Quite quickly I found myself in my room on the first floor. Huf, I was finally able to let my body relax a little. In moments, all the accumulated tension had gone out of me and I felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue that forced me to lie down on the edge of the bed. I turned over onto my back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Ha, I did everything I had planned. The interaction with this crazy family couldn't have gone better." And yet, for some reason, I felt hopeless. I felt like lying like this until the very end of this shitty world. "Calamity? Why should I care? What interest do I have in saving this world? Am I supposed to do it just because some unknown deity chose me and forcibly thrust me into this body without even asking my opinion on the matter?"
I wonder if death wouldn't be a better option. After all, everyone ends up the same way in the end anyway, regardless of strength, status or wealth; the morgue does not forgive anyone. I'm just delaying the inevitable. What could possibly await me in this world? A desperate attempt to survive and a struggle for breath every day. I have no background beyond this system, which has so far given me nothing but memories that are useless in the long run. I have no money, no influence, no allies in this world.
I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling past lives and fleeting moments of my existence in that world. Upon opening my eyes, I knew that nothing had really changed. I still have to give 200% of myself every day and try harder than others. Nobody is going to give me anything for free. I never had any support, either in that life or in this one; I achieved everything with hard work and determination, which I never lacked. The talent in other people, which I often saw them doing things that took me hours and them taking a moment, always irritated me but also increased my determination. With the will of the spirit and hard, systematic work, I can achieve anything.
- 'With the will of the spirit and hard, systematic work, I can achieve anything,' I said aloud, simultaneously raising my hand up and clenching it tightly into a fist. - This is a promise that I will never give up on this world or any higher beings writing such a tragic story for me. I will be the only one creating my path.
Okay, it was time to get moving and plan my next steps. I got up and started heading towards my bedside desk. I didn't have much time left; ideally I would be out by tomorrow morning. I sat down and quickly located my geography book and opened the page where the map was.
- So yes, I am now in the principality of Nelis in the northern part of Hestia, bordering the kingdom of Frostheim.
At this point, the most pressing need is to strengthen this body and get back to learning swordsmanship. The ailment of this body is also problematic. What was it called? Mana deficiency - What a strange name, but a sensible one. My core cannot properly filter mana from the environment into pure mana that it can transfer to the body. Because of this, only a negligible amount of it is properly absorbed, resulting in a terribly weak body and poor endurance. With such a body, learning to control the aura, even if I found the right person willing to teach me this, would kill me decisively. So I have to put it off for now.
Did the game say anything more about this? I started nervously brushing my hair with my hand, and my irritation slowly grew.
- Why haven't I played all the parts of this game, what am I saying, why did I even get into this game fuckaaa. Bloody fate, I've played such a large number of great games and it had to be this one. I can't remember any specific cure, but there was definitely a magic flower theme....
Ice Cerys, a flower with healing properties that rebuilds damaged tissues and strengthens them, it also increases the affinity to ice. Used by members of clans living in the frigid northern areas. Very rare, but I remember where the hero came across it. Timing is a bit off, as he should find it in a year while attending the Hestia academy. But as long as there's a chance to get rid of the affliction, I think it's worth the risk. Not that I have any other options at hand. There's also an artefact called the Wand of Cassandra, which has great healing power, but it's in the hands of the church and there's no chance of getting anywhere near it at this stage.
- System, hello, are you there? Can you empower me in some way? You've got some kind of cheat skill, don't you? Halooo - I said, gritting my teeth slightly. - What a useless system,- I thought. - Okay, could the great and powerful Apostle Goddess of Life bestow her presence on this mortal? - I said through clenched teeth, holding back the threatening outburst of emotion within me.
- Haaa, finally some respect from a worm, eh? First you insult me and then you ask for help? What a simpleton you are. With that kind of attitude, you'll be killed by a random person even before you leave this castle.
- Haaa, okay, let it be, I'm sorry, Melina, but the current situation is difficult and you must understand that. It was your mistress who brought me here, so I am hoping to get some support from you if I am to actually help this world. I won't do that if I die prematurely in some ditch.
- It's okay, I'll forgive you, so know how generous and wonderful I am.
- Just as I thought, she is as easy to handle as a child, - I thought.
- What can you offer me?
- Under normal circumstances, I could cure your affliction.
- Can you really do that? - I interrupted, overcome by a euphoric moment.
- Don't interrupt me! As I said, under normal circumstances this would be a small thing for me. After all, I am a celestial entity, but at the moment I am limited by the system I oversee. I do not own my body, but only control this system that has been merged with you. But the system offers other options for support. All you have to do is say 'open the system panel' and everything is shown to you.
- Couldn't you have done that straight away? What a useless helper,- I thought. - 'Open the system panel,†I said aloud, feeling a little awkward about it, like some ridiculous character from a typical hero novel. Zero creativity, pfff. Suddenly a window opened in front of me, about 15 inches in size, levitating right in front of my face and emanating a soft blue light. - So this is the whole system, okay, let's see what we have here.
The first thing I looked for was, of course, character information. When I clicked on the icon, the scenery in the window changed and detailed information appeared in front of me:
------------------------------------------
CHARACTER INFORMATION
------------------------------------------
Name: Leonard Ferris (Alex Morgan)
Bloodline: ??? (Locked)
Species: Human
Age: 15/(23) years
Level: 0
Pd: 0/100
MP: 0/10 (weakened)
Strength: 3/8 (weakened)
Agility: 10/60 (weakened)
Condition: 3/10
Intelligence: 220
Mental Strength: 100/150 (weakened)
------------------------------------------
SPECIAL SKILLS
------------------------------------------
Innate Traits:
- ????????? (Hidden--???)
- Steel Will: As long as your determination does not disappear, your mind will remain as hard as steel and will not break in difficult times; your will is your shield.
- ????????
------------------------------------------
Skills:
- Tolerance to pain: You have an innate tolerance to all physical and psychological pain; your tolerable threshold is greatly increased compared to normal humans.
------------------------------------------
Ehh, it could always be worse. Although my stats are hopeless compared to the main cast anyway. What do the question marks mean?
- Haven't you guessed yet? What do you think they could mean? It's simple. You don't have access to this information because you haven't unlocked your bloodline yet and your skills are dormant and will probably stay that way. Just look at you. You won't even survive a month here.
Bloodline? I don't recall such a thing from the game, besides I don't know why it would be blocked. Maybe it's because of this cursed affliction. From what I can see, as I expected, it affects my stats, and significantly. Strength at level 3? HAHAHAHA, while this heaven-loving fucker has 35 at the start. How can you be so bloody favoured? Or is it just me being cursed. I'm getting a headache from all this.
DING
Mental Strength: 100/150 ⇒ (-2) ⇒ 98/150
Hmm, so the status updates on the fly, that's good news. Quite a nice feature. I'm 52 points short of the maximum, it's probably due to meeting my stepmother. I've been feeling awfully tired since leaving that cursed hall. You said I didn't have any skills unlocked, so in that case what's with the Steel Will and Pain Tolerance? Quite useful skills, by the way.
- Hmm, yes you're right, the skills should be locked, but they're not, because they belong to your soul, not this body. You must have experienced a lot of hard times,†she said in a slightly lower tone. I had the impression that I saw a slight sympathy in her eyes.
- I haven't had it easy in life, that's for sure, but that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that I have them and they will be very useful in this cruel world where the weak live under the boot of the strong,- I looked up and smiled slightly. I have a hard road ahead of me, but I will make it.
At this point, Mela thought that despite her nasty character, she certainly had undeniable beauty for a mortal, although they were obviously light years away from her divine form.
It was high time to move on. One last question, will other people hear your voice?
- No, only the system holder is able to hear me.
- Just as I expected, I thought. I still have a ton of questions, especially about this goddess, but this is not the time for that. I have to get out of this cage as soon as possible. It's high time to experience some freedom and change the threads of destiny entwining me in this world.
I looked towards my wardrobe with a little nostalgia. It's about time you saw the light of day again, my friend,- I said this from the bottom of my heart, even though I had never seen it with my own eyes.
In a surge of determination, Alex decided not to wait any longer and to reach for a tool that could prove crucial in his new life. With a determined step, he headed towards the wardrobe standing against the wall. Opening its door, he could almost feel the echo of Leonard's memories vibrating in his mind. Like a drop falling on a sheet of water, making it vibrate, shattering the momentary calm. The cabinet was massive and made of dark wood, decorated with intricate carvings depicting mythical beasts and ancient symbols. The creaking of the hinges seemed particularly loud in the quiet room, creating tension.
He already knew where he should reach. At the bottom of the wardrobe was an old trunk, looking like it hadn't been used very often. It was solidly made, with metal reinforcements on the corners. It bore a golden badge with the inscription: "For my beloved son."
Seeing this inscription, memories of Leonard slowly flooded my mind, but I did not fight them. It had been a long time since I had felt such a pleasant warmth. What was it? He got it, or rather I got it from my father for my 8th birthday. It was my first sword, the only thing of value I currently owned. His eyes shone like a star lighting up the darkest night.
I opened the trunk and my heart sped up a little. Inside lay a beautiful one-handed sword. Its hilt was blue, decorated with intricate flower motifs that seemed to pulsate with a soft light. Leviathan - so it was named, after one of the legendary beasts living in the southern ocean. The sword glinted in the light streaming in through the window, and its blade was impeccably sharpened despite the years, ready for battle, lying there as if happy to see its master.
Alex gently grasped the hilt, and further memories of Leonard flashed through his mind - memories of his father handing him this sword. He gripped the Leviathan more securely, feeling the warmth flow through the cold metal. It was more than a sword - a symbol of promise, determination, love and a past that still lived on in the memory of this body. He felt as if a piece of Leonard was reawakening inside him, ready to face the challenges.
With sword in hand, he was ready. There was something incredibly soothing about holding it, he knew the times ahead would not be easy, but with Leviathan at his side he felt he could take on anything. 'I'm sorry to have disappointed your expectations Father, but I will do my best to make amends and become someone worthy of holding this sword. "Let this sword remind me of who I am now and what I need to do," - thought Leo, leaving the room with a new determination in his eyes.