The System's Hold Over Me

"Another uneventful day," Frizz said. He greeted the usual regular customers as they entered the convenience store. He knows and recognizes the faces of the people that usually come here. From students to the elderly, he knows them.

They greet him and he greets them back, the usual routine for some time now. He can't complain about this job though, it earned him enough to buy an electric-bike and for that, he was somewhat satisfied.

Frizz fiddled with the cash register for some time until ultimately giving up on it. He doesn't know what the problem is and he wasn't paid a lot to care. Besides, it still worked most of the time. He took a seat behind the counter and absent-mindedly looked outside, staring at the blue sky.

"I should finish that book that I was reading earlier."

[Welcome user, you now have a system.]

Frizz absent-mindedly stared at the glowing screen floating right in front of him, emanating a comfortable light blue hue.

"Welcome user, you now have a system." Frizz read the words visible on the system window. He stared at it for a minute before the situation gradually came down to him. Finally, he grabbed the soda can beside the register and hastily gulped it down.

"It's real. Systems are real. RPG's are real." An awestruck Frizz gripped the soda can tighter and crushed it in his left hand. A grin formed on his face, and with teary eyes, he felt that this was probably the first time that he smiled genuinely, the first time he felt alive.

[System]

Hello user, insert a new name.

A sudden voice broke him from his trance and he looked directly at the system window in front of him. There were words etched on the system window.

"New Name?" Frizz read and muttered.

[System]

New name acknowledged, you will be known as New Name.

Broken from his blissful trance, Frizz snapped at the system. "What no!? What the heck? Change that; I was just repeating what you've said." He reached for the system window, and it just phased through his right hand and arm.

[System]

New Objective for New Name.

New Name registered, deploying a starter pack.

Received two perks.

A small loading icon, a throbber, is spinning in the middle of the system window.

New Name Received [In Good Faith] and [Daily Life]

A victory sound played after the acquisition of two perks. (Too loud) Frizz thought.

Displaying descriptions.

[In good faith]

Praying for one minute towards any established god grants a minor increase in all physical aspects for twenty hours.

[Daily Life]

A minor increase in both physical and mental aspects during the day.

A confused and angry look forms on Frizz's face. (That's it? What the heck? No SSS tier perk or talent? No high-quality equipment? No summons or anything? Just this?)

Frizz put his hand on his face. (In the novels, they usually get something powerful that sets them apart from others, or sometimes they usually get some strong equipment.)

"Why do I get these lame-duck perks?" Frizz shouted at the system.

(No wait, I am focusing on the negatives. I still have a system, which in itself is a goddamned miracle. I guess I am going to have to grind to get stronger.)

Frizz crumpled the soda can in his hands, struck a three-pointer pose, and launched it toward the trash can. *Clank*. It missed.

Undeterred, he straightened up, his expression shifting into one of determination and with renewed energy and a louder voice, he shouted. "System, show me my class and attributes!"

[System]

New Name

Level: 1

Experience: 0/100

Health: 15/15(+2)

Mana: 15/15 (+2)

Fatigue: 03/100 (peak)

Class: None

Perks:

[In Good Faith], [Daily Life]

Talents: None

"That's it? Where are my strength, intelligence, magic, and speed stats?" Frizz asked the system.

Frizz scrubbed the back of his head, there was no reply and not even a notification or an acknowledgment of his query..

"There are talents though and a class, but this system is rather underwhelming, but maybe... only for now? It's hard to tell." Frizz muttered to himself.

Frizz then focused on the plus modifiers on his health stat. "What do these modifiers mean? Where am I getting the plus two?" Frizz asked himself.

[System]

You get stat modifiers from perks, talents, class, and equipment.

"Oh?" Frizz gaffed, surprised by the voice. (Now, you give me an answer.)

Frizz put his hands on his chin, rubbing it as he thinks.

(These plus two modifiers, must be from my daily life perk. It said that it gives a minor increase during the day and it is currently...) Frizz glanced at the clock behind him. (12:38 am, the modifiers have to be from that perk.)

Frizz then focused on the class section, his left brow raised.

"None, huh? I just started, so I guess it kind of makes sense. I'll unlock it later on." At the corner of his eye, the word mana caught his attention.

"Oh damn, I didn't notice. I have a mana stat." Frizz's grin got even wider. "I can cast magic; that's fricking great!" Frizz stretched out his arms and faced the tiled ceiling. "I can cast magic! Hahahahahaha!" Frizz's laugh got even louder as tears went down in his eyes. 

Frizz stretched his back as far as he could, the button from his shirt popped and plopped on the floor. "I can be the strongest!"

Frizz's legs suddenly gave out and he fell, landing on his buttocks. His back hit the tray behind him, and various gums fell and scattered throughout the floor. His eyes still watering as his heart beats rapidly.

"This feeling... this unexplainable ecstasy... am I high?" Frizz said as he looked at his trembling hands. Frizz exhaled out of relief. (I can finally be something; I can finally be worth something.). As Frizz's head slowly cleared, he looked up at the status window in front of him. 

[System]

New Objectives for New Name.

Take out the trash: 0/3

Reward: 50 Experience

Clean the glass panes: 0/5

Reward: 50 Experience

"Cleaning duty? I guess this is the system's way of getting me acquainted with the reward process." Frizz stood up, brushed the dust off his jeans, and gathered the scattered gums from the floor, placing them on the stand with the other confectionaries.

He cracks his neck. "Okay, let's get this over with." He sighs as he heads for the entrance.

Frizz picked up the soda can he had tossed earlier and dropped it into the trash bin. He moved back and forth through the convenience store, emptying the contents of the three bins into the larger trash container outside the convenience store.

With that done, he stepped behind the counter, grabbed a soft cloth and a bottle of window cleaner, and began wiping down the streaked glass panes.

"Whew, that should do it," he muttered, stepping back to admire his handiwork and waiting for the system to notify.

[System]

Objectives completed.

Received: 100 experience.

New Name is now level 2.

Select a perk: [Enrage] [Bristled Back] [Injuring Punches] [Critical Spots]

"Finally, I leveled up, and I get a perk too?"

"System, display their descriptions." Frizz couldn't hold his excitement.

[System]

You only get their descriptions if you select them.

"What? Then what's the point of even having a choice?" Frizz raised his hands in disbelief.

"Fine, whatever, give me Enrage," Frizz hastily decided.

New name received [Enrage].

Displaying descriptions: Upon a successful roar, strength, and endurance are significantly increased for five minutes.

"Okay, not bad, but it sucks that I don't know what I will get unless I pick them. This is a damn gamble."

Six students entered the store and went straight into the beverages section. Frizz straightened his uniform and went behind the counter.

(I might be strong now, but I am still a cashier. I still have to do my job.)