Yu Jin stepped away from Yue Jin, who remained firm in his stance, sweat beading at his brow. The younger man was improving, slowly but surely, under discipline and repetition.
Yu Jin walked toward the old bench and sat, wiping the sweat from his own arms. The ever-present glow of the system lingered at the corner of his sight—silent, watching.
"It would be easier to keep track of all this…" he muttered under his breath. "If I had more information at a glance. A commander needs awareness."
Then, simply: "Settings."
The system pulsed and shifted. A new window appeared.
[System Configuration]
☑ Name
☑ Age
☑ Status
☒ Stats
☒ Traits
☒ Time Active
With a curious glance, Yu Jin tapped the empty boxes.
☑ Stats
☑ Traits
☑ Time Active
The interface restructured. Clean, precise.
[STATUS OVERVIEW]
Name: Yu Jin
Age: 20
Status: Civilian
Date: March, 180
Time: 10:13 AM
Merit Points: 344
Health: 235 / 235
Spirit: 135 / 135
[Attributes]
LEA: 33
STR: 47 (+1 from Training, +2 from Skill Point allocation)
INT: 57
POL: 23
CHA: 20
[Traits]
None
He gave a short nod of approval. "Better."
He whispered, "System," and the display vanished. The screen no longer hovered unless called—exactly as he preferred.
"Shop."
The categories unfolded.
[System Shop]
• Traits
• Skills
• Items
• Manuals
• Tactics & Formations
• Consumables
• Weapons
• Armor
He scanned them one by one.
Weapons? No use. He had no one to kill.
Armor? Useless without a threat.
Tactics? Needed an army first.
Consumables? Could be found in the market.
Only Traits and Manuals had any present value.
He selected Traits.
Scrolls of names and effects filtered down, but only two caught his eye.
[Efficient Recovery]
Reduces recovery time after physical exertion or injury.
Stacks slightly with disciplined routines.
Cost: 50 Merit
[Resolute](Masterable Trait)
Reduces damage received by 10% per mastery rank.
Current Rank: I / V
Cost: 60 Merit
He didn't hesitate.
Confirm.
A cool wave ran through his limbs. Like sharpening steel already tempered.
Trait Acquired: Efficient Recovery
Trait Acquired: Resolute (I / V)
Merit Remaining: 234
He returned to the Shop and tapped the Manuals tab.
[Manuals Available]
Spearmanship (Basic)
Foundational stance, thrust, and form drills.
+5% damage with spears.
Cost: 70 Merit Swordsmanship (Basic)
Fundamentals of cutting, blocking, and grip control.
+5% damage with swords.
Cost: 70 Merit
Straightforward enough. Both would be essential for building martial discipline — one for himself, one for Yue Jin.
He scrolled down.
Another entry appeared.
Fortified Spirit Manual
A beginner-level cultivation method that refines Inner Energy.
Increases Health and Spirit by 50.
Slightly improves resistance to fatigue and mental stress.
Cost: 100 Merit
Yu Jin's eyes lingered.
"Inner energy… More health. More spirit. Mental resilience."
His brow tightened.
"Spirit?" he muttered. "What is that supposed to mean?"
He crossed his arms, deep in thought. Was it focus? Will? Some form of unseen force? He'd known warriors who fought with unwavering minds — men who didn't fall even when their bodies should've given in.
That... could be Spirit.
"Well… only one way to find out."
He tapped Purchase.
"Not just strength — but endurance."
On the battlefield, that made all the difference.
Confirm All.
Manuals Acquired:
• Spearmanship (Basic)
• Swordsmanship (Basic)
• Fortified Spirit Manual
Merit Remaining: 4
A new chime echoed in his mind.
[Notification: Items in Mailbox]
Yu Jin blinked. "Mailbox?"
A small icon appeared on the interface.
He tapped it.
Three scrolls shimmered into existence—folded tightly and marked with glowing seals. As soon as he touched the Spearmanship Manual, the seal broke, and a cascade of knowledge flooded into him.
Footwork, stances, momentum control—it wasn't just reading. It was remembering something he'd never learned.
His system flashed:
Skill Acquired: Spearmanship (Basic)
Progress: 0.0% → 0.1%
Mastery increases with repetition and combat.
Manual Used: [Spearmanship Manual] — Destroyed after use.
He watched the scroll vanish into embers, leaving only silence.
"It's gone..." he murmured, a note of disappointment in his voice.
Yu Jin looked down at the Fortified Spirit Manual still in his hand. He sighed, unsure if it too would disappear upon use.
Not yet. Not until I know for certain.
Sliding the scroll into his robe, he turned to the last one — the Swordsmanship Manual.
His eyes shifted toward Yue Jin, who still stood in the field, practicing without complaint.
Yu Jin narrowed his eyes.
He didn't know if the system would allow someone else to learn a skill from it… but he wasn't going to risk wasting the cultivation scroll.
Instead, he raised the sword manual.
"Here," he called out.
Yue Jin turned, catching the scroll with both hands, visibly confused.
"What is this?"
Yu Jin replied simply, "A gift. Learn it if you can."
Yue Jin flipped it open, eyes scanning the strange markings. "...Did that ghost give you this too?"
Yu Jin smirked. "Something like that."