For a second, Maruti stared at Esdeath's outstretched hand, and then a wide, equally wicked grin broke across her face. "Hell yeah!"
Esdeath chuckled, but before she could pull away, Maruti raised an eyebrow. "But... do you have any plans?"
Esdeath paused, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "Umm... no," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "But we'll figure something out soon, don't worry!"
"Alright, but first, answer my question: Are you the incarnation of some kind of constellation?"esdeath questioned.
The moment the question left Esdeath's lips, Maruti's face twisted in confusion. "A constellation? What's that supposed to be?" she asked, her tone genuinely puzzled.
Esdeath facepalmed, groaning in frustration. "You seriously don't know what a constellation is? Have you barely played this game? Like, only a few minutes?!" Her voice dripped with disappointment, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Maruti crossed her arms defensively. "Hey! I've been busy, okay?"
Esdeath sighed, her frustration softening as she realized Maruti wasn't joking. "Alright, alright, I don't have the time to give you a whole history lesson, so I'll make it simple," she said, pausing to collect her thoughts. "Constellations are like minor gods. Super powerful, but not immortal. And even though they're gods, they have this rule not to meddle with mortals. But some constellations chooses peoples to be their incarnations, giving them extra powers and something called a 'system', In return when incarnation gets famous and because of being incarnation of that constellation, The constellation will also become more strong and popular ."
Maruti's expression didn't change much, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes now. "So, these constellations hand out powers just to get more famous? Are they like... idols or something?" she teased with a smirk, clearly finding the idea amusing.
Esdeath laughed, though there was a glint of amusement in her own eyes. "Honestly, yeah, kinda like that. I'd explain more if we weren't short on time. By the way,I'm also an incarnation of a constellation. If I say 'status,' my status window pops up. Of course, you won't be able to see mine, but try saying it yourself—see if something happens."
"Status!" Maruti shouted, her voice filled with both curiosity and excitement. To her surprise, a holographic window appeared right before her eyes, glowing softly in the air.
But as she stared at it, confusion settled in. "Uh... Esdeath, something's wrong with my system," she said, frowning. "It's not showing any of my stats. All it says is 'Imperfect Incarnation.'"
Esdeath's eyes widened in sudden realization, her breath catching for a moment. "I see…," she murmured to herself.
Noticing Esdeath's reaction, Maruti raised an eyebrow. "What? What does that mean?"
"There are two types of incarnations," Esdeath began, her tone shifting to something more serious. "First, there's the Perfect Incarnation. That's when a constellation fully chooses someone as their incarnation, no doubts, no hesitation. They're completely accepted by the constellation. But then, there's the Imperfect Incarnation. That's what you are right now."
Maruti tilted her head, still not fully understanding. "Imperfect? Why?"
Esdeath nodded, taking a deep breath before explaining further. "It happens when a constellation hasn't fully decided whether to make someone their incarnation. They're unsure about you, or... there might be other candidates they're considering. Basically, they're watching you, but haven't made up their mind yet."
"Oh, I see…" Maruti said, her brows furrowing. "So I still have a chance to become someone's incarnation? But how do I do that?"
Esdeath's expression softened as she continued. "There's a way. Sometimes, constellations leave behind inheritances, kind of like trials or challenges. If you find one of these places and prove yourself worthy by completing their challenges, then you can become their Perfect Incarnation."
Maruti's puzzlement deepened. "But how do I even know who my constellation is?"
Esdeath shrugged lightly. "Sometimes they'll introduce themselves to you, or they'll contact you through your status window when the time's right. But for you, you are a special case… well, you're a barbarian, right? There's a good chance your constellation is *him*."
Maruti's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Him? Who's *him*?"
Esdeath just smirked and instead of answering, playfully slapped Maruti's back. "I'll tell you more later," she teased. "Meet me at the basketball court tonight. We'll talk then." With that, she pulled a small stone out of her pocket and tossed it to Maruti.
Maruti caught it on instinct, looking down at the object in her hand. It glowed with a faint, bronze hue. "What's this?" she asked, inspecting it closely.
"That's a Bronze Muscle Essence Stone," Esdeath said casually, walking ahead. "I don't really have much use for it, so you take it. You've already used the Bronze Skin Essence Stone, so this one should work perfectly with your body."
Just as Esdeath was about to leave, Maruti's voice called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Hey, I answered all of your questions. How about answering one of mine?" Maruti's tone was casual, but her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Esdeath paused and turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, shoot."
Maruti grinned mischievously. "Since you're an incarnation… who's your constellation ?"
Esdeath's expression flickered for a moment, her usual confidence replaced by something more guarded. She hesitated but quickly masked it with a sly smile. "Mine? Oh, it's a very high-ranking one." Her words came out quickly, almost too quickly, as she turned on her heel and left before Maruti could ask anything else. She hadn't answered the question fully. But the truth was... even Esdeath didn't know who her constellation was.
As Esdeath disappeared from view, Maruti's grin widened, her eyes narrowing with amusement. "Hmmm… she didn't answer my question. That means she doesn't even know who her constellation is!" she thought, her mind working swiftly to put the pieces together.
Maruti folded her arms, deep in thought. "She also didn't tell me how she died, which makes me think she probably died in a really dumb way. If she's avoiding the topic, there's no doubt about it." Her grin turned wicked as she continued her mental calculations. "And I'm sure she started playing this game after I died... meaning she lived for quite a while longer than I did. A year? Ten years maybe?"
She tilted her head, her thoughts racing as she pieced together more clues. "Esdeath said she had no plan, but I've seen her sneaking into the library, picking out books on silent magic and hair color changing spells, "She's definitely plotting to kill someone. Now the real question is… who's her target?"
------------
Esdeath sat cross-legged on her bed and quietly willed the "status" window to appear. Instantly, a holographic screen floated in the air before her, glowing faintly as several notifications began popping up, one after the other.
<300 SP received.>
Esdeath's brows furrowed slightly. "Only 300 SP?" she muttered. It felt like a small reward for such an accomplishment. She knew many doubted her, thinking she cheated rather than acknowledging her true effort. Still, the fact she received any points at all was a sign that, even in their skepticism, they had no choice but to recognize her existence.
Another notification appeared, this one making her eyes narrow.
Esdeath stared at the window with irritation, glaring at it as if it had stolen something from her. "Figured as much," she thought bitterly.
But before she could dwell on it, a new message flashed.
<1000 SP received.>
"Pfft even system knows that eldon was a trash character!" She chuckles but her eyes widened in surprise. "A thousand SP?!" she gasped, her heart racing with excitement. This was far more than she expected, and it felt like a victory after the disappointment of the earlier notification. She paused, weighing her options. "I should invest these in skills," she thought, her mind already working out how best to improve her abilities.
Without hesitation, she decided her first upgrade would be her "Keen Eyes" skill.
Without hesitation, Esdeath decided her first upgrade would be for her "Keen Eyes" skill.
<400 SP deducted>
Eagle Eyes (E): Can see over great distances with precision + Can see the flow of mana.
A satisfied smile spread across Esdeath's face as she looked at her new skill. Her vision shifted almost instantly, and she glanced to the right and left. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but soon she noticed something new—rays of light floating through the air in all directions.
"Is that… mana?" Esdeath realized, her smile widening. "I actually gained mana sense without needing to learn it." The rush of excitement built in her chest. Mana sense was a powerful ability, especially in battles against awakened individuals. Being able to see the flow of mana would not only help her block incoming attacks but also allow her to counterattack with perfect timing.
"This is a must-have for any serious swordsman," she thought with satisfaction, already envisioning how useful this would be. Though she hadn't planned on gaining this skill, it was a fantastic bonus.
After smirking for a few moments, Esdeath decided it was time to upgrade another skill.
<1,000 SP deducted>
Sharpshooter (E): When used, time will slow down for five seconds. Can only be used once every 50 minutes.
Esdeath's eyes widened in disbelief as she saw the deduction.
"....!!" She was momentarily stunned, then her jaw dropped. Rage welled up inside her, and she couldn't contain herself any longer.
"Are you serious?! 1,000 SP for this?!" she screamed, showing the status window her middle finger in frustration. "Give me my points back! All you gave me was two extra seconds and reduced cooldown by ten minutes?! That's robbery!"