them.

“What are you looking at? It’s creepy.”

Li said awkwardly, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary as there were still quite a few things to explain. However, before he could tell him to stop looking at them like a fool and continue with the search in the store, the boy spoke up.

“There are some purple windows in front of you, they show your name, potential, and, in your case Mr. Li, also skills and… Treasures?”

“What?!”

A new shout from the man shook the two young men beside him, astonished at what was happening.

“What does it say, what kind of information do you see?”

Faced with such a violent question, Adam wasted no time reading aloud everything he could see, including the messages that had appeared in front of him at the moment he had purchased the '[Analyze]' ability.

The man in the hat appeared utterly bewildered. Despite considering himself somewhat of a veteran in this realm, he had never heard or seen anything like skills interacting automatically. But certainly, what was most concerning was the comment about a level ten '[Mark of the Damned]', as it would also be the first time he had heard about an ability that exceeded level five. He could barely recall a skill one of his companions had had in the past called '[Dharma Seeker Eyes]', they only had it with them for a single scenario but what she said she could see with them was very similar to what the boy was describing right now.

“You know what? I give up, I don't plan to keep yelling about every nonsense you come up with, make up your mind about what things to spend your points on and nothing else. I recommend you save at least ten or fifteen points to buy clothes and food or something for your room since the system will give us absolutely nothing for free.”

“Rooms?”

Kazue asked instantly, looking livelier suddenly.

“Yes… All three of you finish first and then I’ll explain it. Ask me if you have any questions.”

After saying this, Li simply sat on the floor while rubbing his temple, clearly trying to soothe the headache that all this had caused him. This prompted the Japanese girl and the blonde boy to advance toward Adam's position, facing a different cube and summoning a screen each, thus beginning the system check and point expenditure.

“Well, let's see…”

Adam remembered having 420 points still, and if that first purchase could be an indication of the average price, then maybe he had enough to get a good amount of the said "skills", However, as soon as he tried to go back to the store, his fingers froze, as a thought went through his head, something that he had overlooked due to surprise and curiosity.

“Is there any way to return to the real world?”

He asked then, recognizing that despite the fascination of it all, there was no point in staying there. His close encounter with death reminded him how much he cared about his life, his situation, and especially his parents. What would they be thinking right now after so many hours without returning home from the university?

“Err… I guess? There’s an option in the QOL Menu named 'I give up', it seems that you can use it to get out of here— those who have used it have disappeared.”

Li replied with a shrug as if such a thing mattered little. However, it was something that, again, did not add up in the student's mind. If there was a way out, why hadn't they used it? Why continue in that game of death? The same for the two next to him.

“What do you mean by “you guess”?”

"He is telling the truth. While you were unconscious and Mr. Li was explaining the basics to us, he also told us about that and… Well, Mrs. Laila rushed to select it without waiting. She said something about having to go back for her son but we couldn't quite understand her, upon choosing that option she disappeared in a flash of light."

It had been Drake who responded next, making it clear that they too had seen the returning option in action, this raised the question of why the others hadn't departed too.

“In that case, why haven't you done the same?”

Adam's question was short but valid. He didn't expect anyone to respond, though his curiosity was piqued. What he didn't anticipate, however, were the reactions his comment provoked from the others. Kazue grabbed her head with both hands and began shaking her hair, an expression of extreme stress on her face.

“I… I… I will not…”

Meanwhile, the blonde clenched his teeth and fists so tightly that fine threads of blood appeared on his hands, showing just how hard he was digging his nails into his palms.

It was something illogical in the eyes of the student, but he understood that they must have had reasons of their own, something that was certainly none of his business, after all, what kind of lives did they have that they would prefer this madness? He was unable to imagine it.

“Nevermind, sorry for asking”

Saying this, he hurriedly looked for the option he had been told, something that did not take him long. However, a new shout could be heard behind him.

“Hey! I won't let you leave, we need you and your points!”

Li had shouted again despite having said he wouldn't, but how to blame him, after all, the topic had taken him by surprise and he had lost reaction time with the boy's last question, leaving him thoughtful for a few seconds until he finally realized what was about to happen. He couldn't afford to lose that rookie, not with all the rewards he had obtained and with a future story surely more difficult than the previous one.

However, when he was able to stand up and hold him by the shoulder, he noticed that the boy had stood still with the menu option unselected, indicating that Li had not been the one who had stopped him, but that the boy had decided not to press the option on his own.

Meanwhile, Adam was frozen, staring at the screen without crediting his eyes.

⌠▼QOL Menu⌡ ⌠►Plot Device Store⌡ ⌠Let's have fun together: Already bought⌡ ⌠Make it fair!: 0pts⌡ ⌠Let me see, please: 0pts⌡ ⌠Heal up: 50pts⌡ ⌠I don’t want to be here anymore: 1000pts⌡ ⌠▼I give up: 100pts⌡ ⌠"Do you really want to give up?"⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠By choosing this option the user accepts that they do not want the opportunity that is being offered, therefore they will continue their story in "Abyss".⌡

“This is not an exit option.”

“What? What do you mean?”

After explaining what the message said and the warning about selecting that option, Li's countenance darkened and left him deep in thought. The same happened with Drake's expression, who seemed even more affected than before to learn that the woman he had been helping had not returned to her family, but had possibly met some terrible fate.

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“I... I should have stopped her.”

The mood grew heavy, even Adam did not know what to say or do. Apart from what might have happened to previous people who had chosen such an option, it also meant that he could not return conventionally. But there should be some way, more so if he focused on the words of the extra information. The system considered this bizarre place as a “story”, and if so then it should have an end, he would just have to get to the bottom of it somehow or other.

But then, he was pulled out of his train of thought the moment Kazue exclaimed prancing, for it seemed that while the others had taken the news with considerable regret, she had recovered from her shock and had continued to explore the store.

“I got it! And it only cost fifty points.”

The girl's excitement and actions startled everyone present, who could only stand by and watch her get excited about whatever it was she had just bought.

“It's just like a character in one of my favorite series! Now, how do you activate it? Do I have to shout the name?”

She continued excitedly, extending her right arm down while flexing her legs, giving her a rather odd look as if she wanted to carry something invisible on the ground.

“[THUNDER PIERCING HAND]”

But nothing happened, leaving an awkward silence for a few seconds that was quickly broken again by the girl, who had turned a little red with embarrassment.

“Maybe with the other hand?”

She tried again but nothing happened, the same when she tried in different positions, whispering the name of her technique, shouting louder, or doing strange poses, until she finally started panting from exhaustion.

“Okay, please stop that, tell me if that was the name of the skill you bought.”

Li finally said, tired of watching the girl make a fool of herself and wasting valuable time.

“That was its name, It's a technique named 'Thunder Piercing Hand', and it's level 1”

Said Kazue, much to the man's annoyance.

“Figures, as you already saw with your own [Analyze], that’s not a skill but a technique, usually these need a base skill to be used and without them, they do not work.”

“Wait, wait! Does that mean I can't use what I just bought?”

While this conversation was taking place, Adam's curiosity had been piqued, so without wasting any more time he had gone to the store's search bar again to enter the name of Kazue's technique, hoping that the additional information provided by his [Cursed Vision] would also apply in that case.

⌠Search bar: Thunder Piercing Hand⌡ ⌠Thunder Piercing Hand Lv1: 50pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Thunder Piercing Hand Lv1”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Technique. It envelops the user's hand in a constant flow of electricity that produces a very high pitch sound⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Low-level technique of electrical type. Requires a skill or treasure capable of producing large amounts of concentrated electricity. Warning: A body capable of resisting high voltages is recommended.⌡

Interestingly, it seemed that the additional information was separate from the information that a normal [Analyze] would give and, in this case, it made clear what the requirement of the technique was and gave a warning as well. However, before he could say anything about it, the conversation between Li and Kazue concluded.

“It doesn't matter anyway, there is a fairly simple way to avoid having to get the basics to make the techniques work. In the 'QOL Menu' there is also an option for that, it's one of the most important options to get, and thanks to that I can use the spells that you saw me cast during the last story... You two should get it too, it's called 'Make it Fair'.”

So there was a way to bypass the requirements? That option was curious and certainly didn't fit well with what Adam seemed to be beginning to understand about the system, but he wouldn't waste the knowledge and experience the man was giving them.

“Really? Whew, thank goodness”

Quickly, the three youngsters began to navigate their screens until they came to the indicated option, glad that it cost zero points.

“Technique of my dreams, here I come!”

Exclaimed the Japanese girl, while Drake was still a little reluctant, however, both were stopped millimeters away from pressing the button by Adam's sudden exclamation.

“Stop!”

Again, additional information had jumped into his eyes and revealed something frightening… Thank goodness his reading speed was so high because of the practice he had in his endless hours of study.

⌠▼QOL Menu⌡ ⌠►Plot Device Store⌡ ⌠▼Make it fair!: 0pts⌡ ⌠"Easy mode, not recommended but very useful”⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Make it fair!”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡

⌠All skills and treasures can be used without meeting their requirements.⌡

⌠Warning: It considerably limits the use and power of all the skills and treasures in possession, it also greatly slows down the progression of the user's potential.⌡

“There is a caveat to this option, it certainly allows you to use any type of skill or treasure without worrying about the requirements they may have… But it also limits their power, as well as the potential progression of whoever possesses them.”

Those sudden words startled the other three, but Li appeared the most distressed, standing with his mouth mildly open and unable to believe his ears. Little by little the gears in his mind began to put the pieces of the puzzle together and some things that had not made sense until now began to have an explanation.

“Hey, does it say a way to avoid that debuff?”

“I’m afraid not, sorry.”

The man was noticeably frustrated by what had happened, although, to everyone's surprise, he soon let out a big sigh in an attempt to calm himself down.

“Well, what's done is done, the only thing I can thank you for is that your ability to see information is useful. Read us everything you see on the store options before you keep buying things and wasting points.”

Now that they knew Adam had access to more information than normal, letting Adam go through everything first was the smartest idea, so with nothing to object to, the boy started in order.

⌠▼QOL Menu⌡ ⌠►Plot Device Store⌡ ⌠Let's have fun together: Already bought⌡ ⌠Make it fair!: 0pts⌡ ⌠▼Let me see, please: 0pts⌡ ⌠"Kinda cliche, isn't it?”⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Let me see, please”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Allows the user to invoke a lite version of the “My Status” interface, it is possible to check its status and statistics. Highly customizable.⌡ ⌠▼Heal up: 50pts⌡ ⌠"It's refreshing!”⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Heal Up”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Completely restores the target to a state before the last completed story. It can be used with another user's points to activate its effect on the original owner of the points but requires direct confirmation.⌡ ⌠▼I don’t want to be here anymore: 1000pts⌡ ⌠"Let's hope you have an invitation”⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “I don’t want to be here anymore”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Transfers the user to another team of their choice. It is necessary to have a formal invitation to accept.⌡

Little by little, everything was taking shape, although unknown concepts and questions appeared. He had to admit that, even though he was trapped in that place, far from his family and in great danger, the curiosity before the unknown of this whole "system" was intoxicating.