"If I may ask, does anyone happen to know what Celestra is?" I inquired.
"Celestra? What's that? Is that even a real word? Are you sure your amnesia didn't mess with your common sense too?" Hana shot back.
"Hana!" Andre scolded her.
"I apologize on Hana's behalf; she has a sharp tongue, but she's not a bad person," Andre said, trying to defuse the tension.
We were currently inside the contraption the three people I'd met were riding in.
It was called a Manashift Cruiser, or just "Cruiser" for short. The interior was comfortable and spacious, with five seats, and even an area where one could lay down to rest.
"It's fine. The word's just been in my head for some reason," I replied with a nervous smile.
I was still trying to figure out what exactly this "Celestra" was, but it seemed like this group didn't know either.
Well, at least they aren't bad people.
One hour earlier...
"Umm...Hi?"
"Hi?" Hana, the elf, responded, looking a bit confused.
"Hello to you too. I'm Andre, an Aether Dragon. This is Kaeler, a Beastkin, and the elf is Hana. What's your name?" Andre introduced everyone.
Oh! They do understand me! Must be thanks to that System Support the system mentioned earlier.
It turned out they were all of different races.
So, the hairy person isn't human, huh? Makes sense. And Andre is an "Aether Dragon"? What the heck is that? Sounds cool.
"My name is Jay, umm, Jay Jay."
"Jay Jay? That's an odd name," Hana remarked, squinting at me.
"Okay, Jay, are you lost? Most people don't usually wander into the Draken Forest on their own—it's quite dangerous. This island is also home to the Stonekin, so it's a big surprise to see a human here."
"Oh, I was being chased by a Vergrizzler earlier. It ended up falling off the island not too long ago," I replied.
"Wow, you got lucky. That's another reason people don't just waltz into this forest. There aren't any barriers around here to prevent falling," Kaeler pointed out.
"But how did you get here?" Andre asked.
"I... I don't really remember how I got here," I said with a nervous smile, trying to mask my unease.
What am I supposed to do? The system has already abandoned me. I'm basically on my own now. I need to come up with something quick.
"You don't remember? Got amnesia, kid?" Kaeler asked.
"Oh… yes, yes! That must be it! Oh, my head, I can't remember anything except my name. How on earth did I get here?" I replied dramatically, placing a hand on my forehead.
Thanks for the save, hairy person—I mean Beastkin. I owe you one.
Kaeler had given me a perfect excuse to work with, and I was happy to play along.
"Hmmm…" Hana squinted her eyes further, clearly not convinced.
Honestly, I wouldn't have believed me either. My acting was a bit over the top.
"Where are we, exactly?" I asked.
"We're on the island of Drakenfall. We were actually on our way to the city," Andre answered.
"Drakenfall? I really don't remember anything... sigh... what do I do?"
"Would you like a ride then? We can drop you off in Drakenfall—maybe something there will jog your memory," Andre suggested.
"Oh! By Drakenfall, I mean the biggest city on this island. The island itself was named after the city."
"Really?! I would be so grateful." Honestly, I wasn't expecting them to offer that.
But…
"Hmmm... you all believed me pretty easily. What if I was lying?" It was suspicious how readily they wanted to help me, so I had to ask.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I can tell you're not a threat, so it's fine," Andre said with a big smile.
Something about the way he said that, with his perfect smile, irritated me. But I couldn't deny he was right.
"I see... well, you're not wrong. Alright then, happy to be on the team!"
"Team? You better respect yourself, rando. Personally, I'd prefer to leave you stranded here," Hana said, her tone dead serious.
Please don't forsake me like the system did! I cried inwardly.
"I've got both my eyes on you." She did the finger-pointing gesture people use when they want to show they're watching you.
"Yes, ma'am!" I responded, putting on an overly serious expression.
Hmph! Hana grunted.
"Now that that's settled, let's get in the Cruiser," Kaeler announced.
"Cruiser?" I ask, confused.
"The Manashift Cruiser, that's what the vehicle is called." Kaeler replied.
"I see…your amnesia is very bad if you can't even remember what this is," he added with a chuckle.
So that's what it's called? Interesting.
As we walked into the Cruiser, a thought crossed my mind.
I would've loved to use [Appraisal] on the vehicle, but the system has already abandoned me, so I doubt I can.
But, contrary to my expectations, a screen immediately popped up in front of me.
==============================
[ITEM INFORMATION]
────────────────────────────
Name: Manashift Cruiser
Type: Vehicle
Rarity/Grade: Common
Durability: 180 / 200
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Attack Power/Effect: None
Weight: 1,900 kg
────────────────────────────
[Special Effects]:
[Mana-Shift Drive]: Enables hovering over any terrain using mana.
[Luminara Boost]: Gains a 20% speed boost when Luminara is at peak.
[Obscura Cloaking]: Rare models can briefly become semi-invisible under Obscura's influence.
────────────────────────────
[Requirements]:
Level: None
Class: None
────────────────────────────
[Crafting Requirements]:
Materials:
[10] x [Refined Mana Crystals]
[5] x [Skysteel Alloy Plates]
[3] x [Runic Inscription Stones]
Sell Price: 7,500 Luma
Market Value: Fluctuates with Mana Crystal supply and Mana Storms.
────────────────────────────
[Description]:
The Manashift Cruiser is a common mana-powered land vehicle that fits five passengers. Known for its smooth hovering and rune-etched design, it's widely used for everyday travel across Verenthia's fragmented lands.
==============================
Oh! System, you haven't forsaken me!
Immediately, I grew concerned that the others might see the screen, but to my relief, there was no reaction from them.
So, I'm the only one who can see it? Convenient. But I thought the system went into hibernation.
Then it dawned on me—this must be one of the core system functionalities still available.
Let's try using [Appraisal] on them.
I focused on the other three, and sure enough, their status screens popped up.
==============================
[TARGET STATUS]
────────────────────────────
Name: Hana Bell
Race: Elf
Class: Runeslinger
Level: 10
────────────────────────────
Health (HP): 1,070 / 1,070
Celestra: 1,380 / 1,380
Stamina: 284 / 284
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Strength: 33 Dexterity: 52 Endurance: 37 Intelligence: 46 Charisma: 61 Luck: 8
────────────────────────────
[Known Skills]:
[Runic Shot] (Lv. MAX): Deals an additional 20% magical damage on impact. Elemental type can be chosen based on the rune (fire, ice, lightning)
[Dispel Rounds] (Lv. 8): Dispels magical buffs or barriers of level 9 or lower on impact
────────────────────────────
[Known Abilities]:
[Quick Inscribe]: Reduces the casting time for rune inscription by 50%, allowing faster infusions during combat.
────────────────────────────
[Affiliations]:
Faction: Elven Dynasty, Celestial Concord
Standing: Celestial Concord candidate
────────────────────────────
Power Level: 26
Rank: E
────────────────────────────
[System Note]: I wouldn't be surprised if you were attracted to her.
==============================
==============================
[TARGET STATUS]
────────────────────────────
Name: Andre Volck
Race: Aether Dragon
Class: Hex Mage
Level: 13 (■■)
────────────────────────────
Health (HP): 2,910 / 2,910
Celestra: 3,195 / 3,195
Stamina: 1,557 / 1,557
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Strength: 68 Dexterity: 62 Endurance: 63 Intelligence: 71 Charisma: 48 Luck: 13
────────────────────────────
[Known Skills]:
[Arcane Disruption] (Lv. 2): Interrupts spellcasting, silences enemies for 5 seconds
[Elemental Bolt] (Lv. 2): 150 elemental damage + 5% chance of status effect (burn, freeze, shock, stun)
────────────────────────────
[Known Abilities]:
[Elemental Mastery]: Enhances the potency of all elemental attacks, increasing damage and duration of status effects by 15%
────────────────────────────
[Affiliations]:
Faction: The Northern Aetherian Order, Celestial Concord
Standing: The Northern Aetherian Order Representative, Celestial Concord candidate
────────────────────────────
Power Level: 36
Rank: D
────────────────────────────
[System Note]: His hair is very sleek in his true form.
==============================
==============================
[TARGET STATUS]
────────────────────────────
Name: Kaelar Wolfsbane
Race: Beastkin
Class: Wind Dancer
Level: 11
────────────────────────────
Health (HP): 2,850 / 2,850
Celestra: 2,565 / 2,565
Stamina: 1,515 / 1,515
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Strength: 60 Dexterity: 81 Endurance: 65 Intelligence: 57 Charisma: 42 Luck: 12
────────────────────────────
[Known Skills]:
[Blade Dance ] (Lv. 7): Perform a series of rapid strikes against an enemy, dealing 120% weapon damage
[Wind Slash ] (Lv. 5): Unleash a focused blast of wind, dealing 75% weapon damage to all enemies in a straight line
────────────────────────────
[Known Abilities]:
[Windborne Evasion]: Each successful dodge restores 5 Celestra
[Whirlwind Movement]: Increases movement speed by 20% for 3 seconds after performing a melee attack.
────────────────────────────
[Affiliations]:
Faction: The Beast Tribe, Celestial Concord
Standing: Next leader of the Beast Tribe, Celestial Concord candidate
────────────────────────────
Power Level: 31
Rank: D
────────────────────────────
[System Note]: He can be very rough at times.
==============================
One hour later, back to the present.
They don't know what Celestra is, but it's showing up on their statuses. I'll just have to keep an eye on it and see if the value changes.
While I'm at it, I might as well take a moment to collect myself and figure a few things out.
The system went into hibernation, so I'm assuming it won't be communicating with me for a while. But I can still use some features, like the [Appraisal] skill and checking my status.
Let's analyze my status properly this time. The Vergrizzler interrupted me before.
==============================
[PLAYER STATUS]
────────────────────────────
Name: Jay Jay
Race: Human
Class: None
Level: 5
Experience: 4,470 / 12,500
────────────────────────────
Health (HP): 85 / 85
Celestra (CP): 105 / 105
Stamina (SP): 46 / 46
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Strength: 7 Dexterity: 9 Endurance: 5 Intelligence: 7 Charisma: 4 Luck: 0
────────────────────────────
[Skills]:
Active Skills:
[Appraisal] (Lv. MAX): Provides an overview of an object or entity's information. (Confirm to see more)
[Shadow Step] (Lv. 1): Increases Dexterity by 10 for 10 seconds, making it harder for enemies to spot the user. (Confirm to see more)
[Lockpick Mastery] (Lv. 1): Increases the success rate of lockpicking by 20% for 5 minutes. (Confirm to see more)
Passive Skills:
[Keen Eyes] (Lv. 1): Increases detection range by 15 meters and enhances critical hit chance against unaware enemies by 5%. (Confirm to see more)
[Silent Footsteps] (Lv. 1): Decreases noise level by 2%, improving stealth and evasion capabilities. (Confirm to see more)
────────────────────────────
[Abilities]:
[Nimble Fingers]: Grants a 10% bonus to Dexterity when performing delicate or manual tasks. (Confirm to see more)
[Survivor's Instinct]: Increases ■■■■■■■■ by 5% when the user's health drops below 20%. (Confirm to see more)
────────────────────────────
[Inventory]:
[Money Pouch] x [1]: A small leather pouch containing various forms of currency. [Vergrizzler Claws] x [2]: Claws imbued with residual magic, useful for crafting powerful weapons or potions.
────────────────────────────
[Titles]:
[Player]: ■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■■ (Permanent)
────────────────────────────
[Status Effects]:
None
────────────────────────────
Power Level: 15
Rank: E
────────────────────────────
[Reputation/Faction Affiliations]:
None
────────────────────────────
[Mission Log]:
Main Mission: Prevent the Demon King from achieving total dominion over Verenthia. (Confirm to see more)
Side Missions: None
Special Mission: None
────────────────────────────
[System Note]: Why are you so weak?
==============================
What's up with that system note? I thought, forcing a very annoyed smile.
It was like the system note was crafted just to annoy me.
I've leveled up, huh? Now that I think about it, the Vergrizzler fell off the island and probably drowned. Is that why I leveled up?
Even though I didn't directly kill it, it still counted for me. Kill...
Suddenly, the idea of having to kill monsters to level up and grow stronger started to bother me.
I had never killed anything before, and even if it's just a monster, taking a life might be a problem for me.
Besides, I still don't even know why I'm doing all of this.
The guide said I was supposed to complete missions for the system.
The only mission I currently have is the main mission. Let's see what that's about.
==============================
MAIN MISSION
────────────────────────────
Objective: Prevent the Demon King from achieving total dominion over Verenthia.
────────────────────────────
[Description]:
The Demon King, drawn to the integration of magic and technology in Verenthia, seeks to impose his will and disrupt the delicate balance maintained by the High Council. His ambition threatens to plunge the realm into chaos, rekindling the Age of Turmoil and shattering alliances among Humans, Elves, Beastkin, Aether Dragons, Stonekin, Sylphids, and the Undine. As time flows with the influence of the moons Luminara and Obscura, your mission is to thwart his plans and safeguard the peace, ensuring that the shadows of the past do not rise again.
────────────────────────────
Mission Status: In Progress
────────────────────────────
[Rewards]:
[Exp]: 200,000
[Skill]: Demon's Restraint
==============================
Demon king? Why does that sound crazy powerful?
"Umm, everyone, can I ask a question? Does anyone know what a demon king is?"
They immediately turned to me; their eyes wide open in shock.