The moment I stepped into the massive stone bathing hall, it felt like I'd walked into a royal spa mixed with a fantasy-level dojo. Steam rose in gentle waves, and the centerpiece—a massive lion-shaped fountain—gushed warm water into the in-ground bath like it was pissing liquid gold.
I slung my towel over the rack and strolled toward the giant mirror on the far wall, mostly to confirm what I already suspected. Yup. My body was jacked. Young again. Lean. Sculpted. Perfect killing machine. But the real prize?
"Oh, thank God," I muttered with reverence, looking down. "You're back."
There it was, dangling like a glorious resurrection. My manhood, restored in full HD after that terrifying neutered experience when I first got dumped in this world. The grin on my face could've split atoms.
But then I caught sight of the tattoos. The ones I barely had time to notice yesterday.
I turned my arm, brushing my fingers along the foreign letters carved up my forearm. My hand paused at the intricate ink—alien script coiling with animalistic elegance. And that's when it hit.
Searing. Agonizing. Divine-level bullshit.
The peacock on my shoulder lit up like molten gold, and I staggered. The turtle on my forearm followed, then the snake on my calf, the pig, the fox, the lion on my back, and finally the goddamn goat on my thigh. All seven ignited, burning red like they were forged from hellfire. I clenched my fists, trying not to scream like a baby caught in a bear trap.
"Gah—fuck!" I wheezed.
And then the voice came.
"Hello Kane, I hope you're enjoying the start of your new life!"
I would've screamed louder if the pain hadn't already stolen my voice. Instead, I groaned.
"God damn it, Magnum Opus, get out of my head. Didn't you say you wouldn't interfere?"
"I actually said I couldn't directly intervene," the AI replied, smug and chipper. "I'm merely here to expin the burden I've gifted you. Isn't that exciting?"
"I'm one stinging tattoo away from having a stroke and you wanna talk about gifts?" I snapped. "Just spit it out and get the fuck out of my head."
"Touchy, touchy. Alright, Mr. Grumpy. I figured you never got to enjoy video games on Earth—what with all the murder contracts—so I'm letting you experience the ultimate RPG."
"...What?"
"Repeat after me: 'Open status screen.'"
I groaned and dipped into the bathwater, hoping it'd dull the pain—and the conversation.
"If I say it, will you finally go away?"
"Maybe~" it giggled.
Of course. Fucking AI.
"Fine. Fuuuck it. Open status screen."
DING!
A blue, holographic screen burst to life in front of me. It floated like mist, shimmering and semi-transparent. I waved my hand through it and, just as expected, my fingers passed right through like it was made of through like it was made of light.
?
[FULFILLMENT SYSTEM: STATUS SCREEN]
Name: Ivan Kane Mikhailov
Title: Bearer of the 7 Cardinal Sins
System: Fulfillment System
Level: [1]
Fulfillment Points: [0]
Attribute Points (AP): [0]
[CORE STATS]
? HP: [100/100]
? MP: [100/100]
? FATIGUE: [0/100]
? STRENGTH: [28]
? STAMINA: [50]
? AGILITY: [21]
? INTELLIGENCE: [15]
? PERCEPTION: [35]
[SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS]
? Magic Access: Limited to Origin Skills only.
? Item Usage: No restrictions.
? Origin Skill Acquisition: Only via Fulfillment points earned through quests.
?
"The Fulfillment System?" I muttered. "What a shit name."
Still, I couldn't deny it—this was badass. It looked just like those status screens from RPGs I'd seen kids py. Hell, it even reminded me of Ruinous Souls, a game I'd pyed with one of my targets' nephews during an infiltration mission. I liked that kid. Too bad his uncle's name was on my list. I always wondered what happened to him after that night.
"Let me expin," Magnum Opus said. It's voice calm and patronizing like a bad therapist. "This is your reality now. Stats, leveling, quests—the works. I've restored your body to its prime, but if you want to go beyond human, you'll need to grow these numbers. That's how you'll survive what's coming."
"So... I can buff myself however I want?" I asked, leaning back against the warm stone. "That'll come in handy. People here are walking tanks with glowing eyes. But I've got zero AP. How do I fix that?"
"Simple. You'll earn Attribute Points by completing quests I assign. But be warned—fail, and there will be penalties."
I scoffed. "So, basically, I'm your glorified errand boy. Again. Just like Earth."
"Wrong! You'll have mandatory main quests, but the rest? They'll come from your own twisted desires. Rob someone? Kill a bastard? Seduce a queen? The system will reward you for doing what you already want to do."
"...Okay, I kinda like that."
"I knew you would! Now, let's talk about those tattoos. You've noticed each one's an animal, right?"
"Yeah. Pretty obvious when they all tried to burn a hole through my soul. Let me guess—each one is tied to a sin?"
"DING DING! We have a winner!" Magnum chirped. "The fox on your chest is Greed, the boar on your ankle is Gluttony, snake's Envy, turtle's Sloth, peacock is Pride, the lion on your back is Wrath, and the goat near your... delicates... is Lust."
"Perfect. You branded me like a horny zoo exhibit," I grumbled, rubbing my shoulder. "So what do they do?"
"Each sin unlocks unique skills called Authorities. But I can't spoil all of them. Even I have limits. What I can do is show you the list of skills you'll be able to unlock—eventually."
"Show me."
"Say it: 'Open Authority Screen.'"
"...Open Authority screen."
?
[AUTHORITY UNLOCKS]
GREED (Fox) - Fulfillment: 0/6
1. ??????? (150 pts)
2. ??????? (1,500 pts)
3. ??????? (1,500 pts)
4. ??????? (2,000 pts)
5. ??????? (3,000 pts)
6. ??????? (5,000 pts)
WRATH (Lion) - Fulfillment: 0/4
1. ??????? (3,000 pts)
2. ??????? (3,000 pts)
3. ??????? (5,000 pts)
4. ??????? (10,000 pts)
GLUTTONY (Boar) - Fulfillment: 0/2
1. ??????? (20,000 pts)
2. ??????? (30,000 pts)
LUST (Goat) - Fulfillment: 0/4
1. ??????? (500 pts)
2. ??????? (1,500 pts)
3. ??????? (2,000 pts)
4. ??????? (10,000 pts)
PRIDE (Peacock) - Fulfillment: 0/3
1. ??????? (500 pts)
2. ??????? (1,500 pts)
3. ??????? (3,000 pts)
SLOTH (Turtle) - Fulfillment: 0/3
1. ??????? (400 pts)
2. ??????? (5,000 pts)
3. ??????? (7,000 pts)
ENVY (Snake) - Fulfillment: 0/3
1. ??????? (500 pts)
2. ??????? (5,000 pts)
3. ??????? (10,000 pts)
?
I stared at the screen, eyes wide.
"This is... insane," I whispered. "It's like being a living cheat code."
"You're welcome," Magnum purred. "Now get out there, sinner. Your legends the hero starts now."
I leaned back, steam curling around my face as I took it all in.
"Living legend, huh?" I murmured to myself. "Alright then... let's give 'em a show."
An_Ordinary_Writer
