Episode 3 Survival (2)

I clearly remember playing the game.

It was as if you were really living the life inside it, even if you received any form of damage that could decrease the player's HP, the player would receive a slight electric shock in reality.

The game had very few players, so there weren't any online interactions with others but you could actually play the story quests.

The story was awfully long, so long that it was advised by the developers of that game to take time and slowly complete it.

For a normal person it would take seven years to complete it.

But it only took me two.

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[[You have successfully entered the system shop.]]

The scenery around me changed to more of a mechanical one. Of course it was only in my mind, my body was still in the trash can, only my vision was transferred here.

I could still partially see the original world if I wanted to.

[[Due to your current magic power you cannot get access to the shop's products.]]

I didn't really want any products so it was alright, instead.

[[You cannot buy any product from the shop due to your insufficient magic power, but you are able to buy other basic products.]]

Magic was the currency in the starting chapters of this game. Later it would be changed to something else as the system gain's more influence.

I didn't have magic like the other survivors of apocalypse, but I had my sponsor's advantage.

All of the other survivors would only be able to access the systems shop once the third quest is over. I already have a sponsor so it's not a problem.

What I wanted from the shop was the currency itself, magic.

When people would complete the third quest and find out that they could've bought magic from the shop, they would likely freak out.

The problem was, how can I buy magic when magic itself was the currency?

The answer was quite simple actually. In the early days of the system, anybody who actually tried to open the system would find a lot of loopholes.

I just had to exploit those loopholes.

[Show me products that are currently available for me.]

[[Your magic lvl is 0]]

[[Searching for available products.]]

[[Currently 1 product is available.]]

[[Magic is available.]]

[[Would you like to buy it for ..... amount?]

Just as I thought, I can buy magic. I just need to find out what the payment is.

For that I need to repeat what I did just now.

[Show me products that are currently available for me.]

I repeated this for a few times. Then...

[[Would you like to buy basic magic power for a piece of cloth?]]

It seems like it worked.

What I exploited was a glitch present in the game itself. The developers didn't fix it, they just simply let it be. I don't know the reason but it was now more easy for me.

That means whatever was in the game, is the same in reality too.

I was the first one to have found the glitch, and I doubt that any of the other players found it out.

I then cut off a part of my sleeve.

[I offer this piece of cloth as a payment.]

[[The system has excepted the payment.]]

The cotton sleeve vanished into thin air.

[[You have equired magic lvl.1]]

I could feel my body getting lighter and the pain from my wounds gradually decreasing. Magic didn't gave any healing effect but it gave the targeted body resistance to other things, such as minor injuries.

[[You have unlocked the stats window]]

What?

[[Would you like to view your stats?]]

This can't be. Stats window cannot be accessed this early, if it were accessable this early than most people would've survived.

Even Alice won't be able to see her stats window until the third main quest. Not like she needs it, but it was still important in the future quests.

It was still surprising that I could access my stats window so soon, maybe this was the doing of the person who sent me here.

Was that person feeling guilty, so they starting giving me some benefits? Probably no.

Or is it my sponser?

Could be the game developers?

There are a ton of possibilities but If it's my sponsor, then it's more of a problem than an advantage.

[Yes, show me my stats window.]

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⟨Stats window⟩

Name: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Gender: Male

Occupation: Unknown

Properties: Magic lvl.1, strength lvl.2,      dexterity lvl.1, Agility lvl.1, Healing lvl.2, Intelligence lvl.6, Vision lvl.3, Speed lvl.3, Gamer lvl. 5, Stamina lvl.3

(You currently don't posses any other properties.)

Skills: (You currently don't posses any skill.)

Attributes: Clown lvl.4, Fool lvl.2, luck lvl.6,

Understanding lvl.5

(You currently don't posses any other Attributes.)

System evaluation: The system cannot evaluate you. You are partially not registered in the system.

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My overall stats weren't really anything to be proud of. What surprised me were my attributes and the system evaluation.

My attributes didn't look like much but I know how much they will be useful in the future.

So whoever is responsible for me being here also knows about the future it seems.

[This is quite interesting, why am I only partially registered in the system? I'm not from this world, so shouldn't I not be fully unregistered?]

It was quite the mystery.

But I don't have time to think about this. I need to find "that guy" before the first quest begins.

He is the key to the next quest.

[I should get going, but first I need to do something about my clothes.]

I had to change them, not because I didn't like them but because they were already torn up by the encounters I had with Alice.

I myself could see parts of my skin flashing through my clothes. It would be quite embarrassing if another human saw me like this.

[Hmm maybe I should purchase cloths from the shop? Now that I have magic power, I can pay with it. Magic will automatically be replenished by time.]

I could buy clothes but the problem was my magic lvl.

The products that you are presented with are solely based on your magic lvl. Since mine is 1, I doubt I'll be presented anything useful.

[Open the system shop.]

[[You have opened the system shop.]]

[[Products shown are based on your magic lvl. Your magic lvl is 1.]]

[[What would you like to bye?]]

The texts shown above me were floating in the air. Should I ask something different from normal clothes?

[Show me available battle suits.]

Maybe if this wor–

[[Your magic lvl is too low]]

Dang it.

[Show me available clothes]

[[Your magic lvl is too low.]]

Even the main character opened the shop the first time after the fourth main quest.

It's also very reasonable to think that I won't get anything out of the system like before.

[Show me products available for me at my current magic lvl.]

[[Showing list of available products]]

[[Error! You have already bought the only product available for you.]]

Dang it, I forgot magic was only available for once.

If it was available again I would have raised my magic lvl.

I closed the shop, I should search for them instead.

I inevitably had to get out of this trash can, now that I have magic it'll be more difficult than before to stay away from the monsters.

[Sponser, can you hear me?]

[[⬛⬛ sponser nodes thier head.]]

[Can you hide my magic, so the monsters won't detect my presence?]

If he could do the same thing to me like he did with those swords then maybe I'll be safe for sometime.

[[⬛⬛ says, they can't intervene any more.]]

My sponsor had already run out of the authority given to him by the system.

Only after the third main quest was a sponser given permission to help thier protégé.

This is a problem.

Forget about clothes how do I even get out of here?

There's a way but it would be very dangerous.

I had to switch my magic off. I still had the barrier Alice had put on me, but I have no idea when it'll vanish.

It was truly a gamble.

[I should turn my magic power off.]

That was the only option I had right now.

I turned it off and got out of the trash can.

[Maybe there's a house nearby.]

The ally I was hiding in was between two buildings, I obviously couldn't break the door of a building.

So the only option is the house in front.

I quickly hid in the shadows the buildings casted, and slowly slipped inside the bushes of the house.

I should look around just in case there are any monsters in there.

Huh?

[What is that thing?]

As I examined from outside of the house, I could see a small spark of light coming from inside a room.

Maybe there's a mutated monster in there? No it shouldn't be, monsters who have control over lighting aren't supposed to be here this early.

Maybe it's something else.

I silently opened the door knob which was surprisingly easy, If there was someone living here they would've locked the door.

So was it a candle left by previous residents of this house?

As I slipped inside, I could see the scenery more clearly. The stairs were broken, it was as if a monster was here sometime ago.

The floor had footprints engraved into them, those footprints were twice the size of mine. Honestly how could a monster this size have come inside without even breaking a single door or wall?

It was hard to imagine.

I let go of that thought and began moving towards the source of light.

As I got closer the light grew more and more visible. I slowly opened the door and...

Weseoop.....

My whole body was hanging in the air, someone had set a trap.

Then that someone spoke.

[Oi mister, who are you?]