001 The System.
“Solar flare?” Paison looks at the sky that is changing its color to a bright, red-shaded aurora. Like that in discovery shows.
“Yes, solar flare. The earth is going to be burnt within sixty seconds. Except for some bacteria and some virus, no living things is going to survive this” Man in black worn-out leather bike suit spoke from inside his helmet.
Chopstick in Paison hand stops mid-air, a pork ball stops with a chopstick that is holding it. Other customers of this street-stall noodle shop point their fingers to the sky and discuss about the source of such phenomenon. Some say it is a supernatural event. Some say it is an electro-magnetic field that causes such Aurora.
“And … you … Mister Bancha. What do you want from me? ” Paison feeds a pork ball into his mouth. He knows what a solar flare is. And he also knows that if it really is a solar flare, the best he could do is wait for death.
“Like I told you just now. I’m a dimensional traveler. I have a custom, whenever I travel to another dimension, I will give out a System to the dweller of that dimension. Depends on whom ever is destined to meet me.” A man in black gave a hand-held game console to Paison. The console has a big screen with d-pad, buttons, analog stick, and everything.
“What is this? Hand-held console? I never saw this before. No brand?” Paison asked while munching the pork ball.
“Game Elements System. It is a System with a theme of computer games.” Answered, Bancha.
“… Was it because I’m a gamer?” Asked, Paison. He is a gamer. He is also familiar with the ‘System’ He read more than five web-comics about a System in which the protagonist gained game-like ability. Status point, Skill, Items, and quest.
“I don’t know if it is because you are a gamer. I have no control over which System you will get. But I know that most of the receiver is single, no family, and have nothing to worry in life.”
‘Are you looking for a fight?’ Paison put down his chopstick then asked. “What if I dropped and lose it?”
“Nah. You can use your though to control it. Imagine yourself as a game protagonist, you can store it inside your body like game inventory system.”
Paison nods after tested and saw the game console turn into a tattoo on his left arm near the back of his wrist. The sky that turns brighter and brighter also shortens his decision-making time. It's easy to accept these kinds of things when the world is ending in front of your eyes.
“So, … What’s next? You are not going to let me die after gave me this System, right? Mister Bancha.” Asked, Paison.
“The System will send you to the appropriate dimension when you turn your game console on. After that, you follow the System instructions. Usually, this kind of System would not force you to do anything. But if you do, you will get a reward. A supernatural power kind of reward. Highly recommend.” The guy in black explains.
Paison put his backpack full of stuffs on his back and switched the game console on. Everything around him turns bright almost instantly. He felt the change in the atmosphere around him. It’s not fast but obvious. The temperature change from mid-day road-side dry-heat to refreshing-cool. The scent also changes from burnt gas machine fumes to a green and somewhat moist. When light faded Paison found himself on the edge of a sparse forest and a shin height light green grass field.
The hand-held game console in his hand vibrates lightly. Some lines of text appear on the screen.
[Modification of bacteria and virus inside the user body to match the environment - Completed]
[Embed native language translation system - Completed]
[Game Elements System initialization - Completed]
[Game Elements #1 Main Quest: Randomize to match native Xianxia civilization - Completed]
[Main Quest: Set up a Sect - Reward: Game elements (random)]
He doesn’t play many RPG games, but Paison is familiar with Information panels like this. Actually, he doesn’t have any hand-held game console because he is a computer gamer who mainly plays a game on a computer.
On the screen present many tabs of information can be found in many games.
[Events] [Items] [Quests] [Tasks] [Minigame] [Achievements] [Settings]
[Events] tab contains a log of events like received items or triggered quests.
[Items] tab shows a grid to hold an icon of items. Currently blank.
[Quests] and [Tasks] causing minor confusion for Paison because English is not his main language. Only after he reads the explanation that he understand the difference. Quests are more grand, wider scope, such as setting up a sect. While [Tasks] cover a narrower scope like daily tasks.
[Minigame] is self explanatory. A simple game within the hand-held game console. He can play a match card game to gain a reward.
[Achievements] is currently empty.
[Settings] is the tab that he must visit every time after installing a new game. He used to have a low power computer, adjusting a setting was unavoidable. Lower the graphics quality in exchange for performance. The [Settings] in this hand-held game console also contain a special setting like the VR interface that does not require him to use a physical console.
Paison changes the game console into a tattoo form then looks around. The ‘Set up a sect’ in [Quests] is too demanding for his current self so he decides to look for other things instead.
“The air is good” Paison breathes in a big lungful of fresh clean air. He felt like he could taste the oxygen in the air he just breathed in. Then he remembered that oxygen is poisonous and caught multiple times.
From where he stands, waking into a grassy field seems not wise. Even though the air is fresh and cool he still needs a cover from the sun. The trees around him are massive, the smallest is at least six people holding hand hugs.
The vibration of the tattoo causes him to get the game console out before he could take any steps.
[Tasks] Dress up - Change into a hunter outfit - Reward: 1 Small Wardrobe
[Items] Gained - 1 set of Generic hunter outfit.
Nodded, Paison. He understood the System's intentions. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. To blend into native civilization, he must dress like a native to get rid of unnecessary hostility.
He opens [items] tab and finds an icon of folded cloth and shoes in the first slot. He uses his though to pull the cloth out of the item slot and it fell to the ground.
Paison shakes his head. He was careless. Well, what did he expect, this is new to him. He doesn’t think there is anybody nearby, but he still looks around before undressing his t-shirt and pants. He changed into a long-sleeved shirt and pants that felt like rougher jeans. This pair of pants doesn’t have a belt loop. He uses a waistband to hold the shirt and pants together. Very inconvenient. The shirt also doesn’t have a button.
Paison started to miss his advanced civilization already.
The shoes made of harden leather. Uncomfortable but he can get used to it.
The game console vibrates immediately after he puts on his new leather shoes.
[Tasks] Dress up - Completed
[Items] Gained - 1 Small Wardrobe
Paison pulls the wooden wardrobe out of the inventory slot. The wardrobe appears and stands firmly on the ground. Looks like the System will place bigger items on the ground instead of over his head or his hand. Inside the wardrobe is nothing special. Just a rack on top part and wooden cloth hanger and a drawer at the bottom. Paison places his cloth and backpack inside since the wardrobe doesn’t weight anything inside the inventory slot.
Paison felt that he had a bit of luck because he had just come back from the supermarket. His backpack filled with the grocery he just bought.
His tattoo vibrates again after packing his stuff into the wardrobe and storing it inside an inventory slot.
[Tasks] Qi Sense - Use Qi sensing diagram to sense the existence of natural Qi - Reward: 1 Qi Bamboo seed
[Items] Gained - 1 Four direction Qi sensing diagram
Paison’s knowledge about Formation, Diagram, and talisman comes from Xainxia cultivator comics. There is a talisman in Thai culture but mostly in the theme of witch doctor magic or religious charms, so he is not sure about this ‘Four direction Qi sensing diagram’.
The icon in [Items] inventory slot shows a big scroll with the name ‘Four direction Qi sensing diagram’. When he gets it out then he sees a scroll of one-meter-wide paper. It’s long and big.
The paper is thick. The texture is similar to that of cardboard but a bit softer and bendable. When unrolled, shows, drawing of weird characters pack tightly. The most noticeable is the four arrows that form from a character, all point to the middle of the big paper sheet.
There is one palm-size sheet of paper place in the middle. In different alphabet and language Paison can read the sentence like Thai language.
‘This must be the translation function of the System’ he thought.
[Spread this diagram on flat surface. Sit cross leg within the square border. The diagram will gather natural Qi nearby and circle around the user. Helping in Qi sensing and lay foundation of Qi gathering of the user in the future.]
Paison is getting excited. He is a gamer. Which gamer doesn’t excite to have a chance of getting a supernatural ability. He places diagram paper on the ground and sits over it immediately.
He closes his eye and concentrates his sense. At first, he could only feel the wind blow pass his skin. But about ten minutes later, a new feeling emerges. Like a different kind of wind that flows a little bit deeper under his skin. He can’t describe this feeling in a word, but he can differentiate between the two types of flow easily. One represents fire, one represents water.
‘This must be fire Qi and water Qi. So, natural Qi is a mixture of different kinds of Qi’ thought, Paison. He also felt a vague sense of another kind of Qi but can’t pinpoint it down.
Paison opens his eye when the game console vibrates again.
[Tasks] Qi Sens - Completed.
[Items] Gained - 1 Qi Bamboo seed
Paison opens [Items] to check his newly received reward.
[Qi Bamboo seed - Seed of a bamboo that grows by absorbing natural Qi. When planted in a living body, it will spread roots inside and work as a Qi meridian line. Helping those who don't have Qi meridian to be able to cultivate Qi and practice Qi art.]
After reading the description, Paison understood immediately. He doesn't have Qi meridian because he is not native to this world. The System gave him Qi Bamboo seed so he could practice Qi art and become a cultivator.
Paison activates Bamboo seed. The Qi Bamboo seed floats up and shoots itself through his shirt, piercing through his skin and muscle. Bury between his intestine and geminate quickly like time-lapse video.
The young man fell on the grass floor and screamed in agony. The bamboo root climbing around inside his body violently. It twists around his tendon and muscle, spiraling between his nerves and blood vessels, drilling into all his bone.
He fell unconscious when the root reached his brain.
Looks interesting 😊😊