As I looked at the screens floating before me, a wild possibility occurred to me.
Perhaps the whole point of the first mission was to learn that I wasn't worthy.
All the system screens I'd seen before had been quite basic, but the ones floating before me now gave me a tech-like vibe, as if I'd escaped from the year 2099 and arrived here.
Come to think of it, the first template I bought was one of the many one-star templates available in the universe, the one with the highest probability of costing me my job.
Unbelievable.
Perhaps I'm exaggerating.
Time to stop thinking and learn what this new system screen means.
...
Even though I was sleep-deprived, it didn't take me long to understand the new system, as this system design shares similarities with the general game screens of my previous life.
------------------------------
Level: 1
Strength: 2 (+2)
Durability: 3 (+1)
Soul: 5
Intelligence: 3 (+1)
Chakra: 15
Physical Skills: []
Physical skill cards you have: [Firearms: D]
Soul Skills: []
Soul skill cards you have:
Godly Skills: []
Divine skill cards you have:
Expertise: []
Expertise cards you have: [Farming: S], [Traps: B]
-----------------------------
The section marked "Level" simply shows my level. I'll probably level up by completing templates.
Below my level are my various stats. Considering my own health and my previous world, the average human stat should probably be 1 point.
Perhaps because everyone is naturally gifted with chakra, the physical quality of healthy people in this world far exceeds that of my previous world.
What really caught my attention on this system screen was the section below it.
As I did earlier, I reached out and picked up the card labeled [Farming: S], dragged it, and placed it in the Expertise section. Although I had two cards suitable for this area, I only had room to place one.
After I moved the card, a question appeared at the bottom of the screen asking if I wanted to save my changes.
Ignoring the question for now, I placed my firearms card in the physical abilities section. Before saving the changes, I asked the system something I was unsure about.
"Hey system. What exactly do the numbers in parentheses next to my stats mean? Are they indicators of the stat points I received from Rekt?"
[No, host, those stats are the ones that will be added to your stats over time. If you want to gain those stat points faster, I recommend sleeping.]
An unexpected surprise. So, my stats will increase soon. At first, I thought those symbols were my increased stats, but I was also feeling a pang of disappointment because I felt no sense of empowerment.
So, I stopped procrastinating any longer, placed the skill cards, the rewards of my hard work, in the appropriate slots, and recorded the changes.
For a brief second, everything blurred, as if my blood pressure had dropped and I was starting to lose consciousness because I'd suddenly stood up. But then, that feeling quickly faded away, and I regained my balance.
Oddly, I didn't feel anything extraordinary.
The thought that one of the cards I was using had been downgraded to S-rank made me question my own farming knowledge.
"Growing rice is primarily a matter of patience and water. If you're patient enough and good at playing with water, you can grow rice. First, you need to thoroughly water your field until it's as thick as mud. Then, you start carefully planting the seeds you've already sprouted, one by one, and then you leave the rest to patience. Of course, don't neglect your field during this time; you need to give it the love it needs. You adjust the water level according to the season. Too many roots and your rice will drown; too few roots and your soil will dry out... What the hell did I just say?"
The moment I started talking, I realized he was smiling softly and speaking in a calm tone, like an old man talking about something he loves. Moreover, talking about rice cultivation felt so pleasurable that I almost couldn't stop talking.
The fact that this skill card is designated an S-rank is definitely not a coincidence. I hadn't even gotten to the truly unusual part of this information. For example, I know how to increase the amount of photosynthetic pigment in rice by using biosynthetic silver nanoparticles to increase its growth rate and boost yields. Which is crazy!
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to make the lab materials needed to do this.
I was so astonished by my own wisdom that I even forgot the fatigue that had been building up for days for a few seconds.
Of course, after the initial excitement, sleep overtook me again, and I stripped off my clothes and collapsed into bed.
In fact, I was so sleepy at the time that I didn't even notice the system notification until I woke up around noon the next day.
[Searching for a new template: Estimated search time: 2 months]