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Checking the system

Somewhere in the heart of the dense woods, the dragonman lay sprawled on the forest floor. A sizable gash marred his chest, the wound's severity evident as it traced a jagged path down to his abdomen. Crimson blood seeped out slowly, staining the earth beneath him. In his futile attempt to assess his battered body, it seemed as if every bone within him had been shattered.

Immobile, save for the ability to move his neck, he tilted his head to the left. A panoramic view revealed the remnants of a once-sturdy cave, now reduced to rubble by some cataclysmic force.

[Berserk mode deactivated]

[Damage dealt]

[Healing all injuries]

Amidst pain-induced mutterings, the dragonman's body underwent a transformative metamorphosis. Unconsciousness enveloped him as his scales receded into his flesh, revealing a gradual shift towards a more humanoid form. His tail, once a formidable appendage, retracted into his body. As the last remnants of scales vanished, the figure left behind was none other than Alex, lying on the forest floor. The torn fabric of his clothes bore witness to the strain of accommodating a body larger than its present state.

An hour later, a specialized retrieval team penetrated the depths of the woodland.

"There's a corpse over there," remarked a man in military attire, signaling his comrades. They approached cautiously, their attention drawn to the fallen figure.

Inspecting Alex's body, the man discerned a conspicuous laceration. Initially mistaking him for lifeless, a revelation struck as subtle breaths betrayed the dragonman's vitality.

"This one's still breathing. I need assistance here," the man urgently communicated through an earpiece.

A press of a button triggered a terse electronic beep. "A live one has been found. I repeat, a live one has been found," resonated in the secure channel, heralding the discovery amid the woodland's enigmatic silence.

....

Slowly, Alex opened his eyes, the world gradually coming into focus as his vision adjusted to the surroundings. Upon awakening, a low grunt escaped him, accompanied by a throbbing pain in his head. Unconsciously, he reached up, rubbing his temple in an attempt to alleviate the persistent ache. As he lifted his upper body, the room came into view.

'How did I get here?' Alex pondered, realizing he was no longer in the underground cave. The surroundings indicated the barracks hospital—a small room with a lone bed and medical machines monitoring vital signs.

The memories of the mission flooded back as he mulled over the last thing he could recall: that mysterious book. Images of events post his unconsciousness in the cave flashed through his mind.

'What was that? Was that me?' Alex grappled with the reality of his transformation into a formidable creature.

'I didn't expect the book to give me power like that. On the bright side, I fought a Gin. If I can control that power, I can eliminate them all,' he mused, a creepy smile playing on his lips. Thoughts of how to harness that newfound strength occupied his mind, but a sudden recollection interrupted his contemplation—the holographic notification during the life-draining ordeal.

'What was that thing? I clearly saw a hologram notification, or was I delusional?' Alex pondered. As he thought about the notification, it manifested again, startling him to the point of almost falling off the bed.

[Quest]

[Stats]

[Skills]

[Shop]

[Inventory]

"Hmm," Alex rubbed his chin in confusion.

'What is this?' he wondered. 'Some kind of system message or what?'

The appearance of the notification reminded him of old games from a time when Earth wasn't threatened by extraterrestrial forces. Alex, however, had no time for childhood games, having joined the military after his parents' death to seek revenge against the Gins. His disorder derailed those dreams, leaving no room for leisure.

"Is this a new game? Logically speaking, it wouldn't randomly appear unless it's related to that book. Let's check it out," Alex thought, intrigued by the sudden convergence of his reality with what seemed like game-like notifications.

Finally deciding to tap the [Stats] button, Alex dismissed the [Quest] tab as unimportant, opting to explore his [Stats] instead. However, when he attempted to press the hologram button, his finger passed through the [Stats] button inexplicably.

"Huh! What the, how am I supposed to..." Alex began to contemplate how to tap the button when it unexpectedly activated on its own.

"Whoa," Alex exclaimed in surprise. "It just tapped on its own when I thought about pressing the button. That means it's mind-activated."

With that realization, Alex witnessed the hologram screen transition to a new tab.

[User: Alex Red]

[Race: Human]

[Level 1]

[0 \ 100 exp]

[Hp 10/10]

[Ability: Fire rank 2]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 10]

[Stamina: 10]

"Wow, my fire ability has upgraded thanks to this system," Alex marveled. He had been eagerly awaiting an upgrade, especially since ability orbs were prohibitively expensive during his military service.

Ability orbs, crucial for enhancing abilities, were a luxury for the affluent. Alex's slow progress, attributed to his genes, made even a rank 2 fire ability a significant advancement toward his revenge.

Checking the orders, the screen automatically shifted to the skills tab.

[Skills]

[0 Skills points Available]

[Skills locked ??????]

[Skills locked ??????]

Curiosity piqued, Alex explored the skills tab, but everything appeared locked and slightly grayed out. Undeterred, he moved to the next tab.

[Shop]

[Unlock at level 10]

[Inventory]

[Unlock at level 5]

"Everything seems to be locked. Can I even do anything here?" Alex expressed a hint of annoyance. Turning to the [Quest] tab, it seemed to be the only accessible one.

[Main Quest]

[Reach level 5]

[Daily Quest: Eat 10kg of meat]

[Reward: 10exp]

"What even is that 'exp' word?" Alex pondered, and as if in response, a notification clarified, "'Exp' means experience point. You can get 'exp' when you complete a quest to level up. Reach level 5 for more information."

"So, you're basically telling me to reach level 5 quickly. Okay, but how am I going to complete the quest... huh," Alex voiced his concern, receiving no response. The high cost of meat with his limited funds troubled him.

As Alex contemplated a solution, the room's door creaked open, revealing a muscular old man entering.

"How are you doing, Alex?" the old man inquired, approaching his bed.


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