Hours passed on hours, Viscus shifting on the bed with a frown marring his face. He flipped onto his back and stared at the blank ceiling above, his thoughts neverending. The state of unconsciousness eluded him, even when his rest was deserved. Highly deserved at that.

It was a repeating cycle: tussle on the bed with eyes shut, go back to a supine position and stare up at the cold paint above. Even after accepting the system, even after giving up on his morality for the sake of living, he couldn't rest easy. By accepting the System, he had to accept the responsibility of having it. Rest was not part of the responsibility, a demand for improvement and progression into higher power screaming in his mind.

A mind that was tired yet kept afloat by a perk of being the Gamer, a boon in another circumstance, but an object of annoyance for Viscus.

Irritated, he stared above as the status screen blinked into reality, and he couldn't help but shut eyes for a couple of seconds, seconds for lamenting what he was. Days into this world and barely any progress, numbers that spoke of incompetence and weakness, yet his eyes opened with a glare, one directed at the screen, and even beyond.

[Character Screen :

-Name : Viscus Lime
-Level : 3 (10.5/110 EXP)
-HP : 60/60 (0.138/sec)
-MP : 62/62 (0.127/sec)
-AP : 122/122 (0.265/sec)

-Stats :
-STR : 25.3 (22)
-END : 12 (12)
-VIT : 13.8 (12)
-DEX : 13.8 (12)
-AGI : 16.1 (14)
-INT : 13.2 (11)
-WIS : 12.7 (11)
-LUK : 10 (10)

Stat Points : 0]

Only strength and agility were commendable, the rest laughably low for his situation. He dearly wished all the numbers would just magically go up if he blinked, to the point where he could fight with the big leagues, but reality wouldn't bend to his wishes, not without effort on his part.

A part of his mind questioned the cause of the heightened numbers, and another hinted at the skills, a list that he had yet to check. Given that it was nearing dawn, he got up and meandered over to the mini kitchen, picking up a paper cup and one instant coffee packet before starting up the kettle.

On the outside, Viscus prepared the coffee in an attempt to energize himself, to prepare for a terrible day coming. On the inside, however, he was going through the motions to maintain some semblance of humanity lest he found himself a living virtual character. The only things he needed to worry about were food and water, though he had yet to test if that theory was true. He could only shudder at the opposing possibility.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear out such thoughts, then the electric kettle clicked off. Viscus absentmindedly made his coffee and nearly took a sip before he felt the vapor blast into his face, nervously chuckling before taking it to the balcony to stare at the world below.

He took a breath as he felt the air brush against him. The balcony was relatively spacious, including two seats and a table between them. The fence was high enough that it was mildly safe to lean on, and short enough for him to see the streets and admire the view. Not that the view was anything to speak of, the only sights being buildings and wet clothes hanged for drying, and below them a tiny street with a couple of civilians walking through.

For a moment, he forgot his situation and only saw the world for what it was, a world that housed a series he greatly enjoyed, a world that many desired to have a go at. Realistically any random guy wouldn't achieve anything, but one would still imagine and daydream.

And Viscus saw this world for what it was. Vacuo truly was the worst place on this planet, probably on a lower grade than even the Grimmlands, and that was an achievement on its own.

The streets were filled with plastic bags, thrown advertisement papers, trash stacked on land where a building once stood, and the sand. It was everywhere, even making the blond extremely uncomfortable in his clothes. He wished he was placed anywhere but Vacuo, he dearly wished so.

In revenge for such heinous thoughts, a blast of sand hit him straight in the eyes and made sure to target his cup, the wind liberally sprinkling crystals into his drink. The blond coughed and groaned while furiously blinking and rubbing his eyes, then he stared with sadness at the coffee he wished he could have drunk, but Remnant had to prove further how terrible this place was.

He placed down the cup on the table and leaned on the fence, feeling the sandy wind ruffle his hair and his clothes. The streets were nearly empty, only a few civilians walking down the street with groceries in their hands, and not a vehicle in sight. It was a mysterious thing, but he would rather blame it on the gangs like the one that disassembled his vehicle than anything.

Out of things to observe, he finally pulled up his skill list and raised his brow at the numbers, slightly surprised at his progress.

[-Skills :

-Gamer's Body LvMAX
-Gamer's Mind LvMAX
-Stealth Lv7 (1%)
-Assassinate Lv4 (5%)
-Dagger Mastery Lv5 (12%)
-Pistol Mastery Lv4 (3%)
-Aura Lv3 (80%)
-Driving Lv12 (56%)
-Meditation Lv17 (40%)
-Mana Vision Lv2 (10%)
-Mana Heart Lv4 (25%)
-Mana Circulation Lv 3 (16%)]

His [Aura] had leveled up thrice when he wasn't looking, and a quick check showed an improvement of 5% per level, totalling 15% at his current state. It affected Strength, Vitality, Agility, and Dexterity, though not Endurance.

In the same vein, [Mana Heart] and [Mana Circulation] boosted his Intelligence and Wisdom respectively, also improving by 5% per level. What surprised him the most was [Meditation], increasing all his regeneration by a factor of 20% per level. A whole twenty per level! The only downside was that he had to make a conscious effort to enter into a meditative state for the skill to work, kicking off any idea of using it in intense situations.

His [Stealth] and [Assassinate] most likely increased briefly the night prior as he was escaping the van. Though he darkly chuckled when he tried putting himself in the thugs' shoes. A hand piercing through metal and punching the lights out of you would have fit a horror movie.

It was then he remembered the fact that he hadn't gained any EXP from knocking them out, as if the System was hammering in the need for blood. If he was to improve, he would need to kill. To murder. The other option was something that made him take a deep breath. Grimm.

He had to assess his options very well in order to know what his next step would be, and his eyes glimmered once he looked back into the room. Housing. Lien. That would be his next goal as levels could wait. In his current state, he predicted that facing anyone not of the gang leader's level would end with him winning.

He wouldn't hold back as he did against the three thugs anymore. He looked at his hand before clenching it, a soft blue glow surrounding it before the glow turned into mist. Mana was his equalizer, his ace in the hole. If it allowed him to pull an entire vehicle out of the sand and flip it, then it would allow him to fight against the common rabble and come out victorious 100% of the time. "As long as guns weren't involved", he added.

He took two steps then turned to close the balcony, and his eyes landed on the table outside before widening. "Where.." The paper cup was gone. The coffee filled cup disappeared. He felt a burst of wind hit him as he closed the balcony shut, a sigh escaping him. It seemed that not even the coffee was free of getting whisked away by the wind.

-CEM-

"Damnit."

For a moment, Viscus thought he would be able to make a second cup of coffee. The moment didn't last, however, when his eyes spotted a lack of a certain component. A caffeine-filled ingredient.

He stood in the kitchenette, his eyelid twitching as the water came to a boil. Water that would find no use in its current state, though there was an itch in his mind asking whether just boiling water would fill in the need. Nothing else was in the kitchen, just paper cups and disposable equipment, excluding the oven, microwave, and the electric kettle.

The blond knew what he had to do. He knew very well, but he was desperately trying to find another way, a way to never leave this hotel for a minimum of 24 hours. Yet, the System was staring at him judgingly, and his stomach was groaning painfully. A rock and a hard place, either work to progress his skills, or go outside and spend what remained of his loot on food and other necessities. By necessities, he meant coffee, and maybe tea. Viscus felt his annoyance rise, and he couldn't help but punch the wall in front of him with a frustrated yell.

Realizing what he had just done, he chuckled nervously while stepping back away from his art, an indent in the concrete. To prove his innocence, he put on the oversized shoes and stepped out into the corridor. "It was there before I came." would be his answer if anyone asked.

"Clothes and food." He mumbled to himself while checking the inventory.

The inventory showed him a number: 170 Lien. That was all Viscus was worth, though if he counted the Dust, the Grimm piece, the weapons, and the blank white mask, maybe he had a small fortune? Not that he knew where to sell these items, and he wasn't planning on approaching the information broker or the gang leader any time soon.

An ember burned in his heart at the memories of how they treated him like a small fry. Like the inexperienced guy he was. No more, he ground his teeth. They tricked him once, and never again.

The red painted corridor ended with a window and stairs on its sides. The walk was short as he descended from the 4th floor to the ground floor, spotting a lazily sitting receptionist that gave him a glance before returning to his scroll. It was like a pattern at this point, the blond thought to himself, the same gaze present on many, just with differing colors.

Once he was out of the building, he looked around till he spotted clothing and shoe stores a distance away, and a convenience store midway through. Unfortunately, the former two were closed as the sunshine had yet to meet them, but he would at least be able to buy some necessities. He idly praised the hotel's strategic position, even if he still found its service and rooms lacking to his standards.

Alas, Vacuo and standards couldn't mesh together, maybe in dreamland they would fit, but until then, Vacuo was Vacuo.

While the blond was walking, he couldn't help but glance around with suspicion coloring his gaze. Even when the only things he noticed were the weird looks he was getting, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable the closer he found himself to any person given his experience walking in these streets.

Soon enough, he was in the convenience store surrounded by soft music, giving the place a peaceful atmosphere unlike that of the world outside. Wanting to spend less time out of his hotel room, he rushed to pick up the bare minimum items: two boxes of packets, one for tea and one for coffee, and any food that he could microwave.

The blond nearly bumped into someone while quickly traversing the store, and the paranoid part had him observe the person in question. The system provided him with a name and a level of 23, which made Viscus raise his brow and realize that he was staring at a huntsman-in-training, or what came before it. The other person shied not from staring back, an unamused expression on his face.

"Got a problem?" He started, and Viscus put his gaze away.

"No no, my bad." The blond said while moving away, and the huntsman huffed in annoyance without following up.

It was a quick reminder on the existence of the people who fight Grimm for the survival of this world, and a category that many would have wished to be a part of. Had Viscus been given a choice in how he entered this world, if the option "no" was unavailable, then he would have most likely opted to become a huntsman-in-training to do good for the world, and protect himself most of all.

Past the bags, bottles, and cans, Viscus finally found the cashier and left with a plastic bag in his hand, then he inserted it into his inventory once he was out of the store. With hours to spare, the blond debated taking a walk to familiarize himself with the city, but a blast of sand disincentivized him in but an instant.

"I'm getting some goggles, this isn't funny anymore." He grumbled to himself and headed back to the hotel. He would eat, laze around on the bed for a while, then start training however he could. Hopefully the food would taste good, otherwise he honestly might flip some tables.

But he had to admit, even if he still held some hatred for the System, it was both convenient and a quick way for him to gain power, even without the three traits he gained when he was first sucked in.

All of the traits, [Mana Touched], [Creator's Blessing], and [Desperation] improved his gains by a multiplier of 4, which would allow his abilities to skyrocket in an incredibly short time.

Viscus slowed down and felt some cogs turning. Time. Where was he in relation to the show? Months away? Years? And what would he even compare to? He palmed his face and sighed in disappointment. Unless the System gave him a time limit, he wouldn't know. Just in case, he checked the current mission, but he felt ticked off at the lack of information, and the way the System was treating him.

[Main Quest : The Outside World (Tutorial) : Even after taking arduous steps to arrive at civilization, you are but a child still learning about the truths of the world.

-Objective(s) : Reach Level 10 (3/10) - Own 1000 Lien (130/1000)

-Reward(s) : 200XP, Unlocking Of Semblance, Continuation of Main Quest

-Failure : Death]

A child, it said. He already knew the truth of this world, and nothing would convince him otherwise. This was a treacherous world, a world where darkness reeked from every corner. Heck, he could even smell it from the alleys he was passing by.

Or he was exaggerating and it was simply leftover trash that hadn't been collected..

Regardless, he came close to the hotel called "Star's Dawn", a grandiose name for such a terrible place. But it was nothing new. The convenience store was the cleanest place he'd seen behind the information broker's bar, and even then many of the items were covered in dust, and he couldn't even know if they were neglected or it was just the nature of living in the desert.

Viscus's eyes met with the same lazy ones behind the desk, then he climbed up the stairs back to his room. He felt lucky at meeting no one on the way, most likely as everyone was and should have been asleep.

He unlocked the door, rushed to the kitchenette, and pulled out the coffee packets with newfound motivation. Minutes later and he had an elixir in his hand, the ultimate drink, the drink that.. He had to wait till it cooled.

In the meantime, cup on table, Viscus on chair, and remote in hand, the TV lit up for some entertainment until the desire for action got him off the chair. He took careful sips as the movie introduced the characters and the names of their actors.

Viscus hummed as an actor called "Spruce Willis" came into the scene, and he chuckled at the resemblance. Unfortunately it was only minutes later that the ads cut through the movie and made the blond groan in annoyance.

He closed his eyes and savored the drink until his ears picked up the words "Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, endorsed by-"

Viscus blinked and his mouth gaped while the cup paused midair. "Three times champion?"

"Man.." He groaned loudly and put the cup on the table, his hand shaking.

"If she is a three time champion, then.." He had a single year before he had to deal with all the chaos that it entailed. A single year for him to get on a level similar to that of the cast or even beyond.

For that, a single word only popped up in Viscus's mind that summed up his current mood.

Joy.

Hello again, your friendly neighborhood Pasta here.

There are a couple of things I'd like to mention, and they are mostly technicalities so feel free to skip ahead.

Now then, I'd like to start with the most prominent issue, the last two chapters, chapters 9 and 10.

Originally, they were ordered before each other (as in, gang fight chapter 9, and Viscus's resolution in chapter 10), but I switched it out of the belief that this was a better ordering.

Unfortunately, on some reviewing, my original plan was actually the better one, so for those who are returning for the update, don't be alarmed if you see the ordering changed.

Ok, but why did I make that choice?

It came to my attention that there was some "disconnect", and I gave it a lot of thought with Maakl2001. Conclusion, no one would actually be invested in the gang fight if they already know Viscus isn't in the vicinity. This felt more like an intermission/break, which honestly wasn't my intention. The gang fight sets up the story that comes ahead, so it isn't just flavor.

On that note, there was also the issue with POV in that chapter, and I'd actually like to apologize for that. I honestly thought it was fine, and the chapter was good, but it seems I still have a lot more to learn.

Now then, this chapter. It's a very slow paced chapter and a deserved break for Viscus. I showed the System that was probably highly anticipated but nothing really changed to warrant showing it?

I'd like if you share your ideas and opinions of the chapters, given that I wouldn't know if there was something wrong if I already didn't notice it. I'm really grateful for Eshrew's review as it pointed out the issue, and I don't mind if it is in the form of PMs.

There is something I'd want you to understand as this story goes on, and it is very important for both you and I, and especially your enjoyment and expectation.

The Game, The System, and how I'm going to interact with it.

See, this isn't a "Game" story, this world isn't digital, and the System isn't everything, otherwise this story would have something game-y in the title, rather than being called "Dragged Along" (the title is relevant to the story btw). There is a reason I'm not hurling quests and rewards onto Viscus, and a bigger reason on why I'm not focusing on the Game aspect.

I've seen many fics and stories where the Game is just info dump after info dump, word count fattened simply by copy pasting the status screen, skills, and whatever else "Observe" can show you. Believe me, I want you to read this story not as a Game, but "A story with game elements on the side".

As I mentioned, I'm actually not showing the System as much as you might expect due to the fear of padding out the word count for no reason. Yes, I do realize this author note is getting too long, and yes, this is why I actually didn't want to write a ton of author notes in the prior chapters.

Author notes of this size will be a rarity unless something warrants them, but for now, I've said my piece.

If you read it, thank you for your time, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

(Pls don't stab me with your (pitch)forks, action will be coming soon TM)