8 Let's Play

Lying there on the floor, in a messy heap of sweat soaked clothes, Ren rolled onto his back in order to stretch out his tense muscles and try to cool off after that unexpected shock.

"Shit...I really hope that doesn't have to happen every time I want to upgrade something." His voice hoarse as it hit the air. He wiped the sweat from his brow before glancing at his new younger face. It was baby smooth at the moment with a lightly sun kissed skin. His chin and cheeks were more defined then his previously chubby life, and his eyes seemed harsher. Instead of the original hazel brown color, he now had a much more yellow tint. They appeared very cat like with the only exception being that he still had his very human rounded pupils. His hair was different as well. He left his previous world with brown hair that was a bit of a mess, but here, it was cut rather short, almost buzzed against his head, and it had a much more black sheen to it. Overall, he still wouldn't win any major beauty contest on Earth, but he would at least pass for a moderately handsome man, and with the newly added mystique of his eyes and muscled body, he might land a few extra ladies as well.

He focused on his face icon and soon found himself staring at a very rpg like status window. At the center was a large full body shot of himself in his current clothing with what looked like slots for further clothing and descriptions. To the left of his body was a list of what he assumed were his stats.

Current Status:

Health Points: 100/100

Stamina: 100/100

Mana: 3/3

Intelligence: 12

Strength: 10

Charisma: 6

Dexterity: 4

Wisdom: 2

(System Note: Current status is based on population averages. Average of common people is set at five with a high status at ten, after common averages are followed by further denominations, such as elevated peoples, extraordinary peoples, geniuses, heroes, legends, paragons, and demigods.)

Seeing his stats for the first time, Ren couldn't help but ruefully chuckle to himself as he saw just how shit his start was. Not only was he barely above the commoner level in intelligence, something he thought might give him a leg up, but the rest of his stats were absolute garbage. His Mana and Wisdom levels were especially pitiful. And with how his charisma was barely above the average commoner, did that mean he was even worse in his old world?

'Fuck....was I really such a shit character on earth that it took a magical upgrade to bring me to just above average?'

'Answer: Correct. Host previous body was in poor condition and the current body was molded to give Host a fighting chance in an encounter. Further stats may be unlocked or upgraded with further Host development or system purchases.'

Ren almost wanted to cry at the robotic voice practically shaming him, but he couldn't as he was distracted by the thought of other stats.

'Wait, what kind of other stats are there? And what would be the point of unlocking them?'

'Answer: Host may currently unlock status points in luck, defense, and willpower. These basic attributes will provide a small bonus upon unlocking and will provide a quantitative value to Host for reference on things like chance possibilities, body durability, and resistances. Unlocking these statistics will also open them up for purchasing further upgrades in these statistics or unlocking further statistical categories currently unknown. To upgrade a statistic cost 10 points at the commoner level', 20 at the elevated level, and to unlock further statistics requires 150 points.'

This news was at least a mixed bag of good and bad. Seeing that a luck stat existed, if he could unlock it and improve it, maybe he'd have a much easier time in the world. The only problem was how much it cost to do so, and he still had no idea on how much each task might pay him in rewards.

Having already had his fill of his status, he closed the window and went back to his normal sight. Unfortunately, he couldn't see much with the window open and time still moved on, unlike in a game, so viewing it regularly was probably not the best idea. When he looked around the screen again, he saw a bag for his inventory. Her focused on it and what opened was a small window with a few itemized slots. Unfortunately, there was nothing inside. Basically, he had nothing but the clothes on his back. Feeling even more depressed now, he closed this window as well and moved on to the next one. Here, he found the previously mentioned map function with a small compass for an icon, the study function with a book icon, and the research icon represented by a bubbling beaker.

Unfortunately, there was no real menu options or anything like settings at this point, but overall, it at least felt like he was experiencing one of those fabled other world stories from Earth.

'System, can you display the currently available objectives for me on my HUD?'

Suddenly, a small quest list appeared to his right with the familiar vague wording.

1. Acquire private base of operations

2. Garner official position within an organizations hierarchy

3. Garner followers

4. Take control of an organization

So far, nothing new had been added from before and he felt a little disappointed given how tough things would be for him if he had to find a way into doing all and only these things.

'System, are there any other quest or missions I should know about or that are available?'

'Answer: Yes, there are further available missions, however, current mission makeup is selected via what is available to Host based on current assets and abilities. Host may perform the actions for other missions or task as well, that can provide Host with varied rewards. Host should also be aware that all missions are based around providing the Host a path towards domination, but are not the sole options available to Host. The Conqueror's System is here to assist the Host, not control or lead Host.'

With further options available, Ren felt a little better at his chances. At least he wasn't limited to a timeline or specific rule set. But then he thought of the System's name and blanched, asking it a very shaky question.

'System, what is your and my purpose?'

'Answer: System is here to provide Host with advanced capabilities in Host divine mission to conquer and advance this world in the name of the gods.'

Ren couldn't help but chuckle to himself before making a heart felt sigh 'Well.....this is going to be difficult.'