["Gift number 1" has been opened.]

That was announced as soon as I pressed 'Yes.'

[The message left by The Last Star is attached to the item.]

[It says: 'Enjoy. This is a contractual compensation for the things you will have to endure.']

A soft, subtle static sound rang out, reminding me of the same 'Ding' from before.

[Congratulations, dear user! You've received a unique-grade item,] Bolster Up announced, excited. [However, this item is outside the expansions of this world. It cannot be classified as a 'relic' or an 'artifact.']

A relic or artifact would have been incredibly useful.

Both were rare and powerful.

But, considering I had only 'wind' and 'air' so far—basically, nothing—anything would be an improvement.

[The inspection was completed without issues. No curse detected. No malicious external magic found. The item in question cannot cause any harm to you. Therefore, rest assured, dear user.]

I should have felt relieved by this message...

I think?

[Processing...]

[The item 'Book of Tales' has been acquired. It has been automatically stored in your inventory.]

Seems good.

I looked down. Bolster Up finished the procedures quickly and prepared to reveal the item.

But then, in the next instant, the message stopped.

[Error! An unknown error occurred...]

Dead silence.

I waited for several seconds. Nothing changed.

The messages froze, and I found myself alone with my unsettling thoughts.

[We apologize,] Bolster Up intervened. [An unexpected error occurred.]

My brow furrowed.

The excitement drained away.

[Gift number 2 will be delivered differently. I will follow The Last Star's guidelines strictly.]

[You may feel some mild discomfort. Prepare yourself.]

A tingling sensation ran up my arm, starting from where I touched the System screen, moving up to my neck.

The discomfort faded, becoming almost imperceptible, but it was still there.

It was like a silent hum of background energy.

To clarify the situation, Bolster Up guided me through several introductions.

When I finished, he presented me with a choice.

[You now have access to 'Gift number 2'. A 'transfer' process has been initiated to make the necessary adjustments. The user may feel mild discomfort or temporary shock sensations.]

[Would you like to materialize it? Attention: This decision is irreversible.]

[Yes/No]

[Remaining time: 15 seconds.]

[Note: If the user does not make a decision, 'No' will be selected automatically. 'Gift number 2' will be permanently deleted from the inventory and cannot be recovered in any way.]

A timer? And why so little time?

The System clearly didn't want to give me space to think.

Could it be a trap?

Screw it. I didn't hesitate. I pressed 'Yes.'

[Computing...]

[Congratulations, user! You've acquired the item 'Promise!']

[Intervention in progress to make it viable...]

And then, exactly as the System had warned, it happened.

A wave of electricity coursed through my skin, spreading from my neck to every muscle in my body.

But it was much worse than Bolster Up had described.

Every cell felt like it was burning, as if I were submerged in a pool where an electric cable had fallen.

I shook, struggling to keep from screaming.

[The process is 60% complete.]

The System continued.

[The process is 70% complete.]

The pain intensified, and my consciousness began to waver.

[The process is 80% complete. Hold on a little longer, user.]

Damn.

How must this scene have looked from the outside? Me writhing like a broken puppet...

But I held on. I gritted my teeth.

[The process is 100% complete.]

[Resolution complete, user.]

I took a deep breath.

My eyes were drawn to my right hand. On my ring finger, light burns and strands of electricity formed an unstable tangle.

Then, everything converged.

And there, in the place of chaos, appeared a ring.

A ring I knew all too well.

The ring my mother gave me when I graduated from high school.

The last trace of her. Something I could never forget.

[Connection established.]

And then...

I fell.

I fell deeply (too deeply) into an irresistible stupor.

And, like an out-of-control truck, the darkness hit me.

Thoughts. Pain. Memories. Worries.

Everything.

Everything vanished.

____________

As I regained consciousness, the first thing that greeted my tired eyes was one of the System's interface.

The homepage resembled an expansive brochure.

Just below, a button beckoned, inviting me to 'Confirm Reading Completion.'

[It's Not Just a Valueless Package - It's a Transformative Package]

I chuckled.

Sensationalist much? 

The System really had the flair of a shameless reporter.

[If you're reading this, you have surely noticed the ring attached to your new body. It is not merely a cosmetic feature.]

[Your new acquisition ('Promise') contains an impressive set of abilities and functionalities that work in conjunction with the System, Bolster Up, to strengthen the user.]

[Important Note: Do not attempt to remove the ring! Doing so will only cause you pain. It is impossible to remove it by conventional means in this world.]

[If you wish to learn more, ask the System directly.]

[Have you finished reading?]

I pressed the completion box.

— How do your functionalities work, Bolster Up? — I inquired.

A brief silence.

Then, a response.

[It's quite simple. As long as you're alive, I am always available to assist you. Now that our connection is established, I can receive instructions more clearly through your voice.]

[Would you like to know more?]

With nothing better to do, I nodded.

— Yes, Bolster Up. Are you intelligent?

[Not at all. If that concerns you, rest assured. There's no need to dwell on it.]

[Bolster Up is equipped with a natural language processor and other systems to understand questions and comments, providing responses that may create the impression of intelligence. However, Akashic Systems like myself are not inherently intelligent.]

[This is an automated response to a frequently asked question, for example.]

So, just an advanced chatbot, huh?

No risk of turning into skynet.. thank god.

— Alright. What can you do? Show me your abilities.

[Of course! With pleasure, Loki!]

A massive list materialized before my eyes.

[If you want to see a list of subcategories, please select a topic and say 'Expand [category]'. To perform an action, say 'Open [category]'.]

I scanned the list with rising anticipation.

Apparently, there was very little Bolster Up couldn't do.

It could translate texts in dead languages, store and retrieve data from both my past and present lives, replay memories like video recordings, and even diagnose illnesses with healing suggestions.

Some options were grayed out, clearly locked for now, but that didn't matter.

This was already more than enough.

— Bolster Up, — I said. — Expand [Overview]. 

[Overview]

[Name: Rudgar Briar Velnore (Daniel Fonseca)]
[Talent(s): World Memoir: Mnemosyne]
[Age: 8]
[Title(s): None]
[Achievement(s): None]
[Abilities: None - 0 points available]

--

[Statistics]
[Available stat points: 0]
[Strength: 6] - [Agility: 6]
[Endurance: 5] - [Intelligence: 10]
[Mana: 2] - [Luck: 1]

As expected, my stats were unimpressive.

I wasn't sad. Disappointed? Yes.

But this was within expectations.

— Expand talents, abilities, and items. Keep it concise. —

[Abilities: None. However, abilities learned in your past life can be unlocked through the System. There are two ways to acquire new abilities—through experience and repetition (challenging), or by using ability points.]

[Current ability points: 0]

--

[Items]

[Book of Tales]
[Type: Item (not native to this world)]
[Description: A small, intricate pocket-sized book with blank pages. Surprisingly beautiful for its kind. Only the user can see it.]
[Effect(s): Locked.]
[Cooldown: Unknown.]

[Note! To unlock its functionalities, reach 20 Intelligence!]

--

[Promise]

[Type: Item (not native to this world)]

[Description: "A promise never fulfilled." A ring filled with the memories of a family that endured various traumas over the years. It is impossible to remove through conventional means.]

[Effect(s): 1- Evoker: You can easily connect with mana and other energies, if you know how to do it. 2- Locked. 3- Locked. 4- Locked. 5- Locked.]

[Cooldown: Unknown]

[Note: To unlock the next effect, reach 15 mana!]

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Stat growth would lead to unlocking new equipment options.

That was not too interesting for me, actually, as all my stats bordered on mediocrity.

[Last, the Talents. To be clear, talents are soulbond abilities that enhance your overall capabilities and provide unique advantages in specific areas.]

I only had one talent.

[World Memoir: Mnemosyne]

[Type: Talent]

[Description: ...]

As I glanced over the words that described it, I felt a surge of excitement.

Satisfied, a faint smile appeared on my lips without me even realizing it.

— This could prove useful, — I squeezed my fingers. — Very useful indeed.