System Reboot : Cheat-like Skills !
Lucas woke up feeling disoriented, the remnants of nightmares still clinging to his consciousness. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and then he saw it: a translucent screen hovering in front of him. It looked eerily similar to the heads-up displays from the VR games he used to play during his college days.
"What the...?" Lucas muttered, squinting at the screen. Focusing more intently, he could see text on it. "Ugh i see.. i wanted to deny it a bit more but i'm not even given that little bit of mercy huh. 29 days, what else could it be but the apocalypse that is going to happen again?"
His eyes darted to the bottom of the screen, where a countdown timer was ticking down. He reached out instinctively to scroll through the screen, but his fingers passed right through it.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, trying again and again. "How do I control this thing?"
After a few frustrating minutes, Lucas stopped and took a deep breath. "Okay, think, Lucas. How did you manage to move the notifications before?"
He closed his eyes, willing the screen to move with his mind. To his amazement, the notifications shifted. He navigated through them, reading each one carefully:
[System Reboot in progress]
[System Reboot Failed]
[System Error #348]
[Forced Refresh of the System]
[System Reboot Successful]
[System Energy Low: Hibernation Mode Activated]
[Energy Recovered over 50%: Semi-Hibernation Mode Activated]
"So this is the 'System'," Lucas mused aloud. "Just like in those novels I used to read. But why me? And why now, it's not like I've just returned 7 years in time right haha , guess my humour took a hit aswell.."
He dismissed the notifications, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. "Status!" he called out, expecting something to appear. Nothing happened.
"Huh, not working. That's embarrassing... What else could it be?" He tried a few more commands, but the screen remained stubbornly blank. "But of course! How did I even move the different notifications to begin with! Damn it, must be the consequences of a bad sleep, haha! Haha... Well anyway."
Lucas focused his will, and the status page finally appeared:
[Name: Lucas Drake
Age: 20
Race: Human
Class: /
HP: 98/100
Mana: /
STR: 7
INT: 9
WILL: 28
LUCK: 23
Skills:
Amplify (SSR)
Fire Affinity (C) (Passive)
##### ## ### (EX)
######## (EX) ]
He stared at the screen, stunned. "No way. An SSR skill? And two EX skills? This can't be real."
Lucas's eyes scanned the status page again, his mind racing. "Okay, calm down. Let's break this down. STR is strength, INT is intelligence, LUCK and WILL... well, that's pretty high. Must be because I've been reborn or something, guess there were more benefits to it than simply having knowledge of the next 7 years , although i wouldn't go as far as to say that i know everything about the following years, but i do have a grasp on most of the important information. "
He focused on the skills section, still shocked by what he was seeing. "Amplify (SSR), Fire Affinity (C), and... two EX skills with no names. EX is usually above SSR in games. This is insane."
Lucas took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. "Alright, let's see what these skills do."
He willed the descriptions to appear, and the information unfolded before him:
[Amplify (SSR): Amplifies the target by a factor ranging from 10 to 100 (Does not work on Living Beings)]
[Fire Affinity (C): Any mage powered by this talent becomes more knowledgeable in the ways of the Fire (Grants knowledge of Fire-based skills upon unlocking a Magical Class)
Gives a 10% Damage Bonus to Fire-Based Attacks]
"Amplify the target by a factor of 10 to 100? That's... that's incredible!" Lucas exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. "How easy would my previous life have been if I had this talent?"
He couldn't wait to try it out. Looking around his apartment, his eyes settled on a notebook lying on the table. "Alright, let's see what this Amplify skill can do."
He focused on the notebook, willing the Amplify skill to activate. He felt a strange sensation, like a surge of energy flowing through him and into the notebook. The notebook began to glow, before slowly going back to normal.
"Whoa!" Lucas stepped back, his heart pounding. "That's amazing! But..."
Before he could see the changes on the notebook he suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurring. "What's happening?"
Before he could process what was going on, darkness enveloped him, and he collapsed onto the floor.
---
Lucas woke up on the cold, hard floor, his head throbbing. He groaned, pushing himself up. "What happened?"
He looked around, spotting the enlarged notebook on the table. "Right... Amplify. I guess I overdid it."
As he sat up, the translucent screen reappeared in front of him, displaying new message :
[Warning: Insufficient Mana for Skill Activation]
"So the System used its own energy to activate the skill," Lucas mused. "I don't have any mana yet because I haven't awakened."
He rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. "Note to self: don't use the System's energy unless absolutely necessary."
Lucas took a deep breath, thinking back to the descriptions he'd read earlier. "Fire Affinity. That's going to be useful once I awaken. But what about these EX skills?"
He willed the screen to display the EX skills, but the descriptions remained hidden. "Figures. Probably need to unlock them somehow."
Determined to learn more, Lucas spent the next few hours experimenting with the System. He discovered that he could summon and dismiss the screen at will, and that focusing his intent allowed him to navigate its various functions.
"Okay, let's see what else this thing can do," he muttered, scrolling through the different options. He found a section labeled 'Inventory,' but it was empty. There was also a 'Quests' tab, which currently had no entries.
"Not surprising," Lucas thought. "The System is probably in low-power mode. I need to find a way to charge it up."
As he continued to explore, he stumbled upon a 'Map' feature. It displayed a rough layout of the surrounding area, but it was incomplete and filled with static.
"At least it's something," Lucas said. "I can use this to plan my movements once the apocalypse starts."
He leaned back, feeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration. "This System is going to be a game-changer, but I need to figure out how to use it properly."
Lucas's thoughts drifted to the apocalypse. "People are going to start awakening powers. The landscape is going to change. I need to be ready for that."
He recalled the greatest Awakened of his previous life, individuals who had risen to power and shaped the course of the apocalypse. "I need to find them early and either recruit them or make sure they don't become a threat."
Lucas spent the rest of the day planning his next steps. He needed to gather supplies, secure the warehouse, and start looking for the artifacts he'd noted down. But more importantly, he needed to awaken his powers and start training.
As evening fell, Lucas felt a sense of determination settling over him. "This time, I'm going to be ready. I won't let the apocalypse catch me off guard."
He lay down to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of the future. He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he also knew that he had the tools and knowledge to change his fate.
The next morning, Lucas woke up feeling more focused. He sat up, summoning the translucent screen. "Alright, System. Let's see what else you've got."
He navigated to the 'Status' page, noting his stats once again. "Still no mana. I need to awaken as soon as possible."
Lucas stood up, stretching. "Time to get to work."
He spent the morning gathering more supplies, focusing on food, water, and medical items. He also made a list of items he would need for fortifying the warehouse, such as tools and building materials.
"First things first," he thought. "Secure the base, then start hunting for artifacts."
As he packed his backpack, Lucas's mind kept drifting back to the skills he'd seen. "Amplify is going to be a game-changer, but I need to be careful with it. And those EX skills... I need to figure out how to unlock them."
Lucas left his apartment, heading towards the warehouse. As he walked, he kept an eye out for potential threats. He knew that the apocalypse was still a month away, but it was never too early to start being cautious.
When he arrived at the warehouse, he was pleased to see that it was still intact. He entered through a side door, quickly making his way to the upper floors. From there, he had a good view of the surrounding area, and he began to plan his defenses.
"This place is going to be my fortress," Lucas thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "I need to make sure it's impenetrable."
He spent the next few hours fortifying the building, using the tools and materials he had brought with him. He blocked off entrances, reinforced weak points, and created makeshift barricades.
As he worked, Lucas's mind kept returning to the System. "There has to be a way to charge it up," he thought. "Maybe there are items or places that can help with that."
He finished his work for the day, feeling exhausted but accomplished. He sat down to rest