Wade looked at the status screen in front of him. Were these his stats? Although the screen was meant to provide answers about oneself, it ended up raising more questions than giving him answers.

  As Wade pondered, questions like "What is the Boon of The Eternal Snake?" and "What's happening with my constitution?" filled his mind. But one of the more pressing ones was, "Why am I still Diseased?"

  The sound of the news anchor broke Wade's reverie. "...The state of the country has been sent into a panic by mysterious scree...". Wade glanced around, observing others shifting their attention from their Stats to face the TV.

  "The officials are working to determine the source of these 'Status Screens.' Until then, it is advised that all civilians return to their residences while the government finds a solution…" The news anchor continued with reassurances and safety procedures for quarantine until things had calmed down. Still, Wade had lost interest and stopped paying attention.

  "Home..." It had been ages since Wade had last visited his apartment. He also realized he had missed some calls from his parents during his hospitalization. Determined to seek answers, Wade decided it was time to leave the confines of the hospital and return home. He approached a nurse, his voice calm and resolute as he requested to be discharged. The nurse awakened from her stupor and quickly helped him with the necessary paperwork.

  "Uh, Yes, of course." The nurse was awakened from her stupper. She helped Wade with his paperwork, and by the end of the evening, Wade was on a taxi back to his apartment. Wade had already called his parents and explained to them his improved condition. Wade's parents, of course, expressed their excitement and promised to visit after the quarantine. In the sanctuary of his home, Wade devoted his free time to delving deeper into the mysteries of the status screen. Between signing paperwork and organizing his life post-hospitalization, he immersed himself in its arcane knowledge. To his relief, the screen revealed descriptions and explanations whenever he focused on a particular aspect.

  "There is a lot to unpack here." Wade's mind raced with many questions, but he figured there was no point in trying to figure them out now. The only step for him was forward.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Wade quickly accepted the option as he was curious about what it was. When Wade checked his main screen, he saw that the total of his LF was 30. Before asking too many questions, let's see what the rest of these screens hold.

  "...!" Wade was feeling a lot of emotions at the moment. Surprise, fear, excitement, and relief. "So that's why it shows that I'm still diseased..." Wade found it highly ironic that the same parasite who betrayed his body was now the engine for his power.

  Wade raised his hand. Although the system has not seemed to have lied so far, Wade needed to test his newfound power. "Ummm... Blood manipulation?" Nothing happened. Wade's eyebrow furrowed. Closing his eyes, Wade concentrated on his hand. Unconsciously reaching for the feeling he first felt when he shook hands with Ouroboros. The power responded.

  [Blood Manipulation]

  Wade felt a strange sensation within his body; this red power originated within his bones and heart. Wade pictured it in his head; the energy flowed along his bloodstream. Mentally, Wade tried to grasp this power, finding this came intuitively to him. The force almost wished to be controlled by Wade. Wade grabbed a small piece of this energy, pushing it to the tip of his hand. The power eagerly followed his command. When Wade opened his eyes again, a tiny droplet of blood floated along the end of his finger.

  {-1 Lf}