20 days later...
After meditating for an hour, Cassian opened his eyes.
The all-too-familiar sound echoed in his ears.
[Ding~]
[Quest Completed]
[Reward: +2 to all stats]
Looking at the system panel, he called out, "Status."
[Name: Cassian Evros Myrr
Age: 15
Race: Human
Level: None (Not awakened)
Bloodline: ??? (Not awakened)
Curses: Serpent's Embrace, ???, ???
Stats:
Strength: 7 + 42 = 49
Agility: 17 + 50 = 67
Intelligence: 14 + 41 = 55
Endurance: 12 + 45 = 57]
Cassian smiled as he looked at his stats.
Even though his daily quests provided steady stat increases, he also gained additional points whenever he pushed his physical and mental boundaries.
Agility and Endurance, in particular, had seen the most growth.
"I suppose it's because of my curse. Most snakes excel in agility and endurance," he murmured to himself.
This affinity was also the reason he hadn't pursued his family's sword technique. That technique heavily relied on strength, and it didn't align with his natural growth path.
However, he had chosen the sword as his main weapon, and the day he made that decision, his daily quest had updated.
[Daily Quest
Run: 100 km ✓
Push-ups: 500 ✓
Sit-ups: 500 ✓
Pull-ups: 350 ✓
Squats: 500 ✓
Swing sword horizontally: 750 ✓
Swing sword vertically: 750 ✓
Swing sword diagonally: 750 ✓
Meditate: 1 hour ✓]
Closing the quest tab, Cassian stood and stretched before heading to the door of his training chamber.
As he stepped out, Sylvia was waiting for him, her expression bright as always.
"Master," she greeted happily.
"Hmm, Sylvia," he acknowledged. "Is there a reason you're here?"
"Mh," she nodded enthusiastically. "Master Mark has called for you."
"Father? Do you know why?"
"...No, he didn't say," Sylvia replied with a small shake of her head.
"Alright, I'll head over after I take a bath," Cassian said.
---
After bathing and changing into his usual casual black attire, Cassian found himself standing in front of his father's office door.
/Knock/ /Knock/
"Come in," came Mark's familiar voice.
Cassian opened the door to see his father seated behind his desk, with Kain standing silently by his side.
Mark looked up and smiled. "Ah, Cassian, you're here."
Cassian gave a slight nod. "You called for me, Father?"
Mark gestured for him to sit. "Yes, you'll be attending the Beast Auction today."
Cassian tilted his head slightly. "Is there a specific reason, Father?"
Mark's smile deepened. "Given your affinity with snakes, I thought you might find a suitable companion... a familiar snake... at the auction."
A tiny smile appeared on Cassian's lips. "Thank you, Father."
"Oh, and your friends will be there too," Mark responded in a slightly amused tone. "You will all have a one private room, so even if you do not find a familiar you can still have fun."
At the mention of "friends," Cassian's expression darkened for a fraction of a second before he quickly recovered.
"Understood, Father. I'll attend the auction," he said calmly.
"All right. You can go now," Mark said, waving his hand.
Cassian nods respectfully, and left the room.
As he walked towards his room, Cassian mused to himself.
"So, the tutorial phase has already started, huh," he muttered under his breath.
The tutorial phase of the game... the point where players were introduced to the core mechanics and the broader setting... was beginning.
Today was the first time they introduced the auction aspect which was a key element of the game where the protagonist literally got a dragon to be his familiar.
Unlike a lot of games where the protagonist scrapes themselves from nothing, the main character in this game was the rich privileged son of a duke.
"Money was never an issue in this game," Cassian murmured with a faint smirk. "It's one of the reasons players loved it."
He pondered for a moment.
'Friends, huh.'
The thought made him chuckle lightly. "I guess I'll be meeting the main cast sooner than I expected."
As he entered his room, Cassian didn't bother with any more musings. He lay down on his bed and allowed himself to drift off into sleep, preparing for the day ahead.
He woke up around 7 PM, just an hour before the auction.
Rising from his bed, Cassian walked over to the mirror.
Messy hair and wrinkled clothes stared back at him.
He sighed.
Without delay, he removed his clothes, revealing his pale skin.
His body, which had once looked malnourished when he reincarnated, now displayed a lean, toned shape from relentless training.
The snake tattoo that coiled across his body caught his eye. From Cassian's perspective, it looked nothing short of badass.
Turning away, he opened his wardrobe, revealing a collection dominated by black clothing.
He selected a black shirt, matching pants, and black shoes.
After putting them on, he combed his hair just enough to look presentable.
/Knock/ /Knock/
"Come in," Cassian called, his voice even.
The door creaked open to reveal a girl with jet-black hair and matching eyes.
She wore a simple white baggy T-shirt and black pants, her demeanor hesitant but determined.
Cassian looked at her reflection in the mirror and asked calmly, "What do you want?"
Elisa clenched her fists, steeling herself before speaking.
"Father told me to go to the auction with you," she said, her voice steady despite her unease.
Cassian turned to face her fully, observing her for a moment before nodding.
"Fine," he said simply.
----------------------
In the car, Cassian and Elisa sat in the back seats while the driver focused on the road ahead.
A heavy silence filled the car, broken only by the faint whooshing of air through the partially opened window.
After a while, Elisa hesitated but eventually gathered the courage to speak.
"So... umm, brother, what type of beast are you looking for?"
"Snake," Cassian replied without looking at her.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Snake? Why? That's... so scary," she said, her voice laced with genuine fear.
Cassian's tone remained cold as he responded.
"That doesn't concern you."
His curt reply caused her to flinch. Turning her face toward the window, she gazed at the passing scenery, tears silently welling in her eyes.
The atmosphere in the car grew even heavier, the silence suffocating.
After several minutes, they arrived at their destination.
Cassian stepped out of the car first, his sharp eyes immediately drawn to the building in front of him.
The auction house stood tall and imposing, practically glowing amidst the surrounding structures.
Its grandeur was matched only by the excitement evident on the faces of the many people entering, each hoping to acquire something extraordinary.
"Cassian."
Hearing his name, Cassian froze momentarily.
His heart started beating faster, betraying the calm demeanor he usually maintained.