At this point, Alex felt like he should stop being surprised by the things happening around him. So far, all he had witnessed were things he only thought possible in movies, novels, and other forms of entertainment. Yet here he was, seeing it all for real.
A blue holographic screen appeared in front of him, displaying something that looked like a profile. To the side of the profile was a small image of his own face. Underneath, it showed his name, Alex Wyndham, his age, and some other information that didn't quite make sense to him.
---
[ Name: Alex Wyndham ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Path: ??? ]
- Harnessable Energy -
[ Qi: Unable to determine host qi capacity ]
[ Mana: Unable to determine host mana capacity ]
[ Peace Energy: Unable to determine host Peace Energy capacity ]
[ Bloodline Power: Error!!! ]
---
- Key Features of the Pendragon System -
[ Call ]
[ Message ]
[ Map ]
[ Library ]
[ Inventory ]
---
As he stared at the system interface, Alex noticed one thing. Although it looked similar to the system interfaces he had seen in fantasy novels and video games, this one was different. It didn't show him any stats or levels like a game would. Instead, it just presented various things he couldn't fully understand.
While looking at the screen, something caught his eye. Next to one of the messages, there was an exclamation mark, and it was blinking. It reminded him of how a video game would direct the player to click on something.
In the end, Alex clicked on the exclamation mark, and immediately, the screen changed, bringing up more information.
Alex sat in silence, his mind buzzing with all the new information in front of him. He didn't need a reminder of who he was or what his race meant—he already knew. But the thought of other races out there intrigued him. Were there more like him? Or different kinds entirely? He let the thought fade as something more pressing captured his attention.
The screen before him showed paths he could choose as a Paragon. Each path came with its own unique set of abilities. He skimmed the list carefully, weighing each option.
---
[Path: As a Paragon, one has to choose a path in which they wish to follow. The paths available for the host to choose from are as follows:]
- Warrior: These are special human beings who train their bodies to surpass the limits of normal humans. The host's body meets the requirements to follow this path.
- Mage: These are special humans capable of using magic for various purposes, including healing, casting spells, and more. The host's body meets the requirements to follow this path.
---
Alex didn't need to read further to understand what the system meant. Stan had given him a brief rundown of this during their journey here. The real question that puzzled him was why he seemed to be eligible for both paths. Most people only got one choice.
He felt the need to ponder the situation but quickly brushed the thought aside. His mind had been through enough mental gymnastics for the day. It was better to focus on what was next.
With a light tap on the screen, he opened up more details about his available energy.
---
[Energy Types Available:]
- Qi: This is the life energy that only warriors can harness. With Qi, one can perform extraordinary physical feats, extend their lifespan, and much more, depending on the host's potential.
- Mana: This is the mystical energy that only mages can tap into. With Mana, one can cast spells, enchant items, draw runes, and more, based on the host's potential.
- Peace Energy: There is limited information available on this energy. However, it is known to have two distinct effects:
- The ability to adapt to any tough situation.
- The power to heal oneself and others.
To learn more about Peace Energy, the host is advised to visit the clan library.
---
Alex leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing at the last part.
'Peace Energy?'
This was completely new to him. He had heard about Qi and Mana—they were common knowledge shared by Stan to him—but this Peace Energy was entirely different. Stan hadn't mentioned anything about it, and Alex couldn't help but wonder why.
It left him with more questions than answers. What was this third energy truly capable of? Could it be stronger than the other two? His curiosity gnawed at him, but there was little to go on. The system's vague description did nothing to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.
Scrolling down, he hoped the next section would shed some light on the mystery.
[Bloodline Power: This is a power uniquely designed for specific bloodlines, and it can only be used by a member of that bloodline. Bloodline power may be inherited from either or both parents.]
---
"A bloodline power? Does that mean I have one?" Alex thought aloud. His mind raced with questions. What was his bloodline power, and why hadn't anyone told him about it before? He quickly searched for more information, eager to learn what power he had inherited.
But instead of an answer, he was met with an error sign.
---
[Error: Information unavailable.]
---
Alex frowned. This was strange. So far, everything had worked smoothly, yet this was the only message showing an error.
"Is something wrong with my bloodline?" he muttered, feeling a sense of unease creeping in. However, not wanting to waste more time, he pushed the thought aside and moved on to the next option in the system.
This time, the system mentioned something that it referred to as a "key feature." Without hesitation, Alex clicked for more information, hoping for a clearer explanation.
---
[Call: This is a special ability of the system. It allows the host to establish telepathic connections with others, enabling communication through the mind regardless of distance. The host has the ability to decline any incoming call if they choose. Additionally, the host can form group calls.
Note: Call can only be used by members of the Pendragon faction.]
---
As he read this, Alex couldn't help but be amazed.
"Telepathy? That's incredible," he thought.
The idea of being able to communicate with others through their minds, no matter the distance, sounded like something straight out of science fiction. But this wasn't fiction—it was his new reality.
He took a moment to process what this meant. From what he understood, there were no apparent limits to this ability. It wasn't just some fancy technology, but something that could connect him to other members of the faction instantly. He couldn't help but smile at the thought.
Without delay, he scrolled down to see what came next.
---
[Message: This allows the host to send a text message or leave a voice note for another faction member from anywhere and at any time.
Note: Message can only be used by members of the Pendragon faction.]
---
Alex tilted his head slightly, realizing that this feature was somewhat similar to the telepathic call. "It's like sending a text or voicemail... through my mind," he mused. Still, it was nice to have options. Whether it was for a quick mental chat or a detailed message, the system seemed to cover all the bases.
Curious to see what else was available, Alex continued to explore the system.
---
[Map: This feature brings up a live digital map of Earth. With this map, the host can locate other faction members. It can also be used to track individuals deemed wanted by the faction.
Note: The host can temporarily turn off their location, but it will automatically turn back on after a short period. This feature only works for tracking those currently on Earth.]
---
Alex's eyebrows rose in surprise as he read the final line. "Tracking people across the planet? That's... interesting," he thought. He quickly caught the part about the map only working for those on Earth. "Does this mean people can travel beyond Earth?" he wondered.
He wasn't entirely sure, but given all the secrets and mysteries the world held, it wouldn't surprise him if space travel was already happening behind closed doors. After all, the things he'd learned in just the last few days were far beyond what he thought possible.
While the idea of his movements being tracked wasn't exactly comforting, he figured it wasn't a huge deal. He had nothing to hide, and at least he had the option to turn off his location temporarily if needed. That small window of privacy was something, even if it was limited.
Sitting back, Alex reflected on everything he had just learned. His mind was a swirl of information: bloodline powers, telepathy, mind messages, and live maps. It felt like he had been given access to an entirely new world. Though some things were still unclear—like the error about his bloodline—he knew he would eventually find the answers he sought.
Not wasting any time, Alex moved to the next feature available in the system.
---
[Library: This is a space where the host can store skill scrolls, spell scrolls, and any book of their choice. The item itself is not physically stored. Instead, the contents within the item are stored, and the host can access them at any time.]
---
Alex raised an eyebrow, feeling impressed.
"Really… Here I was, wondering how I was going to balance my training and school. But it looks like this will solve at least one of those problems," he said to himself with a small smile.
He was just at the beginning of his college year. Having recently enrolled, juggling his responsibilities as a student and as a Paragon seemed like an impossible task when Stan first explained what was involved. Stan had warned Alex that he'd be required almost daily, if not every day, for training sessions and missions.
Naturally, Alex had worried. How could he manage both? But with the library feature, he realized he could skip attending classes and still end up at the top of his class. The thought of downloading books directly into his mind lifted a weight off his shoulders, giving him a sense of relief.
Eager to see what else was available, Alex clicked for more information.
---
[Inventory: This is a space where the host can store anything, as long as it's not a living being.
There are two ways to store your items:
- Public Storage: This is an unlimited space where every member of the faction can store items, no matter the size or amount. However, any item stored here can be accessed by other faction members.
- Personal Storage: This space allows the host to store personal belongings without others having access. However, this space is limited to five slots, regardless of the size of the items.]
—
The moment Alex read this, he felt an eagerness to test it out. He imagined how useful this feature could be—storing and retrieving items with a thought. However, there was one problem. He didn't have anything on him to store at the moment.
Looking around his surroundings, Alex's eyes darted from one spot to another, trying to find something he could use. That's when an idea popped into his mind.
"Let's see how this works," Alex thought, focusing his attention.
A few moments later, dark smoke began to form around his hand. It twisted and swirled like a snake, slowly wrapping itself around his fingers before vanishing completely. In its place, Alex now held an object.
His eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at what had appeared in his hand. "Who would have thought this person had something like this stored in there?" he muttered to himself, still a little taken aback.
In his hand was a gun, but not just any ordinary gun. It was a sleek combination of gold and black, with intricate dragon designs engraved along its barrel. The dragon seemed alive, as if it were breathing fire from the tip of the gun.
Alex retrieved the gun from the public storage space. It was the only sizeable item there; the rest seemed strange, and he didn't feel comfortable rummaging through other people's belongings.
Holding the gun firmly, he decided to run a few tests. First, he placed the gun back into the storage, but this time into his personal space. The moment he did, he noticed one of his five available slots greyed out, signaling that the gun was now stored. Satisfied with the system, he brought the gun back out, and the slot became active again.
"This is cool," Alex thought, feeling impressed by how seamless it was. He couldn't resist inspecting the gun further, marveling at its detailed design. He began pointing it around the room, aiming at imaginary targets while making firing sounds with his mouth, "Pew pew," he muttered, chuckling to himself.
As he continued his playful antics, a sudden clicking sound caught his attention. Before he could react, the door swung open, and three figures stepped inside.
"Look at that, seems like he's already figured out how to use the system," Elder Rooney commented with a smirk as he entered the room, followed closely by Peter and Stan.
Alex's face instantly flushed red with embarrassment. Of all the times they could have walked in, it had to be when he was pointing the gun right at the door, making ridiculous sound effects. He froze, still holding the gun mid-air, realizing how childish he must have looked.
Stan stifled a laugh, while Peter tried to hide his amusement. Elder Rooney raised an eyebrow but said nothing, clearly entertained by the situation. Alex awkwardly lowered the gun, hoping the ground would swallow him whole.