System Windows
"What in the goddamn...?"
Luka rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
No system window, no flashy text—nothing.
"Isn't that what you're supposed to say to make it appear?" Luka let out a frustrated sigh, feeling a little cheated.
However, he wasn't about to give up after just one attempt. Taking a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination, he started calling out every variation he could think of.
"Status Page!"
Nothing.
"Show me my stats!"
Nothing.
"Character screen!"
Nothing.
"System window, appear!"
Nothing.
"Open Interface!"
Nothing.
"Display Stats!"
Nothing.
"Access System!"
Nothing.
"Come on! OPEN, DAMN IT!!!"
Luka frantically swiped at the air like a madman fighting invisible mosquitoes.
Clapping his hands together. Desperate, he whispered, "Pretty please...?"
Still nothing.
Luka groaned, running a hand down his face. "This is ridiculous..."
He let his body fall backward onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 'Maybe I'm just not protagonist material…'
Then, suddenly, it hit him.
His eyes widened as a surge of renewed energy coursed through him.
Bolting upright, Luka took a deep breath and called out with conviction—
"Open Status!"
Immediately, multiple system windows popped up out of thin air, each displaying different information across their glowing screens.
Luka's eyes flickered between them, excitement bubbling up inside him. 'Finally!' He sat back up, eager to take in every detail.
On the first system window:
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[User: Luka Rein Junker]
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Level: 1 (XP: 0 / 100)
Hit Points: 1 / 10 [WARNING: Hit Points CRITICAL!]
—————————
On the second system window:
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[Attributes]
Attribute Points: 0
Mana (MP): 0
Strength (STR): 1
Agility (AGI): 10
Stamina (STA): 10
Vigor (VIG): 5
Dexterity (DEX): 10
Intelligence (INT): 0
Luck (LCK): 1
—————————
On the third system window:
—————————
[Skill Tree]
Skill Points: 0
𖣂
(^^ Author's Note: Imagine a colossal skill tree, brimming with skills, each locked behind level walls, just waiting to be unlocked as character's progress xD)
Skills Unlocked: 0
—————————
On the fourth system window:
—————————
[Titles]
Title: 0
—————————
On the fifth system window:
—————————
[Quests]
Daily Quest: (Train to Survive)
Time Remaining: 15 hours
Running (10 miles): Incomplete (0 / 10)
Squats (100 times): Incomplete (0 / 100)
Sit-ups (100 times): Incomplete (0 / 100)
Push-ups (100 times): Incomplete (0 / 100)
Reward: 1 Skill Point - 1 Attribute Point
Warning: Penalty for not completing this daily quest is becoming fully disabled.
—
Main Quest: (Kill the Main Character)
Time Remaining: ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Kill Arthur Fay Atlas: Incomplete (0 / 1)
Reward: ??????
Warning: Failure to complete the main quest will result in your permanent death and the complete annihilation of this game-like world. Every person, every land, every trace of existence within will be erased, as if it never was. There will be no second chances.
—————————
Having read through all the system windows, Luka fell into a deep silence. His face turned as white as snow, his mouth slightly agape.
He didn't care about his class, attributes, or any of the usual game mechanics—his entire focus was locked onto the Quests window.
And he was not too excited…
To be honest, Luka's brain felt like it had short-circuited, struggling to process what he was looking at.
No words came to him.
It was as if he were a malfunctioning computer, frozen in place, unable to respond.
Before Luka could even take another breath…
The door suddenly burst open, and Serene rushed in. "I'm back, Young Master! I apologize for making you wait!"
In her arms, she juggled multiple health potions, the glass bottles clinking together dangerously as she stumbled forward.
Her vision was completely blocked by the sheer number of them, forcing her to navigate blindly.
Every step she took was a gamble, and Luka could practically feel the impending disaster unfolding in real time.
His system-induced shock momentarily faded as his survival instincts kicked in.
'Oh no… this is about to go terribly wrong…' Luka thought.
He swiped away the system windows with his hand, as he swung his feet around and quickly got out of bed.
"Stop, stop! Don't move! I got it, I got it," said Luka, hands up like he was about to defuse a bomb.
Serene froze instantly. "At once, Young Master!" she declared, standing stiff as a board. The health potions shook a little.
"Alright… Just stand perfectly still." Luka took careful steps forward, ready to dodge at a moment's notice, his body in maximum defense mode.
Carefully, he began taking the health potions from her one by one and placing them on the bed.
As the pile grew, his brows furrowed. 'Holy shit, how many did she grab?'
There were more than a dozen, maybe even twenty.
Luka glanced at her small arms and hands, then back at the ridiculous number of bottles. 'How the hell did she manage to carry all of these?!'
Finally able to move again, Serene took a deep breath and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Young Master!"
She had been really close to losing her balance, and if that had happened, all those health potions would have shattered on the floor.
That would've been bad—really bad.
After all, it would've made a mess, the glass shards, and worst of all, the sheer waste of what was very expensive healing items.
In which Serene was well aware of.
Turning his attention to the healing potions, Luka placed a finger under his chin, his curiosity piqued. He took a couple steps toward the bed, studying them closely before picking one up.
The red liquid inside swirled hypnotically, catching the light as he turned the bottle in his hand.
"Interesting…" Luka muttered.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he glanced over his shoulder with a genuine smile. "Ah, almost forgot—thanks for grabbing these for me."
Serene, caught off guard by the genuine smile, felt her face brighten, as she offered her own.
Though, for a moment, she just stared, stunned…
This was the first time he had ever thanked her and smiled at her like that.
"Just doing my role, Young Master!" Serene chirped, flashing her teeth as she let out a small giggle.
Giving a half-nod in reply, Luka wasted no time.
He popped the cap off the healing potion and began chugging it down, the thick red liquid sliding down his throat.
Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Healing in Progress…]
[Healing Potion consumed. HP +100]
"What the—???" Luka was surprised by the amount of HP he just consumed from just a single healing potion.
"Are you okay, Young Master?" Serene asked, her head tilted in concern as she looked at him, her eyes filled with worry, fearing something might have gone wrong.
"No… Nothing… I'm fine." Luka capped the bottle, now empty with not a single drop left. "Um, this might sound rude of me… But can I be left alone for a few minutes?"
"Of course, Young Master. I'll be right outside the door. Call me if you need anything!" Serene replied with a polite bow, before turning and leaving the room.
She shut the door quietly behind her, her steps soft as she remained just outside, ever obedient and ready to serve at any moments notice.
Alone, Luka's genuine smile faded as he stood frozen in place, his thoughts spiraling back to a certain system window he had seen earlier.
"Well shit… I'm actually in 'Hearts of Tower'...? The very dating sim I despise with every fiber of my being? This hellhole of a game? And I have to kill the main character!?"