First Quest (2)

"Let's see what this shop has then."

Alexi's mouth bent downwards in a frown as he scanned through the shop function.

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SKILLS

Combat Skills

Character Skills

Miscellaneous Skills

Author Skills (Locked)

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"What do you mean, locked?! I'm the goddamn author, you shitty system!"

"Hmm…"

Jules shifted in her bed, alerting Alexi to stand up. He was just about ready to run out of the room before she could open her eyes, but once he realised she wasn't anywhere close to waking up, he let out a relieved sigh and sat back down.

"Let's see what skills are here."

The first type to get his attention was obviously the combat skills. Earlier he'd bought one, but he was interested in seeing any others to see if the system truly did recommend him the best for his situation.

The system had categorised the combat skills by different grades and categories: Grades S – F and Attack, defence and support respectively.

He quickly went to check out the S grade attack skills and was left flabbergasted.

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COMBAT|ATTACK SKILLS (S GRADE)

Time Slayer's Divine Strike|200B SP

The Pendragon|200B SP

Chaos Burst|150B SP

Quantum Break|149B SP

Limitless Mass Strike|140B SP

….

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'Hey, hey, hey, why the hell did you put the strongest characters' strongest attacks in here? You really want me saving up enough to buy just one of these? Cause I will. I really will save up for these.'

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You have 5 SP remaining

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"You didn't have to remind me you shit."

'Still, I can see why they'd be worth this much.'

The quest he'd received was offering to give him 30 SP from doing it. It was an E grade quest. If he went under the assumption that the prizes from the quests increased by 10x the higher the grade, that'd mean the highest he could earn from an S grade quest was 3,000,000 SP. The only way to get one of those skills from doing side quests alone would be to do at least 50,000 S rank side quests.

That alone was impossible. Maybe the story quests themselves gave more points, but given the tiny amount of arcs from the original novel, there was no way to ever achieve those skills.

'Did she put those in just to motivate me to work harder?'

Alexi crossed his legs and licked his lips, a small curvature starting to form.

'No. That's just a waste of her time. There's definitely a way to get even just a single one of these skills and I bet it's locked somewhere in the Author Skills. Well, no point in wasting brain cells over this right now.'

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CHARACTER SKILLS

Character Appraisal|250 SP

Character Database|1000 SP

Character Affinity Chart|50 SP

Character Link|10,000 SP

Character Monitor|340 SP

….

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Unlike the combat skills, the character skills were not arranged in any particular order.

Alexi's face twisted into an upset frown.

The character skills weren't what he was expecting. He had no idea what to do with what he was looking at.

Well, he did, but he had no real interest in the skills presented before him. Judging from their names alone, he could assume what the skills did, so he didn't even need some of them. There were only two that he wanted, but he was too broke to afford them.

Character Affinity Chart and Character Link looked interesting.

He created the characters and an estimation on what and what not they liked, but there was a limit to just how correct his estimations were if the characters were now actually alive. He didn't really need the affinity chart skill, but he wanted it for assurance. The character link skill too looked pretty interesting.

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Skill: Character Link

Grade: C grade

Description: Allows you to link yourself to a character of your choice. The higher your affinity with the character, the more of that character's skillset you receive access to.

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If you combined the Character Affinity Chart and Character Link skills, you could have yourself quite the decent weapon.

"When I get more SP, I'll get the Affinity skill first since it's conveniently cheap. But to do that, I'll have to do a quest firs-oh?"

As if waiting for this very moment, an alert screen popped up before him.

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YOU HAVE RECEIVED A NEW QUEST REQUEST

STORY QUEST: INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE WORLD (D Grade)

SIDE QUEST: SAVE JULES (C GRADE) |NEW! |

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"Save Jules? Again?"

Alexi looked over to the bed, but there was nothing out of the blue as far as he could tell.

Just then, the door's leading to the infirmary slid open and a man with a hulking frame walked into the room, bloodshot eyes spinning in their sockets. Alexi watched as the man walked past him, towards the sleeping Jules.

Alexi's brows furrowed, confused as he read the side quest.

"There was already a scenario like this in the novel, so… why?"

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SIDE QUEST: SAVE JULES (C GRADE)

Description: Someone with an eye out for Jules has summoned a dangerous fae to cause intense harm to her. Save her from this imminent threat.

Reward(s): +400 System points (SP), 10 Combat Points (CP)

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"Wait, this scenario was supposed to happen much earlier."

A student jealous of Jules buys an expensive Fae Crystal, that contains a dangerous fire elemental while she's knocked out after a combat session with Chris. On his way to check on her after class, Chris sees the elemental and defeats it, saving Jules without her even knowing what happened. That was the original plot.

So, why the hell was this happening just now?

The hulking man stopped before Jules and stared at her intensely, steam starting to roll off his skin.

The holographic screen popped up three more times, getting bigger by the second.

"Ohohoh…"

Alexi couldn't hide his excitement as he stood up from his seat and walked over to cabinets, taking out some flasks.

"You want my help that bad? Fine."

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You have accepted the side quest: SAVE JULES (C grade)

Should you fail, there will be consequences

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Alexi took a mental note of that, then shoved it to the back of his head for later. It wasn't relevant now.

"If she couldn't stop a minor canon event like this that has barely any impact on the original, but can only delay it to this extent, that means she truly can't do anything without my intervention, no?"

He rummaged through some of the drawers to find a certain packet with the label "Fae Merde" on it. He then poured the powdery substance into a beaker and filled it up with water.

"Haha, and I'm guessing Chris will come walking into the scene real soon to save Jules, but…"

Alexi walked out of the infirmary to inspect the hallways. After confirming they were empty since everyone was in class at the moment, he returned to the room and slid the door behind him.

"The situation's one in which Chris can't come save her, meaning it's my choice whether to save her or not."

The man's hulking frame no longer resembled that of a human. His legs were now nothing more than dancing flames and what was once skin was charcoal burning bright red. A pair of giant curved horns grew out of the being's forehead and its eyes burned hot with a mad rage.

"If Chris saves her, it changes nothing. If I save her, it changes nothing. But if no one saves her, there's an unlimited number of potential changes. You're also taking a risk here by losing Jules, aren't you?"

Alexi looked back on the desk and took a scalpel, inspecting it before shrugging.

"I'm guessing you think I won't because I don't want to follow your rules. Tsk, tsk, tsk, Lazy God. We both know I need Jules for my perfect ending."

Then, with a deranged smirk, he flung the beaker with all his strength, splashing the solution on the elemental.

"And clearly, you do too."

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COMBAT INITIATED AGAINST CHARACTER FIRE ELEMENTAL (DAKJA)

WARNING: LOSS AGAINST THIS CHARACTER MAY RESULT IN DEATH

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The elemental's neck creaked slowly, as it turned its attention to Alexi. The elemental was pissed off. Its eyes narrowed and its blood lusted gaze turned on Alexi. The fire mane that once adorned its head was now extinguished, leaving it as nothing but steaming charcoal.

Alexi put on a lab coat.

"I've always wanted to be a surgeon."

The elemental roared at Alexi, trying to ignite it's flames once more, but to no effect. It looked down on its arms trying to summon just a wisp of flame, but nothing came forth. The elemental, confused, looking around at its own body, then at Alexi who was just a foot away from it.

"Bet you're confused, huh?"

Even without its fire, the elemental was still strong. It swung a wide arc at Alexi, but the boy ducked, narrowly avoiding the death blow.

"Stupid Fae elementals like you might've actually been a threat to me if only I wasn't the author of this world."

In the novel, a certain mega corporation had manufactured a lot of products under the name "Fae Merde". The secret behind this organisation's products was a substance extremely necessary to beating otherworldly beings, also known as Fairy Dung. Alexi figured it'd be comedic to hide the solution to a lot of the problems in plain sight, making many callouts to it in several chapters.

Of course, he'd done it so much that some readers started to speculate its importance before he revealed it.

From his position, he lunged a kick at the elemental's chin. However, he wasn't strong enough to cause any damage and only made the elemental stagger backwards.

"What was I expecting…?"

He started to question his actions, but made sure to waste no time lingering on them. He quickly pounced on the elemental and shoved the scalpel into its eye.

The being let out a pained, silent roar, and swung at Alexi's sides, causing the boy to cough out in pain. He fell to the floor, hunched over and clutching at his sides in a pathetic attempt to soothe the pain.

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-5 Combat Health

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'I knew a single punch would hurt, but… this badly?!'

The lab coat he wore was steaming.

Even though the elemental's fire was turned off, his charcoal skin was still hot enough to cause some level of burns.

The elemental brought its fist down like lightning, but Alexi quickly rolled out of the way. The fear for his life outweighed the pain he was feeling.

He stood back up and removed the lab coat, holding it up in front of him like a matador.

"Well, whatever. Let's do this."

Dakja couldn't care less about whatever was going through Alexi's mind. It just wanted to kill him before completing its order. It threw another punch at Alexi, aimed right at the boy's chest, but found itself caught in a trap.

Alexi wrapped the lab coat around Dakja's boulder fist, somewhat reducing the impact from the blow.

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-4 Combat Health

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'You're joking… that actually worked?!'

Alexi's body wobbled as he coughed out some blood.

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WARNING: LOSING ALL YOUR COMBAT POINTS WILL RESULT IN FORCED INCAPACITATION OR COMBAT REMOVAL

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"Well shit."

He muttered, then slid along the monster's outstretched arm, getting in close with a raised fist. He felt an electric shock course through his arm as all energy left it. With a bloody grin, he punched the scalpel in the fire elemental's eye, forcing it through to the other side.

'I had only one remaining… so I couldn't waste it on an initial attack that wouldn't work.'

Dakja's body quickly crumbled to the ground in a pile of charcoal.

Alexi himself wasn't looking too good. His wobbly knees gave out, forcing him to the ground. He coughed out a little bit more blood.

'This feels like I'm actually about to die, but I feel like I got off easy.'

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CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE SIDE QUEST: SAVE JULES (C GRADE)

YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE REWARDS: +400 System points (SP), 10 Combat Points (CP)

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Alexi leaned against the wall, breathing raggedly. Quickly, he bought the Character Affinity Chart skill.

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You have 355 SP Remaining

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"What do I even do with these combat points?"

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Combat Points can be used to increase your physical stats and proficiency with combat skills

1 Combat Point = 1 Stat point

The amount of combat points needed to enhance skill proficiency varies depending on the combat skills

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'I see…'

Alexi put 5 combat points into his Combat Health and saw an immediate rise. He even regained 5 combat health on the spot, although it didn't fill up the bar. He clicked his tongue in distaste and sat up, some of the pain alleviated.

'If you're going with a shitty system model, at least give me a cheap stat recovery system!'

"Hm, what I lacked in this battle was the necessary strength and defence, but my defence is already my highest stat."

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STATUS

Username: SYSTEM LOVER

Combat Points: 6/15

Mana Points: 0/30

Race: Infernal

Bloodline: -

Strength: 8

Agility: 10

Dexterity: 11

Intelligence: 14

Constitution: 15

Charisma: -5

ABILITIES

Talent: Crystal Horn (F grade)

Skill: Mana Punch (E grade)

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Alexi shrugged.

"I'll assume Dakja was just stupid strong and pour my points into strength and dexterity, for easier manhandling in combat situations."

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STATUS

Username: SYSTEM LOVER

Combat Points: 6/15

Mana Points: 0/30

Race: Infernal

Bloodline: -

Strength: 11

Agility: 10

Dexterity: 13

Intelligence: 14

Constitution: 15

Charisma: -5

ABILITIES

Talent: Crystal Horn (F grade)

Skill: Mana Punch (E grade)

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Alexi was about to close his system screen, but eyed his skill (Mana Punch) for quite a bit.

"Hmm, that skill's problematic."

Saying this, he looked through the system shop for a particular skill. Considering just how cheap mana punch was, that skill definitely had to be cheap as well.

"Aha. There you are!"

After spotting the skill, he tapped on it to purchase, but immediately froze.

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ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE (Mana Control) ABILITY FOM THE SHOP FOR 355 SP?

[YES][NO]

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Alexi could feel a brain vessel burst as he read the bullshit in front of him.

"You're fucking with me, right? You're playing some sort of twisted joke, aren't you, Lazy God?"

*********

The doors to the room slid open and the nurse walked in, dropping her cup of coffee. She was met with the scene of a pile of charcoal on the ground, her lab coat on fire, some blood splattered on the ground and Jules sleeping peacefully on the bed.

"W-What happened here?"

"Oh, you're back."

The boy – the infernal – sat up from the ground. His nose was bloody and his clothes were out of place. She wanted to stop him to inquire further, but the murderous glare in his eyes made her hesitate.

"I take it I can leave now?"

There was an underlying threat in his cold tone. Something like "You've wasted enough of my time. Waste anymore and I'll make you pay."

The nurse backed away and nodded quietly. The boy walked past her, but on his way out, she could have sworn she heard sniffing. There was a weak sway in his steps and weird tiredness in his eyes that wasn't there before.

'We really shouldn't have allowed infernals into the academy!'

As soon as he was far away from the room, she went over to check on Jules. Luckily, everything was fine about her, but that only confused her further.

If he wasn't doing something to her, what was it that he did that made such a mess in the room?

She didn't even want to think about it, but maybe he was doing drugs in the room?