Chapter 4. A System Appeared

Nordic had encountered too many crazy things in his life.

Except for this one.

How could a Nordic recite a foreign spell to emit magic from the jewel in his hand?

The Nordic breath hitched after the short but tense fight earlier. All eyes were watching him. Of course. Who doesn't feel strange watching someone foreign, unknown, suddenly able to cast spells from a strange wand?

Nordic was well aware of the strange, confused, and terrifying looks from the creatures around him. That was why Nordic also felt immense awkwardness overtake him now.

"Hey, how can he do magic like that?"

"I don't know who he is. But isn't the magic he uses not just any magic?"

"Mad creature! Just arrived but already playing the champ and causing quite a stir."

"Is he the 'new person' Your Highness refers to?"

"I had expected that when His Highness said Soul Sojourn would be the arrival of a 'new person', he would bring chaos!"

"Is he the 'new person' Your Highness refers to?"

"I had expected that when His Highness said Soul Sojourn would be the arrival of a 'new person', he would bring chaos!"

Whisper after whisper came from all the creatures standing around the Nordics. The man's ears weren't deaf enough yet to not hear all of their whispers. But the Nordics were too shocked to respond.

He was still sitting half on his back, watching his opponent just now. A—or a, ah, Nordic too ignorant—Centaurus looked at him through angry red eyes. Nordic guessed that maybe the centaur felt his pride being scratched.

Of course he was angry. The Nordic attack was quite brutal, even he didn't expect it to go out of control like before.

When Nordic was in the process of digesting the events just now, suddenly a blue holographic light flashed in front of his face. The holographic beam displayed the wizard's crest and WELCOME TO THE SYSTEM.

Then a second later, the appearance of the writing on the hologram light changed.

[Ding!]

[Happy! You have activated the system using the elemental power of 'jewel magic'!]

[5...4...3...2...1...]

Wait. What's this?

[The system is identifying all of the owner's personal data. It will take a moment. The data identification process begins!]

[7...6...5...]

Nordic suddenly backed away from feeling surprised and worried. Nordic repeatedly shook her head to remove the holographic glow from her face, but couldn't.

[3... 2... 1... The data identification process is complete!]

[The system has become usable!]

[ANNOUNCEMENT!

When the system has been activated, the owner of the system is required to go through missions until he reaches the highest level according to his magic element group. Each mission includes a different punishment according to mission level; easy, medium, or hard. If you succeed in carrying out the mission, the owner gets points that can be exchanged for magical elemental power or increased strength. Missions are updated daily at 12 AM]

{Please press the menu options below}

[MAGE IDENTITY STATUS]

[MAGE SKILL'S]

[MAGE STAT POINTS INFO]

[MAGE QUEST AND SUB QUEST] 

The Nordics didn't budge at all. He was too stunned to have a holographic beam suddenly flash in front of his face. Out of nowhere and how this holographic beam appears. However, noticing the reactions of the creatures around him looking confused, Nordic knew that only he could see this holographic beam.

'Have I gone mad?' inner norse.

"Nordic, what are you doing? Let's go. Everyone's watching!" Suddenly Eglar grabbed one of his hands and forced himself to his feet.

Nordic held his hand as he still wanted to read the display of this system. His curiosity was so strong.

"Mage identity status," he said almost in a whisper.

"What?" Eglar was confused because Nordic didn't appear to be speaking to anyone. "Who are you talking to?"

The Nordics don't care. At this time, the system's holographic beam display briefly turned completely blank. Before finally reappearing by displaying someone's biographical data. Nordic was shocked and tensed for a moment, but he was back to normal before long.

Wow! It's like something out of a fantasy movie! Is the Nordic really going to experience this kind of fantasy life?

[IDENTITY STATUS]

Name: Nordic

Age: 32 Years

Status On Group: Position of Warrior, Crystal Mage, Official Member of Gods of Mage.

Levels: 0/50

Total Points: 10/10,000

HP: 100/100

MP: 1000/1000

Nordik immediately glared at him and smiled crookedly, almost laughing out loud if he didn't immediately remember where he was.

This is great! Even though it looks strange and foreign, the Nordics seem to have a sophisticated power system now. Is this how it feels to be characters in a fantasy story with a super system? Will he gain great power?!

"Nordic! Hey! What's wrong with you?" Eglar repeatedly shook Nordic's body gently. Since earlier, he saw his friend just smile for no reason with a blank stare.

Like a madman.

Nordic didn't answer. In the end Eglar had to pull hard on Nordic's hand to force him to his feet. Eglar growled as he felt the weight of Nordic's body.

"Shit! You're really troublesome!" cursed Eglar. Didn't offend the Nordics at all.

*

*

*

[System turned off]

[System owner is free to turn on or turn off the system with the system down time limit of only 24 hours]

"Nordic, what were you doing in the lobby earlier?!" It seemed that Eglar had been holding back his resentment towards Nordic since earlier.

Now Nordic are riding in an elevator shaped like a cage. Every few seconds as it ascends, there is a vibration that almost makes the Nordics feel that the lift's footrests are about to collapse and they fall to the bottom.

"I don't know," Nordic replied with a heavy sigh, "I'm out of control, Eglar. For some reason during a fight, I feel myself... different. It's like there's a power that can't be resisted."

Eglar looked at Nordic confused. "You mean, the power he's willing to unleash?" he asked.

Nordic nodded in agreement. He had noticed that the layers of the walls to the right, left, front and back of the elevator cage were only made of bamboo. The gaps are one inch wide. Not like a modern elevator where all the sides of the elevator are aluminum.

Unlucky. Nordic felt that his body was very weak now and wanted to lean back. However, it seemed that the bamboo walls of the cage elevator would not be enough to support his body's weight.

"When I hold this gem, it's as if I'm connected to something foreign. And it gives me a boost of strength so great that I can't help myself."

Nordic's explanation caused silence between himself and Eglar.

"I was really confused. You know? A holographic light suddenly appeared in front of my face."

"Holographic light?" Eglar asked confused. "You mean, the system?" 

Nordic nodded his head. When he trying to explain, Eglar suddenly put his finger to lips, glared reminiscent to Nordic. After a split second, Eglar then drew closer to Nordic.

"You know, everyone here has their own system," Eglar began explaining in a serious tone, "but unfortunately no one is allowed to go into details about the system they get. It will govern the missions, strength points and skills, as well as their levels.”

Nordic frowned. "Why can't we tell each other?"

"Because..." Eglar stopped short. There was confusion on his face, as if thinking of how to explain. "Look, you know what Soul Home is?"

Nordic shook his head.

"What place?" asked the Nordics.

"Sojourn of souls for their life is determined, whether they will die or not," replied Eglar. "Everyone here, including you, must reach the highest level and complete their missions.

That's why they compete with each other, increase points or steal, harm each other to increase strength, even fail each other's missions just so they can increase their level points."

Eglar's explanation sounds a little scary to the Nordics. But compared to scary, that explanation sounds more absurd. Nordic didn't know what to say while digesting Eglar's explanation.

"You mean everyone here isn't 'real' people?" asked Nordic with a surprised face.

In the face of Nordic, Eglar nodded his head without hesitation, even snapping his fingers.

"Yes, including you and me. With the aim of returning to life, they will all complete missions until they reach the highest level in each group of Mages..."

After a moment's thought, Eglar continued, "The groups they belong to, the ones you chose on the form earlier, weren't actually ours to choose from. The system has determined which group we will be in, and you were chosen in Gods of Mage."

"But I chose it because of your persuasion," said the Nordic.

"It's not because of my persuasion. It's because your conscience, which is written in the system, you become a member of the Gods of Mage."

The Nordic still found it a bit difficult to accept Eglar's explanation. It all sounds ridiculous.

"The system has chosen what we all become in this world. It's like the system is the control of a god, controlling how life is lived here. The system determines your life and death. As I explained..."

Eglar looked into the Nordic eyes mysteriously and sharply.

"...you need to get the highest level points in order to return to your real life. Don't even once tell them what your mission is, what your skills are, or anything else in your system because they will take you down, Nordic."

"What if I don't die? Just fail?"

"Then you will repeat. Just like the remedial exam," Eglar replied calmly.

Nordic nodded his head. "If I die completing the mission, then I die in the real world. If it only fails, I repeat the mission. If successful, it will increase the level points."

Eglar smiled crookedly after hearing Nordic's words. As if feeling proud because Nordic can understand quickly enough.

Nordic took a deep breath. "Then, when they reach the highest level, what will they face?"

To that question, Eglar suddenly flinched for a moment. Gradually the look on his face changed to one of anxiety.

"Only a handful can reach the highest level. They face the final mission, which is the great war with the power of the cursed. In that mission..."

The two Nordic eyebrows rose, showing curiosity.

"What's wrong, Eglar?" asked the Nordics.

"... a lot of people died. That's why not a few also deliberately failed to carry out the mission so they didn't have to face that scary war."