Plans
In truth, Philip had already read the letters. After all, it has been a week since he left the village.
However, he was still taken aback by his parents' origin and found himself repeatedly drawn to the written letters they left behind. He was unable to resist immersing himself in their words time and time again.
Written in his mother's letter were her greetings for his eighth birthday and an apology for her not telling the truth until now.
'Sorry for concealing our identities from you. Our intention was not to show any lack of trust in you, but rather to avoid causing any negative causality in your future.
Although we are restricted from telling you, we also felt it was best to keep the truth. We were aware that you were involved in an inheritance game as your Auntie Marissa foretold.
Thus, we couldn't let you remain in the forest indefinitely as it would limit your potential. It was necessary for you to grow and become more powerful.
We wish you the best, Philip. Hopefully, my little gift will be helpful to you in your future endeavors.'
Included with the letter was a detailed map of the Southern Continent, which featured a prominently marked 'X' and accompanying directives on how to navigate to the specified location.
Upon examining the attachment, Philip's system promptly alerted him of a fresh quest.
Ting!
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[Chain Quest!: Gift of Mother Theresa]
> Go to the location and find the gift of Mother Theresa to her child.
Reward: ???
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'As expected, they are really not your ordinary folks,' Philip wore a satisfied smile on his face. He was glad upon learning his parents' might.
Who would not want a powerful parent? He is similar to any children who dreamt their parents were superhumans in hiding.
However, despite his joy, he was worried about her parents' knowledge of the game.
'So the inheritance game she talked about must be the Soulless Game. I can't believe that some residents of the world know about its existence.' Philip pondered.
He had almost broken down once he knew he was just a character in a book. How much more of the locals when they knew that they would soon face the world's destruction?
Philip frowned as he looked at the first Quest he received ever since he opened the system.
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[Main Quest! 1 vs 99 Soulless Players vs World]
>Be the sole remaining player or survive the world's destruction in the year 1879.
Reward: 1 Wish and a Soul
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After reading this, Philip became enlightened. He finally understood the seriousness of Auntie Marrisa's notion and realized what kind of help she required.
'Today is year 1857. So I have 22 years left before the world's end,'
The letters further motivated Philip to win the game because aside from winning a soul, he could also use his wish to save the world.
He had to pay back the grace he received from this world.
Philip shifted his sight to his father's letter, which held his attention for a moment. His eyes then settled on the badge affixed to the letter.
The emblem etched onto the badge consisted of swords arranged in the shape of the numeral two, with a circular moon-like shape positioned behind the swords.
Additionally, the edges of the badge were adorned with mysterious symbols that only added to its enigmatic allure.
In the letter, his father advised him to use this emblem once he traveled to the Eastern Continent. He never said anything but to use it when it is necessary.
Ting!
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[Chain Quest!: The Descendant of the Twin Sword Moon]
> Go to the Eastern Continent and investigate Xiang Yu's life.
Reward: ???
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After carefully organizing the papers, Philip came to the realization that what he lacked the most was the necessary knowledge about the world. Therefore, he understood the need to acquire more information before taking any further action.
'Good thing that when I reached level 10, the system updated, and I could finally use the 'Information Shop.'
Philip had never tried opening it as he had been busy trying to fend off his pursuers. However, now that he had free time, he could finally see what was inside of it.
Ting!
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[Welcome to the Information Board!]
Experience Points: 1,100,807/1,100,807
[Small Random Information Box]
Price: 10,000
[Medium Random Information Box]
Price:100,000
[Large Random Information Box]
Price: 1,000,000
[Ask any questions]
Price: 2,000,000 - 10,000,000
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'So expensive!' Philip complained internally. The price of each box was so pricey that even he who has a lot of experience points shrank back upon reading it.
'I can only afford one large box yet its information is random!' Philip could only lean on the chair grumpily.
Although disappointed at its price, Philip still chose to use it as he had no other option.
'Let's test the cheapest one first.'
He extended his arm upward and directed his index finger as though it was coming into contact with a solid plane.
Ting!
[Used Small Random Information Box. Deducting 10,000 exp]
Ting!
[Player has negative karma. Generating useless information.]
Ting!
[The sky is blue so is the sea.]
[Karma: +1]
"..."
Philip froze upon reading this. He never expected that his karma would affect the information it generated.
[Total Karma: -12]
While looking at his accumulating negative karma, Philip mulled over how to completely remove them.
'So, this is one of the disadvantages of having negative karma. I have to change it as soon as possible...'
Philip decided to take a break from the Information Shop, as he felt it wasn't serving his interests. Instead, he had to find a way to eliminate all of his negative karma.
He closed the system and was about to put the letters inside the jewelry box when he saw an empty glass of medicine on it.
'Why is it here?' Philip looked at the bottle, dumbfounded. He remembered that he had already thrown it away. How could it return inside the box?
Confused, he quickly tried to use the stolen uniqueness from Steve. Although it can only see through the value of things, it still has other notable uses, especially in determining if there is something unique with an item.
For a week, Philip has been experimenting with the 'Golden Eyes' ability and can finally utilize its power.
However, while he can use it, he still needs the assistance of the System. It was totally different from his initial uniqueness where he did not need its help.
He did not bother with this anymore and just focused his sight on the medicine bottle and the jewelry box.
Philip's eyes glowed as he gazed down at the item resting in his lap. In his vision, he saw the bottle and the accompanying jewelry box emit a breathtakingly radiant golden glow, far beyond what one might expect from items of their respective value.
'Wait, their lights seem similar to Loen's ring,' Philip turned them over and over on his hands, searching for a clue about their function. 'Hmm. What are they capable of?
'Maybe I can do it like this…' He then took the bottle and threw it over the bed. He closed the jewelry box and a little while later, he opened it again.
"This!" Philip's eyes bulged as he looked at the empty bottle inside the box. He quickly looked at the bed to find the bottle he had thrown earlier.
When he did not see it, he glanced back at the jewelry box in his hands.
'This is amazing! The two were linked to each other,' Philip thought excitedly. It was his first time possessing such a peculiar and mystical item.
Philip continued playing and testing its function until the light outside the window dimmed.
'Okay, time to work!' He stood up and fixed his disguise. He has a lot of things to do before his transformation expires.
'First, look for a new identity.'
This was important as his old face was featured in the newspaper. He felt insecure with his disguise, especially since the world was not like his past world.
In addition, he had to test his 'Mystique Identities' ability. He had to know first what it means 'A body the player is familiar with.'
'Second, I have to eliminate all accumulated negative karma.'
What he needed the most was information. With his karma affecting him, he could not proceed with his plan and felt the need to address the issue without delay.
'Lastly, I have to level up.'
His goal was to achieve level 15 as swiftly as possible. This is to gain access to the System's reward upon reaching that level.
[Quest: Reach Level 15]
Reward: System's update (Store), +5 Attributable Stats, 1 Uniqueness Level Up Card
What limited Philip the most was his inability to use his original body. Because of his missing right hand and left leg, he had always been forced to rely on his transformation ability.
The 'Store' under Reward was Philip's purpose. He hoped that there was an item that could help him grow his limbs back.
This was the only way he could think of for now as he possessed no information on any mysterious medicines.
After making plans, he headed out the door, bringing the empty medicine bottle with him.
When he reached outside, a bell reverberated inside his mind.
Ting!
[Quest: Help the poor little thin girl!]
>Reward: 5 Experience Points
Seeing no danger with this mission, Philip accepted it and walked towards the little girl.
"Hello. Do you need help?"