Hungry. [Lalelilo69]

Hi, TheDespaxas here!
Let's welcome our new guest author Lalelilo69 who will give us his own take on my little story, I used my owners powers to read ahead and I like it. As usual for other branches, while the setting remains the same there will be variations in stats, game mechanics and events, so if something is different it is a feature and not a bug.
Enjoy your reading.

John looked over his Gamer’s Body skill again. He mused in his head whether he even needed to eat. His breakfast added buffs, yes, but it wasn’t clear if food was even a basic need anymore. He decided that he would risk skipping lunch today and walked out the door, casting observe on everything he passed, hoping to level it up.

His walk to school revealed that he could see the name and level of everyone he passed by. This proved to be a bit unsettling, as some of the students his age were levelled in the tens and an elderly couple was level 2 and 5. He marveled at the mystery this brought. How were levels gained? How difficult would it be to surpass his classmates? He was shaken from his introspection by a soft ding sound and a pop-up.

Achievement unlocked! Deep Thinker: you spent half an hour speculating about the mysteries of the universe, a future Aristotle?

+ 2 Wisdom

+ 2 Intelligence

+ 50 Exp.

He was surprised. Achievements? He smiled. This game of life would be fun, he was sure. If future achievements are this easy to get, I’ll be well on my way to level 10 in no time at all. He thought as he walked through Ashcroft Academy’s iron gates, casting observe on them.

Level 50 Iron Gates of Containment

These mighty gates restrain the unruly masses of hormonal students at Ashcroft Academy, and protect them from any supernatural attacks of a lower level.

John eyebrows raised in surprise. Magic gates? Why not?

He shrugged it off and continued casting observe on his new world. Casting observe on a bush granted him yet another shock.

Level 3 Twig Blight

A weed that grows only on Ashcroft Academy grounds.

John sighed. I’m not sure what I expected from that.

A soft ding heralded the next pop-up info box.

Achievement unlocked! Not impressed: your powers disappointed you for the first time. It won’t be the last time, buddy.

+10 Exp.

John had to chuckle slightly at the sass that the system was giving him. He continued his observing until his mana bar was empty and the gates to Ashcroft opened for the day. He was always a little early just in case something held him up on the way to school.

John sat at a table in the corner of Ashcroft’s lavish courtyard. He proceeded to ponder about his newly formed powers until the bell rang to signal the beginning of morning classes, hoping to get another achievement. What he received was possibly even better. Another pop-up dinged into existence.

New skill: Meditation level 1

Meditation level 1: stay motionless with your eyes closed and empty your mind. Nothing else can be done while meditating.

Gain:

Hp regen x2

Mp regen x3

Increased chance to discover new magic skill

Another smile pulled at John’s face as he walked to his first class, Geometry with Mrs. Flynn. Now we’re talking: a surefire way to gain skills. John knew that Geometry would be a breeze, he was top in his class when it came to math. He concluded that he would use his first class to meditate and hopefully gain another improvable skill.

He took his seat in the back corner of the classroom and immediately triggered the new skill. His mind empty, time flew and class felt like it had passed in mere minutes despite being two hours long.

As soon as he emptied his mind, his meditation skill triggered a swirl of images. Some were memories, others were fantasies, but what they all had in common was a fixation on what John could only describe as his fascination for the elements. The flickering flame of his first birthday candles, the roaring rapids of his first trip to a river, the rockslide that almost killed him in the fifth grade, and the gale winds that uprooted the tree in his backyard last year when a hurricane came through. Each of these memories was followed by a fantasy of him controlling those same elements with mastery: John in a raging inferno, unharmed as he held out his arms and more flames danced on his palms. John meditating in a cave behind a waterfall, except the water was falling upwards and downwards in time with his breathing. John tunneling deep into a mountain but without tools, the earth just melting away a foot in front of his outstretched hand as an enormous cavern was formed. And finally, John lazily walking down the street in the fall, twirling his hands casually as small tornadoes of amber leaves formed and died in a spectacular showcase of his power.

The images disturbed and pleased John. Were they his future? Or were they just possible futures? What will be the true limit of my power?

The bell yet again disrupted his meditation, and his eyes opened to a few pop-ups. He navigated them as discreetly as possible while on the way to his next class, not wanting to attract unwanted attention.