Alex stared at the floating interface before him, the golden glow illuminating his face with an almost divine presence. The words on the screen were clear:
[Hidden Mission Completed]
Reward: Choose one of the available skills.
Requirement: Meet 10 People (Completed)
He blinked.
Then he blinked again.
Then, like a protagonist in a budget isekai who just realized they had stats worse than a slime, he thought, 'Wait, when did I meet ten people?'
Despite his social ineptitude, the system had deemed his 'meet 10 people' quest complete. Now, he had to make a choice.
A list of five skills materialized before him:
Observer's Insight – Detect hidden motives, alliances, and political undercurrents.
Memory Reclamation – Receive fragments of knowledge useful to his current situation.
Foresight Calibration – Predict short-term outcomes based on logic and observed behavior.
Resource Assimilation – Passively learn skills and knowledge by watching others.
Mental Construct – Simulate strategies, negotiations, and theories within a private mindscape.
Alex processed the options carefully, trying to understand their potential.
'Alright, let's think about this rationally. Which one will make me the most overpowered?'
'Observer's Insight – This was tempting. Political manipulation, backroom dealings, betrayal detection. This was the kind of ability that let anime protagonists read a villain's mind while dramatically pushing up their glasses. But did Alex really want to spend his life analyzing every smirk and side-eye in a conversation? Pass.'
'Memory Reclamation – The mystery box choice. Would he get crucial knowledge in a life-or-death moment? Or just a random recipe for lasagna when fighting a dragon? The risk was too high. Pass'
Alex paused, his thoughts circling around the last three choices.
'These three are serious contenders. Foresight Calibration sounds insane if used properly. If I can predict outcomes just a few moments ahead, I could avoid danger, react faster, and stay ahead of the game. But… what if it's just glorified guesswork? If I can't fully control it, then it might be more trouble than it's worth.'
He shifted his thoughts to the next option.
'Resource Assimilation is like those 'see-and-learn' anime abilities. If I watch long enough, I can master anything? That's straight-up broken. But it's an active skill, meaning I have to choose when to activate it. I won't just passively absorb knowledge—I'll need to focus. That's a tradeoff, but I can work with it.'
Finally, his thoughts drifted to the last choice.
'Mental Construct… this is tempting. I could train in my head if I had my own mental simulation space. I wouldn't even need actual experience to test things out. But that also means I'd be limited by my own knowledge. If I don't have enough information, my simulations could be flawed. Still, it's like having a personal training dojo at all times.'
Alex mentally crossed his arms and let out a deep breath.
'Alright, it's between Foresight Calibration, Resource Assimilation, and Mental Construct. I need a way to decide. But how does a baby even make a decision?'
His baby instincts took over as his tiny hands fidgeted. He looked down at his fingers. Two curled up into a fist, and one wiggled on its own.
'Wait… this is basically rock-paper-scissors, isn't it?'
He balled up his left hand. 'Foresight Calibration.'
He stretched two fingers on his right. 'Resource Assimilation.'
A tiny twitch in his pinky. 'Mental Construct.'
He stared at his hands, then at the glowing interface.
'Alright, system. Whatever I do next naturally, that's my choice.'
As if guided by fate, his fingers suddenly twitched… and his right hand, fingers slightly splayed, landed directly in front of his face.
[Reward Granted]: Resource Assimilation
A notification appeared before him, prompting his final selection.
[System Notification]: New skill detected in Skills.
[System Advice]: Please access the Skills to explore its functionality and activation requirements.
As Alex processed this, another notification appeared.
[New Mission Unlocked]: Mastery in Resource Assimilation
Mission Objective: Successfully use Resource Assimilation in a real-world scenario and demonstrate proficiency.
Reward: Gain access to one of the remaining available skills.
Alex blinked at the screen.
'Oh, so it's a skill grind, huh? Classic system nonsense. Give me something overpowered, but make me work for it.'
Still, this was good. If he could actually master Resource Assimilation, he wouldn't be locked out of the other skills forever. It was just a matter of proving himself.
'Challenge accepted.'
Just as he was about to mentally celebrate, the system chimed in again.
[New Segment Unlocked: Goal Selection]
The glowing interface flickered as a new screen appeared, filled with countless options ranging from absurdly mundane to downright cosmic.
Alex's brain short-circuited as he read through the list:
Become the best pot maker in the kingdom.
Find true love and raise a family.
Provide care for one's mother.
.
Become the most famous bard through questionable means.
.
Establish a cult worshipping breakfast foods.
.
Invent the concept of taxation just to watch the world burn.
.
Challenge reality to a duel and win.
.
Become an immortal entity out of sheer stubbornness.
.
Achieve absolute balance in all things, including humor.
.
Dominate the known universe.
Destroy existence itself.
Create a different branch of magic.
The sheer range of choices was staggering.
'Wait, what kind of sick joke is this?! How do "caring for my mom" and "erasing the universe" belong on the same list?!'
[System Advice]: "Please categorize and filter choices based on your ultimate aspiration."
As if responding to his internal complaint, the options reshuffled themselves, grouping into broader goal categories:
Power – Achieve ultimate strength, dominance, or destruction.
Knowledge – Seek truth, enlightenment, or the creation of something new.
Soul – Achieve transcendence as an individual and gain enlightenment for higher planes.
Body – Focus on physical mastery, resilience, or personal health.
Alex felt a moment of realization settle in. This wasn't just some random list; it was a structured pathway that would ultimately shape his entire existence.
'Well… no pressure or anything.'
The system remained passive, allowing him time to process. The choices weren't immediate, but eventually, he would need to narrow them down.
With the Mastery Mission hanging over his head and this Goal Selection now added to the mix, Alex understood one thing for sure—
His journey had only just begun.