Bronze Random Skill Box

March 12, 2023, 10:00 PM - Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines - Penthouse 001

After minutes of contemplating over the options, finally, Daniel made a decision. He took a gamble and invested 300 of his hard-earned overcome points in three bronze random skill boxes, costing 100 overcome points each. These boxes held the potential to yield a random skill ranging from noob to intermediate mastery level. Rather than purchasing a single basic skill for a similar cost, Daniel chose to take his chances. He believed that every skill had value, even if he didn't need them immediately. After all, skills are never truly useless, and who knows when it could come in handy in the future.

After Daniel pressed the "purchase" button on the translucent screen in front of him, a sudden light shone and three wooden boxes with a bronze sheen appeared on the table beside him. Daniel eagerly took one of the boxes and examined it. It was surprisingly light to carry, and the texture seemed like it is really wood. Maybe it really is wood, but when he tapped into it with slight force, it seems as hard as metal. After examining the box he went straight to opening the boxes.

Daniel took a deep breath, and opened the first bronze random skill box, feeling a rush of excitement as he waited to see what skill he had acquired. As he held the bronze box in his hand, he could feel a sudden surge of energy emanating from it. With a deep breath, he slowly opened the box and peered inside. A bright light shone from within, illuminating his face.

As the light faded, he could see a small slip of paper inside the box. On it, a name was written: "Noob Level Negotiation Skill".

Suddenly, a rush of information flowed into Daniel's mind. It was as if he had been studying this skill for a bit of time, and he could feel the knowledge becoming ingrained within him. He felt slightly more knowledgeable and confident in the art of negotiation.

Daniel's face fell slightly as he read the paper. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, he quickly reminded himself that every skill had value, no matter how basic or advanced it may be. He thought for a moment and then let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Well, I guess this means I can manage to haggle for prices in Divisoria," he said with a smirk, laughing to himself.

After the rush of information in his mind faded, Daniel noticed that the bronze box in his hand had disintegrated, as if it had never existed in the first place. The sudden disappearance surprised him, but he shook it off and turned his attention to the next box, eager to see what it held. Maybe the next one would be more useful. He opened the second box with anticipation, hoping for a better outcome.

This time, a warm, orange light shone from within, illuminating his face.

As the light faded, he could see another slip of paper inside the box. On it, a name was written:

"Intermediate Level Cooking Skill."

Suddenly, a rush of information flooded Daniel's mind once again. It was as if he had been studying the art of cooking for years, and he could feel himself becoming more knowledgeable and confident in the kitchen.

After seeing the 2nd skill, Daniel's face lit up with excitement. Even though this skill may not directly benefit his startup business, he had always enjoyed cooking and saw it as a creative outlet. He felt happy with the skill and appreciated the opportunity to improve in something he enjoyed, plus the skill was an intermediate one, which makes him on par with some practicing chefs already.

Finally, he eagerly reached for the third and final box, his heart beating with anticipation. As he opened the box, a blinding light emanated from within, causing him to shield his eyes. After the light faded, he saw a slip of paper inside the box with a name written on it: "Intermediate Level Martial Arts Skill."

Pieces of information once again surged inside Daniel's head, ingraining knowledge and muscle memory into his being.

But Daniel had a frown on his face. It was an intermediate skill, but he wasn't happy. He is even showing a tinge of fear in his face.

He had a traumatic experience with martial arts way back in his high school days.

Daniel was a varsity athlete in Arnis back then, he represented his school in competitions and athletic meets. In his last year, he managed to almost snatch the title to represent his region in the "Palarong Pambansa," the national athletic meet of the Philippines. However, during the final match, he was cheated by his opponent, which caused Daniel to lose the match and the opportunity to represent his region.

The coach who officiated the final match was from the opponent's team, and despite Daniel leading the score in the first round, the opponent hid behind the referee, making Daniel unable to hit the opponent. The coach showed obvious favoritism towards the opponent, even disallowing valid hits from Daniel, which caused Daniel to lose the match unfairly. This traumatic experience caused Daniel to avoid martial arts ever since.

Therefore, when he saw that the last skill box contained an intermediate-level martial arts skill, his excitement turned to disappointment, and he frowned as the memory of the unfair loss flooded back.

As he stared at the slip of paper in his hand, memories of that painful experience flooded his mind. His hands began to shake, and he could feel his heart racing. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

Despite his trauma, Daniel knew that every skill had value and that this could be an opportunity to face his fears and overcome his past. Memories of the painful experience flooded his mind, and his hands began to shake. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down.

"It's just a skill, it can't hurt me," he thought to himself.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, determined to embrace the skill and work through his emotions.

He then checked his status panel to see the changes he obtained.

*Status Panel*

Host: Daniel Abelardo

Health: 80 (Average Healthy Adult is at 90)

Appearance: 58 (Average Good Looks is at 70)

Stamina: 85 (Average Adult Stamina is at 90)

Strength: 60 (Average Adult Strength is 65)

Speed: 65 (Average Adult Speed is 60)

Wealth level: Multi-Millionaire

Skills (Obtained from the system): Noob Negotiation Skill, Intermediate Cooking Skill, Intermediate Martial Arts Skill.

Active Missions: - Overcome a Setback and Start Your Own Creative Agency

Overcome Points: 0

*System Shop*

*Inventory - Locked*

Daniel looks at his harvest and nods to himself. The negotiation skill can be of little use to the start-up, while the other two skills he obtained can still be utilized in niche situations that may arise.