Chapter 6: Commands and Reset
Olgan lifted his left arm, examining the ordinary bracelet that adorned it. Nothing about it stood out.
"Since the bracelet belongs to you, try saying 'Inspect' using the Voice of the World to view its description," Edith suggested.
"Inspect," Olgan murmured, and a blue hologram materialized before him.
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Name: Leather Bracelet
Grade: Common
Description: An ordinary bracelet crafted by a novice artisan named Loren.
Effect: Increases Strength by 1.
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So it is quite ordinary, Olgan thought, lowering his arm and losing interest.
Edith continued, "There are many commands like Inspect. Common ones include Equipment, Skill Panel, Inventory, Guild Interface, Friend List, Quest, World Map, and more. You should take your time to familiarize yourself with these when you can.
"It's nearly nightfall; we need to find a suitable place to camp.
"Oh, let me add you as a friend."
After speaking, she tapped the invisible hologram a few times. Olgan noted she hadn't called out "Friend List" to summon the interface. He had tried to do so mentally, but it hadn't worked. I guess it takes practice to summon these things without verbal voicing.
In no time, a blue hologram box appeared before him.
[Edith Magect Calantha wishes to add you as a friend. Do you accept? Yes/No]
Olgan pressed 'Yes.'
The Friend List interface then materialized.
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Friend List
Group: Friend [1/1]
Edith Magect Calantha [Channel 1] [Group: Friend]
[Add Friend] [Add Group] [Invite to Party] [Remove Friend]
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It was a simple Friend List, but what caught Olgan's eye was the notation for 'Channel 1.'
A channel system? He felt a flicker of intrigue. How would that work? Different timelines?
Channels made sense in online games where maps were fixed, but this was a real world. What would happen to a city in Channel 1 if it were destroyed in Channel 2? Would they synchronize, resulting in both cities facing ruin?
This warranted further exploration. Olgan's curiosity deepened; this world was even more game-like than he had initially believed.
As they continued walking, Edith stretched and steered the conversation back. "We've veered off topic. You asked me about Reset, right? A Reset is only possible for those still in the Novice Class and below Level 10. It allows you to reset your allocated Attribute Points, but each person only gets one chance."
Her voice grew somber. "I survived my injuries by using Reset, reallocating the ten regained Attribute Points entirely into VIT, or Vitality. As you might guess, VIT is tied to your life force, directly impacting your HP and health recovery. I placed my faith in the hope that it would be enough to sustain me, and it was."
"However," she continued, "Assigning your stats is crucial. It determines your future path because certain Classes can only be unlocked under specific conditions.
"I am the eldest daughter of the Duke of Magect, part of a family renowned for producing Magic Swordsmen. With all my points allocated to VIT, I have no hope of advancing to the Magic Swordsman Class.
"Knowing my dear father and mother, they wouldn't cast me out like many other noble families might, but they would still be very disappointed.
"I could consider becoming a Tank Class, but for the Magect family, which prides itself on high offensive capability, that would be a disgrace.
"To put it simply, my future feels bleak." As she spoke, her voice trembled, and her shoulders slumped. Lenna, who had remained stoic, wore a sad expression, wanting to comfort Edith but unsure how.
Olgan felt at a loss for words. As a gamer, he understood the discouragement of creating or having a character with poor stats, but he also believed that it didn't equate to failure. Depending on the game, even distributing points into STR instead of INT for a Mage could prove useful in certain situations, like increasing the weight of items they could carry.
Additionally, coming from an average family in his previous life, he struggled to grasp the idea of children being confined to their parents' roles. A guild full of Magic Swordsmen or DPS Classes would eventually face tough challenges, he thought.
The atmosphere turned heavy as the once-talkative Edith fell silent, her mood darkening.
As the sun began to set, Lenna found a suitable clearing and started setting up camp. Two tents were quickly erected—one for Olgan and one for the two women.
"I'll take the watch tonight," Lenna stated succinctly after lighting a campfire in the center of their campsite. She pulled out a table and chairs from her Inventory, arranging them around the flickering flames.
The food spread was surprisingly luxurious for an outdoor meal: freshly-cooked steak and boiled potatoes. Thanks to the Inventory function, they could easily carry freshly-prepared meals without fear of spoilage; time inside the Inventory was effectively frozen. The only downside was its limited slots; Olgan checked and his only have 16 slots available.
While he explored the commands Edith had mentioned earlier, Olgan couldn't help but glance at her. Now that she had a moment to sit, eat, and gather her thoughts, she looked more worn than before. Yet her eyes still sparkled with a glimmer of hope.
Sighing, Olgan set down his fork and spoon, hesitating for a moment before standing up and walking over to Edith, chair in hand.
"Excuse my rudeness, Your Highness." He placed his chair beside her and sat on it, keeping a respectful distance.
Edith glanced at him, nodding with a small smile, seemingly unbothered by his proximity.
Yet, Olgan felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck—Lenna's fierce gaze bore into him.
He nervously ignored it and spoke up, "You mentioned that the Magect family takes pride in high offensive capabilities, not just in the Magic Swordsman Class itself, right?"
She hesitated before answering, "Yes."
"Would it be safe to assume there are other strong offensive Classes in your family besides the Magic Swordsman?"
"Yes, but the Magic Swordsman Class comprises the majority and carries the most prestige."
Hearing this, Olgan felt a wave of relief wash over him, accompanied by a smile. "Then, could you show me your Status Interface? Perhaps I can help you find a way to make a VIT-focused build into a functional offensive Class."