"Goodluck,"
As Althea's voice slowly faded, I gradually snapped back to my senses.
I hurriedly opened the System to check what gift I had received.
[You've received: Starter Gift Pack]
[Accept now?]
'Is that even a question? Of course yes! Accept it! Accept now!' I frantically screamed in my mind.
Immediately, a box wrapped in pink paper with a matching ribbon appeared out of thin air.
I rushed to grab it before it could hit the ground.
"Phew, almost let it hit the ground. By the way, why is the box so cute? The paper even had a piggies pattern. Is this Althea's doing? Her taste sure is weird."
Just because the box looked adorable didn't mean I was going to hesitate to open it.
I tore it open like an excited kid unwrapping birthday presents.
The whole process took less than five seconds before the cute box looked completely ruined, as if a wild animal had gotten to it first.
I eagerly peered inside.
"Err… what exactly are these?"
There were three items, well, technically dozens, but most were duplicates. In essence, there were three different kinds of items.
I curiously picked up what looked like a talisman on the left side of the box. There were exactly ten of them.
Unlike a normal talisman with symbols or writing, this one simply had a drawing of an eye without eyelids.
[Inspection Talisman]
[Function: Allows the user to see a target's personal information, such as name, stats, race, and age. It can also reveal weaknesses or hidden conditions and illnesses.]
[Usage: Aim the talisman at your target. It can be used from a distance. Speak your chosen Incantation to activate it.]
[Note:
Using this talisman could potentially alert the target that they are being observed. Success chance decreases against targets of higher rank.]
'So it's a talisman that lets me see the detailed information of whoever I target? This will definitely be useful for my survival! I mean, with this item, I would be able to know if I were to pick a fight with the wrong guy. Just a perfect item for a coward like me, haha!'
[Do you wish to set the Incantation now?]
'Yes,'
[Please choose the Incantation]
I paused, trying to come up with something that sounded powerful, cool, and impressive. My first ideas were:
"God's Gaze!"
"Eye of Abyss!"
"Unsecrecy!"
They sounded cool in my head, but in the end, I settled on something much simpler and easier to speak in a hurry.
"Peek," I said in Avalondria.
Avalondria was the official language of the Avalon Kingdom.
['Peek' has been chosen as the Incantation formula.]
"Ugh, it sounds kind of lame, but at least it's short. In an emergency, that's what matters."
"Now, what about this item?"
I picked up the book that was placed in the middle of the box.
"Whoa. It's actually quite heavy and thick." I was slightly caught off guard by its weight and density.
There was nothing on its leather cover, no titles, no images, no symbols. Nothing. I started to doubt its uniqueness. Just then, a similar window screen appeared right before my eyes.
[Low-Tier Random Skills Book]
[Function: When used, the book grants the user a random skill.]
[Usage: Open the book.]
"So this is a book that gives me a skill? But it's random? Shit. Knowing my luck, there's no way I'm getting anything good. Probably just trash." I couldn't help but voice my thoughts in disappointment.
Other people wouldn't understand, but I had always known I had terrible luck. So the moment I heard it would give a random skill, instead of letting me pick something I liked or preferred, I knew I was doomed from that moment on.
Considering how awful my luck was back on Earth, and that wasn't even counting the ill fortune of the original Aiden, I was almost sure I'd end up with something worthless.
"Even so, it's still better than nothing." I sighed and flipped the book open, already preparing for the worst.
'I pray to you, RNG God!'
Immediately, it displayed a picture of something along with a description underneath. But before I could even read the first sentence, the pages started flipping on their own rapidly as though there was an invisible hand flipping them.
'What's going on?'
I was stunned and didn't know what to do. I wanted to stop the book from flipping but was afraid it might ruin the book and leave me with no skill at all. In the end, I chose to just watch and wait patiently.
Under my expectant gaze, the pages flipped for ten seconds before stopping on a particular page.
It showed an illustration of hands. Underneath was a title:
[Sensual Touch]
[Grants the user the ability to stimulate pleasurable sensations in a target through physical contact. The effect can be controlled in intensity, ranging from mild comfort to overwhelming arousal.]
[Usage: Touch the target's skin with your hand while focusing your intent. Prolonged contact increases the effect.]
[Notes:
Limited to one target at a time. Does not function through gloves or barriers.]
"What... what the hell is this skill?!"
"This skill is... it's absolutely perfect for me!"
Mind you, that was the complete opposite of what I meant to say.
I had already prepared myself for disappointment. My tongue was ready to blurt out trash, but somehow, against all odds, the skill turned out to be exactly what I expected.
It was basically the ideal skill for me. And in addition to the original Aiden's talents, it felt just like giving a tiger wings.
'Has my rotten luck finally turned around? Praying to RNG God, is actually working?!'
Sure, at first glance, this ability sounded completely ridiculous. In that split second, I even fantasized about how I was supposed to defeat my future enemies. By overwhelming them with pleasure? That was downright diabolical.
I wouldn't have minded so much if it were just for fighting women. But men? Ew. Why would I ever want to make some guy squirm under my touch? Just the thought made me sick.
I was supposed to defeat my enemies by smothering them with fire or freezing them with ice. That was the image I always had in my head.
A Song of Ice and Fire!
Yet in the next instant, I remembered my real purpose in this world wasn't to become a hero who defeats the demon king. Or a demon king who tries to conquer everything.
My goal here was to establish a religion or maybe a cult devoted to Althea. To spread her teachings about embracing lust, love, and freedom!
Sensual Touch was exactly what I needed. As an inexperienced man with no clue how to satisfy a woman, this skill couldn't have arrived at a better time.
'Along with the massage skill inherited from the original Aiden, this Sensual Touch skill had landed in exactly the right hands. With this, I could confidently open the first ero massage parlor in this world! Wahahaha!'
However, even though my mood was soaring with enthusiasm, I knew better than to let my excitement cloud my judgment.
There were still plenty of issues I needed to deal with first.
For example, I hadn't even checked the last item in the gift box.
Soon, I came back to my senses.
I immediately went to check the box for the last items.
Inside, there were two identical pills.
[Mid-Tier Temporary Stats Enhancer Pills]
[Function: Grants the user a temporary boost in all stats to B-Rank for 60 minutes.]
[Usage: Consume directly.]
[Note:
Can only be consumed once a month. If taken again too soon, severe side effects may occur, including permanent paralysis, brain death, muscle tears, internal injuries, and multiple complications. Upon usage, the user receives a x5 stat growth multiplier for one week. However, any pain and fatigue experienced during the period will also be multiplied by five.]
"Isn't this basically a fucking Kaioken?!"