《This World of Systems》 Prologue Finally, The day I have waited for has arrived. My 18th birthday and the day my future will change. *System Initializing* Yes, Yes, Yes. I am READY! What am I going to get I wonder. Maybe I will be able to use jutsu and walk up trees, or maybe obtain a magical fruit of the devil! Oh I hope I don''t get a jade... I don''t want to be an old fogie sitting in a cave all my life.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. *System 30%* Come on, Come on. HURRY UP ALREADY *System 60%* Almost there *System 90%* Here I come my Destiny!!!! *System 99%* YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS *System 100% initialized. Beginning Tutorial for user* Finally! *Hello User, and Welcome to the Force* Jutsu here I commmmmeeeeee... Wait... What is the Force? The Force is in all of us, except its only in me... What... What is the Force. I know of the Fruit of the devil, Jutsu, the Jade, and a few others but never have I heard of such a thing. *Would User like to activate the tutorial?* What... I... I... Sigh... Yes system. Please begin the tutorial. *An excellent choice. Tutorial initiating. Welcome User to the Force System, to begin with the Force is well, a force that resides in all living things binding all of existence together. Through these connections between all things the User may channel energy in various forms. As User travels down the path that you choose new and exciting powers will be unlocked for you to harness.* So you are telling me that this so called Force is in everything? Then why have I never heard of it, Nor have I heard of this system before? *Another Excellent question User! You are the very first user of the Force system and as such will become the face and star of this new form of system! Isn''t that so exciting! But I am sad to have to inform you that as the originator of this new form of power the Force has only just come into existence and therefore only exists within you currently.* Then what is with all of that ''The Force resides in all living things'' Bullshit? *I apologize User! As an apology the System has decided to give you a power exclusive to your situation! and as such when the tutorial ends you will receive an extra large starter pack as a reward for being the carrier of such a burden!* Do you mean THE System!!! I guess if the System has put such a great task on my shoulders I should do my very best! So what exactly can I do with this so called Force? *Well User, as you will see in the starter pack you are unfortunately only able to start with simple self improvement powers. Does User have any additional questions that the tutorial might help you with?* Hmm, Not really. If the System has decided to burden me with such a task then I should get on with it! Although I really wanted to use Jutsu... *Acknowledged. This will be the end of the tutorial. May the User have a wonderful life. The System watches over you always.* May the System watch over us all. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. -Somewhere else "So, It has begun once again has it?" spoke a figure sitting upon a throne of starlight and shadows. "Indeed, Let us see if this one will achieve greatness" Another figure spoke up as she is fed a grape by a servant. "Ha, I bet this one won''t get further than the last" a giant of a man burped out as he took another swig of his room sized mug. *Enough. Return to your work.* "May the System watch over us all." The three said in unison as they shivered. - On the plane of Zeleroth, a small village with no name A young man opens his eyes as he stretches his arms and stands from his sitting position. "The Force" The young man says with a sigh as he scratches his head, long sandy blonde hair shaggily cascading down his slender shoulders. "I wonder what I can do. Open status" *Status Name: George Zilar Titles: None System: The Force Str: 9 Dex: 10 Con: 9 Int: 11 Wis: 10 Chr: 10 HP: 100 Force Exhaustion: 100/100 Powers (Active): None Powers (Passive): None Items: Extra Large Starter Pack* "Open Starter pack" The young man said as he sat back down on the cold stone floor. *Opening* *Congratulation! You have received Force speed (Lvl 1) Force Body (Lvl 1) Force sense (Lvl 1) As a Bonus you have received Force Originator (Lvl 1) One bonus Power of your choice from Power list. Would you like to choose now? * "Yes" *Confirmation accepted. Uploading list. List will be removed from mind after choosing power. Choose wisely.* Immediately Georges mind was filled with information and as he recovered from the recoil of the sudden knowledge he began to examine the options. "Hmm, there are so many powers. I can not wait to explore the possibilities! But for now. I choose Shatterpoint" As soon as the words were said George felt as if he had forgotten something. *Choice accepted. Shatterpoint (Lvl 1) received. That will end the Starter Pack. The System watches over you always* "May the system watch over us all" George says as he lowers his head. "So lets see what these new puppies can do! Status Power list!" * Force speed (Lvl 1): Allows the user to increase their movement and perception speeds by 10% 5 Exhaustion per second. Force Body (Lvl 1):Allows the user to sustain their usage of force abilities past their limit at the cost of 2 to 1 Hp ratio. Force sense (Lvl 1):Grants the user a passive sense for danger. Only works when danger originates within the Force. Force Originator (Lvl 1): You are the start of the Force. All things within 5 feet of you will gain a connection to the force. This ability may be temporarily increased increased at the cost of 50 Exhaustion. Shatterpoint (Lvl 1): Allows the user to perceive the fault in all things. through these faults the user may inject Force weakening the target or even causing it to directly break. * These seem to be a good starting point. I will just have to practice and see if they are as useful as they seem. Standing up once again George approaches the single opening of the cold stone room and opens it with a creak. Almost immediately he feels a weird feeling right before he is knocked back into the room and once more is on the cold stone ground. "Ha, my boy finally out" A gruff voice is heard outside the room followed by a shrill whistle. "Get off him you darn mutt" The voice said with a smile in his voice as a large bellied man leans in the door frame. Hardly a Willing Party to This... "Aaaahhh" George yelled as his body made sudden contact with the cold stone ground for the third time today. Holding his rough yet slender arms in front of his face, tanned from many long hours spent in the fields under the relentless sun, in an effort to protect himself from the voracious efforts of this vicious beast with teeth like daggers and rippling muscles underneath a fur as pitch black as a moonless night. "Cliff, call her offffff or so help me!!!" "Boy please, what could you do. Just because you finally got your system does not mean you can get your britches all high and mighty." The large man that goes by the name Cliff said with a loud boisterous laugh nearly sounding as if he himself was a dog. "Alright Sunshine that is enough, give the poor boy some space" Cliff says in an authoritative tone followed by a whistle louder then the last one. With one last attempt to lick George''s face Sunshine leaps away from him and returns to her masters side sitting at attention. "You know how much I dislike being tackled by her, Cliff!" George snapped as he stands up and brushes off his simple hemp shirt and pants. "She always gets my clothes in a mess and leaves slobber stains on everything! I mean Just LOOK at this!!" He yelled as he holds up the end of his shirt and points to the minuscule tear along the edge of the seam. "Do you even know how much effort it will take to make this shirt look as good as new again!" With a giant grin on his face Cliff steps forward and wraps a gargantuan arm around the shoulders of the complaining boy. "Awe, Don''t be Like that my boy! its just a tiny little scratch. My girl Sunshine did not mean nothin by it. Did ya girl?" He said looking at his giant dog sitting in the door frame. Which elicits the monstrosity of a hound to loll out her tongue and pant looking on in confusion. "See, She meant nothin by it! Now come with me we have a village to entertain!" He says as he begins to drag poor George along for the ride. Being dragged from the dark confines of that cold stone room George squints and covers his eyes from the sudden brightness of the outside world. "Do I really have to do this Cliff? It has always seemed so unnecessary." He says as he rubs his eyes as they begin to adjust.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Yep! Now quit your whining we will be have to be quick if we want to get there before dark" Cliff responded while tightening his grip on his young charge. "Don''t even think of running away boy. you know you won''t get two steps before my Sunshine will have you flat on your face eatin a hearty meal of mud!" At the mention of her name the canine gives a toothy grin to George, or at least that is what it seemed like to him. "Ugh fine... Lets get this over with..." George replied with a lowered head and sunken shoulders. He has waited for this day for years, ever since he was told about the System as all 14 year old children are. But he has dreaded what was to come after. This event that was destined to degrade his prestige... Well, His perceived prestige. The trio headed away from the stone shack following the well maintained cobblestone road that snaked its way through the dense forest that surrounded them. The return trip was mostly silent as the two had nothing to talk about. Merely exchanging small talk about Cliff and Sunshines day and if she had caught any good prey. After a few hours of walking they finally crested the top of a small hill and the sight of their destination filled their eyes. At the bottom of this grassy hill sat a valley which on all sides was surrounded by similar hills to the one they stood upon. Within this valley between the rolling green hills was a small town of very few families. From the center of the town''s square there seemed to only be 30 or so houses of a medium size forming a ring around a large central manor. Yet something was odd about this little town between the hills. There were vivid colors everywhere formed from various materials and in a myriad of shapes. They formed dragons and demons, mountains and rivers, even small bunny rabbits hopping among the clouds in the sky and around the town. Almost as soon as the Trio crested the top of the hill a sudden a cry rose from the town and the majestic display increased ten fold while music began to drift towards the top of the hill. "Please... Please just kill me now Cliff. Or even better" George whispered with sullen eyes before quickly getting on his knees and pressing his head against the nose of Sunshine. "Just eat me now Sunshine. You can even tear up my clothes as much as you want after I am dead..." "Pffft. Its not as bad as all that boy. Up you go" With a heave Cliff easily lifted George with one arm and slung him onto his shoulder. With that a laughing man, a souless boy and a confused dog made there way toward the town full of lights and music. Name at End With each step Cliff made toward the town the thumping and pounding of the music grew louder and louder. The beat of the drums sending wave after wave of vibration to slam against his sturdy body shaking his belly and whisking his air back and forth. Soon they made it to the bottom of the hill and with the loss of elevation the sounds battered against them with more vigor. Half way to the town the earth itself shook with the music every blade of grass dancing along to the tune. The wind carrying a whisper of an angelic voice singing along to the beat. "Look boy, all of this for you!" Cliff bellowed with laughter at George''s soulless stare attempted to bore a hole into the ground. "Mmm" George responded with a simple moan. His long sandy hair wildly dancing along to the music against his will. All of a sudden the largest of the dragons that floated and soared in the sky let out a majestic roar before diving straight at the trio. Its mouth the size of a house slowly opening to show teeth as big as a full grown man. Its body was crystal clear and refracted the light of the fading sun creating a splendid rainbow array of light shining down upon the valley. "Fine boy. Lets see how long you can keep up the moping" Grabbing George in both hands and spinning around rapidly Cliff launched the poor boy directly at the mouth of the approaching dragon. "Good Luck my boy! Come Sunshine lets go get some grub, I smell my favorite!" Cliff said as he pet his loyal dogs head and headed toward the center of the town. "AAAAAHHHHHHH" George let out a shrill scream as he was flung directly toward the looming mouth full of large and very sharp looking teeth. With his arms flailing and continued screaming, he rapidly approached the gullet of this monster before slamming directly into its mouth. A sudden snap closed those jaws sealing George within the dragons mouth with only one way to go. He quickly began to slide down the gullet of this beast. With light blinding his eyesight from all directions, George grasped for anything he could hang onto but every thing he touch was slick and wet. Finally calming down slightly he activated the first use of his new system. "Force speed" He yelled in panic, no sooner had he said it the world seemed to slow down ever so slightly, although this did nothing to slow is ever increasing slide down this blinding tunnel. Thinking quickly he activated his other ability, this time with out yelling it out in panic. [Shatter Point] Suddenly as if he was seeing the world for the first time, line upon line formed around him pulsing in a strange color that was not quite color. When he looked at these lines he knew that with a little push they would cause damage, weakening the other lines surrounding them and with enough of them weakened anything could be destroyed. Reaching out his hand he brushed one with the thought of its destruction. He felt a sudden loss of something as the line darkened and lost that strange not quite color, immediately after all the other lines dimmed ever so slightly. With a smile George began to rapidly hit as many lines as he could as he continued his rapid slide. Each touch meant another light extinguished, and the over all structure dimmer. After a brief moment of time the Majestic and grand dragon began to waver and fall apart behind George. He continued to touch line after line before suddenly he was air borne and once again screaming. But this time with joy rather then fear.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. That was until he saw he was hundreds of feet in the air surrounded on all sides with massive amounts of falling water. Then those screams turned into screams of fear. His [Force speed] and [Shatter Point] deactivated as he began to fall even faster. Air beginning to whip past his body yanking his screams out of his mouth. Just as he was saying his prayers a gentle voice reached his ears. "Calm yourself" The gentle voice whispered along side the wind. As the words finished so did the rushing of air. George suddenly found he was floating gently on the wind gliding smoothly toward the ground. "Prepare yourself little George, The council is in a very mischievous mood today" the voice whispered into his ear once more followed by a long drawn out sigh that resonated with the air in the valley. "Thank you for the warning Kate" George said in appreciation as his feet made contact with the ground once again. "I will make sure and be careful." "I am sure you will do well Little George" The voice whispered once more. "Now go ahead and go to the town, we are all waiting for you" The voice faded away as a feeling of a hand pressed onto Georges hair that gave his hair a gentle shake as if the wind caressed his head. With a face full of exasperation and shoulders dropped George continued his trek toward the town. But after a few minutes of walking he finally noticed something was wrong and that he had not moved much closer to the town at all. "Whhhhyyyyyyy" With a yell full of tiredness and anger George began to sprint full speed toward the town in the distance and yet was not moving at all. Looking down he saw that the very earth beneath him was moving backward keeping him in place. the faster he ran the faster the earth moved. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" George let out a scream and activated [Force Speed] once again moving slightly faster but not fast enough. *Ding. System has detected criteria required for activation of sub system titled Side Points. User has gained one DSP which stands for Dark Side Points. Congratulations! Each DSP boost all Neutral and Dark side powers by 10%. As an added bonus for the Originator your currently used power will be leveled up free of charge! Keep up the good work* Suddenly the world slowed down even more and with a mighty leap George managed to escape the terrain he had been running on. But no sooner had he landed and deactivated [Force Speed] then the ground shook with a mighty quake and George was pulled faster then before toward the town. "Enough Valerie, let the little one walk the rest of the way." The same whisper from before could be heard as the ground suddenly came to a stop sending George tumbling face first onto the ground in the middle of the town. "Happy Kate?" A rough yet feminine voice sounded out with a hint of laughter. "He got here on his own face" "Very funny Valerie" A third voice sounded out calm and collected although male this time. "Stand up young George. It is about time you manage to get here." Standing up while spitting out dirt from his mouth and trying in a futile attempt to wipe the dirt from his clothes George looks up at the voices. Before him is the entire town laughing and joking at his expense, eating food and dancing. Decorations of all colors and shapes adorning the houses and ground. Directly before him is the three leaders of the village. A woman with toned muscles, tanned skin and hardy miners clothes that goes by the name Valerie, A man wearing elegant blue robes and long golden hair flowing down his back, And a small white winged pixie seated on top of Valerie''s head eating a piece of cake that George was feeling very thankful to, Kate. "Do I really have to go through with this?" George asked as he approached the three. "Why of course you do" The man said as his calm elegant look was broken by a wicked and evil grin. Suddenly the mans voice boomed out for all to hear "Let George''s 18th birthday celebration BEGIN!!" As soon as the words left his mouth chaos erupted as the entire village swarmed George all at once. "UUUUGHHH" George moaned one last time before he prepared his stance. Trials and Tribulations ''Status'' George thought as he saw the wall of bodies approaching him with smiles on their faces. *Name: George Zilar Titles: None System: The Force Str: 9 Dex: 10 Con: 9 Int: 11 Wis: 10 Chr: 10 DSP: 1 LSP: 0 HP: 100 Force Exhaustion: 83/100 Powers (Active): [Force Speed Lvl 2] [Force Body Lvl 1] [Shatterpoint Lvl 1] Powers (Passive): [Force Originator Lvl 1] [Force sense Lvl 1] Items: None* ''I have nothing to defend myself with, [Shatter Point] is to dangerous to use on them and I won''t be hurt enough to have to use [Force Body]. What can I do'' George thought while he quickly leaped back to try and maintain distance to think. But the distance was closing quickly as the town all used their various skills and abilities to get closer. All for the goal of defeating him first, whoever did would gain an Item from the System as a reward. George could not let this happen, if he was defeated he would lose his possible reward, and he needed all he could get for what was next. George continued to back pedal when all of a sudden he felt that odd sensation he had felt earlier once again. looking up he noticed the first of the participants entering the area he was just standing. ''That''s it!'' he realized as he stopped his retreat quickly activating [Force Originator]. A sense of sudden loss entered his body as for a brief instant he felt at peace with the world, as if he was connected to everything at once. Then as quick as it arrived it faded. *Congratulations User! 1 Light Side Point has been awarded. Light side points or LSP similar to DSP boost all Neutral and Light side powers by 10%. Keep up the good work User! As a reward for first time unlocking of LSP the system has rewarded you a gift. Please open at your convenience.* *One Light side Gift box has been obtained.* Immediately the weird feeling of danger began to fire off one after another as nearly every being in the village was chasing him down. *Congratulation User! [Force sense] has reached Lvl 2. Accuracy improved! Keep up the good work.* With a smile George opened his gift. Time stood still as the menu opened up and the System began to talk. *Light side Gift box has been opened. The System has detected you are in combat so you have been given 1 min of time to choose. Please be aware time will resume whether you have picked or not and all memories pertaining to not choosing your Gift will be removed from your mind.* *These are your choices randomly selected from you systems Light Side and Neutral list. [Sever Force] - Allows the User to disconnect another User from their system temporarily. Costs 20 Exhaustion per second. [Battlemind] - Allows the User to enter a state of heightened focus. Increasing fighting abilities through controlled passion and sheer force of will. Doubles all combat related abilities, such as agility, perception, and strength. 50 exhaustion points locked to maintain usage. [Mind Trick] - Allows the User to alter a persons mind and thoughts through vocal and physical mannerisms. Costs 1 exhaustion per second. [Force Stun] - Allows the User to deaden the senses of a person, effectively placing them into a coma. Costs 10 exhaustion per attempt.* ''Although all useful in their own ways. The most useful right now to get the prize is [Battlemind]. Hopefully I will get to choose some of these another time.'' George thought as his body was frozen still. ''I choose [Battlemind]'' *Wonderful choice! [Battlemind] has been added to your powers. Have a wonderful day User and good luck in your battle. The System watches over you always* ''May the System watch over us all'' George replied as the countdown began in his head. *3* *2* *1. Time is resuming* As sudden as it stopped, time once again resumed and with it came the sounds of the town charging toward George. ''[Battlemind]'' With that a pinching sensation was felt and the world became more vibrant and the air along his skin became sharper. Although only people within 5 years of the new System user were allowed to actually win the competition, there was no rules preventing their families from joining in to help prevent others from touching him. So although the entire town was charging him, only about five or so could actually defeat him. His face grim George assumed his stance to try and defend himself from the incoming onslaught. The first to reach him was a young man around 21 years of age called Mike, and expert in wind style techniques passed down through his family. Close on his heels was another young man of 23 trying his hardest due to this being the last chance he will get to win named Clyde a user of earth that was sliding along the surface of the ground. "Sorry George, you knew this was going to happen" Mike said as he threw a left punch at Georges head followed by a strong gust of wind meant to knock him into the punch. His senses strengthened George reacted quickly, jumping with the wind to slide past Mike''s fist to get behind him. Throwing a quick jab into Mikes exposed ribs and kidneys there was a creaking noise followed by a sharp crack as something broke. With a Yell Mike dropped to the ground hugging his side, his grandfather quickly picking him up and retreating from the soon to be brawl.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Seeing what had just happened Clyde slowed down and formed a layer of armor from dirt. "Looks like you have some new tricks, well so do I" He said with a laugh before launching himself like a boulder directly at George, a pillar of earth where he just was. Activating a burst of [Force speed] George managed to move out of the way just in time. Or so he thought, Clyde expected that and held out an arm knocking into George''s chest crashing him into the ground. With a practiced roll Clyde landed then bounded back to his feet before turning around and attempting to drop his elbow into Georges stomach. Still stunned from the crash George was unable to recover enough to dodge out of the way. Luckily for him this was not a 1 on 1, Clyde suddenly was blind sided by a large frying pan made of a mysterious metal that glimmered a shade of red. With a dull thud the armor of earth split and Clyde was knocked to the ground unconscious. "Ladies first" A slender armed woman of 19 said as she brought the frying pan back to her shoulder. "Oh, hey Vivian" George said with sweat beginning to seep down his skin. "Hello there George" Vivian said with a smile as she slammed her pan where George''s head just was. "Awe why did you move, Making it hard for a Lady to win I see." "Sorry Vivian, I want to win." George said as he scrambled to his feet and began to back pedal while holding up his hands in a sign of surrender "I hope your mom cooked the cake!" "Yep, She did!" Vivian replied as her pan lit up bright red and she swing it at George, spraying burning hot oil onto the ground just barely missing him. Where the oil touched small fires began to form catching a large patch of grass on fire. George began to sweat even more as mere inches from his shoe the grass caught fire. He widened his eyes before turning around and running full speed toward the group of adults that were keeping each other in check. "Wow Marian, your daughter is a fiery one!" The old man holding with the crying Mike at his feet said to a woman in her late 30s who stood with a large whisk attached to her belt. "She is isn''t she" Marian said with a smile as she looked at her daughter chasing after George. "Wait a second... why is he running this way." Suddenly the smile stopped as she realized her Fiery daughter was running straight at them slinging flaming hot oil all over the place. "Oh crap. Everyone watch out" She managed to yell, but it was to late. The flaming oil was already falling toward the group on the sidelines. "Ha, My boy will take the prize if this is all your children have to offer" A prideful voice echoed out as a wall of ice formed blocking the oil. "Oh hush up Henry" Marian snapped at the man wearing shorts and no shirt, Shards of ice running through his hair. "Just watch" was all he replied with a smirk on his lips. George was still running when he suddenly slipped on a patch of ice that had formed beneath him and went sprawling on the ground. Vivian soon followed suit as she went down in the same manner her grip on her pan was lost and it went flying from her hand. "Look at you two buffoons" a voice rang out from behind them. "Groveling on the ground before the great me!" The young man walked up to the struggling Vivian before breathing ice over her holding her in place. "Just stay there and let the great Benny claim the prize!" ''Status - remaining'' George thought quickly *Force Exhaustion - 18/50 (50)* ''Not much left'' George thought to himself as he watch the snob Benny approach. George could feel the ice melting underneath him from the roaring flames all around caused by that fool Vivian''s magic. Sneakily he got into a position where he would be able to jump up when Benny got close enough. Just on time he heard the snob say. "Now then, Poor George all tired and dirty on the ground" Benny laughed as he approached and bent over to look down on George "Now then be a good boy an-" Suddenly George leapt up like a coiled snake and aimed a right hook directly at the snobs smug face. Only to have his hand frozen inches from his target. "Tut Tut, Nice try tho-" Right as Benny was trying to talk George activated a burst of [Force speed] and slammed his foot directly into Benny''s family jewels. With a gasp of air Benny buckled and toppled over. George quickly gave a strong kick straight at Benny''s face over and over again, breaking a few of his teeth and causing him to swell up like a balloon, blood leaking from his mouth and ears. *[Battlemind] negative discovered, while under its effects User will experience strong Dark side tendencies. Congratulations! User has Kicked in the teeth of a fellow villager 1 DSP gained. Keep Up the Good work!* With a sudden gasp of air George realized what he had just done and quickly turned off [Battlemind]. Breathing hard and falling to the ground in shock staring at the unconscious and broken face of Benny. ''Sure the guy is a prick, but I could have killed him'' Quickly Benny''s father ran over and scoffed at his son. "Pathetic, embarrassing me like this." before freezing his head to help the swelling and taking him to the medic. Just as George sat in the mud to exhausted to worry about his clothes he remembered something. ''Oh no... Penny'' With a start George felt the sensation of danger coming from above so he rolled into the grime and muck quickly dodging. "Good Dodge!" A small girl squeaked as she giggled. George looked at where he just was and the words PAIN was inscribed into the ground, the grass it hit withering. "But can you dodge these I wonder!" With another giggle she began to write quickly into a small journal she carried in her hands. Ethereal words began to form in the air and shoot at George. PAIN, SUFFER, CRY, all kinds of negative thoughts and actions began to shoot faster and faster at him. Without [Battlemind] active he struggled to dodge between them. Even just getting clipped with a single letter of a word would still activate a portion of the spell. "Wow! George you look like a silly little monkey!" Penny Giggled again, a dark light shining from deep in her eyes. "Lets watch you dance faster!" Her mouth widening beyond normal human limits suddenly splitting open to reveal row after row of sharp teeth. Suddenly additional arms grew from her back and began to write more and more words into her little book each longer then the last. HURT, STING, DAMAGE, INFLAME, DETRIMENT, TORTURE, AFFLICTION, ANGUISH, MISERY. Each word sent her form grew more monstrous and disgusting, more faces and mouths, growths and pulsating sacs of flesh. The small girl growing massive, soon towering over all of those present, Yet her voice remaining the same small squeaking and those same little giggles. George began to run out of steam, slowly getting hit with more and more letters of each word, one after another. Soon he was on the ground barely managing to sway side to side to try and avoid the worst of it. But as sudden as it began it stopped. "Whoops" Penny giggled "Ran out of fuel. You are so much fun to play with!" She said before she passed out dropping the book to the ground. ''Finally'' George thought as the system chimed in his head. *Congratulations User! You are on a roll today! There is no more valid contestants in range. You have won your birthday celebration! and as a reward here is your birthday present from the System! So Lucky you are! The system watches over you always!* *1 x Birthday Present Received* With a smile on his face, George passed out laying in the mud. Sweet Sweet Treats -In another Realm- A man stood in front of an army in the millions. "Surrender Fools" The man''s voice boomed outward causing small fissures to erupt in the air from just the force of his voice alone. The mans well maintained robes swaying back and forth calmly. The stoic mans words reached the army, small fissures constantly tearing and gnawing into the screaming fabric of space as the force ripped limb from limb those in the army that were weaker. Splashes of glowing green blood soon covered the remaining army, and yet they stood still staring the man down as if nothing had happened. "Oh hush you old man, Only knowing how to yell and scream" A boy looking no older then 10 sauntered to the front of the army the ends of which could not be seen. "Eternal" The man growled. "You know the rules, How dare you invade here!" "Francis" The boy chuckled in reply "Do you not sense it! A new age is upon us! and with it the rules of the System will change. So will the Rulers! I will not let my chance pass me by. In this oh so rare moment I will do all I can to succeed." Faster then Francis could see the boy disappeared before reappearing in front of him swinging a dagger that oozed black fluids. "Now die for me!" Francis'' eyes widened as he activated his eyes, slowing time down. Quickly sliding his foot backward in a attempt to pivot while activating his hand movements ''Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven'' With a release of his Chakra Francis quickly began to spin, forming a dome of blue energy. Eternal''s momentum was interrupted as he was thrown backward. Their impact causing another shock-wave of force that flattened the earth and nearby mountains. Reaping another round of the soldiers As Eternal tumbled backward he released a blood curdling scream as his arms were torn apart from the rebound. Falling into his army he quickly grabbed a solider and plunged two sharp fangs into the neck of his victim. Eyes glowing bright red he turned to view Francis once more. "You will die and I will rule your realm old man. I will keep you alive to drink from your blood every day for all eternity." Eternal roared as he began to grow larger, muscles bulging and two giant wings growing from his back. "NOW DIE FOR ME!" He screamed as he turned into a cloud of bats charging straight at Francis. -The village of no name- With a cough George awoke. Laying on a bed of soft hay he covered his eyes. His head throbbing and pounding away. ''I managed to win. Although it was through sheer luck, a victory is still a victory. It just means I need to train as hard as I can. system open present.''Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. *Opening birthday present* *Congratulations once again for winning this award! The User has the choice of three options. Option one: Upgrade all stats by 10 Option two: Upgrade all known abilities by 3 Option three: Gain one new ability then immediately upgrade to lvl max and upgrade if viable * As George looked at his options he pondered over them. Although stats and upgrades are good he really needs more attacking skills. He was just running around getting beaten up in his first fight. A new good attacking option seemed to be the best choice in the matter. So that is what he chose. ''Option three'' *Very well, Option three selected. Random dark side ability chosen due to more DSP being present* "WHAT" George yelled in anguish. "Please be an attack, please be an attack." *Ding, User has gained Force Lighting (Lvl 1). Maxing lvl... Evolution Viable... Evolving... Success... Chain Lighting gained... Maxing lvl... Error... Error... Unexpected variants detected... Error... Error... * ''What?'' George thought. ''The System is never confused. What is going on.'' -In a place without time- *Interesting, This new version has higher abilities then I initially predicted. Lets see how this young system grows. Initialize override 1092823029434... Connection established... Remove restrictions... resume gift... Maximum plus title addon... That should do it. Grow well little system it will be fun.* -The village of no name- *Error... Apologizes User. As a very special Gift all three options will be granted plus an additional Title. Have a wonderful day. The System watches over you always.* ''Hmm? what happened'' George was thinking as he was suddenly racked with more pain. His body and mind tearing apart. Before suddenly all was well, in fact George felt better then he every had. ''Status!'' He thought eagerly. *Name: George Zilar Titles: Watched Over System: The Force Str: 19 Dex: 20 Con: 19 Int: 21 Wis: 20 Chr: 20 DSP: 2 LSP: 1 HP: 150 Force Exhaustion: 200/200 Powers (Active): [Force Speed Lvl 5] [Force Body Lvl 4] [Shatterpoint Lvl 4] [Force Lightning Master (Lvl Max)] Powers (Passive): [Force Originator Lvl 5] [Force sense Lvl 4] [Electricity Immunity] Items: None* His eyes wide he viewed all of the new information. * Watched Over: A great being has looked upon you and smiled. Effects are unknown. [Force Speed Lvl 5]: 20% increased 50% Cost down from 5 to 1 per second. [Force Body Lvl 4]: Ratio improved from 2 to 1 down to 1.5 to 1. [Shatterpoint Lvl 4]: Able to activate without touching. Range 5 feet. [Force Lightning Master (Lvl Max)]: Allows access to all variant powers with total control. More are unlocked as you practice. Cost to use vastly decreased. [Variants known: Force Shock, Chain lighting] [Force Shock]: Small tracking spark. Can stun opponents. 5 Force exhaustion [Chain Lightning]: Improved Force Lightning. Can hit multiple opponents. 1 Exhaustion per second. [Force Originator Lvl 5]: Range increased to 20 feet. [Force sense Lvl 5]: Danger accuracy improved. Reaction time increased when responding to a threat. [Electricity Immunity]: User is immune to all forms of electrical damage. * "Wow" George whispered shocked at the gifts he had received. He quickly got out of bed, got down on his knees, then bowed his head in prayer to the System. As he was doing this the door to the room opened and he heard a shout. "Master Ace! Master Ace! Young George has woken up!" The servant yelled out as she saw George on his knees. An Actual Sweet Treat "Master Ace! Master Ace!" George turned around and stood up as he heard the voice calling for Ace Young, the leader of this village. He quickly went to pat down his clothes and arrange his looks, feeling something was odd he looked down and noticed that his hemp shirt and pants were missing, replaced instead with a smooth high-quality silk. He immediately began to feel all over the silken shirt, tracing the golden dragon embroidered into the shoulder the worked its way wrapping around his chest. The pants were similar but without the dragon imagery. With a sigh, George began to admire the stitching and how it fits him perfectly. The creator of these two pieces of clothing was a master. Enraptured in the world of fabric and clothes design George failed to notice the man that had walked into the room and was standing in the door frame. "Cough" The man said, not actually coughing but saying the word. With a start, George looked up as he was snapped back to reality. Standing in front of him was the leader of this village Ace Young, he was tall with long flowing golden hair and a deep blue robe, the same man that declared his birthday while wearing that evil grin. "Ace sir!" George stood at attention before bowing in respect. One hand placed over his heart and the other behind his back. "Enough with the over the top formalities George." Ace said with a shake of his head and an exasperated face. Ace walked toward George and placed a firm hand onto his shoulder. "You did a good job earlier George, It is a rare thing for a newly created system user to be able to win their birthday celebration. I have not seen those skills before, especially the one that destroyed my water dragon! I wonder what you..." Suddenly in the middle of his sentence, Ace''s face went blank, his eyes losing their light as he froze in place. "Sorry George, I got ahead of my self," Ace said as the light returned to his eyes. "Now let''s go get you some food and celebrate your birthday!" With a sudden turn Ace left through the door he had just entered but with George in tow this time. They left the room and proceded down a white hallway with wooden floors. With some small talk, they continued to walk until they reached a wide double door made of black metal. "Now George I will tell you that Benny is not to keen on you for what you did and might try and cause some trouble with you. I give you permission as the owner of this mansion to defend yourself if needed." Ace said as he turned before the doors and looked at George. "Just don''t kill him. But enough of that talk! Let''s get you some of Marian''s cake she made for you" With that, he snapped his fingers and the metal doors silently opened. As George followed him through, the doors the closed behind them. They had walked into a giant room with a grand chandelier hanging in the middle, colorful paintings adorned the walls along with fantastical statues of living metal. These living statues walked back and forth between tables carrying trays of drinks and food to guests that lounged around talking amongst themselves.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Ace picked up a glass from a nearby statue and tapped against it attracting everyone''s attention. "Our guest of honor has arrived! let the party commence!" With those words, a cheer went up from all those in attendance. "Now George lets go mingle and chat while the last of the food is being prepared." Ace said as he began to walk towards his wife on the far side of the room. George just stood there for a minute before grabbing a drink himself and found a seat. With a well-practiced motion, he elegantly sat down into the chair while taking a sip of his drink. As he well practiced placed his glass on the stone table he felt a light pressure on his head. "Hello Kate, He said with a smile" "Hello, Little George!" Kate the pixie said as she leaned over the front of his head and looked him in the eyes. "Did you have a good rest? You looked all tuckered out earlier" Kate chuckled while patting George between the eyebrows. "Yes Kate, I had a wonderful rest. Thank you for worrying about my wellbeing." George replied as he took another sip of his drink. "Thank you as well for saving me from falling to my death earlier. Ace went too far on that one I think." "Oh! you are welcome. I am sure Ace did not mean it, we were all surprised when you managed to destroy his water dragon!" Kate giggled as she flew down to hover in front of Georges'' face. "My baby girl almost managed to beat you little George! She still has to learn not to overstress her self though!" With a shudder, George shook in remembrance of Penny. "Yes she almost did, her powers are still so scary" "Oh phooey, they are not that scary!" Kate replied with a smile filled with razor-sharp teeth. "Well I better get going I see someone else wants to talk with the birthday boy. I hope you enjoy the party!" She giggled as she drifted away into the crowds. "So! Birthday boy George got himself a gift did he" Benny said in a smug voice as he walked past holding his head high. "Don''t worry I will make sure to get you back for this!" "George! There you are, mother, wants you to be there when she wheels out the cake so you can cut it!" Vivian ran up pulling on his arm. Getting up George allowed Vivian to pull him towards the front of the room. He too was anticipating the cake that Marian had made. She truly deserved her title of Master Chef. They reached the front as Marian rolled out a large object covered with a white sheet. "Ah, there he is! Come, George, Everyone is waiting!" Marian stated with a wide grin. With a single skilled pull, the sheet was removed to reveal a 10-foot tall multi-layered cake. A cheer went up in the crowd at the unveiling of the giant tower of sugary chocolaty goodness. With his mouth salivating at the thought of having some, George quickly picked up the knife and cut himself the first piece. Placing it on a plate he took a bite and was in heaven. All around him, people swarmed to get a piece themselves, but George noticed none of it lost in the flavors and texture of this sweet treat. The First Duel Sitting upon a table was nothing, Nothing but crumbs and smears of icing. Around this table was an entire room worth of people standing in silence. Each had a plate in their hand slowly repeating the motion of eating their piece of cake. Eyes glazed over in a trance of flavors and textures. This weird trance continued until someone finished their piece first and let out a groan of disappointment. "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Every other person immediately shushed the vagrant who dared to make a sound and break the glorious euphoria the had all been in. Since the magic was broken the party guests began to walk back to their groups and the noise level soon picked up to normal with joking and music and dancing. With reddened cheeks, George quickly scurried away from the cake table and returned to his previous table. But was blocked suddenly by running into the chest of a man. Looking up he saw it was Henry Zulo, Benny Zulo''s father. "Hello there George" "H-Hello Henry. Um, Sorry about Benny" "No worries about that shameful display. He was just inadequate. But as that might be, He still needs to prove he is worthy to be my son. So on his behalf, Benny Zulo officially challenges George Zilar to a duel to the death." A hush once again came upon the room as all heads turned to look at the confrontation. "Now Henry. Do you really want to do this?" Ace whispered as he approached the two. "This is your one chance to cancel the duel." "I am sure Ace, My boy is not worthy of my name if he can not even win a fight with a new User, and if he loses a second time he is not worthy of living," Henry replied stone-eyed as he stared into Ace''s eyes. "George, This is your first Duel of the year... You are not able to decline." Ace stated as he turned to look at the wide-eyed George. With a sigh, Ace spoke loudly. "The Duel between George Zilar and Benny Zulo will commence in one hour at the arena." With those words, a pressure bore down upon all those that heard ace''s declaration. *Duel Conformation accepted. Duel to the death between Users, Benny Zulo and George Zilar shall commence in 60 min. The winner shall receive Duel Gift Box. The System watches over you always.* "May the System watch over us all." Every person in the room replied with bowed heads. With that, the duel was sealed in stone. There would be no running, The very System would ensure that. Ace placed his hand on Georges'' shoulder and lead him to another room. "Well, I guess this is your first duel. It is a shame it is to the death..." Ace said with a sad shake of his head. "Just be careful George, although you can spare Benny, I would not bet on him sparing you." With one last sad look, Ace walked off. "Prepare yourself, George, I will come and get you when it is time." George still shocked at the sudden announcement of the Duel sat stunned for a moment before regaining himself. He slowly took a meditative posture and began to focus on his system menu. *Name: George Zilar Titles: Watched Over System: The Force Str: 19 Dex: 20 Con: 19 Int: 21 Wis: 20 Chr: 20 DSP: 2 LSP: 1 HP: 150 Force Exhaustion: 200/200 Powers (Active): [Force Speed Lvl 5] [Force Body Lvl 4] [Shatterpoint Lvl 4] [Force Lightning Master (Lvl Max)] Powers (Passive): [Force Originator Lvl 5] [Force sense Lvl 5] [Electricity Immunity] Items: None* ''I can do this. I can do this. I can do this'' George repeated in his mind over and over again as he slowly faded away. -50 Minutes later- With a smoothing gliding into the reemergence of consciousness, George awoke from his trance. He felt invigorated and at peace. *User has gained 1 LSP for discovering [Force Meditation: Variant: Heji tal]*This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. *[Force Meditation: Variant: Heji tal]: Allows the User to enter a temporary state of oneness with the Force. Improves clarity of thought and inner peace* At total peace with himself and all of existence, a sudden knocking caught his attention. "George, It is time." Ace said in a solemn voice as he opened the door. "Come with me, we must go to the arena" George silently nodded his head and followed Ace out of the room. Soon they arrived at a large empty ring-shaped arena directly in the middle of the town. This ring was surrounded by all members of this little town with no name. Yet there was not a sound to be heard as George on Ace''s cue approached the ring. Across the hundred foot ring stood Benny, looking smug but a hint of fear in his eyes. *Ding, The time has arrived... Scanning... Both Users are on time... The duel shall begin in 10 seconds. Please step into the ring.* As commanded both Benny and George stepped into the ring. *10* "You are going down George. I will prove that I am not pathetic!" Benny yelled out across the empty space between them. *6* "What will happen will happen Benny" George replied with a calm certainty. *4* "Whatever. You re DEAD!" Benny yelled as spit flew from his mouth. *Duel Begins!* As the System finished its countdown a wall of energy formed along the edge of the ring blocking outside interference. With a sudden yell, Benny erupted with ice. A cold wind swept past George as the ground beneath his feet began to freeze. Benny began to skate toward George breathing a cold frost before himself, as he skated through it the ice clung to him forming a layer of crystal armor. Through all of this George stood still, calmly watching Benny''s frantic charge. He activated [Force lightning Master]. Slim lines of shimmering silver began to crackle along his skin and hair. Streaks of power jumping from his legs to the ice he stood upon, the mere heat from the strikes melting the ice. Benny began to wave his hands in beckoning motions as shards of ice shot forward toward George. But with Georges [Force Sense] he easily dodged using his new stats. Sliding a finger across one of the sharp spikes of ice as it passed him, it exploded as lightning sparked in the air. Raising that same finger George shot a single [Force Shock] towards his foe. With a burning smell in the air, a thin stream of the shimmering silver lightning shot forward toward Benny. Too blinded with anger and fear Benny ignored the streak of energy. But to his dismay, the streak slammed into his chest armor and knocked him backward, shards of his armor shattering into small crystals from the impact alone. "NOOO, No, no, no, no, no" Benny yelled as he got back to his feet "I will NOT LOSE!!!" With an animalistic yell, Benny began to spew massive amounts of ice into the air from his mouth. This ice formed thicker and thicker layers of armor around him. With another savage roar, he locked his eyes on George and began another charge, this time each step shaking the earth as he ran. "Foolish" George whispered, the thin streams of lightning growing in size and intensity. [Chain lightning]. With a sudden surge, the silvery lightning began to leap from his fingers, at first weakly then with urgency as bolt after bolt searched for a target. Finally, with a flick of his wrists, the lightning found its mark. The endless streams of lightning channeled though Georges outstretched hands bored into the armor of ice. Sparking and tearing into the armor but not deep enough to hurt Benny. Benny was quickly closing the distance, but as he did so he was slowing down as the force of the lightning began to push him backward. Slower and slower he approached the silvery streams boring deeper into his armor, now only mere inches from his body. George pulled his hands back for a moment to concentrate his power before reaching out again, the forth of this causing Benny to begin to slide backward. Seeing this George stopped and asked, "Do you surrender." "NOOOOO" Benny yelled as blood began to seep from his pores and mix with his frozen armor. "I will show you my trump card before you die." His blood began to make swirling patterns in the ice as he stood up. Holding his hands in a similar way to how George''s just were, pillars of red ice began to form as they shot toward George incredibly quickly. ''[Force Speed]'' George activated as he reached out his hands to slide them alongside the pillars of red ice. [Chain Lightning]. Released from his hands the lightning shot like an arrow into the red ice, piercing into it much better than before. This silver energy crackled as it traveled along the red lines swirled throughout Benny''s armor. All Benny could do was widen his eyes as the lightning traveled through his blood and directly into his body. With a mighty explosion, Benny''s armor erupted, shattering into a million pieces. His melted and mutilated body falling to the ground as little sparks continued to travel along his skin and pooling blood into the ground. *User Benny Zulo is incapacitated. The victor is George Zilar. Does the Victor wish to kill or spare the loser?* "Spare him" George replied while looking at the twitching wreck of a human his attack had left. *Very well. You are rewarded 1 x Duel Gift. Congratulations* With that, the wall of energy surrounding them fell. Allowing George to hear Ace asking for medical assistance. When suddenly a cold voice sounded out. "No need for that," Henry said as he walked toward his son. "He lost twice in a row. He does not deserve to live." Before anyone could react Henry placed a hand above his son''s body. The next moment a scream ripped from the boy as the pain was so immense it awoke him from unconsciousness. But before Benny could say a word every last bit of moisture in his body erupted into crystals of ice, Killing him instantly. Turning to George, Henry smiled. "Good job at culling the weakness from the world boy." Time Passes "HENRY. What do you think you are doing!?!" Ace yelled as he rushed forward into the arena. Quickly grabbing onto Henry''s shirt and lifting him into the air. "Why did you do that? George had spared him you had no right to kill him." Staring into Ace''s eyes with unyielding confidence Henry casually replied. "George spared him yes, A foolish kind-hearted action. Though I understand the sentiment, I merely assisted him by teaching by example. Benny proved he was trash, older than George and yet so easily defeated due to his fear of losing and the possible punishments that would follow. I have raised Benny for years and even given him my name. Yet he disappointed me again and again." Placing his hands on Ace''s wrists an ice storm began to circle the two. Crystals of frost forming on Henry''s hands "Now if you would kindly let me go I have important business to be getting to. Unlike someone, I know." With a growl, Ace released his grip on Henry''s cloak. "Still, what need was there to kill the boy. He was rash and hot-headed, yes, I do not deny you that. But those are things age and wisdom may temper." "As I said, I was merely teaching George a lesson. Soft-heartedness has its places, such as in a warm bed with a lover or a sudden urge to be charitable. But never in combat." As Henry finished his response he turned to look at George. "Remember these words, George. Never allow an enemy a chance to escape, They will do all they can to get their revenge. It is best to learn this early rather than when it is too late." A sudden flash of sadness crossed through those eyes of stone before disappearing. Straightening his back and smoothing out his cloak Henry turned and walked off. "Ace, I no longer have a reason to stay in this place. As per our contract, I am free to leave. System, initiate Contract Fulfillment and Compensation." *Contract between Ace Young and Henry Zulo is finished. All Users within 50 Miles are hereby witness to the Contracts fulfillment. Restriction of Name removed. Henry Yoli your Name has been returned* As the System finished its announcement a beam of light shone from the heavens onto Henry. The ground beneath his feet shattered from the force as the air surrounding the beam shimmered with pure energy, while finger width cracks sprouting from the epicenter ripping the ground apart. As quickly as the light appeared it winked out of existence, the only evidence of its existence being the ruined ground upon which Henry stood.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. With a cracking of his neck sending an audible shockwave that shook the nearby grass Henry let out a massive sigh. "Ahhhh, You don''t appreciate what you have until its gone. I don''t understand how I ever even decided to take pity on Benny in the first place. I guess you should watch out for those soft-hearted moments of charity as well George." Henry said with a chuckle. "Leave Henry. You are no longer a member of this village. I will forcibly remove you if I must." Ace calmly called out as water began to drip from his hands onto the ground. "Yes, Ace. I will be gone shortly." Henry replied as he began to stretch. "George, If you ever find yourself moving upward To the next Plane, feel free to search for me. I will gladly open my home to such a talented young man" With that last sentence Henry began to walk into the sky, each step leaving behind a cloud of snowflakes that began to drift gently to the ground. After a moment Ace placed his hand on Georges'' shoulder. "You did good George. Don''t listen to Henry, compassion goes a long way." "Yeah," George replied still shook from the casual killing of his son Henry just did. "I am sure you need some time for yourself. Don''t worry about the body, someone else will clean it up." Ace said as he began to walk off toward his house. "If you need me, feel free to drop by anytime." For a while, George stood there looking at the corpse of someone only a few years older than him. Hours passed as the body was eventually removed and yet no one bothered George who continued to stare at the same spot. Clouds began to form in the sky as the day turned to night. Thick raindrops began to fall down upon the little town with no name. A young boy just barely a man standing in a puddle of mud suddenly tightly closed his fists as a bolt of lightning lit the sky, within that instant of light if someone looked closely into the man''s eyes they would see determination forming deep inside his eyes. -5 Months later- Time flows as a never-ending river and so do the lives of those that swim its waters. A man with long shaggy hair was hanging upside down from a tree limb while doing sit-ups. Sweat dripping from the tip of his nose just to fall seventy feet to the ground. Birds tweeting and flitting around in the morning hours of this day on the hunt for food. "397, 398, 399, 400" The man stopped at the count of four hundred and just hung by his legs from the tree branch as he gazed out upon the surrounding lands. From his vantage point, he could see the village beginning to have the first signs of activity for the day. With a flip, the man began to fall from the tree. Silver streaks of lightning coursed across his tanned skin as more and more energy was stored. As he neared the ground he unleashed the stored energy. Thick bolts of lightning shot from his hands and feet impacting upon the ground slowing his descent. Soon he was merely hovering a foot above the ground before he deactivated his lightning and landed on the solid earth. With a roll of his shoulders, he began to walk toward the far-off village. The First Job As George approached the village in the valley he checked his status for the first time in a month. *Name: George Zilar Titles: Watched Over System: The Force Str: 23 Dex: 21 Con: 20 Int: 21 Wis: 24 Chr: 20 DSP: 4 LSP: 6 HP: 175 Force Exhaustion: 200/200 Powers (Active): [Force Speed Lvl 7] [Force Body Lvl 5] [Shatterpoint Lvl 6] [Force Lightning Master (Lvl Max)] [Force Push Lvl 2] [Force Grip Lvl 1] Powers (Passive): [Force Originator Lvl 5] [Force sense Lvl 8] [Electricity Immunity] [Force Meditation: Variant: Heji tal] Items: None* As George looked upon his status he nodded his head. These last few months of training begun to show some effect. After that fateful duel 5 months ago he received a gift box for winning and obtained [Force Push] which allowed him to project a measure of strength a distance away knocking things to the ground or away from himself. From that further branched off [Force Grip] which allowed him to grab hold of a distant object and hold it in place or pull it closer, although he had also discovered some more disturbing ways in which to use it. Dismissing the status screen George focused once again on the village as he approached. This time without all the fanfare and ceremony. Just a normal villager returning for the day. Soon he reached the edge of the village and aimed toward Ace''s manor. Once he reached the grand wooden doors he knocked loudly using the dragon door knockers hanging from the middle. The sound echoed throughout the halls of the grand manor, alerting the owner to Georges presence. With a scrambling sound and some silent cursing, the door was soon opened. "Ah yes, George." Ace said with a smile. His hair a wild mess along with his crumpled and hastily adorned robes. "What can I do to help you so early in the morning." "Did you forget Ace?" "Forget what... OH! today is the day is it?" Ace said as a light bulb went off in his head. "Well come inside and let''s get it all sorted out." with a practiced motion Ace opened the door and allowed George to enter.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The atmosphere was dreary and gloomy with its only inhabitant leading the way through the winding halls. "Now! I can''t believe it has been five months already since you first got your System" Ace said idly chatting away to fill the gloomy mood. "Well, we should get the proper forms all filled out so you can go on your first official Job!" George replied with simple responses as Ace droned on and on about nothing at all. Thankfully they reached Ace''s main work office after a few minutes of walking. "So, Feel free to have a seat" Ace said with a grand wave of his hand. Revealing the interior of the office to be furnished with a very particular theme in mind. Dragons. Specifically Water Dragons. The desk was made of a blue crystal, the edges all carved into the body of a Dragon with the head of said dragon sticking out of the front like a gaudy ornament, each scale delicately carved and polished to a shine. The rugs showed images of water dragons chasing each other through the sky, the chairs a similar design intended to invoke the feeling of riding upon the back of a majestic beast. With a wince at the decorations of the room, George took a seat across from Ace. "Good Good. So this is how this is going to work." Ace continued to talk as he rummaged through the paperwork on his desk. The piles of papers looking like they have not been touched in a year. "You George Zilar, a villager under me, Ace Young have received your System five months ago. Therefore you are applicable to be given a preliminary job. This job will take you to the capital of the continent where you will make contact with the Job Guild. In order to do that you must present them with this card" Ace stated as he held up a card made of shimmering metal. "This card is a Status plate. It allows a person to imprint specific data from their system without the usual backlash. Although this information is only limited to basic information such as name and average strength." Ace placed the card into George''s hand. "To imprint on the card simply pull up your status menu and will the data to transfer." Following Ace''s instructions, George called up his Status and willed the data onto the Status plate. Without the slightest change or motion the name George Zilar as etched upon the plate as if it had always been there. "Good, Now that that is done I will tell you the plan. In three days the bi-annual caravan to the capital city is scheduled to cross by the village. You will join that caravan and proceed from there. The travel should take 3 months to reach there. Once you make contact with the Guild you will be given your next instructions. While on the way to the capital try and treat it as a pilgrimage. After all, the place you are going is the very source of the System on this plane." With that Ace stood up and shook Georges'' hand. "I wish you luck on your journey George. You should take the next few days to prepare your supplies for your pilgrimage." With that George followed Ace back out the way they had come in. The only difference being the new addition to George''s pocket. A small shimmering plate with his name etched into it. But as they walked out of the manor, in the darkness of that very same pocket, on the shimmering plate another name winked into existence quickly before disappearing.