The First Victim

In the middle of a certain forest, a man's body could be seen laying on the ground and on top of him stood something inconceivable.

A creature two times taller than an average human. Its arms were long and spindly, ending in sharp and jagged claws that could seemingly rip apart any prey that it caught.

On its head was a bone-chilling skull with two long curved antlers sticking out of it.

Its mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth and its eyes were a deep, piercing blue.

The creature's whole body seemed to be covered in mud, which could be seen dripping down as it walked on its long deformed legs.

It was a nightmarish sight that would surely inspire fear to anyone who would be unlucky enough to come across it.

And if that wasn't terrifying enough, anyone seeing this would be shocked at what would take place next..

Suddenly, the body of the creature started morphing quickly, taking on strange shapes.

After a few moments, the beast mysteriously disappeared into thin air, only leaving behind a pile of mud.

The giant monster was gone just like that...

[The host has scared someone enough to make them pass out]

[The host has gained +5000 Mana]

[ERROR! The host's Mana Pool is limited to 1400]

[The host has reached his Mana Pool capacity]

'Phew! I missed that feeling.'

'I knew that it was the right idea to morph my gel body into a Wendigo while rolling around in the mud, even though it felt kind of dirty.'

I thought while deactivating the Gel Body skill and looking at the passed out bandit.

'System, is it easier to possess someone when they are unconscious?'

[Answer: Negative, the target has to be fully awake for the skill (Ghost God's Possession) to work]

'Tch! That's unfortunate, I guess I shouldn't scare people to the point of passing out anymore.'

I was a little bit disappointed by the fact that I had to limit my scaring potential.

I glanced at the bandit again and saw something poking out of his pouch on his belt.

'System, can you tell me what that bronze colored crystal in his pouch is?'

[Answer: The bronze crystal is a low tier mana core. A mana core is an organ that allows the use of mana and the color of the core is given by the tier of its owner.]

'Hmm.. So that is an organ of the slime that he killed. Is there anything I can do with that core?'

[Answer: The host can absorb mana cores to increase his maximum health points by using the command ''Absorb'']

'Absorb.'

The mana core quickly dissolved into some sort of liquid, flew straight into my ghost body and then disappeared.

[The host's maximum HP has been changed to 22]

'Cool, so a bronze tier core gives me 2 extra health points? What about other tiers? Wait, actually what even are tiers?

[Answer: Tiers are mainly used to determine the strength of organisms, skills and weapons. In this world, there are 6 known tiers of strength for living beings, 21 tiers for skills and 6 tiers for weapons]

A screen popped up in front of my face.

=== {TIERS} ===

Tiers of living beings:

{Bronze} The creatures in this tier are considered to be the weakest of them all, with very little combat power and intelligence. They are often seen as pests and pose little threat. Their Mana Cores give 2 extra HP. *Bronze Tier Example: (Slime)

{Silver} These beings are slightly stronger than Bronze tiers and also possess more intelligence. They can be very dangerous when they group up, but are relatively weak when alone. Their Mana Cores give 10 extra HP. *Silver Tier Example: (Goblin)

{Gold} These beings are stronger than Silver tiers and may also possess high level intelligence. Their Mana Cores give 300 extra HP. *Gold Tier Example: (Orc)

{Platinum} These monsters are a lot stronger than Gold tiers and also way more intelligent. They often use their high intelligence to control a group of lower tier creatures. Their mana cores give 5000 extra HP. *Platinum Tier Example: (Lich King)

{Legendary} These beings are considered to be the strongest there is. They possess abilities that can bring about the destruction of entire kingdoms. However, they are incredibly rare and one has not been spotted for 25 years now. Their mana cores give {?} extra HP. *Legendary Tier Example: (?)

{Mythic} These creatures are stuff of legends and folklore, with stories of their power and abilities passed down through the generations. While there is no concrete evidence of their existence or exact power level, many people believe that these creatures would have powers to destroy the entire world. Their mana cores give {?} extra HP. Example: (?)

Note: The host should keep in mind that the tier system is not without flaws. It is possible for a lower-tier creature to defeat a higher-tiered one through sheer skill and strategy.

Tiers of skills:

{F-, F, F+, E-, E, E+, D-, D, D+, C-, C, C+, B-, B, B+, A-, A, A+, S+, SS+, SSS+}

Tiers of weapons:

{Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Elite, Ultimate}

=== {TIERS} ===

'Oof, that's a lot of words. I feel like my brain is going to explode..'

After reading the whole text, I still had some questions for the system.

'So the Slime I possessed was considered to be one of the weakest beings in this world? I remember there being some number after its tier, like Bronze 7 or something? What did the number represent?'

[Answer: The number behind the tier is for measuring the strength of beings in the same tier. They are called tier levels and go from 1 to 10. After a creature exceeds tier level 10 it is promoted to the next tier. Example: Bronze 11 = Silver 1.]

'I see, so the bandit in front of me is close to being promoted to the Gold Tier as he is Silver 9..'

'Tell me, do other beings also have a similar system like mine or is there some other way they can see tiers?''

[Answer: The system the host possesses is unique. Monsters can usually tell their enemy's tier by pure instinct and humans use a tool called a ''Tier Checker'']

'A Tier Checker? Did the bandit have something like that?'

[Answer: Negative, as Tier Checkers are considered a bit pricey, a lot of humans decide to not use them and hunt monsters by using their instinct as well, although it doesn't usually end that well]

'Definitely didn't end well for that bandit there.'

I noted while looking at the bandit whose tongue was sticking out of his foaming mouth.

'Okay, last question, I swear.. What were the question marks in the tier system explanation screen?'

[Answer: My knowledge is linked to the host's power level. If the host grows, I also grow and may unlock some new abilities and become more knowledgeable]

'I see. That's enough questions for now, I'm afraid my brain can't handle any more..'

I was satisfied with the new knowledge I gained.

While processing all of the new information, I glanced at the bandit on the ground.

The bow he used to kill the slime was laying next to him.

'Oh right.. The system said that weapons also have tiers..'

'Inspect'

I decided to find out how powerful the rusty bow was.

=== {INSPECT} ===

Name: Hunter's Bow

Type: Ranged

Tier: Common

Description: A simple but reliable weapon that is mainly used by hunters.

=== {INSPECT} ===

'Common tier.. I don't think I have any use for that bow right now, nor do I have a way to store it..'

Deciding to not take the bow with me, I focused on the passed out bandit again.

'Since I don't have any plans, I guess I should just wait for him to wake up?'

The sun was setting and the forest was slowly getting darker..

///

''Boss! Brother Bob has still not returned and the sun is about to go down. I may fear that he has been caught by the guards.''

A weak male voice said.

''Guards? Do you seriously think that some lousy guards could catch Bob, who is the best at stealth among us?''

A deep masculine voice shouted back.

''S-sorry boss. So you think something else might've happened to him?''

''Of course. I've known Bob since my childhood, he isn't the type of guy who would just run off without saying anything.''

''U-umm boss, how about we ask the new mage recruit to help us find him?''

''Ohh? You actually have a good idea for once.. Very well, use the new mage kid and form a small tracking team to assist him. I want Bob found before sunset.''

''Yes boss! I will inform Mr. Vagorie right away!''

Said the weak sounding male, after which he quickly ran out of the room.

After getting out of the dense atmosphere, the man let out a deep breath and headed towards one of the many tents in the bandit camp.

After reaching his destination, he warily entered the tent which was pitch black inside and opened his mouth.

''U-um. Mr. Vagorie. Are you here? The boss needs you to help find one of his good friends who went missing… Hello?''

…

''If the boss says so....''

A deep voice came out of the darkness, startling the weak looking messenger who almost fell on his butt.

''Y-yes, thank you Mr. Vagorie. I'm sure with your help we will find him in no time.''

The man stuttered and quickly left the dark tent.

Inside the tent's darkness, a pair of red glowing eyes could be seen looking towards the exit.

''Interesting. Could this be related to the ominous energy I felt inside the forest this morning?''

Said the mysterious man while a sinister smile appeared on his face.