Chapter 2: Chapter 2: DEFECTIVE STATUS AND UNIQUE COMPENSATION
My heart pounded hard as these slender fingers touched the surface of the shop’s glass. In the reflection, an Elf girl with flowing silver-white hair like silk and deep ruby-red eyes stared back with the exact same panicked expression as mine.
This couldn’t be real.
I was a twenty-year-old man... but now I was trapped inside the body of a breathtakingly beautiful Elf girl. Snow-white skin, naturally pink lips, and soft, graceful curves. Everything was too perfect, yet completely foreign.
With bated breath, I tried to call up the system interface. I flicked my right hand downward, just like I had seen in game trailers.
Whoosh.
A light blue holographic screen appeared before me with fine particle effects. My eyes quickly scanned every line.
========== STATUS ==========
Name : Syl
Gender: Female
Race : Elf
Trait : Albinism
Level : 1
EXP : 0 / 50
Health : 60 / 60
MP : 180 / 180
Stamina : 100 / 100
========== ATTRIBUTES ==========
STR : 2
INT : 12
DEX : 11
AGI : 3
VIT : 2
Attribute Points : 0
========== SKILLS ==========
Skill Points : 10
"Female..."
The soft, feminine voice that came out of my mouth sounded like a resigned groan. I immediately tapped on the Trait section.
Albinism (Permanent Genetic Disorder)
Description: Your character was born with an extreme lack of melanin pigment. Hair grows milky white and the irises are red due to visible blood vessels. This condition is permanent and cannot be cured by any means.
Permanent Debuff Effects:
Stamina consumption for all physical activities is doubled.Strength (STR) and Agility (AGI) are permanently reduced by 50%.
Permanent Buff Effects:
Intelligence (INT) and Dexterity (DEX) are permanently doubled.
"No wonder..." I muttered, touching my smooth silver hair.
This body was extraordinarily beautiful, but its flaw was too heavy. Stamina drained twice as fast, strength and agility cut in half. For players who wanted to be frontline fighters, this character was basically a failure from the start.
However, the buffs to INT and DEX were very high. Maybe my path wasn’t as a physical fighter, but something that relied on intelligence and precision.
I couldn’t accept the gender issue. This was clearly a system error. I quickly opened the help menu and selected "Report Bug / Contact GM." With slightly trembling fingers, I typed my complaint.
Less than ten seconds later, an elegant golden window appeared with the official glowing SWO logo.
[Message from SWO System Management]
Dear Player, Syl.
We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced.
After a thorough investigation, we discovered a minor synchronization anomaly caused by your special medical condition and real-world physical data, which caused the system AI to misinterpret the aesthetic parameters when replicating your optimal body.
As our responsibility, we offer two compensation options:
Option 1: Full character reset. You may recreate your character with the correct gender.
Option 2: Accept compensation. The character remains as is, and you will receive a bonus of 5 Skill Points (SP) and 5 Attribute Points (AP).
I stayed silent for a long time, seriously weighing both choices.
Resetting meant I would have to exit the capsule, go through the nerve transfer process again, and start from zero. But if I stayed here... I could already feel the cool breeze on my skin, the strong pulse in my veins, and the freedom of movement that had only been a dream before.
In SWO, Skill Points were extremely valuable. New players only started with 10 SP. Each skill level-up only gave 1 SP. SP was needed to activate skills even after the requirements were met. Meanwhile, AP was also crucial for raising stats, since each level only granted 3 AP.
I took a deep breath and typed my answer firmly.
"I choose Option 2."
[Choice confirmed. 5 SP and 5 AP have been added to your account. Happy adventuring in the Second World.]
I didn’t immediately run toward the city gate like most new players I saw dashing around full of excitement. Instead, I walked leisurely along the cobblestone sidewalks of the beginner city.
It had been almost two years since I could walk normally. Every step felt like a small miracle. The slightly rough texture of the stones under my beginner cloth shoes, the breeze moving my long hair, the friction of the thin robe against my thighs everything felt so real.
But the Albinism debuff quickly reminded me of this new reality. After walking only fifty meters at normal speed, my stamina bar had already dropped by nearly a quarter.
"Oh my god... it really drains fast," I grumbled with a bitter smile.
I wasn’t angry. In the real world, I couldn’t even walk this far without help. So I enjoyed it in a different way.
Whenever my stamina started running low, I sat on park benches, stone steps, or the edge of fountains. I watched NPC children running around cheerfully, vendors selling warm butter-scented bread, and the classic European-style architecture with stone buildings and red-tiled roofs.
I walked slowly. Rested. Walked again. I repeated this rhythm over and over without getting bored.
Almost half an hour later, as I was walking leisurely in front of an old bookstore with an intricately carved oak door, a crisp notification sounded.
Ding!
[System Notification]
You have performed walking activity with a very relaxed, consistent, and slow rhythm for a long time under extreme physical limitations. Your nerves and body have adapted well.
You have triggered the conditions to unlock a new Passive Skill: Slow Walking
Effect: When walking at a relaxed or slow pace, stamina regeneration increases by 10%. Activation Cost: 1 SP
[Accept] / [Decline]
I chuckled softly. A skill that seemed useless to normal players, but for me it was perfect.
With the debuff that made stamina drain twice as fast, a skill that increased regeneration while walking slowly was a godsend. Without hesitation, I pressed the button.
"Accept."
[1 SP consumed. Remaining SP: 14]
[Congratulations! You have learned Passive Skill: Slow Walking (Level 1)]
A pleasant warm wave spread throughout my body. I started walking again with very relaxed steps, almost as if floating. The stamina bar that usually dropped quickly now decreased much more slowly and even recovered slightly.
I giggled happily, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on my pale white skin.
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