So the system sprite had no choice but to continue explaining. The so-called virtual game is actually a world made up of numbers. This world appears incredibly real, but in reality, it is just a space composed of numbers. To make things clearer, the system sprite even provided a string of numbers to explain what a digital space is.

　　Gavin Brooks

　　Class: Warrior

　　Level: 1

　　Strength: 18

　　Agility: 15

　　Endurance: 18

　　Intelligence: 15

　　Spirit: 1

　　HP: 180/180

　　MP: 110/110

　　Stamina: 180/180

　　Gavin Brooks knew these numbers were real. His innate deficiency in spiritual power was something only his closest people knew. If not for this reason, as someone from a family skilled in both magic and combat, why would he have ended up at this remote school, choosing warrior as his class?

　　Gavin Brooks stood outside the blacksmith shop, feeling a headache coming on.

　　Ever since the Sunset Mountains exam, strange things had been happening to him one after another.

　　First, he was knocked out by a hat falling from the sky. Not only did he fail the exam, but he also gained a reputation for having a "criminal face." Trying to hide in his dorm to get some sleep, he accidentally slept his way into another world—a virtual world made up of numbers. Damn, what the hell...

　　If it weren't for that voice claiming to be the system sprite, which had said that after eight hours of real-world time, players would automatically return to reality, Gavin Brooks would have been desperate enough to want to die.

　　Of everything the system sprite had said, that was probably the only thing that gave Gavin Brooks a bit of comfort.

　　Anyway, it's just eight hours. Might as well treat it as a dream...

　　With that thought, Gavin Brooks finally felt a little more at ease.

　　While calculating in his mind how to pass the time, Gavin Brooks looked at the blacksmith shop in front of him and asked, "Why did we come here?"

　　"Because before starting the game, you still need to choose a life skill." The system sprite's voice was pleasant, but Gavin Brooks was in no mood to appreciate it.

　　"Life skill?"

　　"That's right."

　　Before Gavin Brooks could think it over, the system sprite sent him information about life skills.

　　Looking at the information, Gavin Brooks began to understand, at least a little, what a digital world meant.

　　From smelting to forging, from herbs to potions, there were dozens of life skills, each with its own characteristics. Just reading them made Gavin Brooks's eyes blur. With the combination conditions provided by the system sprite, Gavin Brooks could easily create countless life professions. Smelting plus forging naturally made a blacksmith, but if you added knowledge of magic circles to the blacksmith, this ordinary profession would instantly transform into a magic equipment forger!

　　But the combination of life skills wasn't something you could just throw together. Not only did the skills need to complement each other, but there were also rather harsh requirements.

　　The life skills to be combined had to be at least at the master level.

　　Gavin Brooks didn't find this restriction strange. It was no different from reality: only after reaching the peak in your own field do you qualify to integrate features from other fields and blaze a trail no one has walked before.

　　The nearly limitless possibilities made Gavin Brooks a little excited.

Chapter Two: Learning Skills

　　Gavin Brooks even started to feel that this inexplicable virtual game wasn't entirely useless.

　　But with nearly a hundred life skills, each with its own features, just looking at them made Gavin Brooks's eyes glaze over. He really couldn't make a decision right away.

　　At that moment, the system sprite's voice once again sounded in his mind.

　　"My suggestion is to start with smelting and forging."

　　"Why?"

　　"According to the system scan, you have great potential for development in strength and endurance. Forging and smelting happen to be the best ways to boost these two attributes in the early stages of the game. Through them, you can raise both attributes above 40 in a short time. By then, you should be able to play the game normally."

　　"Wait... Are you saying I can't play the game normally right now?" Gavin Brooks suddenly felt something was off as he listened.

　　"Yes. According to the system scan, your physical strength is far below normal standards. You need to train before you can play the game properly."

　　"Physical strength far below normal standards..." The phrase sounded awkward. Gavin Brooks repeated it several times before suddenly realizing—it basically meant disabled, didn't it?

　　Gavin Brooks couldn't help but laugh and fume at the same time. Although he was born with a deficiency in spiritual power and wasn't suited to be a mage, he had still relied on his combat talent to get into Auckland Academy's warrior division. After just a month, he had already earned the approval of the freshman instructor Rodney Brooks, who called him a promising newcomer.

　　Who would have thought that in this so-called virtual game, he'd be labeled as disabled...

　　"I wonder if Instructor Rodney Brooks would also be called disabled if he came here..." Gavin Brooks muttered as he reached out and pushed open the blacksmith shop's door.