~ Chapter 2: Awakening the System ~
[Cody’s point of view]
With a groan escaping my lips, and a sense of stiffness spreading through my body, I opened my eyes and found myself staring at an unknown rooftop. There were cracks, a bit of mold and even a water leak spreading across the ancient paint. Turning my head, I saw a stash of garbage neatly piled up in bags and cardboard boxes that have seen the foundation of this city, and a simple table made out of wood with a single wood chair under it. It looked new and at the same time like it was handmade by a caveman.
I pushed myself off the floor and took another look around. There was nothing around me that appeared to be dangerous like an animal or another human being, so I then focused on my body. I wasn’t hurting, but I felt stiff. As for what I could remember, well... there were some vague memories... like flying, seeing Mercya, and being flown up by a metal bird?
Then... how did I end up here? I wondered as I rubbed my temples before getting up from the cold floor.
Looking around, this was some sort of underground studio apartment, maybe no bigger than 30 square meters? There was a door, but when I approached it, the handle didn’t budge.
So, I’m locked in here? I questioned myself because I did not fully feel as though that was the case.
Walking to the crafting table, for lack of a better word, I noticed that it was separated into several areas. Two squares on the left side: one for Tech Parts and one for Magic Parts. The middle was separated into two rectangles, the upper one, named Devices, was two times smaller than the bottom one, named Processing. Then on the right side were two squares: one marked Tools and the other marked Scraps. An empty crate was next to this table, with ‘Scraps’ written on it.
There was a big window to the right of the crafting table and another one, similar to it on the left side. The entire spread of this studio apartment spanned from one side of the building to the other. The windows, however, were so dirty they barely left any gaps for a few light shafts to pass through. Under each of them, there was a small table, and a sign.
Walking over to the one on my right, I picked up the sign and turned it around. Two words were written on it: Shop Open. Placing it back on the table, I tried to open the latch, but the window would not budge. It was as if it was welded in place.
After trying for a few minutes, I gave up and then turned my attention to the other window. Same deal, it would not budge.
With a sigh escaping my lips, I walked over to the crafting bench and pulled out the chair underneath it. Taking a seat on it, I placed my elbows on the table and rested my head in my palms.
“What the heck’s going on?” I asked as if there was anyone who could answer me.
After about a quarter of an hour of brooding over my predicament, I remembered that I had a phone. WOW! A college student has a technological marvel such as a mobile phone! Who would have thought?!
I felt like all the stand-up comedians were on the verge of cracking jokes on my expense. The least they could do was offer me a free ticket to their shows... not like they would ever know.
I took out my phone; it read 4:23 AM. Connection was strong, but the screen was cracked. Location... Somewhere on the intersection of the 9th Ave with the W 46th St in the beautiful Hell’s Kitchen. I turned off my phone and stuffed it back in my pocket.
So here I was, wondering how I was going to get out, when realization dawned upon me. This rundown place covered in mold and junk was a glimpse of my future.
In this world of superheroes and supervillains, of technology ever growing more diverse and as dangerous as it was powerful, my only options for the future was a waiter somewhere, a cashier... and if I was lucky, an accountant.
If I was lucky...
I could not see it...
A future...
A family...
The freedom I heard so much about when I was young...
Only taxes, worries, and debts... Well, student loan could be pushed to the side if I sold a lung or a kidney, but how desperate would I have to be if for living... I would have to give up my organs?
I was a slave to society...
No, I was a slave to my own bad luck and bad rolls.
“AAGH!” I struck the table with my fist as hard as I could.
The pain pulsed through my hand and tears formed in the corners of my eyes...
I could feel it... my helpless future...
Yet, as I looked up, I remembered... a part of me, a part of my soul... it was Romanian.
Even drunk or on the side of the road with no hope left for the future, we still struggled, we still pushed, we still persevered to stay alive and seek some sort of blessed solution.
Maybe that was my cheat ability...
A gift from a past life...
Then my eyes fell on the window to my right.
“Shops... what is a shop for?” I asked. “I have nothing to sell... Who even owns this place?”
[This [Currently Unnamed] Shop is bound to User: Cody Ezzekiel.]
The answer came... a window... a hologram of some sort floating right in front of my eyes.
On it was the weird message.
Startled, I jumped back.
“Wh-Wha... What the heck is this?!” I asked and waved my hand in front of me.
There was nothing there; my fingers passed through the holographic window without it showing even the slightest distortion.
Then, I remembered something from my past life, which in this one was not really there.
On this Earth, hero and villain stories were in the gossip magazines. Literature, however, was not that developed on this part. It was not so much as fiction as maybe probabilistic in some cases. So, contemporary works often had a hero or villains of some sort in their mist, the kind with powers. On the same note, the need for having a superhero figure was not that powerful. However, stories where heroes and villains never existed were the most popular and common. People were imagining how World War 1 and World War 2 would have been like if there were no heroes to back them up, super humans to lift up tanks or shapeshifters to act as spies. People were considering those types of work as fictional, fantasies even.
As such, the themes of manga and anime, of manhwa and comics focused on the idea of normal world. The Villainous CEO daughter turned good or Slice of Life ideas were the most common of them all. The public was starved for a normality that did not include superpowered individuals. So, the concept of a character having a Game-Like System as part of their abilities never occurred to them, since there was a chance a hero or villain somewhere might actually develop it.
However, I, who had my past life memories of a world without super heroes, had this concept.
So, without further ado, I spoke the ever famous words: “Status Window.”
[Status Window]
[Name: Cody Ezzekiel]
[Age: 22]
[Strength: 18]
[Speed: 16]
[Intellect: 121]
[Stat Locked - Unlock?]
[Skills: Shop, Repair, Dismantle, Fabricate]
[Technological Skill Level: 1]
“Shit... It’s really there... A game-like status window... but what the... Why does it have those values for Speed and Strength?” I wondered and then hovered my finger over the first one.
[Strength: 18 - Quantified value that represents how many kilograms the Host can lift with one hand.]
Then I moved my finger over the next one.
[Speed: 16 - Quantified value that represents how many Kilometers per Hour the Host can run.]
“Well, at least I know the system is European...” I joked and then moved my finger over the last stat. Intellect was self-explanatory. It was the quantified value of what I would get during an IQ test. It matched the official one I took at the University.
[Stat Locked - Unlock? Yes/No - Requires 10 Status Points. Host currently has 0 Status Points in his inventory. Status Point - Earned through the Mission System and successful contracts at the Shop.]
I continued.
[Shop - Passive Skill that allows the Host to use the Shop Module and bind 1 Location to this system to be represented at the Host’s Shop. Can sell or buy services.]
[Repair - Passive Skill that allows the Host to gain knowledge of how to repair technology, artifacts, or creatures.]
[Dismantle - Passive Skill that allows the Host to gain the knowledge of how to properly dismantle a piece of technology or an artifact.]
[Fabricate - Passive Skill that allows the Host to gain the knowledge of how to build something based on their accumulated knowledge on technology, artifacts, or creatures.]
[Technological Skill Level: 1 - Determines the efficiency and knowledge the Host gains from the Repair, Dismantle and Fabricate skills. Further increasing the level of this skill will unlock more features and optional abilities for each skill.]
“This is... amazing... But then, that means that this place is mine, right? So... Why can’t I get out?” I wondered and then looked over at the closed window.
[Open shop?] the system prompt popped up.
[System has detected the usage of basic functions. System has decided to offer the Host a First Time Use Package containing 10 Exotic Parts. 10 Technological Parts. 10 Magic Parts. 10 Scrap Parts. 1 Set of Repair Tools. 1 Set of Crafting Tools. Do you accept?]
“Huh? Yeah, of course. I accept.” I nodded.
[Distributing Package]
The next moment, there was a bright light and a tool kit appeared on the crafting table, on the square that said Tools. Three boxes of different colors appeared on the Parts square, and another one appeared in the crate next to the table, where Scrap went. As for the Repair Tools pack, it appeared at my feet, in a blue mechanic’s storage box.
“This is so weird.” I said and crouched down, opening the box. Inside, there were various brand new tools that one might use when repairing some piece of tech, mostly for mechanical stuff rather than complex electronic stuff.
Picking up the repair tool box, I walked over to the crafting table and placed it near the chair. I sat down and grabbed the first box of parts from the stack.
[Choose the type of Part you need.]
This was the message I received as soon as I tried to open it.
“This means that I can choose whatever I want? Wait, do I have something to fix to test it out? Ah, my phone!” I said and took out the only piece of tech I had on me.
[Scanning...]
[Scan Completed. Repair Knowledge Acquired. Dismantling Knowledge Acquired. Fabrication Knowledge Acquired. Progress for complete understanding: 4%]
“So, I understood just 4%? Well, not bad, I think. Let’s see. How do I fix this?” I wondered and placed it on the table.
Instinctively, I began to understand how to work with it. A bit of my past life knowledge also helped, and then, before I realized it, I placed my hand in the repair toolbox and took out an electronics repair kit, a heat gun, and a tube of adhesive for cell phones.
“Now, let’s do this...” I told myself as I began to focus on repairing it.
[Device Analysis Increased. 2% Knowledge Acquired]
[Mission started: First Device! Let’s fix it!]
I ignored the messages and kept my focus.
I turned off the device and began to prod around it, taking out piece after piece.
[1% Knowledge Acquired]
[3% Knowledge Acquired]
[2% Knowledge Acquired]
The windows were popping one after another, and I simply saw it as myself being treated to a newbie tutorial. Phones were easy to fix, right? Right...?
I took off the broken screen and reached out towards a box of parts and took out a new screen. I did not even notice that it was the Exotic Parts box.
“Let’s see...”
As soon as I placed it on the phone...
[23% Knowledge Acquired]
A big boost was granted to me, and I felt invigorated with the energy and desire to continue tinkering.
When the clock hit 6:01 AM, I turned my new phone on.
“It’s done!” I exclaimed, hands up and a big grin on my face.
Although it was early in the morning and the sun was peeking across the horizon, I wasn’t feeling tired at all.
I did it. I fixed a phone despite not having any previous knowledge about how to do any of this. I was overjoyed and could not have been more happy despite the fact that I was right now I was in this place with locked doors and windows, no bed, no sanitary objects, not even a trash bag to gather the stuff. Yet, here, in this place, at the crafting bench that was lit up by a small electric light, I repaired my first device ever.
Happy, I turned it on and then wondered... If I open the shop... will the shop find me customers or not?
Without even questioning the insanity of my own gesture and not to mention the dangerous idea of opening what was most likely an unregistered shop operating outside the law, I walked over to the window and propped up the Shop Open sign.
The window flipped open and right away, I saw someone there.
It was Mercya. She was groaning, face flat on the ground, smoking after some sort of beam attack struck her.
“Ugh...” she looked up, and our eyes locked.
“Erm... hi?”