Creation of the system

`Ding!`

`Initiating the helper system.`

`Greetings, Host.`

Ethan was startled for a second as he saw the screen and heard an unfamiliar voice but the voice continued.

`Host, I'm a system attached to you to help you in this world. You can converse with me by thinking in your mind`

Closing his eyes to concentrate, Ethan framed a sentence in his mind.

`Are you a late plug-in of the system I got when being summoned?`

`No host, the level showing system is simply an analyzing system and doesn't have a consciousness. If the host wishes, I can integrate it into me, but I'm a completely different system.`

A different system? Ethan recalled the grey spirit and the information transmitted to his brain. Could it be that there is some rule that if you summon someone you have to provide for them and if you break that rule you get judged?

He decided to ask the system about it.

`I'm not sure host, I don't have any information on that. All I know is I'm supposed to assist the host in this world.`

Ethan sighed. He had expected this to some extent. After all he'd read several system novels on Earth and none of them had information about their creation. Even other crucial information was often answered with 'authorization level is not enough'.

Truth be told, he wouldn't have been that interested in the system's origin but the weird judgement session and the fact that the system seemed to be conscious instead of sounding like an AI program piqued his interest.

Deciding to believe the system was only to help him, he asked about it's functions.

`Host, as of now I can access an unlimited dimensional storage space where the host can keep any non-living thing. I can also integrate with the analyzing system to analyze host's capabilities. I'm also equipped with a starter pack for the host.`

Ethan frowned. This system seemed.. oddly useless? Apart from from having a storage space it didn't seem to have any use. There wasn't any level-up function, or even any heaven-defying mastery function. The slight bit of hope he felt before dissipated. Might as well inspect the starter pack and hope for a miracle.

'System, integrate with the analyzing system. Also open the starter pack,' he instructed.

`Integrating system. Opening starter pack.`

A text of information appeared on a blue screen.

Congratulations on receiving the starter pack. You receive one creation token. Creation token gives you the authority to create one system function. Limits of the created system function do not allow a function which affects the host directly.

Create a system function! Although the limitations didn't allow him to improve his own abilities, it still had the potential to be overpowered!

He decided to leave the function creation on hold; this was a once in forever chance, how could he waste it on a half baked creation?

A notification popped up.

`Ding! System integrated. Host's capabilities can now be analyzed`

'System, is there any job suitable for me?' Ethan questioned. Of course, he wasn't expecting a great job or anything; the system had obviously listed him as a commoner due to his lack of abilities, but he still couldn't help but hope that a job which could help him level up fast existed.

`Host, why don't you become a mage,` the system replied with hesitation.

'System stop joking with me. How can I become a mage if I don't have mana?'

After the crystal ball tested him, Ethan had resigned himself to think the questions in his stats meant that the mana wasn't enough to measure. Yet the system was telling him to become a mage. He was even more sure that it was a joke as he could sense the hesitation in the system's voice.

`Host your mana levels are higher than most humans, perhaps even normal beginner or intermediate mages. It cannot even be measured as it's so high. It's just that I cannot sense prominent elemental affinities from you, you can perhaps only use elemental magic if you somehow increase them through potions and simultaneously train yourself to increase your element understanding.`

'System is that true? Where can I find such potions?' Ethan asked excitedly. He was beyond elated to find out that he actually could use magic.

`Host, such potions are extremely rare. Moreover, low grade potions have a risk of impurities and cause the spell to be unstable. Unless the host doesn't have a high grade potion or an elemental gem, I'd recommend not trying to assimilate and elemental affinity.`

'What are elemental gems? Are they easily available?'

`No host, they're even rarer than high grade potions as elemental gems are imbued with element laws. You can think of them as naturally made magic gems with elemental laws.

Magic gems are gems with mana inside them and are used in almost everything like to power a stove or to make potions. However, since there aren't so many gems made naturally, artificial magic gems are used. These are made by imbuing mana into a gem and can be differentiated as artificially imbued mana is not stored evenly in the gem.

As for elemental laws, I cannot say much till you increase your mage ranking.`

With this the system seemed to satisfy most of Ethan's curiosity. However, Ethan was thinking about an entirely different thing right now.

After hearing about magic gems, he'd remembered a game he'd played back on earth. The game had a cubic item with slots and it was used to upgrade items through recipes. If he made the cube through the system creation function wouldn't he not have to worry about potion grades?

Pulling up the function creator screen he immediately input Horadric cube to see if the system accepted it.

`Ding! Fictional items not designed by the host cannot be used.`

Ethan frowned. He'd expected the design to get rejected but he was thankful it wasn't entirely rejected.

Pulling up the creator screen again, he started drawing, creating 4 slots in a square shape.

He remembered that while the Horadric cube had several slots, most recipes didn't have more than 4 unique ingredients. Therefore, with a stacking function, he could easily design the function with 4 slots.

After spending some time designing, the function details the system agreed with looked something like this:

2 x 2 square slots

Buff effects of items are not removed when placed inside the slot.

Allows any recipes the host desires to be used provided they satisfy general rules.

3 low quality items -> higher quality item

2 low quality items + any quality magic gem -> higher quality item

any number of items + any number of any quality magic gems -> fuse to produce one upgraded item (chance for the item to have additional stats)

any item -> decompose into item materials (spells and formations on decomposed items to be treated as materials)

4 stacks (64) high grade magic gems -> allows a 4 x 4 cube with 64 slots to be pulled out of system. Item functions as 4 [2 x 2 square slots]. Used to mass transmute items.

Excess items in slots directly returned to system inventory.

Insufficient items in slots directly taken from system inventory after confirmation.

Ethan had tried several other combinations but using lesser gems or items to upgrade all resulted in the create button being greyed out. He was slightly disappointed, but this result was also much better than he expected.

Hands shaking with anticipation, he pressed the create button.

`Ding! Please confirm the function is fully defined!`

'Confirmed'

`Ding! Function created! Please name the function.`

'Transmutation Cube'

Well he wasn't that great at naming anyways, he justified himself in his mind.

`Ding! Function integrated.`

Ethan opened the function panel excitedly. Seeing the 4 slots inside a square with a transmute button to the right, he felt tremendously elated. For now, he could earn enough money just by upgrading low quality items and selling them.

While this was quite a poor vision for a godly item item based upon the Horadric cube's design, (poor enough that the Horadrims who created the cube would probably cough blood if they knew of this), it was a start. And so Ethan set out of the inn, dreaming of the upcoming inflow of money.