《Branded》 Prologue: Unearthed Prologue: Unearthed Dusk settled across the sky as the sun ended its crescent over the world. The forest of viridian green and vibrant purple was dense over the land, forming a canopy that obscured the ground from the air above. Below the leaves, the darkness was much more potent as the dimming daylight struggled to reach past the awning. Wolves howled as the day set, casting fear into the hearts of the domicile wildlife, but a sharper ear would find angst present in the shout. In the deepest part of this darkness, where one would find no light here even during golden hour, a shrouded thicket held underneath a hole that led towards the depths of an unmarked ruin. Only recently, the thicket was broken and damaged, but clever techniques utilizing the surrounding underbrush masked the presence of the location. The discovery of a dungeon was a chance at riches, so often expeditionists would hide their existence to covet everything inside, ignoring the laws of reporting it to the Dungeon Investigation Agency. Of course, fortune was not all the dungeon stowed inside. Inside, it looked like any other ancient mine from ages past. Metallic carts of the inferior design lay either tipped over or forever irreparable on the tracks that lead deeper. The mine seemed fairly innocuous and, to the untrained eye, would be glanced over and deemed unremarkable, aside from attracting the attention of history buffs. However, to dungeoneers, this location was teeming with the chaotic energy of magic. Oddly enough, the chaos was potent enough that any junior explorer would be able to sense the presence of a dungeon once inside, but it was indiscernible from beyond the entrance. Various traps lay destroyed along the path inside. Most looked to be safely disarmed, but every so often, one would have rich blood strewn about the area. Torn clothing, strips of flesh, or cracks in the ground could be found among the gore of destroyed bodies and figures. None of the remains were humanoid, but it was unlikely, based upon the messy remnants, that the entrants did not struggle while facing the resistance. Following the footprints in the black dust, a large stone door locked shut, guarded the dungeon¡¯s deepest room. The dungeoneers had already entered inside and the door closed behind them would force them to face the challenges inside. Only those confident in their abilities or ignorant to danger would enter such an obvious final room. Faint sounds of a clash pushed through the door, but they echoed loudly across the stone in the locked chamber. Sparks of metal colliding flashing of magic illuminated the circular room, outshining the red sconces on the walls. Heavy boots of steel pressed into the ground with each step and served to mask the sound of what could only be explained as the ticking of a clock. The only outstanding object in the room was the large, empty orb attached to the ceiling above, reflecting each movement from those inside. Standing tall and reaching the top of the three-meter tall ceiling, a mechanical automaton expressionlessly attacked the invaders before it. It¡¯s bronze coating with strange runes glistened in the dim lighting and atop its constructed shoulders was the design of a gruff, but strange-looking old man¡¯s face. Its face did not move, but behind its eyelids was the slight glowing of a red light. Each of its attacks, whether it was the hammer of it¡¯s right or the blade of its left, held the might of a train that those before it had to defend against. The vanguard consisted of those in knightly attire, steel plates, pauldrons, and all. Quality weapons were held by each of them and each sword, spear, or shield had their own unique effects. Coordination trained by years of fighting led the group into a routine dance, shielding to block the heavy attacks and then striking directly after. Behind them towards the backline, four people in lighter clothing stood helpless in the skirmish. One of elvish descent loosed arrows one after another but failed to do much damage against the metallic creature. Another in priestess clothing chanted words upon words, bringing light from the ceiling and into the wounds of the warriors to heal them. The third was a young boy, staff in hand but his panicked demeanor caused him to hesitate between each spell. Lastly, a strong, if not strange man carried a large number of supplies in his pack currently placed to his side as he sat on the ground. In his hands was a bowl of soup that he would occasionally take satisfying mouthfuls of, forming a grin on his face. Frustrated, the elf brought her bow as she stamped her foot in frustration. ¡°It had to be a goddamned, automaton, didn¡¯t it? I can pierce a Giant Recluse¡¯s eyes, shoot out the wings of a Darklit Butterfly, or even destroy the hide of a Cinder Wolf, but what the hell do I do against a hunk of metal!¡± A concerned look spread across the priestess¡¯s face. She gave an apologetic smile, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. Different classes have different strengths and weaknesses, Cella. Look at me, who can only rightfully hurt undead creatures and those with hearts of sin.¡± Cella¡¯s brow still furrowed, but she crossed her arms with a sigh. ¡°I already know that, but knowing doesn¡¯t make me any less angry.¡± She swore in her heart to invest in obtaining an explosion-based skill for her arrows at the next opportunity. ¡°Even Joseph over there can help out the troops.¡± Both of the women looked at the boy. His face showed he was only in his lower teens and his stressed face indicated the situation was too much to bear. He cast spell after spell but each one had less of an effect on the automaton than he expected. ¡°Your brother is a bright child,¡± the priestess said with a frown, ¡°but even you can see he is inexperienced. Despite being far from danger, he stresses this much. I fear it will be long until he becomes a competent mage.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sitting beside the two women, the man having his meal spoke up, ¡°¡®Tis only the boy¡¯s first expedition. ¡°He¡¯ll learn quickly, he will.¡± Cella looked at her brother and could only pray that was the case. ¡°Anyways, why are you eating right now? We should be ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice and here you are already serving dinner.¡± The older man raised a brow towards the girl, ¡°You don¡¯t ¡®venture with us much, but this is plenty normal. If anything, the Knights¡¯ll have my head if dinner is not ready after a boss encounter.¡± ¡®Boss encounter,¡¯ Cella thought. She had seen a few before in her time with the mercenary party, but most of them were easy enough for the vanguard they could hardly be called such. This one seemed not only much more difficult but the eerie atmosphere chilled her bones to the marrow and seemed to be sapping at her energy. ¡®It must be the tense battle attacking my nerves,¡¯ she thought. Time slowly passed as the atmosphere only got more grave. Over twenty more minutes passed and sweat flooded the vanguard¡¯s silver helmets, while visible expressions of worry took place on those in the rear. At this point, the priestess was fatigued with all four limbs on the ground. Her holy healing could not keep up with the vanguard¡¯s injuries, inevitably leading to one of their members losing their life. Others had to step to the side away from the attacks to rest, but their fatigue prevented them from rejoining the fight. More worrying was that the time between each tick of the faint clock only decreased the longer they spent in this room. It was to the point where each click resounded in the hall as its volume would rise higher and higher. Unfortunately, there was little the group could do to ease their worry. Another ten minutes and that feeling growing in Cella''s gut reached its peak, but it was far too late for any reaction. She hadn¡¯t noticed, but the chef had already long fallen asleep next to his stew. She felt the irresistible urge to join him but still managed to stand tall due to the lack of energy she expended and the support of her higher level. By this point, only the leader of the vanguard was fighting. Three had collapsed into an everlasting sleep and the several others only lay on the ground, panting in exhaustion and a defeated look of despair on their faces. At last, the ticking abruptly subsided and the creature froze its movements after one final attack. The leader managed to block it with the remainder of his energy but looked on at the automaton, baffled by the ceasing of its attacks. Confusion arose on the faces of the vanguard as they looked toward each. They waited a few seconds more and used all their energy to stand up. After realizing nothing else was happening, all of them broke into a harmonious cheer. An idea seemed to pop into one of their heads, ¡°Ah! I think I¡¯ve heard of endurance boss rooms before, but I never thought they existed.¡± ¡°I knew that automaton wasn¡¯t meant to be killed.¡± Another chimed in, speaking his mind, ¡°It was too tough to kill.¡± The Leader gathered his senses and calmed everyone down, ¡°Alright everyone, we may have passed this trial, but stay on guard in case of another. Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Realizing she wasn¡¯t the only one with this sentiment, Chella finally realized the changes in the room she ignored in her fatigue. The sconces across the walls had grown more intense in their light and it seemed like more rows of them had appeared than before. Enough existed now that they occupied the entire domed ceiling, leading up to the orb in the middle. Except now, the crystal was no longer empty but had a faint black mist swirling inside. Joseph limped over in a visibly weakened state and spoke to his sister, ¡°Hey, sis, do you know what this faint line coming out of me is? I only just noticed it.¡± Cella looked at the ¡®line¡¯ coming out of her brother but realized it was more of a beam of light if anything. Tracing it, she noticed its vector as a pit fell in her stomach as everything slowly connected itself. Looking at everyone else in the room with the prided eyesight of an archer, she saw a line from each and every person in the room. Fear struck her as she saw her very own beam of energy attached to the orb at the top of the room. [&$%#%$& Percentage: 25%. Able to initiate catalyst. Proceed?] The booming voice of a female came from every direction of the room. Cella was stunned for the moment and bracing her head with her hands as the deafening voice cracked into her skull. The strange word from another language uttered from the woman¡¯s mouth did not register with Cella as she lost all ability to think. [Proceed?] Once more, the voice asked. This time, Cella¡¯s knees buckled as her head experienced pain like no other. She wished to pass out, just so she would no longer have to deal with the explosions resounding inside of her skull. [Proceed?] [No response. Searching for administrative orders. Administrative override key found.] The vibrations from the voice ruptured the membranes in Cella¡¯s ears and damaged her other internal structures. Losing the ability to ear did not stop the loud voice form still entering her skull and further damaging her organs. She took one last glance around and realized she was the final one awake. Her brother lay unconscious and the entire vanguard in their exhausted state stood no chance in resisting the destructive voice. Cella gave one last glance towards the automaton and realized that its eyes had opened and its face seemed more life-like than before. It¡¯s glowing, red eyes stared towards the black orb in reverence and piety. That chill spread through her bones once again, but she was not in a state to worry about such a trifling thing anymore. She understood her fate at this moment, as she crawled to her brother¡¯s side and embraced him as she joined him in the void. [Initiating catalyst.] The sconces on the wall grew in intensity in an instant. Each one grew in power to form a fireball capable of wiping out any one person of the vanguard who entered the dungeon. Soon, they grew large enough and merged together into one flurried mass, rotating around the room in an inferno. Creaking loudly, the doors to the room opened, creating streaks in the black dust on the ground wherever it dragged. Slowly lowering itself, the inferno engulfed everything in the room, capturing the energy of whatever it destroyed into the orb above. Soon, the coal dust on the ground below ignited, the combustion joining the inferno as it stretched to the rest of the mine and further beyond. Chapter 1: Awakening Chapter 1: Awakened In the still night, the wind howled across the trees of a forgotten forest. Few visitors bothered to explore this land, taken by nature and proclaimed as its own. The trees stood tall, bearing the force of any rain or storm, protective of the land and creatures beneath. This, too, meant that light equally struggled to reach its ground. Creatures scuttled in the dark with remarkable speed. A red-tanned wolf with a white hare in its mouth darted between trees, each leg exploding with power from its strengthened muscles. The crimson flowing from the rabbit¡¯s pelt only further fueled its energy. Every print it pressed into the hard dirt beneath was the length of a human forearm and its width no shorter. Shrouded in the night, the wolf continued its sprint. However, something felt off. This feeling attacked the wolf¡¯s senses and forced its legs to a momentary halt. Head swiveling around its neck, the wolf began checking every direction for the source of the unease. Then, the tracks in the ground caught his eyes. Entering a low stance, it dropped the rabbit from its maw in a silent motion and walked along the tracks. The wolf walked for nearly twenty minutes, but its aggressive nature pushed it onward. From the sounds of the forest, it heard an unusual amount of activity. Daytime creatures exited their slumbers to run in every direction other than the one the wolf walked towards. However, it shook off any fear, only focusing on its bloodlust. Its presence in this part of the forest was unmatched, and ever since its cowardice cost him dearly as a pup, he resolved himself to never back down from potential prey. Thus, the wolf ignored the easier prey scuttling past him and kept its pace. Another twenty minutes passed until the point where the unease was entering every pore of its body. A low growl emerged from its lips in an effort to stave off the shaking of its legs. Finally, after following the tracks that got ever more visible in the dirt and shrubbery, it came to a visible hole in the ground in an area with an irregular volume of trees. It was hidden behind various shrubbery native to the land, but the odd placement of the plants did not escape the wolf¡¯s eyes. Curiosity overtook the fear as it walked over to the hole. Stone steps led down into its depth and even the dark vision of the wolf trained over many years of hunts in the night could not penetrate further. Staring as it waited for an enemy to emerge, the wolf held onto its patience. But what it waited for never happened. Bored, it finally listened to its instincts as it left its stance and began to turn away. It was then that a flash caught the wolf¡¯s eye. Looking back towards the hole, the shimmer only became brighter and more dazzling. Panic settled in the wolf¡¯s stomach as it jumped back with its quickest speed, but not even the dire wolf¡¯s strong muscles were powerful enough to save it from the rushing blaze. A conflagration settled over the area, taking the wolf¡¯s life and the surrounding trees with him. A swirling inferno razed the area but expanded no more past that. Nothing was set ablaze farther than the border and swaying leaves that touched the flames only lost a branch or two. Only ten minutes passed after the initial explosion and the fire disappeared like a dream, receding from whence it came. However, in the hole¡¯s place was a small, square structure of limestone, a heavy door that guarded the stone steps to its depth. Each stone had a rune carved into it, giving off an ancient, mechanical feeling. The stairs down the hall each had this design as well, as they continued down for a few hundred steps. As one walked down, the yellow color of the stone disappeared and a pure white took its place. A door, as white as the walls to each of its sides, led to a living chamber. Rather, it would be more apt to call it a bedroom. No wider than six by six meters, the room was a blinding alabaster with decorations to match the very same color. An empty bookshelf of wood and to its side a wide table built with the intent for reading or other activities. Sturdy chairs surrounded this table, all with an ancient design, not seen anywhere else in this world. In the middle of the room, almost as a centerpiece, lay a white bed whose fluffy comforter covered a male figure that rested between its sheets. Transparent, frosted curtains fell from the roof of the four-poster bed, guarding his body against the outside.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. His skin was almost as fair as the very bed he laid upon, which worked well with the sharper features of his face. His medium-length, black hair bore an extreme contrast towards the rest of the room as it rested against his forehead and pillow. Dressed in an elegant white robe, his arms were crossed atop his chest, which fluttered softly every other minute. As the interval between each rise of his chest shortened, the man¡¯s eyes eventually opened, revealing black pupils, indistinguishable from his iris. At first, his eyes were still unfocused and groggy, but as the clarity returned, his face contorted in surprise. With a gasping, sharp intake of breath, he sat up with a hand on his chest. Confusion spread to his eyes and he looked left and right in an attempt to put together his surroundings, but his memory returned nothing. ¡°Where¡­ where am I?¡± He choked out these words in a raspy voice. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ recall.¡± These simple words caused him much difficulty to speak, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from letting them out. He had no memories, regardless of how hard he tried to think. As he looked at the bed or any other object in the room, its name came to mind in an instant. Only when the subject came to himself did he lack the ability of recollection. In frustration, he brought his hands to his face. Burrowing his eyes into his palms, he massaged his skull as he calmed himself down. Minutes passed before he brought his hands down, but not before he noticed marks upon each of his wrists. They were only two black dots, one for each arm, but a flash surged into his mind. Before he could think for a second longer, a word involuntarily left his mouth. ¡°Initialize.¡± [Initializing, ¡®&%#@#%&.¡¯] A soft, female voice entered his ears. Every syllable she spoke was said with an encompassing gentleness. Each word was spoken with care and precision that seeped into his mind, unconsciously comforting him. Although the voice had startled him, it did not feel unnatural or invasive. Only a few moments later, the silence was broken once more. [¡®&%#@#%&¡¯ has been processed. Proceed?] The man still had no clue what was going on. Just a single word from his lips caused this supernatural phenomenon to occur. Part of him was scared to respond to the voice, but another part urged him forward. Whether it was his curiosity or the same force that brought the last voice from his lips, he opened his mouth again. ¡°Proceed.¡± In front of his eyes, the world changed from the clear white of his bedroom to a blue as an odd sound assaulted his ears. Vectors of white filled his eyes, whether it highlighted around the other objects in the room or floating still in the air. It became too much to bear as he held his hand up to cover his eyes, but he noticed an incongruity. While the rest of the world was painted in blue, his body remained unchanged. Before long, the sound ceased its humming and his vision returned to normal. With bated breath, he waited for the voice to reappear. [Activation succeeded. Data required: What is your name?] An odd face appeared on the man. Of course, he had already tried to remember his name, but just like everything else, he couldn¡¯t find anything. Melancholy fluttered through his heart as he gave a wry smile, but then an idea popped into his head. He once more raised his arm, bringing the black dot eye-level. ¡°Eluc. My name¡­ is Eluc.¡± That same helpless feeling surfaced as the words left his mouth involuntarily. But at least now he knew something about himself. Bringing his hand down, the voice spoke again as he lifted his eyes forward. Something else beyond his imagination had appeared. [Welcome, Eluc. This is ¡®The World.¡¯] Chapter 2: Identity Chapter 2: Identity
? Status ?
Name: Eluc Level: 0 [0/10 EXP] Class: [Locked until Level 10]
Title: None Skill Points: 0 World Points: 3
HP: 100/100 SP: 100/100 MP: 10/10
? Statistics ?
VIT: 10 END: 10 WIS: 10
STR: 10 DEX: 10 INT: 10
? Abilities ?
The World (Passive): Lvl 1 Brand (Passive): Lvl 0 ---
¡°What the hell is all this,¡± Eluc said as he saw a display unveil in front of his eyes. Craning his neck, he tried to look around the screen. True enough, it stayed stationary at that specific point of the air. Still unconvinced, he raised his hand and pushed it through the blue holograph, but he quickly drew it back as yet another screen appeared.
Strength (STR):
Strength determines the user¡¯s physical power.
¡°This is insane,¡± he muttered under his breath. Despite lacking memories of his life prior to this room, Eluc knew that these displays and the information portrayed on them were not normal. It was to the point he began to question his sanity and his focus on reality. ¡®Impossible.¡¯ The word started to flood his mind as he inched away from the screen in an unconscious manner. His eyes blurred and crossed as the truth of the situation began to show its ugly head. The panic continued as he lost himself in his mind, but a voice broke his thoughts away from the insanity he began to fall into. A pleasant voice, without a wisp of pressure, anger, or contempt. [Registration with ¡®The World¡¯ complete. Entering standby.] Echoing in his mind, the voice comforted him as he calmed down. His brow eased from its furrow, his breaths lengthened, and his heart, previously raging to leave his chest, slowed back to its standard pulse. The words weren¡¯t intended to reassure him and perhaps were not directed towards him either but they held power over influence his physiological functions. At least that seemed to be the case. He must have missed it in his panic, but the screen had long disappeared. Perhaps when the voice entered standby, it took the screen with it, but he understood how to bring it back. A piece of knowledge was stowed in his brain, stored as if he had known it since infancy. Glancing to his wrists, visible to his pulled back sleeves, the black dots still occupied that space without movement. Both were the same size, shape, and color, equilateral from each side of his arm between two of his tendons. Neither were larger than the nail of his index, but their presence felt as if they were larger than his own body. Pitch black in color, they exhibited no signs of fading like a tattoo would, even after a few hours as the ink settled. No reaction this time from his gaze besides a little discomfort, but Eluc found that preferable. He had enough surprises for the day.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®The day¡­¡¯ he thought. On reflex, his head raised upwards to the sky, but only found a white ceiling blocking his view. Only now did he seriously consider his position and where he was. Throwing off the covers and heavy blankets, he swung his feet off the bed and stood up to stretch. Despite his lost memories, the feeling of his blood spreading to his tissues with the squeezing of his muscles was searing into his mind. With his body ready for moving, he took the chance to scan his body¡¯s situation. His clothing grabbed his immediate attention. Pure white, the robe covered him from his shoulders to mid-thigh. From then on, form-fitting pants in the same color continued past his calves until his shoes met. While the style on them was unparalleled in design, the comfort they gaze was the most impressive. Eluc expected the robe to inhibit his movements, but it felt as if they functioned the exact opposite as his arms and waits turned this way and that as he wished. Neither the robe nor the pants encountered drag as he moved forward and the shoes were on par with the rest. They would be perfect for everyday activities and even travel, if not very eye-catching. Besides the clothes, no other concerns were brought to his attention. His body seemed like any other¡¯s and wouldn¡¯t impair him as far as he was concerned. Eluc moved to the door and pushed it open. As he looked at what was hidden beyond the door, a few hundred steps presented themselves in front of his eyes. Each one was built with exquisite carving and was finally another color besides the white of the previous room, saving his poor eyes which had felt near-blinded since he woke up. Solemness covering his face he started at the steps in dismay. He took the first stairs as he muttered under his breath, ¡°Son of a¡­¡± ? ? ? By the final step, although Eluc was winded, it looked much more daunting than it actually was. After finishing with the first inconvenience of his memory, he placed his hand on the heavy door that barred him from whatever lay past. As he put more strength into his arms to move the dense metal, sunlight began to leak through the crevice between the frame and its door. He hadn¡¯t thought twice about it, but the White Room was well lit despite being many flights below the ground and he couldn¡¯t recall seeing the source. Regardless, the artificial, white light in the room was nothing compared to the bright, warm light of the sun. Fueled with strength, Eluc threw the door open to the surface. At first sight, Eluc could tell he was in a forest, ignoring the odd colors of the trees. Purple, green, and blue leaves hung from the canopy. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but those colors looked strange. Compared to the trees, the grass on the ground was much more dominated by green than any other color. Various flowers of different kinds were placed in that shrub or next to this tree and he could even see a few mushrooms growing in the bark. As for the sun, Eluc felt cheated as little light found its way through the cluster of leaves that made up the canopy above. Out of the twenty-meter radius around him, only the structure he had just walked out of was completely illuminated. Eluc didn¡¯t let that bring him down as he enjoyed the fresh air and light shining on his skin. He closed his eyes to bask in the moment. Since he had woken up, he couldn¡¯t tell if this was reality or not. Everything seemed so strange and detached. Yet, not even the weird colors of the nature around him and their bizarre appearance could support his delusion any further. This was real. Then a growl sounded to Eluc¡¯s left. His eyes shot open as he turned his head towards the source, but he already saw an object flying at him. In a reflex, he raised his arms to guard himself as the creature collided with him. Sharp fur rustled against his forearms and poked into him, but the punctures on his arm were the least of his worries. From the collision, he back crashed into the doorframe, causing Eluc to grit his teeth in pain as he let out a grunt. However, the creature was remorseless and bared its fangs before piercing into its prey¡¯s trapezius, missing the neck it was aiming for. Not able to keep it in any longer, Eluc released a yelp of pain. His vision turned red as he yelled through clenched teeth, ¡°What the hell are you?¡±
Creature: Dire Pup
Could not retrieve data.
A display appeared in front of his eyes. After a momentary surprise, he quickly scanned the relevant information. With a gaped mouth, Eluc exclaimed, ¡°This is a pup?¡± From his shout, the wolf dismounted its prey and jumped back, beginning a circle around Eluc, staring with feral eyes. Despite being only a puppy, its size while standing on hind legs was as tall as an adult man. Its long body was supported by strong legs, half-obscured by the thick, red pelt that was in the middle of shedding. Long, red hairs stuck to the white robe wrapped around Eluc, but he could tell how sharp they were based on the fact that some were currently pierced into his arms. Red stained the previously clean robe from his shoulder, dripping down to his chest. Another low growl from the wolf¡¯s mouth sent Eluc¡¯s heart into palpitations. Adrenaline was sent flowing through his arteries, spreading to each part of his body, wanting him to take action. The wolf glared at him as if he was a piece of meat meant to be eaten. Contempt was clearly shown in its eyes, but it only sent a smile onto Eluc¡¯s face. But with his heart rate spiking and hands shaking, he was in no condition to take on this wolf. The danger from the situation sent his brain into a craze, sending signals to run as fast as he could. But his fingertips began to crow cold and the feeling coursed back up his arms, sending ice in his veins. He grew calm and his rational thinking returned. Realizing that turning his back now would be suicide, Eluc changed his stance, getting lower to the ground as the wolf responded in kind. His eyes widened but his brow tightened, a snarl forming on his face as he glared at the wolf. Both were locked in a standstill, neither initiating an attack. The dire wolf¡¯s encirclement stopped as it unmovingly stared forward at the enemy. Silence settled on the arena. Breaking apart the silent air, a skitter was heard a few meters from the wolf. A baby rabbit jumped across the ground, ignorant of the tense atmosphere only a few hops away. Its mistake never registered until its body was already caught inside the wolf¡¯s mouth. It tried to release a wail, but its lungs had been punctured by the dire wolf¡¯s sharp fangs and it fell limp within seconds. Crimson blood dripped from its white fur to the ground and the wolf returned its eyes to Eluc, who could only stare at the murder that just occurred within a few short seconds. After the last look, the wolf pushed on its hind legs to run back into the forest, bringing back a different prize for the day¡¯s hunt. Eluc gulped with his dry throat, mind blank. With his calm mind, he saw the speed with which the wolf launched at the rabbit. On top of the accuracy it displayed with its bite, it was a miracle how he survived the encounter. Backing up his shaking legs, he grabbed at the large dense door to close it. He winced as he tried to use his right arm, but he ignored the pain to rush in case the wolf returned. It took him ten seconds to close the door, and once more he was glad he hadn¡¯t shown his back. Chapter 3: Novice Chapter 3: Novice Lying between the four posts of the White Room¡¯s bed, Eluc heaved breaths one after another. He managed to trudge himself down the steps, but not without leaving drops of blood the entire pathway down. Exhausted, he had thrown himself onto the bed to catch his breath before his next move. Eventually, his eyes closed and a nap seemed in order, at least that was what he told himself as his eyelids felt heavy and his consciousness left him. An unknown amount of time passed before Eluc¡¯s eyes shot open. He awoke with yet another start and cautiously observed his surroundings. ¡°Still the same room.¡± A scraggly voice left his dry mouth as he still got used to speaking with an untrained tongue. Although it twisted between each of his words, he could still say what was on his mind without too much hindrance. This was one of his few comforts in this unknown room. Only then did Eluc remember the fight from the morning and the open wound he took to sleep. With a worried mind and a snap of his head, he turned towards his right shoulder to inspect what should have been a disastrous and infected wound. Instead, another surprise came in the form of nothing at all. Quite literally, it seemed as if the attack had never happened. Just to make sure, he peeled the clothing away from his skin to further inspect, but the search led to no other results. His gaze then turned towards his arms, punished by the bristling of the wolf¡¯s pelt, but he could only sigh as nothing remained. ¡®It¡¯s strange,¡¯ he thought, ¡®hoping for an injury and its pain.¡¯ One change did occur which interrupted this thought. As the rolled-back sleeves revealed his wrists, the duo of black dots came into view. Yet, Eluc was surprised as each had evolved into two spirals. The tails were not long by any means, only reaching half-a-centimeter at most, but they were long enough to give off the intended corkscrewed impression. ¡°What is happening to me?¡± Eluc thought. Ever since he had awoken, strange incidents have been occurring one after another, but he was powerless to stop it. Despair seemed to instill in his heart, but he knew to wade in its depths would do no good. A growl of his stomach also served to push him to action. Placing his hands on the unstained, white bed, he stood up to inspect his surroundings further. Pretty much all his surroundings looked to be the same, but a door now existed on the western wall between two bookshelves. A shake of his head and a wry smile, Eluc thought, ¡®No, maybe it was always there. I certainly could have missed it.¡¯ Taking the opportunity to explore, he walked over the door and pushed it open. What was revealed to him made him wish he had checked this door before the exit. It was a room with less width than the bedroom, but its length was near double the other room. Weapons lined waist-high racks along the white walls. resting below armor that hung above them. As Eluc walked past the assortments, he could tell how each section was laid out. Swords on one rack, sharing space with scimitars whose hilts almost reached the leather armor above. On the other side, large greatswords and hammers, some taller than Eluc himself, with designed hilts that neared the steel helmets above their corresponding pauldrons. ''Variety'' was the keyword to describe this place as many options for weapons and armor laid before him. The armaments were dazzling to the eyes, but a touch of a certain leather vest showed that its materials were somewhat cheap feeling. A moment later, evidence for his claim appeared in front of him.
White Leather Armor (Common)
Durability: 30/30 Requirement: 8 DEX
Scaling: Dexterity [E] Bonus: Defense [+1] Defense: +5 [+1] Dexterity: +2
An armor tailored with the white leather of a creature, it prioritizes speed while retaining some qualities of toughness, inherent in the White Wolf.
Still not used to the screens that would appear every so often, Eluc closed his eyes by reflex before looking over the information conveniently displayed for him. Though the screen presented unique information, he could generally understand what each section¡¯s intent was. Dexterity would increase one¡¯s movement and ability to dodge, which would have benefitted him earlier in evading the wolf¡¯s attack. Based upon the functionality of the leather, it was apparent that wearing it would defend him from attacks, hence the [Defense: +5] statistic. A glance from the heavier, steel armor to the lightweight leather also explained why [Dexterity] was used to scale, which would increase his bonuses relative to his base stats. Convenient for him, the leather armor looked to boost his agility further. From looking at its stats screen, it was already a tempting option, with zero downsides. Turning to the wall behind him, he inspected the plated armor this time. It was worth discerning all avenues when making a choice regarding his survivability. Performing the same action as with the leather armor, he placed his palm on the armor.
White Iron Armor (Common)
Durability: 50/50 Requirement: 10 STR
Scaling: Strength [E] Bonus: Defense [+1] Defense: +10 [+1] Hindered Mobility
Built from unknown origins, this armor uses the common materials of the earth in a purified white form. Despite the purification, the effect only functions for aesthetic reasons.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
¡°I think I¡¯m beyond wondering why everything here needs to be white,¡± Eluc said with a shake of his head. Regardless of the color, the stats were remarkable compared to the leather. Because of the materials it was made with, it was able to provide the wearer with more protection, but the cost would be difficulty in basic movements. Of course with enough strength, this downside may be mitigated, but Eluc was nowhere near that point. For the most, part his body was the same as any other person¡¯s. Thinking back to the fight, this armor might have protected him from the bite as he stood there to receive it. In the back of his mind, Eluc already shrugged off the thought of taking the armor. First, travel would be difficult when overburdened by the iron. Even though he was not going to immediately leave, he would have to soon. His stay here only totaled a couple days at most, but what if that stretched to months or years in isolation? He would become crazed in this forest if he stayed for much longer. Maybe if he found others in a nearby civilization, they could explain everything that was going on. Second, he did not want to be hindered as he tried to fight. He would prefer to rely on himself as he dodged with all his might than to sit and put his faith in the armor to protect him. There was another section that was quite different from the other two amidst the equipment. At first, Eluc had dismissed it as a section for apparel, but another look showed him that among the cloaks were wooden rods and odd books. Compared to the other armor, the white cloak in front of him had sharp black lines crawling along the cloth to form a pattern. Each line took a sharp turn before it was satisfied covering its portion of the cloak and then converged at the spine, leading to the tip of the hood. A touch of his hand later and Eluc gained insight into the strange wrap.
White Digital Mantle (Uncommon)
Durability: 20/20 Requirement: 10 INT
Scaling: Intelligence (E) Bonus: Defense [+1] Defense: 0 [+1] Mana Regeneration
Whether worn for the benefit of a sorcerer or to block the sun, the stylish digital pattern looks great when added to any outfit.
"What the hell is that description?¡± It neither explained the functionality nor the origin of the cloak. It may just be Eluc, but it even seemed like it was bragging about itself. Nevertheless, Eluc was interested in the keyword [Sorcerer]. The name alluded to the presence of magic in the world. At first, his initial instinct was to dismiss such a crazy notion, but given what he had seen so far, it may very well be real. Then, he saw the staff and books to the side. The staves all looked the same, old wood emanating with an aura of majesty. When pursuing their information, each individual staff enhanced the usage of magic in very similar ways, but each had a preference for a specific school. Their complement was the books beside them. Each book was dyed with a differentiating color, denoting the magic bound inside. A quick read through the book and Eluc saw keywords such as [Fire Arrow] or [Wave], but it would be impossible to read through the rest in a timely manner. The thought of delaying his meal made his stomach roar in displeasure. Only one more section remained, but Eluc had little interest in what it had to offer. At the back of the room, steel pauldrons, chest pieces, sabatons, and gauntlets decorated the racks. Many of them were worn and nearly falling apart, and some had rust from the vestige of time. The sigil of a wolf was etched into a piece here or there, but even the once glorious crest was faded. Beside them, a hunter¡¯s bow rested against the side, singed in minor places and string snapped from one of its ends. Placed to its immediate right, a small black staff, embroidered in gold, leaned atop it. The staff¡¯s size was compact, but it looked to have once been powerful before it was ruined by whatever the staff similarly went through. Regardless of the stats of the equipment, Eluc guessed they would be no more useful than the other brand new equipment along the armory¡¯s walls. Disinterested, Eluc turned around back towards the main attractions of the room. He thought for a few minutes before he grabbed some gear, leaving the equipment stockpile behind. ? ? ? Although very little light made its way through the canopy of leaves above, a few splotches here and there were enough to illuminate the environment during the day. Based upon the orange, warm light given off, dusk was soon approaching and the wildlife began their evening routines. Squirrel like creatures rolled in their nests above the branches and tanned fennec foxes returned to their burrows beneath the underbrush. An especially tardy doe ignored the increasingly darkened forest as it loafed near a calm stream. The rushing water brushed against the stone, singing a relaxing song of ripples. Opening its large, black eyes, the doe rose from its momentary rest on the ground, intent to drink from the river before its departure. With a long stretch, it walked to the water, craning its neck so its lips could brush against the water. Untarnished, opposite to a still pond, the clear water saturated the deer''s mouth and throat, satisfying its thirst. At this moment, life was bliss.
Skill Activated: The World [Lvl 1]
Intent to attack with a bow identified. Bow Proficiency raised to [Novice - Lvl 1].
Before the doe registered the whistle of an arrow through the air, it had already pierced its youthful lung. A squeal rang from its mouth as it fell sideways to the ground. The dying wail rang through the silent forest, but the only response was the sound of approaching steps, crunching the dry leaves on the ground. Eluc stood above the deer, a white leather vest below a fitting shirt and a billowing mantle to block the wind. The bow had already been slung onto his back as he climbed from a tree overlooking the stream. He had tried to search the White Room for other non-white clothing so he wasn¡¯t a blatant target in the woods, but his search yielded no results. Thus, his only other idea was a vantage point, high enough that he was obscured in the target¡¯s periphery. After executing the plan by climbing a tree overlooking the river, the only remaining problem was his accuracy which he was sure would cause him grief. ¡°¡®The World,¡¯ huh?¡± he mumbled. A boon activated as his untrained arm drew back the bow¡¯s string, saving him from waiting another untold amount of hours hunting. As the night would have fallen very soon, he had only one chance at staving off the night of misery caused by his hunger. He was betting everything on that loosed arrow. Once his proficiency suddenly raised, his mind felt calmer holding the bow. His arms relaxed but still held taut as tension rose between the string and its wood. All Eluc had to do was aim at the deer¡¯s lung and fire. By the time he reached the doe, it had long stopped thrashing its legs. Harsh breaths from its mouth could be heard as it choked on the fluid filling its lungs. It was resigned to death and was only waiting for the moment of passing while it suffered through each gasp of air. Despite having launched the arrow with his own hands, Eluc knew that the creature did not deserve the fate of a prolonged misfortune. Placing one hand on the hilt of the blade strapped to his waist, he hesitated for a moment. Taking a life was much easier from afar and the guilt was uncomfortable to Eluc. Tremors affected his hands and the feeling of nausea wracked his head. Vomit felt like rising from the pits of his stomach, but it never reached further than that. Then, a familiar feeling spread from his fingertips, chilling the rest of his body. As it passed his stomach, the urge to heave retreated. Reaching his head, his mind cooled and his clarity returned as the sickening nausea disappeared. Most importantly, his convulsing grip around the sword became still. After a deep breath, he unsheathed the sword.
Skill Activated: The World [Lvl 1]
Intent to attack with a sword identified. Sword Proficiency raised to [Novice - Lvl 1].
Chapter 4: Help Chapter 4: Help Eluc wiped the sweat from his brow. Hands on his hips, he looked up hoping to see the night sky, but the trees blocked any chance of a meeting. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, thinking over the events of the last hour. For his own survival, he took the life of a harmless creature of the wilds and he knew that doe wouldn¡¯t be the last. Opening his eyes again, he looked down at the corpse he brought back. The arrow was still midway through his anterior chest cavity and the slice on its neck was perhaps too deep, nearly chopping through the spine towards the back. Its blood was on his hands. He sighed as he realized he just smeared it on his white pants, imprinting his hands in dark crimson. Secretly, he was glad that it wasn¡¯t his own this time. Planning his next move, Eluc thought it would be smart to head into the White Room to see if there were any tools. His hands were incapable of tearing the flesh of the deer and his swords too long to be wieldy. Wiping his hands on the grass below, he then pushed upon the door to head back down the three hundred steps. [Reminder: 1 Level Up obtained.] The resonant voice sounded in Eluc¡¯s head again as he walked down to the White Room. Gentle and calm, it delivered the information before disappearing into silence again. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, voice echoing across the walls. He searched his memory and remembered that a message like that appeared after killing the deer. As for what a [Level Up] was, he recalled reading something like that on one of the many screens in the past couple days but he hadn¡¯t paid too much attention then. Now that it was relevant, his curiosity surged at the thought of the mysterious function. Even though all of these screens were foreign to him, they only ever served for his betterment. ¡°Level Up!¡± Eluc yelled. Voice bouncing in the stairway¡¯s hall, a status screen appeared in response.
? Status ?
Name: Eluc Level: 1 [0/25 EXP] Class: [Locked until Level 10]
Title: None Skill Points: 2 World Points: 6
HP: 110/110 SP: 40/110 MP: 15/15
? Statistics ?
VIT: 10 [+] END: 10 [+] WIS: 10 [+]
STR: 10 [+] DEX: 10 [+] INT: 10 [+]
Eluc took in the information in front of him and was surprised at the many small changes that took place across everything. It was difficult for him to associate the screen and his own tangible existence but this really was a statistical representation of himself. At first thought, this seemed convenient as everything about himself could be monitored in a concise and convenient way. However, thinking more deeply about it, was it not invasive and eerie? Regardless, it was another necessary evil. Based upon his understanding, these [Skill Points] could be allocated into the [Statistics] at the bottom, indicated by the [+] button next to each stat. The urge to press the button to figure out what happened was there, but Eluc ignored it. He didn¡¯t know how important these [Skill Points] would be in the future and he did not want to make an uninformed choice that would mess up his future. Long-term thinking would be essential. The last option that intrigued him was the [World Points]. Realizing he would not be able to figure it out himself, he decided to actively seek out help from the system. ¡°What are [World Points]?¡± Eluc said aloud. Dead silence hung in the air as he waited for a response. Moments later, a screen visualized in front of him.
World Points - 6:
A numerical representation of the user¡¯s impact on ¡°The World.¡± Can be used with the [Help], the [Locked until Level 20], the [Locked until Level 40], the [Locked until Level 60], and the [Locked until Level 100] functions.
¡°A [Help] function? You couldn¡¯t have told me about this from the start?¡± Eluc yelled, but no response ever came from the system. Instead, the [Help] menu appeared, which Eluc perceived as the system¡¯s hope of reconciliation.
Help:
Allocate [World Points] to receive an answer to a question.
The screen floated in the air, silent and unmoving as Eluc pondered a question. There were almost too many to ask now that he found the opportunity presenting itself. He first started with an easy, immediate question.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°How should I cook the game I caught?¡± Eluc said. [How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?] ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s go with one.¡± [1 World Points used.] [Answer: Head down to the White Room.] Eluc stood still, dumbfounded. Was that not his plan in the first place? Maybe there was something special down there he could use, but what if the system only meant to use one of the daggers on the racks to carve the meat and then make a fire from the wood outside? The directions were much too vague, but that reason was probably due to the fact that only one world point was used. Now that he understood the [Help] function¡¯s basic principles, he should go with a more difficult question. Clearing his throat, which was sore from all of the talking, he said, ¡°What should my next step be? Where should I go from here?¡± The question was full of meaning and had an immediate impact on his survival so any guidance would be accepted. Questions like ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ or ¡®Who am I?¡¯ could always be saved for the future. [How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?] [Warning: Current [World Point] Threshold exceeded. The system may be unable to assist the user.] Now, an interesting situation was before Eluc. It seemed like his question was too much to ask for with only five points remaining. Obviously, asking the question had very little chance at yielding any results, but Eluc was in a tough bind at the moment. Even if the system only pointed him in a direction, he could still make use of that information. He decided it was worth the gamble. ¡°Use the five points I have left,¡± he said. [5 World Points used.] An unusual lull took the space between the system¡¯s acknowledgment and its answer. Sweat fell from Eluc¡¯s brow as he felt like he might have made the wrong choice, but it was necessary. He really was clueless and needed any and all help. Before he knew it, he might get attacked by the dire wolf again and then he wouldn¡¯t even be alive to use the saved up points. With a ring, the voice spoke again. [Best course of action found: Survive.] Pursing his lips, Eluc knew he lost the gamble. He could only let out a swear as he continued his walk down to the White Room. On the positive side, he now understood the first answer as returned home. There was no mistaking it this time: a new door was here. Eluc carefully studied the room after the last situation with the armory, so he knew for a fact he had not just missed this other wing on accident. Connecting the dots, he knew what would show itself when he opened this new door of the White Room. ? ? ? Before long, the limestone steps were drenched in blood, as was the stretch of flooring from the entrance to the eastern wing. It was a surprise that the doe could produce as much blood as its corpse tracked, but the vitality of the Forgotten Forest¡¯s creatures was outstanding. Had this doe been only a few years older, more than one arrow would have been required to take it down. Sounds of cutting and chopping could be heard from this new room as Eluc worked hard to butcher the creature. The kitchen was fit for a master. Tools dressed the walls and were packed tight in the drawers of the counter. It was a shame that the one utilizing them was but a beginner at the art of carving. His stabs were either too weak or too forceful and his knife tore at the hide in a messy manner. Fortunately, Eluc had changed out of his hunting gear and into some spare clothing as he was now drenched head to toe in blood. At the end of a long session of butchering, he at least had some salvageable meat to show for it. Meat in his palm, he walked over to the stove. It was saturated with blood, dripping to the ground to stain the floor in red. In any other situation, he would have let it dry, but his hunger was overwhelming. He placed the food in a pan and set it atop the stone stove. From his amnesia, Eluc did not know how to use one of these, but he could guess by the piles of wood and coal beside it that he had to gather some of those and throw them in the compartment beneath. It was a little late, but Eluc wondered just how the White Room constructed itself. A concept like this was fascinating, and even more so that it functioned so well. More impressive was how it procured its materials. Did it make those too, or did it retrieve them from somewhere? Even if that was the case, he didn¡¯t know how that would explain the sheer amount of coal. There was too much of it sitting in the corner of the kitchen, so much so that it detracted from its otherwise regal, ancient appearance. Eluc had not started a fire yet, but he was able to clumsily figure it out with the material provided. Once the fire started, he began to throw coal inside until it seemed like it would be enough to cook the meat. The whole process was scuffed, from the inexperienced fire-starting to the meat sticking to the pan. Only the fact that a piece of charred meat sat on the plate in front of Eluc made up for the trouble. Its texture was more like bark than meat, the sinew was tough to tear apart, and an overbearing gamey flavor assaulted his taste buds, but his stomach could care less. Even Eluc himself cared little, as he almost choked as he scarfed the food down. Thankfully, he put more meat on the pan while he ate as he felt the strong urge for seconds.
Proficiency Obtained: Butchering [Lvl 1]
The user has a higher chance of material yields from animals, can perform field gathering, and is faster at performing the act.
Proficiency Obtained: Cooking [Lvl 1]
The user can utilize basic cooking ware, can successfully make beginner dishes, and has a higher understanding of food and recipes.
Eluc spent that night in satisfied bliss. After filling himself until he began to feel drowsy, he collapsed in the bed, still stained a deep red. Hours flew by in what Eluc perceived as seconds as his eyes opened again, ready for another day. Wiping his groggy eyes, he pushed himself up, taking in the beautiful surroundings. He never took the chance to admire the White Room before, but its design was one to marvel at. The crafted stone was crafted along the wall in an elegant manner, its twists and turns gentle but profound. Some of the walls even had artwork carved into them. One painting depicted a woman sitting by a river in the foreground with a wolf perched upon a rock in the back, staring at the defenseless damsel with fiery eyes. Another was a battleaxe, hilt buried in the stone as its pointed tips aimed at the sky. The last one illustrated a magnificent tide, crashing through the coast of a town. Its water flooded into every house as a man stood atop the wave, hands raised in a spell. The engravings felt lifelike enough that Eluc would have believed they existed right in front of his eyes. Only the white color of the carvings separated their reality from his. Rather, the alabaster created a certain atmosphere in the room, adding a purity and stillness to the room. It felt as if the White Room was separated from the rest of the world, untarnished by its fierceness and crimes. ¡°Speaking of tarnishing, wasn¡¯t there deer blood all over the floor last night?¡± Eluc distinctly remembered the sticky feeling of his shoes as he would step in a puddle gore. Through the night, it seemed as if someone came through with a mop and cleaned up the entire room. Even a look at his clothes revealed no stains or remnants of the last night. Thinking this was odd, Eluc left the bed and headed to the kitchen. Hoping to save some of the carved meat for later, he had stored it on the drying rack, conveniently provided by the White Room. Last night, the kitchen had looked like a slaughterhouse, blood decorating each wall, the ceiling, and the floor. Instead of that scene of horror from yesterday, a refreshingly white hue replaced the distasteful crimson. Picked clean, the discarded parts of the carcass had disappeared with the blood, but the useful parts remained. Captivated by the phenomenon, Eluc walked over to the drying meat, waiting for a drop of blood to leave the flesh. As it had taken the night to dry, very little remained inside the meat so ten minutes went by before enough blood gathered to fall on the floor. Before long, the blood absorbed into the White Room without leaving a trace. Eluc didn¡¯t see any practical application to this anomaly except having the freedom to live like a slob, but it was interesting to know. It was as if the White Room was a living, breathing creature, feeding on the trash Eluc brought in. Slightly disturbed but used to putting these thoughts to the back of his mind, Eluc headed to the armory, preparing to go adventuring for the day. From what he has learned so far, this world relied on a leveling system. In order to make progress, Eluc has to raise his abilities to meet thresholds in order to utilize weapons, abilities, and who knows what else. All of this brought him to one conclusion: he needed to get stronger. Chapter 5: Thirty Days Chapter 5: Thirty Days Coals sustaining the heat of the fire, smoke rose through the trees and into the sky above. From the light peeking through the trees above, a seasoned survivalist would identify the time around noon. Specks of sunlight shone through onto Eluc, sitting with his head back and eyes closed on a white lounge chair. A campsite was created around the fire that was currently roasting some meat atop its pan at a slow boil. From the White Room, Eluc brought out much of the furniture from inside as he enjoyed the fresh air compared to the stuffy basement. Wind brushed across his skin and rustled his black hair that grew longer by the day, spreading a cool through his body that helped in the mild heat. ¡®It¡¯s so relaxing, listening to the sounds of nature,¡¯ Eluc thought. His sole focus was on his hearing, as he trained himself to be attentive to every rustle of the brush on the ground or the leaves on the trees. He also smelt the meat cooking over the pit, but that was yet another perk of the camp. Soon, he heard a rustling above his head. Eluc¡¯s hand glowed a teal hue as he continued to hold himself still, avoiding a scare towards the prey. Intent to attack his body cooled, but it was different from the wind grazing through the forest. His hands were the first to chill, injecting ice into his veins, and then traveled through the rest of his body. The clarity this induced served him well, both for his nerves and his mental health. The rustling continued, occurring more frequently as the climbing creature got more careless in its approach. Eluc¡¯s lack of diligence had already cost him before and he wasn¡¯t one to make the same mistake twice. Well, blunders happened from time-to-time. At least the third instance was preventable. At last, the creature pounced on the ground, halting its movement as it absorbed the shock from the landing. Eluc was experienced with this very situation. At the same moment as the landing, his eyes shot open and turned towards the source of the noise. He began to size up the creature as his hand reflexively pointed at the prey, shaking as power released from his palm. Startlement was evident across Eluc¡¯s face as his eyes registered what he was looking at. From the sound of its rustling and the impact of its pounce, he expected the creature to be of a much smaller size compared to the meter and a half long coyote that appeared. All its basic features resemble a coyote, but its floppy ears and the webbed skin between its torso and limbs differentiated itself. In fact, Eluc had fought one of these before and was bedridden from the lasting injuries of the fight. In the same moment as these thoughts trained through his brain, Eluc¡¯s hand glowed to its peak as a blue arrow materialized in the air, shooting in an instant. The [Ice Arrow] was fast and a glint shone in Eluc¡¯s eye as he was sure of his kill, but the coyote was faster. Recovering from its landing, it pushed its legs off the ground and flew in the air to land on a near branch a few meters up a tree. The system actually had a name for this animal: [Flying Coyote]. Just like last time, the flying ability caused Eluc heartache. Its speed enabled it to perform swift fly-by attacks, capable of getting close and then away in one agile movement. Of course, the extended fight from last time enabled Eluc to find the creature''s weakness, as most had. It was a common shortcoming flying creatures shared: fragile bones Another flash of blue started on Eluc¡¯s left hand, ready for the next engagement sure to follow his provocation. The Flying Coyote¡¯s eyes sharpened as its neck retracted, folds forming on its back in a roll of meat. Saliva dripped from his tightened maw, perhaps beginning from the smell of roasted buck but only exacerbated by the living prey in front of its eyes. Long legs clenching in preparation, the coyote launched itself from its perch. Eluc had waited with patience, just like his first move of the fight. As soon as he picked up his first book of magic from the White Room, he understood that spells were as practical as they were situational. Magic could be used as a substitute to a blade as an all-purpose weapon. However, it truly excelled in tailoring its versatility to the scenario. Once the coyote was two arms-length away, the fingers on Eluc¡¯s protruded left hand spread, releasing the spell. A blue, translucent shield formed, quickly spreading from its center to above his head and into the ground. Without time to react, the coyote¡¯s nose crashed into the [Barrier], the rest of its body following. The weak spell shattered afterward, but its purpose was already complete. The animal laid on the ground, whimpering in pain. Eluc wasn¡¯t sure if the creature broke its neck on the impact, but he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t take any chances of retaliation. His right hand that rested on the hilt of his sheathed sword pulled it from his hip, swinging the weapon down onto the beast¡¯s neck.
Level Up!
You have reached Level 9!
Eluc¡¯s sword, still buried in the ground through the body of the coyote. He heard his beating heart in his ears as his throat bobbed in a swallow. Momentarily closing his eyes, a satisfied grin appeared on his face with their reopening. ¡°Progress,¡± he uttered. True progress was made. Twenty days ago, this very same fight happened, but on much worse terms on Eluc¡¯s side. Since then, he trained basic movements of the various weapons from the armory and even took a few into the field to hunt. He learned that mobility was highly prioritized in the current situation, so he chose a shortsword with decent force and agility. Upon realizing that, he sought out a complement to compensate for the lack of range and raw damage he would need when necessary. Carrying another weapon besides a dagger was out of the question as it would only encumber him, so magic became the best option. Eluc spent days sorting through the books figuring out which spells to choose from and chose a few of interest. However, an interesting situation presented itself as he learned each spell.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Skill Activated: The World [Lvl 1]
Intent to attack with a spell identified. Spell: Tremor raised to [Grade One - Lvl 1].
¡®The World,¡¯ his gift for awakening in this world with no memories, served to give him introductory knowledge with spells and swords. He first experienced this when he attacked the doe with a bow, but he didn¡¯t expect it to extend to all armaments and spells. The knowledge it gave was only enough to cast the spell or perform a weapon¡¯s movements, but it was more of a shortcut than actual learning. Fake wisdom would be implanted into his mind and body and it was up to him to build a stable foundation off of that. Magic was quite fantastical when studying the practical application of casting, outlined inside of the White Room¡¯s spellbooks. Every spell had underlying runes, facilitating the connection between man and chaos so he could draw from the elements and bring imagination to life. Before structural spells, magic used to be quite freeform and was capable of destroying any mountain that dared to stand before a caster. However, knowledge of the inner workings of magical theory was required, and for the purpose of mass-producing magicians, spells began to condense into an easy-to-use array of runes. Beginner spells only used up to ten runes, but more advanced ones required the user to form hundreds in less than a second. Mental acuity was needed to be a mage, but magic needed to build in the body over time, so regardless of one''s intelligence they couldn¡¯t skip a tier. In the end, Eluc had to parse through all of the spells to find the useful ones. Most of them had overlaps between the other schools of magic and mostly involved switching a rune or two when initiating the spell. With the base element changed, the spell could be further adaptative towards the situation. That was something the book had not told Eluc. As for the spells he found most applicable, he had a list stored inside the system.
? Spells ?
Elemental Arrow: [Novice - Lvl 5] Barrier: [Novice - Lvl 3] Elemental Wave: [Novice - Lvl 2]
Illuminate: [Novice - Lvl 6] Tracking: [Novice - Lvl 3] Marker: [Novice - Lvl 3]
It was a short list compared to the collection of spells scribed in the books, but it was neat and were the only spells Eluc felt he needed. Because of the system, skills and spells would be stored inside of it so he would never forget the runes to a spell or how to cast it should he need to as a last resort. ¡®This must have been yet another convenience to switch to the new magical system,¡¯ Eluc thought.c While he was once more refreshing his memory over magical concepts, the coyote had already been reduced to workable scraps of furs and meat cut in sizable portions. His knife cleanly sliced through the muscles while avoiding the tendons entirely. Tendons and ligaments were cleanly torn through by the gutting knife once he worked all of the useful meat off. At this point, not even a single drop of blood splattered on his clothes, still the beautiful white color from the day he woke up. Eluc then took a short walk to the river to wash his hands. A thirty minutes stay in the White Room would have dried them as well, but he didn¡¯t like spending too much time down there nowadays. Despite its safety from the flora and fauna outside, it felt like there was another danger looming, only discoverable by his paranoia. No clues existed to point to this conclusion, but it was only a gut feeling. The river still calmy surged in its divet of the land, traveling further eastwards by way of its current. He dipped his blood-stained hands into the water below, rubbing his hands together with fervor. Washing away with the river, the stream dyed red, flowing away until the fluid dispersed amongst the water before it disappeared altogether. Eluc always stared at the blood leaving his hands and being carried away, almost as if his sin was washed away and purity returned to his heart. Nearly a hundred creatures had died by his hand, the [World Points] counter dubiously keeping track for him. It was all in the name of survival, it was his life or theirs, but every time he said that to himself it just felt like rationalization towards the corruption of his soul. Eluc was fairly intelligent, more so upon the addition of his [Skill Points], so he knew that he must have been something before his Awakening. He liked to think that he never hurt a single creature in his past life. His eyes wandered from the river as he saw a familiar face making its way towards him. Compared to before, the dire wolf¡¯s head was raised proudly, looking with disdain at the prey in front of it. Its majesty would have been unmatched in the entire forest, had the gruesome scar across its eye not been present. Much larger than before, the wolf¡¯s growth exceeded Eluc¡¯s expectations as it now towered a couple of heads over him on its two powerful hind legs. As it approached to within a few meters, it growled towards the other. ¡°Yes, yes. Here you go, stingy wolf,¡± Eluc said, grabbing a piece of meat from inside his coat. He arced the steak towards the maw of the canine, who bit down and swallowed the food in one swift motion. After an appeased exhale, it then continued to stare with its yellow eyes. It went as far as to menacingly sit on its hind, tongue hanging from its mouth in excitement. Every one of its actions was coated in threats. With a sigh, Eluc grabbed another steak and threw it in the same manner, watching as the wolf barked and strode off for the day. This was the unspoken arrangement between the two after their fights led to grievous wounds for both of them, but mostly Eluc. However, no injury Eluc received was permanent with the help of the White Room, only excruciatingly painful if he survived. Thus, he bided his time, getting stronger as he hunted the other creatures of the forest, just like the wolf. Both in a struggle to surpass the other, growing day by day until they fought their next. Only one of them would emerge as the victor then. Coldness enveloped his hands, but Eluc was too lost in his thoughts to notice. He often forgot as no blatant side effects resulted from its existence, but the Brand continued to develop. Its spiral twisted, encroaching towards his hands, waiting for its moment in solemn hibernation. Chapter 6: Next Chapter 6: Next
? Status ?
Name: Eluc Level: 9 [0/200 EXP] Class: [Locked until Level 10]
Title: Forest Hunter Skill Points: 5 World Points: 114
HP: 240/240 SP: 190/190 MP: 125/125
? Statistics ?
VIT: 15 END: 10 WIS: 10
STR: 10 DEX: 15 INT: 15
Eluc sat atop his bed, staring at the status screen in front of him. From what he has learned so far, the screens were not vital towards a normal human¡¯s survival. One could go their entire life without ever seeing the transparent visual in front of him and still live happily. But if that was the case, would that person ever naturally grow? How would they make any progress in their life without utilizing the [Skill Points] provided every level and with other circumstances? Maybe this was just common sense to those who might live beyond the boundaries of this forest, but he would never be able to find out while stuck here. To be truthful, Eluc only ever tried to leave once so far. During that time, he walked through the dark forest without a guide, fearful of an attack from an unknown entity. If a creature like the dire wolf pup existed, surely a stronger creature stood further up the food chain. After only two hours of walking, he turned back. He convinced himself to stay, rationalizing that his safety net known as the White Room got more distant with each step. There was also one more thing he wanted to do before leaving, which further faltered his advance. The next time, he would not turn back. ¡®Am I ready to leave?¡¯ Eluc thought. His statistics in certain aspects were indeed higher than his last encounters with the wolf, but he still did not feel strong enough. Before he was absolutely confident in killing the dire wolf, he expected to at least reach [Level 15] but that was implausible. He noticed that experience per level increased exponentially and he didn¡¯t want to threaten the local population to an even higher degree than he already had. As an estimated guess, he probably would need to kill close to a thousand animals just to reach that point. He needed to kill higher level creatures, not bully the local wildlife. So, what was life without risk? Eluc often found himself repeating this phrase as of late. In the grand scheme of things, there was no true purpose in his life. Short-term, his revenge for the wolf pushed him forward to get stronger. Long-term, his desire to learn the truth spurred him onwards to live and survive. Were those not only surface-level reason¡¯s to push himself along? All of these questions brought to mind the [Help] function of the system. ¡°Initialize [Help]¡± he said.
Help:
Allocate [World Points] to receive an answer to a question.
He then cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Why am I here?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?] [Warning: Current [World Point] Threshold exceeded. The system may be unable to assist the user.] ¡°Nevermind, then.¡± Instead, he asked, ¡°What should I do?¡± [How many [World Points] do you wish to allocate?] ¡°Oh? Looks like that went through the system fine this time.¡± Eluc then thought further. It was not a very in-depth question when thinking about it. Before, five points really must have been too meager to receive help for much of anything unclear to him. Taking an estimate for what he thought the question was valued at, he said, ¡°Use fifty [World Points].¡± [50 World Points used.] [Best course of action found: Kill your nemesis.] Eluc was stunned to receive an answer written so blatantly. Sure, it was veiled behind the word ¡®nemesis,¡¯ but he could figure out just who that was. Yet, this brought up numerous moral quandaries with the system. Did it not care about the life and death of its patrons? Also, how did it know who Eluc¡¯s nemesis was? Another headache came with the answering of one question and the leaving of ten more. Still, at least he was no longer unsure of his next move. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to win this battle, but perhaps that would serve him well in surprising his opponent. Maybe it was time to put himself out there. He needed to stretch out his hand, unafraid of the bite that would emerge from the darkness beyond. After all, even if he was bitten, all he had to do was bite back. ? ? ? The thirty-fifth day in the wilds began like any other. Eluc awoke in the White Room, feeling fully rested with that sing-song comfort spread through his body. He never could get quite used to it. His muscles were relaxed and he could find no aches on his body, but he still preferred the sore back he would wake with while sleeping outdoors. Comfort was a luxury that one often had to pay a price for, so wasn¡¯t it odd that he was given it for free? That was another question that always ran through his mind. Suiting up for the day, Eluc began his trek up the stone steps leading to the surface. Reverberations bounded between the walls and traveled up and down the stairway, sounding much louder than before. Each step blasted at his ears, beating its way into his head with a thunderous smash. He continued his climb until he reached the exit and momentarily stopped, only to realize the booming continued. Only then did he understand it wasn¡¯t his boots atop the limestone that made the noise, but it was his own beating heart. At last, he opened the heavy metal door that guarded the sanctuary of the White Room. Eluc took in a deep breath, relishing in the freshness of the outside air. His mind that was only thinking plans and killing quickly blanked, joining in with the rest of his body to enjoy the moment. Just like the first time he saw the sunlight, a wide beam shone down on the entrance, perfectly encapsulating it with its rays. Without much thought, Eluc¡¯s feet moved him towards the riverside, where he spent most of his time since his Awakening. As he walked, leaves fell from the canopy above as if shedding their coat. Between the time of his arrival, the green and purple greenery had changed its pigments to a wider array of colors. Catching his eye, a red one flew down directly in front of his eyes before a blue leaf took away his attention upward. Falling from above, the leaves rained down from the canopy, forming a storm with the colors of the rainbow. Reaching out his hand, Eluc waited for the first leaf to fall into his palm. Despite the loss, the sky was still as shaded from the ground as ever, leaking in only the thinnest glimmers of light. Feeling a hint of sensation, he brought his gaze down to his arm. The first thing that caught his eye was not the purple leaf in his grip, but the Brand further down on his wrist. Its growth was akin to a tumor as of late, as the spiral only got thicker and its black color even deeper. After making an odd face, Eluc dropped the leaf and continued through the storm of colors. At last, he reached the river which his campsite belonged to. Instead of sitting down on the white chair he brought along for resting, he chose to wait beside the water. Time passed slowly as Eluc occupied himself, either choosing to submerge his hands in the river¡¯s depths or practicing the casting of his spells without releasing them. Runes were a curious concept for Eluc. There was a higher theory written in text that runes were the coalescence of smaller runes, numbering in the thousands, to form a single symbol of power. It gathered the essence of the world to quell the chaos into order, creating the phenomenon known as ¡®magic.¡¯ Each movement of summoning this essence was dependent on the user¡¯s ability to control, as some excelled in one attribute or another. Eluc was thankful he never ran into a wall while wielding the magic of The World. A bark rang out through the forest and Eluc twisted his head in its direction. In his view, the dire wolf with a scar across its face ran in his direction, careless in its movement. With each step, it could have fallen into a trap or pitfall, resulting in its defeat without needing to spend excessive time in combat. Its tongue flopped from the left side of its face to the right as if it enjoyed the wind from its speed tossing it around. Its yellow eyes stared at Eluc, unmoving, as it finally made its way to a few meters away. With a quick stop, it planted itself down on the ground, awaiting its tithe from the one using its forest as a residence. Both man and wolf stared at each other, far from the scenario when they first met. Back when Eluc first emerged from the White Room, he was mercilessly attacked by the other as a subject of prey. Since then, Eluc has always lived in fear of the wolf. He had barely escaped with his life then thanks to the presence of the white rabbit, but would he be alive to this day if that rabbit never appeared? Would the wolf have let him go at the end of the standoff where he was prepared to fight for his life? Another bark followed a short growl from the wolf¡¯s mouth. The beast wasn¡¯t quite showing impatience and Eluc felt as if he was expressing something else. Regardless, Eluc felt it was useless to delve deeper into the psychology of an animal. From his experience with the other woodland creatures around, they exhibited very little intelligence compared to a sentient creature on Eluc¡¯s level. From this preconception, Eluc steeled his resolve, igniting his left hand with a dark blue as his right hand moved to his sword¡¯s hilt. Chapter 7: Dire Chapter 7: Dire With the sudden quick movement from Eluc, the wolf tilted its head to the side and stood up into a crouch, removing itself from the ground. Its muscles ready to explode at any time, it became wary in a moment, ¡°Quick reactions and a good sense of danger, as expected from a predator,¡± Eluc said, drawing his sword out, holding it out in front of himself as a barrier between the two. The wolf had experienced the blade a few times before and its scar even felt painful in response to the provocation. A snarl formed on its face as it realized a fight was unavoidable between the two and a low growl emerged deep from its throat. Shuffles in the surroundings as leaves and bushes on the ground displaced could be heard from the trees as various creatures removed themselves from the area as fast as possible. Eluc had debriefed himself over the plan many times already, but it still didn¡¯t stop his hands from shaking. However, they were the first affected by the spreading chill, easing within a few seconds. Compared to the White Room with its invasive easing, this frost-like feeling was true comfort that spread from within himself. Even if its source was external, it still felt like it was a part of him as it reached into the deepest corners of himself. Once it finally reached his mind, he let out a deep breath of condensation into the fall air as he took the first step. Eluc wanted control in the battle with the wolf. Losing it meant a greater possibility of death, which he wanted to avoid. It also gave him priority in attacking while the wolf had to focus all its efforts on defense, which was both of their weak points. Thus, he began with the dark blue light of his hand, taking the advantage with a weapon that the wolf did not share with Eluc: magic. From his hand, the light enveloped the rest of his body, focusing its efforts on his falling foot. Once he slammed his sole into the ground, [Elemental Wave] took its effect as the energy left his body and surged into the earth to spread directly in front of its caster. Soft rumbles sounded out from the ground and confusion was evident on the wolf¡¯s face as it was faced with an enigma. Slight shaking turned into tremors, breaking the stability of those standing atop its surface, including the targeted wolf. It struggled to regain a foothold and was soon about to jump out of the affected area, but not before a congealed bolt of ice landed upon its left side. With a look of betrayal, the wolf let out a whimper, using the kinetic energy from the impact to launch itself away from the area. Pain shook its body and its disheveled jump did it little favors as it failed to land on its feet and instead onto his side. After a quick pause from the collision, it then stood up to face Eluc once more, this time with a bark from its snapping maw. Spit mixed with blood flew from its mouth and onto the grass in front of it as it began to walk in a circular pattern around Eluc. This was no play fight in its deep, yellow eyes, but a wounded predator preparing to ensnare a weak prey. From Eluc¡¯s point of view, he could see where his [Ice Arrow] met with the wolf¡¯s pelt. There was no longer any fur guarding that part of its skin, replaced by a gaping, bleeding would that revealed the muscle beneath. Eluc had expected a greater injury, but this was still within workable conditions. It only meant that he might come out with a couple more scratches after this. Despite scoring the initial hit, Eluc didn¡¯t land another spell and gave up after several more attempts. Any further casts would be fruitless as he knew the wolf would be able to avoid anything coming its way without much effort. The initial hit was already according to plan, so anything after that would count as a bonus. While the [Elemental Arrow] was quick, his opponent was a creature that acted on instinct, aided by its powerful muscles, enabling its ability to perform narrow dodges at precise moments. The wolf, in particular, was reactionary in its attacks and focused on surprise or exploiting holes in its opponent¡¯s form, much like Eluc¡¯s fighting style. The only difference was Eluc knew how to wait while the wolf did not. After surveying its prey and analyzing the landscape, the wolf made its first step to begin its sprint forward. Eluc gulped with his dry mouth as he prepared himself. Yet, he was surprised again as the wolf was before his eyes in less than a moment, jaws wide for a bite. Every time they fought was another time that Eluc was caught off guard against the beast¡¯s rush. If anything changed between last time, it was only the fact that Eluc was able to swing his sword in response. Accurate in his swing, Eluc¡¯s sword aimed towards the incoming wolf¡¯s head and into its open mouth. He gave himself an internal cheer at his success but stopped soon after as the wolf bit down on his sword as if it was a large stick it could play with. Nearly losing his own sword, he put both hands onto the hilt in a show of strength, attempting to keep himself from fighting without a weapon. However, Eluc soon realized he had no chance of winning this bout of power. To compensate, his hands began to glow once more. Intelligence shone in the wolf¡¯s eye as it released the sword from its grip. Unprepared for the sudden change in force, Eluc was flung backward, falling on his back as the spell fizzled from his lack of focus. He saw stars as he hit the ground and his lungs lost their air. With a sharp intake of breath, he wished to have an extra moment to recover and stand back up, but he was now in the opponent''s zone of control.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The wolf jumped onto Eluc, placing its paws on his upper arms to pin him down. A mixture of blood, snot, and saliva dripped onto Eluc¡¯s face as it brought its snout down to meet its prey eye to eye. It twisted its head to the side and gaped its mouth, preparing to clamp its jaws down on its prey¡¯s neck. Pinned to the ground, Eluc did not lose all hope, even while staring death in its eyes. Confidence was another weakness of most creatures. Overlooking a certain aspect of the situation would bring about a lethal mistake in a fight. Although he could not bring any force into his arms, he hardly needed to as the sharp tip of the sword smoothly guided itself into the revealed wound, breaching into the body cavity of the canine. As if time itself halted, the wolf stopped all its movement, frozen from the puncture in its side. Compared to the slash it once received on its face, this injury was magnitudes more deadly and led to a shock through its whole body. Eluc managed to loosen his limbs out from under the claws of his foe with the release of pressure. With a push, the immobile wolf fell to its side as the sword exited its body. It began its weak flailing in pain on the ground and tried to let out noises, but it seemed the sword went deep enough to strike a lung. With clumsy movement, Eluc clambered to his feet, still readying his sword for a longer fight, but lowered it after seeing the state of his opponent. Eluc watched as the wolf struggled to hold onto its life. Before even a minute passed, all fight left the wolf and its movement stilled, incapable of breathing in much air any more. Blood spurted from the wound at first, but soon only oozed out as its heart weakened. To Eluc, the fight seemed too quick to be over. It almost felt surreal. But wasn¡¯t that life, capable of ending in a simple moment? A soldier could die with a hand on his sword or asleep in his own bed, but it will all lead to the same outcome: death. ¡®Quite a dreary thought, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Eluc said to himself. From the moment the two met, they had been adversaries, fighting against each other time and time again for the purpose of killing the opponent. He even vividly remembered losing a finger or two in the same fight where the wolf lost its eye. The only difference was Eluc had the White Room, so he remained uninjured after each confrontation. Because of their history, Eluc started to feel an urge of guilt arise in his stomach and pondered the thought of bringing the wolf to the basement to try to save its life. However, the chill stunted that line of foolish thought, as did the fact that the wolf would most certainly bleed out before reaching there. Eluc walked around to look at the wolf in his eyes before it passed. Its amber eyes were still wet as it lay on its deathbed. They gazed at Eluc, unfocused but still trying to see the man in front of them. The wolf tried to let out a sound from its opened mouth, but nothing came out. [Kill your nemesis.] Instead of the wolf, the voice from the system spoke to him, once more telling him to kill the wolf. Hadn¡¯t he already brought it to the brink of death, so what was the point of the reminder? Did the system think he would try to save the wolf who was on the verge of passing? Even if he wanted to, that was all but impossible with the condition it was in. ¡°Maybe it wants me to end your suffering,¡± Eluc said aloud. No response came from the wolf besides a flick from its ears. ¡®I guess it deserves that much,¡¯ he thought with a sigh. His blood-stained sword was still in his hands. Thankfully, he never let go of it the damned thing. If he had given it up in the contest of strength or when he flopped onto his back, he might be the one dying on the ground, his throat detached from his body. Regardless, he was still alive. Eluc raised the blade above the dire wolf¡¯s neck. Emotions kept sparking in his heart, but each time they would retreat under the chill. Perhaps through all of the fighting and the many times he would feed the other, he formed a bond between himself and the wolf. Although it was too late, maybe he was wrong to kill the wolf? Through all of their fights, the wolf never actually pursued to the end to kill him, even though it was possible a few times. As Eluc leveled higher and higher, they both stopped fighting completely and he even began to feed the wolf tributes of cooked meat. The wolf would always sit and wait for the meat every time, even if it tried to act aggressively by barking or growling. ¡®Maybe, just maybe,¡¯ he thought, ¡®the wolf was becoming obedient to me?¡¯ He shook his head, removing the pointless thoughts from his mind. Sure he could have misunderstood the wolf¡¯s intentions, but all signs pointed to an inevitable fight at the end. The death of one of them had to be the only way. Eluc was sure of it as the sword was brought down onto the wolf¡¯s neck.
Level Up!
You have reached Level 10!
You can now choose a class!
After ending the life of the wolf, Eluc placed his hand on his chest, which rose and fell from his labored breathing. Through his hand, he could feel the strong pumping of his heart, the source of the thumping in his ears. Although his heart was strong, it kept pace with the same tempo as when he would read a spellbook beside the river, rarely increasing its speed anymore. He tried to pin this change since his Awakening on his physical activity, but he felt like he knew the true reason behind this modification to his heart rate. He only didn¡¯t want to admit it to himself. But he couldn¡¯t hide behind his ignorance anymore.
Ability Increase: The Brand [Lvl 0]
The Brand wants to evolve to [Lvl 1]! Proceed with evolution?
Chapter 8: Evolution Chapter 8: Evolution The still-warm corpse of the dire wolf laid less than a meter away from Eluc as he stood frozen, staring at a spot in the air. Smelling of gore and blood, the air felt sticky and felt of discomfort, but his attention was far from the percent humidity or the chance of rain. For once, his blood turned cold without external assistance. His forehead¡¯s perspiration clung to his skin as it dripped to his brow before reaching his eyes, rendering him blind. Gulping with a dry mouth, Eluc raised his hand, presenting the Brand to himself. He recalled first waking up in the White Room, unknowing of the world beyond those four walls. Scared, frightened, and most of all, confused, he didn¡¯t understand anything about his predicament nor anything about himself, down to simple information like his name. Then the black dots on his wrists showed themselves to him, and, as he stared into their deep abyss, he found out his first clue about his identity. Eluc. That was his name. Now, that black dot had blossomed into an eerie spiral, growing larger by the day, until it, at last, wanted to take the next step in its growth process. Eluc could think of many names for the Brand: tumor, corruption, or even a defilement on his body. It was unnatural. This was something Eluc knew from the moment it caught his eye. But he couldn¡¯t deny its benefits in such a horrifying situation as Eluc found himself in. He couldn¡¯t run or hide, and he sure as hell wouldn¡¯t end his journey here without any answers, ignoring how shallow of a reason that was for living. What else could he do but survive this time of peril? When he was first attacked by the wolf, he would have shown his back in fear if not for the help of the parasite on his wrist.
Ability Increase: The Brand [Lvl 0]
The Brand wants to evolve to [Lvl 1]! Proceed with evolution?
¡°Proceed,¡± Eluc commanded. With a single word, the world turned grey. A falling leaf stopped its descent just before its stem reached the ground. Two carp chasing each other in an arc through the air, stilled along with the water their jump brought from the river. The rustling of the trees stopped all noise as the world went blank in silence. Perhaps only feeling a little suffocation, Eluc¡¯s body was still able to move as his outstretched hand wobbled involuntarily. At first, nothing of note happened. Minutes passed in the stillness that Eluc thought he was abandoned in this frozen frame of time. Then, a black essence emerged from the origin points of the swirls, creating a tornado of essence around his hands. Bit by bit, the essence would seep into his skin, creating a minor searing sensation he could feel seep into his muscles and bones. The pain was delicate to start as the Brand continued its expansions, traversing across the boundary it never dared to trespass before. Stretching as if drawn from a brush with ink, the swirl continued around the medial side of each hand until it drew an arch across the top, ending its path in the middle of the palm. It completed its long journey over the course of ten minutes, or at least that¡¯s the time Eluc perceived it to have taken in this static version of the world. Once the tingling disappeared without a trace, color returned to the world. The red leaf reached the ground, the pink carps dipped back into the water, and the pressure on his chest disappeared. Eluc awaited with bated breath for a big transformation to occur with the Brand¡¯s dramatic evolution, but there was no big change otherwise. ¡°My skin looks a little paler¡­ I think?¡± Eluc said. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed by the result. Delving a little deeper, he accessed the status screen and looked towards the section containing his [Abilities]. Until this point, nothing had changed regarding the addition of new abilities or their levels and even the spells or proficiencies hardly mattered as Eluc would actively learn the skill himself, not reliant on the system¡¯s convenience. However, while he could create runes with his mind or butcher game with his own hands, abilities were different. Judging from [The World¡¯s] description, it gave him access to the system, screens and notifications included. The [Brand] was different, though. There was no knowledge given to him that explained its existence, but there might be now. His curiosity towards the system was rejuvenated. [The Brand resonates with its host, granting strength with its power.] [+5 Skill Points gained.]
Brand (Passive): [Lvl 1]
Gain insight into [The World]. Privileges the user to collect the [8 Rings].
¡°Another clue,¡± Eluc said to himself, hand moving to his chin. He brushed his fingers across his unshaved facial hair as he thought about the meaning behind the information, but there was little he could inference past the basic message it told him. This [Insight] would most likely be a random occurrence he would see appear throughout his time with the system, but there was little else that would immediately help him. As for the [8 Rings], they were an even greater enigma and even less helpful to him. Who knew how much time he would have to spend searching for these Rings, not to mention finding out what they were.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Shrugging his shoulders, Eluc moved towards the wolf, placing his hand on the dagger he used as his butchering tool. As he pulled it from the sheath, the sharp sound of metal scraping metal pierced the air, signaling the start of the butchering. On the first stab, Eluc felt the knife break through the hide easier than expected. Before long, the hide was removed from the wolf in presentable condition, perfect for a cheaply made piece of armor. The second stab bore through the muscle with ease as he took the muscle out of its connective tissue covering, removing the tendons and all. Without a bag to carry all of the meat, he wrapped the meat in the wolf¡¯s pelt for travel. Eluc stood and looked at the remains before him. A glorious pup of strength was reduced to internal organs and bones within an hour. He had no use for these parts of the wolf, but there was no choice except to leave them here to rot back into nature¡¯s cycle of life. No more thoughts on the matter, he turned around, heading into the White Room¡¯s direction. He had a busy night ahead of him. ? ? ? Throwing his tools back on the bench, Eluc finished his work with a smile of accomplishment. His shirt was soaked in sweat and the odor permeating into the air was as bad as the body cavity of a deer, but he finished the cloak he was working on for the past few hours. Over the last few days, he had gone through the entire tanning process outlined in the Smithing manual provided by the White Room from its third and final corridor. After reaching [Level 10], Eluc hauled back the materials and was greeted by a new door that led to a smithery. Inside, he found a tanning table, smithing bench, grindstone, and even an entire forge. The room was larger than the collective other room combined. Once he saw this, Eluc¡¯s drive to leave reignited its fire and he made preparations post-haste. He created a sling to carry on his back to carry any inventory he needed to bring, prepared food for the trip, and now he was finishing his final attire for the trip.
Amateur Dire Wolf Cloak (Common)
Durability: 25/25 Requirement: 14 DEX
Scaling: Dexterity [E] Scaling Bonus: Defense [+4] Defense: +10 [+4] Dexterity: +4 + Woodland Intimidation
Made with the durable pelt of a native Dire Wolf, its majesty is in part ruined by the damage to the wolf from the cause of its death. The cloak was made by a Novice Smith with high-quality tools, bolstering its power to make up for the lack of skill.
Eluc enjoyed the mantle that helped with his mana regeneration. Apart from connecting him easier to the magic of the world, it also comforted him with a coolness around his skin. Unfortunately, its ability wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep it on his person. It was currently his best equipment, as the armory only had basic armor to start with. He had the feeling that it would evolve as time passed, but he did not want to be here to find out. Since his [Brand] evolved, that eerie feeling towards the White Room only grew. In the armory, he decided to take the Water and Earth spell books as reading material for the journey. He thought of taking one of the staves, as he greatly appreciated the usage of magic, but he preferred to lighten his load as much as possible. It was unknown how long he would be traveling. Taking one last look at the armory, he once more looked at the tattered equipment in the back. The short staff, the elegant bow, and the rest of the broken armor still sat there. Since the first moment he entered the armory, this section of the equipment had some decorum despite its dilapidated appearance. Now, large chunks of the metal armor sets were missing and the bow and staff were thinning by the day. Eluc didn¡¯t know the cause for this resistance, but he knew that they were not going to be absorbed by the White Room without a fight. Curious about how well the staff measured up to the mint-condition ones across the room, he went to pick it up before his vision turned dark as his eyes rolled back. A group walking in the woods with haste, the entrance to a mine, the creatures in its depths, and at last a great automaton in the final room. Zooming in on the orb that hung in the center of the ceiling, lines of energy drew inwards from the outside, supplying its reserve. The final scene from the sky over the forest looked down on the world as a dot of fire raged in one section, before disappearing as it left a calm over the area. Eluc¡¯s index and middle fingers were still touching the staff when his eyes refocused. Retracting his hands like he touched a coal stovetop, he left the armory in a hurry, slamming the door behind him. His mind went back to the [Insight] ability of the [Brand] and slowly the puzzle was put together. From his assumption, Eluc could guess that this [Insight] would provide him vague visions of the past in exchange for a slight headache. What purpose this held, he once more did not know the answer, but he was sure it was important. The vision was not very detailed, but it reassured him of a few things. One: other people existed in the world. He was not alone in this place and only had to search to find civilization. Two: the technology of those in the vision was around the same level as what Eluc had seen thus far. If he would emerge from the forest, he wouldn¡¯t be too far behind those dungeoneers in the vision, only much weaker in level. And three: he could understand them speaking. Their hopeful conversations, anxious complaints, and fearful screams were all in his language, indicating there would be no social barrier apart from culture and mannerisms. Since he had awoken in this world, he finally felt some hope for the future. Taking one last look at the White Room, Eluc turned around and began his ascent up the steps. Remembering something, he ran back down to take a pillow and a thin blanket from the bed. Luxury truly was hard to find in the wilderness. The time was a little before midday, taking into account the sun from between the dying leaves. There would be plenty of time to travel before night broke, so Eluc had to get a move on before then. His first move was to travel along the river. As he learned while hunting, where there is water, there is life. Optimistic for the future, the first steps along the bank were taken and Eluc¡¯s travels in the peaceful wilderness began. Breaking his thoughts about the forest, a voice rang in his head. [Reminder: User is able to choose a class.] Chapter 9: Blavix Chapter 9: Blavix Children raced along the bank of the water, engaging in the most popular sport of the village: tag. Only able to run within a certain area they had mentally mapped out, the youth stared at each other with sharpened eyes. Speed was not the only skill involved in tag, they quickly learned. Each of them would play tricks on one another, evading their pursuer who would switch targets at a moment¡¯s notice. If one was not aware of their situation at each second of the game, they would not last against the deception of their temporary allies. The children learned at a young age that cunning would serve them better in life than most physical skills would. Parents gathered around the arena where the children faced each other in their life-or-death matched. Most held cups of mead, drinking heartily as they spoke to one another while they enjoyed the show. The crowd would cheer when an especially nimble child ducked away from their predator¡¯s grasp or even gasped when the hunter tackled their prey in a much too cruel fashion. Regardless, the tag event was a village favorite, bringing the families together to bond. Only one child sat on the ground beside their parents, pouting with his arms crossed. His abnormal blonde hair covered his disgruntled brow, but it didn¡¯t reach far enough to block his green eyes that stared at the other kids in envy. His parents held each other in one another¡¯s arms as they spoke to another couple who had awkward expressions while looking at the child. They spoke softly, but after a few words, the woman laughed with the brush of her hand, waving away his worry. Another family, perhaps overly eager, screamed their child¡¯s name at his every sprint and twist. The child¡¯s bright-red face was fully focused, trying his hardest to fulfill his parents'' wishes. His streak of remaining ¡®untagged¡¯ was longer than any other child¡¯s, but that was quickly ended after an ill-fated sidestep resulted in a twisted-ankle. The child¡¯s face expressed his pain more vividly than his sky-piercing cries, signaling the first injury of the event. When the sky began to lose its sun to the horizon, Richard¡¯s son was proclaimed the champion of the event, much to the chagrin of Evan¡¯s father. Rumors spread of the referee involved in a secretive affair with Richard, but each of them knew he doted on his wife too much to fool around with another. Every family left with a smile on their face, satisfied they spent the post-Harvest Day in typical Blavix fashion. Some celebrated too much, as a father or two were carried back to their beds nursing an ale. Only one person remained on the field, crossing his arms in a power stance. His stern face pushed away any intentions of conversation, but everyone knew it was only a front as the town¡¯s solitary guard. While he was haughty and impersonable on the job, a few drinks would transform him into a singing, sociable drunkard. After assuring himself that every family made their way towards their respective residences, he gave himself a satisfied nod as he made his way back to his own home. However, from the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow emerge from the trees of the Forgotten Forest. Five years ago, Arthur would not have spared a second glance and shrugged it off as an exploring deer. Nowadays, rarely were emerging beasts good news as most leaving the woods were nomadic dire wolves, coming to feast on the town¡¯s residents and cattle. Last time a fully grown wolf came from the forest, several families were devoured in the dead of night, leaving only bones as a reminder. Arthur even heard the news of a growing dire pup mothered by the last. If both were to ravage upon the village, there might be no Blavix left to tell the tale. Unsheathing his sword in an instant, he twisted his body into an engaging stance towards the presence approaching. Darkness shrouded the figure, but Arthur could tell that it was no deer nor wolf. Similar to himself, the silhouette had a scabbard upon its left hip. As it left the treeline, the rising moon shed its light upon the man who approached, steadfast. ? ? ? Eluc nearly lost feeling in his legs after walking for so long. He heaved out large breaths of air as he trudged towards the first sign of a sentient settlement he had seen so far. From hundreds of meters back, he was exhausted from a long day of travel and had thrown his pack on the ground to encamp next to the river. Disregarding basic etiquette of boiling water before drinking, he dumped his head into the stream to take gulps in order to refresh himself. Satisfied, he kneeled atop the ground with his head aimed upwards, eyes closed in gratification. At that moment, he had not cared if he swallowed a parasite or two from the dirty water. Only his urge to drink guided his actions. ¡®I should¡¯ve just stopped to drink the damned water earlier,¡¯ Eluc thought to himself in contemplation. He was eager to finally leave the forest, but he had pushed his body too far in the adventure, on the second day nonetheless. Growing desperate, he clung to the frenzied thought that he would be freed from the dark forest and the violent creatures it hid within its shade. Eluc was never engaged by anything while traveling, but he felt as if a gaze bored into his back throughout the entire journey. Opening his eyes, he turned despondent that he would spend another night beneath the canopy of leaves that never showed the sun above. ¡®But why does the sky look different in the distance over there,¡¯ he thought. His brain first concluded that the trees would soon become another species with differing leaves than the ones he had seen so far. He caught a sigh leaving his mouth when another possibility entered his mind. Picking up his pack, he sprinted towards his hope.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. What met his hazy eyes open leaving the forest was a man pointing his sword at his body. Overjoyed at the sight of another being the same as himself, Eluc was stunned into silence. Thoughts bounced off one another in his mind as he struggled to speak the first words until he went completely blank. The gruff man pointing his sword towards Eluc, shifted his feet as he lowered his sword. A grunt later, he said, ¡°Ain¡¯t normal fer folk to leave those woods.¡± Clearing his throat and spitting into the grass, he continued, ¡°Most walk in that forest and never come back out. Killed by a beast larger than himself or his wits lead his stomach to starve. Normal folk, that is.¡± His accent was thick and dialect unknown to Eluc. Between each of his words, it sounded as if phlegm struggled to crawl its way out his mouth but he would make an unsettling noise to keep it at bay. It did little to mask the inquisitive tone of his voice, veiled in threats. Eluc finally opened his mouth to speak, pushing off the nervousness that caught his tongue. ¡°Some of us can take care of ourselves,¡± he started. Still wielding his sword, the man¡¯s eyes narrowed as they looked up and down Eluc, scanning his body. ¡°We¡¯ll see if that¡¯s as true as you say it is,¡± the man said, lifting the broadsword higher. ¡°Ever use that thing on yer hips or is it just fer show?¡± Stunned again for another reason, Eluc thought to himself, ¡®Is this man crazy? Perhaps he thinks I¡¯m here for nefarious purposes and wants to fight me?¡¯ Regardless of his thoughts, he was still carried by the atmosphere and removed his own sword from its scabbard. An audible gulp left Eluc¡¯s throat as he prepared to fight another person. Laughing loud enough to shake the tree¡¯s leaves, the man spoke, ¡°Calm down, kid. Ever heard of a spar?¡± With that as a commencement, the man launched himself forwards, beginning with a stab at Eluc¡¯s abdomen. Never before exchanging moves in a bout of steel before, Eluc sidestepped the stab with uneasy feet. It was easy enough to dodge such a slow move, but he felt drawn into the weapon, slowing his steps. Sweat left his forehead and ran its way down his face. Leaving no time to breathe, the stab became a swipe, swinging trajectory aiming across Eluc¡¯s chest in a smooth arc. Not able to dodge with his feet twisted from the amateur evade, he was forced to raise his sword in a black. The swords collided, perpendicular to one another and sparks flew from each of the blades. Force transmitted through the sword into Eluc¡¯s hands and numbed his arms. Strength was put into the attack that Eluc was unprepared for, forcing him to take a step back in order to counteract the momentum placed onto his side. His foot caught on his leg, almost throwing him to the ground if he didn¡¯t catch himself at the last moment. There was no time to rest as the attacks kept coming. Each was only a basic stab or swipe, but they held a power inside each attack that Eluc instinctively tried his best to avoid catching one. An overhead swipe down towards Eluc¡¯s head caught him off-guard and he hastily swung to change the broadsword''s path. The parry surprised even Eluc and the first opportunity for him to attack opened itself. Using the parry¡¯s momentum to force an uppercut to launch towards his opponent. Little time to respond, the man jumped back, narrowly avoiding the chop, but he still wasn¡¯t clear from the impending onslaught Eluc continued. Recklessness, Eluc continued the attacks, but each one was more tiring than the last. At first, each swing held his full strength, but the last one hardly had any force to speak of. He only attacked for the sake of attacking, hoping to not lose his advantage. The last of his swings was weak enough to lose out in a collision against the other¡¯s sword as it was parried. Losing his balance, Eluc stepped back, but his footwork tripped himself as he caught his foot on his other. Eluc felt his view change from his opponent to the starry sky as he landed on the floor with his back. He heard another laugh along with the words, ¡°You can¡¯t just fall on yer arse in the middle of a fight. The easiest way for someone to stick a blade in yer chest.¡± The laughing continued until the man noticed something illuminating the dark, originating from Eluc¡¯s hand. Energy spread into the ground, beginning shaking the soil and creating ruptures in the water, disrupting its current. The man felt his stable stance collapse against the tremors and took a knee with a hand on the ground to prevent himself from falling shamefully against the ground. Once the earthquake ceased, the old man¡¯s vision steadied and he looked up to find a quivering sword in front of his eyes. The other was exhausted but still stood tall, ready to remove the head of the opponent given the chance. He knew he was beaten, but his pride was undamaged as a soldier. There was too large of a gap between someone like him and another that could wield magic. ¡°Like I said,¡± he started, a grin taking its place on his face as he spoke to the winner of the duel, ¡°Normal folk don¡¯t leave those woods.¡± Eluc retracted his sword, sheathing it as it was no longer needed. The man mumbled his thanks as he clambered to his feet, still somewhat disoriented by the quaked ground. After taking a few moments to gather himself, he rubbed the back of his neck and moved his head, emitting cracks from his body. After a sigh, the man looked once more towards Eluc, scanning him again. ¡°I knew when I saw yer clothes you weren¡¯t from around here. Are you from one of them mainland Guilds we¡¯ve heard of?¡± Unable to answer the question as he had no clue as to what a ¡®Guild¡¯ even was, Eluc simply responded, ¡°No, sir. I¡¯m just a normal person.¡± A gruff laugh left the man¡¯s mouth as he spoke, ¡°Funniest joke I¡¯ve heard all day and we just had a festival in our Blavix!¡± Compared to the hostility on his face from earlier, Eluc could now perceive something kinder from the man after their fight. ¡°The name¡¯s Arthur,¡± he said, stretching out his open hand towards the opponent. The outstretched hand had calluses and scars from too many days of training and fights, but it was the true mark of a warrior. Between the man¡¯s skill with the sword and his tempered body, Eluc felt true respect for the other. ¡°Eluc,¡± he said in a simple manner as he grabbed the other¡¯s hand. There was no need for useless words in their introduction. They had said enough in their fight earlier as they looked at each other in mutual understanding. While shaking hands, Arthur gave a puzzled mumble. ¡°Hm?¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s not even the winter yet and yer skin¡¯s already colder than the snow.¡± Releasing his grip, Arthur walked back towards the village, indicating Eluc to follow behind. Chapter 10: Civil Chapter 10: Civil Two men walked through the town in the dusk moonlight. Their shoes met the soil road as they moved, sending dull sounds of steps into the air and leaving prints with each impact. Soft lights shone brightly onto the street through the neighboring houses, but, one by one, their lights were extinguished to signal the end of the family¡¯s day. Many houses were still, exhausted from the day of revelry, while some still made merry into the night. Clamoring from these houses often excited a yell from the nearby residents to quiet down, but their anger was ignored and brushed away. It was Eluc¡¯s first time seeing a village before. From the people still walking the streets while talking or even those angry at the celebrators for their behavior, he could tell there was a strong sense of community here. As the two men pass others, they would wave at Arthur in greeting or even join him for a few quick moments to speak. Arthur mostly listened, giving the odd nod to the other, but the smile on his face showed that he enjoyed the interaction. After a burly man in an apron with soot covering his face finished his conversation with Arthur, he patted the soldier on his back and walked away to enter one of the larger residences in the village. ¡°That¡¯s Pheon, odd name but one of the good folk,¡± Arthur said, watching the man close his door. ¡°Didn¡¯t even join the party today, too busy fixing the tools from the harvest.¡± ¡°He seems like a good guy if a bit solemn,¡± Eluc said. Throughout the entire talk, what the two discussed was entirely business-related. Pheon had fixed two reapers that lost their heads to the grains and four swords that were rusted from sitting in the warehouse for too many years. ¡°Aye, he¡¯s been that way since his wife passed a few years ago. Lost his passion for life, I¡¯m afraid. Visit him tomorrow. He can fix up some of your shabby equipment for you.¡± Eluc looked down at his clothing. Sure, the stitching on his wolf cloak was terrible and his clothes looked a tad dirty, but nothing on him looked particularly terrible. However, if someone like Arthur noticed something wrong, he should take the advice seriously. Arthur continued after Eluc stayed silent, ¡°How long were ye planning on staying in Blavix? There ain¡¯t much here, but it''s a homely place.¡± ¡°Probably a few days or so to get my bearings and find out where I need to go next,¡± Eluc responded. Despite how comfortable the place was, he still had a goal he wanted to accomplish and should at least start finding clues before spending an excessive amount of time in leisure. He doubted there would be any in this small village so he should first go somewhere larger. ¡°That should be fine. We¡¯ll let ye borrow the Guest House for yer stay,¡± Arthur said, pointing to the far corner of the neighborhood at a solitary house.¡± To be honest, no one¡¯s ever stayed in it since we built it so the children use it as a gathering place to play games. It''s in good condition.¡± Eluc stopped his pace when he saw Arthur do the same at an intersection. He was just a random stranger to this rural hamlet, but they had long prepared for someone like him to stop and rest on their journey. Feeling his heart warm from the kindness of this small village, he could not stop himself from giving Arthur a heartfelt, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± he responded. ¡°It¡¯s what any good man would do. My house is down here, so if ye need anything during yer stay, let me know.¡± With that, Arthur waved goodbye after pointing out the correct house to Eluc once more. Eluc watched the soldier walk down the street and enter his house. After he saw the candlelight flickering through his window fade to dark, he walked to the temporary abode he was given. The walk was no more than a minute before Eluc found himself in front of the house. Compared to most of the rundown houses in the village, this one was pristine in condition. He much preferred the graffiti from the children on the wooden walls compared to weather stains. It gave the unmatched character in the village. Eluc placed his hand on the door and pushed it open with a creak. As it opened, he heard the sounds of panicked shuffles along with hard thumps against the flooring from inside. Confused, Eluc¡¯s hand turned the dark blue as a light came into existence in front of him. [Illuminate], much like its name, brightened up the entire exterior, much to the hatred of Eluc¡¯s pupils. Against the radiant light that brightened the room, he could now see a child running from the bed to the backdoor before he was stopped in his tracks. The boy snapped his head to meet Eluc¡¯s eyes, a look of fear in his green eyes. Once he saw who it was, fear turned to relief and then into confusion. ¡°Ah,¡± the child started, ¡°I thought you were my parents coming to find me. Who are you?¡± It seemed the boy quickly adapted or was innately curious, as the sight of a stranger in this small community didn¡¯t faze him in the slightest. Instead, a smile that spread to his eyes was now on his face. ¡°Just a visitor, staying for a few days,¡± Eluc said, satisfying the child¡¯s curiosity. ¡°I was told I could sleep here in the Guest House, but I wasn¡¯t told there would be a kid already using it.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A look of understanding passed the child¡¯s face, ¡°You¡¯ve made it to the right house, but we haven¡¯t had a visitor in so long! You¡¯ll be the talk of the town.¡± The child only became more excited at the thought. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready to sleep just yet, so I snuck out to play here.¡± Eluc shook his head, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your parents worry that you are gone? You should hurry back.¡± The mischievous smile leaving the kid¡¯s face became a pout as he crossed his arms. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°but in exchange, you¡¯ll have to tell me all about the outside world tomorrow!¡± Given he had no memories of the outside world except the forest, Eluc didn¡¯t give it any more thought before accepting the deal. The child raised a fist in accomplishment as if he just won a lottery and ran to the door to leave, before turning back as if he forgot something. ¡°My name¡¯s Dendrick. What¡¯s yours, sir?¡± ¡°Eluc,¡± he responded honestly. The child closed his eyes, committing the name to memory before running out the door. He didn¡¯t forget to remind Eluc about tomorrow as he scurried away in what Eluc was sure was the direction towards his house. Now finally able to rest, Eluc took off his equipment for the day, unlatching his cloak and taking off his backpack which he threw on the ground. He rested his sword and scabbard against the nightstand while hanging his bow on a convenient hook built into the wall. He then folded his clothes and neatly laid out his armor before collapsing into the bed with a large exhale of breath. His mind drifted to the events of the past few days to those of just a few moments ago. He laughed at how he had trouble understanding Arthur through his accent, but he supposed he would get used to it as most of the village probably spoke in the same way. Though Dendrick lacking an accent in such a close-knit village was somewhat odd, he thought no more about it as his mind turned dark. He felt comfortable for the first time in his life. ? ? ? Running through the woods, Eluc fell to his knees into the moist soil. He raised his hands, looking at the still-wet blood covering his palms and fingers. He dipped his hands into the water, scrubbing hard to get rid of the gore that was stuck to his skin and under his nails. Despite his efforts, his hands never washed themselves of blood which only got denser as he tried to rub it away. He cursed under his breath in a frenzy, wondering why it wouldn¡¯t leave his hands. He looked closer into the river, but the darkness completely obscured his vision, rendering him blind. ? ? ? Eluc woke up with the sun shining on his face. Its bright rays shone through the open window, lighting up the entire room in a morning glow, from the bedsheets to his armor. His eyes opened slowly while he enjoyed the sounds of the distant river and birds tweeting away through the door. Nature¡¯s tune had him in a trance as he enjoyed the moment in a way he was unable to so far. Little time passed before he found out why the window was open to wake him. Taking turns, a child¡¯s head would stealthily peek into the window before switching with the one next in line. Eluc jolted awake, scaring off the kid whose turn it was. He listened to the group run away as they yelled and giggled about being caught. Shaking his head, Eluc stood up to stretch before dressing and arming himself. Ten leisure minutes later, he walked out the door. The village had recovered from the night of drinking and was now working like any other day. Families greeted one another on their way out of their homes and went along towards their respective jobs to start the day¡¯s work. Bearded lumberjacks in burlap clothing carried their heavy axes to cut down trees for the village while their wives would send them off and begin carrying water and tailoring worn clothes. Rambunctious children would interrupt their mother¡¯s focus and would be playfully yelled at to leave the house and play with the neighbors. Walking along the street towards the center of the hamlet, others walking the same roads would welcome him and give a brilliant smile. Eluc¡¯s trained ears would hear whispers from distant voices every so often. When he would turn to meet eyes with the speaker, they would stop and give an embarrassed wave and smile back. He could only assume he was the gossip of the town. Once he reached the Square of the village, he saw a child sitting alone on one of the tables, appearing to be waiting for someone. Using their fingernails, they were drawing in the shoddy wooden table while giggling to themselves. At first, they were just drawing animals, but it instead turned into improper sketches that their parents would surely punish them for. Noticing someone walking towards, they stopped to raise their head and smiled as they jumped from their seat. ¡°You¡¯re awake! How did you enjoy your night¡¯s stay at Blavix, sir?¡± The blonde boy held his hands behind his back as he walked in front of Eluc. Eluc thought why this child was speaking to him, but then remembered about the boy who was holed up in the Guest House last night. He nearly forgot in his exhausted stupor. ¡°It was the most relaxed I¡¯ve been in recent days," Eluc said, narrowing his eyes at Dendrick. "Until I found out I was being spied on by the village children.¡± Nervous and twisting his leg in the dirt on the balls of his feet, Dendrick said, ¡°I told them not to bother you, but they were just so excited about a foreigner being here they didn¡¯t listen to me!¡± A laugh left Eluc¡¯s mouth, ¡°It¡¯s fine, they would¡¯ve found out soon anyways. Blavix really doesn''t get much traffic does it?¡± It was time for Eluc to learn about where he was. ¡°No, sir,¡± he started. ¡°We are on the farthest corner of the Vineal Kingdom, so no one ever comes through here. Even to reach other nations, there are plenty of better routes.¡± The boy suddenly halted any further words, ¡°Or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± Eluc looked at the boy¡¯s shifting eyes but decided to not press him harder. ¡°Is there anyone in the village that knows more about these routes and ¡®nations?¡¯¡± If he could find someone with this kind of knowledge, he would know where to take his first steps on this journey. Dendrick opened his mouth to speak but closed it after another thought. He stood quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°Arthur. He used to be a soldier for some city in Vinea so he probably knows.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Eluc said with a smile. ¡°Now, what was it you wanted to ask about?¡± Dendrick raised his lowered head, changing the anxious frown on his face to a thrilled smile. He had a skip in his step as he walked beside Eluc, both of them walking in the direction towards Arthur¡¯s home. Chapter 11: Answer Chapter 11: Answer Still in the beaming sunlight of the morning, three people ate a simple breakfast together. The menu consisted of boiled potatoes, boiled rice, and boiled corn, but every dish gave off a scrumptious aroma that filled the kitchen¡¯s air. A bearded man stood, leaning over the table with a pot in one hand and a ladle in another. Brown rice left with each scoop and ended in three different plates which were already dressed with other sides. Arthur pushed the servings to himself and the two others at the table, erupting a cheer from Dendrick who picked up a spoon in haste. The slight smile on the soldier¡¯s face that reached his eyes and the boy scarfing down his breakfast created a picturesque scene as the sun bathed them in yellow light. Eluc hesitated at first to eat the food prepared for him, but the sight of Dendrick already enjoying it and a nod from Arthur removed his inhibitions. After giving a quick thanks for the food, he grabbed the spoon and took the first bite of rice. Explosions in his mouth from the flavor blanked his mind as the delicious spices accented the well-grown rice to create a beautiful recipe. Eluc could tell that every part of this food, from the plant¡¯s growth to the dish¡¯s serving was done with care. Given the quality of the first entree, Eluc immediately set his eye on the other two. A scoop of potatoes from the plate to his mouth revealed the sweet dichotomy between the skin and the inner meat. The healthy skin took effort to bite into, but his teeth easily slid through the inner portion. As both parts touched his tongue, the warm flavor spread through his body. At last, the corn still on its cob was yearning to be tested. Slick butter melting on its surface that seeped between its crevices urged Eluc on as he bit into it. Before long, the plate was empty, not even the crumbles spared. Eluc slouched in the chair, hands on his stomach, reveling in the quiet. It was almost too quiet. He opened his eyes to see two pairs moving between his face and his plate. At first, Eluc was confused about what was happening. ¡®Did they already finish?¡¯ he thought. Looking down at their plates proved that statement false as neither were even close to half-done. ¡°A-amazing,¡± Dendrick said, still looking at the plate and Eluc in what could only be interpreted as astonishment. ¡°Ye don¡¯t only take fighting seriously, but eating too, huh?¡± Arthur was amazed as well. He was a full-grown man who needed thousands of calories more than the farmers to sustain his training, but not even he could eat that fast. Eluc was wide-eyed and embarrassed from his ¡®feat.¡¯ ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I just haven¡¯t had food this good¡­ in a while, that is.¡± Dendrick gasped in understanding, ¡°Because you¡¯ve spent the last few years in the forest, right? I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯d put yourself through that. Quick visits I can do, but a night in there¡­¡± he cut himself off, shivering in his seat. With a shake of his head, Arthur said, ¡°Aye, people gifted with [The System] are different. They don¡¯t fear the forest beasts like the common folk do. Still, they have limits. Even yer father couldn¡¯t save ye, Dendrick, if ye keep entering the Forgotten Forest on your ¡®adventures.¡¯¡± Now it was Dendrick¡¯s turn to feel embarrassed, his eyes flicking between Eluc and his lap as his cheeks flushed. ¡°Arthur, you know he doesn¡¯t like people spreading that he¡¯s a [User].¡± Arthur gave a harumph, ¡°Maybe if he contributed even a little bit to the town then I might be more respectful.¡± Now interested in the topic of [Users], he continued, ¡°Dendrick, yer nearly thirteen. Any signs of [Initializing] anytime soon?¡± Dendrick sighed, ¡°Nothing. Father says he was about my age when he was ready, so probably soon, though. Then we won¡¯t have to fear those dire beasts from the forest anymore!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yerself, boy!¡± Arthur said after a hearty laugh. His gaze turned and he placed his spoon down, mulling over words in his head before speaking, ¡°Eluc, what is yer purpose? What will ye do after leaving Blavix?¡± The room turned quiet as Arthur clasped his hands, waiting for an answer. Dendrick was also curious but tried to act as if he wasn¡¯t listening by playing with his food. As for Eluc, he was thinking of the proper answer to give. ¡°I am looking for something,¡± he started. ¡°To find it, I feel as if I¡¯ll be searching for a long time, slowly putting the puzzle together over time.¡± Dendrick¡¯s eyes brightened and he yelled, ¡°Are you looking for a secret treasure?¡± Eluc gave a small laugh. He enjoyed the childlike thoughts that would emerge from this kid¡¯s mouth from time-to-time. ¡°Not quite, but it¡¯s something similar, in a way. Seeing as the table went quiet again, Arthur began to scratch his beard, the bristle-like hairs itching his hand. Once he stopped, he looked Eluc dead in the eyes to say, ¡°Yer swordsmanship is sloppy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eluc said, confused at the sudden insult. Arthur continued, ¡°I noticed it in our fight, but yer swordsmanship lacks a foundation and has no proper form. I felt like I was fighting [The System] more than ¡®Eluc.¡¯¡± These were good points that he was making, but Eluc was still unsure why he was bringing this up now. However, that question was soon answered. ¡°Eluc,¡± he said, gravely, ¡°I am not confident in protecting this town at the moment. With more beast movement from the forest and words of unease spreading throughout the Kingdom, I feel as if something bad is coming, but I can¡¯t say what.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Thinking to himself, Eluc had to agree with the man. To the soldier, it was unfounded and based entirely on intuition, but Eluc had another clue that could further this hypothesis. ¡°I want to protect the people of Blavix, but it is harder as I get older and older. My only hope is for Dendrick to be gifted, but we need time that I am afraid we don¡¯t have.¡± Dendrick had a wry smile as he knew that the chances of him [Initializing] soon was low. He was only a child, but he still felt responsibility as a citizen of this town and a potential heir of [The System]. Perhaps it was only the excitation of youth, but Dendrick was willing to shoulder this weight for a chance to help his people. Arthur¡¯s monologue continued, ¡°If ye want to find this ¡®something¡¯ ye are looking for, you¡¯ll need strength. I may just be a normal person, but I can teach ye the proper swordsmanship of a soldier, maximizing yer potential as a [User] as many great Heroes of the past did. I can also help ye [Level] yerself up to achieve true strength.¡± Excited by the promise of power, Eluc felt his steadfast heart pump harder than usual, stimulated by his emotions. If he could learn proper footwork, falling on his back would be an issue of the past, not to mention the many other benefits of knowing swordplay. Although he did not want to admit it to himself, he did feel a little thrilled when told he had the possibility to gain the strength of a hero. ¡°Eluc, stay here to protect this village. Not only for the benefits of its people but also yerself. Who knows, ye may even find a few pieces of the puzzle while here.¡± At last, Arthur finished, waiting for Eluc¡¯s response. It was a difficult decision for Eluc to make as he felt haste to travel the world in his search, but maybe that line of thought was incorrect. How far he roamed did not matter if everywhere he wandered was wrong. With a sigh, Eluc dropped the twisting thoughts in his head that would continue to weave forever if he allowed them to. Why not take the chance of guidance when he had no idea of what to do? ¡°Sure, I can stay for a little while,¡± Eluc said, shrugging his shoulders. Dendrick let out a cheer and in celebration began to bombard Eluc with more questions. Nodding, Arthur let out a small smirk on his face and picked up his utensils to continue eating, intent to finish the meal. ? ? ? It had already been a few days since Eluc agreed to stay. Arthur decided with the town that he could take temporary ownership of the Guest House for the duration of his stay. The children were disappointed by the loss of their base, but the gain of a new neighbor made up for the letdown. Eluc was currently resting by the riverside, enjoying the sounds of the rushing water. The sound from the stream always calmed his racing mind and relaxed his tense muscles. After what he estimated was an hour-long nap, he opened his eyes and stood up, walking to the nearby field. He was the only one standing on the open plain, distant from the view of the village. From his hip, he removed his sword from his sheath and held it with both hands in front of himself. Breathing deeply, air entering and leaving his lungs in a slow cycle, he waited until he heard the sound of a horn, signaling it was noon in Blavix. Raising the sword above his head, Eluc began his reps of swinging. Each chop through the air was directly perpendicular to the ground, in a straight slice. At first, Eluc felt the exercise was easy and that he would run through the five-hundred swings in no time at all. However, after the fiftieth chop, he began to feel the true weight of the sword. Of course, it was made of steel so it had heft before, but Eluc didn¡¯t recall having such trouble holding it before. One-hundred swings into the exercise and his arms began to feel fatigued, acid burning inside of his muscles putting them through agony. Still, Eluc started this to begin with because he wanted to get stronger. ¡®Without pain, there would be no gain,¡¯ or at least that is what Arthur told him. After the two-hundredth rep, Eluc released the sword from his hand, causing its blade to fly into the ground, hilt pointing to the sky. He fell to his knees with labored breathing, using his hands to massage the muscles of his arms and shoulders. Previously, the most pain he ever felt was the dire wolf ripping off one of his forearm muscles and taking it with him as a trophy. Thankfully, the White Room had nonsensical regenerative properties, so he was unmaimed to this day. The pain back then was bad enough that his vision was going in and out with tears blinding him further, all while he was screaming at the top of his lungs. Eluc shuddered at the memory, still a fresh scar on his mind. Once he recalled this memory, the aches in his arms still tensed in pain, but his mental recognition of the pain lessened to a much smaller degree. He slowed his breaths, practicing the breathing pattern Arthur told him and sat there quietly on the ground. In the silence, Eluc heard steps on the grass moving towards him from the village. Arthur made his way over, two glasses of sour lemonade in his hands. He offered one to Eluc who gladly accepted it as he drank the entire glass in two gulps. Looking at his own, Arthur laughed to himself as he had not finished half of it during the walk over from his house. ¡°How many reps did you reach today,¡± he said, taking a sip of his drink. Eluc¡¯s breathing was still rough but he managed to get out the answer, ¡°Two-hundred exactly.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡®Ten more than yesterday,¡¯ he thought. He stood there beside Eluc for a few minutes, gazing at the clouds in the blue sky. Every so often he would take a sip from his lemonade as he matched the shape of one to an animal or another object. He laughed to himself as one of the white clouds looked just like the Vineal Kingdom sigil he used to wear on his patrol armor in his younger days. He let out a sigh, pondering on the changing of the times. After he decided Eluc rested for long enough, he said, ¡°It''s time for the next exercise.¡± Still unrecovered from his tired muscles, he tried to plead, ¡°Just a couple more minutes, then I¡¯ll be ready.¡± Laughing, Arthur gave Eluc a light kick to his side. ¡°If ye always wait until yer ready, you¡¯ll be dead before ye get anything done.¡± Resisting the draw of fatigue, Eluc pushed himself onto his feet. His legs trembled in anticipation, but there was no way around it. He began his first lap of thirty around the village. The next morning, Eluc awoke to sore muscles, but the message upon the opening of his eyes gave him a sense of satisfaction for his work.
Skill Up!
Strength (STR) has reached 11!
Chapter 12: Routine Chapter 12: Routine Blizzard would often attack the Vineal Kingdom, or so the villagers said. Like a raging storm, they would appear in the heart of winter, intent on wreaking on all life in its breadth. Once during the coldest moment of the year, stirred to life from the chill, the Behemoth would descend from the skies, covering the land in mountains of snow and a white haze.
Perspiration dripped from Eluc¡¯s forehead, saturating his brow enough that his sweat dripped past the eyebrows evolved to catch it. Acid attacked his eyes but Eluc only rubbed his stinging eyelids with the back of his palm and continued his run. His calves burned with each step and his thighs begged for him to grind the exercise to a halt. However, persistence was one of the few values he learned so far, so no pain stopped him from running. Though, physical inability could stop him. Unable to push themselves any longer, his legs quivered and Eluc fell to his knees. He held himself up by his palms, fingers scratching into the dry earth and light snow on the ground. Tingling arose in his fingers from the cold but it was tolerable compared to the caustic feeling inside his legs. ¡°Twenty-six laps in thirty,¡± he said between heavy breaths. After he had reached the goal of thirty laps in an hour, Arthur immediately increased the challenge by cutting the time in half. He claimed it was exactly ten kilometers and running it in thirty minutes was something every recruit should be able to do before leaving basic training. Although Eluc had no intention of joining any army for the neighboring kingdoms, he understood the point. It was the price for strength. While Eluc was still recovering himself from the rigorous workout, he heard the patterning of steps behind him along with a melodious humming. Long, wavy blonde hair bounced with each of Dendrick¡¯s steps. He raced right past the other runner, weakened and heaving on the ground as he reached the chair Arthur was sitting in. Only about twenty meters from Eluc, he heard Arthur press in the stopwatch in his hand followed by cheering as Dendrick passed the imaginary finish line. ¡°Good job, boy. Right on time, too. Thirty in thirty was hardly a challenge for ye.¡± Arthur stood from his seat, nearly spilling his hot drink in the process, to pat the kid on the shoulder. Dendrick gave a brilliant smile. ¡°See, what did I tell you? I¡¯m a natural, born to be a hero!¡± ¡®He really is,¡¯ Eluc thought to himself. It took Eluc two months to be able to run a ¡®10K,¡¯ as Arthur called it, and since he started, the season had changed from a cool fall to a frosty winter. He had endured running through mud from rainstorms and dense snow below his feet to get to where he currently is, a source of pride for himself. However, Dendrick was curious and decided to exercise in anticipation of becoming a [User] himself so he joined his first weight lifts and run today. Not to mention he could lift more than Eluc, an adult man, but his runtime was mind-boggling. The result was incomprehensible. Eluc changed his sitting posture to crossing his legs with his palms on his knees as he thought more. Dendrick really was a fantastic child. Ever since Eluc had met him, he could tell the child was very intelligent from his speaking and mannerisms and that idea only deepened as he chatted more with the boy. His questions often provoked thought, uncharacteristic of the other village children, and he almost caught Eluc in a few of his lies a time or two. Now, the story was completely different. Intelligent and extraordinarily athletic proved that Dendrick was a child born once in a hundred or more years. Finally rested enough to move, Eluc struggled to his feet and walked to the other two with a smile on his face, ¡°It would be a disservice to the world if you weren¡¯t chosen to be one.¡± Dendrick¡¯s grin stiffened and he let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s difficult enough [Initializing]. Someone like me becoming a [Hero] is next to impossible.¡± Eluc only wanted to reinforce the child¡¯s confidence, he didn¡¯t expect to give it a blow instead. ¡°If anyone could stand atop the world as a hero, it would be you,¡± he said. Shaking his head, Arthur spoke his piece, ¡°While I would like to have faith in the boy, as well, [Hero]¡¯s are¡­ different.¡± An awkward atmosphere appeared from nowhere as the first snowflakes of another snowstorm landed atop the heads of the men. Eluc tightened the wolf cloak around his body with the shoddy straps made with his own hands. Feeling his hair getting wet from the precipitate, he pulled up the hood, showing off the dire wolf design of the cowl while protecting himself at the same time. ¡°Eluc, at what moment will I know I¡¯ve [Initialized]?¡± Envy shown in Dendrick¡¯s eyes as he saw the cloak, overriding the previous sadness and uncertainty. ¡°You just have to¡­¡° Eluc stopped speaking. He realized that his situation was probably abnormal as [The Brand] directed him through the process. He continued with a lie instead, ¡°You just have to wait. You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s time.¡± In response to a frustrated grunt from Dendrick, Arthur decided to spread one of his many pearls of wisdom, ¡°Patience is hidden in the fires of youth, boy.¡±Stolen novel; please report. As Eluc was wondering where this old man got these quotes from, his keen ears picked up the sounds of playful screams and yelling in the field beside the river. A group of children had decided to enjoy the day despite its cold. Throwing of snow and yelps mixed with shivers coincided with laughter and joy. He turned back to Dendrick, about to add to Arthur¡¯s words, but he noticed that the boy''s cheeks were exceptionally red, even for the chilled air. His eyes were pointed at the group, but that was as far as Eluc could discern. ¡°Yet, youth isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± Arthur, on the other hand, whistled with a smile stretching from ear to ear. He gave a wallop onto Dendrick¡¯s back, ¡°Go enjoy it, boy, while ye can.¡± Dendrick was about to open his mouth to refute but chose to stay silent because he couldn¡¯t find the words or out of helplessness. With a sprint, the boy ran towards the group waving his hands in greeting. ¡°Ho ho, the boy has found himself a lady.¡± Arthur stroked his beard while watching the kids engage in the snowball fight. Eluc was confused as he thought the boy just wanted to engage in the fight, but looking closer, it was quite obvious. A dark-haired girl with hair down to her waist had tripped onto the ground and was easy prey for one of the larger boys who were ready to throw a snowball at her. However, before it reached its target, Dendrick intercepted the ball, taking the impact on his back. He reached down to help the girl up from the ground but instead received a snowball to the face as thanks. She picked herself up and ran away while laughing while Dendrick chased after her. ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give for one more chance at young love,¡± Arthur said, dwelling on an old memory. With a nod, Eluc understood the situation. ¡®Love is a good outlet for him. It should help him relieve a lot of his frustrations.¡¯ Leaving his reverie, Arthur changed the air about him to one of business. ¡°Yer progress is going smoothly.¡± Eluc had to agree. Although he couldn¡¯t compare to Dendrick¡¯s boundless energy, his gains were enough that he was pleased with the effort he put in. Those grueling hours of running and swordplay had yielded results. ¡°By now, I have the confidence that ye can deal with the average fights without ending up as a pathetic mess. With yer [Spellsword] class, that¡¯ll amplify what I¡¯ve been teaching ye to an even greater degree.¡± Arthur turned his body to Eluc, who reciprocated. ¡°However, despite whatever technical ability ye may achieve, it is useless if ye don¡¯t take advantage of [Levels]. That is what truly separates a commoner from a [User].¡± Seeing that Eluc kept silent, Arthur continued, ¡°[Levels] provide the advantage of investing points into certain attributes of yourself, but also give ye supernatural abilities that others won¡¯t have. I¡¯m sure ye know all this, so I will skip over the rest.¡± Contrary to Arthur¡¯s thoughts, Eluc almost urged him to continue but it wasn¡¯t worth the suspicion and confusion that may come with it. ¡°Ye will take a short break from training to put yer effort to the test.¡± In the biting wind and increasing falling of snow, Arthur debriefed Eluc on his first adventure, however short it was. ? ? ? Eluc stepped through the calf-high snow, pushing his way towards the edge of the village. The trek was bad enough in the current storm that most villagers chose to stay indoors, comforted by familial warmth and a roaring fire. Every window shone flickering orange on the white snow that covered the village path. Two trails of footsteps dragged in the snow stretched past his vision, obscured by the snowstorm. The whirring of wind covered all sounds, but as Eluc neared his destination, he could hear the faint sounds of metal slamming metal. Brighter than the rest, the window of this larger building was akin to a beacon, shining brightly in the village regardless of the weather. Knocking upon the door, Eluc waited, admiring the storm produced solely by nature. Roofs were burdened by hundreds of pounds of snow, nearly bending the walls under their weight. Blow by blow, they withstood the rushing wind, verging on toppling over, exposing the inside. Although it wasn¡¯t as disastrous as an earthquake or tsunami, even this blizzard in comparison would take lives. The hammering inside shortly stopped and footsteps towards the front door followed. Two pairs of eyes peeked through a sliding grille embedded in the door. Eluc gave his warmest smile to the man before it closed and he heard the unclicking of a latch. Creaking as it opened, the door revealed a sweaty Pheon, covered in ashes. With the wave of his hand, he invited Eluc inside to join in the warmth. ¡°Repairs?¡± Pheon said after looking Eluc over. Snow already covered the floor of the entryway, eliciting a click from his tongue as he used his arm to push the door closed. Eluc nodded his head. ¡°Just for maintenance before I head out of the village for a bit.¡± He unfastened the scabbard from his belt, holding it out for the other to grab. With a quick glance, he took the sword, bringing it over to the forge area. Eluc followed along, enjoying the heat compared to the air outside. Raising the scabbard to eye level, Pheon brought out the sword, inspecting it for chips, scratches, or other unsightly marks. However, the longer he looked at it, the more his confusion grew. ¡°Where did you get this sword from?¡± he asked quizzically. A lie quickly came to mind, ¡°I bought it at a market in Theates.¡± Eluc didn¡¯t go into further detail, keeping the response curt. Pheon tilted his head slightly but then gave an understanding nod. ¡°If you¡¯d ever find a sword like this, it¡¯d be in Godwind¡¯s capital.¡± Sheathing the sword after his inspection, ¡°It¡¯s a good fighting sword and won¡¯t need much maintenance. Practically brand new, still.¡± For the most part, that was true. Eluc had only used it a few times since he picked it up and it would naturally repair every trip to the White Room like his other clothes. Since then, he never had a use for the sword outside of training and whenever he did decide to take it out, he would care for it by wiping it down and leaving it sheathed. Eluc shook his head as he had the same thoughts as Pheon. ¡°Arthur said I should at least get it polished and sharpened while I¡¯m here. ¡®A poorly kept blade is a useless one,¡¯ he said.¡± ¡°Sounds like him,¡± he agreed. ¡°Come back in a couple of days. Still repairing tools from the harvesting season.¡± Pheon then placed the sword beside the grindstone, walking back to the forge to continue the repair he was working on before being interrupted. With a nod, Eluc gave a tight smile and turned to leave the house back into the raging storm. As he walked home, he thought to himself, ¡®Nice guy, but dreadfully awkward to talk with.¡¯