Jimin stared at the glowing window in front of him, his mind still racing from what he had just witnessed.
It would be great if I could save these skills for later creation.
The thought slipped out almost unconsciously; but it lingered.
His gaze sharpened. An idea struck him so suddenly that he didn’t even bother hesitating.
“Let’s just try it,” he muttered.
He quickly created the ‘Sound Sleep’ skill without any hesitation.
The world around him felt like it held its breath for a split second.
—————————————————---
[Skill Successfully Created]
‘Sound Sleep’ – Acquired.
Total LP: 957
——————————————————
The notification faded.
Jimin let out a slow breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“It worked,” he muttered. His lips curved faintly.
Four hours… Just four hours of proper rest. And bonus LP on top of that.
This alone could change everything about his daily cycle.
But instead of basking in it, his focus shifted back to a new skill.
He reopened the Skill Creation window. But this time he aimed for the system itself.
He filled in the name and description carefully. A new window, with full details of the skill appeared.
—------------------------------------------------------
[Skill: Draft]
Category: Active
Type: Utility
Rank: Custom
Description: Allows the user to draft conceptualized skills for future creation. Drafted skills are stored in a temporary archive in the creation window and require no LP or resources to maintain while in the drafting phase.
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Required LP: ?
[Create】 【Edit】 【Delete】
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jimin blinked. “Huh… Question mark?”
He leaned closer to the floating window, squinting.
What does this question mark mean?
Before he could say anything else, the window suddenly glitched. Then, another window snapped open over it.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[This function becomes available at Rank-E, Lv.10]
Would you like to activate this function now for 50 LP?
[Yes] [No]
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------
His heart skipped.
“Damn… So it was a system function,” he muttered.
A slow grin crept onto his face.
So, that’s why it showed a question mark. Anyways, it costs only 50 LP. Good for me.
He selected ‘Yes’.
A notification appeared.
[‘Draft’ is now available.]
[Current LP: 907]
He reopened the Skill Creation window immediately to check.
At the upper right corner, a new glowing icon had appeared; ‘Draft’.
“Cool...”
He stared at it for a moment, then chuckled softly.
“So, there are hidden functions.”
But that thought didn’t stop there.
Wait… If draft would be available in future. Doesn’t that mean more functions will unlock, as I level-up?
He closed the window and immediately, “Hey, System,” he said aloud. “What new functions will appear in the future as I level-up?”
There was no response
What did I even expect?
But he still tried. He rephrased the question and asked again and again several times.
But there was no response.
He frowned.
“Guess that was worth a try,” he muttered.
He exhaled softly.
It means it only responded because ‘Draft’ overlapped with an internal function.
Which means… There are rules. And limits.
His eyes glinted faintly.
Alright… Let's try testing them….”
He reopened the Skill Creation window again.
He contemplated for a while. Then, an idea came up suddenly. What if…
Stolen story; please report.
He immediately filled up the name and description for a skill
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
【Create Skill】
Name: Return LP
Description: Instantly returns any spent LP.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
[Would you like to create this skill]
[Yes] [No]
—--------------------------------------------------------------------
He confirmed it and waited eagerly for the result.
But the window suddenly glowed red and showed error. Tch…
Then, it started glitching. But after a few seconds, it turned blue again.
A new window with the full details of the skill appeared.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------
[Skill: Return LP]
Category: Passive
Type: Utility
Rank: Custom
Description: Returns 3 LP for every 100 LP spent.
Cost: None Cooldown: None
Required LP: 900
【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】
—--------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimin stared at it.
“Only three LP!” His mouth twitched. “For every hundred?”
His shoulders sagged. Disappointment evident on his face.
“So that’s how you do it, huh.”
As I assumed… The system isn’t that stupid. It’s preventing the creation of skills that can break balance. But it is nerfing them into something acceptable.
He clicked his tongue softly.
And LP related skills cannot be scaled, and definitely cannot be edited for better effects.
“Figures...” He exhaled.
Even so… Nine hundred LP for this is a waste right now. I will just draft it.
He pressed the ‘Draft’ button.
The skill vanished from the main window.
Then, he opened the draft icon and found the name of the skill there.
“Alright… I learned a few things.”
As much as he wanted to keep experimenting, he couldn't waste his training time.
“I’ll just do some more tests tonight. I got the time after all,” he muttered as he grinned.
He stood up and stretched his arms overhead.
But his face suddenly had an annoyed expression.
He had kept the daggers in his pockets. So, his brows furrowed as their weight settled into his pockets.
“Tch… these really are uncomfortable to carry.”
He imagined stuffing them into his pockets on the way to class, at work or just in public places.
“Nah… That’s not happening.”
He went silent. As if he had found an idea.
Yeah. How else… He grinned
Then, he opened his skill creation window.
And filled up the name and description of a skill.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
【Create Skill】
Name: Inventory
Description: Grants 5 inventory slots for storing inanimate and organic non-conscious objects. Items are preserved in their current state and do not age or change. Has a weight limit of 20 kg per slot. Only the same type of objects can be saved per slot. Items can be stored and retrieved instantly at any time.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Would you like to create this skill]
[Yes] [No]
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
He confirmed the skill and waited for the full details.
But the window suddenly glowed red and showed error.
Then, it returned to its previous state.
“What the heck… why is it showing error.” He muttered.
He tried again and again. He edited the values and effects several times.
But he got no results.
“Damnit… I give…”
Then, suddenly the window glitched and a window with full details of a skill appeared.
—--------------------------------------------------
[Skill: Inventory]
Category: Active
Type: Utility
Rank: Rare
Level: 1/50
Description: Creates a personal dimensional pocket for storage. Only inanimate and organic non-conscious objects can be stored. Time inside is frozen. Stored objects can be retrieved by thought. Objects can be stored and retrieved instantly.
Scaling:
Psyche → Increases weight limit.
INT → Expands storage size
Max space: 5 m3 + (0.05 × INT) m3
Max weight: 80 kg + (2 × PSY) kg
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Required LP: 1900
【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Huh…” He was surprised as the skill eventually showed up.
But he carefully analyzed its contents.
Huh… It changed the item slots to a dimensional pocket. But everything else is the same. Why…
He racked his brain over it.
Was it because the skill was too game-like and didn’t follow the world’s rules?
After a while-
So, that's why it changed it to a dimensional pocket, which is a natural phenomenon.
He let out a big sigh.
It is the best possible theory I can come up with right now. But I need to test it more later. But if it really is the case, it changes a lot of things.
He let out a sigh.
I better focus on this skill now. The max space and weight should mean that I can store anything, as much as I want; as long as it is within this limit. But the LP requirement is too high.
He edited the values several times until it finally showed this-
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Skill: Inventory]
Category: Active
Type: Utility
Rank: Rare
Level: 1/50
Description: Creates a personal dimensional pocket for storage. Only inanimate and organic non-conscious objects can be stored. Time inside is frozen. Stored objects can be sensed and retrieved by thought. Objects can be stored and retrieved instantly.
Scaling:
Psyche → Increases weight limit.
INT → Expands storage size
Max space: 2 m3 + (0.01 × INT) m3
Max weight: 20 kg + (1 × PSY) kg
Cost: None
Cooldown: None
Required LP: 500
【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Tch…”
He grimaced.
That reduced the values a lot. But this is all I can manage right now. I need to save some for other skills. Well, these effects are enough for now. I can always edit it anyway.
He created the skill without any delay. A notification popped up.
—————————————————————————
[Skill Successfully Created]
‘Inventory’ – Acquired.
Total LP: 407
—————————————————————————
He immediately opened the ‘Inventory’ skill window to check.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Skill: Inventory]
Category: Active
Type: Utility
Rank: Rare
Level: 1/50
Description: Creates a personal dimensional pocket for storage. Only inanimate and organic non-conscious objects can be stored. Time inside is frozen. Stored objects can be sensed and retrieved by thought. Objects can be stored and retrieved instantly.
Scaling:
Psyche → Increases weight limit.
INT → Expands storage size
Max space: 2 m3 + (0.01 × 13) m3 = 2.13 m3
Max weight: 20 kg + (1 × 21) kg = 41 kg
Cost: None
Cooldown: None. Proficiency: 0%
—------—------------------------------------------------------
“Okay… Let’s try this,” he muttered.
He held both of the daggers.
Then, focused his thoughts on the dagger on the right hand and whispered, “Store.”
The dagger vanished in thin air in a blink of an eye.
Jimin was exhilarated. “Damn…”
He then closed his eyes and thought about the dagger.
After a few seconds, he suddenly found himself in a silent, all black space of nothing. It was pitch black.
But the dagger was right in front of him; hovering still in the air… or space, glowing faintly.
He moved his arm, but his hand suddenly struck against something. But there was nothing.
After examining for a while, he felt that the space was the size of a small storage room. But it was formless.
He found it eerie yet fascinating .
But he didn’t want to stay there any longer.
He opened his eyes.
Then, he thought about the dagger and whispered, “Retrieve.”
The dagger almost instantly appeared in his right hand out of nowhere.
But then something suddenly clicked in his mind.
He thought, How did I know I had to use it like this? It almost felt like a natural thing to do. Is it the system? Damn. I didn’t even notice it before. Well, others were simpler to activate.
He then started testing the skill again.
This time he stored and retrieved both the daggers at the same time.
At one point, it felt like his inner child took over.
He started to conjure the daggers out of nowhere and grabbed them as they spun mid-air. It actually was flashy to be honest
“Well… Enough of that.”
He returned to his training again. But he completed only one circuit and stopped after that.
As it was time. He put the daggers in inventory and exited the factory. After that he followed his usual routine and left for his classes. On his way to his class, he grinned as he thought, Tonight, a lot of tests are waiting.
—-----
But unbeknownst to Jimin, around this moment at the Korea National Rifter Association headquarters-
A news channel was being broadcasted on a large TV. A news anchor recited the same news as yesterday. “According to the National Rift Association’s preliminary investigation, the gate appeared inside an abandoned underground…”
The screen turned black as it was turned off.
It was a sophisticated meeting room with a long table at the center of it.
At the table, two figures were sitting on each side; one extra seat was empty on one side.
Among them one was a woman and the rest were men.
All of them looked like they were in their 40s.
Except the woman. She looked like she wasn’t; but she actually was.
In the middle; which looked like the main seat, sat an old man in his late 50s.
He had white hair and white beard. And he was wearing a sophisticated black three-piece suit and an eyepatch on his left eye.
He said in an authoritarian tone, “Enough with the cover-up… What do you think about this incident?”
—-----------------------------------------------------
Tae Won-shik, The White Wolf
President, Korea National Rifter Association
Rank: S-3
—-----------------------------------------------------
