Kael awoke with a start, gasping for breath as if he'd been drowning. His heart pounded in his chest, his body slick with sweat. For a moment, he was disoriented, the events of the night before a hazy blur in his mind. But as he looked around, he realized he wasn't in the alley anymore. He was lying on the floor of a small, dingy room with peeling wallpaper and a single flickering lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
He sat up slowly, his head throbbing with a dull ache. "What… where am I?" he muttered, trying to piece together what had happened. The memory of the cloaked man, the flash of light, and the strange orb came rushing back. He instinctively looked down at his hands, half-expecting to see some sign of the orb's presence, but there was nothing. His hands looked the same as always—calloused, dirty, and trembling slightly from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
Kael forced himself to stand, his legs unsteady beneath him. The room was bare, except for an old wooden chair and a cracked mirror hanging on the wall. He staggered over to the mirror, needing to see his reflection, to confirm that he was still himself.
As he gazed into the mirror, he froze. His reflection stared back at him, but there was something different about it—his eyes. The irises, once a dull brown, now glowed faintly with the same eerie light he had seen in the orb. He blinked, hoping it was just a trick of the light, but the glow remained, pulsating rhythmically as if in sync with his heartbeat.
"What the hell…" Kael whispered, taking a step back from the mirror. Panic began to rise in his chest, but before he could process what was happening, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He doubled over, clutching his head as a flood of information poured into his mind.
System Activation Detected.
The voice was neither male nor female, a neutral tone that echoed in his head. Kael's vision blurred, and he saw a series of translucent screens appear before him, floating in mid-air like holograms.
[Arcanum System Booting…]
System ID: Unregistered
Status: Incomplete.
Initializing Basic Functions...
Class: Undefined
Level: 1
Attributes:
- Strength:5
- Agility:5
- Vitality:5
- Intelligence:5
- Dexterity: 5
- Luck: 5
Skill Slots: 0/10
Active Quests: None
Warning: System instability detected. Calibration recommended
Kael stared at the screens, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. "Is this… a system?" he murmured, remembering the stories he had heard about the Arcanum System from those who had been born with it. But this felt different, somehow raw and unfinished, as if it was incomplete.
Before he could dwell on it, another screen flashed before his eyes.
[New Quest: Survival of the Fittest]
Objective: Defeat the Beast in the Slums.
Reward: +10 EXP, Basic Skill Slot Unlocked.
Time Limit: 24 hours.
"Beast?" Kael's voice trembled as he read the quest description. The system wasn't giving him time to adjust; it was pushing him into action immediately. But what beast? There were many creatures in the slums, from mutated animals to rogue mercenaries, all equally dangerous.
As if in answer, a distant roar echoed through the night, vibrating through the walls of the small room. The sound was inhuman, a chilling cry that sent shivers down Kael's spine. He knew, instinctively, that whatever made that sound was his target. The system was already guiding him, pulling him toward his first challenge.
Kael took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He had no weapons, no armor, and no experience in fighting anything more dangerous than the occasional street thug. But something had changed within him. The system was part of him now, and whether he liked it or not, it was forcing him to fight.
He reached out to touch one of the screens, and as his finger made contact, the interface shifted, showing a map of the slums. A glowing red dot marked his location, and a second dot—pulsating ominously—indicated the location of the Beast.
"You've got to be kidding me," Kael muttered. He was expected to go up against a monster with nothing but his bare hands and a system that didn't even seem to be working properly. But what choice did he have? The system had set the terms, and failure to comply likely meant death. There was no going back.
Determination hardened in Kael's chest. He'd survived in the slums this long, and he wasn't about to give up now. With one last glance at the mirror—at the strange glow in his eyes—he pushed open the door of the room and stepped out into the night.
The streets were eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the usual chaos of the slums. Kael's every sense was heightened, the system's presence making him hyper-aware of his surroundings. He could hear the distant dripping of water, the scurrying of rats in the shadows, and somewhere in the distance, the low growl of the Beast.
He moved quickly, following the map in his mind as he navigated through the maze of alleyways. As he approached the location marked on the map, the air grew colder, the darkness more oppressive. He could feel the system pulsing within him, urging him forward even as his instincts screamed at him to turn back.
Finally, he reached an open clearing between two crumbling buildings. The ground was littered with debris, the remnants of past battles and forgotten lives. And there, in the center of the clearing, stood the Beast.
It was massive—easily three times the size of a man—with matted fur and eyes that glowed with a sickly yellow light. Its body was a grotesque amalgamation of different creatures, as if someone had stitched together parts from various animals to create a nightmarish abomination. Its breath came in ragged huffs, visible in the cold night air.
Kael's heart pounded in his chest, fear threatening to paralyze him. But the system wasn't giving him any time to hesitate.
[Quest Updated: Defeat the Beast]
The Beast turned its gaze toward Kael, its eyes locking onto him with predatory intent. It let out a deafening roar and charged.
Kael's mind raced. He had no idea how to fight this thing. But as the Beast closed the distance, something clicked inside him—a primal instinct, a surge of adrenaline fueled by the system's influence.
He dodged to the side just as the Beast lunged at him, its massive claws tearing through the air where he had stood moments before. The movement was almost automatic, as if his body was being guided by something other than his own will.
"Come on, come on," Kael muttered, his eyes darting around for anything he could use as a weapon. His gaze landed on a rusted metal pipe lying among the debris. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
He dived for the pipe, grabbing it just as the Beast recovered from its missed attack. Kael rolled to his feet, gripping the pipe tightly as he faced the creature. The Beast snarled, saliva dripping from its fanged maw as it prepared to strike again.
Kael knew he had only one shot. The system was feeding him information, guiding his movements, but he was still inexperienced, still untrained. He needed to make this count.
The Beast lunged again, and this time Kael met it head-on. He swung the pipe with all his strength, aiming for the creature's head. The impact reverberated through his arms as the pipe connected with a sickening crunch, the Beast's momentum carrying it past him as it staggered from the blow.
But it wasn't enough. The Beast shook off the hit, its rage only growing as it turned to face Kael once more. The pipe had dented its skull, but the creature was far from defeated.
Kael's breath came in ragged gasps, his muscles burning from the effort. The system was pushing him beyond his limits, but he knew he couldn't keep this up for long. The Beast charged again, and this time Kael barely managed to dodge, the creature's claws grazing his arm and leaving a shallow cut.
"Damn it!" Kael cursed, the pain fueling his desperation. He needed a plan—something, anything to give him an edge. The system was supposed to help him, but it felt like he was on his own.
As the Beast circled him, preparing for another attack, Kael's mind raced. The system had said something about calibration, about instability. Maybe that was the key. He had no idea how to access it, but he needed to try something.
"System!" Kael shouted, his voice hoarse. "Calibrate! Do something!"
To his surprise, the system responded.
[System Calibration Initiated…]
Warning: Calibration in progress. Abilities unlocked during this process may be unstable. Use with caution.