Chapter 1: The Awakening
The steady hum of city life buzzed in Adam's ears as he trudged through the crowded streets of downtown Westbridge. His footsteps echoed faintly against the uneven pavement, each step reminding him of the long day he'd spent repairing antiques for clients who didn't appreciate his craft. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn't bother to check it. It was probably another payment reminder for the rent he was already struggling to cover.
Adam sighed, pulling his coat tighter against the evening chill. His workshop, a dingy hole-in-the-wall he called "Timeless Repairs," wasn't far now. At least there, surrounded by the tools of his trade and half-finished projects, he could escape the crushing weight of reality.
The door jingled as he stepped inside, the faint scent of wood varnish and metal polish greeting him like an old friend. The room was a chaotic jumble of broken clocks, tarnished jewelry, and ancient trinkets, each waiting to be brought back to life. Adam tossed his bag onto a workbench and slumped into his creaky chair.
"Another day, another dollar," he muttered, staring at the cracked ceiling. His gaze shifted to a small brass compass lying on the table. It was a family heirloom brought in by a frazzled woman earlier that week. The mechanism was broken, and the glass cover was missing, but something about it intrigued him.
Just as he reached for his tools, a strange sensation coursed through his body—a pulse, like a shockwave, radiating from his chest and spreading outward. He froze, his hand hovering over the compass. The room seemed to warp and twist, the edges of his vision blurring as an otherworldly voice echoed in his mind.
"Welcome, user. Artifact Creation System initialized."
Adam blinked, gripping the edge of the workbench as his heart raced. "What the hell...?" he whispered.
A translucent blue interface materialized in front of him, hovering in the air. Lines of text scrolled across the screen, each one more baffling than the last:
[System Overview: Artifact Creation System]
Current Level: 1 Daily Artifact Creation Limit: 2 Random Artifact Generation Active Mission Feature: Locked Appraisal Feature: Locked
Adam stared, his mind racing to make sense of what he was seeing. "Is this some kind of prank?" he muttered, swiping his hand through the interface. To his shock, his hand passed through it like it wasn't there.
Before he could process further, a new line of text appeared.
[Beginner Task: Create your first artifact.]
A strange compulsion gripped him, and his hands moved almost on their own. He grabbed the nearest item—a rusty key he had planned to discard—and placed it on the workbench. The blue interface shifted, displaying new options:
Material Quality: Low Crafting Potential: Unknown
"Crafting potential? What does that even mean?" Adam murmured.
A glowing button labeled [Create] appeared on the interface. Swallowing his hesitation, Adam pressed it.
The key began to glow, a faint golden light enveloping it as the system emitted a low hum. Adam watched in stunned silence as the rust flaked away, revealing gleaming metal beneath. Intricate engravings formed on the surface, spiraling into patterns that seemed almost alive. After a few moments, the light faded, and the key lay still on the table.
[Artifact Created: Key of the Unseen]
Effect: Unlocks hidden compartments or secret doors within a five-meter radius.
Adam's jaw dropped. He picked up the key, its weight unfamiliar in his hand. "No way... Is this real?"
Curiosity overtook his disbelief, and he turned to an old wardrobe in the corner of the workshop. It had belonged to his grandmother and had been a fixture in the shop for years. Kneeling in front of it, he inserted the key into the lock.
Click.
The wardrobe door swung open, revealing nothing unusual inside—at first glance. But as Adam examined the interior, he noticed a faint outline along the back panel. His heart raced as he pressed on it, and a hidden compartment slid open, revealing a small, dusty box.
"This is insane," he breathed, pulling the box out. Inside was a folded piece of parchment and a tarnished silver coin. The parchment contained what looked like a map, though the writing was faded and nearly illegible.
Adam barely had time to process his discovery before the interface chimed again.
[Beginner Task Completed: Create your first artifact.]
Reward: Appraisal Feature Unlocked
The screen flashed, and a new icon appeared on the interface. Adam tapped it, and a small text box popped up:
[Appraisal Mode Active. Focus on an object to reveal its properties.]
His gaze fell on the coin in the box. It was smooth, with faint etchings that had worn away over time. "Alright, let's see what this does," he muttered, focusing on it.
A soft glow surrounded the coin, and new text appeared:
[Artifact: Silver Coin of Prosperity]
Effect: Grants a minor boost to financial luck when kept on your person. Activation requires a spoken phrase: Fortuna favet audacibus."
Adam stared, the words reverberating in his mind. A grin spread across his face as the realization hit him. This was no hallucination, no elaborate prank. The Artifact Creation System was real.
His thoughts raced with possibilities. He could repair broken objects and turn them into artifacts, appraise ancient items, and uncover their secrets. For someone who had always been fascinated by history and craftsmanship, it was a dream come true.
But the thrill of discovery was quickly overshadowed by unease. The voice from earlier echoed in his mind: "Artifact Creation System initialized." Why him? What was the purpose of this system?
Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the interface chimed again.
[Daily Artifact Creation Limit: 1/2 Used]
[New Mission Unlocked: Create an artifact to aid in personal defense.]
Adam's eyes widened. Missions? Defense? He glanced at the coin, then at the workshop around him. Something told him this was only the beginning.
And whatever lay ahead, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.
End of Chapter 1.