After closing the notifications for her completed quest, Akeno leaned back against the headboard of her bed. Despite her calm exterior, her mind raced with possibilities. This [Gamer] system seemed like a gift of unimaginable potential. Still, the meta-knowledge she had just absorbed made her wary. Power like this didn't come without strings attached.
As if sensing her unease, the system chimed again, its mechanical voice breaking the silence.
[Step Two: Open your [Skill] menu to review your current abilities.]
"[Skill], huh?" Akeno muttered, her curiosity piqued. She spoke aloud, "[Skill]."
A new transparent window appeared before her, its text listing her current abilities. She skimmed through the list, noting that all the techniques and spells she had learned so far were cataloged neatly.
Skills:
- Thunderstrike Judgment (Lv. 60) [Active]: Summon holy lightning to smite foes, dealing massive damage and causing paralysis. Effect: Deals 500% Magic Power (MP) as Holy Lightning damage with a 30% chance to paralyze for 3 seconds. MP Cost: 200 MP
- Elemental Dominion (Lv. 55) [Active]: Command fire, water, and ice to overwhelm enemies. Specializes in summoning elemental constructs. Effect: Summons elemental-based attacks dealing 400% Magic Power (MP) over 10 seconds in an area. MP Cost: 300 MP
- Storm Conduit (Lv. 50) [Active]: Direct concentrated lightning to devastate targets with precision and inflict debilitating effects. Effect: Deals 350% Magic Power (MP) as lightning damage and applies Shock (reduces Speed by 20% for 5 seconds). MP Cost: 150 MP
- Familiar Summoning (Lv. 40) [Active]: Summon magical creatures to scout or assist in combat, with their strength scaling to the summoner's power. Effect: Summons up to 6 familiars, each with stats equal to 10% of the caster's Magic Power. MP Cost: 100 MP per familiar
- Magic Barrier (Lv. 45) [Active]: Create a protective barrier to bolster defenses and shield allies from harm. Effect: Increases Defense by 200% for self and allies within a 10-meter radius for 15 seconds. MP Cost: 250 MP
- Teleportation (Lv. 20) [Active]: Instantly teleport yourself or nearby allies across short to medium distances. Effect: Teleport up to 5 targets within a 20-meter radius to a visible location. MP Cost: 100 MP per teleport
- Sanctified Purge (Lv. 35) [Active]: Channel holy energy to cleanse harmful effects and exorcise evil entities. Effect: Removes all negative status effects from allies and deals 250% Magic Power (MP) as holy damage to evil-aligned targets. MP Cost: 180 MP
- Spirit Sense (Lv. 38) [Active]: Focus spiritual energy to detect hidden entities and analyze energy flows with precision. Effect: Reveals all hidden entities within a 30-meter radius and provides detailed energy signatures. MP Cost: 120 MP
- Shadow Veil (Lv. 30) [Passive]: Mastery in moving undetected, making tracking nearly impossible. Effect: Reduces detection chance by 50% and negates most tracking abilities.
- Seamless Wardrobe (Lv. 15) [Active]: Alter or repair clothing for practical or aesthetic purposes. Effect: Instantly change attire or restore clothing durability by 100%. MP Cost: 50 MP
- Radiant Overcharge (Lv. 45) [Active]: Channel light energy to enhance offensive power and reduce incoming dark-aligned damage. Effect: Increases Holy Damage by 30% and reduces dark damage taken by 25%. MP Cost: 200 MP
- Allure Aura (Lv. 30) [Passive]: Emanate a passive charm that increases charisma and reduces hostility from others. Effect: Increases Charisma by 30% and lowers enemy hostility by 15%.
- Mind Sway (Lv. 15) [Active]: Influence the thoughts of others to bend them to your will. Effect: Target within 10 meters becomes Charmed (50% chance to follow a simple command) for 10 seconds. MP Cost: 120 MP
- Cooking Expert (Lv. 50) [Passive]: Culinary expertise that enhances prepared meals' effects. Effect: Grants a 20% stat bonus to those who consume food for 1 hour.
- Flight (Lv. 50) [Active]: Use both Devil and Fallen Angel wings to achieve seamless flight. Effect: Grants unlimited aerial movement and reduces stamina drain by 20% during flight. MP Cost: 50 MP per minute
Akeno frowned slightly. "It's detailed... but this feels incomplete." She tapped her finger on her chin. "I may have decent control over my powers, but these levels make it clear—I'm not as strong as I thought."
The system chimed again, seemingly responding to her thoughts.
[The skills menu will make tracking your progress and understanding your abilities easier. To grow stronger, you must improve or acquire new skills.]
Akeno crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Acquire new ones? And how would I do that?"
[There are four ways to gain skills:]
Repeating a specific action or practice. Learning directly from someone who knows the skill. Obtaining and using a skill book. Acquiring skills through the [Gacha] system.
The mention of "Gacha" made Akeno visibly wince. She wasn't an avid gamer, but her meta-knowledge filled the gaps. "Gacha... as in gambling?" Her tone was tinged with suspicion.
[Correct. The Gacha system is a randomized method to obtain skills, items, and more. The quality of rewards depends on the rarity tiers. It is highly recommended to exercise caution when using this feature.]
Akeno raised an eyebrow. "Rarity tiers? What are those? How do they work?"
[Rarity tiers categorize rewards by their quality and power. They are as follows:]
- Common: Basic items or skills, often low-power and abundant.
- Uncommon: Mid-tier items or skills with moderate utility.
- Rare: High-tier rewards, generally powerful and valuable.
- Epic: Exceptionally rare rewards, often game-changing.
- Legendary: The pinnacle of rewards, extremely powerful, and nearly impossible to acquire.
Akeno rubbed her temple, letting out a sigh. "So, it's a gamble. Addictive, unpredictable, and a recipe for disaster if I'm not careful." She paused, her thoughts drifting to the potential to acquire something extraordinary. "Still... the possibility of obtaining Epic or Legendary rewards is tempting."
She crossed her arms, frowning slightly. "I'll keep it in mind, but I won't let this system turn me into a gambling addict."
The system continued, unfazed by her concerns.
[Step Three: Open your [Inventory].]
"[Inventory]," Akeno said, and another screen appeared. This one resembled an endless grid, each square representing a storage slot. However, every slot was empty.
[The Inventory is a spatial storage system with unlimited capacity. Restrictions apply to living beings, highly unstable magical artifacts, and certain unique objects.]
Akeno inspected the screen, dragging an empty slot with her finger. "So I can store items... useful. Nothing in here yet, though."
The system chimed once more.
[Step Four: Open your [Relationship] menu.]
Akeno followed the prompt, curious. "[Relationship]."
The screen shifted to reveal a detailed list. Each entry displayed a name, a number, and a colored bar indicating the strength of her connection with the person.
Relationships:
- Rias Gremory: 75 (Like)
- Toujou Koneko: 70 (Like)
- Kiba Yuuto: 50 (Friendly)
- Sona Sitri: 70 (Like)
- Shinra Tsubaki: 55 (Like)
- Baraqiel: 100 (Love)
Her gaze lingered on the numbers. "So, this quantifies how people feel about me?"
[Correct. Relationships are categorized into stages:]
1–20: Stranger 21–50: Friendly 51–80: Like 81–100: Love
[Negative relationships (below 0) represent dislike, hatred, or animosity.]
Her eyes widened at Baraqiel's score. The sheer intensity of the number made her grip tighten. 100... the absolute maximum threshold of love. She had spent years resenting him, yet he... truly loved her this much?
Akeno exhaled sharply, her emotions conflicting. "Tch... Damn it."
After briefly scanning the rest of the list, she closed the screen. "[Relationship]... that could help understand people better."
The system's voice returned.
[Step Five: Open your [Party] menu.]
Akeno complied. "[Party]."
The screen now displayed an empty interface with a prompt.
[You currently have no party members. Party functionality allows for group management, including shared experiences, group-wide buffs, and real-time monitoring of party members. Consent from all participants is required for this feature.]
"Shared experience and monitoring... sounds practical," Akeno remarked.
Finally, the system prompted her to check the last major feature.
[Step Six: Open the [Gacha] menu.]
Despite her earlier apprehension, Akeno followed through. "[Gacha]."
The screen transformed into a dazzling display, seamlessly blending the allure of a celestial lottery with the mystery of arcane summoning. Constellations shifted in the background, their light forming intricate pathways that pulsed with anticipation. Golden runes spiraled around floating orbs, each one containing glimpses of potential prizes—skills, weapons, artifacts, currency, and even summons. Ethereal symbols flickered like jackpot reels, promising untold power with every pull.
"It's flashy," Akeno murmured, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "But I'll hold off on testing my luck for now."
The system delivered its final surprise as if waiting for her patience to be rewarded.
[Congratulations! You have earned the Newbie Starterpack.]
The announcement brought an amused chuckle to Akeno's lips. "Starter pack? How generous."
She opened the pack, watching as its contents materialized before her:
- ¥50,000
- Skill Book: Meditation (Lv. MAX)
- Weapon: Thunder Lotus Whip
- 10 Gacha Tokens
- Potion Bundle (Healing Potion 10x, and Mana Potion 10x)
A wide smile spread across her face as she reviewed the rewards. "Now, this is a proper welcome gift."
The whip immediately caught her attention. Crafted from silver and faintly glowing with electric currents, it felt like an extension of her powers. She gave it a test crack, sparks dancing in the air. "Perfect."
After storing the rest of the items in her Inventory, Akeno glanced at the clock. It read 5:30 AM. The first rays of dawn began to peek through her window.
"Well, it's still early," she mused, standing and stretching. "But I suppose it's time to start the day."
Determination glimmered in her eyes as she moved to prepare herself. Himejima Akeno was ready to change her world with the Gamer system in her arsenal.