Inventory Lv.1
"Stupid capitalist system," Sebastian ultimately closed not only the 'shop' but all panels.
He ordered some food from his phone and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
After having dinner, he came back to his room and opened another game.
He was not done trying.
This time the chosen target was a sandbox based on cubes, which the main entertainment is to mine and to craft.
Similar to last time, a panel appeared when he made contact with the game. The instructions were more specific than last time:
[ Mission: Free the end from zero in hard mode ]
…
"Oh right, let's speed-run this game, easy peasy, I do that every day." Sebastian rolled his eyes, yet he clicked on 'create new world' anyway.
[Mission failed]
"Huh?"
What's wrong with it?
Sebastian then realized that the game was in easy mode for default, making him fail the mission automatically. Not only that, changing the commands to another game mode or any adjustment also meant failure on the task.
So there was no other alternative to do honest work.
"Well, at least it's not hardcore mode." Despite not having ever actually completed the game, because he was the chilling gamer type, he consoled himself with 'no matter how many times he died, things won't be started from zero'.
After creating a new new world, he got down to business.
First gathering basic resources like wood and stone to make tools, then he massacred all animals around to get enough amount of food.
With that done, he straightly mined down in ladders to the subsoil, getting things like iron and coal.
But nothing was boring, the game had kept its essence throughout the years. With the updates it had been added during these years he didn't play this game, the new experiences were added to the old ones, recovering the old sensation of unknown and learning.
"Wow, the caves are so big now!"
"Now the iron aren't blocks but ores? Let's make an oven, hope the ingots are still done in the same way."
"Full iron!"
"Wait, are those diamonds? Are they this easy to find now?"
"Stupid skeleton, you can't do nothing to me now, because I have a shield!"
"The hitting feels odd, why my sword isn't making damage? It's made of diamonds for god's sake."
"Lava lava! Water water!"
"A spawn! I have never seen one before!"
"What we have in this chest? A saddle? Perhaps I can tame a horse... or those things that can walk in lava."
"YOU ABSOLUTE ANNOYING F*CK! MAKE SOUND WHEN YOU WALK!"
[You have achieved 1 hour of gaming time, your mana absorption speed has temporally increased to [1.2] times.]
As Sebastian madly ran back to the cave to recover his stuff, a new notification appeared.
Why didn't this appear before?
Sebastian couldn't avoid thinking about the last five hours he played the shooter. At any moment a message like this popped up.
As for the mana absorption thing, it was more curious even.
He had realized that since that night, a new type of energy appeared inside his body. The marionette is created using it, and normally, it takes about 3 to 4 full days to recover.
The oddest thing was exactly that. Because as he controlled the 'mana' to walk a cycle inside his body, he realized that his 'mana bar' has been almost totally filled.
This was clearly a product of the system.
As far as he knows, the mana absorption technique is in hands of the military, and it is only granted to the people serving around the portal to protect citizens from the attacks of creatures from the other side.
So while these soldiers or mercenary are offering their asse… I mean, hearths to the country, I can do it while playing videogames?
Huh…
How convenient.
And suppose that in the first hour that was the 'normal' speed of absorption, the next period will be 20% faster? Open for possibilities that more reward will be coming if he plays longer.
With that in mind, he took out another energy drink from the mini-fridge to accelerate his journey toward slaying the dragon, he will spend all night.
…
…
[You have achieved 2 hours of gaming time, your mana absorption speed has temporally increased to [1.4] times.]
…
[You have achieved 3 hours of gaming time, your mana absorption speed has temporally increased to [1.6] times.]
…
[You have achieved 5 hours of gaming time, your mana absorption speed has temporally increased to [2.0 times.]
…
[You have achieved 9 hours of gaming time, your mana absorption speed has temporally increased to [2.8] times.]
…
…
…
It was 5 a.m. of the next day, the black circles under his eyes were black for real this time.
But the owner of them looked happy.
On the screen, the dark cube monster with wings started to disintegrate and expel white lights. Dropping yellow and green little balls.
The sound of fireworks was also heard by this boy with a terrible posture in front of the computer.
But he only cared about one thing:
[Mission completed!]
…
[Chose your reward:]
1.- Crafting
2.- Inventory
3.- Hunger regeneration
…
After thinking a little bit, he chose option two, mainly because the others might not be able to be tested easily.
First, there's no way he's going to buy two blocks of wood.
Leading to what? Purchasing diamonds to create an armor? No thanks, if he had that money, why can't he better buy a gun… A Scar-17! He already knows how to use it in any case.
Then second, he's not as masochist as to hurt himself to see if eating a steak will heal his cut-off hand. Having experienced the worst kinds of pain doesn't mean that he's willing to suffer again just because.
It's like if somebody said, "I remember someone shot you ten times, let me do it too, but only one bullet, for sure you will be able to take it…"
Duh.
No!
So, Inventory is just fine!
…
[Option 2 selected]
[You have obtained [Inventory Lv.1], continue to play to level up this skill!]
…
[You played this game for 9.6 hours, your reward is [33] coins, [2] XP ]
Just like last time, he acquired the knowledge of this skill.
Sebastian looked around, suddenly, he felt the existence of another dimension, but ironically, it gave him the feeling that this was his pocket; having nine spaces, like the game.
He opened the closet of snacks and experienced his skill putting things in and out. The conclusion was nine spaces in the inventory that could keep 64 units of the same thing.
At last, he emptied the space and put a fruit inside, after a few days, he will get the answer of if this inventory could maintain the food away from spoiling.
With all that done, he turned off the computer, brushed his teeth, and went to bed.
…
"Wow, I played 15 hours today…"
Sebastian counted with his fingers.
For some reason, he was not tired, perhaps the last fight's adrenaline hasn't left his body. His head still thought about how he could do things better which may have avoided one or two deaths.
With eyes wide open looking at the roof, Sebastian opened the system and then 'Host'.
He soon understood that the chosen button showed his stats:
…
[Host: Sebastian Bercic]
[Manifester Level: Novitiate III]
-
Initial ability: [Sentimental (S)]
Sub-abilities: [Remorse - If it wasn't me (A)], [Remorse/sub - A decent weapon (D)], [Fear - I don't want to die (C)], [Sadness - I'm alone (D)], [Suicidal - Put an end (B)]
Ability slot (0/4): -
-
Game skills:
<—Neutral skills—>
[FN Scar 17 mastery. Lv.1]
<—Mana skills—>
[Inventory. Lv.1]
-
[Game coin: 48]
….
…
"Wait, what?" Sebastian stood up from his bed bewildered, reading the panel anew. "Eight abilities in total?"
He would be dumb if he didn't realize that something was off. Except for the last two 'game skills', he had no recognition of the other 'abilities'.
The marionette, and what else?
According to those two militaries, who had a long talk with him about the incident, they concluded that his initial ability could be B-class or even A-class.
For that same reason, they tried to recruit him.
But it was definitely not an S-class ability. They didn't explain the reasons, but somehow, reading the atmosphere, Sebastian could get that an S-class ability was strategically important and above all, unique.
And his marionette ability was compared with multiple examples the two men came up with.
Now, six abilities?
Reevaluating the information he has gotten on the Internet around these months now that the 'superpowers' information became freer discussed and accessible, he knew that when a person becomes a Manifester, they awake an ability, only one.
To obtain more, the Manifester needs to install ability gems acquired by killing monsters with abilities too. The ones Sebastian fought in the past didn't have any of such, that's why they died so easily before the power of premature but real Manifester.
So why does he have six in total?
Sebastian inspected each one of them in the system panel.
Those peculiar names were somewhat familiar…