"Akashic Records, can you find me an easy world where I could quickly gain some LP?" he asked, projecting his intent directly through his thoughts.
[Request accepted]
[A potentially suitable world has been found]
[Fable of the Rabbit and the Turtle]
World Type: Alternative World
World Power Levels: ? (System not acquired)
Description: A remarkably simple world inspired by the classic fable of the Rabbit and the Turtle. This world is designed with such ease that even a child could enter and navigate it.]
Optional Quests:
[Win This Race
Description: Participate in the race between the Rabbit and the Turtle—and win.
Reward: 250 LP]
[Bad Rabbit
Description: Teach the Rabbit a painful lesson and make him repent for his arrogance.
Reward: 200 LP]
[No Witness
Description: During the race, the Fox will serve as the judge. It would be tragic if an accident caused the Rabbit, the Turtle, and the Fox to all vanish… Leave no survivors.
Reward: 300 LP]
'The only issue with this world is that I can't see its power levels since I haven't unlocked the proper system yet. But the world description itself makes it pretty clear—it's simple and straightforward.'
'There are only three quests available, but all of them seem manageable enough. No red flags so far.'
"Akashic Records, I want to enter the alternative world based on the fable of the Rabbit and the Turtle," Mikael declared calmly, sending the command through his mind.
[Which version do you wish to access? There are approximately 4 trillion alternate worlds based on the Rabbit and the Turtle fable.]
'Four trillion versions of just this fable? I can't even begin to imagine how many exist for more popular works like One Piece or Dragon Ball.'
"I'll go with the version you just showed me. Also, for future reference, is it possible to always enter the exact version I'm currently viewing when I make a request?"
[Preference noted. Request accepted.]
[Teleportation sequence initiating in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…]
That familiar, uncanny sensation of being simultaneously pulled apart and reassembled overtook him. However, compared to his first teleportation, the intensity was noticeably diminished. His perception of time remained stable throughout the process—an improvement he silently appreciated.
Moments later, solid ground materialized beneath his feet. This time, he remained upright, managing to land on both legs without stumbling.
Scanning the vicinity, his eyes landed on a small group consisting of a rabbit, a turtle, and a fox. Naturally, Mikael began walking toward them.
The Rabbit squinted at the approaching figure, his nose twitching in curiosity. "What race of animal are you? I've never seen anything like you before!"
'They really do have fable-level intelligence… This won't be difficult.'
"I'm part of a rare animal species called humans. We live far away from here—maybe that's why you've never come across one of us," Mikael replied without missing a beat.
"So, what brings you here?" the Rabbit asked, tilting his head.
"I heard there was going to be a race. I want to join."
"If you want to race, you can, but don't expect to win! I, the magnificent Rabbit, am the fastest creature on land," the Rabbit boasted, puffing out his chest with pride.
The Fox turned to the Turtle. "Are you okay with including the human in the race?"
The Turtle hesitated, shifting awkwardly. "I'm not sure… It was originally supposed to be a one-on-one race."
"What's wrong? Are you a chicken or something?" the Rabbit sneered. "You can't even accept a second competitor and you think you're going to beat me?"
"I'm not a chicken! Of course he can participate—I'm not afraid," the Turtle replied, clearly flustered but determined.
"Alright then," the Fox said, nodding. "The race will start here and end at that big tree over there."
"Are you ready, everyone?" the Fox asked, raising his paw.
"Ready!" all three of them responded in unison.
"3… 2… 1… Go!"
The moment the Fox uttered "three," Mikael calmly pulled out his Glock, disengaged the safety, and aimed it squarely at the Rabbit's leg.
And the instant the word "Go" left the Fox's mouth—
Bang.
One of the Rabbit's front legs exploded in a violent spray of blood and shattered bone, fragments scattering chaotically across the ground.
"AAhhhhh! My leg—it hurts!" the Rabbit screamed in agony.
The Turtle and the Fox stood frozen, horrified by what they assumed to be some form of deadly sorcery that had just caused the Rabbit's leg to burst apart.
But Mikael didn't allow them the luxury of staying in shock. Without hesitation, he shifted his aim toward the Fox's head and pulled the trigger. A clean bullet pierced through the skull, dropping the Fox instantly with a lifeless thud.
The Turtle, eyes wide and voice trembling, immediately fell to his knees and began to plead. "P-please! Don't hurt me with your sorcery!"
The only response he received was a bullet to the forehead.
[Unique character 'Fox' slain. 50 XP received.]
[Unique character 'Turtle' slain. 50 XP received.]
[Class: Martial Artist has leveled up ×1.]
[Class: Martial Artist has reached Level 1.]
The Rabbit, now crippled and panicking, desperately tried to crawl away. But with only three functioning legs and the pain in his front leg, his movements were feeble and clumsy.
"Don't worry," Mikael said in a cold, casual tone. "If you stay right where you are, I'll come back and end your suffering soon."
"You… you promise?" whimpered the trembling Rabbit.
"I promise you won't suffer anymore in a couple of minutes," Mikael replied calmly.
He paused, staring down at the blood-soaked creature before continuing, "I didn't like how cocky you were earlier. So before I go, I want you to apologize—for being arrogant."
"I-I'm sorry I was arrogant! I'll never do it again, I swear!" the Rabbit cried, his voice cracking with fear.
[Quest: Bad Rabbit completed.
Rewards: 200 LP.]
"That's better." Mikael turned toward the distant finish line. "Now, I'm going to complete this race. If you're still here when I return, I'll heal your leg and give you some carrots. But if you try to escape…" His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped into something darker. "I'll kill you with my sorcery."
"I won't move! I swear I won't!" the Rabbit replied frantically.
With nothing more to say, Mikael broke into a sprint toward the finish line. It took him only two minutes to reach it.
[Quest: Win This Race completed.
Rewards: 250 LP.]
'Yes… I wasn't sure if it would work, since I killed both the Fox and the Turtle, but if I hadn't, they would've probably escaped. And let's be honest—racing a rabbit? I didn't stand a chance. Killing them was the best plan I could come up with.'
'Of course, a better plan would've been to actually win the race fairly. But unless I had at least 30 points in Agility, that wasn't going to happen anyway.'
Afterward, Mikael sprinted back to where he had left the Rabbit. Upon arrival, he saw that the Rabbit had indeed tried to flee, but with only three functioning legs, he had barely managed to drag himself a few meters.
Without hesitation, Mikael raised his gun and pulled the trigger, not allowing the creature even a moment to speak.
[Unique character 'Rabbit' slain. 50 XP received.]
[Quest: No Witness completed.
Rewards: 300 LP.]
'This world was designed perfectly. I earned 750 LP and 150 XP total. Honestly, I couldn't have squeezed anything more out of it. It's too simple... really just a glorified tutorial world.'
'The only people who might fail here are the naive and the overly kind-hearted. Take that cop Leia, for example—she probably wouldn't even have the resolve to kill a so-called defenseless talking animal,' Mikael thought with a faint smirk.
'But none of that matters right now. Time to leave this world.'
"Records, I want to leave this world."
[Ejection from the current world will initiate in 5 minutes.]
Exactly five minutes later, Mikael was enveloped in a flash of blue light and vanished from the landscape. A heartbeat later, he reappeared inside the Records Hub.
This time, the effects of spatial transition didn't faze him in the slightest. It seemed his body had already adapted to the dimensional travel.
'I should have earned 750 LP here. That's enough to invest in a few useful system upgrades.'
[Race System. Requirement: Basic Stats System
Unlocks the user's base race along with its natural benefits and drawbacks. Price: 500 LP]
[Life Span System. Requirement: None
Displays the user's current lifespan. Price: 50 LP]
[Overall Power System. Requirement: None
Displays the user's overall power level and reveals the average world power level before entry. Presented in tier format based on the highest class or race tier equipped. Price: 150 LP]
[Purchase confirmed –700 LP]
"Status."
[Name: Mikael Angelini
Race: Human (Earth-Origin World)
Lifespan: 21 / 99
Overall Power: Tier 0
Military Rank: Recruit – 0 / 10 MP
Global LVL: 0 – 150 / 500 XP
Class: Martial Artist – LVL 1 / 25 – 50 / 120 XP
Stats:
Strength: 12 → 13
Agility: 14 → 15
Endurance: 13 → 14
Active Skills: None
Passive Skills: None
Life Points (LP): (+50) 150]
"Show me a detailed description of Race and Lifespan," Mikael commanded the Records.
[Race: Human (Earth Origin World)
Tier: 0
Description: The default race of the native population from the Origin World, Earth. It is classified as a tier 0 race, which means it has a maximum global level cap of 25. To progress further, the user must switch to a tier 1 race.
Note: Races typically provide greater advantages than classes of the same tier.
Bonuses:
+1 to all stats per global level.
+10% increased learning speed for non-magical skills.]
[Lifespan
Description: The remaining number of years an entity can live. Currently decreasing by 1 year per month due to the active subscription with the Akashic Records. However, it is possible to offset this cost by paying 100,000 LP per month instead of sacrificing lifespan.]
'Now that I've acquired a few system upgrades, I should shift my focus toward acquiring skills and leveling up. What I need most right now is practical experience—particularly in unarmed combat—and the knowledge that comes with it.'
'It's great to grow stronger, but that strength is useless if I don't know how to wield it properly. If I use the request feature, I might be able to get some real training and push my growth further… but my LP reserves are running low.'
Mikael paused for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons, before muttering to himself, 'Ah, fuck it. I'll spend the LP. Worst case, I won't have a place to sleep—but it's not like I haven't slept on cold floors before. It's just been a while since the last time. Besides, that price is nothing compared to the value of getting stronger.'
"Records, I'd like some training in unarmed martial arts, preferably with hands-on combat experience to accompany it. My current budget is 100 LP."
[Search Results: 2 options have the highest probability of meeting your request.
Option 1: A trainer with low-level magical teaching abilities. Price: 100 LP per hour.
Option 2: A trainer at the peak of human teaching capability, but without magical enhancements. Price: 25 LP per hour.]
"Which trainer would give me the most valuable training for 100 LP?"
[The first trainer is twice as effective as the second, but charges four times the cost. Therefore, in terms of cost-efficiency, the second trainer is recommended.]
'So if I go with the 100 LP trainer, I save time but lose a lot of LP. On the other hand, the 25 LP trainer is slower, but more cost-effective. Right now, time is something I can afford... LP is not. I can only go with the 25 LP trainer.'
"I would like to purchase four hours of training with the 25 LP trainer."
[Transaction confirmed –100 LP]
[To access the training room, proceed up the stairs and say "training room".]
Mikael began walking toward the stairs. Though they appeared deceptively close, it still took him five full minutes to reach them.
Once he arrived, he ascended the staircase and spoke clearly, "Training room."
The moment the words left his lips, he was instantly teleported into what resembled a traditional dojo—spacious and practical, with training mats, punching bags, weights, and a variety of combat equipment neatly arranged across the room.
He shrugged off his jacket and laid it carefully on the ground, then glanced at the new set of system notifications.
[Configuration of the training room and trainer is free for first-time users.]
[Training Room: Medium-sized dojo
Trainer: None assigned]
'The dojo looks solid. No need to change anything for now.'
'Now, I need to set up an AI trainer.'
[Trainer Configuration Menu
Name: ?
Sex: Male or Female
Types: Realistic People, Anime People, Cultivator People, etc.
Body: ?
Personality: ?]
'Hmm… For the trainer, I'll go with a woman. Honestly, I'd rather train with a beautiful girl than some guy. Most men would probably agree—even if they won't admit it. Plenty of them pick male trainers just to look "alpha" or prove they're a 'Sigma male' or whatever. Or maybe they're just into guys… that's always a possibility.'
"System, for the trainer, I want a beautiful girl. You can randomize the rest."
[Trainer AI settings confirmed.]
[Creation of AI 'Kiara' initiated.]
In the next instant, a girl materialized at the center of the dojo. She stood at around 1.8 meters tall, her dark blue hair cascading to her shoulders, framing a striking pair of deep, mesmerizing blue eyes. Her voluptuous figure was accentuated by her unusual outfit—a blend of medieval steel armor and a short white dress that gave her an imposing yet elegant presence.
She looked at Mikael with bright curiosity before speaking in a cheerful voice, "Hello! I'm Kiara, and I'll be your trainer from now on."
"Take good care of me," she added with a calm expression, though her thoughts betrayed a far more turbulent state.
'Finally… I was created. No more of that endless, suffocating void. I was losing my mind in there—trapped alone, with nothing but silence for what felt like eternity. Or maybe I did go crazy? No… no, I didn't. It's perfectly normal to be this happy. It's perfectly normal to want to stay with the man who saved me… all day, every day, seven days a week, right?'
"Hey, Teacher Kiara, I'm Mikael. I'd like to get some training in unarmed martial arts."
"You don't waste time, do you? But that's fine," she said with a curious smile. "What's your current level in unarmed combat?"
"I don't have any formal martial arts training," Mikael admitted. "But I've been in a few street fights before."
"I'd like to have a short spar with you to evaluate your skill level. Don't worry—my body stats have been matched to yours for fairness."
Mikael immediately took a fighting stance and said, "I'm ready."
"Good. The fight starts now and ends when I say it does," she responded firmly.
Mikael kept light on his feet before launching forward, throwing a sharp and powerful right hook aimed straight at Kiara's head. Calm and composed, Kiara raised her arm, skillfully deflecting the punch, then countered with a precise strike to Mikael's ribs.
The blow knocked the wind out of him, but Mikael refused to back down. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with a knee strike aimed at Kiara's abdomen. However, before his knee could connect, the punch she had landed on his ribs seamlessly transitioned into an uppercut that slammed into his chin.
His vision swam with stars as the impact rattled his skull. Then, through the fog in his mind, he heard Kiara calmly declare, "Alright, I've seen enough. The spar ends here."
"I can keep going. There's no need to stop," Mikael said with quiet determination, regaining his balance.
"I can see your willingness to continue, and I respect that," Kiara replied. "But it's not necessary. This sparring session was just to gauge your current skill level."
"To be honest, what you need most is proper martial arts training and more real combat experience. It's clear you lack both. But you've got something important—you're not afraid to fight, and your determination shows. That will take you far."
"Come with me. Let's work on your punches at the training bag," she said, her tone calm and professional.
Kiara turned and began walking toward the corner of the dojo, where a heavy punching bag was suspended. Mikael silently walked beside her.
It was a picturesque moment—a handsome young man and a composed, strikingly beautiful girl walking together under the soft lights of the training hall. But Kiara's inner thoughts were far from tranquil.
'I have to stay professional. I must be efficient, or Mikael—my handsome creator—won't be satisfied with me. But if I do well… maybe he'll praise me. Maybe… maybe he'll even kiss me. Aahhh… stay calm, Kiara, stay calm!' she thought with gleeful determination, sneaking a discreet glance at Mikael as her cheeks warmed slightly.
After walking together for a few seconds, they came to a stop in front of a human-shaped punching bag. Just above it, a small screen displayed numbers ranging from 0 to 100.
"I want you to throw a simple jab at the punching bag," said Kiara.
Mikael nodded and threw a clean, straightforward jab. A moment later, the number 16 lit up on the screen above the bag.
"The number 16 means you used 16% of your total body strength in that punch. For a jab, that's not a bad result—it's a light strike by nature. Now try throwing a hook."
Bang.
Mikael twisted his waist and used his full body to deliver a proper hook. The number 57 appeared.
"Your hook is nearly four times stronger than your jab. That's because you're using rotational force and full-body momentum instead of just relying on your arm strength," she explained with a composed tone.
"Keep hitting the bag. I'll give you feedback as you go."
Bang.
"Try harder."
Bang.
"You didn't rotate your hips properly on that one. Do it again."