Chapter 3: A Stuttering Ghoul's Bizarre Adventures 

As Alex and his reluctant ghoul companion continued their bizarre journey through the undead-infested landscape of Asteria, an unexpected event occurred. The Glowing System, which had remained silent since his arrival, suddenly made its presence known in a manner that shocked Alex to his undead core.

*PING!*

The sound was jarring, echoing inside Alex's head. He stumbled mid-shuffle, nearly losing balance as he tried to figure out what had just happened. His eyes—well, eye sockets—widened in shock as a message appeared before him, taking up his entire field of vision.

*CONGRATULATIONS ON LEVELING UP!*

"What in the name of…?" Alex mentally stuttered, his mental voice betraying his bewilderment.

The Glowing System's response was swift and decidedly unhelpful. "*Surprise!* I'm your friendly Glowing System, here to add a dash of excitement to your afterlife."

Alex blinked—or rather, his eye sockets flickered in confusion. "You... you can talk?"

"*Well, duh,*" the Glowing System quipped. "*I've been watching you, after all.*"

That statement raised more questions than answers for Alex. "Who are you? What's going on? Why am I here?"

The Glowing System's response was a cheerful dodge of his inquiries. "*Oh, I'm just a glorified assistant. You're here because... well, that's a mystery for you to unravel, isn't it?*"

Alex couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. "So, you can see everything I do?"

"*Oh, absolutely,*" the Glowing System replied with mock enthusiasm. "*I've got the best seat in the house, watching you stumble around like a headless chicken.*"

Alex couldn't help but sigh internally. It seemed he was stuck with a sarcastic, uncooperative assistant. "Great, just great."

But for all its quips and evasions, the Glowing System did serve a purpose—it helped him monitor his progress and navigate the bizarre world of Asteria. With each level gained and skill acquired, their unlikely partnership deepened, even if it was filled with banter and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

As Alex and his reluctant ghoul companion ventured deeper into the quirky world of Asteria, the encounters with bizarre creatures and the leveling process continued. Each skirmish brought with it an eerie sense of accomplishment as the experience points steadily increased.

*Congratulations! You've gained experience points!* the Glowing System chimed in, its text appearing with a flourish. Alex was beginning to get used to its sudden appearances, though the shock factor had worn off.

With each level gained, Alex had more opportunities to allocate status points and refine the ghoul's abilities. He'd grown rather adept at it, despite the continuous stream of sarcastic commentary from the Glowing System.

Experience Points: 500/1000

Status Points: 1 (Allocatable)

Alex contemplated his choices for the latest status point allocation:

- Strength: 4 (+1)

- Agility: 2

- Dexterity: 3 (+1)

- Vitality: 5 (+1)

- Intelligence: 2 (+0.5)

- Luck: 50

This time, he prioritized strengthening the ghoul's physical attributes, hoping it would improve their combat capabilities. The ghoul seemed to be adapting to his presence as well, responding more swiftly to his commands.

As for skills, with each level, they gained new abilities and improved their existing ones:

Skills Gained:

1. Rotten Regeneration (Level 2): Enhanced regeneration that allowed for even faster recovery.

2. Ghoul's Grasp (Level 2): Improved grip strength for more effective restraint.

3. Cursed Bite (Level 2): Bite attack now infused with a more potent curse.

4. Eerie Howl (Level 2): Enhanced disorienting effects on foes within hearing range.

5. Deathly Aura (Level 1): Unleash a chilling aura that deters weaker creatures.

Alex couldn't help but notice that the skills were progressing from the 'Most Basic' tier to the 'Less Basic' tier. The Glowing System remained irritatingly vague about the rankings, leaving him to ponder their significance.

"Hey, Glowing System," he muttered mentally, a tinge of annoyance creeping into his thoughts, "can you tell me more about these skill rankings?"

The Glowing System, ever the master of unhelpful responses, replied with a hint of mockery. "*Well, of course! You see, there's 'Basic,' then there's 'Less Basic,' followed by 'Not So Basic,' and finally, there's 'Seriously Not Basic.' Clear as mud, right?*"

Alex rolled his metaphorical eyes, resigned to the system's lack of transparency. But in this bizarre world, he'd take whatever assistance he could get—even if it came with a heaping serving of sarcasm.

As their adventures in Asteria continued, with each level gained and every skill honed, Alex couldn't help but wonder what other comically absurd surprises awaited him. In a world where the undead was sometimes charmingly handsome and systems had attitudes, there was no predicting what would come next.