Chapter 5 – The Skill of Insight
1050 Words
“Cough… cough… Little Sprout, what should I do now?” Noah Steele groaned, struggling to divert his mind from the mischievous gaze of the little system spirit. Since arriving here, his brain had been on the verge of a short-circuit, and he had no clue what to do next.
Little Sprout gave him a teasing side-eye before switching to an instructive tone. “Master, you currently only have ten points, so I don’t recommend learning skills yet. Beginner skills won’t help you much at this stage, and the system tasks are still forming—it’ll take at least three days before you can claim them. However, you can try the lottery. Since you just activated the system, it grants you one draw as a reward. With a bit of luck, you might even pull a high-tier skill… maybe even Master-level Medicine. That would solve your immediate problem, wouldn’t it?”
“Alright, then. I’ll follow your advice—let’s do the lottery,” Noah said, nodding with a mix of hope and excitement.
“Okay! The Grand Lottery begins!” Little Sprout waved her delicate hand, and a massive spinning wheel materialized in front of him, hovering midair. The surface was covered with hundreds of tiny skill names. Most were low- or mid-tier, a few were advanced or master-level, a handful were grandmaster, and—there it was, alone—the single God-tier skill: Insight.
Noah studied the wheel carefully, squinting at the hundreds of options. “Little Sprout… that’s it? Only these skills? Does that mean I’m at a disadvantage?”
“No, no. The skills and tiers in the lottery are completely random. It all depends on your luck,” Little Sprout explained with a shrug, noticing his skeptical frown.
“Oh… I see. Well, it looks like Lady Luck favors me! A God-tier skill exists! Then let’s strike while the iron’s hot. I’m drawing now!” Noah’s grin spread ear to ear.
“Alright. You say ‘start,’ and I’ll spin the wheel. When you feel ready, say ‘stop,’ and it will freeze. Where the pointer lands… well, that’s your luck. Ready?”
Noah took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart. Then he shouted, “Start!”
The enormous wheel began to spin, faster and faster. The pointer whizzed past countless beginner and intermediate skills. Every time it flickered over Insight, his pulse jumped. He didn’t know exactly what it did, but the “God-tier” label alone made it the most desirable prize on the wheel.
Minutes—or maybe seconds, it felt like centuries—passed. The pointer began to slow, creeping across the surface. Noah’s chest tightened. This was it. The final outcome was moments away.
Finally, the pointer drifted to Insight. Noah exhaled in relief. But just as he prepared to celebrate, he realized the pointer hadn’t completely stopped. It hovered between Insight and Beginner English, inching forward.
“Ding! Lottery complete!” A crisp electronic chime rang out. The wheel dissolved into white light.
Noah’s heart thumped painfully. “Little Sprout… what does this mean?”
Little Sprout blinked. “Hmm… I’ve never seen this happen before. Let me check carefully.” She closed her eyes, consulting the system.
Seconds later, she opened them, giving him a dramatic glare. “By the system’s calculation, the pointer is five nanometers closer to Insight than Beginner English. Congratulations, Master. The skill awarded is God-tier: Insight!”
A beam of white light shot from her hand into Noah’s mind, and a clear, melodious voice echoed inside his head:
“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained God-tier Skill: [Insight].”
“No… wow… yes! Oh my God!” Noah leapt high into the air, overjoyed. Forgetting Little Sprout’s usual mischievous attitude, he embraced her in his excitement.
The next moment, the chaos of his enthusiasm collided with gravity—he fell flat onto the floor, fully demonstrating his fearless, reckless spirit. Little Sprout laughed, her clear, bell-like giggle filling the room, mingled with a few of Noah’s pained groans.
Eventually, Noah picked himself up, still holding his injured parts, mumbling, “Little Sprout… I have the skill Insight, but how do I… use it?”
Little Sprout rolled her eyes, cheeks tinged with pink, but patiently explained. “It’s a special skill. Just look at whatever you want to observe, think ‘Insight’ in your mind, and it activates.”
“Simple enough. Let’s try it.” Noah focused, whispering in his mind: “Insight.”
A small icon appeared before his eyes, labeled Insight, with a brief description:
[Insight]: God-tier skill. Allows observation of all things.
Noah scanned his surroundings, repeating the incantation mentally. Nothing seemed to happen. He frowned. “Why isn’t it working?”
Little Sprout gave him a pointed look. “This is the system space. What could you possibly observe here? You need to go outside to use it properly.”
Noah shivered. Her seductive eye-rolls were teasing enough, but with her mischievous nature, he wisely decided, Better not test it… I’d like to live a few more years.
“Fine. I’ll send you out now. If you want to return, just think of me and call my name,” she said.
“I don’t want to stay here anyway. It’s too sterile, like a lab,” Noah thought to himself, wisely keeping the comment to himself.
A flash of white light surrounded him, and when it faded, he found himself back in the familiar forest. His torn clothing and newfound strength reminded him that none of this was a dream.
“Phew… from now on, I’m not the old Noah Steele anymore. The world will change because of me.” He gazed at the moon, a surge of heroic energy filling him.
A cold wind blew, and Noah realized just how naked he still was. The remaining scraps of cloth floated away, leaving him exposed.
“First things first… I need to get home and change. Being naked in public is… not ideal.” The once-grandiose Noah Steele deflated like a punctured balloon, sneaking off into the woods like a guilty thief.
The forest fell silent again, save for the few floating cloth scraps drifting in the wind.
- Writer
