His eyes slowly peeled open, his consciousness seeming to return in parts. First, he felt the warmth of the floor beneath him, then the air he breathed into his lungs, and finally, his vision, becoming clearer by the second.
"Where...?" Aric muttered, disoriented and confused as he looked around.
At first, it felt almost unrecognizable, but soon he realized he was in his room. Though subtly, there was a difference—not necessarily in the room, but within himself. He tried to sit up, his body aching slightly as he did.
As he placed his hand on the floor to help himself up, it felt as though the floor beneath him had turned to sand.
He looked down, but the floor was still wood. However, in his attempt to sit up, his hand had torn through it with ease, the wood feeling like sand in his grasp.
Aric raised his arm, gazing at his fingers for a while before noticing the glow of multiple panels surrounding him.
---
[You have obtained the Martial God Foundation]
[You have obtained the Martial God Body]
[You have broken through to Tier 1 of the Martial Knight Realm]
[Physical attribute stats have been recalibrated]
[You have received a reward: 2 Rejuvenation Boosts]
[+3 Intelligence]
[System upgraded]
---
The multiple notifications felt overwhelming. Aric was still processing them when his eyes caught sight of a glaring red panel off to the side.
---
[Ki flow limited]
[Ki flow limited]
---
"Guide," Aric muttered, realizing the restriction on his voice had worn off. "What's going on?" he asked as he rubbed his forehead.
"After a long struggle, you finally finished the process. Your heart stopped multiple times throughout, but you made it," the guide explained.
Something about the guide felt off, but Aric ignored it.
"What do you mean, long struggle?"
"Well, it's been three days since you began," the guide informed him.
Aric put a hand to his head, running his fingers through his hair as he sighed. The system guide floated gently closer to him.
"On the bright side, since you were unconscious longer than expected, you slept through the excruciating process of your bones reconstructing."
Aric raised his head. "Well, that is good." He glanced at the red notification again.
"What does that mean?"
"Currently, your illness is severely limiting the flow of your ki," she explained.
"By how much?" Aric turned to the guide.
"Eighty percent," she replied almost hesitantly.
"What the—" Aric began.
"Yeah, it's bad."
"Also, why do you keep talking like that?" Aric narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?" The guide shrugged, uncertain of what Aric was referring to.
"That," Aric pointed, referencing the shrug. "You're acting... talking like a person," he clarified.
"The flow of ki heightens the user's mental capabilities. With an increase in your intelligence, mine has improved as well."
Aric tilted his head. "So it gave you a personality, or made you smart enough to fein one?"
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"I... I don't know."
Those words felt very unnatural coming from her—she always had an answer.
"It doesn't matter anyway. I really owe my life to you," Aric said as he stood from the floor.
"I am only a guide," she shook her head, flaring her tiny hands in disagreement.
"Well, I don't know who else... what else gave me all this... this chance," Aric's voice fell low, almost a whisper.
The guide remained silent.
Aric sighed again, attempting to walk over to the window, but as he took a step, the wood beneath his feet crumbled.
"You must be careful and restrict your strength. Since you skipped an entire realm of cultivation, you didn't have the chance to learn to adjust."
"Yeah," he muttered.
Aric knew this, but it still felt unreal. Back then, he couldn't even dream of entering the Martial Warrior Realm. Now, not only had he reached it, but he had also jumped through nine levels and immediately entered the second realm of Martial Knight.
The prince took another step, but this time he was light on his feet. Instead of shattering, the wood only creaked. With the next step, the creak was less audible, and soon Aric was walking as he usually would.
He opened the window, letting fresh air into a room now filled with the stench of sweat.
Turning back to the guide, he asked, "What are my stats now?"
With a gesture and a soft chime echoing through the room, the panel appeared.
---
Name: [Aric Valerian]
Title: [Forgotten Prince]
Race: [Human]
Level: [Martial Knight (1)]
Health (HP):[70/70]
Stamina: [70/70]
Ki: [20/100 (restricted)]
Attributes:
Strength: [34]
Agility: [27]
Endurance: [45]
Intelligence: [6]
---
Aric gazed at the panel. What he saw was significantly different from the first time he checked it, in just a short time he had become so much stronger. He was still uncertain what the system was or how it could assign tasks, reward him, and grant him power along with a way to track it. It was a heavenly blessing.
"Guide, is there more to the system?" Aric wondered aloud.
"99% of system capabilities have been unexplored. Would you like to begin now?" The guide floated closer, her face brimming with excitement at the chance of explaining system functions.
"Please, no," Aric flicked her away, causing her to stumble through the air.
"I'm exhausted, just tell me the next quest"
"Hmph," she turned, before gesturing as another panel materialized with a soft chime.
-—————————
Overthrowing a Kingdom
The Kingdom of Byzeth plans rebellion. Do not convince them—eradicate the ruling body and make them submit.
Reward: Blades of Heigard
-—————————
"I guess it's time I go have a talk with my mages," Aric said.