Chapter 9 - I’m a what?!
“Let’s see…”
The window that appeared in front of the boy was smaller than the store screen, and as he moved, he noticed it moved with him, unlike the previous one that stayed in one place. However, instead of displaying a menu of options or data, it showed only an empty screen.
There didn't appear to be any methods to input text, which puzzled Adam. He tried to remember the information he had read about this feature before buying it. Described as "highly customizable," he concluded there should be a way to access desired data, so without delay, he attempted the same action he performed in the store, thinking clearly: "Display my information."
⌠Name: Adam Scholar⌡ ⌠Age: 23⌡ ⌠Species: Demi Lich - Rank F⌡ ⌠Points: 438⌡ ⌠Potential: D⌡ ⌠Titles:⌡ ⌠Ghostmarked Warden: Bound and Cursed⌡ ⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Lv1⌡, ⌠Lesser Undead Control Lv1⌡, ⌠Ghost Phasing Lv1⌡, ⌠Mental Resistance Lv5⌡, ⌠Mark of the Damned LV10⌡ ⌠Treasures: None⌡
Wait, wait, WHAT? Adam couldn't believe his eyes and stood in shock for a few seconds.
“Ha, ha… There must be some kind of mistake… Let’s see.”
No matter how many times he closed and reopened the window, the same information remained there. A sudden chill ran down his spine as he recalled something he didn't want to dwell on: despite his blurred consciousness at the time, he remembered everything from the previous story and the white specter's attempt to turn him into a "Lich". With no time to spare and visibly concerned, he used his special vision to uncover any additional details he could from such unsettling data.
⌠Species: Demi Lich - Rank F⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Species created from an intelligent organism whose transformation into a Lich was interrupted, possessing fewer weaknesses and abilities than a full-fledged Lich.⌡ ⌠*Half-Undead Psyche (Innate)⌡ ⌠As a half-species, the Demi Lich mind is affected by the lack of emotions of the undead, it will force the user into a calm state if a huge emotional or mental shock occurs.⌡ ⌠*Sleep Immunity (Innate)⌡ ⌠The Demi Lich is immune to the status effect “Sleep”, It has lost the ability to sleep and to dream.⌡ ⌠*Malediction Reversal (Innate)⌡ ⌠Boons and Curses have the opposite effect on the user. Buffs and Debuffs from those sources are inverted.⌡ ⌠*Fire Vulnerability (Innate)⌡ ⌠Any Fire attribute damage to the Demi Lich is mildly increased.⌡ ⌠*Divine Vulnerability (Innate)⌡ ⌠Any Divine attribute damage to the Demi Lich is greatly increased.⌡
⌠Titles: “Ghostmarked Warden: Bound and Cursed”⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠You are the first user to have survived a Lvl10 curse for more than the normal death threshold. “Cursed” entities respect you and “Blessed” entities despise you.⌡
⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Lv1⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Cursed eyes that allow the user to see additional information about any option, skill, treasure, and Plot Device, if it exists⌡ ⌠Lesser Undead Control Lv1⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠It allows the user to mentally command and control creatures with the "Undead" attribute, up to an F-rank or lower. The more entities controlled, the higher the consumption of cursed energy⌡ ⌠Ghost Phasing Lv1⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Grants the user the ability to give a part of their body the status "Intangible", one part at a time. Continuous use consumes more cursed energy⌡ ⌠Mental Resistance Lv5⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Significantly increases the user's resistance to mental damage caused by memetic skills or treasures. Renders the user immune to mental damage and status effects caused by memetic skills or treasures of level 4 / rank D or lower⌡ ⌠Mark of the Damned LV10⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Serves as proof of the curse imposed by a powerful entity with the "Undead" attribute. It corrupts any skill or treasure obtained with level 10 / rank A or lower, significantly reducing their effectiveness and branding them with the "Cursed" attribute. While marked, the bearer will suffer continuous mental damage, weakening their resistance to memetic attacks.⌡ ⌠Warning: It seems to have a will of its own⌡
Adam was bewildered, so he read through the provided information multiple times to ensure he understood everything. It wasn't until several minutes later that he finally closed the screen and looked up into emptiness, overwhelmed by all the information. It was hard to accept that according to the system, he was no longer human, although he felt no physical difference in his body... His pulse was normal, he could still perceive smells and tastes, and his sense of touch seemed unaffected. He could even sense a bit of hunger at that moment.
Perhaps the change in "species" was also a subjective recognition within the system. He couldn't be certain, but he knew he would need to conduct further tests later. Immediately, he decided to return to the store and purchase a sleeping pill to take later, spending an additional point and leaving him with 437, enough to acquire something of quality. However, what was the best he could get? He pondered for a bit longer, weighing his options within the limitations he faced.
A few more minutes passed without him being able to decide. Certainly, the lack of information was working against him, making him quite uncomfortable. As he began to lament, he finally came up with the best idea he’d had up to that point — something so simple that he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for not thinking of it earlier.
“If it’s information that I’m lacking then I can just buy it.”
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: skill, information, Analyze-like⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Total Results: 3⌡ ⌠Identify Lv1: 30pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It grants the user the ability to see “hidden” information⌡ ⌠Appraisal Lv1: 30pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It grants the user the ability to see “valuable” information⌡ ⌠Insight Lv1: 50pts⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It grants the user the ability to “understand” information⌡
The three options looked very interesting, but the description of each made it clear that they had different uses in terms of the information they provided, so there was no loss in buying all of them. Without further delay, he bought all three one after another, spending a total of 110 points. After this, Adam waited, somewhat impatient for the interaction he knew was about to happen.
⌠“Identify Lv1” is being affected by "Mark of the Damned Lv10"⌡ ⌠“Identify Lv1” is being forcibly transformed to "Cursed Vision Lv1"⌡
⌠“Appraisal Lv1” is being affected by "Mark of the Damned Lv10"⌡ ⌠“Appraisal Lv1” is being forcibly transformed to "Cursed Vision Lv1"⌡
⌠“Insight Lv1” is being affected by "Mark of the Damned Lv10"⌡ ⌠“Insight Lv1” is being forcibly transformed to "Cursed Vision Lv1"⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠Multiple Instances of "Cursed Vision Lv1" have been detected⌡ ⌠"Cursed Vision Lv1" has been upgraded to "Cursed Vision Lv4"⌡ ⌠Warning: Sensory ability overload detected in a short time, the user will receive critical mental damage.⌡
But nothing happened, and though the boy was initially alarmed by the warning that had been triggered, he soon felt relieved upon realizing that the damage mentioned was mental, likely targeting the brain due to the overwhelming amount of data. Fortunately, the source of this damage was his level 4 skill, for which he had protection thanks to his ⌠Mental Resistance Lv5⌡.
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“*Gulp*...That was close, I need to be more careful”
He would never have thought of being thankful for his Demi Lich status this quickly, but he had to use the resources at his disposal anyway. Without dwelling on it any longer, he revisited his personal status screen and examined the details of his newly evolved skill.
⌠Skills:⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Lv4⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Cursed eyes allow the user to see additional, hidden, and key information about any option, skill, treasure, Plot Device, or user if it exists. Repeated use of it on the same target increases the understanding of it. Might fail if the target rank or level is too high⌡ ⌠Notice: Evolution past Lv5 requires completion of the “Pact with the Underworld” subplot⌡ ⌠Tip: Obtain “Cursed Vision Lv1” to upgrade it to Lv5⌡
The new features of his eyes provided notifications and hints about the information he was receiving. This additional function was already proving to be quite useful, and he could only speculate on the discoveries he could make with it. Yet, the more immediate priority was gaining a deeper understanding of his own abilities. Luckily, after assisting Kazue with her shopping, he had a clear plan on how to accomplish this.
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: book, theory, cursed energy⌡
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: book, theory, curses⌡
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: book, theory, Mark of the Damned⌡
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: book, theory, ghost, undead, lich⌡
⌠Search bar: ⌡ ⌠Filter bar: book, theory, system, this realm⌡
In reality, this was a decision he had made when he comprehended all the skills listed on his status screen. He felt no need for additional skills; acquiring more seemed pointless when he already had a substantial number that he didn’t even understand. Thus, his primary interest lay in purchasing books that could enhance his understanding of these abilities.
After what seemed to be a little over an hour, browsing through option after option of books as if he were a child in a candy store, he ended up buying a good number of them, which fortunately were relatively inexpensive compared to buying techniques or skills, as they were nothing more than common textbooks.
⌠Cursed Energy Unleashed: A Beginner's Guide - Rank F⌡
⌠Cursed Power Revelation: A Primer on Channeling Dark Energies (First Volume) - Rank F⌡
⌠Hexed: The Comprehensive Guide to Curses - Rank F⌡
⌠Embracing the Curse: Transforming Adversity into Strength - Rank F⌡
⌠Bound by Fate: The Enigmatic Mark of the Damned Revealed (Chapter One) - Rank F⌡
⌠Bound by Fate: The Enigmatic Mark of the Damned Revealed (Chapter Two) - Rank E⌡
⌠The Enigmatic Essence of the Undead: A Comprehensive Study - Rank F⌡
⌠The Complete Lich Handbook: Everything You Need to Know (Undead Collection) - Rank F⌡
There were eight books in total, each varying in price, with a combined cost of 160 points, the most expensive being the E-rank one, priced at 50 points. Regrettably, the search for information detailing the realm or the system did not yield any results, a logical outcome but still disheartening.
Buying such books also helped to understand the functionality of his curse and the system itself a little better, since after buying them there was no interaction between them nor did they become corrupted, just like when he bought the furniture for his room and his food. It seemed that the system did not categorize mundane things as "treasures", which is probably why they were so cheap compared to skills or techniques.
Nevertheless, while Adam appeared content with his purchases, something during his search caught his eye after reading its description. This prompted him to consider whether to wait until he had enough points for the next opportunity, but he needed to check something first.
“There was an option here, let’s see.”
⌠▼Merit Exchange⌡ ⌠"Merits are very valuable, you know? Don’t waste them"⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Exchange Merits for points⌡
⌠ F merit - 50 pts⌡
⌠ E merit - 100 pts⌡
⌠ D merit - 500 pts⌡
⌠ C merit - 1000 pts⌡
⌠ B merit - 3000 pts⌡
⌠ A merit - 5000 pts⌡
⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡
⌠Hidden: S merit - 8000 pts⌡
⌠Hidden: SS merit - 15000 pts⌡
⌠Notice: The feature that uses Merits is not available at the current menu level⌡ ⌠Hint: Users from the same team can exchange or give away merits between them.⌡ ⌠ Tip: Upgrade Menu to Lv3 to unlock “Merit Merge” and “Merit Enhancement” features⌡
The boy became thoughtful again upon reading the result; there was much to analyze with just a few additional sentences of information. Not only did merits have a point cost for exchange, although it seemed this process couldn't be reversed, but also his eyes revealed the existence of two ranks above A, which Mr. Li had said was the maximum. Not to mention, it appeared there was also a way to improve the level of the store itself.
There was too much to investigate and too little time to do it, so much so that Adam himself began to feel a headache from the sense of urgency. However, that would have to wait for another time. In the immediate future, Merits appeared to serve no purpose other than gathering additional points. Therefore, he exchanged his rank D merit for an additional 500 points. Luckily, enough for what he wanted to buy.
⌠Search bar: Necronomicon⌡ ⌠Filter bar: 600pts⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Searching…⌡ ⌠Total Results: 1⌡ ⌠Necronomicon Single Page [1/5] (Replica) - Rank F: 600pts⌡ ⌠Are you sure you want to buy “Necronomicon Single Page [1/10] (Replica) - Rank F”?⌡ ⌠YES / NO⌡ ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠A replica of a single page of the cursed book Necronomicon, it’s written in dark ink instead of blood⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠The replica page retains a fraction of the original cursed power. Warning: Looking at the scriptures causes one to rapidly build up the status effect “Insanity”, reading it aloud inflicts critical mental damage to everyone hearing it, including the user⌡ ⌠Hidden: Putting the 5 pages together creates a “Necronomicon Single Chapter (Replica) - Rank D” treasure⌡
Without wasting time, the boy pressed the option to confirm the purchase and waited with his eyes closed for the page to materialize in his hands.
“Okay, one… Two… Three!”
After the countdown, taking a deep breath and summoning all the courage he could muster, he opened his eyes quickly, hoping that his resistance would continue to function as it should. Just as it had happened before, he was not affected in the slightest. Perhaps the strangest part was that there was no interaction between his curse and the object. Could it be because this item was already considered a cursed treasure? That would be his theory for now, at least.
Sighing with relief, the boy focused on examining the page more closely. It was filled with strange symbols that he couldn't recognize at all, despite the description indicating they were readable—possibly an ancient language that... Wait, a mysterious language whose reading caused mental harm? His mind returned to the story they had faced, with that ghost using unintelligible words that had caused him great pain. Could it be the same thing? He would have to investigate this later.
“This should be all, now let’s go.”
Adam noticed he was speaking to himself more frequently than usual, which was unusual, but he didn't pay much attention to it. After all, he had a lot to do. He carefully folded the cursed page and tucked it into one of the books he had purchased, stacking them in his arms as he headed toward his room.
The journey was relatively short, as there was nothing else in that enormous white room except for four wooden doors on one wall, each conveniently marked with the owner's name on a metal plaque above them. Once inside, he noticed that as he had been told, the room was completely empty except for the furniture he had bought, arranged in a cozy manner. Even the toilet was in an adjacent space as if the system knew it wasn't a good idea to combine the bathroom with the bedroom.
He didn't linger much longer and headed straight for the desk, placing the stack of books on top and sitting down in front of them, after also bringing over a couple of cans of food and two bottles of water. First things first, he took the sleeping pill from his jacket pocket and swallowed it with a sip of liquid. This would be a good test to see if he truly couldn't sleep now. In the meantime, there was only one thing left to do, something he was good at and had known since he could remember... Study.
“Let’s begin with this one.”
Said Adam, taking the closest book from the stack and opening it to the first page.