"Okay - good start. The system's real, and it actually responded."
Orion could barely contain the grin tugging at his lips. His heart hammered against his ribs, a mix of nerves and pure, unfiltered excitement. This wasn't just supernatural nonsense anymore. This was the dream.
A real system.
Every webnovel addict's fantasy was sitting in his head, talking back to him.
{The host may communicate internally. Simply think your words, and the system will respond.}
Orion blinked before testing it out. 'Just like in the novels I've read?'
{Correct. Exactly like that.}
'Huh. A little unnerving that you can hear my thoughts and can probably access all my memories,' he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 'But then again, you are literally lodged inside my head. Privacy probably isn't part of the deal, huh?'
He chuckled nervously, but the grin stayed. Surprisingly, he was adapting fast. Questions fired through his mind like bullets, each one more pressing than the last. Before he could let them all loose, however-
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A chain of crisp notifications echoed in his head.
{Mission Completed: The host successfully survived the swarm of demons.}
{Reward Issued: Random Art Token.}
{Explanation: Such tokens grant the host access to a randomised Spirit Art. Different types of tokens exist and may be used at the host's discretion.}
Another ping followed.
{Additional Reward: Beginner Package. This can be found in the host's inventory.}
{Inventory Access Granted: The host's inventory stores system-issued items and rewards. Currently held: Random Art Token, Beginner Package.}
{Note: Inventory is currently restricted to system items until further functionality is unlocked.}
{The Exorcist System interface is now initialising…}
Orion froze mid-thought as something flickered into existence before him.
A holographic screen blinked into view.
"…Holy shit," he whispered.
The glow washed over his face, blue and translucent, its edges humming faintly in the charged air of the cell. It was exactly how he'd always pictured it through years of binge-reading system novels. Sleek, minimal, futuristic.
Three tabs hovered neatly at the top:
{Status | Inventory | Missions}
Orion's grin widened as he slowly raised his hand. His reflection gleamed back at him from the metal wall; only his reflection had no sign of the screen at all. So it wasn't visible to anyone else. Holographic, but private.
'Projection from the eyeball in my head?' he wondered. 'Or maybe some illusion directly messing with my sight… like a HUD overlay?'
Either way, it didn't matter. The important thing was...
"This is real," he muttered, practically trembling with excitement.
His curiosity won out instantly. With barely a thought, he reached for the first tab.
-
Orion's finger hovered for only a moment before curiosity got the better of him. He pressed the glowing Status tab on the floating holographic screen. The strange thing was, it wasn't just his finger moving - it was his mind. His intent connected with the screen as though the interface were woven directly into his thoughts. The tab rippled like water touched by light, then expanded.
A new panel unfolded before his eyes, displaying his details in cold, glowing blue text:
{STATUS}
{Name: Orion Graves}
{Exorcist Rank: N/A}
{Spirit Energy: 0}
{Special Traits: None}
{Arts: None}
Orion squinted. "...Yeah, about what I expected. Absolutely nothing."
He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing as his thoughts raced.
'Spirit Energy. That's probably the equivalent of mana, qi, aura, chakra, or whatever else I've heard internal energy be called in novels. But how does that translate to the Warlock's dark magic… or that silver-haired swordsman's glowing blade?' He rubbed his temple. 'Guess I'll find out eventually.'
With a flick of his will, he exited the tab and tapped on Missions.
The holographic screen shifted again, displaying only a single glowing line:
{More Missions Will Be Available Soon.}
Orion stared at it, lips twitching. "That's… both ominous and exciting." He exhaled. 'At least this time, hopefully, I won't be tossed headfirst into a death pit with no clue what I'm doing. Complete luck is not a reliable strategy.'
But the true excitement lay in the third tab. He quickly pulled up Inventory.
Two icons floated in neat rows: one shaped like a gift box wrapped in glowing ribbons, the other resembling a shimmering silver ticket with arcane markings.
"The Beginner Package… and the Random Art Token," Orion muttered, grinning. His heartbeat quickened. 'Alright, moment of truth. Let's see what I'm working with.'
He tapped on the Beginner Package first. The gift box materialised in front of him, floating in the air like something from a futuristic RPG. Its surface glowed brighter and brighter, cracks of golden light forming along its seams.
"Okay… this is just like a loot crate," he whispered with an almost giddy smile.
The box shuddered, then burst apart with a radiant flash, scattering motes of light that reformed into three distinct items now floating in his inventory.
The first was a shining blue pill radiating a faint warmth.
{Spirit Energy Pill (+10)}
{Description: Permanently increases the consumer's Spirit Energy by 10 points.}
Orion's eyes widened. "Okay… that's pretty good, I think. I don't really know what 10 points looks like in reality, but it's a start."
Next, two books appeared, their holographic covers outlined with faint blue light.
{Exorcist 101}
{Description: Contains everything you need to know to become a full-fledged exorcist. Must be physically read.}
Orion groaned. 'Wait - what? No instant memory absorption? No downloading all the knowledge into my head? That's… lame. Guess I'll actually have to read it.'
The second book shimmered with faint motes of white energy, its title glowing faintly.
{Basic Spirit Energy Manual}
{Description: Teaches the host to lay a foundation and begin collecting and storing Spirit Energy naturally through cultivation, rather than relying on external sources.}
Orion tilted his head as he stared at the 3 items now sitting in his inventory. 'So, the beginner package is basically: a pill, a textbook, and a DIY breathing exercise manual.' His lips curved into a wry smile. 'Honestly? I was expecting some SSS-Rank broken sword or a world-ending fireball skill. But… this is fine. A slow start, but slow and steady wins the race, right?'
Still, the Random Art Token gleamed at the edge of his vision, pulling his attention like a magnet.
"This one better not disappoint."
He tapped it, and immediately the entire interface exploded into dramatic, over-the-top theatrics. Light swirled in his vision like galaxies being born, a lottery wheel spun, and glowing runes burst across his sight. It was like watching the opening of a gacha game with maxed-out settings.
Orion leaned forward, excitement bubbling in his chest.
The theatrics reached a peak, then suddenly collapsed into a single flare of blue fire.
{The Art the Host Has Received is…}
Orion's eyes widened, mouth slightly open. The name appeared, glowing with ominous weight.
"…What the hell is that supposed to be?"