[Host: Gut]
[Activated Traits: Transmigrator (Gold), Out of the World (Colorless), Otherworldly Chef (Blue), Atheist (White)]
[Trait Effect Details:]
[Transmigrator (Gold)]
Your soul differs in structure from this world. Because of your transmigration, it has acquired spatial-temporal attributes.
Effect: Your memories cannot be accessed or altered by any means. You possess extremely high resistance to soul-based magic and curses. You have exceptional talent in magic related to time and space.
[Out of the World (Colorless)]
As a transmigrator, your fate is not yet anchored to this world.
Effect: Until you voluntarily anchor yourself to this world, you cannot be affected by any fate-based abilities (e.g., prophecy, fate curses). However, you also cannot receive blessings or gifts from fate.
(Note: Once you form significant shared memories or deep bonds with a person/place, your fate will anchor to this world, and this trait will disappear.)
...
"Out of the World, huh..."
Gut muttered to himself while looking at the trait list on his system panel.
"If I manage to become Serie's apprentice, I'll probably have to say goodbye to that trait."
"But having the protection of Serie, that old magic fossil, is definitely more reassuring than a single trait."
Pulling down his hat again, Gut stopped in front of an inn.
From the outside, it looked well-kept. Located in a corner of Äußerst, far from the city center and quiet.
Even better, the inn sat beside the moat. Choose a window-side room, and you could wake up every morning to a lovely lakeside view.
A peaceful and calm environment was ideal for a mage's training.
After all, a relaxed mind slightly improves the efficiency of mana refining during meditation.
Gut entered and exchanged a few words with the innkeeper. They agreed on a mutually satisfying long-term rate.
After handing over a pouch of copper coins and a few silver ones, and registering under the alias Kael, Gut finally had a place to stay in Äußerst.
Key in hand, he followed the signage to his room. Opening the door, he looked around.
The room matched the description exactly: modest size, adequate furniture, a soft and springy bed, and a small balcony extending over the lakeside view.
That was all he needed.
He hung his coat and flopped onto the bed, calling up the system interface to check his daily quests.
[Quest Module]
[Main Quest: None]
[Daily Quests: (1/3)]
Do One Good Deed: Completed (Reward Pending)
Description: Help someone around you to the best of your ability.
Get Stronger (Mana Cultivation): Incomplete (69%)
Description: A firm magical foundation comes from daily accumulation.
Requirement: Meditate for at least one hour today.
Reward: Mana gain doubles today (max 3 hours). Mental fatigue resets at 24:00.
Get Stronger (Physical Training): Incomplete (2.5%)
Description: A strong body is built through daily discipline.
Requirement: Exercise for at least one hour today.
Reward: Physical gains double today (max 3 hours). Exercise fatigue resets at 24:00.
"Sigh~ what a pity."
"Still haven't completed my Daily Commission. The dream of napping till nightfall will have to wait."
Grumbling on the bed, Gut flipped up like a spring-loaded fish, shrugged off his shirt, and started exercising right there in his room.
Yes, actual exercise — push-ups, sit-ups, and the like.
Warriors in this world didn't seem to have any systematic training method. Or maybe they did, and Gut as a commoner adventurer just hadn't come across it.
In any case, basic workouts might not be ideal for enhancing martial arts, but they laid solid physical groundwork.
Drip... drip...
Sweat formed on Gut's forehead, chest, abs — every heated part of his body — and dripped onto the floor in a growing patch.
Accelerating through his push-ups, Gut felt the strain and feedback ripple through his muscles.
"Should be about time now."
[Ding!]
Daily Quest: Get Stronger (Physical Training): Maximum Completion Achieved
Completion Rate: 300%
"Phew~ finally done."
After his final push-up, Gut got up off the floor, grabbed a towel, wiped off the sweat, and without letting his body cool down, walked shirtless straight to the balcony.
Sitting cross-legged, he began meditating.
The damp evening breeze flowed over his skin, carrying away residual heat.
Yet Gut remained unmoved by the cold — fully immersed in meditation, focusing all his mental strength on gradually expanding his body's magical capacity.
Admittedly, this wasn't a healthy training routine. After heavy physical activity, the body's immunity drops, and sitting shirtless in the wind often leads to catching cold.
But Gut had discovered through trial and error that in this hot-cold physical state, his meditative condition reached its peak.
The colder he felt, the deeper he could focus — and the better the mana cultivation results.
Of course, even Gut's hardened body, trained like a warrior's, couldn't endure this every time.
Colds and fevers weren't rare.
But those were minor inconveniences. He could power through with pure will.
He didn't even need to wait for the system's midnight reset to clear physical damage. A mug of hot water after training usually did the trick.
...
[Ding!]
Daily Quest: Get Stronger (Mana Cultivation): Maximum Completion Achieved
Completion Rate: 300%
Hearing the notification, Gut slowly opened his eyes. His once-focused mind slowly returned to clarity.
Unlike cultivation in xianxia novels, meditation for a mage didn't leave you feeling refreshed. On the contrary, the intense mental focus left him a little worn out.
Almost like a post-climax slump — indifferent to the world, wanting only to rest quietly for a while.
Fortunately, this "sage mode" passed quickly — usually gone in a few minutes, about the time it takes to smoke a cigarette.
Not that Gut smoked. He simply threw on a coat, sat on the balcony, and stared out at the lake.
Once he felt normal again, he called up the system interface and claimed all his Daily Quest rewards in one go.
[Ding!]
Daily Quest: Do One Good Deed – Completed
Random Reward Drawing...
Drawing complete.
One Strahl gold coin has been deposited into system inventory.
Daily Quests: Get Stronger (Mana Cultivation), Get Stronger (Physical Training) – Completed
Rewards being distributed...
"A gold coin? Nice reward today."
Gut whispered, then retrieved the coin from the system's inventory, flipping it between his fingers.
Suddenly, he felt warmth in his lower abdomen — a sign the system had begun channeling the other rewards into his body.
He laid back on the soft bed, arms spread, letting the energy flow into him.
"Exhale—"
After a while, Gut opened his eyes, sat up, and flexed his fists.
Within seconds, his body had fully adjusted to the new power.
Stacking both the mana and physical training rewards gave him the equivalent of six hours of cultivation. Not enough to feel overwhelming, but still a decent gain.
The real strength of the system's doubling effect lay in consistency. Day by day, the growth would become exponential.
As for the future... he'd think about that later.
For now, Gut looked at the shiny gold coin in his hand and couldn't help but smile.
Tonight, he was going to treat himself to a damn good meal.