Single Stat System

"What is that thing?!"

Somewhere in a certain city, a bunch of people was all making a fuss seeing that something was falling from the sky. It shone so brightly that despite the clear sky, it didn't hinder its brightness to go unnoticed.

Was this some kind of event? Was this some sort of monster? A Hidden Boss perhaps? People all around had all made a guess trying to appease their curiosity. Some who were even more knowledgeable or perhaps, a self-proclaimed genius even declared confidently that it was an attack of a high-level player.

A more curious people even gathered together and planned to follow and find that falling thing burning with fire. They were all thinking that by finding the place to wherever would it land, they were all would make a fortune and their life would probably be changed.

"Hmph. A bunch of idiots."

However, despite all the commotions, a certain person clad in a shabby and ragged light brown cloak who was sitting beside the street and was eating some kind of fruit that resembling an apple, still remained unfazed. Even if taking a closer look, one would still think that he was definitely a beggar.

But who could say for sure that he really was a beggar and not a disguise?

The man took off the hood covering his messy brown hair and ate the remaining half fruit in one go. A man in his mid-twenties was revealed, not too handsome, not too ugly. Just like any other average person.

Licking his hand before brushing it to his hair trying to tidy it up, a grin formed on his lips while gazing at the falling thing unknown to the most. But despite all its mysteries, the man stood up from the stone pavement as he muttered in excitement, "So he finally chose a Vessel huh. Might as well find this Vessel and serve him as a master hehe."

After which, he vanished to where he was standing without anyone noticing him. As if he wasn't in there in the first place.

***

In the same city, a grand mansion towered all the other buildings outside its perimeter. Only a few gardeners could be found in its front yard. Tranquility enveloped the whole surroundings making anyone be contented and enjoy the presence of life.

Not until, a certain someone screamed with a noticeable fear in her voice saying, "The young lady has escaped!"

Her voice echoed across the entire mansion making everyone who heard it fall into panic.

"What did you say!?" The very instant he heard the scream, a man in his early thirties dressed in a fine black suit rushed and barged into a certain room where the voice came from. Just the moment he entered, he saw the maid hopelessly sitting on the floor, afraid that she would immediately put to death by not taking her job properly.

The man shifted his gaze to the widely opened window as he immediately noticed the faint aura of Wind Energy. He didn't need to think hard just to know what had happened. Their young lady had escaped with her Wind Spirit, how could he still remain nonchalant regarding this?!

That being said, the man ordered the ones behind him saying, "Hurry up and find the young lady!"

"Yes sir!" Without further ado, the other two men dressed in black suits immediately left the room in search of their young lady. Just after a few moments, several men in black rushed out from the mansion and went in all directions.

Meanwhile, the man who ordered those people to go and find the young lady turned his cold gaze to the frightened maid as he asked, "What happened here? I thought you're guarding her?"

"I..." The maid felt a chilling sensation on her back as she trembled violently in fear.

"Hurry up and answer if you still want your life to be spared." Seeing the maid trembling in fear and couldn't even speak properly, the man impatiently beckoned with his eyes flashing with a cold glint.

"Yes sir!" The maid answered frantically as she tried her best to calm herself down and explained, "A while ago, the young lady was still obediently sitting beside the window while watching everything on sight. But when she saw 'that thing' falling from the sky, her attitude immediately changed as if she was in a great unease if not excitement. She then kept insisting to play with me hide and seek.

"But of course, I knew that young lady was up to no good so I kept refusing her request. But who would have thought that she would put me under some kind of spell and restrict my movements leaving me incapable of retaliation or even opening my mouth to speak.

"After she bound me with that spell, she apologized at first since she said that it was something that she must find. And then after that, she immediately rushed through the window and used her summoned Spirit in her escape."

The maid finished her explanations with her sweats already drenching her clothes and with her face that became even paler. She really was hoping that this sir in front of her wouldn't vent all his anger towards her.

"That brat..." Gritting his teeth upon hearing the maid before him, the man didn't ask anymore as he turned around and left the room right away.

"Uhm sir," Seeing the other party leaving the room hurriedly, the maid called out in worry.

Knowing the concern of the other party, the man didn't bother to turn around as he said, "Don't worry, it's not your fault."

"Thank you, sir!" The maid who rushed through the doorway, immediately bowed her head down on the floor as she said. She really was grateful that she managed to survive another day from this predicament of her.

"Just what the hell is 'that thing' to make young lady became so agitated like this?!" The man thought indignantly as he walked hurriedly across the corridor.

***

Somewhere in the city's downtown, all sorts of people bustled all over. Different kinds of items and goods lied down on the ground. Be it all sorts of weapons or magic crystals, or all kinds of potions or herbs, as long as it was convenient for the 'Players' who hunt monsters in the nearby woods, it would be available in these shops.

However, despite all the busy commotion of talking if not fighting about the price that was running all over, a certain shop didn't have any customer at all and people would just go past immediately just by sparing a glance at it. Not just that, everyone appeared that they had the same words they were spouting as they walked past through this shop and that was, "What the heck is with this price?!"

A shoulder-length white-haired old man clad in tattered clothes was sitting cross-legged on that shop. In front of him was a single book with a price tag beside it. The price was written so hugely in a board larger than the book saying, "2,000 Gold, leave it or take it."

The price of the most common items in all the other shops in this downtown was ranging from 10 copper coins to 1,000 silver coins. 100 copper coins were equivalent to 1 silver coin while 100 silver coins were equivalent to 1 gold coin.

But the item that the old man was selling, was so expensive that people almost choked to death with just a glance. It was 2,000 gold coins they were talking about here. If they converted it into a silver coin, it would cost 200,000. Going to the copper coin, it would cost 20,000,000. Where the heck would they get such a large sum?!

The book also seemed so ordinary and somewhat old and tattered. No engravings, runes, or any kind of words written on its plain pale black cover.

No mana or any kind of energy was leaking out from the book as well. It really looked so ordinary and there was nothing special that could be found in this book.

Except for its freaking price!

Many self-proclaimed high-level Players already talked out the price with the old man to lower it in a copper coin value, but as if they all were talking to a wind, even if they threaten the old man, no response could be found.

They all could only leave with their gritting teeth as they all prepared an ambush for this old man when he finally left the city.

They all really thought that no one would buy this book but in all of a sudden, a beautiful lady in her late teens approached the shop of this old man and without any useless bargains, she threw out a bag of coins right away.

Coins clinking with each other echoed across the nearby shops as people around who were making a fool of the old man found each other gaped in shock. Simultaneously, they could only mutter in disbelief, "Is this for real?!"

The old man took the bag of coins as he stared in indifference at the lady in front of him. Beyond her heaven-defying beauty, was a cold personality that kept people away from her. Her somewhat grey hair flowed down on her back and her deep black eyes stared at him in nonchalance.

The old man took a look at the coins inside the bag as he nodded in satisfaction. He then shifted back his gaze to the lady in front of him as he asked, "What are you going to do in this book?"

There was a moment of pause before the lady smiled lightly as she replied, "A present gift for the arrival of the king."

"Oh?" The old man was a little surprised by her answer. He raised his index and middle finger and the book floated towards the lady before him as he said with a smile, "Then it's yours now."

Without bothering herself on having a useless chatter, the young lady turned around and left the shop the moment she got the book.