In the Dark Void.
He looked around and found a small, ethereal child floating in the darkness.
He said, "Hello, Kai. Oh, you are Lucian now. I was the one absorbing the power of the potion as I needed to recover. As for why I didn't do that previously while you were being chased, it was because you could have died at that time."
Lucian, confused, asked, "How are you still here? Weren't you destroyed with the bracelet?"
The kid replied, his voice calm yet haunting, "I merged with your soul during your death."
Lucian was taken aback and asked, "Can Jugo really create such advanced technology? Like merging with a soul and What is your purpose?"
The child smiled innocently, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "I was made to assist you. You want to return home, right? I can help in many ways. Now, ask that person for a healing potion, and you will be healed."
...
The man saw Lucian in a daze and waved his hand in front of his face.
Lucian said, "I feel like the healing potion will work now."
The man frowned, puzzled. "How can that be? I just fed you a potion that removes hunger."
Lucian shrugged. "It's just a gut feeling."
The man nodded reluctantly. "Okay, Let just try it."
Lucian drank the potion, and he felt a warm sensation as his injuries started healing rapidly.
The man commented, "That is strange. Well, whatever."
"You must be hungry too, right?" He turned to Leora, who was watching with curiosity.
"As for elegance and behavior from earlier, I will give you a potion that removes hunger for a week."
Leora drank the potion, her expression shifting to one of surprise. She felt as if her hunger vanished, as if she had just consumed a hearty meal.
She was to bow and thank him, he said "No, need for that, Just leave and let me experiment."
The guard looked at duo and gestured them to follow him.
The guard said, "Now, I will lead you to your manor."
They wound their way through the bustling streets until they stood before a sturdy manor on the outskirts of the warrior quarter.
While not lavish, the manor bore the mark of old nobility—a wrought-iron gate, sturdy stone pillars, and a small, well-kept training yard adorned with the remnants of past conflicts.
A man stood near the gate, arms crossed, his presence intimidating.
A warrior in a wolf cloak stepped forward, his cold blue eyes scanning them like prey. His face was rugged, lined with scars that told stories of battles fought, and the blade at his hip bore a similar history.
"So," he said, his voice dripping with amusement and disdain, "The last of the Frostbanes crawl back to Stormhold."
Leora stiffened but held her composure. "You know us?"
The man chuckled darkly. "Aye. Your father was a Lower Jarl. Now you are nothing but freefolk—no banners, no warriors, no claim to the name you wear."
His gaze flicked to the rune-marked badge in Leora's hand, granting them the right to avoid enslavement.
He took it, inspected it, then grunted. "It's valid."
Then he leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "A pity. Some of us were hoping to see the last of the Frostbanes sold off like the thralls you were meant to be."
Leora's fists clenched at her sides in anger, but Lucian grabbed her arm firmly, stopping her from reacting.
The warrior smirked. "Enjoy your new home, commoners." He tossed the badge back and walked away.
He spoke to the guard who had led them there, laughter bubbling from his lips. "My important time was wasted waiting for commoners."
Lucian and Leora entered the manor through the gates.
The manor felt cold and silent, a remnant of a life that had been stolen from them.
At the entrance, four figures awaited them—three women and a masked figure, their stances formal, expressions unreadable.
One woman stepped forward— a dark-haired beauty with an air of quiet strength. Her deep-set eyes held a wisdom beyond her years.
"I am Ylva," she said, her voice steady and commanding. "The head of the household works."
She gestured to the others.
"These are Astrid and Solveig. They will handle daily matters for you. And that—" she nodded toward the tall, masked figure lurking in the shadows— "is the war puppet. It will serve as your guard."
Ylva continued, "We have prepared food for you."
Leora interrupted, annoyance creeping into her tone. "There is no need to prepare anything for a week."
Without waiting for a response, she entered the manor and headed straight for her room.
Lucian looked back at the women and said, "I will have food."
He needed to eat since the potion had been absorbed by that holographic kid.
Lucian thought to himself, almost as if whispering to avoid drawing attention, "Oi, Kid, what's your name? What should I call you?"
A voice echoed in his mind: "You can call me System, but if you don't like that name you can call me by any name you like."
"Who set your default name?" asked Lucian.
The System replied, "It was my creator. He said it would give off a fantasy novel vibe."
Lucian snorted, shaking his head. "Of course, it was Jugo. That guy's always trying to make everything sound more dramatic than it is. Next, he'll probably want me to address you as 'The Supreme Overlord of All Systems' or some nonsense like that."
Lucian entered the manor, moving past the ornate decorations that echoed a forgotten grandeur.
After a much-needed bath, he changed out of his blood-stained clothes and donned a simple yet clean outfit.
Then he headed to the kitchen and asked Ylva to set the food on the table.
Ylva set the table with a meal fitting of Norlandia's rugged culture—thick slabs of roasted venison, rye bread, a bowl of stew rich with root vegetables and herbs, and a tankard of honeyed mead.
After eating his fill, Lucian returned to his room, the dim light of evening creeping through the small window. The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a pale glow that flickered softly against the walls.
He moved wearily toward the worn chair by the window, the cool air of the night brushing against his skin as he sank into it, letting out a long breath.
The silence of the night felt heavy, as if the world outside had quieted, waiting for something to unfold. With a glance at the stars shining faintly beyond the glass, Lucian spoke into the stillness.
"Hey, System, what can you do?" His voice cut through the silence, breaking the peaceful stillness of the night.
The response was immediate, and there was a sense of calm to the System's voice, as though it were waiting for this very moment.
"First of all," the System replied, "you can communicate with me mentally, without the need to speak aloud. Just think it, and I'll hear you."
Lucian's brow furrowed as he processed the information. The night outside seemed to deepen with the quiet, and the weight of the day made his thoughts feel slower, more deliberate.
"I have many features similar to those chips powered by the Overseer back on Earth, you know about it right?" the System continued. "But my design is far more advanced. I'm connected to your mind in ways that human technology could only dream of."
The System's voice paused for a moment, as if to give Lucian space to absorb the meaning behind those words.
"I'll explain the basic features," it added. "First, you have perfect memory. Every moment, every experience, every detail you've ever encountered is stored in your mind. You can recall it all, like accessing a limitless library of your own life."
Lucian leaned back into the chair, the cool air of the room mixing with the growing heaviness of the night. Perfect memory? That seemed almost too much to handle, yet somehow enticing.
The moonlight that filtered in through the window cast long shadows across the floor, creating an almost surreal atmosphere as he waited for more.
"Your mind is also capable of high-level calculations," the System continued, its tone matter-of-fact. "Complex equations, rapid data analysis, high-speed problem-solving. Your mind can handle it all effortlessly."
Lucian's mind raced with possibilities. He could already imagine the ways this could change his life, his understanding of everything around him. But the System wasn't finished.
"I can also show you memories that you don't remember," it added, the voice calm but laden with significance. "These memories may be buried deep in your subconscious. I can help you access them, bringing them to the surface. I am essentially your personal AI assistant, here to aid you however you need."
Lucian's gaze drifted to the window again, where the moon had shifted slightly. He hadn't expected this kind of capability, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. His life was no longer just his own—it was part of something much larger.
The System's voice took on a more serious tone, as if emphasizing its next words. "I've even memorized the potion you consumed earlier. I don't recognize the specific materials, but if you can provide me with data on the elements and compounds of this world, I can create anything."
The weight of the words settled over him, and Lucian felt a strange thrill. Anything? The possibilities seemed endless.
"Oh, and one more thing," the System added, almost casually. "The main reason I was created was to help you build a returning mechanism. A way for you to go back to Earth. It was mentioned by Jugram in the video. "
Lucian remembered video of Jugo and how he told that he had saved returning mechanism in bracelet it was just that he have to locate his own universe.
"Okay, stop," Lucian interrupted, the flood of information overwhelming him. "I don't need all of this at once. Just... show me my memories. From the beginning. I need to understand everything. Show me important phases of Lucian life."
There was a pause, and then the System responded, its tone shifting to one of understanding.
"I recommend you to sleep," it said gently. "It will be easier for you to process your memories in the form of dreams. They will make more sense that way."
Lucian didn't hesitate. His mind was already heavy with everything the System had told him, and his body, too, was craving rest. The quiet of the night seemed to welcome him as he nodded and slowly made his way to the bed.
The room was cool and dark now, the only light coming from the moon outside and the faint glow of the System's interface on his mind. He lay down, pulling the covers over himself, the soft fabric cooling his skin. His eyes grew heavy, and his body slowly relaxed into the bed, the calmness of the night settling over him.
He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the silence around him, the distant hum of the world outside. Ready. He was ready to face whatever the System was about to reveal.
The System's voice echoed softly in his mind, guiding him into the dreamlike state.
[Initializing the System.]
[Scanning the brain, searching for memories.]
[Finding important memories, creating a series of significant memories, and generating a dream for the user.]
[Process completion: 10%... 100%]
[Starting dream.]