A Day's Work

Liv's statement shook poor Ren as he couldn't believe this rude bastard was supposed to be his new boss. Not to mention his tone at the end their sounded more like a torturer welcoming a new prisoner than a man happy to have a new field hand. It only made Ren want to gulp and run, but he couldn't run with Arne watching him so he settled for a nervous gulp as he looked up into Liv's eyes.

"Haha, yea.....sure. I'll be there." Ren said a little awkwardly. Liv only grunted in response, not particularly interested in Ren at the moment as he looked back to Arne, saying "Well, since you're down here already, join us for a meal! The women have just brought us a bunch of good food for our empty stomachs and two more shouldn't hurt the spoils, haha!" Liv's voice loud and boisterous, drawing the attention of the crowd behind him with many of the men offering a toast and cheer while some of the women chuckled at the play. One woman walked over and sternly pointed her finger at Liv, saying "Now see her you big oaf, I know you're just looking to party and ignore your chores. We've still got plenty to do before the day is done and you've already eaten plenty. Get your lazy bum back into those fields or I'll skin its hide and cook it over the fire for supper." Her voice firm and even though she was at least a foot shorter than Liv, barely reaching his shoulder, she looked like she was talking down to a child, more than speaking to the loud giant in front of them.

Liv, for his part, could only scratch the back of his head and say "Aye, but dear, we've been working hard all day. And it's so rare that we see dear Arne here. Isn't this cause enough to take things a bit easy for now and enjoy the good company?" He asked sheepishly, like a child trying to talk his mother into letting him have a new toy.

"Hmmff, you think just because he's here that you get to goof off? Arne and his friend here are welcome to join us girls for our meal, but as for you boys, back to the fields with you. If you really want to see Arne, go do it at the hall tonight, like I know you bunch of scoundrels were planning to do anyway. No, begone with you, or I'll make sure the lot of you can't move enough muscles to even reach the hall tonight!"

With that, many of the men who were laughing at the spectacle went wide eyed and finished up their food before tossing it aside and making large, fast strides back towards the fields. Liv looked down, sullen and kicking the dirt as he wandered back to the fields as well. Ren couldn't help but smirk and Arne just looked away from his friends shame. As a fellow married man, he knew the dangers of the household well and knew how to stay out of it.

Liv's wide finally smiled at the two men in front of her as her husband reached the fields and said "Well, would the two of you like to join us? I know Arne must be very interested in doing so given how he talks with my husband." Her words were sweet, but their tone and her un-moving stare at Arne made things seem as if she was about to stab the poor man.

"*Cough*cough* Uh, well...I think it's about time me and Ren were leaving. It was nice seeing you Brenna, let Liv know I'll see him later. Come on boy..." Arne says as he grasp Ren's arm and turns them back towards the village. Brenna just watches them leave slowly before heading back to the girls and saying. "Alright, let's clean this place up. Get everything back to the houses and then its back to work."

On Arne and Ren's part they simply went back to Arne's house. "I've still got a few things to organize before nightfall so just try not to wander around. Too many people would think you are trying to escape or spy on them. Also, if I find something out of place when I return, Prana will get first crack at deciding your punishment." With a smirk on his face, Arne left Ren there a little confused and nervous. But, with this newfound time to himself, he could finally explore what his system actually had to offer.

'Alright, system, where should I start'

'Advisement: Host should 'start' by looking at either the study or research functions. In them, host may find useful information currently available, or purchasable knowledge that may be of use to the host. If host has any specific questions, the system will do what it can to answer.'

'Hmmm, alright. Well, since I don't have any powers right now, is it possible for me to learn something like magic, or cultivation techniques or some kind of super power?'

'Answer: It is possible, however. Given host complete lack of knowledge on all of these subjects applications, the cost to purchase them will be higher. At level one access, host has the ability to purchase mana sense with three hundred points, or at the current exchange ration of fifty gold pieces. This knowledge will allow host to learn the ability to sense what this world describes as mana at the level of adept peoples. This will unlock the ability to learn further techniques and refine the host 'powers' later.'

'Fuck.....you've got to be kidding me. The first technique cost three times what I got for a bonus starter value? Damn, I guess that means I won't be able to get any powers anytime soon.'

'Advisement: Host current purchasing power is limited, however, the host can learn outside of the system when possible. All techniques and knowledge the system has are acquirable through the host own effort. The system is here to expedite the host ability to use and learn this knowledge and techniques through host sacrifice.'

'Hmmm, well.....at least it's not as limiting as a game then. I have free will still, for the most part anyway. Alright, what knowledge do I currently have access to?'

'Answer: Host currently has access to documented knowledge from host previous world. Any knowledge that host had first hand interaction with is available for review at the host previous maximum of the knowledge. Host also has access to any knowledge the system has been able to learn and scan from host surrounding environment. System is limited to the one kilometer radius that the current Mapping function is limited to, and the System is further limited in its scans of local fauna and recorded knowledge to things within ten meters of the host.

Host also has the ability to purchase more knowledge from either the study or research functions with discounts provided on developing previous knowledge to higher levels.

Current host knowledge library includes:

Earth anthropological history

Earth conflict history

Earth technological history

Earth Political history

Mathematics

Cooking

Crafting

Farming

Engineering

Art

Biology

Physics

Economics

Chemistry

Please note that each category is currently limited to host previous knowledge and many categories are low in actual knowledge level. Purchase of memory grafting is available for photographic memory of the knowledge, as well as purchase of further knowledge expansion. Categories cost more than topics and are much harder to unlock, but categories must first be unlocked before a topic is available for review.

Does host wish to review any knowledge or make a purchase?'

Ren could only blink at the huge dump of knowledge and constant robotic flow of the system's explanation. His mind buzzing at the how much and how little he actually knew. He thought about the memory grafting idea as something that he could use to easily jump ahead, and asked 'How much does a memory grafting cost?'

'Answer: Grafting cost depends on knowledge depth and current host memory. Example: Current host Mathematics category is heavily used and easily accessed in host memory, therefore, cost to graft memory of the category of current mathematics is forty points, or seven gold. Other categories such as Chemistry category would require two hundred points to graft to memory as host current ability to recall previous earth chemistry topics is low.'

'Hmmmm, shit. I guess that's not gonna be useful for a while right now. Is there an ability that allows me to have a photographic memory?'

'Answer: Yes, abilities and techniques exist for host to obtain a photographic memory. However, those abilities are currently locked from host access. It is possible host will either have to unlock them through system upgrades.'

'Ugh...this is useless. Can you just give me a list of things that I am able to purchase right now? Including their prices?' Ren was already growing frustrated, so he felt just jumping to the gun would be best.

'Answer: Current purchasable techniques, functions, and knowledge include;

Mini-map: 50

Display inlay(HUD): 70

Bank System: 30

Inventory Lvl 1: 70

Knowledge in any category of cost from 5-100

Scanner upgrade Lvl 1; 20

Mapping Upgrade Lvl 1: 50

Knowledge Category Unlock: 100

Status Display: 30

Basic Close Quarters Combat technique Lvl 1: 60

Basic Stealth techniques Lvl 1: 40

Basic Movement techniques Lvl 1: 30'

With the new list of info running through his head, he couldn't help but wonder over a number of these choices, and how useful they would actually be given how expensive they all were. If he was careful he could maybe get three of them.

'Hmmmm.....I like the mini-map, but as I've already found out, it's not immediately necessary. The knowledge could also be good, but given that I don't know how much I can get on any topic with how little I have, it might not be worth it. The definite big ones are the inventory system, the status system, and the Hud system. Each of those is super game like and could really help me in the immediate future. The upgrades could be useful, but I think I should try getting used to what I already have first before trying to hope at something more. Hmmmm.......it's tough, but given that the inventory has a level cap, that should mean it's limited and not the infinity bag seen in all those anime and novels. Alright, System, I want to purchase the HUD system and the Status system.'

'Statement: Confirmed. Processing upgrade. Stand by for implementation'

Suddenly, Ren felt a burning pain at the front of his head and especially in his eyes. It felt like he was face planting into an open flame and it caused him to shiver and let out a silent scream as he felt some of the worst pain in his life. Luckily, it only lasted a moment, but he was still left shivering and sweating on the floor. But as he blinked, and confirmed he was very much alive and could still see, he noticed a few new things. He now had what looked like a user interface in most games. There was a menu, a number of buttons for his system functions, and he now saw a number depicting his health, and next to it, a small icon with a picture of his new, younger face. Feeling gobsmacked and still in shock from the pain, all Ren could say was "Fuck"