The Archetype System
Rhys rubbed his eyes from both disbelief and strain. Was he dreaming? Was he hallucinating? Did his wishes really come true?
He reached out to touch the blue panel before him. Perhaps it was just an illusion, he thought. As he touched the screen, his eyes widened. A small circle formed on the panel as a chime played.
'[I am not a hallucination]'
A robotic voice sounded in his head.
Still consumed by utter disbelief, he dropped the knife in his hands. He reached out his other hand to touch the panel, and the same thing happened.
He couldn't help but cry tears. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Not once had he cried tears of joy until this moment, the moment where he felt the weight of expectation finally be fulfilled.
No one would look down on him anymore. No one would mock him anymore. No one would bully him anymore.
He could finally make his parents proud of him.
He immediately rushed out of his room to where his parents were. His mother looked over in confusion and disgust for the young boy, while his dad simply grunted at his arrival.
His mother opened her mouth to once again teach her son a lesson, but she noticed something odd about him. Never had she seen her son so excited and happy. Before she could speak, Rhys shouted in excitement,
"I awakened my power!" His face was red not from embarrassment, but from the blood rushing to his face from all his happiness. His display of joy made his typically neglectful dad's interest suddenly pique.
"Look, Look!" He cried tears of joy as he looked over at his parents.
Rhys glanced over at the system, expectant of loud congrats and cheers from his parents. But...
His parents only gave him a confused, angry look.
"Have you gone insane?!"
At that moment, Rhys's hope of finally appeasing his parents shattered.
"Don't come hauling your ass here just to shout and cry like a bitch!"
Rhy's brief moment of joy was trampled on, just like the rest of his life. Once again, he was back at square one.
'Could they not see it? Am I actually hallucinating?'
Rhys panicked thoughts flooded into his mind like a burst dam. He rubbed his eyes again, but he could still see the blue panel in front of him.
'[I'm not a hallucination]'
The monotonous voice of the system sounded again in his head. Unfeeling, unsympathetic, and utterly indifferent.
'Then, can you prove it?' Rhys felt both anger and disappointment.
'[Strength is only earned through your own achievement and hard work]'
'[I am your ability. I am unliving. I am unloving.]'
Rhys only got more and more desperate. He only got the same response from the system. The same message, over and over again.
'[I am your ability...]'
'[Strength is only earned...]'
'[I'm not a hallucination]'
Amidst the berating and shouting, Rhys silently cried. He tried to suppress his emotions, his hate, his sorrow, his disappointment. He tried to become cold, to become indifferent to their yells and screeches. But in the end,
'I really am I little bitch.'
He submitted.
He ran back into his room, locking his door and covering himself in the piles of blankets. But, he continued to look at the bright blue panel. It displayed:
------------------------------
Name: Rhys
Age: 16
Level: 1 [0/25 EXP]
Stats:
Strength: 5
Agility: 11
Vitality: 7
Mana: 2 [20/20]
Unlocked [Archetypes]:
None
[Enter Realm]
Missions:
--------------
Do 30 push-ups [Daily Mission]
Reward(s): +1 strength, +2 EXP
Expiration: 24 Hours
--------------
End of Information
----------------------------------
Looking at the screen, his nerves slowly calmed. Before, he was overtaken by happiness, not letting him have a closer look at the panel.
He hated it. He hated the system, but as he calmed down, he started to think rationally again. The rush of emotions blurred his view, and now, it was getting clearer.
His heart started to slow from its erratic beats.
'What is an [Archetype]? How do I obtain one?'
'[An Archetype is a profile of a 'Character', whose abilities can be used by the host. For example, if you obtain a 'Thug' Archetype, you may use abilities that are related to a 'thug'. In turn, you become that 'Character'. In exchange for using its abilities, you are also affected by your Archetype.]' The system immediately responded with a lengthy explanation.
'[You can obtain Archetypes by meeting certain requirements inside the 'Realm'. You can enter the realm by pressing the 'Enter Realm' option.]'
'[The difficulty and Archetypes that are able to be obtained in the Realm are proportionate to your current level and stats]'
'Ah, so it's like a game...'
'Do I risk dying inside the realm?' Rhys immediately catered to his pessimistic thoughts.
'[No. If you die inside the realm, then you will immediately be ejected out of it. There will be a period where you cannot enter the realm again.]'
After processing the system's lengthy explanation, he immediately went to do his mission. Even after awakening, he was still weak fry, while others boasted at least some sort of increase in strength.
'Can this be a blessing in disguise?' He stared at the panel with a slight light of both hope and contempt in his eyes.
He got down on the floor, planting his hands and feet on the ground. He never exercised, so even if 30 push-ups didn't seem like much to the average person, it was a lot for a young, unathletic person like Rhys.
'One...'
One push-up down.
'Two...'
....
'Thirty!'
Sweat covered his skin as he gasped for air. After his success, he collapsed onto the floor in both relief and exhaustion.
'[Daily mission completed. Reward(s) will now be granted to the host.]'
A refreshing feeling overtook Rhys's body. All his fatigue disappeared, and his muscles were no longer sore. His breaths were no longer labored from the first exercise he had done in who knows how long. He felt stronger than usual.
Rhys got up from the floor and immediately went to check his stats.
'Wait, how do I open the window again?'
'[Say or think "status"]'
'Status'
------------------------------
Name: Rhys
Age: 16
Level: 1 [2/25]
Stats:
Strength: 6
Agility: 11
Vitality: 7
Mana: 2 [20/20]
Unlocked [Archetypes]:
None
[Enter Realm]
Missions:
--------------
None
--------------
End of Information
----------------------------------
A grin formed on his face. It worked.
His mind immediately went to the people around him. If he got strong enough, would people not bully him anymore? Would he be happy?
He looked out the window.
The dark sky was glimmering with stars.
When he looked at the stars, they peered back at him.
'It's late...'
He should go to sleep.
Rhys went back to his bed, his place of comfort.
The tears that stained his blankets have dried up already.
He tucked himself in.
Tomorrow was another day of hell.
But on that night, he felt that his sleep was just a little bit easier.