The classroom buzzed with excitement as students returned from their summer break, their chatter filling the air with a mix of anticipation and dread. Ms. Soi, their teacher, stood at the front, holding a box filled with sleek, metallic bands that glowed faintly in the morning light.
"Welcome back, everyone!" Ms. Soi's voice cut through the noise, instantly commanding attention. "Today, we're introducing the DSS mana bands. Every human and Beast Humanoid has one. If you don't, well, you're considered a demon since it only responds to beings with consciousness."
Raegan, sitting at the back, raised an eyebrow. 'Great, another way to tell if someone's a demon. As if the glowing red eyes weren't enough of a giveaway,' he thought, suppressing a smirk.
Ms. Soi continued, "These bands allow you to access the Divine System Store, created by the gods themselves, to buy skills and various items using jewels or mana cores."
She began handing out the bands, each one adjusting to the student's unique energy with a soft glow. When Raegan received his, it flickered between colors before settling on a deep blue. 'Combat band, huh? Guess the gods know I'm not here to play around,' he mused.
"There are four types of DSS bands," Ms. Soi explained, holding up a band for emphasis. "White, Blue, Red, and Black. The White DSS band is the most common, offering average skills and information. The Blue band is for combat, providing skills for weaponry and martial arts. The Red band is for mages, giving skills for elemental mana usage. The Black band is rare, offering a combination of common, combat, and mage skills. The DSS bands evolve based on your affinities, starting from White and moving to the category you fit into. Today, we'll learn about the common mana skill, fireball."
Raegan raised his hand, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Can we buy bug fixes for incompatible skills?"
Ms. Soi paused, clearly taken aback. "What an odd question… but yes, the Divine System Store (DSS) does offer compatibility patches."
Raegan muttered under his breath, "Finally, someone's addressing the werewolf in the room."
As Ms. Soi continued her explanation, a notification popped up on Raegan's band: [Skill Shop Notice: Basic Fireball - 10 Spirit Credits] [Warning: Your account has insufficient funds]
'You mean I have to pay to shoot fireballs now? Back in my day, we just had to dance with gods for a few decades,' Raegan thought, rolling his eyes.
Looking around, Raegan noticed a few students had bands that had Blue and some even Red, indicating a mix of combat and mage affinities. 'Interesting,' he thought. 'Looks like some of us are multi-talented.'
His gaze fell on Luna, whose band flickered from Blue to White. 'That's odd,' he mused. 'Why would it switch to White? Is she hiding her true potential, or is there something else going on?'
A classmate leaned over, peering at Raegan's band. "Hey, Raegan, what color did you get?"
"Blue. Looks like I'm destined to be a warrior," Raegan replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Cool! I got White. Guess I'm just average," the classmate said, a hint of disappointment in their voice.
Raegan clapped them on the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's not about the band you start with, but how you use it. Besides, I've got a feeling this year's going to be anything but average."
Ms. Soi's voice rose above the murmurs. "Remember, these bands are not just tools; they are a reflection of your potential. Use them wisely, for they will shape your future."
Raegan glanced around the room, noting the mix of excitement and apprehension on his classmates' faces. 'Shape our future, huh? Well, let's see what this new world has in store for a reincarnated werewolf with a combat band.'
As the lesson continued, Raegan couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. This was just the beginning, and he was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
At age six, Raegan found himself navigating the infopedia, a vast digital library filled with knowledge about the new world. His fingers danced over the holographic interface as he searched for something familiar.
"Show me the location of Rudra Vyuh," he commanded, his voice steady despite his young age.
The infopedia responded with a series of beeps and whirs. "Searching for location… Searching… Unable to find location for Sacred dungeon Rudra Vyuh. Location sealed. One possible guide found: Seeker Demon King VIN. Would you like me to search for other dungeons nearby?"
Raegan frowned. 'Seeker Demon King VIN? Sounds like a fun guy to have a chat with,' he thought sarcastically. "Yes, show me routes with details on preparations."
The infopedia's display shifted, presenting a list of nearby dungeons along with their entry requirements. Discovering the new world's dungeons was both familiar and bizarre:
Dungeon Entry Requirements:
Level 10 minimum
Parental Consent Form
[Dungeon Insurance Policy]
Raegan couldn't help but chuckle. 'Insurance for dungeon diving? Where was this in my last life when I was fighting those Yetis?' he mused. The thought of filling out paperwork before battling mythical creatures seemed absurd.
As he continued to explore the infopedia, Raegan's curiosity grew. He walked past a beastman negotiating their overtime pay with a dungeon manager, the scene so mundane yet so surreal. 'This world is definitely different,' he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
The infopedia chimed again, bringing up a detailed map of the nearest dungeon. "Dungeon: Crystal Caverns. Level: E. Recommended Preparations: Mana potions, basic weaponry, light source."
Raegan's eyes lit up. 'Crystal Caverns, huh? Sounds like a fun place.
AGE 7:
Raegan was already grappling with the complexities of his new life. One morning, as he sat at the kitchen table, he decided to confront a persistent issue that had been bothering him.
"Mom, why does my status window keep showing error messages when I try to access my werewolf powers?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and frustration.
His mother, Mrs. Chen, nearly dropped her coffee. "You're what now?"
Raegan's status window flickered, displaying a series of notifications: [System Notice:Attempting to convert ancient spiritual power to modern format… Please wait…] [Loading…] [Still Loading…] [Unknown energy detected, Incompatible with mana]
The family AI, a sleek device mounted on the wall, chimed in with its usual clinical tone. "Ms. Chen, according to my scans, your son appears to be running an outdated version of mana energy. Shall I schedule an appointment with a divine support specialist?"
Mrs. Chen looked bewildered. "Outdated version of mana energy? What does that even mean?"
Raegan sighed, his young face showing the weariness of someone far older. 'Great,' he thought, "I've gone from legendary werewolf warrior to someone who needs their chakra software updated. I bet Sasht never had to deal with compatibility issues."
As he pondered his predicament, the infopedia's news feed caught his eye. The headlines were as bizarre as they were fascinating: [Today's News: Bear Beast Wins Nobel Prize in Physics, Claims Opposable Thumbs Were Key to Success] [Local News: Philosopher Cats Declares Existence of Laser Dots Finally Proven]
Raegan shook his head in disbelief. "I spent lifetimes as a werewolf being the only conscious beast, and now I'm intellectually outclassed by a house cat solving quantum equations. Perfect."
Mrs. Chen, still trying to process the situation, sat down across from him. "Raegan, honey, are you sure you're okay? This… werewolf thing… It's not just a phase, right?"
Raegan gave her a reassuring smile. "Mom, I'm five years old, I don't think I can answer that." As always, Chen decided to ignore her unusually weird son's system errors.