2 Activation Of The System

"Sure, sure. Just get me the cash, will ya?" I waved my hand at the announcer and owner of the pit, rolling my eyes at his excuses of not knowing about my opponents drug use. "Heh," I scoffed at his bullshit as he left before I went back to meditating.

Usually, I'd only do this when I was doing image training and thinking about how to improve my fighting style...but right now, I was trying to regulate my condition.

Because whatever was about to happen felt like it was about to change me to an extent.

So, I wanted to be prepared. Like any sane person would want to be.

Inside my mind, the countdown was slowly reaching it's end. Half an hour spent showering, cleaning myself of any blood and then meditating. And now I was ready for whatever was about to happen with this Murim System.

As the countdown hit zero, I opened my eyes to see a different screen appear.

[Healing Hidden Injuries...]

A wave of heat passed through me and bones fractures that hadn't healed perfectly suddenly shifted uncomfortably as they were forcibly moved. No. It was like they'd never healed wrong in the first place. Like someone was going back through my body's history and fixing the mistakes that were in my body.

Yet I'd taken as much care as I could for my body, so the hidden injuries were very minimal, so the wave of heat was gone just as quickly as it appeared. Next came another box, followed by another wave of energy. However, this energy was ice cold and came in ripple-like waves, one after another.

[Improving External State...Equalizing Stats For Perfect Build...External State Improved.]

Letting out a turbid breath, I felt weird after that experience. It was like my muscles...were rippling and changing on their own. My bones felt somewhat liquid-like and they shifted under my muscles.

But I could instantly feel a difference.

I was somewhat broader, my back was straighter and my posture was improved. I also felt full of energy and like my body was much lighter. Equalizing stats for the perfect build? I feel like whatever this system is...it just forcibly pulled all my other physical attributes to match my higher than average muscle density and the strength I get from it. Agility, stamina, my organs--all of them feel somewhat improved.

Of course they were already well-worked and trained but they weren't on the same level as my physical strength and toughness.

Alas, it wasn't over and another screen appeared.

[Opening Meridians...strengthening Internal State...Matching Internal State with External State...Connecting External and Internal States...Injecting Qi.]

Suddenly, I felt something flush my system. A warm and comfortable heat that seemed to power my muscles and fortify my bodily structure. And reading the last part on the screen, I knew this was Qi. My life-force. It flowed through a set of vessels that were identical to my blood vessels...yet they didn't physically exist. Yet I knew they did exist.

God, so this is what Meridians feel like? What Qi feels like? I had no idea...that it felt so strong.

Standing up, I felt my improved physical state and the Qi flowing through my system. The control of this energy came as naturally as breathing to me and I grabbed control of it before circulating it as I lifted my foot. Seconds later, I slammed my foot into the ground and the concrete I hit cracked with a bang.

Lifting my bare foot, I saw the outline of my foot and smiled: This wasn't even a full-powered attack. Physically or with Qi. If I went all out...I wonder how much damage I could do?

My thoughts, however, were put on hold as a sort of status appeared in front of me.

[Name: James]

[Level: 1]

[Martial Rank: Third-Rate Warrior]

[Race: Human]

[External State: 130]

[Internal State: 130]

...Huh. I wonder, what's the peak of what a human can be? I mean, I understand what the different states are. External State is to do with the external body. Muscles, bones, skin--my physical power. Internal State is to do with the internal body. But not the physical internal body like my organs. No, instead it's to do with Qi and my Meridians.

[The peak of what a human can naturally be is 150.]

...Again, huh. Quickly, I mentally thought about what External and Internal State meant and I found out I was on the money and that I was right. External is the body and Internal is Qi/Meridians. Which meant I was awfully close to being the peak of a human.

Though I guess it's time to test the answering capabilities of this system. So, I asked it this: Is peak human referring to Batman's peak human physique or Captain America's peak human physique?

I got a pretty quick and stunning answer.

[Captain America's.]

...So, I'm probably at the peak of what a human can normally get. To go further would require serums like the Super Soldier serum or something like the Heart-Shaped Herb from Wakanda. But something quickly showed me such thinking was wrong.

[Welcome to the Murim System, James! To get you used to the system, we've prepared a tutorial for you. Please, try your best during it. The better you do, the better your rewards. So, good luck!]

[Mission Available!]

[Tutorial Part 1]

[Mission: Enter the portal to the Murim-Dungeon and fight the group of enemies in front of you. The mission will be classed as successful when your enemies are dead.]

[Mission Rewards: Depends on your actions and results. At the very least 100 Points to spend on your External and Internal States.]

Smiling, I watched as a blue-ish white portal ripped it's way into existence right in front of me. Taking a step forward, I wondered just how far this system can take me...

My thoughts were cut off and my stomach did a few flips inside me before my vision cut out like a TV turning off. A few seconds later, my vision returned and I found myself in a dark and damp cavern.

...Truly, just like those dungeons from Light Novels, huh?

Chuckling, I took a few steps forward and the portal cut off behind me. I felt a spark of panic at the disappearance of the portal but I doubt the system would have me fight 3000 opponents, go through the trouble of improving my physical state and giving me Qi just so it could trap me in some dungeon. If it planned to do that, it could've just spawned the portal on my person and I'd have no choice but to come here.

But instead, it gave me the choice of coming here. Obviously, it's not got any ulterior motives other than making me stronger.

Or at least, that's what I understand of a system that has anything to do with the Murim.

If there's any place that represents 'The Strong Eat The Weak', it's the Murim. So, a system based around the Murim and, seemingly, martial arts...it's goal is most likely to make me stronger. Which means it's goal aligns with my own.

Continuing to walk forward, I saw a group of five individuals who used torn rags and bandages for clothing. All of them were bald and muscular, and all of them wore the same sickening smiles on their utterly average faces. Upon a bit more of inspection, it was clear to see they were all the same person. Clones, I guess.

They didn't say anything, and neither did I.

Then the foremost one flashed forward with stunning speed. I felt my pupils constrict to the size of pins and almost instinctively, I moved my Qi toward my eyes. Once there...everything just seemed to slow down by a little and even though it was only a small amount, it was more than enough for me to see the leading man's attacks. Even more so than I already could.

Taking a casual step back, I registered another attacker from the right and blocked his axe kick just in time for my eyes to catch a third attacker from the left. Grabbing the man's ankle, I reinforced my hand with Qi and spun with the man in my hand before flinging him at the third attacker who still hadn't attacked. The two clones collided with one another and it gave me enough time to enhance my legs with Qi before blasting forth to the original attacker.

...All of this was new to me yet it felt so easy to do what I wanted to do. Qi was something so odd and unfamiliar to me, yet it felt so familiar to me. Like an old friend. I guess that Internal State attribute has something to do with control of Qi.

Dodging the man's quick counter-attack to my charged, I sent a right cross across his jaw before following it up with a knee that slammed right into his stomach. The clone reeling and realizing I had to increase my odds of surviving, I grabbed the first attacker's head and wrung his neck like a wet cloth. He crumpled to the ground, dead.

Despite them having the numbers advantage, I have the individual advantage. They're much weaker than me.

Shorter, less reach, less mass - they're more focused on agility, and up against my newly improved body which now had equally as monstrous agility as it did strength and toughness...and these guys had the worst opponent they could wish for.

The remaining four clones were slowly circling me and I turned with them while occasionally looking over my shoulder at the one I couldn't see in my vision.

The fight reached a stalemate. They realized they were outmatched individually while I knew I'd be done if I made the first move. So would the one who made the first move on their end...except they had three more people to capitalize on any openings the first move made. Which put us at an impasse. Would they sacrifice one of themselves? Or would I accept I'd need to get injured to take them down.

Any other situation and I'd have gladly gotten injured to survive this encounter. But at the back of my head, on repeat, was the image of that mission reward.

'Depends on your actions and results.'

If I could do this without getting injured, I might get a better reward. A better reward may help me survive easier in the future or in a certain situation.

So, I stood and waited for their move. It was easier to react correctly than it is to act correctly when it comes to fighting. Plus, I have an idea on the limits and abilities of these guys because they're all clones. If I had to guess...they're somewhere around 110 in both External and Internal States. They remind me of a younger me, in terms of ability. Just with Qi at their disposal.

Bringing me out of my thoughts, the first one made their attack and as you'd expect, it was the one behind me. They charged forward with the same stunning speed as the others and sent a palm strike toward my right shoulder, aiming to break it.

Yet with Qi flowing through my body and enhancing it, I could easily react to the attack and I dipped my shoulder under the palm strike.

Before they could pull back their arm, I grabbed it and rested the outside of the arm on my shoulder before flipping them over my shoulder and throwing them into the floor. Within less than a second, the others would be on me...so I quickly lifted my leg and imbued it with as much Qi as it could hold before slamming it down with as much physical force as I could muster.

...The clone's head popped like a flimsy water balloon. Even the ground underneath cracked and fissured within a meter region around me. Still holding the wrist of the now dead clone, I hoisted it up and threw it toward one of the approaching clones before rushing to the other clone.

A quick clash with this clone had me coming out on top after I grabbed it's necked and broke it with a Qi-imbued grip.

What can I say? One-on-one and I'd wipe the floor with these guys. They've even weaker than that bald guy from the pit earlier. 'Goliath' or whatever they called him.

The last clone was even easier to deal with. His attacks were reckless, filled with fear and indecision. He knew he'd lost and because that thought had even entered his mind...it came true. Feeling fear is fine. Being caution is fine. But thinking you've lost before the fight is even over? That's the mentality of a weakling. Someone who's bound to lose.

Anyway, with these guys dead--

[Mission Accomplished!]

[Mission Rewards: 250 Points to spend on External and Internal States and two level ups!]

Opening my status with a thought, I saw my states and a new tab below them.

[External State: 130(+)]

[Internal State: 130(+)]

[Unallocated State Points: 270]

...Interesting. Ten of those points per level up? A fair amount. Time to see what Captain America feels like on a daily basis. Physically, anyway. I wonder if 150 in Internal State is what those old Martial Arts masters are at? Well, let's see what it feels like~~

And without anymore thoughts, I quickly allocated 20 points to both my External and Internal States.