Star Wars: Galactic System - CH9

And so, I began running around the streets of Naboo in order to complete my newly appointed quest, wondering if just leaving the planet wasn’t a better option. It’s not like I had any connections or attachments to this place, I mean, sure I liked the movies as much as the next guy, but not enough to risk my neck for it.

Still, for reasons I had yet to comprehend, I ran and ran and ran. My feet pounded the cobblestone streets, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. 

Thankfully, the city was mostly deserted at this hour, so no one could see my deplorable state.

Perhaps the only reason I was still here, instead of… literally any other planet were the rewards. I did have a bit of a problem when it came to game related things, and by problem I mean I felt like I was obligated to complete them.

On the bright side, my stats were increasing, so there was that.

I had started this quest just about a month ago, and my agility and strength had increased a bit.

[Name: Sion Wells

LV: 4 

Class: N/A 

Health: 100% 

Strength: 27 

Agility: 29 

Intelligence: 17 

Charisma: 8 

Force: 4 

Credits: 3544.]

Just a few points, nothing noteworthy, but still appreciated.

Another thing I was noticing was how my body as a whole felt… different, as in… not-human. For example, after a few hours of exercise, pushing my body to the limit, all I would need was a few minutes of rest to feel… completely fine, as if I hadn’t just worked out. 

I never felt that pain you feel after going to the gym, or running for too long. I did get tired, but… I would recover far too fast, like inhumanly fast. 

Another thing was that I didn’t need to sleep that much to be fully rested. How I discovered this was frankly a happy accident, because I didn’t plan on it, but one day I just… woke up to a loud sound, two hours after falling asleep, and I was… well, fully rested.

At first, I thought it was a combination of the sudden loud sound scaring me off the bed, but I have to admit my curiosity led me to experiment. Eventually, this experimentation helped me find out all I needed to be fully rested was a full hour of sleep.

That was honestly terrifying, coming from the guy that used to need a minimum of eight hours to feel like a human being. 

But I had to admit not having to sleep that much had its benefits. 

One of them being that I had more time to increase my skill repertoire. Though the amount of skills that I could learn was heavily limited, that being said, I had learned quite a few things. Nothing combat related, but useful nonetheless, like cooking, first aid and such.

I was still working on my other quests.

[Quest: Learn a New Language!

Objective: Learn a new language.

Reward: Skill Book.

Completion: 99%]

I was almost fluent in the standard galactic, and thank god I hadn’t had another encounter with Palpatine. 

Continuing from where you left off:

That said, avoiding the likes of Palpatine had probably been a stroke of luck that I wasn't sure would hold. Especially now that I had apparently caught his attention. But for now, I supposed I was safe, or at the very least not on the top list of his priorities.

Just as I rounded another corner, gasping for breath, the system pinged with a notification:

[Quest Update: Evade Detection

Objective: Remain unseen by any local authorities, after all, you don’t have any papers.

Reward: Stealth Module Upgrade.

Current Progress: 36 hours]

I sighed, a part of me wishing for a straightforward fight rather than these sneaking missions. But then, fighting wasn't my forte, at least not yet. Stealth, on the other hand, thanks to my rapidly improving agility, was becoming my unexpected specialty.

As I continued my night-bound escapade, another alert blinked into existence, pulling up a holographic display in front of my eyes. It was a shop update, reminding me of the new items I could purchase with my hard-earned credits.

[Shop Update:

Energy Shield (Small) - 500 Credits

Healing Balm - 200 Credits

Language Enhancer Chip - 800 Credits

Lightweight Armor - 1000 Credits]

The Language Enhancer Chip caught my eye. It promised to boost language skills beyond natural learning, potentially perfecting my grasp on the standard galactic language and maybe even opening up a few others. Considering my current quest, it seemed like an investment worth making.

Learning new languages faster would make my life here easier. 

Decision made, I transferred the credits, feeling the slight tingle in my brain as the chip integrated with my system, a sensation that was becoming familiar yet remained distinctly alien. Moments later, the system confirmed the successful integration.

[Language Skills Updated:

Standard Galactic: Fluent

Huttese: Basic Understanding]

"Handy," I muttered to myself, feeling a smirk creep across my face. Maybe now I could eavesdrop a bit more effectively or even negotiate better prices in the market. 

Though I couldn’t help but wonder why Huttese was within my languages now, I never read a book about it. Maybe it had something to do with my time with Gardulla.

[Quest Completed: Learn a New Language!

Objective: Learn a new language.

Reward: Skill Book.]

The system chimed triumphantly, reminding me of my quest.

The holographic display shimmered, and a small, ancient-looking tome materialized from the digital ether, landing softly in my palm. I still couldn’t get used to the system materializing things out of nowhere. It was surprisingly solid for something that had just been data moments before. The cover was unadorned except for a single word embossed in silver: "Mortal Kombat."

‘Mortal Kombat?’ I thought with a mild chuckle.

Curiosity flaring, I flipped open the book. The pages were filled with diagrams and descriptions of martial arts from across the galaxy, some that were familiar to any fan of the films, like Teras Kasi, and others not so much.

As I skimmed through the pages, the system beeped softly, and text appeared at the bottom of each page:

[Interactive Skill Tutorial Available. Initiate? Y/N]

I pressed "Y" without hesitation. The world around me dimmed, and I found myself standing in what looked like a virtual dojo, the streets of Naboo replaced by smooth, matte black floors and walls that seemed to absorb light.

A figure appeared before me, a hologram, one probably generated by the system to serve as my instructor. It was a lean, humanoid shape, with features that suggested it was modeled after one of the more agile species of the galaxy, perhaps a Twi'lek or a Togruta, maybe a mix of both, I wasn’t entirely sure.

"Welcome, Sion," the hologram greeted, its voice neutral but clear. "Today, you will begin your basic combat training. We will start with the fundamentals of balance and stance."

I followed the instructions, mimicking the movements as the hologram demonstrated. Each position felt awkward at first, but as I repeated them, muscle memory began to build at an alarming rate, aided by the instant feedback from the hologram and subtle adjustments from the skill book's programming.

As I continued training, hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The hologram took me through basic punches, kicks, and blocks, each movement flowing into the next with increasing smoothness. As the session drew to a close, I felt a profound exhaustion mixed with exhilaration. 

My body knew things it hadn't when the night began.

I was learning at a pace that wasn’t normal by any means, and it felt great.

Eventually, as the training was completed, the dojo faded away, and I was back on the streets of Naboo, the early morning sun just beginning to touch the rooftops with gold. 

[Name: Sion Wells

LV: 4 

Class: N/A 

Health: 100% 

Strength: 27 + 5

Agility: 29 + 5 

Intelligence: 17 + 2

Charisma: 8 

Force: 4 

Credits: 3544.]

[Do you wish to learn “Mortal Kombat - Tome 1” ? It will grant you a mastery of one to three martial arts based on a random number generation.

Y/N.]

Wait….

I didn’t have to do the tutorial?

Well that's a way to waste time.

With a wry grin at my earlier assumption that the tutorial was mandatory, I tapped "Y" on the system's interface to accept the offer of learning "Mortal Kombat - Tome 1." A moment later, the system's random number generation kicked in, its digital spinner whirling in the corner of my vision.

[Random Number Generation: 2]

[Martial Arts Mastery Granted: Teras Kasi, Echani]

The knowledge of these two revered martial arts styles downloaded into my brain, a sensation that was as exhilarating as it was bizarre. Teras Kasi, known for its emphasis on striking, blocking, and counterattacks, suited my growing agility. Echani, on the other hand, was more about reading opponents and using their energy against them, a skill that seemed almost like a dance of prediction and reaction.

Armed with these new skills, I felt a newfound confidence swell within me. Maybe now I could handle more than just stealth missions and start taking on more direct confrontations, if necessary.

Just then, another quest alert popped up, reminding me that the galaxy never paused, and neither could I.

[New Quest: Prove Your Worth!

Objective: Successfully defend yourself against an unexpected challenger.

Reward: Advanced Combat Module.

Timer: 72 hours]

Wait, does that mean someone will attack me within that time frame?