The dim light casts a sterile pale color on the office. The incessant humming of computers and the rhythmic clanking of mechanical keys filled the air. Sam Wyndham, a young man of twenty-five, sat hunched over his desk. His eyes were fixed on the glowing monitor, while tirelessly navigating the endless sea of financial data.Beside him, Rick, a coworker who had also experienced the agony of overtime, sighed in frustration. "Why does the company keep taking extra work like this?" Rick grumbled, his eyes glancing at the spreadsheet and his cluttered desk."Yeah, it's not worth it and we're not even fairly compensated," Sam said. Sam's tired face and stiff shoulders were clear evidence of the company's unending demands.They both sighed together. The same fatigue bound them in silent companionship. Sam took a moment to sip his hot coffee. "It's bitter," he muttered, "like my life." "Damned overtime," Rick said.Sam's eyes were already glued to the numbers again. "We'd better keep worki
Sam opened his heavy eyes. His body felt so stiff. He massages his dizzy head while observing the surreal panorama around him. Twisting dark tree with even darker foliage. Another tree had shiny stones that seemed to be coming out of its trunk. Big mushroom in the size of a cow. Coiling vines that seem to move on their own.Even the air seems to have color in it. It moves like colored smoke and it's everywhere. The weird tree exudes greenish color and the shiny stone has a more vibrant version of purple.Of all this peculiar flora and weirdness, only the green grass seemed familiar to Sam.Sam moved his hand and tried to get up. A strange sensation surged through his body, leaving him simultaneously invigorated and pained.Amidst this mystical ambiance, a distinct 'ding' echoed through the air. At the same time, suddenly a bluish transparent screen appeared in front of him.[Congratulations, your body and soul transportation has succeeded.]He heard a voice of an old man speaking direc
[There are four types of magic user in this world.]“Wait. Hold it. I'm hungry,” Sam said, rubbing his belly. “Is there any critter here I can hunt or any fruit or mushroom that is safe to eat?”[There are no small monsters on this side of the forest and the big monster meat is usually poisonous for humans.][But there is a lot of edible fruit nearby]“Which one?”[You can try the jillberry. It has a shape like an apple in your world but bigger and has purple coloration. It grows on the black vine in your sight.]Even though he can see through the screen, it hinders his vision. Sam got irritated. “Well, can you remove this screen from my face first? It's hard to look for berries.”[Understood][The screen is now hidden. You can hide the screen by command ‘hide’ and unhide it by command ‘show screen’.]Sam walked toward the black vine dangling in the tree and saw a big purple apple-like fruit. The tree where the vine coiled is quite tall and it has spikes in its trunk. There was no way
Sam’s elation quickly turned to panic as gravity tightened its grip, sending Sam hurtling back toward the earth.As he descended at breakneck speed, the wind whistling past his ears, Sam's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and terror. The vast horizon transformed into a blur of colors. [It is recommended that you make a wind sphere.]“How to do it?”[Put your hands together in front of your chest and spread the magic energy outside your body.]Sam followed the instruction and soon his energy flowed outside. He radiated his magic energy in an uncontrollable manner.[Magic energy 85% 82% 79%]“Stop calculating! Why am I still falling!”[Now you need to move the wind to circle your body.]“But how?”[The system has no better explanation for this concept. Just use your instinct, that’s the nature of the sorcerer's way of magic.]The system really got on Sam’s nerves, but he had more pressing matter right now. Although the fall slowed down, it was only momentary. The system kept calculat
“So, that is why it is quite different from what I know,” Sam said, noticing the black horn on its face and a pair of draconic wings on its back.Sam, armed with the knowledge bestowed by the system, faced the manticore with a mix of curiosity and caution. “Hide,” Sam said, closing the screen to see the manticore in front of him clearly. The creature bore an unsettling aura. The feline human-face exuded a demonic malevolence that disgusted Sam.As Sam prepared to engage, the air crackled with tension. The manticore's eyes glowed bright red, fixated on its newfound prey.Suddenly, the calm air was shattered by a guttural roar that echoed through the forest, sending birds scattering from their perches. The creature lunged forward, using its black wings to pounce on Sam from afar.Sam, agile and alert, evaded the initial assault with a nimble sidestep with the power of wind magic. Sam opened his palm toward the flank of the manticore. He was about to launch a wind push, but his mind seeme
Sam followed the smoke-like magic energy he saw in his vision and move around behind the trees while approaching the warlock. This time, Sam aimed to strike with the element of surprise, silently maneuvering behind the trees to approach his unsuspecting adversary. Sam frowned as he observed the warlock. Expecting a sinister figure, Sam was taken aback when he finally laid eyes on the warlock – a scrawny, seemingly unassuming figure.That warlock seemed to be talking to himself. His dark cloak didn't make him look cool or scary, instead it made him look cowardly with his attitude like that.Curiosity piqued, Sam inquired, "What is he doing?"[The System guesses that he is communicating with his demon.]Sam had a sudden realization and turned his attention inward, "Am I a warlock? Are you a demon, system?"[The system has been with you since your birth a few moments ago. You alone perceive the visual interface and the voice. The system is also non-transferable. In conclusion, no, the sys
"I can sense you have an affinity for wind and fire," the demon in the warlock's body said. "I also have a fire affinity. With my power within you, your fire magic would increase significantly."Curious, Sam queried the system in his thoughts, asking how the demon knew about his affinity.[Spirits are known to have a great magical sense. It is possible that the demon might have the Arcane Insight ability.]Increased fire magic was certainly appealing, but the mention of arcane insight intrigued Sam the most. However, he wasn't about to concede easily. "That's all?" Sam said, provoking a reaction."I also have an affinity for earth and dark," the demon added.Earth and dark would be a great addition, Sam thought. Why didn't he mention that earlier?[Sorcerers are not known to have another affinity besides the one(s) they are born with.]So, even if I had him, I wouldn't be able to use it?[You won't be able to use it instinctively like you use wind and fire magic. But, you can utilize i
Rafael being integrated into the system, causing Sam's magic energy flow to undergo peculiar alterations. He moved around, feeling jittery and jumpy from the strange sensations within.[This might take a day while the system adjusts]"What? I need to hold on with this weird sensation for a day? Hey, can you make it faster, system?" Sam inquired.[The system is busy.]"Damned system," Sam grumbled, then turned to Rafael, expressing concern, "Raf, are you still there?" He didn't want to be stuck with the emotionless system alone."Yeah, this sys-thing seems to be enveloping my soul. It feels... weird," Rafael replied."Just hold on to it with me," Sam reassured him.[Rafael's skills are being integrated... ]As he approached the city gates, the guards gave him wary looks, probably disturbed by his ragged look and weirdly confident smile, but they let Sam pass after a quick inspection.Entering the city, Sam sought out a merchant to sell the manticore tail. Its rarity made it a valuable c