Second Quest... Unlucky
(Lex POV)
[[Experience of [Redacted 00001] has been imprinted into psyche]]
I looked at the screen, there wasn't anything I could do at that moment as he barely had the will to sit up straight. I doubted anything would help me recover for now, so I just had to pull together what little bearings I had remaining. I grit my teeth and wobbled side to side sweat trickling down my back and face.
My tear ducts felt dry, I'm pretty sure I cried out nearly all the fluids in my body. A couple of deep breaths is all it took to finally chill out, and distract myself from the experience I just had.
'My protagonist luck is already really really shitty.'
Sighing and even chuckling a little I chose to lay my back on the split white and black surface under me, I looked at the interface again I was never going to purposefully agitate the existence behind the system. Now it's time to move on to Quest number 2.
status: Incomplete
You have been hit by an interdimensional sentient truck! Now you have to choose whether you want to go to another world or be reincarnated into a new body in your original one! Upon opening this quest you have 30 minutes to choose.
Rewards: Rank G plot armour+Gold class selection
Failure:[Redacted]
Time remaining: 29:34>
After reading the quest a new panel appears with two red icons. I was bewildered by this quest and its strange requirements but I had to maintain my calm.
I felt grateful for the time limit it would give me a chance to get a hold of this experience as much as I could in a short time. To summarise, how got into this situation first... I was attacked by what I guess are a bunch of delinquents, then when I woke up I had a humongous wound on my abdomen, which looking down, nothing was there in fact... am I standing naked?! Instinctually I covered some of my private bits.
When I felt a need for a cover that's the same instinct, put on a red t-shirt and black jeans on my body.
It felt as if I knew that's what I needed to do,
'Was this the reward of the secret quests work? In that case, this black and white space should be a part of the system since I know how to influence itself on me.'
Curiously I looked around to observe what I'd been pulled into, on the white side the light hurt my eyes and I couldn't look there for too long else I felt I would become blinded it even burnt a little. On the opposite end was a darkness that felt as if it was staring back at me, and this strange primal sense of discomfort.
Though it feels much better to look there than become blinded by the light. Restraining the desire to explore for a little bit. I had to start thinking about the quest. The time remaining had already reached around 25 minutes...
'Time never stops moving tsk. Why can't I have protagonist thinking and have like 100 thoughts in 5 seconds huh?'
I quietly cursed this entire experience, why am I the one going through this? What did I do to deserve this? I knew there would be no answer but it still hurt. Kim Oh-Jin's memories left a deep mark on my psyche, in fact just remembering it made my heartache and breathing shudder. For now, all I can do is lay out the pros, cons, and potential dangers in choosing either option. Let's start with isekai, the button (icon) on the left.
No instinct makes me feel that there's a more in-depth explanation than just this. So no hints for lil ol' me.
I have to take into consideration that I don't know what sort of world I'll go to, or its genre of world. Thinking in the context of a protagonist the most common options I think would be characters with a cheat ability, the motivated one that properly utilizes their memories and modern ideas, the ones with no cheat or rather have a complex ability that takes time to improve, and finally, I remember the slice of life money maker cheats. I don't know which I'd be and according to the notification of the class before I don't want to be more emotionally damaged than I already am so let's hope I'm not the one with the difficult ability to unlock.
Thinking about the class and unlocking I just remembered I should probably check it out.
Navigating the system and exiting the quest with 23 minutes remaining I found the main menu.
[[Welcome to the protagonist system!
1. Quests
2. Classes < 3. Skills < 4. Statistics (Locked until a class has been levelled up)
5. Inventory (Locked until two classes are earned-Status: 1/2)
6. Shop (Locked until 3 classes are earned-Status: 1/3)
7. Secrets unlocked (Locked until a unique protagonist class is earned-Status: 0/1)
8. ??????]]
Having found the classes section and opening it there wasn't much to it, it just listed all the classes that he has earned, when I chose the class name the panel changed colours into bronze sheen to it and maybe even a little bit corroded light blue, I was curious as to why it changed but for now, I could just brush it off as an aesthetic choice.
Since nothing happened when I opened I instead went back to find the skills tab unlocked and peruse through to find out what sort of abilities he earned from being a so-called "emotionally damaged protagonist".
[[Skills opening
1_______________100
*Ting*
< 1. Crocodile tears lv. 1
2. Tune out lv. 1
3. Broken feelings lv. 1]]
...
'Let's see what each of them does. Crocodile tears...'
[Crocodile tears lv. 1]
Perform insincere tears that people will believe are real (Condition for level up: perform it enough times till you can activate it without activating the skill) (Consequences: Eventually fate will create a situation for you to cry if you use it enough times)
'This one seems good for acting, though I don't wish to tempt fate to mess with me y using it too often...'
[Tune out lv. 1]
Tune out the murmurs of the world by flooding your brain with burdening emotions (Condition for level up: Learn to focus on a singular thing for over an hour) (Consequences: Obviously the negative emotions host)
'Damn, my system is sassy'
[Broken feelings lv.1]
Your feelings are shattered across, activate this skill to switch from one emotion to another random one (Condition for level up: Use the skill) (Consequences: Using skill over 50 times will lead to a split personality)
'This one's dangerous to use, and unless necessary to recover from a painful experience I'll probably need to try it once when I get out of here since my heads not in the right space...'
After taking a look and gaining a grasp on my new abilities nothing would seem to help me out at the moment, though I could try using tune out to focus on making a decision for the quest.
Going back to the quest now around 18 minutes were remaining so I had to make quick work of my time to make the right decision going forward.
'So, let's think about it if I were to isekai in the sense of a protagonist since I'll definitely finish this quest and get that plot armour I should at the very least survive upon going there. Though I don't know what dangers await me there and there's not like there's no guarantee of going there in the future.
'Well in the very sense of the name plot armour has to protect me from something so it is likely that now my position will involve danger and possibly to the ones I'm close to as well. Though there are a lot of potential nuances in this thought process...
'Ok, what about if I reincarnate I could become a baby, though I doubt that higher existence will make me one there's no harm in not trusting them... especially after... that experience, assuming I won't though I could try to become powerful enough in a short period of time I could set up some protection for my family and others before I choose to go to another world.'
After a little bit of thought and I chose to turn on [Tune out lv. 1] by simply having the intention of using it. A strange feeling was suddenly I felt heavy like emotions had physical weight to them. But I should know that's not the case and I ended up focusing much better on coming up with pros and cons for each decision. Though my stress levels were through the roof and I felt sweat forming all over but I didn't, or rather couldn't care for it.
Some time passed and coming to a decision my mind freed up as I had the intention to switch off the skill.
"Hap!"
I gasped for a little air it felt almost refreshing. Looking at the panels in front of me, and thinking about the future of myself, I ended up picking...
[[Reincarnation]]
'Nothing happened so maybe it'll happen when I can leave from here.'
I don't know who I'll reincarnate as, or maybe even what but I'm relying on plot armour to at least make me human.
< 1_______________100
*Ting*
"You've earned this"
1. Plot armour, Rank G
2. Gold class selection
[Yes] [Remind me later]>>
Looking at the panels in front of me I was surprised by the 'remind me later' bit that also means I'd have to choose at some point anyway... lets's have it remind me later maybe I'll learn a bit more after the next quest. Aside from that let us see the details for plot armour.
[[Rank G plot armour]]
Oh, the irony! You've earned the second-lowest ranked plot armour after Rank Z. It's called armour but it's more of a double-edged sword. The more you grow the worse luck you'll have in future endeavours and the weaker you become the better your luck. Luckily you can attempt to switch it off once a day chances are 50%.
((Try your luck?))
Ugh! The more I look at this "reward' the more painful it becomes, like why is the description so dramatic and to what extent does growth and becoming weaker rely on the subjective opinion of the higher existence. I sighed for like the 20 millionth time today a teardrop in my eye...
"Why! Is! My! Luck! So! Bad!!!"