Chapter 3 System
Everyone in the arena stared in shock; the Slaves closest to the scene scrambled away in terror.
Even the Administrators nearby looked stunned—none had expected the first kill to come from a completely unremarkable youth.
"Interesting!"
A smile tugged at Vic's lips; the scene amused him.
He was certain the Celestial Dragons above would find it equally unexpected.
Sure enough, excited cries and louder chatter erupted from the stands.
Vic's grin became impossible to hide.
As long as the gods were pleased, his future was secure.
Yet when the Celestial Dragons saw the Slaves still frozen in shock, refusing to fight, they grew impatient.
"Damned Slaves, start slaughtering! Fight!"
"Lowly mortals—if you won't fight, then die!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several impatient Celestial Dragons drew pistols and fired into the crowd.
The gunfire panicked the Slaves; red-eyed, they charged one another.
Instantly the field dissolved into a brawl—the contest had officially begun.
But Dante Voss, the one who struck first, stood motionless.
He made no further move, lost in thought.
Thanks to his earlier display, no one dared attack him, leaving a pocket of safety around him.
Dante Voss wasn't trembling from first-kill jitters.
After transmigrating and surviving a Village Massacre, killing no longer fazed him.
What froze him was a sudden line of text in his vision.
[Killed an ordinary person. Gained 10 slaughter points.]
"A System?"
Dante Voss's eyes flickered, a fire igniting inside him.
He'd held little hope for this match; even defeating Lofu only removed one foe.
The rest might be weaker than Lofu, but he still couldn't face them head-on.
Beating Lofu had only worked because of a sneak attack.
That trick wouldn't work twice.
Now, with the System's arrival, despair gave way to possibility.
"System?"
He called inwardly; no reply came.
Frowning, he tried again: "Open System panel! Open status window!"
Still nothing responded.
He gave up, wondering if stress had made him hallucinate.
But as he calmed, a crimson "KILL" icon appeared in the upper-left of his sight.
When he focused on it, the word flashed—and a virtual panel opened before his eyes.
Relief washed over him; it wasn't an illusion.
Without a System, survival would be nearly impossible.
The panel was simple, just a few lines.
[Physique: 6 (+)]
[Strength: 7 (+)]
[Speed: 7 (+)]
[Spirit: 9 (+)]
[slaughter points: 10]
He understood at a glance: stat allocation.
The most basic feature of every game.
He scanned further. Along the bottom were three tabs.
[attributes], [Abilities], [backpack].
He was currently on the attributes page.
He switched to Abilities—empty as expected.
Next he opened backpack—disappointingly bare.
He'd hoped for a beginner's gift pack.
Apparently not.
Still, mere stat boosts could change his fate.
Back on the attributes page, he hesitated, then tapped the plus beside Strength.
One Slaughter Point vanished; Strength rose from 7 to 8.
A faint warmth surged through him—he felt slightly stronger.
"One point equals one stat?"
Understanding clicked; without pause he poured the rest into Strength and Speed.
For the current match, Strength can boost his attack power, while Speed can increase his attack and movement Speed.
These are the attributes most urgently needed right now.
As for Physique and Spirit, they're important too, but under the present circumstances they don't offer as obvious a combat boost as the other two.
After every last slaughter point had turned into attributes, Dante Voss felt a stronger surge of heat circulating through his body.
In that instant he sensed new muscle suddenly appearing on his frame, and a feeling of power welled up.
At this moment Lofu no longer seemed that strong; Dante Voss was confident he could beat him head-on with ease.
Finally the pressure in his heart vanished—he now truly had the Ability to protect himself.
"slaughter points? Do you get them just by killing people?"
Dante Voss's eyes flickered; the moment he thought of closing the panel, it disappeared from his sight.
Surveying the surrounding battlefield, Dante Voss's gaze burned hotter and hotter.
Killing one person had given him such a boost—what if he wiped out everyone else? How much stronger could he become?
To ordinary people this place was hell, but to him it might be heaven.
Dante Voss gripped his sword, about to charge, when he noticed the fallen Lofu's corpse emitting a red glow.
The light grew brighter, gradually forming a red sphere of energy above the body.
"What's this?"
Dante Voss narrowed his eyes and looked around; no one else seemed to notice the phenomenon.
That gave him pause for thought.
He reached out and tentatively touched the red energy.
The instant his finger made contact, the sphere fused into his body, and a prompt appeared in his vision.
[Acquired Red-tier Ability: Swordsmanship (Novice Swordsman)]
As the upgrade finished, memories flooded his mind—years of sword-practice experience.
It felt as if he had trained for several years; his understanding of the sword deepened.
"So that's how it is! Another function of the System?"
Dante Voss grinned and quickly opened the System; sure enough, under Ability he saw Swordsmanship.
[Swordsmanship (Novice Swordsman)]
[Description: A beginner in the way of the sword, grasping basic swings and thrusts.]
[Next tier: Intermediate Swordsman]
[Description: Improved Swordsmanship, basic forms mastered, some combat experience.]
[Upgrade requirement: 300 slaughter points.]
Dante Voss closed the System; he now understood it thoroughly.
The System not only granted slaughter points for killing, but could also condense energy orbs from corpses to obtain other things.
In short: kill and grow stronger!
Any other functions would have to be explored later; now wasn't the time for overthinking.
Dante Voss looked toward the nearest Slave and sprinted at them.
With 12 Strength and 12 Speed, Dante Voss was fast; he reached the two Slaves before they could react.
A single thrust of his sword pierced one Slave.
The Slave froze, looked back in disbelief, then collapsed.
[Killed an ordinary person, gained 10 slaughter points.]
"Ten points per ordinary person, huh?"
Dante Voss mused and turned to attack the other Slave.
That Slave had been locked in a fierce fight; seeing Dante Voss dispatch his opponent so easily rattled him.
As Dante Voss charged, the Slave, eyes red with fury, rushed to meet him.
"Clang!"
Dante Voss's sword met the Slave's blade; with 12 Strength Dante Voss had the edge, knocking the Slave back several steps.
The Slave's pupils contracted.
He couldn't believe Dante Voss's Strength—he was clearly much bigger!
Before he could think further, Dante Voss's next strike arrived.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
After several more heavy blows, the Slave could no longer hold out and fell, unwilling.
[Killed an ordinary person, gained 10 slaughter points.]