Chapter 7. The Assassin System.
[EMERGENCY REPAIR PROTOCOL COMPLETED.]
[HOST CURRENT STATUS.]
> BLOODLINE STATUS: HEALED. ACTIVATION AT 100%
>PHYSICAL TRAUMA: FULLY REPAIRED.
[Host has received a new bloodline ability: SHADOW]
[Host has received a new skill: REGENERATION]
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[Congratulations, host, you have now received the Assassin System]
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Timmy stared blankly at the words floating before his eyes. While he couldn't deny the reality of it anymore, the idea that he now possesses dual abilities and a fully activated bloodline was still difficult to grasp. The complete absence of the injuries he'd sustained, particularly the nasty gash on the back of his head, served as a stark reminder that everything happening was, in fact, very real.
"Um, how do I activate this?" he mumbled, not truly expecting an answer. To his surprise, a response materialized on the screen.
[Please check your status window]
"How do I do that?"
[By visualizing the phrase 'System Interface' in your mind]
Timmy paused, picturing the words 'System Interface' as clearly as he could. Just as instructed, the characters on the screen shifted, transforming into a list-like menu.
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[Status] [Skills] [Inventory] [Quests] [Shop]
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Following the same process, Timmy focused on the word "Status." As if by magic, all the other options vanished, leaving only the requested information.
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[Status]
_Name: Alastor Havensworth
_Title: (Locked)
_Level: 1
_Exp: 0/500
_HP: 100/100
_Energy: 50/50
〔Attributes〕
>Agility: 11
>Strength: 8
>Defence: 5
>Stealth: 1
>Perception: 0
>Assassination: -----
〔Stats point-0〕
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'Alastor Havensworth, is that my name now?' Timmy wondered, scanning the information.
He wasn't particularly surprised. After all, his name 'Timmy' had been given to him by one of the orphanage staff, a name assigned out of convenience rather than any real meaning.
His focus shifted to the rest of the panel.
"Why does this look familiar? It's like that game I used to play with Arthur... points, levels..." The layout mirrored one of the games he and Arthur used to play.
"And skills..." Timmy visualized the word.
The status panel flickered, replaced by a new screen.
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[Skills]
*Passive:*
>Shadow Walk (Lvl 1): Reduces the sound of footsteps and increases movement speed in shadows.
>Poison Resistance (Lvl 1): Grants minor resistance to common poisons.
>Anatomy Knowledge (Lvl 1): Increased critical hit chance on vital points.
> Regeneration(Max): Allows the user to heal from almost every physical injury.
*Active:*
>Disguise (Lvl 1): Assume a simple disguise for a short period.
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Numerous locked skills filled the screen, some displaying unlock requirements while others remained shrouded in mystery. Most seemed to revolve around stealth, movement, and critical damage—a deadly combination for an assassin, just as he'd feared.
'But if this is like a game, does that mean I can maybe change my class later? From an assassin to something else?' Timmy clung to the hope that this was all just a game, a complex and incredibly realistic one, but a game nonetheless.
His thoughts were interrupted as the screen flickered again, displaying a new message that made his jaw drop.
[Initiating brain assessment... Assessment complete. No detectable brain damage. Query: If the host possesses functional neural pathways, why does verbal output resemble that of an oxygen-deprived simpleton?]
"What the fuck," Timmy exploded, finally finding his voice once again after the shock he felt just now.
'Did that… thing just insult my intelligence?'
Instead of a response, a crudely drawn smiley face appeared on the screen.
"Hey! I am not stupid!" Timmy yelled, his anger momentarily overriding the absurdity of arguing with a floating screen.
[System believes host… Hardly.]
"You!" Timmy sputtered, then stopped, realizing how ridiculous he must look, yelling at thin air. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. There was no point in getting worked up over a… well, he wasn't even sure what to call it.
After regaining his composure, Timmy decided to check the remaining options. The inventory was predictably empty, so he moved onto Quests.
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[Quest]
>Daily Quest_ Deep slumber: [Status_Completed_ reward_ 1 Exp pill]
>Weekly quest_ Seed of the abyss: [Status_ Uncompleted]
>Monthly quest_ ----
>Yearly quest_----
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"System, the Exp pill—it's for leveling up, right?" Timmy asked, already suspecting the answer.
[Yes]
A single word materialized on the screen.
"Okay, good," Timmy muttered. "System, use the Exp pill."
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[Host used an Exp pill. Host has received 3500 Exp points.]
[Congratulations, host, on leveling up!]
[Congratulations, host, on leveling up!]
[Congratulations, host, on leveling up! Current level is 4.]
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"Wow, three levels at once!" Timmy grinned, his earlier irritation at the system's sassiness forgotten. He could already feel the difference; a surge of strength coursed through him, making him feel more powerful than he ever imagined possible.
Glancing at his screen, he deceided to check his status once again for any changes.
'Status'
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[Status]
_Name: Alastor Havensworth
_Title: (Locked)
_Level: 4
_Exp: 0/4000
_HP: 100/100
_Energy: 400/400
〔Attributes〕
>Agility: 14
>Strength: 11
>Defence: 8
>Stealth: 4
>Perception: 3
>Assassination: -----
〔Stats points: 9〕
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'Why is Assassination still blank?' Timmy frowned.
As if reading his mind, an explanation appeared.
[The host needs to assassinate someone for a value to appear there.]
"Oh, I see… wait. You mean it'll show how many people I assassinate? Like a… kill count?"
[Yes]
The single word sent a shiver down Timmy's spine. He wasn't sure he wanted a constant reminder of his kills displayed like a macabre scoreboard.
"What about killing animals? Do those count?" Timmy asked, hoping for a less gruesome answer.
[No. Only people. And even then, only those killed using the way of the Assassin will be recorded.]
With a helpless sigh Timmy shifted his focus to his nine stat points.
"System, tell me more about these."
[Stat points can be allocated to any attribute, enhancing host performance.]
"Like in video games, then," Timmy murmured, tapping his chin.
Strength seemed like a solid choice, but his instincts whispered that agility was paramount for an assassin. And then there was Stealth…
After a moment of deliberation, Timmy allocated six points to Stealth, saving the remaining three for later. Years of living hand-to-mouth had taught him the value of holding something back, just in case.
He then checked the shop, only to find it locked until he reached level 20. With nothing else to explore for now, Timmy closed the system interface and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
After a while, the insistent growls of his stomach pulled him out of his contemplation. He rummaged through his nearly bare cupboards and found some leftover takeout from a few days ago. It wasn't appealing, but he reheated it anyway. He'd eaten worse to survive.
Glancing at his watch, he saw it was already 9 PM, not surprising considering how late it had gotten while he was messing around with the system. Luckily, none of his friends or neighbors had stopped by. They would've thought he'd finally cracked if they'd seen him talking to himself and waving his hands in the air.
Returning to his bed, Timmy resumed his ceiling-gazing, but boredom soon set in. Between the unusually long sleep he'd had and the fact that his enhanced body probably didn't need as much rest anymore, he knew sleep was unlikely.
"Wish I had something better to do…"
He closed his eyes, trying to organize the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in his head.
Suddenly, a loud, insistent BEEP echoed in his mind, jolting him back to awareness.
[WARNING: Training simulation will commence in five minutes. Please prepare yourself.]