"Whatever..." muttered Jason, choosing not to mull over the insulting title. Instead, he shifted his attention from the chat box to the available menus, six in total. To the right were twelve empty spaces, and along the bottom were values for Time, something called AP, and Location.
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[Status] [ ][ ]
[Skills] [ ][ ]
[Equipment] [ ][ ]
[Management] [ ][ ]
[Relationships] [ ][ ]
[Quests] [ ][ ]
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[Time: 099:365:23:43:31] [AP: 11,000] [Location: F-Rank Subspace Orb]
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'No Inventory or Storage...?' Jason wondered, a slight frown marring his face as the ability to store and pull things out of an Inventory was one of the most powerful features of a game-like System.
'At least there's an Equipment tab...' thought Jason, briefly opening said tab to find a silhouette of a human body with currently empty slots for his head, torso, pants, underclothes, undergarments, shoulders, back, hands, feet, wrist, ankles, four rings for each hand, two earrings, a necklace, and what looked like an ammo slot—twenty-eight in total. This was generous compared to the majority of games he had played, but since he presently had nothing to equip, Jason opened the tab he should have checked first and foremost.
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[Status]
Name: Jason Springfield
Title: [The Man Who Traded His Life for a Fish's]
Age: 19
Height: 178cm Weight: 71.2kg B/W/H: 92/80/82
Rank: 0-Star
[Physique: 3]
Strength: 1[+]
Vitality: 1[+]
Dexterity: 1[+]
[Cognition: 3]
Intelligence: 1[+]
Perception: 1[+]
Guts: 1[+]
[Spirituality: 3]
Spirit: 1[+]
Mind: 1[+]
Faith: 1[+]
Free Attributes: 10[+]
AP(Achievement Points): 11,000
[Skills]
[Empathy: E], [Media Manipulation: E], [Artistry: F], [Landscaping: F], [Gardening: F], [Cooking: F]
[The Man Who Traded His Life for a Fish's]
Rank: F
Effect: Minor increase to abilities when facing aquatic creatures.
[Empathy]
Rank: E
Description: You are above average at being able to understand the thoughts, emotions, and motivations of others.
[Media Manipulation]
Rank: E
Description: You are above average at spinning a narrative and getting people to agree with your position on inconsequential matters.
[Artistry]
Rank: F
Description: You have a basic understanding of color, proportions, and perspective.
[Landscaping]
Rank: F
Description: You have a basic understanding of making a yard or other piece of land more attractive by altering its layout, adding ornamental features, and planting complementary trees and shrubs.
[Gardening]
Rank: F
Description: You have a basic understanding of weeding and how to plant and care for a variety of flora.
[Cooking]
Rank: F
Description: You know how to follow a recipe and portion ingredients, but without step-by-step instructions, you're not doing much more than frying eggs.
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'So my parameters are separated into three categories, and rather than providing boosts, Skills are a reflection of accumulated knowledge and general aptitude...' noted Jason, his amber eyes flicking to the plus mark next to each of his stats and Free Attributes.
Extending his right hand, Jason attempted to confirm his suspicions by pressing the plus mark next to Free Attributes. As he did, the previously white value turned green with a +1 next to it while the value denoting his AP turned red with -1,000. Next to both was a green check mark and a red x, indicating he could confirm or cancel the exchange.
'So I effectively have twenty-one attribute points to invest...' noted Jason, followed by him taking a moment to check his other menus to see if there was anything else he could spend his Achievement Points on. This ended up being a wise decision, as the Management menu appeared to relate to the space he was in and, most importantly, how to leave it.
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[Management]
Domain Name: [Awaiting Input]
Rank: F-Rank Subspace[-]/[+]
Size: 100m³[-]/[+]
Capacity: 3 Sentients[-]/[+]
Time Compression: 1:1[-]/[+]
Gravity: 9.807m/s²[-]/[+]
Mana Density: 0.00001ppm[-]/[+]
Flora Growth Rate: 1.00002x[-]/[+]
Fauna Development Rate: 1.00001x[-]/[+]
Plots: [+]
Features: [Small Spirit Pond:[-]/[+]], [+]
Landmarks: [+]
Structures: [+]
Furnishings: [+]
Flora: [+]
Fauna: [+]
[Storage]
[Simple Shack(F)]x1, [Simple Bed(F)]x1, [Simple Bedding(F)]x1, [Simple Wardrobe(F)], [Random World Transfer Scroll(A)]x1
[Simple Shack]
Rank: F
Description: A simple, one-room dwelling constructed of clay and sticks.
[Simple Bed]
Rank: F
Description: A simple bed constructed from clay and straw.
[Simple Bedding]
Rank: F
Description: Simple bedding woven from straw.
[Simple Wardrobe]
Rank: F
Description: A single-compartment wardrobe constructed from wood.
[Random World Transfer Scroll]
Rank: A
Description: A recreation of a World Transfer Scroll. Due to an error made during its production, it has a 93.7% chance of sending the user to a world that is different but similar to the one they intended to travel to.
Usage Method: Speak your intended destination aloud before tearing the scroll. Note that closed and protected worlds cannot be accessed without the permission of their Overseer.
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After reading the descriptions of the items he had in his Storage, Jason tentatively tried dragging the wardrobe to the Furnishings tab with his left index finger. The moment he removed his finger, a roughly two-meter-tall wardrobe made from termite-marred wood appeared before him in a flash of bluish-white light.
'Fascinating...' thought Jason, his amber eyes glistening slightly as he removed the remaining items from his Storage. The shack's interior was smaller than a jail cell, and both the bed and bedding looked as though they were infested with lice, but they were better than nothing. Same for the [Threadbare Tunic(F)], [Shabby Linen Trousers(F)], and [Worn Leather Boots(F)] he found in the wardrobe.
With his nakedness taken care of, Jason briefly set aside experimenting with the [Random World Transfer Scroll] and instead followed the sound of dripping water to what looked like a black pool. The dripping stemmed from somewhere above, but when Jason tilted his head to look up, all he could see was a featureless black void.
As his throat had been feeling parched since he awoke, Jason took a knee, slipped his right hand into the surprisingly cold water, and scooped up a small amount to bring to his lips. It had the taste of spring water, but when he probed around the pond's edge with his hand, it felt like touching smooth volcanic glass instead of stone, earth, or soil.
Opening his Management interface, Jason pressed the plus mark next to plots, prompting tiny windows listing various types of terrain with prices in the lower right corner. Clicking on the cheapest option listed, a 1x1m plot of Barren Soil for 100AP, Jason's eyes narrowed with intrigue as the black terrain beneath him illuminated with golden grid lines. And as he swiveled his head, the grid space at the focal point of his vision lit with a luminous green hue, suggesting that was where the plot would appear once he had confirmed his purchase.
'I need to discover a reliable means to accumulate Achievement Points...' determined Jason, his expression calm but his amber eyes glistening with barely contained excitement. His highest priority should be to reunite with Director Amanda and the orphanage staff to ensure they and the children were okay, but he couldn't help feeling excited by the possibilities of what he could accomplish with his newly acquired System and Subspace.
Formulating a plan in his head, Jason decided that he would save his AP until he had enough to develop the Subspace properly. The pain from his fatal injuries was still fresh in his mind, so increasing his parameters took priority. It stood to reason that the stronger he was, the more AP he could acquire, so after returning to his shack, he sat down on his makeshift bed and spent several minutes staring contemplatively at his Status.
Fortunately, though the parameters were self-explanatory, Jason was able to learn their exact function by clicking on them. Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity increased his power, resilience, stamina, and control over his movements. Intelligence, Perception, and Guts affected his speed of thought, his awareness of his surroundings, and his ability to endure and fight through pain. Spirit and Mind dictated his capacity to absorb, store, and utilize Mana. And lastly, Faith purportedly increased the amount of AP he received from Quests and Achievements.
Since his singular points in Intelligence and Perception didn't appear to affect his ability to think—as far as he could tell—Jason concluded that parameters influenced a person's existing attributes rather than deciding how strong, intelligent, or spiritual they were. If he were correct, then it would currently be a waste to invest points into Spirit or Mind. Faith was tempting, but until he had conceived of a method to earn AP quickly and efficiently, it didn't matter if he earned more or less.
With such thoughts in mind, Jason decided to invest all ten of his Free Attribute Points into his Physique, increasing his Strength to five and his Vitality and Dexterity to four. Once he confirmed his decision, a wave of heat flooded his body, and though his appearance didn't change, he felt lighter, refreshed, and energized.
'I bet every Otaku currently undergoing the Tutorial is beside themselves with joy right now...' mused Jason, unable to prevent the faintest of smiles from adorning his face as he gripped his left hand into a fist. He didn't feel five times stronger with five Strength as compared to one, but that didn't matter. Just knowing he could increase his parameters by investing points into them was an exhilarating feeling.
'Alright, stay focused...' Jason told himself, setting aside his excitement as there were several important matters to address. He didn't feel dead, and since he could feel thirst, he presumed it was only a matter of time before he grew hungry. Unfortunately, while there was a startling assortment of fruits, tubers, succulents, and vegetables that could be acquired through his Management interface, they were in seed or sapling form and required specific plots to purchase. There were a variety of grains and legumes he could consume directly, but Jason wasn't in a particular hurry to discover how uncooked oats, rice, and beans tasted.
Since there wasn't much else he could do besides experimenting with his strengthened physique in the Subspace's current state, Jason spent a few minutes thinking of a name for the peculiar space. It might take years, but with the time displayed in his main menu counting down, Jason presumed that was how long he had until he could return home. If that were true, he had a hundred years to develop the space into his own private sanctuary. Thus, after much consideration, Jason decided on the name [Sanctum] to reflect his desire to have a place he could sequester himself and be alone with his thoughts...
...
..
.
"Alright, here goes..." muttered Jason, holding up the [Random World Transfer Scroll] by its top with both hands. It had the appearance of an ancient, strangely blank parchment, but he didn't have the time or know-how to ascertain its secrets.
"Take me to the Tutorial, specifically to Director Amanda Alejandro Perez's side...!" shouted Jason, an uncharacteristic look of determination flashing across his face as he resolutely tore the scroll in two. As he did, the scroll dissolved into countless golden sparks which surged forward two meters and swarmed like a group of gnats before rapidly compressing, swarming clockwise, and expanding to form a circular portal that opened to a world that looked like an exceedingly high production anime.
'I don't see the Director...' noted Jason, his expression hardening into a glower. He knew his chances of success were only 6.3% according to the scroll's description, but that didn't stop him from feeling more than a little disappointed.
Compartmentalizing the feeling with his other negative emotions, Jason stepped forward without hesitation. He didn't know how long the portal would remain open, and since it was his only one, he couldn't afford to let it close due to his inaction.
Either due to his passing through it or another factor, the portal whirred shut the moment Jason's body was all the way through. By the time he looked behind him, it was already gone, replaced by a black sphere the size of a large marble that floated in the air.
'Is this the outward appearance of my Subspace...?' Jason wondered, extending his left hand with surprising speed to catch the sphere as it abruptly plunged toward the ground. It felt cool and surprisingly heavy, but Jason was more interested in the speed with which he had reacted to catch it. He had never been particularly athletic, so his hand shooting out to catch the sphere the moment he thought to do so stoked his curiosity and reiterated his need to increase his parameters further.
As his focus lingered on the glossy sphere, Jason was surprised but didn't startle as a rectangular window appeared above it, asking: [Would you like to enter the F-Rank Subspace, [Sanctum]? [Yes]/[No]]
Since he had nothing to do in [Sanctum] at that moment, a slight frown marred Jason's face as he wondered where he was meant to keep it. As that thought crossed his mind, he received his answer as the sphere shot forward, phasing through his tunic and sinking into his chest. Taking it out was just as easy, compelling Jason to begin experimenting to see how far away he could recall it from. As far as he could tell, there wasn't a limit, so with a faint, contented smile on his face, Jason turned his attention to his surroundings—turning statuesque as he did so.
"Pinsirrrrr..." snapsnap
'There's no way...' Jason told himself, his eyes widening and his pupils dilating as he found himself standing less than ten meters away from a nearly five-foot-tall bipedal creature that resembled a large bug with a spheroid, multi-segmented brown body, short and round legs, thin arms, and, most notably, massive, thorn-covered grey pincers that flanked its head like devilish horns. Its black eyes were angular, fixed in a predatory glower, and its large mouth, nearly as big as his head, was a fleshy maw of white, multi-segmented feelers reminiscent of the pedipalps of a large spider with hooked, fang-like tips.
As unnerving as the creature's appearance was, what shook Jason to his core was the fact that he recognized the creature. It looked considerably more realistic, but the monster was undoubtedly a Pokémon, specifically the Gen 1 Stag Beetle Pokémon, Pinsir—infamous for tearing both its prey and opponents in two with its powerful, steel-crushing pincers...
...
..
.