The chat had finally settled after the introductions, but Kenji could tell that everyone was still adjusting. Before anyone could ask what came next, the system took the lead.
---
[System Alert!]
New Feature Unlocked: Starter Packs!
Each user will receive a custom starter pack.
---
The chat exploded with reactions.
---
[Eternal Virgin]: Yo, free stuff, and gambling mechanics? This system is after my heart!
[Red Cake Boss]: A structured system of rewards and challenges... I approve.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: A shop and a quest board. This will be useful for growth.
Kenji chuckled. The system had a way of getting everyone's attention. He focused on his own interface, noticing a new prompt.
---
[Starter Pack Received!]
- Skill Book: Intermediate Swordsmanship
- Minor Healing Potion x3
- 100 MCS Points
- 500 Gold Coins (Universal Currency)
- Gravity Manipulation Skill (LV 1): Allows the user to manipulate gravitational fields within a small radius. Higher levels increase range and precision.
---
Kenji raised an eyebrow. Gravity Manipulation? That was a game-changer. He could already imagine the possibilities—enhancing his attacks, creating barriers, or even slowing down enemies. The system was clearly rewarding him for surviving the Stray Devil fight.
---
[Eternal Virgin]: Alright, let's see what I got... Ohhh, I got a 'Luck Enhancement' passive skill, some gambling tokens, 500 gold coins, and... wait, what's this? A 'Probability Shift' skill?
[Red Cake Boss]: Probability Shift? What does it do?
[Eternal Virgin]: It says here it lets me slightly alter the odds of certain events. Like, if I'm playing a game, I can nudge the dice roll in my favor. This is perfect for me!
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: I received a rare death-attribute spell, a mana core, a book on soul enhancement, 500 gold coins, and... a 'Spatial Compression' skill.
[Red Cake Boss]: I was granted a new enchanted sword, some armor enhancements, a small boost to my magic reserves, 500 gold coins, and... a 'Gravity Well' skill. It creates a localized gravitational field to immobilize enemies.
---
Kenji smirked. It seemed the system was tailoring the starter packs to each user's strengths. He decided to share his own rewards.
---
[Administrator - The Gamer]: I got a swordsmanship skill book, some healing potions, 100 MCS Points, 500 gold coins, and a Gravity Manipulation skill. It's not much, but it's a start.
[Eternal Virgin]: Gravity Manipulation? That's sick! Can you, like, crush stuff with it?
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Not yet. It's only Level 1, so I can barely lift a pebble. But with some training, who knows?
[Red Cake Boss]: Gravity and space-related skills are rare and powerful. You should focus on mastering it.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: Indeed. Spatial Compression has already proven useful in my experiments already. I can only imagine what Gravity Manipulation could achieve in combat.
---
[Eternal Virgin]: Okay, but let's talk about the gold coins. What's the deal with that? Is this some kind of universal currency?
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Looks like it. The system says it's accepted across all connected realities. Maybe we can use it in the Shop.
[Red Cake Boss]: A universal currency... That could be useful for acquiring resources or equipment.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: I wonder if it can be used to purchase rare materials for crafting or experimentation.
[Eternal Virgin]: Or gambling. Don't forget gambling.
---
[System Alert!]
New Feature Unlocked: Daily Points!
Every user will receive a random number of MCS Points per day (1-100) based on their luck.
---
[Eternal Virgin]: Oh, come on! Luck-based rewards? That's so unfair. I mean, I'll probably get the max every day, but still.
[Red Cake Boss]: Luck is a fickle thing. It is better to rely on skill and determination.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: Luck is merely a variable in the equation of success. It can be manipulated, given the right tools.
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Well, with my Luck stat at 95, I'm hoping for some good rolls.
[Eternal Virgin]: Wait, you have a Luck stat? What's yours, Kenji?
[Administrator - The Gamer]: It's 95. Tier 2, apparently.
[Eternal Virgin]: WHAT?! That's insane! How is that fair?
[Red Cake Boss]: Luck is not everything. Skill and discipline are far more important.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: I agree. Though a high Luck stat could prove useful in certain situations.
---
[System Alert!]
New Features Unlocked: Shop and Quest Board!
The Shop allows users to purchase items, abilities, and enhancements using MCS Points or gold coins (note: using gold or exchanged other currencies to use costs higher).
The Quest Board will offer tasks divided into Major Quests, Normal Quests, and Side Quests.
---
[Eternal Virgin]: Alright, now we're talking! A shop and quests? This is like the ultimate RPG. I'm already loving this system.
[Red Cake Boss]: Quests will provide structure and purpose. I look forward to the challenges.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: The Shop could be a valuable resource for acquiring rare materials or knowledge.
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Yeah, I'm definitely checking out the Shop later. I need to see what's available.
---
Kenji hesitated before speaking. He needed to come clean about something. He wasn't sure it was the best idea to be honest but its better to get this out know before it gets out somehow and cost him later.
---
[Administrator - The Gamer]: So... there's something I should probably admit.
[Eternal Virgin]: Lemme guess, you know something about this system that we don't?
Kenji exhaled.
---
[Administrator - The Gamer]: It's more than that. I know all of you. In my past life, before I ended up here, you were all... fictional characters.
Silence. Then
---
[Red Cake Boss]: Explain.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: Fictional? In what sense?
Kenji hesitated, then typed quickly.
---
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Where I come from, there were books, anime, and games that told your stories. Your struggles, victories, and even your pasts. That's how I knew who you were before we even spoke.
A long pause. Then
---
[Eternal Virgin]: So you're telling me I was an anime character?
[Administrator - The Gamer]: Yeah.
[Eternal Virgin]: Nice. Was I popular?
Kenji blinked. That... was not the reaction he expected.
---
[Red Cake Boss]: If what you say is true, then this information is unsettling. But it does not change who I am.
[Self-Proclaimed Human]: If my existence was recorded as fiction elsewhere, then it simply means my story reached beyond my world. That is... not displeasing.
Kenji let out a breath. They were taking it better than he expected.
---
[Administrator - The Gamer]: I just thought you should know. This chat... it connects different realities, and some of those realities apparently became stories in my old life.
[Eternal Virgin]: Well, if this system is real, then that's all that matters. Now, how do we use these points? I wanna start spending!
Kenji smirked. Now that the introductions, revelations, and starter packs were out of the way, it was time to see what they could really do with this system.
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