Elias retreated to the lounge, the two ancient spirits keeping him company. His attention was fixed on the holographic screen in front of him.
Earlier that day, he and his people had cleared vast areas of land, preparing for the kingdom's expansion.
In return, he had received a bounty of resources and treasures from the various tribes residing in Faeloria.
These items had been promptly stored in the kingdom's inventory, with the overflow placed in his personal storage.
Now, a series of system notifications had caught his attention. The initial congratulations on uniting the kingdom were followed by a flurry of error messages and system updates.
A sense of unease washed over him. He remembered the system glitches he'd encountered at Prometheus' residence and braced himself for the worst.
Cautiously, he observed the changes in his status window and the kingdom management system.
System Notification:
Congratulations on uniting the races of Faeloria and gaining their loyalty.
System Notification:
The system is undergoing an update. Some features may be temporarily unavailable.
System Notification:
System update complete. New features added to status and kingdom management windows.
Error
Error
Error
System attempting to reload information.
Error
Error
Error
System has successfully reintegrated your information.
Some information about you cannot be read by the system.
Status Window Update:
Name: Unknown
Race: Grand Architect
Age: Unknown
Occupation: NPC, King of Faeloria
Level: 12
Exp: 365500/409600
HP: 6150
MP: 4453
AP: 0
SP: 10
The system had attempted to reload his information but encountered errors. His name was now missing, and his race was listed as 'Grand Architect', a title that held no meaning for him. His age and occupation were unknown, and his experience points were closer to the next level.
A wave of confusion swept over him. What was happening?
__________
[Inventory]
Weapons>
Armor>
Accessories>
consumption items>
tools>
[Finance]
Gold: 10
Silver: 50
Copper: 200
__________
[Personal shop system]
Buy>
Sell>
__________
Elias was intrigued by the depth of options available to him. His inventory, a virtual space holding weapons, armor, accessories, consumables, and tools, was a promising start.
The finance tab, displaying his current gold, silver, and copper coin balance, gave him a clear picture of his economic standing.
But it was the personal shop feature that truly piqued his interest.
This in-game marketplace allowed him to buy and sell items using the currency he had earned. It was a convenient way to manage his resources and potentially acquire valuable goods.
A sense of satisfaction washed over him. He was starting to understand how this system worked.
Despite the lingering mystery surrounding his identity, he felt a growing confidence in his ability to navigate this new world.
Turning to Moonshade and Nightshade, he posed a question that had been nagging at him.
"Moonshade, Nightshade, can you tell me my name again?" Elias inquired, his gaze shifting between the two ancient spirits seated beside him.
A moment of silence passed before they responded in unison, "I'm sorry, my lord, but we cannot recall your name at this moment," Moonshade replied, his tone apologetic.
"It's strange," Elias mused, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "I believe I told you my name was Elias Frostborn."
The ancient spirits exchanged a puzzled look. "We seem to remember hearing a name, but the details are hazy," Nightshade explained.
"It's as if the memory has been obscured," Moonshade added.
Elias was growing increasingly perplexed. "Try again," he urged, hoping for a different result.
They repeated the process, but the outcome remained the same. No matter how clearly he enunciated his name, the ancient spirits were unable to retain the information.
"This is truly baffling," Elias muttered, his mind racing. A system notification appeared, illuminating the situation.
__________
System Notification:
The name you mentioned is not registered in the world's identity archive.
The system cannot register the name in the world population identity database.
*Please state your name clearly again!
*Please use your real name!
__________
The message confirmed Elias's suspicions. Prometheus had tampered with the system, forcing him to revert to his original identity.
With a sigh, he turned back to the ancient spirits.
"My name is Lucas Everwood," he declared, his voice firm. "Remember it."
The spirits nodded, their expressions serious. "Lucas Everwood," they repeated, their voices filled with determination.
"From now on, I'll be known as Lucas Everwood," Elias declared, his voice firm.
"Just Everwood is fine too." His tone was laced with a hint of finality, as if he was shedding a heavy burden. The pain of the past seemed to linger in his voice, a silent echo of a life left behind.
Moonshade and Nightshade lowered their heads, their silence speaking volumes of their understanding.
They could feel the weight of Elias' words, the unspoken sorrow beneath the determined tone.
"Let's focus on building our kingdom," Elias said, a determined glint in his eyes.
He turned to his loyal companions, a smile gracing his lips. "For now, let's see what changes the system update has brought."
Elias dove into the depths of the Kingdom Management System, eager to grasp the full extent of his new domain.
The system provided a comprehensive overview of Faeloria, painting a clear picture of its current state.
Key metrics like population, territory size, and overall happiness were readily available.
Elias noted with satisfaction that his people were content. The treasury, though modest at the moment, held the promise of future prosperity.
Elias reviewed the kingdom's inventory, a mix of resources and treasures gathered from the various tribes. The initial haul was promising, giving him a solid foundation for Faeloria's growth.
The system also unveiled a series of new features that piqued Elias' interest.
The ability to assign quests to his citizens and teleport across the kingdom offered exciting possibilities for efficient governance.
It was clear that building Faeloria would be a complex undertaking, but the tools at his disposal were promising.
The 3D map displayed the transformed Shadowbloom Palace, its majestic presence dominating the hill. The surrounding area, once overgrown, was now a cleared expanse, ready for development.
Feeling a surge of optimism, Elias decided to focus on building the kingdom's infrastructure. Tomorrow, he would assign tasks and roles to his people, setting the wheels of progress in motion.
A flicker of recognition passed through Elias as he studied the 3D map of his kingdom. The display bore an uncanny resemblance to the one he'd seen in the elevator at Prometheus' residence.
Argus' words echoed in his mind: Teleportation platforms were scattered across the world, yet remained undiscovered.
A spark of ambition ignited within him. If he could find and activate these platforms, he could traverse the world with ease. But that was a goal for the future. For now, he had a kingdom to build.
"First things first," he muttered to himself. "Let's focus on establishing Faeloria."
****
"Elysia Everwood," she declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
She typed the name into the virtual keyboard that materialized before her. "Let's save those bonus points for later," she added, a touch of determination in her voice.
With a decisive click, she confirmed her choice.
The angelic figure and the sterile white room vanished, replaced by a breathtaking vista. A quaint village nestled amidst rolling hills and lush greenery stretched out before her.
Elysia tested her movements, surprised by the natural feel of her virtual body. "It's so real," she muttered to herself.
A gentle tap on her shoulder startled her. "Hey, Rena," a familiar voice greeted her.
"It's Elysia now, remember?" she replied. "And you're Lyra Brightwind."
Lyra puffed out her chest, clearly enjoying her new identity. "What about your last name, Elysia?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Princess Elysia Everwood," Elysia replied, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Lyra's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Why 'Princess' and 'Everwood'?" she questioned.
Elysia hesitated for a moment. "Don't worry about it for now," she replied, her attention drawn to a commotion nearby. The sound of impact and struggle reached their ears.
"Didn't I tell you not to call me boss here!" Jax exclaimed, his voice filled with irritation as he continued to rain blows on the bald young man in front of him.
"Sorry, boss, I mean, Jax, I can't break the habit," the young man stammered, doing his best to shield his head from the barrage of punches.
"Just call me Jax, it's easier," Jax insisted, his tone growing impatient.
"Yeah, yeah, Jax it is," the young man replied, his voice muffled by his defensive posture.
Jax paused, his arms crossed over his chest. "Hey, James, why are you using your real name? Didn't I tell you to use a different one?"
"Sorry, Jax, I got confused," James admitted sheepishly.
"And why were you following me?" Jax demanded, his gaze sharp.
"I saw you heading towards those two girls, so I decided to tag along," James explained, his voice trailing off as Jax's fist connected with his head again.
A voice cut through the commotion. "Hey, Jack, is everything okay?" Elysia called out, her voice carrying over the din.
Jax froze, his fist hovering in mid-air. He turned to see Elysia and Lyra approaching them.
"Jack? What's going on here?" Elysia asked, her arms akimbo.
"It's nothing," Jax mumbled, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Who's this?" Lyra asked, her gaze fixed on the battered young man.
"He's... a friend," Jax stammered.
"I'm James," the young man introduced himself, bowing slightly.
"And this is Jax Shadowblade, if I may say so," he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Jax's face turned a shade of crimson. "My name is Jax Shadowblade, and I'm Lady Everwood's loyal servant and bodyguard," he corrected, his voice firm.
Elysia slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Just say you're my brother when someone asks," she instructed.
"I can't do that," Jax replied flatly.
Lyra's eyebrows raised in amusement. "I see why you used that name now," she said with a knowing smile.
"So, why were you beating up your 'brother'?" Elysia asked, ignoring Lyra's comment.
Jax couldn't answer Elysia's question because Lyra suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him away.
"Don't worry about her, Jax," Lyra said with a smile.
"Hey, Lyra!" Elysia was surprised to see Lyra holding Jax's hand so eagerly.
Lyra ignored Elysia as she continued walking, pulling Jax along who looked down, his face turning red.
"Miss, I'm sorry," Jax stammered, glancing at Elysia who was hurrying after them with James.
"Don't worry. The important thing is, tell me who Elysia really is. We were close friends in school, but she never told me her secret," Lyra said, smiling.
"I'm sorry, Miss. I can't say without your permission," Jax replied nervously.
"Hey, Lyra, wait! What do you want from him?" Elysia asked, quickening her pace.
Lyra, who had been ignoring Elysia, finally stopped. Two guards blocked their path.
"Sorry, young man. You can't leave the village yet," one guard said.
"Oh, right. We can't go out," Lyra said.
"You two look new here," another guard said.
"Yes, sir. We just arrived. Why can't we leave?" Elysia asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, you must be the visitors from another world everyone's been talking about," the guard said.
"All newcomers, especially those from another world, need permission from the village head," another guard explained.
Elysia and Lyra exchanged glances.
"How do you know we're from another world?" James asked.
"Let me explain. But first, follow me to my house," an old man said from behind them.
"Village chief," the two guards said, standing tall and tapping their spears on the ground.
"Thank you, Ryme, Josen. Good work," the village chief said to the guards.
"Yes, sir," Ryme answered quickly.
The village chief smiled and shook his head.
"Come on, follow me," he said to Elysia and her friends.
He walked towards the center of the village, past the place where they had first arrived.
They soon reached a simple wooden house. Elysia, Lyra, Jax, and James looked at the house in amazement.
"Please come in. Let's talk inside," the village chief said.