Foreign Fumbles

I awaken slowly, my eyes struggling to adjust to the surroundings. 'What happened?' I wonder in the silent chambers of my mind.

As I rise from the ground, I instinctively bring my hand to my throbbing head, attempting to soothe the remnants of a headache. Yet, my attention is diverted as I catch a glimpse of my knuckles—stained with a substance that gives me pause.

"Blood...?" I mumble, my voice barely audible.

I turn my gaze to the right, and there, on the ground, unfolds a scene etched into my memory.

A man lies sprawled next to me, his throat resembling the aftermath of a sledgehammer strike. His eyes, nearly bulging out from the impact, convey the brutal force that silenced him.

Silent, I fixate on the lifeless body before me, then shift my gaze to my clenched fists.

Recollections of our altercation flood back as I regard the motionless figure beside me with an emotionless expression.

"Oh yeah... I killed someone," I mutter, my voice devoid of any discernible emotion.

'They say the first time you take a life is supposed to be traumatic, right?'

I shift my gaze towards the man's visage, marked by horror and blood.

'Strange... I don't feel a thing,' I observe, maintaining my focus on the lifeless figure.

'He was threatening my freedom... I won't let that happen, no matter the cost.'

"Yep... these feelings are not normal," I mutter to myself.

'Whatever, I'll think about that later. My survival comes first.' I shrug my shoulders as I rise to my feet.

I quickly check my clothes and breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank God my clothes only got stained by a couple of droplets," I say, examining my pants as well.

"I'm lucky that no one came through here while I was out. I would have been robbed blind."

"Hm?" A see-through golden notification pops up.

[ Unread System Notifications ]

[ Display Now? ]

'Oh. I probably leveled up or something…' I think as I approve the prompt.

[ New Skill Acquired : Limit Breaker ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Title Acquired : First Blood ]

[ Basic System Functions Unlocked ]

[ New Function Unlocked : Inventory ]

[ New Function Unlocked : Quest System ]

[ New Quest! ]

- [Quest Title: Shadows of Confrontation] 

- [Objective: Neutralize the Aggressive Assailant] 

- [Rewards: Rare Skill Card, Vial of Vital Essence] 

[ Quest Complete! ]

- [Quest Title: Shadows of Confrontation] 

- [Objective: Neutralize the Aggressive Assailant] 

- [Rewards: Rare Skill Card, Vial of Vital Essence] 

[ Quest rewards added to the inventory ]

"Damn…that was more than what I expected," I mutter as I go through each notification.

'Limit Breaker. That's the skill that gave me that burst of strength. I would have died if not for it. I leveled up and unlocked a few functions too. Inventory and Quests, huh? That's handy.'

I pause as I come across the quest notifications.

'It generated a quest? It gave me rewards too! This is perfect. Skill Card and a Vial of Vital Essence, huh?' I contemplate silently.

'Let's check out the new skill first.'

[Skill: Limit Breaker]

[Rarity: Epic]

This formidable skill grants the user the ability to shatter their own limitations for a brief period of 1 minute. Upon activation, Limit Breaker propels the user into a heightened state, amplifying all their stats by an extraordinary factor of 2. The surge in strength, speed, intellect, and resilience empowers the user to temporarily transcend the boundaries of their normal capabilities. However, as the skill's effects subside, the user experiences a sense of exhaustion, the toll exacted for pushing their physical and mental boundaries to the limit.

'S-strong! How did I get this skill anyway?'

[ The 'Limit Breaker' skill manifested when your sheer refusal to succumb to death momentarily shattered the confines of your body's limits. In critical moments, all beings possess latent thresholds that can be surpassed for a temporary surge in strength. The system seized upon this innate ability, amplifying it to create the 'Limit Breaker' skill—a testament to the extraordinary power that surfaces when confronted with the brink of mortality ] 

"Oh! That actually makes sense. Here I was, thinking it was some deus-ex machina nonsense." I chuckle a little.

'Inventory!'

A translucent golden interface with a sprawling 10x10 grid emerges—a vast digital expanse featuring 100 empty slots neatly arranged for item placement.

'My rewards are here. Should I just mentally command them to come out?' I raise my hands and picture the items appearing in my grasp.

A small golden flash occurs as I examine the items in my hand.

The Blue Rare skill card looks like a rectangular azure gem, glowing with ethereal energy. Its surface shimmers with a gentle pulsating rhythm, adorned with delicate details that subtly shift and rearrange. Faint ancient runes can be seen moving inside and the card refracts light in a mesmerizing display.

'Woah, it's pretty.' I examine the card a bit more and then glance at the small red vial in my other hand.

The Vial of Vital Essence is a slender, crystal-clear glass vial filled with crimson liquid that pulses with a soothing glow. Ethereal motes float within, and a red filigree stopper, resembling vines around a radiant gemstone, completes the enchanting design. The vial also radiates a subtle energy that calms my nerves.

"This is so cool…The gamer in me is crying tears of joy…" I express with a mesmerized look.

'System, what does the card do?' I inquire in my mind.

[ The Rare Skill Card allows the user to draw any random rare skill from the Akashic Library. In order the rarities of the skills go like this: ]

- Common (Gray)

- Uncommon (Green)

- Rare (Blue)

- Epic (Purple)

- Legendary (Gold):

- EX (Platinum)

"…" I slump to my knees.

'It's a Gacha System…I couldn't escape it even in another world…'

I gaze at the card.

'Fine! I'll embrace the Gacha! Use card!'

As the card activates, an ephemeral azure glow emanates from the card, casting a soft radiance that envelops the surroundings. Arcane symbols from the card's surface materialize in the air, creating an intricate pattern that hangs momentarily before dispersing like ethereal smoke.

[ New Skill Acquired : Predator's Presence]

"That sounds sick. Let's see what it does."

[Skill: Predator's Presence]

[Rarity: Rare]

This skill grants the ability to project an aura reminiscent of a predatory force. On activation, the Predator's Presence surrounds the user, instilling an instinctual unease in those who perceive the skill, as if the very essence of a natural predator has materialized.

'Hm…that's pretty practical. Luck seems to be on my side. Praise the Gacha Lords above!' I playfully joke in my mind.

I stash the vial back in my inventory and glance around.

Curiosity draws me to the lifeless body on the ground, and I decide to crouch down for a closer look.

"Damn. it smells like shit…" I mutter as my nose scrunches up.

'You dug your own grave. Now let's see if you have anything useful on you.'

I delve into his cloak and pockets, laying out the contents on the ground.

'So, this is the loot, huh?' I ponder while examining the items.

Spread out before me are several possessions: a switchblade knife, an iron short sword, peculiar small crystals, 2 silver coins, and 45 bronze coins.

'Nice! Money in hand! Not bad, considering the whole encounter with the drunk lunatic.' A small smile creeps onto my face.

I retrieve his bloodied cloak and the plastic bag I had dropped earlier, stashing them all in my inventory.

"Okay! Got everything. It was lucky no one stumbled upon this mess. I don't know the rules of this world, and getting arrested on day one doesn't sound like a good plan. Let's get out of here." I swiftly rise to my feet and leave the alley.

'Finally, some sunlight. Mental note: avoid dark alleys when alone. You fucking idiot.'

I walk up to a young boy happily playing with a ball nearby.

"Hey, little dude! You know where the Adventurers Guild is?" I ask him with a friendly tone.

He pauses his game, gazing up at me. After a quick examination of my attire, he grins with childlike curiosity.

"Mister, are you a foreigner?" He asks me with a childish smile.

"Absolutely, I'm fresh in town. How about you tell me the directions to the Adventurers Guild, and in return, I'll teach you a cool phrase from where I'm from?" I suggest, accompanied by a warm smile.

"Really?! It's a promise okay? No takebacks! If you head that way and then turn right, you'll spot the Adventurers Guild. It's this massive green building, hard to miss! Now, teach me that phrase!" He grabs my sleeve, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Haha... what an adorable kid," I chuckle, ruffling his hair a bit.

"Listen carefully, okay? In my language, 'Chin chin' means 'Hello'," I tell him with a bright smile.

"Chin chin? That's so weird! Thanks, Big Brother!" he responds, smiling happily.

"Haha... no problem. Thanks for helping me."

"Yeah! Live strong!" he beams at me as he skips away.

'Okay, let's go.'

I follow the direction the boy pointed at, and eventually, a massive building comes into view.

A crowd of folks decked out in weapons and armor lingers outside.

'That has to be it.' A small smile rises on my face as I look up at the huge sign next to the entrance.

'I can't read shit…Isn't this where the system conveniently translates the language for me?'

I approach the entrance, pushing open the door as I step into the guild.

"It looks surprisingly cliche…" I muse as I survey the bar-like establishment. Six reception desks with lines of people forming in front of them.

I walk around, observing the diverse crowd.

"I stand out like a sore thumb…" I mutter, breaking out in a cold sweat.

'Well, I guess the only guy with strange clothes and no weapons will get weird looks.'

I decide to join one of the queues and stand in line at a reception desk.

"Damn, this is gonna take a while…" I think as I glance at the 12 people ahead of me in line.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, my turn finally arrives.

The beautiful blond woman pauses briefly as she takes in my face but quickly puts on a professional smile.

"Welcome to the Adventurers Guild! How may I be of assistance?"

"Hello. I wanted to register as an adventurer," I inquire, putting on a friendly smile.

"Eh?" She tilts her head, an awkward expression appearing on her face.

"This is the reward exchange desk, though," she points at the sign above her desk.

"Huh?" My eyes widen as I look at the sign.

'Hello?! I still can't read shit!' My eyes twitch a bit.

"Haha! Go back to sucking your mama's tit, boy!" I hear the man behind me in line say.

'Fuck you!'

"The new registration desk is that one." The blond woman points at the desk close to the wall.

"S-sorry! Thanks for the help." I quickly exit the line, moving to the correct one.

'Fuuuuuuck! I want to hide in a hole somewhere?! That was so embarrassing!' I cringe inwardly.

I should have paid attention to the conversation of the person ahead of me! I would have realized that I was standing in the wrong line. Fuck!'

I take a deep breath as I lock this memory away in the deepest recesses of my heart.

Living in another world is hard…