The words still echoed in Andreas' head as he walked out of the alley, the sun dipping low over Solmere's thatched rooftops.
"I have converted your experiences into Universal Experience. Skills from the universe's standard now rest within you."
He grunted as he adjusted his belt and returned to the family plot, his boots kicking up dry dust. "If this's some sorcerer's prank, I'll kiss a pig's arse," he muttered. "Let's see what this 'system' can do."
The old Barnes farm greeted him with its usual melancholy—a crooked fence, patches of weary squash, rows of half-dead carrots. He stepped into the field and grabbed his hoe out of habit, but the moment his hand wrapped around the worn wooden handle, he froze.
It felt different.
The balance. The weight. The certainty.
He moved instinctually, guiding the blade through soil that always fought him like a wild beast. But now? The dirt yielded like butter under Heat. Every stroke was perfect—depth, spacing, moisture balance—everything felt right.
He didn't understand "level" as a scholar might, but his gut told him what it meant—the System had blessed his hands.
He worked in silence for over an hour, lost in the flow of planting and tending. With a single twist of the clay channels, he adjusted water flow and mixed compost in proportions he didn't consciously know. When he finally stood and looked back over the rows, his breath caught.
The plot looked like something out of the Duke's estate—clean, sharp, thriving.
"Saints preserve me," he murmured. "That weren't just luck."
The barn was next. Inside, the half-broken cartwheel mocked him, His father had built it with pride—and Andreas had tried fixing it a dozen times, only to make it worse.
He crouched beside it, fingers brushing the wood, and immediately saw what needed doing. Not guessed—saw.
He moved fast—tool, realignment, brace. No hesitation. No wasted motion.
When he spun the wheel afterward, it turned clean and accurate.
Handyman Craft – Level 5
He sat back on his heels, panting lightly. "Ain't possible... but it is."
Like always, the farmhouse kitchen welcomed him with dust, creaky shelves, and a half-empty pantry. But his hunger drove him forward. He pulled out root vegetables and salted pork, and like before, he moved instinctively.
His knife sliced without resistance. Spices flowed, and Heat balanced without smoke or burning. The scent that filled the room—savory, earthy, mouth-watering—was something he couldn't've imagined on his best day.
He tasted the stew, and it was perfect.
Cooking – Level 4
Andreas leaned back in his chair, bowl in hand. The late sun was casting long rays across the floor. He stared down at the polished wood grain and up through the open door, where the land stretched out golden.
"So... this is real."
Then, a darker grin crept across his face.
There was still one more "skill" the System had listed.
Pleasuring Women – Level 2
He chuckled. "Well, can't rightly test that on a turnip."
As if summoned by the thought, the voice returned, soft and clear in his head:
"Mission Reminder: Enjoy the Fruit of Mara's Mother – Reward: 5 UXP."
Andreas blinked, then laughed, loud and shameless. "You dirty old spirit..."
"The System mirrors the soul of its wielder. Missions are personalized."
He stood and stretched, eyes gleaming with mischief.
He looked toward the road leading back to Solmere, where Miss Diana was likely closing her stall for the day.
"Don't you worry, Pa," he whispered. "I ain't just dreamin' no more. I got a way outta this field."
Solmere's roads shimmered faintly in the evening light as Andreas made his way toward the village's edge.
"System," he thought. "Show me them quests again."
The words glowed across his sight like fire-lit scrollwork.
[Active Quests]
Enjoy the Fruit of Mara's Mother – Reward: 5 UXP
Become an Adventurer – Reward: 5 UXP
Impregnate Someone – Reward: 100 UXP
Andreas smirked. "You've got your priorities backward, but at least you know me."
His eyes settled on the second. Become an Adventurer. That was the path forward.
The Solmere Adventurers' Outpost stood squat and square just beyond the smithy road—a single-story stone hall with a roof tiled with weathered blue shingles and a wooden sign swinging with the Guild's crest: a silver sword crossed with a blazing sun.
He stepped inside to find a dusty entry hall and a single desk behind a polished ironwood counter. An older man sat there, reading a ledger with a face that hadn't cracked a smile in years.
"State your business," the man said without looking up.
"I'm here to register."
The clerk finally looked up. "You got your gold?"
Andreas hesitated, brows furrowed. "How much?"
"One gold coin," the man replied, tone as bored as if reading a shopping list. "Flat rate. It covers your Guild Card and activation. No refunds."
Andreas breathed out. That was... doable. It's not easy; it might hurt the pockets a bit, but it could have been more.
"What happens after I pay?"
The man gestured lazily to the desk beside him. A small black orb sat on a pedestal, pulsing faintly. Beside it was a stack of glimmering silver-blue cards—thin, palm-sized, edged in runes.
"You drop a bit of blood on the card. It takes your name, height, weight, hometown—all that. Then, you place your hand on the orb. It reads your essence and sets your starting rank."
"Which is...?"
"Everyone starts at F unless you've got a mana core or a noble recommendation," the man said. "The orb can't lie. If you're S-rank, it'll tell us. If you're weak, it'll do the same."
"And rank?"
"Goes from F to SS. Most die before B. We review ranks at the Guild when you earn enough merit or complete evaluation quests."
Andreas nodded slowly. "So once I've got the gold, I just... bleed on a card and squeeze that orb?"
"That's it."
Andreas turned and stepped back outside. The last light of the sun washed the road in amber. His hands were tight fists at his sides.
"One gold," he muttered. "Just one bloody coin."
The System chimed in his head again:
Quest Status: Incomplete – Adventurer status requires 1 Gold Coin
Suggested Path: Earn 1 Gold (Labor, Trades, Barter, Local Bounties)
He looked back at the outpost again, the silver and blue crest gleaming in the fading light.
"Alright," he muttered, setting off down the road. "I'll get that gold. One way or another."
{next day}
When Andreas returned to the village square, the sun was already high, sweat clinging to his shirt and soil caked on his boots. The fields had been stubborn that morning—too dry in one row, too soggy in another—but the farming skill made it easier to deal with.
Ten silver jingled in the pouch on his belt. Not bad for half a day's work.
But it's not good enough either.
"One gold," he muttered as he dunked his head into the well bucket, water dripping down his neck. "Just one bloody coin, and I'm in."
As he sat by the stone ledge, catching his breath, the System shimmered into view with soft golden light.
[System Update – Quest Progress Logged]
Daily Manual Labor Completed+2 UXP Gained
Andreas squinted. "Two points?"
UXP is awarded based on effort, repetition, and growth opportunity. You may spend UXP in the System Store at your discretion.
He huffed a short laugh. "Guess nothin's free—even with magic."
He focused inward. "Open Store."
A new panel flickered into view—a ghostly scroll displaying options with UXP prices beside them:
[System Store]
Skill: Handyman (Upgrade to Lv.6) – Cost: 4 UXPSkill: Farming (Upgrade to Lv.8) – Cost: 5 UXPNew Skill: Basic Weapon Handling – Cost: 8 UXPPhysique Enhancement: Minor Stamina Boost – Cost: 10 UXPBasic Bloodline Unlock – Cost: 50 UXP
Andreas furrowed his brow, muttering aloud, "Fifty for a bloodline? What's that supposed to mean?"
The System replied, calm and clinical:
"'Bloodline Unlock refers to reconfiguring your genetic code using Universal Experience. This allows access to advanced racial templates, specialized physiques, and enhanced biological structures optimized for combat, survival, or magic."
Andreas leaned back against the wall, letting the words settle in his head like hot cider.
"Change my damn build... down to the bones, huh?" He chuckled low. "Ain't just skills and swingin' a hoe better—this thing's got me buildin' a whole new me."
"Correct. Race and physique adjustments affect your stats, affinities, and long-term growth trajectory. Changes are permanent unless reverted with additional UXP."
He nodded slowly, mouth twisting into a grin. "Guess I ain't tied to the skin I was born in anymore."
"I ain't never had nothin' handed to me. Not since Ma and Pa got taken. I clawed for every damn thing—food, work, some education, sleep. Thought this body was all I'd ever have."
"You... you're givin' me a real shot. A chance to become somethin'."
His voice cracked slightly as he smiled. "So thank you, System. I don't know what you are or why you picked me, but... I won't waste it. I swear it."
"Acknowledged. Your intent has been logged. Continue accumulating UXP to access further potential."
Andreas stood, jaw set firm.
The sound of footsteps brought him back to the present—Toby, the mill boy, panting and waving his arms.
"Andreas! Ma says you fix roofs, right? Tavern's leaking again!"
Andreas stood and stretched his back. "She payin'?"
"Six silver. Maybe eight if you touch the chimney."
"Tell her I'll swing by after dusk."
Toby gave him a thumbs up and ran off again.
Andreas turned toward the northern path and spotted Old Man Thatch struggling with a sack of barley. Without hesitation, he walked over and grabbed it.
"Twelve silver if you help me finish the north ridge," the old man offered before Andreas even opened his mouth. "And I'll toss in a roasted rabbit."
"Done."
By sunset, his hands ached, his shirt stuck to him like wet hide, and sweat traced trails through the dust on his face. But he'd earned 28 silver in one day.
He leaned against the old fence outside Thatch's house, watching the sky shift from gold to plum. The System flickered again.
[System Update – Quest Progress Logged]
Evening Labor Completed+3 UXP GainedTotal UXP Available: 5
The sky had just settled into its deep purples when Andreas reached the Hollow Horn Tavern, the village quieting down as hearth lights flickered on across Solmere. The tavern stood alone at the end of the road, its crooked roof catching the lanternlight like a lazy wink.
He climbed the porch steps, toolbox slung over one shoulder, and rapped twice on the doorframe.
It swung open almost instantly.
"Well now," purred Mirra Halloway, "look what the night dragged in. Thought you'd come by at dusk, not when the stars were flirtin' with the chimney."
She leaned on the door, one hand planted on her hip, the other holding a damp cloth she'd been using to polish a mug. Her blouse was a little looser than earlier, collar drifting open with the heat, and the way she leaned gave Andreas just enough of a view to remind him this woman knew what she was doing.
He gave her a once-over and smirked. "Sorry, ma'am. I walk slow when I'm enjoyin' the view."
She laughed—a rich, throaty sound that didn't hide a damn thing. "Careful, farmboy. You flash too much charm and I might forget why I hired you."
"You mean it ain't for my roof work?"
Mirra stepped aside and gestured him in. "Roof's leakin'. Chimney's wheezin'. Gutters droopin'. Sounds like the whole place needs a strong hand or two."
Andreas stepped past her, close enough to feel the warmth off her skin. "Lucky I've got two of those handy."
The tavern's interior was dim and quiet, chairs flipped onto tables, the hearth crackling low with firewood. She walked ahead of him, hips swaying in a way that was downright practiced.
"Ladder's still round back," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "I'd offer to hold it steady, but then you might fall just to land in my arms."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Wouldn't be the worst landing I've had."
Out back, the night air was cooler, the sky stretching wide and full of stars.
The ladder leaned against the slope of the tavern's rear wall, right beneath the sagging edge of the roof. Andreas set to work without another word, but every time he glanced down, Mirra was still watching—leaning on the doorframe, arms folded, biting her lip like she was sizing him up for dinner and dessert.
Thirty minutes later, the roof was sealed, chimney patched, and the last nail hammered home with a clean thunk.
Andreas climbed down, wiping sweat from his brow. "Gutters are good. You won't be hearin' drips in the middle of the night no more."
Mirra stepped forward, holding out a mug of cider. "Shame. I kinda like the sound of drippin' at night. Helps me sleep."
He took the mug, smiling. "Guess you'll have to settle for silence."
She raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe you can come by now and then, make a little noise for me instead."
He choked lightly on his cider.
She laughed again, not bothering to hide the wicked twist of her lips. "Relax, Barnes. I ain't gonna jump you in the alley... not unless you ask real nice."
He held her gaze, grin spreading slowly. "You always flirt this hard with roof fixers?"
"Only the tall, sweaty ones who show up smellin' like hard work"
She reached for his arm then, hand sliding down his forearm under the pretense of brushing off some dust.
"You're a fine one, Andreas. You know that?"
"I try," he said, voice low.
"Dinner's hot," she said, stepping back just slightly. "And I ain't talkin' about the stew."
He followed her through the back door, the smell of roasted meat and baked bread already thick in the warm air.
[Mission Update: Tavern Repair Complete – Reward: 1 UXP]
[Optional Mission Detected: Accept Dinner with a Suggestive Woman? Y/N]
Andreas paused, then thought clearly: Yes.