Imaginitation system

The sun rose over the ruined city, its light falling on broken streets and destroyed buildings. Smoke rose in the distance, and the cries of monsters echoed everywhere. The world was falling apart, just like Lu Fang remembered.

Sitting in his small, broken apartment, Lu Fang stared at the strange message in his mind.

[Welcome, Host. You have awakened the Imagination System.]

[You can turn your imagination into reality by spending points.]

[As a welcome gift, you receive one free imagination with no point cost. Use it wisely.]

His hands clenched into fists. He had seen this before. He had made a terrible mistake the last time he got this chance. It had cost him everything. But now, the system didn't remember what happened. It had erased its memory to send him back in time.

Because of that, the system gave him the Newbie Gift again, just like it had in the future.

"This time, I won't mess it up," Lu Fang whispered.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the cracks in the ceiling.

"The system erased its memory," he muttered. "It doesn't even know what happened before. But why send me back at all?"

He frowned, trying to piece it together.

"It could've just left me to die," he thought. "But instead, it brought me back here. Maybe… maybe it wants to help me."

The thought was strange. The system had always been cold and mechanical, never showing any emotion or care. Yet, it had done something extraordinary to give him another chance.

"Whatever the reason," Lu Fang said, shaking his head, "I'll figure it out later. For now, I need to focus on surviving."

The sounds of explosions and monster roars came from outside, but Lu Fang ignored them. He sat in his chair, thinking hard. He had one free imagination, something that wouldn't cost any points.

"I can imagine anything," he said to himself. "But what should I choose?"

Hours passed. The sun set, and the room grew dark. Lu Fang stayed in his chair, thinking about what would help him survive.

"Power? No, it might not be enough. Weapons? They don't work on monsters. Food or water? That won't last long."

Then, as the first light of dawn came through the window, an idea hit him.

"If the problem is how many points I need," he said slowly, "then I'll make it so the points never go too high."

He sat up straight, focusing his mind.

"I imagine that the points needed for any imagination will never go above 100 points."

The air around him shimmered faintly, and the system responded.

[Processing… Imagination confirmed. One-time free gift used.]

The strange glow faded, and everything became quiet again. Lu Fang let out a long breath. It was done.

Lu Fang stood up, determination in his eyes. He couldn't waste any more time. He needed to test if his imagination worked. He needed to know if he could survive.

He grabbed his coat, stepping out of his apartment into the chaos outside. The streets were empty, save for the distant sounds of destruction. His eyes scanned the area, looking for anything that could help him test his ability.

He needed to find a weak monster, one he could handle with minimal risk.

After walking for a while, Lu Fang spotted a small F-rank monster. It was a slimy creature with glowing yellow eyes, its body wriggling and leaving a trail of slime behind it.

This would be the perfect test.

The creature noticed him immediately and hissed, its yellow eyes narrowing in on him.

Lu Fang's heart raced. He wasn't a fighter, and he didn't have any weapons, but he knew he had to act.

The monster charged at him with surprising speed, its mouth opening wide, ready to bite. Lu Fang jumped back, narrowly avoiding its sharp teeth.

He needed to end this quickly.

Looking around, he saw a rusty kitchen knife lying on the ground, discarded by someone who had long since fled. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. He grabbed it and turned to face the creature.

The monster lunged again, and this time, Lu Fang was ready. He swung the knife, slashing at the creature's side. The blade cut deep into its slimy flesh, and the monster screeched in pain.

It staggered back, but Lu Fang didn't give it a chance to recover. He lunged forward, stabbing the knife into its neck. The creature gurgled and thrashed, but Lu Fang held on, driving the blade deeper until the monster finally went still.

[Monster defeated. 5 points earned.]

The system's voice echoed in his mind, and Lu Fang let out a shaky breath.

"I did it," he muttered. "I actually did it."

His heart pounded in his chest, and his body felt drained from the fight. He had used up more energy than he realized, and now he was thirsty. He needed something to drink.

He stumbled back toward his apartment, his legs weak.

As he entered, he immediately focused his mind.

"I imagine a cup of water," he whispered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.

The air shimmered again, and a small, clear cup appeared in front of him, filled with cool, refreshing water.

[Imagination successful. 1 point spent.]

Lu Fang's eyes widened in surprise and relief.

He grabbed the cup, his hands trembling, and drank the water in one gulp. It was like a burst of energy, refreshing him in ways he hadn't expected. The exhaustion from the fight with the monster faded, and he felt a sense of strength return to his body.

"That's… that's amazing," he whispered, his voice full of awe. "Just 1 point… and I can have something like this."

He set the empty cup down on the table, a smile spreading across his face.

"I can do this. I can survive."

The world outside was still in chaos, but for the first time, Lu Fang felt like he had a chance. A real chance. With his ability, he could change his fate.