The sun began to rise in the east, its warm light bringing life to every creature in the world.
In his room, Merlin slept peacefully—until a beam of light pierced through the window and landed on the right side of his face.
"Ugh..." he groaned softly, pulling the blanket over his head.
But the light had already woken him, and now it was nearly impossible to fall back asleep.
He threw off the blanket and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes lazily.
"Is it morning already? Feels like I just closed my eyes…"
In his previous world, he often worked overtime, so waking up at noon had become routine. His body had grown used to it without him noticing.
But now, it was impossible. Not that he didn't want to, but he couldn't. As Merlin Clay, he couldn't afford to let his guard down—every second had to be used wisely.
After all, his future had been uncertain ever since he took over Merlin Clay's body.
"[Good morning, Master! You slept well, right?]"
The system's excited voice echoed in his mind. Merlin smiled gently. "Of course, system. I slept well, especially after what happened last night."
Last night, he and Catrine had finally reconciled, and it brought him immense joy.
The previous two days had been a struggle. He tried repeatedly to get close to the little girl, but Catrine always avoided him and refused to talk.
What happened last night was a gamble—and fortunately, it paid off.
Now, Merlin and Catrine were no longer weighed down by awkwardness, and they could interact just like before.
"By the way, system," Merlin asked curiously, "how many favorability points does Catrine have for me? Has it reached ninety yet?"
"[Not yet, Master. However, you did something great last night. Her favorability has increased to seventy points. Only twenty more points remain for you to complete the mission."] Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel·fiɾe·net
"So that's it…" Merlin nodded lightly, showing no trace of disappointment.
Instead, he looked happy and relieved. Seventy points was a huge improvement from the zero points he had before.
"How many system points do I have now?"
"[You have two thousand system points, Master. Would you like to open a system shop?"]
"Of course! Open it, system!" Merlin rubbed his palms together in excitement.
Ever since last night, he had been eager to explore the system shop and buy some valuable items.
And now, with two thousand points at his disposal—that was a lot for Merlin.
"[Ding! The system shop has opened!]"
A notification rang in his mind, and a blue panel appeared.
1x S-Level Healing Potion (10,000 SP)
1x Bloodline Generation Potion (50,000 SP)
1x Wind Attribute Potion (15,000 SP)
1x Memory Altering Potion (30,000 SP)
Holy Sword of Luminus (500,000 SP)
Red Dragon Scales Twin Daggers (400,000 SP / 99% discount: 1,500 SP)
1x Sleeping Pill (5 SP)
1x Butter Sauce (1 SP)
Merlin stared at the system shop's contents, unable to hide his amazement.
'How marvelous! How is it possible for such incredible items to be sold just ?' He swallowed in amazement.
He had expected the system shop's items to be impressive—but everything was far beyond what he had imagined.
"[Hehehe! It's fun to see you surprised, Master!]" the system said proudly.
Merlin chuckled softly, shaking his head. He returned to examining the system shop, then noticed one thing: the items were extremely expensive, especially the limited edition ones.
"System…" His brows furrowed slightly. "Didn't you make a mistake with the prices? Why are they so… high?"
An S-level healing potion was priced at ten thousand system points—five times the number of points he currently had. And that wasn't even mentioning the other potions, like the Bloodline Generation Potion or the Wind Attribute Potion, which were even more exorbitant.
If he wanted to buy everything… it would be impossible.
"[Master, how can you say that?]" The system pouted. "[The prices are very reasonable. They match the benefits. Take the S-level healing potion, for example: it can cure any disease or curse and even save you from death if taken just before Hades drags you into his world.]"
Merlin fell silent at that explanation. The S-level healing potion was indeed extraordinary. As he recalled, in the world of the novel The Lost Hero, healing potions were divided into three main levels: bronze, silver, and gold.
Of course, there was one higher level—the legendary Seven-Color Potion—said to cure all diseases and curses in the world.
Looking at the description of the S-level healing potion, Merlin realized it seemed identical to the legendary Seven-Color Potion.
"Still…" He let out a small sigh, wearing a sullen expression. "These items are ridiculously expensive. If I want to buy them, I'll have to complete a bunch of other missions, right?"
"[Hmmm… You're right…]" The system paused, thinking deeply. "[In that case, I'll give you a little help.]"
"[Ding! Complete the Awakening Mission today! An additional reward of 20,000 SP will be credited to your account!"]
Merlin's eyes widened in shock, his heart racing.
"System… System! Is this for real?"
"[Of course, Master. Are you happy now?]"
"Hahaha!" Merlin laughed loudly, jumping to his feet and bouncing up and down. "Of course I'm happy!"
With the system points he would earn, he could buy all sorts of powerful items to support his growth in the future.
Just then, a knock sounded at his door, followed by Maya's anxious voice.
"Young Master, what's going on? Why are you screaming like that? Did you hit your head on the nightstand?"