Chapter 8 Learning More About The System

[Tasks Completed]

[Rewards: +50 EXP, (2) Attributes Points]

Mako was beyond happy when he learned about what the attribute points for and what this could mean for the future.

He could complete daily tasks, continuously obtain more and more attribute points, and power up constantly as there would be no limit.

'Let's not get ahead of ourselves now, there is a lot more work to do, and see what else there is that I can do.' Mako calmed himself down from the overwhelming happiness that he was currently experiencing.

'Open System Interface'

[User: Mako Grey]

[Health: 100/100] ⓘ (+1)

[Energy: 50/50] ⓘ (+1)

[EXP: 50/100] ⓘ

[Level 1] ⓘ

[Strength: 2] ⓘ (+1)

[Agility: 3] ⓘ (+1)

[Perception: Null] ⓘ (+1)

[Intelligence: 5] ⓘ (+1)

[Mentality: 2] ⓘ (+1)

[Stamina: 4] ⓘ (+1)

[Charisma: Locked] ⓘ

[Fortitude: Locked] ⓘ

[Attribute Points: 2] ⓘ

A plus one symbol appeared in front of all of Mako's attributes indicating that these were the things that Mako could increase through his attribute points.

Mako wasn't exactly sure where the attribute points would be the most effective, and how much would a single increase in points actually improve inside of Mako.

Thinking about it a bit more, Mako was already top of his class so there was no immediate need to put points into intelligence. Besides that, Mako had no idea what the purpose of mental capacity is or what it does, so he decided that it wouldn't be worth it if he didn't know what to compare his changed self with.

After spending a few minutes contemplating about he should do with the Attribute points, he ended up just putting them both in the perception attribute. This was the only Attribute that Mako didn't have any points in naturally so he decided to at least unlock it while he made up a plan of how to spend these points most effectively.

"I need to find out more about how this system operates, luckily I know just the guy," Mako said as he prepared to leave home.

He took a shower again, because honestly he needed it since he was sweating buckets, and left home to go back to Bird's Eye street.

Bird's Eye street was the street where Mako was greeting all of the shopkeepers from the day before.

Gary, one of the shopkeepers, had a significant elder-brother-like relationship with Mako. He would often visit his shop after school, and Gary would tell him of the origins and stories of old games that used to be popular during the early 21st Century and laid the foundation for more advanced and new games that became a sensation in the current world.

Although was never interested in those old games, he still would listen with attention as maybe he could find something interesting while also learning some history.

Over time Mako got to know of many different types of games that were all the rage for people back then such as first and third-person shooters, strategy, Casual, Driving, etc.., but for Mako, the most interesting one was the MMORPG style games which as per Gary's description were where a character could be leveled up, taught abilities, improve attributes, etc.

It sounded a lot like Mako's system so to learn more about the system, Mako was hoping that Gary could help him out with the explanation of things.

A couple of minutes later, Mako was standing in front of a small shop that had the words written in bold on the top of the entrance.

[Gary's Gaming Bar & Library]

Mako opened the door, making the sensor make a small noise indicating that someone had entered the store.

A person soon came out of the storage room behind the counter. He had long brown hair that he had made into a ponytail, wearing very baggy and loose clothes that draped over his body. He didn't have a muscular build but wasn't overweight either.

"Mako! What brings you in today?!" Gary shouted as he moved from the counter to give a fist bump to Mako which Mako received.

"Big bro Gary, I wanted to ask about some old game one of my friends told me about," Mako said as he went toward one of the sofas near the counter and proceeded to sit on top of it.

"Hmm, I didn't know you had friends?" Gary said in a teasing manner.

"Umm well technically he isn't my friend, but that doesn't matter. Will you help me?" Mako said in a shy tone.

"You know I can't resist old games, fire away; ask what you want."

Mako decided to not tell Gary about the system, as this was a very important and unique thing. If even one person made a slip-up and spilled Mako's secret, he would become a target that he isn't strong enough to defend against.

So Mako disguised the system as an MMORPG game that he had heard from a friend about.

"Well, I don't quite remember the name, but it was one of those MMORPG-style games that you have told me about. It had a few things that I quite didn't understand like new attributes such as Perception, Mentality, Charisma, etc."

"Wow! Where did your 'friend' hear about this?" Gary asked still teasing.

Mako gave him the look that he had given Gary a million times before that meant please just get on with it.

"Anyways, Perception was an attribute used way back which allowed the player to sense danger miles before it even came at him like those fancy movies where the hero dodges a bullet or arrow without even knowing that it was aiming for him,"

Mako had a look of understanding as Gary continued.

"Mentality was a type of boost that the player had which would help him defend against mind and sound attacks, it boosted the player's pain tolerance and the number of skills that he could learn."

"While Charisma was just a way for the developers to bring more simps to play their game as charisma boosted the player's beauty comprehension and speech skills etc."

Mako finally understood how important each of those attributes was that he didn't care for before and he needed to make investments in each of every one of them.

"Big Bro Gary, In your opinion how should one upgrade their character in an MMORPG game? and how can a player unlock attributes that are locked?"

"Well it depends on the gameplay style of the actual player, but I would recommend that a person builds a balanced character with all of his stats more or less equal, and as for the second question; Most games made it so that if the character did a certain action then that attribute would unlock like charisma was unlocked from kissing a female NPC."

*DING!*

A notification voice went off inside Mako's head.

[Hidden Quest complete]

"I haven't seen you this interested in any of the old games I take about, what's up?" Gary said as he put on his apron.

"Huh, What's that supposed to mean?" Mako replied half-attentively as he was more focused on the notification that he just received.

"I mean you are keen to listen to me rambling on and on about games that my father and grandfather told me stories of, but I have never seen you this interested before."

"No Big bro Gary, it's not that; maybe just because a few people at my school were talking about it as well that I thought it needed more looking into," Mako replied with an aloof expression, hiding his actual joy and excitement over what that notification entailed.

"Hey, Big bro; don't forget about the bet you made me last time I came here. I beat you at that old game, and now I get the triple deluxe burger for free!" Mako attempted to make Gary go away for some time so he could properly assess what he had received.

Luckily it did work as after failing to try and make a counter-offer in order to change Mako's mind, but when he didn't budge, Gary gave in and went to the grill to make Mako his well-earned meal.

As soon as Gary was busy doing his own thing, Mako reopened the notification tab to check whether or not he had miss read what was written earlier.

[Hidden Quest complete]

[Find out how to properly use the system.]

[Rewards: +200EXP, +2 Attribute points, New Skill Set Learned]

[Player has Leveled Up!]

[Reward: +3 Attribute Points]

[Current Level: Lvl 2]

Mako was happy with the rewards he was given, but what he was most ecstatic about was that he had apparently learned a new skill set. He immediately opened his skills tab to find this,

[Skills] ⓘ

[Basic Skills] ⓘ (NONE)

[Power Skills] ⓘ (NONE)

[Unique Skills] ⓘ

(NEW) [Basic Phantom Skill Set]

- [(F-Tier) Phantom Punch] ⓘ (LEVEL 1)

- [(F-Tier) Phantom Shift] ⓘ (LEVEL 1)

- [(F-Tier) Phantom Kick] ⓘ (LEVEL 1)

[Absolute Skills] ⓘ (NONE)

"Woah, I learned three new moves just from learning more about how the system operates that's so cool" Mako voiced out in a slightly low tone.

"What was that Mako?" Gary asked from across the counter.

"UH! Nothing Big bro Gray, just looking at the details of my rewards!" Mako replied as he acted to pick up the menu to read about the details of his triple deluxe burger.

'Well, I am literally reading the details of my "other" rewards.' Mako thought as he had a small smirk on his face which was covered by the menu.