Chapter 5 – Statues
Kai narrowed his eyes at the glowing red text floating in the air.
"Well... show me."
The screen pulsed once, then flickered. Lines of a deep red binary code ran across it before they snapped into clean rows of information.
[ Host Attributes ]
[ Strength : 6 ]
[ Intelligence : 4 ]
[ Speed : 7 ]
[ Charm : Locked ]
[ Agility : 7 ]
[ Defense : 3 ]
[ Mental Fortitude: 1 ]
[ Endurance : 2 ]
[ Mana : 50 / 150 ]
[ Attribute Points: 0 ]
[ Warning: Mana is very important for the body. If depleted, physical exhaustion will follow. Severe overuse may result in collapse or death. ]
Kai's eyes widened as he read the stats. His expression shifted between pride, confusion, and irritation like a broken record.
"Okay... okay, I'm not useless. My speed and agility are actually decent. But why's my charm locked? What—am I cursed or something?"
[ You are above average in several physical stats due to your consistent training. ]
[ As for charm... have you ever held a conversation with someone of the opposite gender that lasted more than five seconds? ]
Kai scowled.
"Okay first off, rude. Second, ouch. But fair."
He scratched his head, still staring at the floating screen. The more he looked, the more questions swirled in his head.
"What about my bloodline? Show me that next."
The screen shifted again with a soft beep, glowing with a darker hue. A second window slid into place beside the stats.
[ Host Bloodline Info ]
[ Name : Generic Transformation Bloodline ]
[ Tier : F/Mortal]
[ Abilities : None ]
[ Notes : Train your bloodline to unlock innate abilities. Current potential: Dormant. ]
Kai's face fell.
"F-Tier?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "That's… bottom of the barrel."
[ Your bloodline is so weak, it wouldn't scare a butterfly. Did you think this was a fairytale where you get an divine bloodline just for being the main character? ]
Kai groaned and dropped backward onto his bed, his head sinking into the pillow.
Kai shighed and thought 'No powers… and apparently no charm either.'
Still, he wasn't about to lie down and cry about it. His fists clenched.
"So I'll just train then. I'll push it. Even a grain of sand can turn into something sharp, right?"
The screen pulsed in approval.
[ Would you like to view System Skills? ]
Kai sat up again, his eyes gaining a bit of fire.
"Yeah. Let's see what I've got."
[ System Skills Available: ]
[ • Inspect – Allows host to view basic stats and properties of objects and living beings. ]
[ • Language Translation – Grants automatic understanding and speech of any known world language. ]
[ • Mark (Locked) – Allows host to mark a living being and track its location over time. ]
[ • Silent Movement (Locked) – Greatly reduces the noise of footsteps and breathing. Aids stealth. ]
[ Note: To unlock more system skills, the host must level up. ]
Kai's brows rose. "Wait, some of these are actually sick! . So how do I activate them?"
[ To activate a skill, think the skill's name preceded or followed by the word 'Activate.' Mental intent is key. ]
Kai nodded slowly, already testing it in his mind.
'Activate inspect'
Nothing happened.
The system responded.
[ No valid target selected. Please focus on a specific object or being for Inspect to function. ]
He smirked. "Alright, makes sense. And leveling up? How do I do that?"
[ You must complete quests or accomplish significant feats tied to growth and survival. ]
[ Currently: No quests available. Rest is advised. ]
Kai let out a long sigh. "Of course. Sleep first."
He got up and stretched, wincing as his body reminded him it had recently been almost splattered across a mountain.
Still sore, still aching—but alive.
---
He stepped out of his room, yawning, only to pause mid-step.
In the dim light of the living room, his father sat on the couch, eyes half-focused on the flickering television.
The rare sight made Kai stop. His father wasn't usually home at this hour. Or… ever, really.
His father turned slightly, noticed Kai, and raised a brow.
"Oh—hey, kid. Why do you have blood all over your shirt? You good?"
Kai blinked, then glanced down.
His shirt was indeed still stained, a dried maroon crust where fresh red had once soaked through. For a moment, he froze.
Then he shrugged.
"Don't worry about that," Kai said casually, walking past and into the kitchen like it was nothing.
His father didn't push. Just grunted and returned his attention to the screen, where an old martial arts flick was playing.
Kai opened the fridge and stared at the cold light inside.
This world really doesn't care if I live or die.
But after years of no hope after the flame was just snuffed out it was ignited with vigour.