SWNOVELXO Chapter 4: Quest
Pant- Pant-
"What the-"
[Congrats! Lvl 2 achieved. ]
[Rewards: Agi+1 Str+1 Shop Skill Pts: +15]
[Next System Features Unlock at Lv10]
"Mmm.. 15 points huh? What are my full points?"
[Current Skill Shop Pts: 15]
"Guess so.. It wouldn't increase just by asking for the screen huh?"
"The parents of this body have already gone to sleep after arguing over something like.. um.. What was it..?" Then thumping one clenched fist on another like an old man who'd just recived his enlightenment "Yes.. about buying some house or something. Hoho! When I was their age, I would be buying big yards instead of mansions for training. Hohoho. Younger Generation."
But something about how a little child said this, didn't fit the atmosphere—The System too understood it as it perspired as if its in front of a ghost—creeping it out. The light dulled.
"What you acting like that for? Quickly open the Skill Shop. Did I get some new perk this time."
The System suddenly glowed full blue and brilliantly.
Jin Wushen moved his forearms in front of his eyes in a way to avert the eyes from the brilliant light.
"Aaghh What's with you! Decrease the god-dam brightness!"
Ding!
[Congrats Host! Skill Shop New Perk Unlocked.]
Jin Wushen scratched his hairless bad baby head—A question mark illusionary forming around him.
"Skill Shop Perk? What's that?"
...
No Reply.
"Gah-damit. Open Skill Shop."
[Skill Shop]
[Powers] [Consumables] [locked]
"Locked? Locked you say? Then what's the god-dam Perk."
Then reading the screen carefully—
"Ahem! Ahem! This old man does get somethings sometimes wrong..."
"So.. It's the new sections huh?"
Click-
Current Points: 15
Skills available
1.Lightning veins : (100 pts)
You can use lightning as a force of your own: Absorb or dissolve it to earth or reflect it. - based on the level of the skill.
2. Fire god ( -- ) : Wield fire as your own body part. You become of lava. (Locked)
3. Shadow hand (300 pts.) (Upgradable) : You use shadow as your own reflection. The level of shadow control depends on the level of this skill.
4. Bone strengthning (50 pts): Helps in withstanding even whole buildings falling on you with little to harm on the bones. Recommended ofr cultivation.
5. God Hand (--): Locked. No explanation given.
6. Devil on shoulders (-- pts): Skill required for successfully hatching a devil egg.
7. World Magic(--)
9. Shadow God (--) : Last piece of collection required for completing the shadow monarch skill tree.
9. Realm--
10. Tentacl--
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"Ok Ok I get it. So what's the other one?"
..
Again No reply.
"Hey Hey ho do I go back?"
Jin Wushen threw a tantrum but to no avail.
"So What do I have to press?"
Ashe looked into the screen.
"Is it this ?" He pressed a folded arrow that looked like a snake with arrow head.
"Oh! Nice Nice"
[Power] [Consumables] [Locked]
And then with a careful moveemnt of his finger.
"Consumables."
[Do You Wish to Unlock this feature?]
"Huh? What? Isn't it supposed to be unlocked.?"
[Y/N]
"Yes"
Click-
Ding!
[Congrats New Feature Unlocked—Free]
"Free?" Jin Wushen raised raised his hand. But then, stopped.
[Consumables:] Note: Consumable are risk to market factors and prices may change according to the Level and Environemnt.
Recommendation: Use it beneficially while you can.
[Bone Strengthning liquid] [10 pts.]
Makes the Users bones as strong as reinforced steel—Straining could still happen.
Time Duration: 1hr.
[Vitality Increase liquid] [7 pts.]
User's Vitality increases to full in 1s.
[HP Fill liquid] [10 pts.]
Fills your HP back to 100%. Description and Points to buy may change—Depends on the level of User.
[Restrain Re-Order] [8pts.]
Re-zeros all strain on the body constantly for 5 minutes. The body goes back to initial stage after.
Recommendation: Use it with Fast Healing liquid to get the most of it.
[Fast Healing Liquid] [9 pts.]
Heals user at an exponentially fast rate—Increases muscle and body growth rate with no drawback.
[Bone Re-shaping Liquid] [--]
Re-shape bones as how you cook 'em.
[Skin-Muscle Mover] [--]
Your skin and muscles detach to bones and act as their own for exctly 5Uses—After the use, They Re-attach.
[@$%%$]
--
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Level Up to unlock more features.
"Tch. There's so many I want to buy. Just buying all these once could make me leap levels in Cultivation World."
"There's also the Prices increase as Level part."
"Hey, you sticky brat! Can't I buy it at the same price even on the next level?"
..
No Reply.
"huh! guessed so. Tch. This one's a difficult choice."
"Hey! Let me borrow some points."
..
Again no reply.
"Was under expectations. Underwhelming SYSTEM!"
..
"What do I do now?"
"Hey! You hanging in the air. Got any idea?"
..
"Tch."
Scrolling down the Shop "The descriptions of many are locked. What more—I don't even have enough coins to buy 2 good ones."
"Hey! What's the quest for lv3?"
Ding!
[Level 2→3 Quest:]
Manage lotus position for 20 minutes. 10 Push-ups. Show Potential
"Show Potential? Tf You mean? Me—The Endless Blade show potential to who? You?!"
"Has something gone wrong in your back-end code?" (Back-end Code— Interchanged for Head.)
..
"No Reply again huh? And Even if I have to climb levels—specifically for rewards—how do I do that?"
"Any Quests?"
..
..
"Waiting.."
..
..
"So, no answer even for that? Tch. What a stingy and pre-judice System. Half of the answer it eats on itself. Doesn't even burp aftrwards."
"Forget it. Let's just do the other ones first. The third one will have to wait."
"Time for cultivation" And saying that, the child sat on the crib in a lotus position. His spine wobbling.
In less than one minute he crashed side-ways.
"Tch. This won't do. This child's spine is too wobbly."
"Ughh Man Why didn't I was born a horse." Then after a moment of contemplating. "No Nevermind. This one's better."
Then, he placed a hand on his chin "If this won't do then what do I have to do? It's not like I can go to lotus postion with any support. Can I?"
[System Clearance— Lotus Position: Spine needs to be straight with hands on knees and no Support.]
"No support eh? Gotta make it difficult cuz I wanna screw the guy or something?"
"Tch. What now?" Jin Wushen kept a hand over his head as he laid back first. Room only lit with the light coming from the half-moon outside the window.
"It's just got to be difficult progressively. And then there's push-ups too. What am I supposed to do?"
Jin Wushen contemplated his situation on the cradle with hands over his eyes for past 5 minutes. And possibly, maybe just possibly the System showed some warmth towards him.
Ding!
"What now? You adding more restraints to level up?"
[Skill Shop]
"Skill shop? Didn't I see it just now? There's nothi- Wait!"
"Open Consumables"
Ding!
[Consumables]
.
.
.
[Confirm 10pts. transaction? Y/N]
"Yes"
[First Consumables Transaction complete. Reward: 10% casback]
"10% cashback? Why do you make it sound so majestic? Just say 1pt. Rewarded. Tch. It makes itself sound so magnificient that even I sometimes forget how much stingy it is. Tch. Wordsplay. Both worlds. Tch.Tch."
"Now How do I use it?" Jin Wushen said as an almost translucent green gourd appeared in his hand."
Opening its cork "So do I just drink it directly?" He emtied the bottle in his stomach. "Like this?"
The gourd vanished from his hand. Jin Wushen astonished.
And suddenly, his whole body felt like molding.
"Sshhh" Jin Wushen hissed. His body's bones were moving at such degree and angle that "I wanna throw up! Uwaghh"
But nothing came up. He just vomitted air and saliva.
Uwahh
"What's this guteral feeling. Huaarrggghhh. Shit. You should've warned me about this."
[Bone Strengthning liquid]
Makes the Users bones as strong as reinforced steel—Straining could still happen.
Time Duration: 1hr.
After a few minutes:
"Ufff. Finally. It's finished. Uwaaaaahhh!"
"Hey System, How much time left for the gourd to run out?"
[Bone Strengthening Liquid (Current Status) : Active.]
[Duration: 51 m]
"51 Minutes? Too mcuh time already used." Jin Wushen quickly sat upright in a lotus position.
Then with a smirk—eyes closed—as if he's just had the idea to do something.
"Say, Would I get more if I sat for longer?"
The System quickly replied in a rushed manner as if it's almost on the verge of being looted.
[Overtime Pay Status: None]
"Tch. It'd be wasted. But can't do much.."
He sat in lotus position for 20 minutes—limbs as powerful as steel.
The minutes passed in a blink.
Ding!
[Mission#1 Complete: 20 minutes Lotus position √]
[Pending Quests:
10 Push-ups Prove Potential
"Yeah right, those ones left. Tch. Can you atleast try to hide that third one—even if for a little while? Everytime I see it—My pride wails. Tch."
Jin Wushen turned with face towards the sheet.
"Push-ups Overtime?"
[Overtime Status: None]
"Aight! Aight!"
Jin did 10 push-ups in a Whoosh.
"Now.. How do I use the rest of the time?" His bones were still not even close to being warmed-up even.
"Hey, how much time left for the gourd run-out?"
[Bone-Strengthening Liquid]
[Duration: 20m]
"That much? Hey! Give me the third quest already before the gourd runs out."
"Heyy!!"
[Quest#3 Time: 5 minutes to start.]
[System Recommendation: Prepare.]
"Prepare? Me? I—Endless Blade had been born in a battlefield. I'm always ready! Now throw what you got at me!"
1 Minute passed.
"Hey, I've already told you I'm already ready! Do it Dammit!"
[Quest#3 time: 3:50s]
[Recommendation: Prepare]
"Tch. That again!" Jin Wushen laid on the cradle, back to the the sheets.
Counting.
"
1
2
3
.
.
.
And finally 230!"
"Hey! Hey! Is the quest ready? My gourd's timing is already running out!"
Sudeenly—
Hooooooonnnnnnn-
Sirens wailed from all directions in the city.
Jin Wushen jerked a little due to the sudden sound.
"What in the god-holy world is that weird and creepy sound? If I had not been an old man living in this body, the child would've pissed his pants already!"
Then—
Sound of footsteps rushed. On the street where everyone suddenly ran out of their home and flooded the streets s tehy looked like they were pacing towards somewhere. Sounds and noises could be heard from Jin Wushen's windows:
"Where's the chi-" "I've already clutched him to my back. Just run."
"Where's the pape-" "Deadmen don't use papers. it won't go with you in afterlife."
"RUN!!"
...
...
..
The various noises of common folks rushing towards somewhere flooding the streets somewhat annoyed the little Warlord.
"Tch. What low-lives. If it had been me, I'd rather fight than run. Hmph. Common Folks."
Suddenly Jin Wushen's room's door bust open—the click broke down.
"Jin! Thank dear you're ok!" Elsie rushed towards Jin in the cradle.
Meanwhile Holand "Take him and rush outside. It couldn't be below An Orange rank if it got past."
"I'll fend 'em myself. Rush towards the underground structure—make sure the citizens are safe."
"Holand I can't let you fight 'em alone."
"Then what'd you suggest we do?" Holand looked straight into Elsie's eyes. "Leave the child alone? He'll fend for himself?"
"No! We fight together!"
"Can't Happen! Won't Happen! Too much danger!"
"And you?"
"I'll do it myself. The child'll need a mother."
"N-"
"We can't argue anymore. Look!"
Their senses flared as if it'd picked something.
"It—Or rather, 'they' are coming. Take the child and rush towards the Underground."
"And you?"
"You can comeback, once you make sure Jin's safe."
Then—Silence.
The silence carried in the air for a few seconds until—
Elsie picked up Jin.
"You better be ok till I come back."
"Promise" Holand replied in a affirming manner.
The window near Jin Wushen busted open as Elsie leaped out of it.
She leaped to the air as she rushed towards a direction in the city.
Meanwhile her senses picked up the enemy. As she looked back in horror.
Dozens of winged beasts picked up by her sense as she looked back towards the place she'd come from—towards the sky.
Her worst of fears—
'Wyverns' She mumbled.
"Why Why now of all times?" She asked herself but it yield no effect. She turned herself and faced the direction of the Underground structure.
Meanwhile in the background—Loud sounds could be heard—Holand fighting the wyverns.
1 second
2 Second
.
.
.
Time passed slowly as Elsie rushed with the child towards the Underground—But—suddenly, the noises stopped as a big crashed heard right before it.
Elsie all of a sudden crashed her foor towards ground as a sweat passed by her cheeks.
"No" She mumbled.
Then handing one of the passer-bys Jin—covered in small blanket.
She kissed his head. Her face covered in sweat and urgency.
"I do not know who you are! But whoever you are, Please keep Jin safe. If you keep him safe by time we finished—We'll reward you huge. And if we won't be able to—" She handed him a gold shiny card. "Show this to the National Hunters Agency and they'll be able to handle a good reward for you alongwith providing Jin a better place to stay."
Then she leaped toward the dozen of Wyverns with bloodlust in her eyes.
The shockwave left crater in the ground, but didn't leave a single scratch on both the guys present.
The passerby just looked at her as he held Jin in his hands.
"Hehehe! The plan worked!"
The man clutched his head as he laughed and held Jin with one hand.
"So, You're the child of those two menaces? You'll have to—"
Suddenly something changed—
His voice—gone.
The air instead of passing-by his mouth passed by the—now large gap in his neck—blood oozing out of it.
He looked down—Jin—hands of steel had plucked out half the portion of his neck.
Blood dripped down.
He dropped Jin as he clutched his neck in a dying breath to not let the air escape. But to no avail—He died of suffocation and blood loss.
Meanwhile Jin:
"Tch. He talked too much—Bad intentions too. Tch. This Generation."
Then cleaning his hands to the victim's dress.
"Now How do I do this?"
[Quest#3 Prove Potential:]
[Time started: 1M 30s]
[Objective: Defeat the Wyverns in the least Time amount possible.]
[System Support: All the Shop-skills the body could manage is free to use (One-Time Only)]
[Boost: Bone-Strengthening Liquid Duration: 13:20s]
[Ability that could be handled by the Host could be determined by the boosts]
"So, I can use any ability from the shop?"
[Affirmed]
"Mmm.."
"Open Shop"
[Skill Shop]
Current Points: 15 (Temporary—Infinite for one skill)
Skills available
1.Lightning veins : (100 pts)
You can use lightning as a force of your own: Absorb or dissolve it to earth or reflect it. - based on the level of the skill.
2. Fire god ( -- ) : Wield fire as your own body part. You become of lava. (Locked)
3. Shadow hand (300 pts.) (Upgradable) : You use shadow as your own reflection. The level of shadow control depends on the level of this skill.
4. Bone strengthning (50 pts): Helps in withstanding even whole buildings falling on you with little to harm on the bones. Recommended ofr cultivation.
5. God Hand (--): Locked. No explanation given.
6. Devil on shoulders (-- pts): Skill required for successfully hatching a devil egg.
7. World Magic(--)
9. Shadow God (--) : Last piece of collection required for completing the shadow monarch skill tree.
9. Realm--
10. Tentacl--
.
.
"Infinite Points for one skill huh?"
"Then What about this?" Jin Wushen said as he tapped on the 'God Hand'
[Error21: Body not strong enough]
Huh? Then what about this?
[Error21: Body not strong enough]
This?
[Error21: Body not strong enough]
This?
[Error21: Body not strong enough]
And this?
[Error21: Body not strong enough]
Why are they all Error??? Gaaahhhhh! So What do I use? Waste my time when you said—Rewards based on less time it completed in?
[System Suggestion: Sort a list of Powers—could be used with this body frame?]
"Jin Wushen pouted—then in a dissapointment. "I wanted to use those but eh just show me what can I use. Better than nothing!"
[Commands Recieved]
[Sorting List]
[...]
[...]
[Successful! Abilities Sorted:]
1. Lightning veins : (100 pts)
You can use lightning as a force of your own: Absorb or dissolve it to earth or reflect it. - based on the level of the skill.
-
3. Shadow hand (300 pts.) (Upgradable) : You use shadow as your own reflection. The level of shadow control depends on the level of this skill.
4. World Tentacles: Not Enough Info.
.
.
.
[Recommended for least Backlash: World Tentacles: Not Enough Info. Available.]
Jin Wushen shocked as the Screen popped up with the most unlikely ability he was wishing.
"Tentacle sh*t? Why does it got to be that? Can't I use something else?"
..
First no reply, Then—
[Recommended for least backlash]
"What about lightning? Can't I just shoot 'em down with it? They already too close to the clouds. It be piece 'O Cake." Jin Wushen said as he looked towards the sky where Elsie was fighting. Dozen to one. Holand was no where to be seen and that tugged a little at his heart—little—the least. As he turned towards System.
[Lightning Veins: To be upgraded to various levels to damage a single Wyvern—Too much resource waste]
"Huh? Just that? And what resource you've been using? Didn't you say, You'll let me use whatever Ability to maximum just once? I Precede. Do it.
[System Statement: Not Happening—Too much Resource loss.]
It threw tantrum like a bigger child than Jin Wushen.
"What? Why? Weren't you supposed to help me?"
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
[--]
[--]
"Not replying?"
Then as if taunting Jin
[Bone-Strengthning Boost Duration Left: 11m]
"Sassing me?"
"Taunting me?"
"Go ahead! Tch. I won't use your powers anyways now."
He turned away from the system—towards the moon—where in the sky, Elsie had been fighting—Blood dripping up her face and one hand limped as she threw shockwaves upon shockwaves on the approaching horde—irrelevant of her own health as she held them back from reaching the fallen Holand downwards upon the rubbles of broken buildings where Holand had fallen.
Few seconds passed—
"Tch. Only if I had my Dao!"
"Alright I accept your power!" Jin Wushen screamed in the night sky.
The System as if quickly coming back like nothing had happened—Blinked beofre his eyes like a greedy con-man.
[World Tentacles: Accept?]
[Backlash and Terms to borrow proportionally.]
"Terms to borrow? Hey! System! You didn't tell me anything about this! What's this!"
"Heyy!!"
The Screen quickly popped up.
[Show terms? Expected time consumed: 1M]
Jin Wushen read the screen carefully.
"What? It'll consume time? What's that? Is the Term&conditions screen supposed to be this big?"
"Hey! Can't you suggest summarize it for me?"
"Oyyyiii"
.
.
'No Reply'
"Tch. No helping it."
"Skip Terms pages. Accept Ability"
The System quickly popped up.
[Accept ability? Terms & Conditions will apply]
[Y/n]
"Huh? why's 'n' in such small letter that I can't even touch it? "
[Y/N]
"Hey! You changed it this time."
[System Recommendation: Must've been the Wind]
It popped in such a way that it looked like it was feigning ignorance.
"Tch. No options. Accept."
[Y]
Click-
....
....
.....
...
Thump-
Suddenly— a silence fell to the whole Battlefield with a single Thump—
The Wyverns that had been fighting a moment earlier suddenly stopped—Halted in their tracks. Stopped mid-space — Gaze down. As if a predator so great— that they can't even fathom to move in front of Appeared.
And Elsie —who had been oozing bloodlust for the Wyverns clear in her eyes—suddenly oozed a docile emotion as her eyes kneeled down as if suddenly accepting defeat—Seeing a wall that can't be climbed to—Or rather seen by naked eyes.
The Earth rumbled as if something had been trying to break out of it. Buildings fell.
Everyone Perspired. As Jin Wushen threw up a gourd of blood.
The World fell Silent.