In the cozy confines of the Carina Inn, Kai lay peacefully in a room bathed in soft moonlight, his slumber undisturbed. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open, confusion etched across his face. "Where am I?" he muttered, his voice barely audible in the silence.
As he attempted to rise from his bed, the creaking of the door shattered the tranquility, causing Kai to startle. Turning his gaze towards the entrance, he found himself face to face with a woman adorned with luscious brown locks. "Oh, you're awake?" she inquired, her concern evident in her eyes.
The woman, Emi, happened to be the inn's owner. She peered at Kai with a mixture of worry and curiosity, her voice filled with genuine concern. "How are you feeling now? You were unconscious for an entire week," she revealed, her words causing Kai's heart to skip a beat. A whole week? What had happened to him? Memories of his intense battle in the trial flooded his mind.
"Aahh, I remember now. I was locked in combat with the dark hobgoblin. I was on the brink of death," Kai exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of awe and fear as he recalled the harrowing scene from the trial.
Desperate for answers, Kai urgently questioned Emi about the disappearance of the trial portal. "What happened to the portal, Emi?" he asked, his words laced with a sense of urgency.
"I don't know what happened, but the trial portal suddenly vanished. I found you in the alley behind the inn, heavily injured. Before I could even tend to your wounds, they miraculously started healing on their own," Emi explained, her confusion mirroring Kai's own.
The revelation left Kai speechless. The portal had disappeared after he had successfully cleared it. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection. Turning to Emi, he voiced his thoughts, his words filled with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Do portals usually disappear after being cleared?"
Emi shook her head, her expression reflecting her own bewilderment. "No, not at all. This is the first time something like this has happened. Could it have something to do with you?"
Kai scratched his head, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. "Honestly, I have no idea. All I remember is defeating the dark hobgoblin, and then everything went blank. I can't recall anything else," he confessed, his confusion evident.
Before he could delve deeper into the mystery, Emi's husband's voice echoed from the stairs, breaking the silence. The inn had become a bustling hub as players returned to the first floor due to the portal's disappearance. "Well, I should go help my husband. He shouldn't tire himself out alone," Emi said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Thank you for taking care of me while I was unconscious," Kai expressed his gratitude sincerely, the room growing slightly awkward in the wake of his words.
With a smile, Emi deftly diffused the tension. "Take care, and don't forget to recommend my inn to other players," she said, gracefully exiting the room, leaving Kai to his own thoughts.
"Huff, the portal disappeared, huh?" Kai sighed, allowing himself to relax as he flopped onto the bed. Fatigue from his previous battle still lingered, weighing heavily on his weary body. "Could this be related to that goblin somehow?" he pondered aloud.
His curiosity piqued, Kai decided to check his status. Speaking the words, "[Status]," he summoned his status panel, revealing his current state.
Name: Kai Springfield
Race: Human
Rank: High Player
STR: 17
INT: 25
VIT: 17
MP: 30
DEX: 18
Per stat:
CHARM: 86 LUC: 90
Unique skill:
[Lord of Mana: (SS)]
Passive: [None]
Active:
[Slip: (E)]
[Low Heal: (E)]
[Dash: (E)]
System:
Sin point: 100
"Wait a minute, how do I have 100 sin points, and why did my stats increase?" Kai questioned the system, his voice filled with curiosity.
"The blessing that the hobgoblin possessed required a medium to activate," the system responded.
"What kind of medium?" Kai inquired, his interest piqued.
"A human soul," the system revealed. "During your battle, the hobgoblin had already consumed more than half of the human souls that were sealed within him. When you defeated him, you not only vanquished the hobgoblin but also those trapped souls, hence the increase in sin points."
"So that's why I obtained so many sin points," Kai mused, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "And as for my increased stats?"
The system explained, "Your reckless use of mana caused your body to take a week to adjust to the new mana circulation method, resulting in the increase in your stats."
As Kai perused his status panel, he noticed another option that caught his attention. Opening it, he discovered a section labeled "Floor," with the first and second floors listed. A realization dawned on him. "So with this, I can travel to floors I've already cleared," he thought, scratching his chin in contemplation.
"Well, I suppose I don't need to worry about the portal anymore. It's already cleared," Kai concluded, a sense of relief washing over him.
But just as he was about to settle back into bed, the system reminded him of the clearance reward. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he realized he hadn't checked it yet. "Where is it? Where's my reward?" Kai eagerly asked, his fingers wiggling with anticipation.
"Host, please check your inventory," the system prompted.
Without wasting a moment, Kai opened his inventory, his eyes immediately drawn to a golden chest. With bated breath, he opened it, revealing the treasures within.
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining an Arcane Sword (Rare)," the system announced.
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Blessing of Wind (Unique) bracelet," it continued.
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining 50 Mid-Level Mana Potions," it concluded.
"This is it!" Kai exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "Such generous rewards for the first floor!"
"Due to the level difficulty, you received one Unique and one Rare item," the system explained. "And your achievements played a role as well."
Kai's eyes widened in surprise as he realized something he hadn't considered before. "So weapons also have ranks?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
"Yes, Host. The ranks are as follows: [Common]
[Uncommon]
[Rare]
[Unique]
[Legendary]
[Mythical]
and
[World]" the system elucidated.
Eager to learn more about his newfound treasures, Kai turned to the system. "Can you appraise both items?" he requested.
The system obliged, providing detailed descriptions of each item's attributes and abilities. Kai's excitement grew as he absorbed the information.
[Arcane sword(Rare)]:
A sword made of magisteel possessing higher mana conductivity than steel or iron,
It can amplify every attack when you use on the sword.
[Blessing of the wind(Unique)]
A bracelet contain blessing of wind spirit inside it. By pouring mana into bracelet the wearer speed can be increase by 4x times.
"Well, Unique items are really something else".he marveled, his mind already racing with the possibilities.
But as his stomach growled in protest, Kai's attention shifted to a forgotten plate of food that Emi had brought for him. "I haven't eaten anything since last week," he realized, chastising himself for his oversight. "I must thank her once more."
After savoring the meal and bidding farewell to Emi and her husband, Kai made up his mind. He had accumulated a surplus of lesser mana stones and one low-level mana stone. With the exception of the latter, he decided to sell everything, albeit gradually to avoid arousing suspicion.
Leaving the tower behind, Kai made his way to the Player Association building to sell his mana stones, eager to embark on his next adventure.