Elysian Solitaire

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Despite the agony and confusion, Lucien couldn't help but be drawn to the panel and the cryptic messages it displayed. It seemed as though something extraordinary was happening to him, something that transcended the pain and torment he had endured. 

[ The System of Prosperity is welcoming you. I'm Alex, your guide, and I will give you a rough outline of the system's purpose and its functions ] the mysterious message declared. 

Lucien looked at the screen with a baffled expression. For a brief moment, he wasn't sure if this was all a dream or if he was already dead. 

[ You are not dead or dreaming ] the message reassured him. 

His eyes widened, and a chill ran down his spine. "Did the system read my thoughts? How can it know what I was thinking about?" Lucien began to sweat, frightened at the thought of someone accessing his innermost thoughts. 

[ The system filters only related information to itself from your thoughts. Other than that, nothing else is being processed or saved, except if you give permission to the system. Otherwise, it won't interfere with your thoughts or your memories ] the system explained. 

'Alex, does that mean as long as I mention your name, the system will hear my thoughts?' 

[ Yeah, as long as you mention my name or ask the system in general, it will process the information or question that you asked and give an answer accordingly ] Alex replied. 

"That is interesting," Lucien mused, amazed by the system's abilities. He had overlooked the fact that the system could access his memories, captivated by its capabilities. While he wasn't as scared anymore, he still felt slightly uncomfortable knowing that the system was filtering and listening to his thoughts. 

[ The system won't interfere in anything as long as you don't ask a question or ask the system to do something for you ] Alex reassured him. 

"Oh, okay," Lucien replied, perplexed but somewhat reassured. 

'You mentioned something like the purpose and, I think, the functions of the system, right? Can you tell me about them?' he asked curiously. Lucien was still confused and was trying to grasp how he had acquired this system and what it could do. 

[ The system is called the System of Prosperity. Its purpose is to help the host achieve the pinnacle of wealth, strive for the host's well-being, assist in reaching the ultimate goal of being at the top, and help the host reach the pinnacle of Earthia. For the functions, you could first look at your status panel to get a better understanding of yourself. To access your status, just think 'open status' ] Alex instructed. 

'Open Status' Lucien said in his mind. 

[ Status Name: Lucien Wilson 

Age: 22 

Health Points: 15/100 

System Level: 1 

Exp: 0/5000 

Balance: 18$ 

Attributes: 

Stamina: 5 

Strength: 4 

Agility: 6 

Intelligence: 31 

Vitality: 10 

Luck: 6 

Skills / Knowledge: 

Driving - (beginner/intermediate) 

Emotional control (advanced) 

Mixing (intermediate/advanced) 

Testing (intermediate/advanced) 

Scientific research (beginner/advanced) 

… ] 

Lucien examined his status and was surprised to see his balance displayed. However, he was disappointed when he saw his attributes. It felt as if he had been kicked in the gut again. "I don't think these stats are high, except for intelligence, maybe. Alex, what are the stats of an average person?" he wondered. 

[ The Attributes of an average person are as follows: 

Stamina: 7 

Strength: 8 

Agility: 9 

Intelligence: 10 

Vitality: 10 

Luck: 4 

Luck varies for every person and can range from 1 to 10. Most people have a luck score of 4, but some unlucky individuals may have lower luck, while there are also lucky people with a luck score higher than 4. ] 

Lucien reflected on his stats. He had more luck points and much higher intelligence than the average person. However, his strength, stamina, and agility were below average, likely due to his thin build and unhealthy body caused by a lack of proper nutrition. 

He also noticed that his health points were dangerously low, sitting at only 15. He began to realize the severity of his injuries and noticed that the bleeding had stopped. 'Alex, did the system stop the bleeding from my wounds?' he asked in bewilderment. 

[ The system stopped the bleeding with the help of the ring on your finger ] Alex confirmed. 

Lucien looked at his hand and remembered that he got that ring from his deceased parents. "The ring, you mean the ring I got from my parents after they died?". 

[ Yeah ] Alex replied. 

"Can you tell me what's so special about this ring?" Lucien inquired. 

[ The ring is called 'Elysian Solitaire' and had the system locked inside. It got activated by the blood it absorbed and stopped the bleeding while binding with the host. The ring itself is ancient and possesses mystical energy that activated the system. After binding with the host, the ring had no energy left and returned to its original appearance ] Alex explained. 

'So, the ring activated the system, and it's not glowing anymore because the energy is gone?' Lucien sought clarification. 

[ Yeah ] Alex confirmed. 

Lucien was slightly confused, unable to fathom where his parents had obtained such a magical ring. They had little money, and he had only ever known his mother's side of the family, which had an average income. He had never met anyone from his father's side, and his father had once mentioned that he had no relatives. Lucien had seen a few pictures, but that was it. Despite their financial struggles, his parents had always been loving and treated him as their most precious treasure. 

He had seen the ring for the first time when the attorney of his parents had brought it to him along with a note. 

The note read: 

'To our most beloved Lucien, If you read this note, then we are dead and hope that you don't despair from the fact that we won't be there to be with you any longer. Please keep the ring safe and take it as a keepsake to remember us by. 

In Loving Mom and Dad.' 

Lucien was still angry and confused. The note provided no answers about how they had known they would die, especially if it had been a car accident. Why couldn't they have done anything to prevent it if they had known? Or did they not know and had given the ring to the attorney from the moment of his birth? 

Lucien considered every possibility but couldn't arrive at a reasonable explanation. Eventually, he decided to stop dwelling on it and wore the ring everywhere he went, never taking it off. 

He gazed at his ring with a sense of longing and whispered, "Thank you, Mom and Dad. It seems like you're still helping me from heaven." As he said this, his eyes welled up with tears, marking the first time he had cried in a long while. 

He grimaced and redirected his attention to his skills to distract himself. As he reviewed the skills displayed, he quickly noticed that they were related to his studies and experiences. He also realized that his science and business skills were almost all at the advanced level, except for his practical skills. 

"Alex, can you tell me about all the skill grades?" he asked. 

[ There are five grades: Inferior, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert ] Alex replied. 

Lucien was surprised that the system considered his science and business skills to be at the advanced stage. He didn't think he was this advanced in his studies and that his knowledge still fell short compared to more experienced scientists and businesspeople. 

"Why are these skills at the advanced stage?" he wondered. 

[ The system deems the knowledge in the skill operational fields as sufficient to reach the advanced stage. Skills differ from knowledge. Knowledge pertains to theoretical comprehension, while skills involve practical experience. The first evaluation is about skills, and the second concerns the theoretical knowledge level ] Alex clarified. 

"Ah, now I understand. That makes much more sense," Lucien chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed that he hadn't realized it earlier. 

'And what about the functions? Are there missions or something like that?' Lucien inquired. 

[ There are missions. You can open the missions just like the status ] Alex replied. 

'Open missions.' 

Missions: 

Daily missions: 

- 

Main mission: 

- 

Unclaimed Rewards: 

Gift pack + 

Lucien looked at the nearly empty tab and couldn't help but be confused. "Are there no missions? and how can I claim this reward?" 

A chill ran across his body, and he suddenly became aware that he was still lying on the cold floor of his apartment. With great effort, he managed to push himself up and limped over to the bathroom. His primary goal was to assess his injuries in the mirror. As he arrived at the bathroom, he was taken aback by the gruesome sight that greeted him; he was covered in blood from head to toe. So, he first took a shower to wash away all the blood. 

Emerging from the shower, he took in the unsightly wound on his head and the numerous bruises that adorned his body. There were also some light scratches and deep wounds covering his abdomen and legs. He knew his injuries were severe, but he was taken aback by just how bad they truly were. 

Using an old first aid kit, he tended to some of his wounds, carefully applying bandages and band-aids. Afterward, he changed into his pyjamas and headed back to his bedroom. He settled onto his bed, trying to find comfort despite the discomfort of his injuries, and began to ponder the reward he had seen on the mission tab. 

'A gift pack, what could that be?' he mused. As he thought about it, a new panel suddenly appeared in front of him, sparking his curiosity. 

Unclaimed Rewards: 

Gift pack + 

10,000 dollars 

1 Health Revitalizer Pill 

Temporary skill: Stealthy Healing 

Ability: Wheel of Fortune