Midnight in London.
Ethan dragged his exhausted body out of the office building, the garish neon lights stretching his shadow long and thin.
Another all-nighter.
He was rubbing his throbbing temples, about to hail a cab, when a sudden, sharp pain shot through his brain, like a steel needle being driven deep inside.
"Ugh!"
Ethan let out a muffled grunt as his vision twisted and tore apart. The bustling city traffic before him dissolved into a swirling vortex, completely swallowing his consciousness.
...
[Ding! System activated.]
[Host Ethan, welcome to the continent of Aethel—a world dominated by magic.]
The cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Ethan struggled to open his eyes.
The unfamiliar sight made his pupils contract. There were no skyscrapers here, only colossal ancient trees that blotted out the sky. Strange, fluorescent specks of light filtered through the gaps in the massive canopies.
The air was filled with a fresh scent, a mixture of earth and grass. A deep breath drew a peculiar energy into his body, bringing a hint of warmth to his weary limbs.
"Did I... get transported to another world?" Ethan murmured to himself.
As soon as he spoke, the mechanical voice in his head chimed in again.
[System initialization complete.]
[Newbie Starter Pack has been distributed.]
[Host's current stats:]
A translucent panel, just like a game interface, abruptly appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Ethan]
[Level: Apprentice (0/1000 EXP)]
[Mana Points (MP): 120]
(A base value all living beings possess, measurable by a mana crystal. MP determines the fundamental strength of spells.)
[Attributes: Strength (STR) 10, Endurance (END) 10]
[Desire Points (DP): 0]
(An exclusive attribute for the Host; other beings do not possess this value. DP can only be accumulated by completing quests and is used to enhance magical effects.)
[Skills: Basic Fireball (from Starter Pack)]
[Items: Dagger (from Starter Pack), Slave Seal (from Starter Pack)]
(Slave Seal: A special, single-use item. Can be used to place a mark of control on a powerful individual, forcing them to obey the Host's commands. Use with caution, as failure is possible if the target's resistance is too high.)
Ethan's eyes widened as he read through the list. When his gaze fell upon the last line, he couldn't help but twitch.
[Combat Power: Mana Points × Desire Points = 120 × 0 = 0]
(Current Combat Power is zero. No enhanced magic can be cast.)
"Zero combat power?"
[First quest activated:]
[Quest: Kill a magical beast (0/1)]
[Reward: Desire Points +0.005, Experience +50.]
Ethan stared at the pathetically simple attribute panel and finally couldn't resist complaining, "Are you kidding me? Zero Desire Points means zero combat power? What kind of garbage system is this!"
"Just a lousy dagger, a beginner's fireball, and this... Slave Seal..." He muttered, looking at the strange symbol for the seal in his inventory. "Controlling a powerful being sounds great and all, but it's useless right now! How am I supposed to survive?"
He tried to concentrate, and sure enough, he could feel a faint wisp of energy flowing within him. This must be the so-called "mana." But it was as thin as a thread, almost negligible. To make matters worse, the system notified him that because his Desire Points were zero, the power of his fireball was also practically zero.
"ROAR—!"
Just then, a low growl echoed from the depths of the forest.
Ethan froze, his heart skipping a beat. He instinctively gripped the newbie dagger at his waist, a single thought dominating his mind.
I have to survive!
The roar grew closer. The bushes ahead rustled violently, and a massive gray wolf leaped out!
It was nearly two meters long, its fur standing on end like steel needles. A pair of blood-red eyes locked onto Ethan, viscous saliva dripping from its fangs.
[Forest Wolf, Level 1. Moderate attack power. Weaknesses: eyes, abdomen.]
The system's information flashed by. Even for a low-level magical beast, it was a fatal threat to Ethan, who currently had zero combat power.
"Dammit, it's for real!" Ethan cursed, quickly backing away to create some distance.
He focused his mind and extended his right hand toward the beast. A fist-sized fireball, which looked more like a pathetic little flame, materialized in his palm with great effort.
It flew out with a soft "whoosh," tracing a weak arc through the air before accurately hitting the wolf on its nose.
And then... it was like being touched by a cigarette butt, leaving only an insignificant scorch mark.
"AWOO!"
The wolf was enraged. It let out a deafening howl and lunged!
A foul wind rushed toward him. Ethan's pupils constricted as he clumsily dodged to the side.
*Rip!*
The wolf's sharp claws still managed to tear through his sleeve, leaving a burning, bloody gash.