15. Choices

Callie didn't know which to choose! All of her options sounded so great.

Deciding that this thinking was just taking her around in circles, Callie switched gears. 'System, Missions tab, please!'

The screen changed as usual, and Callie looked towards the top, where her Mission Class was. Instantly a pop-up appeared.

--Upgrade Mission Class to F-Class with 1 Mission Point? Y/N--

'Yes!'

--Mission Class Upgraded to F-Class--

Callie watched as quite a few greyed-out missions turned black and white. A long list of missions was now available for her to complete!

As Callie scrolled through the missions now available, quite a few caught her eye. One was a mission to unlock the System Store, and to buy her first item. Another one wanted Callie to develop a mana core and unlock Magic. Yet another one wanted Callie to develop her Dantian in her frontal lobe and unlock Cultivation. The next asked for her to earn her first Title! Another two asked for her to buy her first item at the Karma Store and expand her Inventory, respectively.

In fact, the list of missions at first were all just requests for her to unlock one of the many premium features. Over 100 missions, just to unlock and use premium features! It was crazy! Suddenly, a pop-up message appeared.

--Inventory Mission Complete! Claim Rewards Now? Y/N--

'Yes! I'd like to see it, please.' Callie exclaimed with a new smile.

--Inventory Mission--

COMPLETE

As a newbie to the system, you should begin unlocking some of the cheaper Premium Features! Premium Features, such as the Inventory tab, create greater options for Host and hold surprises, as well. Unlock the System Inventory tab and open up the packages found there!

Mission Objectives:

-Unlock Inventory Level 1. (COMPLETE)

-Open Newborn Starter Package. (COMPLETE)

-Open Human Starter Package. (COMPLETE)

Rewards: +3 System Points; +2 Mission Points; +100 Gold; +10 Exp

Well, now, wasn't this a nice surprise!

Callie's smile morphed into a full-grown grin as she read her new rewards. This would make her choices so much easier! She really might be able to have them all now.

However, as she closed her notification and continued to scroll through her F-Class Missions, Callie's smile quickly faded. Other than the Missions to unlock Premium Features, there was only 1 other Mission Callie could complete in her current life stage.

--F-Class Mission: Level Up!--

As a rank beginner in a dangerous, new world, you need to gain levels to grow and eventually evolve! Experience is needed to level up, so dungeons, fights, and Missions are the things you most need right now!

Mission Objectives:

-Level Up (COMPLETE)

-Level Up a Skill

-Complete Another F-Class Mission (COMPLETE)

-Learn a New Skill

Rewards: +2 Level; +20 Stat Points; +1 Mission Point; +1 Random Skill Book; +20 Exp

Callie looked it over carefully, but for the first time, she realized there was no accept button. She frowned, thinking back to her first Mission. Did she ever hit accept then?

'System, how do I accept a Mission?'

A pop-up immediately appeared in her vision.

--Missions Automatically Complete Once Mission Level is Unlocked, Mission Objectives are Completed, & Mission Tab is Opened by Host--

Callie frowned. So, if she'd upgraded her Mission Level before learning from those Skill Books, it would have completed that Mission Objective for her? Dang, what a missed opportunity!

What use were those Help Articles if it didn't address vital information like this?

'Oh, well.' Callie finally shrugged. She turned her attention to the System Store tab, smiling again. Another message appeared before her.

--Unlock System Store for 2 System Points? Y/N--

'Yes!'

The screen changed again, forming a new screen filled with small icons much like the Inventory had, only these icons had a price underneath each one. Callie looked through her options, pensive. Most of the things on this page of the store cost Gold, and Callie didn't have much Gold yet.

She saw a filters button at the top and smiled. 'Filter for just Skill Books, please.'

--Skill Store is Locked.--

Callie frowned, already annoyed. 'So I can't buy any Skill Books in the System Store until I unlock the Skill Store? That sucks!' Callie contemplated for a moment. 'How many System Points do I need to unlock the Skill Store?'

--Skill Store Cannot be Unlocked without Unlock Sell Option--

Callie rolled her eyes. 'And how much is that?'

--Unlock Sell Option for 10 System Points? Y/N--

'No. Now, how much to unlock Skill Store, too?'

--Unlock Skill Store for 20 System Points. Skill Store is Locked.--

Callie sighed dramatically. 'You really do everything the hard way, you know that? So I need 30 points to unlock the Skill Store? Why couldn't you just say that?'

--System Preferences: Saved--

Callie cringed slightly. 'Hopefully that preference doesn't come back to haunt me...so, how many System Points do I have anyway?'

--Open Status tab? Y/N--

'Always the hard way.' Callie repeated, shaking her head. 'Yes, open it please.'

--Host has Leveled Up!--

--------Stats--------

Name: Caliope (Callie) Griever

Level: 3 (+1)

Exp: 0/80 (+40)

Race: Human

Life Stage: Newborn

Cultivation Level: 0 (Locked)

Magic Level: 0 (Locked)

Health: 430/430

Mana: 0/0

Recovery: 1400

Stamina: 15

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 10

Agility: 16 (8)

Intelligence: 40

Wisdom: 25

Willpower: 25

Endurance: 35

Control: 25

Charisma: 60 (15)

Perception: 20

Luck: 150 (15)

Faith: 10

Skills: Reading MAX; Analysis Lv. 2; Necromancy Lv. 1; Healing Lv. 1; Steal Lv. 1; Flight Lv. 1

Abilities: Fear Resistance Lv. 2; Sleep Resistance Lv. 4; Mental Resistance Lv. 2; Pain Resistance MAX; Stealth Lv. 1; Study Lv. 1

Traits: UNKNOWN ERROR DETECTED; Curiosity; Necromantic Legacy; Fear of the Undead; Quick Learner; Cute

Professions: N/A

Blessings: UNKNOWN (Error Detected); UNKNOWN ERROR DETECTED; Goddess of Sacrifice; Goddess of Luck; God of Power; Gray the Lich

Curses: God of Cruelty

Titles: N/A (Locked)

Stat Points: 9,970 (+20)

Skill Points: 52,156

System Points: 25 (+12; -2)

Mission Points: 11 (+8; -1)

Building Points: 0

Gold: 510 (+400)

Karma Points: 2,415,866

Divinity Points: 148,528

Universal Points: 2

Ally System (Locked)

Past Life Reward System: 10 Past Lives Rewarded

'25, huh?' Callie nodded, pleased again. 'Well, I can't unlock the Skill Store yet, but I'll get there. Fine. I guess I'll buy some kind of item. System Store tab, please!'

The screen changed once more, back to the long list of items on the System Store tab. Callie clicked once more on the filter, and chose to show items for 410 Gold or less.

The most expensive item on the new list immediately caught Callie's attention.

--Beauty Stone--

This stone can expel impurities from the body each time it is used, increasing the user's beauty and growth, as well as keeping the user naturally thin. Can be used 1000 times before enchantment and inscription wear out. (Recommended to use no more than 1 time a week and no less than 1 time a month for maximum benefits and safety!)

Plain Stone: 350 Gold

Plain Stone with Invisibility Rune: 400 Gold

Several things about this item really appealed to Callie. For one, in her previous life, Callie had seen many a beautiful woman be underestimated and get away with things Callie herself would never have been able to pull off. In this world where she could so easily be killed by beings so much stronger than herself, wouldn't that be of real use? If the nobles underestimated her because she was beautiful, well, then her upgrades would be even easier to hide.

For another, using such a boon early in life would certainly give maximum benefit, allowing her body to develop without impurities to ruin her looks or body's maturity. The mention of growth really stuck out for Callie. Wouldn't expelling impurities help her grow up stronger?

But, most of all, Callie had to admit this item appealed to her vanity. Callie hadn't been a pretty girl in her previous life. She hadn't been ugly, either, but a small part of her had long watched beautiful women walking by and wondered, what would it be like to look like that? What would it feel like to walk into a room and have every man there notice you and stop?

And here was an item, sitting right in front of her, that could give her an answer to those questions once and for all.

And all it would cost was just about all of her Gold.