A day later, Erie's eyes fluttered open. His body felt heavy, and his vision was blurry. As he pushed himself off the ground, his hand instinctively went to his chest, checking the wound he had sustained.
"My chest feels fine…" he murmured, running his fingers over the area.
Slowly, he stood, feeling over the rest of his body. A haze of confusion clouded his thoughts. "What happened? Why is my vision so blurry?" His hands moved to his chest again, searching for something—then panic struck.
"Where's my pendant?" He patted his pockets frantically. "Not here?"
As his vision gradually cleared, something felt off. His body felt light—too light. A surge of energy coursed through him.
"I feel like I could run a mile!" he yelped in surprise. Then a strange thought hit him. "Wait… I feel way too light."
Erie glanced around his room, his thoughts scattering. "What was I looking for again?" He began pacing in circles, trying to piece things together.
"Oh yeah! The pendant!"
His hand shot to his chest again, and suddenly, fragmented memories flooded his mind. He saw flashes of the pendant—its golden glow, the way it burned against his skin—and then… it merged into him. His whole body had felt like it was on fire.
"Did the pendant… merge with me?" He sank onto his bed, trying to make sense of it.
"No, Erie, that's ridiculous. How could a pendant merge with a person?" He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Restless, he walked to the window. "It's not here," he muttered. But as he caught his reflection in the glass, his breath hitched.
"Wait… did my hair get darker?" He leaned closer, inspecting his face. "And my skin—why does it look so… clear? It's like I'm glowing."
His gaze dropped to his chest, and his eyes widened. "And my chest… there's no scar?!" He ran his fingers over the smooth skin, searching for any sign of the injury. Instead, he felt something else—his frame had changed. His muscles were more defined, and his body no longer looked scrawny.
"I don't feel skinny anymore…" he muttered, flexing his fingers and feeling the newfound strength in them.
Erie sank into his chair, taking a deep breath. "Okay… this is weird."
His gaze drifted to the TV in the background. On the screen was a man with silver hair and piercing silver eyes, his soft smile almost hypnotic. The interviewer beside him seemed captivated by his presence.
"That's the guy," Erie muttered. "The one who was fighting that Semian." He leaned forward slightly. "I wonder if I'll ever have an ability."
As the thought crossed his mind, a transparent notification screen appeared in his vision.
[Status Window]
[Erie Sunheart]
Level: 1
EXP: 0 / 100
Strength: 5
Speed: 15
Agility: 15
Stamina: 10
Ability: None
"Oh? What's this?"
The interface was simple yet familiar. Erie had read plenty of books about heroes with systems—he even owned three himself. But he never imagined it would actually happen to him.
As he explored the system, he noticed multiple greyed-out tabs with blurred text. Curious, he thought about opening one.
[Level Tree: Locked]
The tab closed the moment he willed it to. Testing it again, he did the same for a few more.
[Skill: Locked]
[Notifications: 5]
"Five notifications already?" Erie muttered.
He focused on the notifications tab, and just like before, it responded instantly.
"Notifications."
Welcome to the system Erie sunheart
Welcome, Erie Sunheart. Height…
System Update: You may now view the Quest Bar on command.
Erie stopped scrolling. "Quest bar?" His eyes narrowed. "Do I have to go through dungeons like that guy from Solo Leveling?"
Curious, he opened the following notification.
"New Quest Received: Meditate in sunlight for 30 minutes per day."
"Meditate in the sun? What's that all about?" Erie frowned, but determination soon replaced his confusion. "Oh well, if these quests make me stronger, I better start doing them!"
He scrolled to the final notification.
"New Quest Received: Reach Level 5 to unlock your first skill."
His heart pounded. "So leveling up unlocks abilities?"
His eyes drifted back to the interface, and one word in particular caught his attention—the system.
"What's a system, anyway?" If this system was anything like the ones in the books, it should give him information.
"Hey, system!" he called out. "What is the System"
A brief message flashed before him.
[Information Not Available.]
"What?!" Erie yelled. "What do you mean 'not available'?" He waited for a response. "Hello?"
Nothing.
He let out a frustrated sigh, scratching his head. "Guess I have to figure this out myself… and apparently, that starts with meditating in the sun."
Erie still had a few unopened tabs left on his screen, but no matter what he tried, they wouldn't open. He concluded that he needed to grow stronger to unlock them. However, one more tab was accessible.
"Quest Rewards."
• +10 EXP per completed daily quest.
• +50 EXP upon reaching Level 5.
"Okay, so I do get experience points for completing these quests."
He tested the system again, thinking about closing the screen—and it disappeared instantly. He repeated the process, thinking about opening it, and it reappeared.
"Hmmm… from what I read in those books, all of this should be controlled by thought. Obviously. So, all I have to do is complete the quests, and I can grow stronger!"
Erie began to smile. "I have no ability, but I can gain an ability. I have no skill, but I can gain a skill."
Still, deep in thought, he had one more question for the system. "Hey, system, do you grant me these abilities, or is this based on my own true potential?"
This time, the system had an answer for him.
"The system only analyzes user potential and grants the user the ability to unleash it through strenuous quests and activities. Although outside forces can influence the user's growth, only dedication and true potential can be brought out by the user."
Erie nodded. "Great!" he said excitedly.
Just as he closed the system, a voice from the TV caught his attention.
"…Beachside City. All men and women under the age of 21 are to report to the academy immediately. You have twenty-four hours to present yourself at Beachside Hall. Otherwise, you will be hunted down by our top elites and brought in by force… or imprisoned for life."
Erie's head perked up. "Beachside City? Are we being drafted?!"
Before he could process the thought, his system chimed with a new notification.
"NEW QUEST RECEIVED!"
Report to Beachside City Hall within 12 hours and make a good first impression. Be the first to arrive.
Quest Reward: 25 EXP
Erie stood from his chair, stretching. "A new quest, huh?" He walked out to his backyard and sat on the porch in a meditative pose.
"Well, let the quests roll in!"
"The system has detected meditation. Now, I am entering meditation mode. The user is now in a dream-like state. Time started: 30:00"