"Stop! First, I need to carefully assess the current situation and come up with a plan!"
Chu Yuan took a deep breath—Serious Mode: Activated!
Staring at the glowing screen in front of him, Chu Yuan began to explore.
After a while, he had a general understanding of the functions of this System interface.
The lines of text that the Systems voice had read aloud were located under the [Announcements] tab. This section functioned exactly as its name suggested: the System would issue notifications, and once finished, they would be archived here.
Aside from that, there were other tabs: [Personal Info], [Communication], [Trading], [Inventory], [Journal], [Map], [Quests], and [Notes].
There were nine tabs in total, but only five were accessible; the other four were locked, requiring the completion of certain tasks to open.
The accessible tabs were: [Announcements], [Personal Info], [Journal], [Quests], and [Notes].
The [Journal] tab was empty. Chu Yuan didnt quite understand its purpose yet, though the name suggested it was for recording his memories, activities, actions, and goals.
The problem was, damn it, he couldnt write anything in it! Based on his years of experience reading novels, Chu Yuan guessed that perhaps the System itself would be the one writing and evaluating him there.
As for the [Notes] tab, it seemed much simpler and easier to understand. Chu Yuan only had to think about what he wanted to write, and the text would automatically appear on the screen.
Its function was likely just as the name implied: to record what he deemed important, allowing him to draft schemes and plan his goals—essentially a substitute for a notebook or a note-taking app on a phone.
As for the [Quests] tab, just as the name implied, this was where the system assigned tasks to the players.
Chu Yuan tapped to open it, and four quests immediately appeared on the glowing screen.
[Quest]
Requirement: Survive for 3 days.
Reward: Unlock [Communication].
Deion: Only those with the ability to survive deserve to have a voice.
... ...
[Quest]
Requirement: Survive for 6 days.
Reward: Unlock [Map].
Deion: Only those with the ability to survive deserve to explore the world.
... ...
[Quest]
Requirement: Survive for 7 days.
Reward: Unlock [Trading].
Deion: Only those with the ability to survive deserve to exchange.
... ...
[Quest]
Requirement: Survive for 30 days.
Reward: Unlock [Inventory].
Deion: Only those with the ability to survive deserve to possess.
... ...
"Hmm... Why is it that in other novels, these tabs are open from the start, but for me, I have to complete quests just to use them?"
Chu Yuan grumbled; it was so damn frustrating. Even communicating to gather information was restricted.
Fine, I guess Im just not worthy.
Despite them being locked, the names alone made it clear what each tabs function was. It was worth noting that the language used for these tabs was the same mysterious he had never seen before—yet, just like before, he understood the content and meaning perfectly.
"Open [Personal Info]!"
Chu Yuan thought to himself. This was the second way to operate the system: either by manual touch or through mental commands.
[Personal Info]
Name: Chu Yuan
Age: 19
Spirit: 1.2
Constitution: 0.8
Strength: 0.9
Agility: 0.9
Energy: 0
... ...
A remarkably plain and simple status board. Based on his years of novel-reading experience, Chu Yuan made a bold guess: the ideal attribute score for an ordinary person should be 1.
To his surprise, his Spirit attribute was actually as high as 1.2. It seemed that his years of reading, researching, deducing, and contemplating the meaning of life were what boosted his mental stats this high.
As for why his Energy score was 0, Chu Yuan figured it referred to supernatural powers like spiritual qi, battle qi, mana, or magic.
Chu Yuan knew exactly why his Constitution was so poor: he spent most of his time studying, eating, sleeping, or just lying around. Being lazy, staying up late, and "flying" too much (excessive self-pleasure) had led to this decline.
Regarding Strength and Agility, they were only 0.1 away from the ideal state. This was because Chu Yuan had occasionally tried physical training and gym workouts.
Well, the kind where he seriously persisted for one month and then took a four-month break.
After reviewing the systems functions, Chu Yuan looked at himself. He was wearing a jacket with a t-shirt underneath, long athletic pants over a pair of shorts, and sneakers with socks. Notably, everything was black.
The System had tossed his old clothes and swapped them for a new outfit. He had to admit, the Systems sense of style was excellent; Chu Yuan thoroughly approved of and loved this set of clothes.
Adding a few logs to the fire, Chu Yuan poked at the glowing red embers to keep the flames alive.
Looking around this crude thatched hut once more—aside from the fire, a few logs, and the straw mat—there were no newbie tools or starting items at all.
Sitting on the straw mat, Chu Yuan stared pensively into the fire, his mind already drafting plans and strategies for the time ahead.
Crackle, crackle—