System Initialized

<System Initialized>

<Welcome Host I hope you enjoyed your childhood>

There was no fountain of sparks or grand worldwide announcement signaling anything. It was a little anticlimactic, to be honest with you. I don't really know what I was hoping for but everyone is still staring at me like something was supposed to happen.

"Uhhhhhh.... It worked." I said flatly.

"Woohoo!" Everyone yelled ecstatically. Raucous cheers filled the whole estate as my mother, father, and even my tutor all cried out happily. Even the maids and butlers were smiling deeply.

"Why is everyone so excited?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well you see sweetheart not everyone gets a system. It's actually pretty common not to get one. I don't even have one." My mother said sadly. "We were concerned that if you knew that you would be worried and anxious about it and would worry yourself sick about it."

"But the countdown and the pomp and circumstance what was all that then?" I asked.

"Everyone gets the countdown." She said sadly "And it has led many a person to their doom when the countdown ends and nothing happens. Many even take their own lives because of it. I know I was very disappointed when I found out I would never use magic or gain skills, but you don't have to worry about that now my lucky lucky boy!"

"She's right there is so much more for us to consider now." My father said smartly. "But I'm so proud of you. Ever since you were a baby you have been blessed and this just shows that the gods truly treasure you. Call it a Fathers' wish but I'm really hoping we have the same system so I can help you even more."

"Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad!" I said gleefully as I embraced them both in a hug. We are a very close family despite my family's status. I count myself lucky in that respect. 

"So can you show us your status screen?" My Dad asked. 

"Sure let me figure out how to do that. System can I see my status please."

<Of course Host.>

<Displaying Stats... Would you like to make them public?>

"Yes please display them for everyone here," I said out loud. As much as I would have liked to keep them all to myself my family deserves to see it. If it is good awesome, and if it is bad well then so be it. I know in my heart of hearts that my family will still support me. I watched in anticipation as my status screen expanded outwards in front of me becoming a large screen that everyone could see. It read as follows.

<Darien Lewis>

<The Adventuring System>

Level 1 (0/100)

HP- 20

MP- 40

Strength- 2

Willpower- 5

Agility- 2

Stamina- 2

Intelligence-3

Luck- 5

<Active Skills>

Magic Gun {Level 1}

<Passive Skills>

Limitless Growth {Level MAX}

"Wow!" Was the collective consensus spoken amongst everyone present. 

"This is an extraordinary status Dare." My father said proudly. 

"Yes honey these stats are extraordinary! But these skills I don't know them." My mother said happily. "Can you pull up additional information on the skills please sweetheart?"

"Sure Mom. System please tell us more about my skills."

<Certainly Host>

Magic Gun {Level 1}- Conjures a weapon equivalent to the skills level that fires mana bullets which can damage or kill opponents.

Limitless Growth {Level MAX}- Allows for infinite growth beyond what is normally capable with system limits. Also provides a boost to experience gain and skill leveling speed. Growth is exponential instead of linear.

"I've never heard of a Magic Gun before but it sounds really good, but this limitless growth... If I'm understanding it correctly you will be able to grow much faster than most other people. That is a tremendous boon. You might even....." My Dad said but stopped shortly as he drifted into thought.

"What's up Dad?" I asked 

"You might even be able to pass level 99 with this skill. Which has never been done before! It's said that the experience needed to go from level 99 to level 100 is more than a person could receive by killing every creature on Tellus, but maybe you could.... No, I don't want to give you such a lofty goal. Let's stick to something a little more short term shall we." He said thoughtfully.

"Yes sweetheart that's right! Like getting you enrolled into the Academy. I can't believe it my boy is actually going to get to go to the Academy." My Mother said happily as tears streamed down her face. 

"And you got the Adventuring system!" My father said with glee. "It's an all-rounder class. You'll be basically ok at everything, but depending on how you spend your free points you can sort of specialize, but it is a good system. I'm proud of you son."

"Alright alright the tender moment crap is getting annoying to me. Can we cut it out? Now what I really care about is that now we can finally get you some real training in." Veronica said with irritation. She had thrown a wet blanket on our party, but she was right. We had limited time before I left for the Academy and despite how she sounded we accepted it. She had become quite a pistol in the years since I was a baby, but she had earned her place in the household so everyone looked over her for the most part. 

"Yes yes you are right of course." The Duke said in his best businessman voice. Having realized that he had displayed more emotion in the last few minutes than in the last few years I think he was a bit embarrassed.

"Alright punk get your butt outside and show me what you got!" Veronica said with vigor.

"Yes ma'am!" I said quickly. Despite how she treated me when I was young I think because of all of the time I spent lazily learning from her while also stealing passing glances at her even larger than before ass something in her finally broke and now she is much more like a drill sergeant than any I ever had in the Army. She has really embraced her inner feminist. Not that I am opposed to that. Trust me I like a woman with some fire in her, but I don't see her happily joining my harem anytime soon.

As we headed outside towards our estates' training grounds I found myself almost skipping with joy in anticipation of seeing what my magic gun skill looked and acted like. One thing I missed from my time spent in the army was the maintenance and upkeep of my firearm. It was a skill that involved ample amounts of patience and diligence beyond what you might think simply cleaning a gun involved. I'm not even sure if a mana-fired gun needs cleaning but I intend to do it anyway!

We finally arrive at the archery range as Veronica, my mother, my father, and I gather nearby to watch. 

"Ok punk activate your skill I wanna see what you can do!" Veronica shouted. 

"Uhhhhhh how?" I asked blankly.

"Holy Ishtar are you an idiot! Just think of the skill and activate it. It's not that hard." She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. 

"Ohh ok." I said nonchalantly. 

System help me out here. Can you activate my Magic Gun skill for me? 

<Certainly Host however in the future all you need to do is simply envision skill your mind and effects expect from it order manifest skills future.>

"Ohh really." I thought to myself. I could see using that to my advantage in the future, but for now I simply envisioned the most beautiful thing in the world. An M16 Rifle that fires what I can only assume is condensed mana instead of lead, and the next second what was in my head was in my hands as golden rays of light and shadow condensed into a solid object in front of me. What I had received was more than I expected. It was a perfect replica of the very first rifle I had ever gone into combat with. The sleek design of the blackened steel barrel. The rigid plactic stock, and the inner workings designed with clockmakers precision. It was like every other rifle, but unlike those rifles this one was mine.