Chapter 38: Update finished

this is a fictional story by realTensai

Alvis felt a pungent sensation in his brain as soon as he opened his eyes. He grabbed his head, still moaning, wondering what had happened. With half-closed eyes, Alvis relaxed again, trying to embrace the comfort of his bed, but another pungent pain in his head did not let him rest. Clicking his tongue, Alvis focused on his system. He did not expect to see any changes. It was updating for almost a month now and Alvis did not know when it would be over. However, when he tried to open it up, a new screen met his eyes. Instead of the usual SYSTEM UPDATE LOADING a SYSTEM UPDATE FINISHED greeted him.

Alvis almost fell out of his bed. His heart raised while his eyes sparkled more than a shooting star. If Alvis would go about this rationally, he knew he should not be excited. The Devil was the one who gave him the system and this so he could take over Alvis. Though in the end, Alvis was just a gamer too. How could he not be excited after waiting a month for the update?

Not able to wait any longer, Alvis opened up his system.

Level 3: Trial Of Insanity

Mission: Survive

STATS

Name: Alvis Silva

Level: 1

Class: Mage

HP: 150

MP: 200

-----

Strength: 12

Agility: 11

Health: 10

Sense: 10

Intelligence: 15

----

Available Ability Points: 0

Skills

Skill slot: 3/7

[Passive]

New Evasion Lvl. 1

[Active]

Advanced Mana Manipulation Lvl. 3

Mastermind Lvl. 8

Inventory

No Items

Shop

Not available yet

Daily Quests

- Push-ups [0/100]

- Sit-ups [0/100]

- Squats [0/100]

- Run [0/10km]

Alvis’ eyes moved faster than his brain could even keep up as he tried to make sense of this new screen. To see all these changes at once felt like a sensory overload, and Alvis had to take a mental step back to clear his mind. By taking a deep breath in and out, Alvis sorted his mind.

Let’s start at the top.

The name of his new level was “Trial of Insanity”. Alvis gulped after reading this hardcore name. After inheriting the system, he more than once realized his insane traits. He knew no one could keep their sanity after having to die multiple times, yet the way Alvis handled it was not one’s normal choice, either. Alvis used his ability to respawn as a tool to become stronger. He did not value his life, which hinted at a broken personality. However, a level called “Trial of insanity” would even be too much for him. He could only imagine how high his death count would go.

The fact that his mission this time only was to survive did not let him relax either. It was more straightforward than saving a girl, though that did not mean it would be easier. Because he was now at level three, it had to be more difficult than level two. In other words, just surviving would be more difficult than everything he had to do to save Lia.

How hardcore!

Alvis sighed before then moving on to his updated stats.

With his new system, he was back at level one. What kind of difference that would make he did not know, yet he felt as if he had to start all over again. His class as a mage did not change, but his health and mana did. His HP was at 150 and his MP was at 200. Instead of having mana as a stat, he now had it as mana points. From his gaming experience, he knew his MP would decrease as soon as he used mana to perform a spell. Though Alvis believed this way was better. He now could always see how much mana he had left, which would help him in his future battles.

What made Alvis’ heart stop for a second were his other stats. Pure horror was displayed on his face as he saw how low they had dropped. The stats he put so much sweat and tears into leveling up were now lower than they were at the time he got his system. However, the shock soon faded away, replaced by a calm observation of the situation.

Alvis knew he had not gotten any weaker, yet his stats were lower. The only explanation would be that just the number decreased, but not the magnitude of his powers. His intelligence was at 130 before the system updated and now it was at 15. Alvis assumed that this 15 would be equivalent to a 150 in his old system. That made the most sense.

With this cleared, he focused on his changed stats. Instead of endurance and reflex, he now got agility and sense. He knew agility was probably the same as reflex and sense had to be just his senses.

The perhaps biggest change to his stats was the ability points. Until now, Alvis could not control which of his stats would increase and by how much. After he died, they gained stat points based on which abilities he used the most.

This changed now.

With his ability points, he could decide which stat he wanted to level. Alvis had played several games, so he knew how it worked. First, he had to get some ability points by performing quests or leveling up, and then he could distribute them under his stats how he liked.

Alvis took a deep breath in and out.

This change is immense.

The entire concept of his system changed. How strong he would get in the future was now up to him. He felt as if the Devil was testing him. As if he was challenging Alvis to try to defy him.

A grin that would even make the Devil shiver formed on Alvis’ face. By clenching his fist, he gathered his resolve.

I won’t let you have your way!

Alvis then moved on to his skills. The new system had active and passive skills. After defeating the boss of the Assassin Organization, Alvis got a new skill, though only now he saw what it was. His new skill was a passive one called Evasion. By focusing on it, an explanation popped up.

Evasion: Increased chance to avoid incoming attacks.

The easy-to-understand explanation left Alvis with no further questions. His active skills were the same as before, so he did not bother analyzing them. What he did analyze, though, was his skill slot. It limited him to only seven skills in total. Frowning, Alvis shook his head. He knew the Devil would not make it easy for him.

Alvis wanted to fly over his inventory and shop, seeing how he did not have any items yet and that the shop was not even available. However, he still took his time to understand these new features. As always, Alvis knew what an inventory and a shop were. Even non-gamers would know. But what kind of influence they would have on him was a different story. Yet he had to wait till he unlocked his shop and the first item to see how helpful they would be.

Now to the last new feature and the perhaps most interesting one. Daily Quests. From now on, Alvis would have to complete daily quests. They were simple things like push-ups and running, which would help him to get a fit body. Through many deaths, Alvis had strengthened his ill body to a level he could be proud of. Though he started with such a weak base, his body right now would be considered fit, but nothing one could not reach by going to the gym for a few months. However, Alvis would have to become even stronger if he wanted to survive. That was why those daily workout quests came in handy. He would do them and get stronger and also get the rewards one got after completing a quest. Two in one!

Alvis closed his eyes, the system vanishing, and relaxed on his bed. He had completed his analysis of his updated system, so he could rest now. Even if he went over all these changes, it would take some time before he would get used to them. If he had this time, was another question.

His long-awaited class trip stood on for next week. What normally would have had him grinning all day was causing him more than a few headaches now. The main assassin organization just had to be in the same city they would go to. With their headquarter in Awaniko, Alvis could not feel safe. His system awakening this close before the class trip was not a good omen, either. Everything aligned perfectly to make Alvis’ first class trip the worst he would ever have.

Alvis considered not going, yet he had his reasons for changing his mind. The messenger of the Assassin Guild said Alvis would have one month's time to accept their offer. This time was not over yet. One week ago, the messenger had approached him and in one week they would be in Awaniko. They would stay there for one week, which would mean Alvis would be back home whilst the time for his offer still continued. It was because they gave him one month’s time he knew they would not attack him before that. It would not make sense for them to give him a time limit if they did not intend to keep it in the first place. Even if Alvis were to be in their city. Going off by that, Alvis classified his trip with his class as safe. Yet he would still watch out and be careful while being in Awaniko.

Of course, he had already informed Lia about all of this. At first, he did not want to tell her so she would not worry, yet he knew he had to. Lia was involved in all of this and even if Alvis had tried to hide it from her, he would not be able to do it. She was an empath, so she would have noticed that something was off.

Her reaction had been complicated. Even though she did not spell it out at first, Alvis knew there was nothing she despised more than joining the Assassin Organization again. It was also her reaction that had strengthened Alvis’ resolve.

He would not accept their offer, even if that meant becoming their enemy!

After this one month, a confrontation with the Assassin Guild would be unavoidable. He would have to prepare for it and get stronger! It was his responsibility as a man.