The Old and The New

And it is the reason that I have returned to the past. Even so, I am somewhat conflicted. It is very hard to care for others when I have stopped caring a long time ago. A lot less painful that way.

"Holy shit! This is really some kind of game, isn't it?" Alex voices his excited mind. I do find him rather annoying, but his annoyance anchors me. Well, he isn't all that bad, considering that there is a reason that we have been friends for so long. "Strength? Speed? Those are RPG attributes, aren't they!?"

Since the Subway Station has been repaired through my power, he can be as loud as he wants without bringing the whole thing down upon us all.

I nod in agreement, and I note that even the attributes are different to mine. I have 10 attributes while Jessica have fewer. Strength Stamina. Wisdom. Speed. Luck. And so on.

Her status screen also missing a few categories, such as Talents and Proficiencies. Does that mean that those categories are removed completely in the new System? Or maybe they are moved elsewhere.

It is not the only question on my mind, and it is hard to find the correct answers at the moment. I also do not have time to explore the new System, and I wonder whether I should spend time and effort on it. I know almost everything there is to know about the old System as I have spent a lot of time as well as money on it, and since it grants me the power to kill even Rulers, then I am certain the old System is much better.

Therefore, why should I settle for a dumbed down version?

Since I am the only player remaining, it does put me in an interesting position. While there is really no way for me to register others as players of old System, there are ways for them to obtain powers from old System thanks to the uniqueness of my Merchant Profession.

In any case, I check what the skill Restore do for Jessica, and it is more or less the same as Restoration Stigma I have given her. Only more efficient and easier to use. Of course, more powerful too since its potency depends on her level and attribute.

While Skills cannot level or rank up, they do get powerful with their user. Therefore, it is up to the user to put in the hard works and efforts, and I am sure that Jessica will.

After giving her some pointers, I excuse myself and pull Alex asides.

"That also happens to you, right Zander?" Alex questions, referring to the skill that Jessica has gained, and he is loud enough for everyone to hear.

I nod in response. It is not exactly a lie, as I did gain my power through a System, just not with the new System. "Yes, but my rewards are a lot better than Jessica. One of which allows me to do all the things that I do. And no, you likely will not get the same rewards as me. Everyone gets a different reward. It depends on number of things."

"Oh," Alex sounds disappointed but not very. He clenches his hand, the same arm with the stigma, as some sort of declaration. "Mind if I come with you?"

"I was going to ask you that," I response with a nod. Now that Thomas is waking up, he should be able to keep guard instead of Alex, as I need Alex for something else. "But before we go. You mind working for me, as my employee? There's a lot of benefits in doing so."

"Huh?" Alex questions before a window appears. He blinks at that. "Employment contract?"