"What the hell is this?" Alaric thought as he stared at the notification.
He wasn't dumb. Back on Earth, he had read about stories with systems. It was one of his hobbies to pass the time and avoid doing actual adult things, such as working or studying for a better future.
Alaric was taken aback when, for some reason, the system activated. What triggered it? He had no idea. Perhaps it was the teleportation, the wounds in his body, or something entirely different.
When he read the name of the system and his first passive ability, he knew very well what that system was.
[Idle Infusion: Your total mana increases while you sleep. The more you sleep, the higher your total mana will increase]
[Spell Rank: ???]
That was the first skill Alaric got. He checked the other parts of his system. He saw an area that displayed his known spells' total mana, wizard rank, and, surprisingly, his name.
[Name: Alaric Varn]
[Mana: 5]
[Rank: 0-star mage]
The system, Alaric noted, was refreshingly simple, lacking the complex attributes typically found in a game. For now, all he could see was his total mana.
Alaric quickly realized that total mana was a crucial factor in this world. With 100 total mana and a known one-star spell, one could officially reach the one-star mage rank. This was how people recognized each other's strengths.
Of course, there were more things to that. Each mage had its own affinity with different elements; some mages used more long-ranged spells, others close ones, some used their bodies to fight, and some summoned monsters.
There were all kinds of mages in that world. Alaric, though, was none of that. He didn't know any spells. The only one he knew was the one his system gave him.
The only reason he knew about that stuff was because the old owner of that body knew it.
Anyway, once he was up, Ashley said, "finally woke up. I thought you were dead or something."
"What do you mean?" Alaric asked, confused.
He didn't know what she meant. Then, when he looked outside and saw the powerful sun, feeling its warmth on his skin, he realized what she meant.
"I slept that much?" Alaric said, "I feel like it's the middle of the afternoon already."
"That's because it is," she said, "I didn't wake you up because you needed the rest, but tomorrow, you'll wake up early, understand?"
"Yeah, yeah," Alaric said, accepting Ashley's authority over his waking hours.
Most people would want to make good use of their time and not oversleep, but Alaric? He wished to sleep as much as he could now after reading about his new spell.
"The more I sleep, the stronger I get. It is perfect!" Alaric thought.
He still had no idea how powerful the spell was. Would it increase his mana rapidly compared to the 'normal' training that the other mages followed, or was it slower? The anticipation of this new power was both thrilling and nerve-wracking.
For him, even if it was slightly slower, it was still better because he didn't need to work hard. The relief of not having to toil for his strength was everything he wished for in life.
Alaric got up from his makeshift bed. Ashely had something prepared for him to eat. It was a piece of meat.
He accepted it. "Thank you."
As he began to eat, a notification appeared in front of him. Only Alaric could see it.
[Please eat while sitting or lying down. You are overworking. The less you do, the more benefits you get]
The system was trying to advise him on how to be lazy. Alaric frowned.
"I am the master of laziness, so this system is the one that needs to learn with me!" Alaric thought, his determination shining through his words.
It was like the system was damaging his honor as a worthless man who did nothing with his life. He couldn't let that happen.
So, he sat on his makeshift bed to eat. Ashley saw that and said, "Are you alright?"
She had no idea what was going on with him, and it was not like Alaric would share it with her.
"Yes, I am," he said as he bit into the meat. "Can you tell me more about where we are?"
"We are on an island," Ashley said, her voice carrying a hint of mystery, "there's a city on this island and smaller villages, too, but I live in the remote part of the island; that's why you don't see anyone around here."
"An island?"
An island was not the location Alaric expected to be. It made things even harder for him. What if it was an island that didn't have a connection to other parts of the world?
Like, if it didn't have many merchant boats going there, then leaving the island would be harder for him. That would certainly make his life way harder.
"Yes, indeed. But it has to be an island that belongs to the kingdom you are from, or else we wouldn't speak the same language," Ashley said.
"You have a point. The kingdom I came from is called Elarion."
Ashley, though, couldn't answer that. "I never left the island. Almost everyone who lives here never left. So we don't know the name of any kingdom."
That information was crucial to him. It meant that the island was really cut out from the rest of the world. The headmaster truly sent Alaric to a god-forsaken place in the end.
Anyway, after eating, Alaric had to help Ashley with some chores. He collected water from the river with a bucket.
As he carried the filled bucket back, his system warned him again.
[Working too hard. Please, rest]
"I wish I could damn it!" Alaric cursed internally, his frustration palpable in the air.
Alaric couldn't wait for his sleep time again, eager to know how much stronger he would grow with a nap.
So much that he decided to sneak out while Ashley was busy with something else. He found a nice place in the forest to nap.