When Ivan had finished reading the information, he closed out the window with a thought. While he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, he wasn't stupid. As such he caught on to the system's basic mechanics fairly quickly.
Focusing on the coin stack on the first box a window popped up.
[Your gold: 1000]
[The system's basic currency for use in the system's store]
[Valis conversion rate: 1000 Valis = 1 gold]
[Magic stone conversion rate]
2 tiny stones = 1 gold
1 small stone = 3 gold
1 medium stone = 50 gold
1 large stone = 250 gold
1 huge stone = 2500 gold
Boss core = 50000 gold
[Spend 2500 gold to unlock the basic system store? Yes/No?]
"That shitty god gave me this dumb system. I might as well use it. Consequences be damned." Ivan thought to himself as he remembered just what he was told to do. Sew the seeds of discord in this new world. Easier said than done.
"System, tell me about this world" he commanded.
[Understood. You are entering the city of Orario. The world is governed by gods that have sealed their power to walk among mortals. However, if you antagonize a god too much they may unseal their power and smite you. Spirits and monsters are real in this world along with various races like elves, dwarves, lycanthropes, pallums, and beast people.
The average person is not much different from a human from earth, though adventurers are the exception. Adventurers are people blessed by their gods with power. Their is a system used called levels that differentiate the weak and the strong among adventurers. The lowest level is one and the highest level recorded was eight.
Your current power would rank you in the middle of level one. Continue to unlock system functions to increase your power]
"How do I earn scumbag points? And what do they do?" Ivan asked the system. He figured he would have to understand this system if it were to give him power.
[Scumbag points are used to upgrade the functions of the system that you can not use gold to upgrade. They are also used to upgrade your base status when the base system has been unlocked with 100 points.
You gain scumbag points by committing crimes and getting away with them, scamming people, bullying people, recruiting underlings, using your resources in clever ways, and doing activities that cause chaos and discomfort in others. The higher the risk, the higher the payment. However doing so and getting caught or punished will result in no point gain. Also, if you help people or commit charity without an objective that would be harmful, you will lose points.
Once you have negative points, your luck and fortune will begin to work against you, leading to dangerous consequences. Please reflect on this before making decisions]
[You have gained 10 scumbag points for using your mind in a way that will achieve success]
"So, I can gain points by being resourceful and clever? That sucks ass. I've never been a thinker"Ivan reflected on his poor creativity, however it wouldn't hurt to learn if it gained him points.
"tell me a good way to get points" Ivan told the system.
[Exploring the city will give you points. The more familiar you get with the territory, the more points you'll gain. Meeting important mortals and gods will also give you points] the system responded.
"Hmm" Ivan said while deep in thought.
"On a different note, what are magic stones?" Ivan asked the system. He was interested since there was a conversion rate for them.
[Magic stones are cores of monsters dropped in the dungeon that lies under the tower in the middle of the city. When you kill a monster, they drop a core on the ground. The guild buys them and uses them as a source of profit.
With an upgraded system, you can use cores to refine weapons and tools. They also can have their energy extracted and used to increase your status. The method of extraction can be bought when the system store is unlocked]
Ivan then closed out the system as the giant walls of the city approached closely. The man driving the car pulled on the horse's reigns and stopped at the massive open gates that loomed over them like the maw of a giant beast.
The cart driver showed his identification and spoke to the guards for a moment before they let him through. When Ivan passed by on the back of the cart, the guards gave him a quick nod.
That told him that at the very least, he wasn't on the run for any criminal activity in this new body. It also told him that whoever he possessed was regularly going into and out of the city. Most likely he was a mercenary.
After a few more minutes the cart stopped in front of a fairly small two story building of gray stucco with a red shingled roof. Four windows stood open on the second floor and the double doors on the windowless first floor were shut tightly. A tiled path ran up to the door while a large wooden fence surrounded the small property.
The man called out to Ivan tossing him a pouch of coins wich he caught.
"Ivan, it's your stop. You don't want to keep Veles waiting" the driver warned Ivan who brushed him off and jumped out of the cart, landing with a soft thud and clatter of metal. A small cloud of dust was kicked up from the road as the cart rolled off.
Apparently his name was the same here too.
Walking up to the doors, he grabbed the handle and with a click, the door opened up to a cooly lit wooden hall.
"I'm back", Ivan called out as he walked in.
The clattering of dishes in a sink was heard from a room at the right end of the hallway.
"Big Bro" came the yelling of an excited young boy. Then the sound of light feet running over to him was heard.
Sure enough at then end of the hall was a eleven year old boy running full speed at him. He had pale skin and a thin frame. His hair was a sandy brown and his eyes were a bright green. He wore a green cloth short sleeved shirt and brown cloth pants. On his face was a wide toothy grin. It was his little brother from earth, well that was impossible.
It must have been a coincidence that the young boy looked exactly like his brother from eath.
The boy jumped up on him, almost tackling him in a bear hug.
"Get off me you little shit" Ivan said while tugging the ecstatic kid off of him and placing him on the ground.
"Alexi, where's Veles?" Ivan asked his little brother, using the name of his brother from earth, and sure enough he answered to that name.
"Hes in the study being boring as always" the little boy pouted. He didn't like the god his brother lived with, the two of them being the only members of his familia.
"Take me to him. I want you with me when we talk" Ivan said urging his little brother onwards. He wouldn't admit he knew nothing about the building he was in.