The Arcade Series

It's not been long since the number of customers started dropping, but I can already feel the apprehension of anybody that walked inside my little arcade growing by the day. Something was happening. There is not a chance that this might be something normal at this point.

I looked around the empty arcade and sighed to myself as I felt an apprehension begin to seep into me from the atmosphere in these last few days. Yesterday and even a week before that, there were still anywhere from one to half a dozen people coming here during the day but today and yesterday there was nothing. Nobody was coming anymore and I was starting to freak out a bit. I just wish that somebody-

The door swung open and the sound of the doorbells pulled me out of my thoughts as I turned to the new customer with a smile on my face.

As I saw who was at the door and now is approaching the counter, I grinned a little wider as I recognized the boy. “Terance, it's been a while! You look like you healed up well.” I said sitting up in my chair and looking happily at the boy who was my first customer and gesturing at his now unbandaged leg vaguely as he made his way over to me with a similar smile, though he seemed more stressed then the last time we had met.

“Hey old man.” The boy replied cheekily, but his grin seemed to become more forced as he said it. “Is everything all right kid?” I frowned and looked at the kid in concern. Every instinct I could feel was shouting at me that this kid was not alright, and that I needed to do something about it.

“Well, the thing is all us adventurers need to train harder to get ready, if we are not ready for the initial attack and can't hold out until one of the lords get here… well, you know.” Terance replies hesitantly as he leans off the counter, clearly tired out.

His reply sent me reeling. I nodded and let my face show some concern for the boy, but my mind started clicking things into place and I don't like the picture. ‘Initial attack’ There was something coming and they were going to attack the town. ‘Adventurers need to train harder’ I assume adventurers are like a fighting force or mercenary organization like in fiction, but the fact that they all need to train harder… Well that tells me that they think the threat will be bad. ‘Hold out until one of the lords gets here…’ that is the most concerning statement of all. From the context, lords are clearly some sort of elite group, but for the town to have to wait until one such individual gets here and they are concerned about their chances…

This is not good. Looks like I might have to go back to battle after all.

“Right.” I start, straightening farther and looking into the boy's eyes. “I don't know anything about what is happening.” I tell him and I can see that he looks confused, but lets me continue. “Could you tell me what is going on?” I ask him, face set and ready.

“How have you not…” Terance mutters, before sighing and he starts to explain what is going on and… Well, I was right. This town is screwed. No wonder people stopped showing up, they probably ran while they could.

To paraphrase Terance’s explanation, there is a group of necromancers, well he calls them liches, but is there really much of a difference, anyway there is a group of ancient necromancers who apparently got it in there minds that they needed to destroy the kingdom and its there ‘divine purpose’ and it was ordered by the god of death, Necrosamic.

Also, when he said ancient, he meant a few thousand years old so they are obviously VERY powerful. If they are not, then they are just stupid. But regardless, they have been marching through the kingdom for a month or so and have already destroyed smaller towns on the way to the capital and our town just so happened to be in that path.

In two weeks, they will get here.

When Terance finally finished giving his explanation, I sighed in regret. “I swear, it's like I am cursed… First the third world war, then the thing with hell, now this.” I muttered to myself, just low enough in tone that I was sure Terance couldn't make out what I said, but regardless of the past, I needed to prepare and do my part.

I couldn't do anything here and now however, so it's time to serve a customer. “Right.” I tell Terance, loosening up a bit and leaning back in my chair, “What can I get you?” I asked, customer service mode engaged now my questions had been answered.

Terance sent me a questioning look, but he gave a start as he seemed to remember what he came here for and he smiled at me “Right, I just wanted some pizza and coffee like when I came here before.” he said more calmly now then before and some tension leaving his shoulders. “Sure thing. What size do you want for your coffee?” I tell the boy and we quickly go through the ordering process. He ordered a few slices of pizza this time and he got a medium coffee and quickly paid before sitting down to enjoy his meal.

“Remember the coffee is hot, kid!” I said, laughing a little to myself and Terance seemed a little sheepish at my remark, but he smiled all the same at the memory. “Sure thing grandpa.” He said jokingly and he started to eat slowly and I relaxed into my chair behind the counter to think.

I might have had several years worth of fighting experience back on earth, and even more when I was stuck in the underworld and had to fight as a spirit, but this is a new world… How much will my experience pay off in this place and how can I improve it are the top questions of the day.

For the first question, that is something that I will have to find out for myself in battle. I just need some way to test the waters a little in that area, but that shouldn't be hard when this town is supposed to be surrounded by a forest full of monsters.

As for the other… Well, I can come up with something. Mana seems like it is a potent weapon and resource, possibly the mind scape too, but I think the main thing right now will be fighting with the dungeon core. Just the ability to split my mind into multiple streams of thought will be invaluable in a fight. I could be using one to stab a zombie with a spear with one mind while creating a huge fireball with another and making spears shoot from the ground with the third! Realy, it would be invaluable. But the ability to shape the earth and control more mana will also be potent with practice.

But that is part of the issue. Practice. I needed some way to experiment with the more explosive and dangerous things I haven't tried yet in fear of blowing up my shop or something.

Now that I think about it, Terance might actually be the answer to that. Afterall, the adventurers must be training somehow. Maybe they have a dungeon I can delve into. Fight some monsters, make up new things to do with mana. Should be fun!

Just as I conclude my thoughts on the matter, I hear the scrape of a chair and I look up at Terance as he gets up with his paper plate and empty cup and puts it into a bin. Once he puts the trash into the bin, he walks up to me. “Do you think you can teach me to play some new arcade games?” He asks me hesitantly, but his hesitancy goes away as I smile in anticipation. It's been a while since I could see some good video game action. The children that were here before just didn't compare to Terance or that woman that came in I believe just a day or so after Terance.

“Yes.” I say quickly and I start making my way out from behind the counter, only to pause for a second. “Just a quick question first, before we get started.” I said to the boy, making him pause and look at me curiously. “How do you train?” I asked him, to discreetly find out if there is a dungeon or monsters to fight nearby. Asking directly would definitely be a bit weird.

“Oh, well adventurers mostly just try to delve a few floors into the dungeon in the middle of the city with parties to get some experience and skill levels, but I don't have a party so I just go in alone…” he responds, saying the last bit quietly as if ashamed. “You know, being a lone wolf is not always a bad thing.” I say to the kid quietly and reassuringly, “But maybe you could just talk to someone and try out the party, what do you think?”

Terance pauses and vaguely nods to himself as he turns away and continues walking to the arcade. ‘That's probably the best I can get.’ I think to myself, thinking about Terances little problem. ‘But a dungeon!’ I think to myself as I think back on what he said. A dungeon is actually probably the best thing to use to train, at least if the danger is dispersed enough and not made to kill… let's hope it does not come to that.

But besides my new battle training method being found, there is now something else to think about from what he said. ‘Experience and skill levels eh?’ I think to myself as I wonder if I am over thinking his words. ‘I'm probably just overthinking.’ I conclude to myself. ‘There is no way this world has a system.’

“This world has a system!” I exclaim as I read my system's message.

It has been hours since Terance came to play in the arcade and I learned about the threat coming to my new town, and just half an hour after closing time and just barely at sunset in the town. So, it is time to figure out where this dungeon is and how to get inside to kill some things. But the second I left my store with my dungeon core, I heard a Pop! and a system screen appeared, delivering a message that made me burst out laughing.

“Contact with native universal leveling system #273 has been initialized. Do you wish to expand the Arcade Systems capabilities to include the abilities of leveling system #273?” The system screen read to me, letting me know of the situation.

“So, this world has a ‘native universal leveling system’… and I can expand the Arcade Systems abilities to include whatever that system does? Huh.” I said, summarizing the message quickly with amusement. “Can you give me an outline for what the expansion would do?” I ask the system quickly, looking for more information.

The screen changed quickly, responding to my question. “The effect of expanding the Arcade Systems capabilities will have several effects. Firstly, you will join the universal system database and will be subjectable to system reliant abilities such as identity. Secondly, you will be able to expand your physical, mental and magical abilities through practice and gaining experience and levels that can be obtained by using abilities, skills and by letting the system collect the residual Spirit Energy that will be converted into experience by the servers of native universal leveling system #273. As a side effect of this, while you are not within the universal boundaries you will not be able to progress or use the effects of the expanded system.” The system explained, leaving me to read it over.

“That identify thing might become a problem… but if it is what it sounds like, it will be worth it if I play my cards right.” I conclude my thoughts and then repeat my answer to the system. “I accept the expansion.” I say to the screen and I feel a rush of… something go through me, scanning me. ‘That would be the system.’ I think to myself as I shiver in discomfort, but it didn't last long and soon it was over and the system now gave me another message.

“To see your native universal leveling system #273 expanded system screen, say or think status.” The system tells me, leaving me excited at what it could look like. Is it like a stereotypical isekai leveling system, or will it be more of a DnD style with classes and subclasses and all that? “Status!” I say to the air and watch as a system screen fills my vision, looking completely different from any screen I had seen before.

Native Universal Leveling System #273 Status

Level: 1

EXP: 0/10

Native Universal Leveling System #273 Skills: None

Class: None

Secondary class: Locked until level 10

Tertiary class: locked until level 50

Stats

Dexterity: 10

Strength: 15

Constitution: 25

Intelligence: 20

Willpower: 25

Mana: 34

Free Stat Points: 0

“Oh, this is going to work out nicely!” I exclaim after reading the system screen with understanding. It looks like it is going to really help with training at the very least.

“But anyway, let's go find that dungeon.” I decide and close the system screen with a thought before setting off into the darkening streets happily searching for something to kill.