A metallic screech tore through the hallway as Lucian forced the main door open.
"Man—!" He grunted, shoulder smashing into the rusted frame. "This thing is jammed shut!"
Stumbling through the door, he stepped within the building. As he did so, the door behind him slammed shut. For a moment, even Lucian was startled to death as he pounced forward like a fearful kitten.
Realizing that it was just the door, he sighed in relief and began walking towards the depths without wasting any time.
"The doors have been shut, then it's possible that this place too, is not ordinary by any means. If anything, I'll be glad if it's not something as dangerous as before."
His hands reached back towards his waist and rested upon the handles of his daggers—their blades tucked into his trousers.
"Tsk.." Looking at the countless broken metal shards on the ground, he clicked his tongue.
'This will be worse than I thought...' a thought struck his mind as his gaze reached the dozens of corpses lying all over the place with their insides splattered out.
Blood flooded the floor and a dense, murky stench lingered in the air. Although it made no difference, since it hadn't been long that his nostrils were tortured by an even worse stench.
Trying not to muddle himself in blood, he jumped onto a corpse and began to cross the pool. One after another, he looked at each corpse and analysed its rotting body.
"Each one of these," he muttered before taking a brief pause, "they're missing their heart."
He straightened instinctively, as if his chest had warmed in response.
Within moments, he had crossed the blood pool and reached the counter aisle of the store. In a systematic term, it was the true beginning of the store because as he stepped inside, a system window materialized in front of his eyes. Unlike the previous countless times, this one was silent.
---
[You've entered an event zone!]
[A joint task has been issued!]
---
Reading through the screen, Lucian seemed a bit shocked.
"A joint task?" He frowned, recognising the term.
---
[Task #2]
[• Objective - Stay within the building and survive for 7 days.]
[• Rewards - ???]
[• Upon failure, death will be rewarded.]
[• Trying to escape from the building will automatically be considered as "Failure".]
---
Lucian read the new task content and showed no changes whatsoever. His expressions remained the same, in fact, he had calmed down ever since!
It was strange. The man who frowned over the mere mention of the term, calmed down after reading something even more dangerous.
But he didn't just stop there. He pulled out his daggers from behind and went closer to the cashier's aisle. There, he slowly jumped onto the platform and sat comfortably.
"No matter how I see it, this whole thing looks rather familiar to me." He said, squinting his eyes in doubt.
"The way the system is integrated, the element of creation, and the terms the system uses... It seemed so similar to the one I wrote in my book."
"Although the elements of creation were indeed justified in a sense, why would it issue a special authority for me to select one myself? It just doesn't make any sense..." He tilted his head slightly back and gazed into the dark hallway through the countless shelves.
"System, show me my status." He commanded in a low but firm tone.
'Since my life is already in danger, I absolutely need to confirm my assumptions first and foremost.'
---
———————————————————
[#~Status Window~#]
———————————————————
[Name - Lucian Cross]
[Level] - 1
[Race] - Human
[Talent] - ???
[Element of Creation] - Infinity
[Traits] - Transcendence (F)
[HP] - 100/100
[Stamina] - 100/100
[Stats]
└ [Strength] - 10 (+4)
└ [Agility] - 11 (+4)
└ [Vitality] - 10 (+4)
└ [Intelligence] - 15 (+4)
└ [Endurance] - 10 (+4)
[Skills]
└ [Passive] - [Indomitable Will (F)], [Perception (F)]
└ [Active] - [None]
[Equipment]
└ [Weapons] - Novice Daggers (Pair)
└ [Armor] - None
***
[Note- All stats gained have been multiplied by x2 due to 'Transcendence'.]
---
His eyes flinched, "This... It's the same!" He whispered under his breath, his voice slightly wavering with shock.
"System," he shouted desperately, "Show me the information about any and all skills I've gotten, including the traits and element!"
The system heard his command and acted in an instant.
---
[#~Element of Creation~#] - Infinity
[• Grade] - ???
[• Assimilation- 100%]
[• Description] :-
└ [Infinity is the embodiment of boundless possibility, the concept that neither talent, effort, fate, nor even the laws of reality can constrain the host.]
└ [???]
[• Traits] :-
└ [Transcendence]
└ [???]
---
...
---
[#~Traits~#] - Transcendence
[• Grade] - F (Lowest)
[• Assimilation - 0%]
[• Description] :-
└ [Transcendence signifies the breaking of all shackles—physical, mental, and metaphysical. The owner surpasses limits established by the world, gaining exponential strength as they defy boundaries.]
[• Functions] :-
└ [All Stats gained will be multiplied by a certain amount. The current multiplier is 2.]
└ [All Rewards will be upgraded by a certain grade. The current upgradation is limited to 1 grade.]
└ [???]
---
...
---
[#~Passive Skill~#] - Indomitable Will
[• Grade] - F (Lowest)
[• Description] :-
└ [Indomitable Will is the manifestation of absolute resolve. User's spirit cannot be broken by pain, despair, or external pressure; even the most hopeless odds will spark defiance rather than surrender.]
---
...
---
[#~Passive Skill~#] - Perception
[• Grade] - F (Lowest)
[• Description] :-
└ [Perception heightens user's awareness of their surroundings, enabling them to sense faint auras, hidden traps, and subtle shifts even in darkness or chaos.]
---
For a brief moment, Lucian remained completely silent as he blankly stared upon the screen.
"System," the corners of his lips twitched into a short smile, "You better prepare yourself for the copyright strike motherfucker, Cuz I'm gonna sue your ass."