"…That I probably could not even kill a mosquito."
Ekant stared at his own profile for a solid three seconds after saying that.
Then he sighed.
"With these stats," he muttered, "I probably couldn't even scare one."
A mosquito could land on his arm, look at his Essence: 108, feel offended, and leave out of pity.
But unbeknownst to Ekant, 108 was an outrageously high value—high enough to allow him to kill opponents at least five levels above him. Normally, players could only obtain between 1 and 51 essence. Throughout the entire game, only two players had ever reached the 50 mark before him, and just one had managed to touch 51 on the first login.
He glanced back at the forest around him.
Tall trees. Dense bushes. Unknown creatures probably hiding behind every shadow.
'Yeah… fighting anything right now would just be suicide with extra steps.' He thought.
After rechecking his profile— twice, just to make sure the system wasn't playing a joke on him— Ekant decided to open Settings.
"Open settings," he said.
The profile vanished instantly, replaced by a new translucent panel.
[Player NoName's Settings Choices]
The heading was written in bold, slightly glowing text.
Ekant straightened a little.
'Alright… let's see what kind of traps you've prepared for me.'
[Congratulations on opening settings, Player NoName.]
Ekant nodded.
"Thank you," he said politely.
[Audio Assistant [On (Active)]:
Only works to inform you when your health is in a critical state or when you've died.
Cannot be turned off.]
"…Excuse me?"
Ekant frowned.
"So you only talk when I'm about to die… or already dead?"
That didn't feel reassuring.
That felt threatening.
[Pouch / Bag (Locked):
A special item that can store anything inside its own space except living beings.
Can be acquired via rewards or purchased in city shops.]
"Locked," Ekant repeated.
'So I can't even carry trash properly yet.'
Any item with spatial abilities carried an absurdly high price, even by the standards of this VR game. Only rich NPCs could normally acquire such items—spatial rings, spatial bags, and spatial pouches being the most common. They were symbols of wealth within in-game society, though a handful of top players had also managed to obtain them.
[Mystery Box:
A beginner box for new players.
Rewards a weapon, item, or treasure.
One per player.]
Ekant's eyes lit up slightly.
"…Finally. Something that doesn't sound like an insult."
[Path (Magic):
Your current magic realm and level.
If nothing is shown besides Path (Magic), you have yet to reach Realm 1 or Level 1.]
"…So I'm not even officially a mage," Ekant muttered.
'Just a guy who believes in magic.'
[Bloodline:
A special path that represents ancestral legacy and inheritance.
None means your ancestors were mere mortal beings.]
Ekant nodded thoughtfully.
"That's fair," he said calmly. "I don't remember my ancestors shooting fireballs either."
Bloodlines were among the most renowned mechanics for acquiring resources, as they significantly increased a player's essence absorption rate and unlocked special abilities. Most players relied on ordinary medicines to improve it, while some spent vast fortunes attempting to activate their bloodline. Despite that, many players whose status remained 'Yet To Unlock' still failed, 'None' were not exception, even after consuming Earth-grade medicines that cost them a fortune.
[Body:
Represents your potential or talent in acquiring Mana.
Determines how far you can go on the magic path.
Special bodies grant special benefits.
If None:
You are even below normal humans, as mortal humans possess at least a Mortal Body.]
"…I'm sorry, what?"
Ekant leaned closer to the panel.
"Below humans?"
"So I'm not just weak," he said slowly. "I'm professionally weak."
[Legacy:
!?!?!?]
Ekant stared at the question marks.
"…Even the system doesn't know."
That somehow made it worse.
Then he remembered that his brother had mentioned Legacy.
"Oh yeah, Tiyan told me that NPCs explained Legacy to players," Ekant murmured.
True, Legacy was not easy to achieve. That was why it was marked with exclamation points and question marks. It was understandable that the system did not provide any information about it, even though it clearly knew of its existence.
[Essence:
Shows your current Mana amount and how much is required to break through to the next realm or level.]
"Okay," Ekant nodded. "This one at least sounds normal."
[Mana:
Mana is your source of energy, also known as Magical Energy.
The more Mana you have, the stronger you become.
Your location, talent, and magic method determine absorption speed.]
"…So location matters," Ekant murmured, glancing around the forest.
Good to know I'm standing in a place where everything looks stronger than me.
[Strength:
An attribute that increases when you break through realms.
Determines how powerful a weapon you can wield.
Cannot be None.]
Ekant paused.
"…But mine says 'Yet to Unlock'."
He stared at it suspiciously.
That feels like 'None' with extra steps.
[Defense:
Determines your ability to wield defensive equipment.
Rarer than Strength.
Cannot be None.]
Also neutralizes attacks from opponents one realm below you—
Requires Defense Artifact.
Ekant nodded slowly.
"So basically… useless until I somehow survive long enough to get one."
[Log Out:
Logs you out of the game.
Can be activated via voice command.
Command examples:
1. Log out
2. Log me out
3. As I order thee, disappear me
4. I, your majesty, command you to log me out]
"..." Ekant stared at the examples.
"…Why does the system encourage roleplay while kicking me out?"
He shook his head.
[Next: Open next page]
He read everything thoroughly.
Then once more.
Then leaned back mentally.
"…This is slightly different from what Tiyan told me."
Not drastically— but enough to notice.
Maybe some functions vary by player, he thought. Or maybe he just simplified it for me.
Either way, it was a lot of information for someone who couldn't defeat a mosquito.
After digesting everything, Ekant tapped Next.
Click.
[Inventory:
Yet to acquire.
Will display all items from pouches, spatial bags, and rings.]
[Weapons:
Displays all weapons.
Functions same as Inventory.]
[Other Items: Displays items that does not belong to respective field.
Functions same as Inventory and weapons.]
Ekant stared at the empty sections.
"…So everything I own right now is air."
He tapped Close, located at the top-right corner.
The settings vanished.
For half a second, the forest returned.
Then—
A new window appeared.
〈Do you want to open Mystery Box?〉
Ekant's eyes narrowed.
His lips curved slightly.
"…So," he said quietly, "this is my only hope right now."
He raised his hand.
Paused.
Then smiled faintly.
No pressure.
And reached forward.