Chapter 2: Goal
It's been three days since I reincarnated into this world, and I've learned a lot from the system. The timeline I arrived in is ten years before the original story. Although Duke Aster in the novel was weak both physically and magically, I still have time to grow stronger.
"Status."
A blue system window appeared, displaying my stats.
[ Name: Aster Alastair
Level: 1
Age: 15
Titles:
Reincarnator
Future Duke of the North
Stats:
Magic: 5
Strength: 6
Defense: 9
Luck: 7
Special Skills:
(SS+) Endless Possibilities: You can gain endless possibilities depending on your efforts and choices.
(A+) Fast Learner: Learning is easier and faster than normal.
(B-) Strong Impression: People will form a strong impression of you. (Only applies if they are unaware of your pathetic state.)
(C+) Choking Immunity: Immune to choking from any food or drink.]
Looking at my stats, I knew I had a lot of work to do. However, my skills seemed pretty decent, and according to the system, they were gifts. Though I felt a bit conflicted about the Choking Immunity skill, I had to admit—it might actually save my life one day.
Now that I had decided to improve my strength, I needed to research magic and anything else that could help me grow stronger.
"Hey, Lily."
Lily was the name I gave the system. It was so happy when I named it that it practically sparkled.
[Yes, Host owo?]
This system really loves using emoticons. Maybe it's its way of expressing emotions? Not sure.
"Do you know any ways I can cultivate my magic or physical strength?" I knew that magic and aura existed in this world, but I had no idea how to use them.
[Well… I do have some methods, but they require points to unlock. Sorry, Host qwq.]
"What do you mean by points? And how do I earn them?"
[Points are a type of currency you can use to buy things from the system mall. You can earn points by completing missions. As for how many points you'll need… uh… you need 30 points. (;ŏ﹏ŏ)]
"Oh… I see. Are there any missions available right now?"
[Yes, Host! Here are your available missions! (╹▽╹)]
[() Touch grass – 5 pts
( ) 15 push-ups – 5 pts
( ) 1 km run – 5 pts
() 20 sit-ups – 5 pts
( ) Meet your parents – 10 pts
( ) Make someone nervous – 10 pts
( ) Kill a goblin – 20 pts (Repeatable until Level 20)
( ) Practice swordsmanship for a week – 30 pts]
Looking at the missions, some of them seemed easy enough. Confident, I decided to start with the 20 sit-ups.
By the 10th sit-up, I could already feel the burn in my abdomen. I knew this body was weak, but I didn't expect it to be this weak. Somehow, I pushed through and completed all 20 before collapsing onto the floor, gasping for air.
"Fuck… I don't wanna do this anymore… but I don't have a choice."
[Host, good job on your first mission! You did great! (≧▽≦)/]
I let out a tired chuckle and smiled. "Yeah… thanks, Lily."
I managed to complete some of the tasks and accumulated 20 points. Feeling accomplished, I checked the mission list again to see what else I could do.
[ Mission Progress ]
(✔) Touch grass – 5 pts
(✔) 15 push-ups – 5 pts
(✔) 1 km run – 5 pts
(✔) 20 sit-ups – 5 pts
( ) Meet your parents – 10 pts
( ) Make someone nervous – 10 pts
( ) Kill a goblin – 20 pts (Repeatable until Level 20)
( ) Practice swordsmanship for a week – 30 pts
I still needed 10 more points, and the easiest mission left was meeting my parents. If I were the real Aster Alastair, this would probably be a simple task. But since I had just reincarnated into his body, I hadn't even seen them yet.
According to the servants, my parents had been in the capital for the past week, attending a noble meeting. They weren't expected to return until next week.
That meant I either had to wait… or find another way to earn points sooner.
I sighed and, with the system's guidance, made my way to the knights' training grounds. Upon arrival, I was met with the sight of numerous knights diligently practicing their swordsmanship. Their movements were precise, their strikes calculated and powerful—I could not help but admire their skill.
As I observed in silence, the knight leading the training session suddenly took notice of me. His eyes widened briefly before he hurriedly approached.
[Host, that is Zion Blaze, the captain of the Silver Lions!] Lily informed me.
Zion stopped before me and immediately bowed, followed by the other knights.
"I greet the young master. To what do we owe the honor of your presence? Is there anything I may assist you with?" he asked respectfully.
"I simply wished to observe," I replied, maintaining a composed tone. "If possible, I would also like to begin learning swordsmanship."
Zion appeared momentarily taken aback. "Are you certain, young master?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
He hesitated before responding. "I-I meant no offense, young master. It is only that the Duke, your father, has attempted to persuade you to train in swordsmanship numerous times, yet you have refused on every occasion."
I regarded him seriously. "And am I not allowed to change my mind?"
"O-Of course you are, young master! Please forgive my impertinence," he quickly apologized, bowing once more.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the mission 'Make Someone Nervous' and earned 10 points!]
I held back a smile at the system's notification. It seemed like my Strong Impression skill was really effective. I had only tried to test it, but I was more than satisfied with the result.
"There is no need to apologize," I said calmly. "The fault lies with me for refusing to train in the past."
After that, Zion took the initiative to teach me swordsmanship himself. Thanks to my Fast Learner skill, picking up the techniques was easier, but my body still couldn't keep up. Looks like I have a lot more training ahead of me.