'System, are you an enemy or an ally?'
[The system's purpose is...]
"Silence!" Vio shouted, cutting off the voices. The words vanished, leaving his mind calm once more.
He massaged his forehead, attempting to soothe his emotions. The scale of benefits and drawbacks felt so unbalanced that he couldn't decide what to celebrate and what to worry about.
His metallic fingertips felt cold against his forehead, while his touch gave a warm, damp sensation in return. It seemed contradictions like this would become his new routine.
'Let's not dwell on useless things.'
Vio adjusted his breathing, calming the waves of his thoughts.
'System, show me the messages again.'
The cold hum returned.
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed' completed successfully.]
[Calculation successful. Grade: B.]
[All rewards will be multiplied by 5.]
[Rewards obtained: 50 EXP, 10 Plastic, 20 Metal, 5 Steel, 5 points.]
A frown crossed his face upon receiving a grade of B.
The grade was the system's evaluation of his mission performance, and clearly, B wasn't the highest grade.
Vio reviewed his actions and found no flaws, which only deepened his dissatisfaction.
'What exactly is your logic behind grading, and what is the standard?'
[The grade is determined based on what should have been done rather than what the hero did.]
[The grade impacts rewards. Grades are assigned as follows:]
[From S, A, B, C, D, E, ending at F. Each grade corresponds to a multiplier: x7, x6, x5, x4, x3, x2, x1 respectively. Your performance was graded B, so your rewards were multiplied by 5.]
'I find your grading system flawed.'
[The hero's complaint has been noted. Clarification is in progress.]
[Battle review initiated... review complete... reevaluation in progress... reevaluation complete... the grade remains B. Does the hero wish for an explanation?]
'Of course.'
[What the hero did well: Blocking the enemy's escape route; isolating one enemy to fight them individually.]
[What the hero did poorly: Allowing the enemy to prepare themselves instead of attacking when they were unready, which resulted in injuries; failing to eliminate the last enemy, leading to unnecessary energy consumption.]
The system's reprimand made him reflect on his decision-making process. He found no excuse for the wasted energy, but he refused to accept the claim about the soldiers' preparedness.
'Damn you. How was I supposed to know they weren't ready at the time?'
[The evaluation is based on what should have been done, not on what the hero believed should be done.]
The system's reasoning felt opaque to Vio. He didn't need to accept it but had to understand it to anticipate its decisions in the future and avoid frustrating scenarios.
'Let's say I attacked someone without knowing anything about him and later found out he was weaker than me. How would you grade that?'
[You would receive the highest grade because the hero made the correct decision.]
'But isn't that recklessness? What if he turned out to be stronger than me?'
[In that case, the evaluation would reflect that the hero made the wrong decision. As for recklessness, the system is not judgmental.]
There was a contradiction between Vio's mindset and the system's methods. For Vio, caution was first, whether he knew or not, while the system encouraged him to make the correct decision regardless of his awareness.
The system's way of thinking made Vio genuinely believe that the scholars of the previous world would be the cause of destruction. They had always preached that artificial intelligence would bring humanity happiness.
'I doubt that.'
He dismissed the absurd thoughts and refocused on more important matters.
'What does "Titles: None" mean?'
[Answer denied.]
'You son of a—explain Stats.'
[Increasing Strength raises the hero's attack power, regardless of attack type.]
[Increasing Stamina reduces energy consumption.]
[Increasing Agility improves the hero's speed.]
[Increasing Intelligence reduces the system's burden, so trivial matters won't need to be explained to the hero.]
'If only you had a physical form, I'd smash your insolent mouth.'
[Increasing Perception enhances the hero's awareness of their surroundings. It can be considered a form of instinct.]
Vio recalled sensing the soldiers' footsteps before they entered the tent. Clearly, there was a connection between Perception and Agility. Sensing danger was meaningless without the speed to react.
[Increasing Endurance improves tolerance and pain resistance.]
He became aware of how his form seemed to necessitate wear and tear, meaning frequent maintenance and, undoubtedly, pain. The lingering ache in his arm hadn't subsided.
[Cores handle analysis, deduction, summarization, suggestions, and all thought-related tasks required by the system.]
[External Data is a repository for stored information.]
[Note: Cores and External Data are not Stats and cannot be upgraded with points.]
'Then how are they upgraded?'
[By raising the hero's level.]
'Speaking of which, show me everything I've earned so far.'
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed' completed successfully.]
[Rewards obtained: 50 EXP, 10 Plastic, 20 Metal, 5 Steel, 5 points.]
[Mission 'First Battle in Alam']
Type: Secret
Requirements: Fight a battle.
Restrictions: Without weapons.
Description:
Who is a hero who hasn't fought before? Be a man and throw some punches.
Objective:
A battle where no lives are taken is not a battle; it's merely a spindle.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
5 EXP
1 Plastic
3 Metal
1 Steel
1 point.
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: The hero's heart will stop.
[The secret mission 'First Battle in Alam' was completed successfully.]
[Calculation successful. Grade: B.]
[Rewards obtained: 25 EXP, 5 Plastic, 15 Metal, 5 Steel, 5 points.]
His eyes widened when he noticed the mission shared the same penalty.
'Doesn't this mean there might be a hidden mission that, if I fail to complete, could lead to my death?'
[Correct.]
His expression darkened. The situation was worse than he had imagined.
[All of this is for the hero's benefit.]
'Fuck you! Do you think you're my parent? Keep your comments to yourself and collect the 'Damn rewards!'
[All rewards: 75 EXP, 15 Plastic, 35 Metal, 10 Steel, 10 points.]
Even with the rewards, he remained unable to level up.
Level: 1 | EXP: [75/100]
At last, there was some good news.
(Available points to distribute: 10)
'What should I upgrade in my stats now?'
[The system advises...]
"Advise your mother!" Vio shouted. "Shut the fuck up"
[...]
Increasing Strength would improve his combat abilities. Stamina could help conserve energy, which was currently a troubling 29%.
Agility was essential; speed often made all the difference. Intelligence was a vague term—would it make him smarter in combat, allowing him to avoid the system's scolding? Endurance was important but not critical at the moment.
The viable options seemed to be Strength, Stamina, Perception, and Agility.
He ground his teeth in frustration.
'Speak up, damn it! What's most suitable right now?'
[The system refrains from advising in this situation.]
'Son of a...!'
[I can explain, leaving the decision to the hero.]
Suddenly, Vio sensed a change in the system's tone, as if it was trying to pacify him.
[The hero has only 10 points. To notice a significant difference, allocating all the points to either Stamina or Perception would be required.]
'Good, at least you said something useful.'
This narrowed his focus to Strength and Agility.
'Alright, like they say, moderation is key.'
[Strength has been increased from 10 to 15.]
[Agility has been increased from 10 to 15.]
He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, hoping to feel something different. When he felt nothing, he threw a few punches into the air.
Vio felt the air brush against him and heard his fist collide with it.
'I feel lighter.'
He threw a series of punches but suddenly stopped.
'Let's not waste energy for no reason…'
[The skill 'Knockout Mastery' has been unlocked.]
"What?" Vio muttered, inspecting the screen closely.
A new section had appeared under the Abilities window.
[Skills]
Knockout Mastery – Level 1
Increases Strength by 1% when the hero uses punch-type attacks.
'Why did this suddenly appear?'
[Skills are added based on activities that are practiced consistently.]
[To increase the level of Skills, the hero must practice it continuously.]
'Now we're getting somewhere.'
Enthusiasm reignited. He intended to practice punching a bit more to quickly increase the skill level but froze suddenly, worried about consuming energy.
'Man…'
He was reminded of the frustration he used to feel when mobile games ran out of energy pointe. That was why he had always preferred story-driven games, where the fun didn't stop until the entire game was completed—and could even be replayed from the start.
Thinking about his happy family days made his chest tighten.
'Wait, System, didn't you mention something about a story earlier?'
[Story mode activated.]
'Damn it. I really am in a game.'
[Main mission: 'The Hero's Journey.']
[Mission #1: 'The Hero Must Survive']
Type: Story Mission
Requirements: Activate story mode.
Restrictions: One week.
Description:
The hero awakens to find himself in a hostile place. Since the hero is still weak and pathetic, he must do what pathetic people do: run away.
Objective:
Save your skin boy—or should I say, save your metal.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
100 EXP
22 Plastic
20 Metal
5 Steel
Item: The Unseen Eye That Sees All.
Side Missions and Their Rewards:
1 point for every life taken by the hero.
Earn a special weapon if no alarm is triggered.
1 EXP for every 1% of battery recharged.
Penalty for Failure: Moderate punishment: The hero will see what he does not wish to see.
As usual, Vio ignored most of the details, his eyes scanning for what was considered important.
"Boy..." Vio muttered, his expression frozen.
Like the first drops of rain that herald a storm, a memory resurfaced. He had read this before.
A command to bring up the abilities window appeared in his mind, and his eyes didn't stop until they landed on what he was searching for.
Passive Abilities:
Boy, Life is Tough in Alam:
A natural fiber sheath surrounds the hero's frame, adhering tightly and allowing color customization.
"Boy... Boy..." Vio kept muttering. No one had ever called him 'boy' except for one person.
A frightening glint lit up in his eyes.
"Old man, it's you, isn't it?" Vio murmured.