Programmer Mage In A Cursed World

"My Fate is to be Fateless?" Aster blinked twice in disbelief.

Everyone was born with a certain Fate. Some people were born with the Fate of a hero, and some with the Fate of a side character. Some people were forced to never smile because of their Fate, while some people were born with a Fate that amplified their talents.

Such Fate was called Fate Providence.

[ Fate Providence - Fateless

-You cannot be affected by Fate.

-You are drawn towards Fate, as is Fate drawn towards you. ]

Aster was currently inside a dimly lit room, lit only by a small candle on the side. He was researching ways to become stronger, and understanding his Providence was essential.

He was one of the rare few who had their own room in the temple. The reason why was simple. He was part of the exploration group, the group that put their lives on the line in order to explore the dark temple and find a way out.

A safe way out.

'So I am drawn towards Fate, but what is Fate?' Aster pondered.

He was currently sitting on a small blanket. It was unknown how the blanket could have preserved so much, considering that the temple was abandoned for hundreds of years at least.

No, Aster actually did have an explanation.

It was because of magic.

Ever since Aster arrived in this new world, he had wanted to learn magic. It was an ancient practice of cultivating powers of nature, appropriating it for oneself.

But magic was something that he didn't have access to. If he did, he'd have long escaped the temple.

Only select few were allowed to learn the ancient arts of magic, and Aster, the foreigner in the world, certainly didn't have a way of learning it.

He did have his Fate, though.

Standing up, Aster decided not to bother with understanding his Providence. Unless he understood exactly what was Fate, he was bound to reach nowhere.

Leaving his room, he appeared inside a corridor. The corridor had a dozen rooms, and most were filled with people.

In fact, the corridor itself had many people lying on the floor. Some were bored while others were playing and talking.

"Hey, Aster!"

"Aster!!!"

"Ast, you going out again?"

He was bombarded with greetings.

"Hello."

"Hey, how's it going."

"Yes, I'm going out again. I hope that I will find a good item today."

The exploration group consisted of several people who dared to venture deeper into the temple — which was filled with nightmarish creatures — and explore.

Most explorers of the temple didn't return. The others who did return usually returned much stronger. It was the reason that people dared to venture out into the unknown.

And because the resources were scarce, and the trust was almost nonexistent, explorers usually ventured out by themselves, just like Aster.

'System, show my Status.' Aster called out with his thoughts.

[ Aster

Strength: 1.23, Agility: 1.44, Vitality: 1.01, Status: Healthy

EP: 13

Current Quests:

Bird in a cage:

-Escape the Temple of Trickery in 30 days (26 days remaining).

-Rewards: Random Option unlock 1x, Rare Gatcha Ticket 1x.

-Punishments: Mana Blockade (30 days).

 ]

A transparent window appeared in front of Aster. It showed him his exact stats, with reference to the average human of Cursed World.

The average male had all their stats at 1 and was slightly stronger than the average male from Aster's homeworld.

'I always feel like chuckling at seeing the punishment. How is the System gonna block my mana when I don't have it hahaha.'

'Transmigrating with a System. If I didn't know any better, I'd guess that I was inside a story or something.' Aster joked.

But he knew better. Because he had almost died multiple times trying to raise his stats just a little bit more.

'If I don't hurry up and find the exit, I will really die.' Aster sighed. He drew his dagger, passed the corridor, and arrived in front of a door.

Taking a lit candle from the side of the wall, he opened the door slowly, leaving the dimly lit corridor and entering a room full of darkness.

It didn't take long for Aster to find something on the floor. It looked like a blob of mass or honey that moved.

Without hesitation, he attacked the blob with his dagger.

Usually, most people would have no idea what they killed unless they learned from other humans or books, but Aster was different. He had his System.

[ You have killed a slime. ]

A notification rang in his ears.

[ Absorbing Energy... ]

[ You have gained 2 Energy Points ]

Energy Points, or EP, in short, were points Aster's System required in order to use its full functionality.

Yes, Aster's System was just like a shop, and many functions could be bought using Energy Points. Because of that, Aster had a headstart.

Currently, Aster had 15 EP. With that, he could buy a thing he had eyed in the shop for a long time.

[ Common Gacha Ticket 1x - 15 EP ]

'I don't know what the rewards are, but it's better to give it a try.' He thought.

Common Gatcha Ticket was the least expensive item in the shop.

The least expensive item that Aster couldn't find in the temple by himself, that is.

'In the past, I spent two EPs for a dagger. This is almost ten times as expensive. It better be good.' He prayed. It was Aster's first time using a currency, and so, he couldn't properly gauge whether it was a good deal or not.

After finding a safe place, he sat beside a wall and bought the ticket.

Gulping, he pressed the button and used the ticket. 

It was his first instance of gambling. Because he had been in an orphanage his whole life, he never had an opportunity to properly gamble, and even usage of mobile phones was impossible.

The most he could do was watch TV. Thankfully, the TVs there had an option of connecting to MeTube, so he could watch other people play games. Sometimes, he'd even be able to read.

With hungry eyes, he watched the wheel turn rapidly. 

It felt like years before the wheel slowed down. Then, he saw his reward.

[ Magic Book of Professions 1x ]

"Huh?" Aster looked at the rewards absentmindedly.

[ Do you wish to use the item: Magic Book of Professions? ]

"Yes." He answered.

[ Processing... ]

[ Choosing the most suitable profession... ]

[ Profession chosen: Programmer. ]

A book suddenly appeared in front of Aster.

"Programming Magic Guidebook." Aster blinked twice while looking at the title of the book. 'I can learn magic!'