Beneath the vast starry sky in the early age of the Helliones continent, untouched by the polluting modern lights, the stars shone brightly, their brilliance visible without the aid of modern equipment.
In an ancient forest deep within, a tribe called Bear wolf tribe, these people lived their lives inextricably linked with their surroundings. A young girl named Lina perched atop a moss covered stone, her gaze was fixed on the starry expanse above her. She stood in awe of the beauty of the night sky, her thoughts lingering on the mysterious lights that appeared when night fell.
"Lina! Where are you? It's time for supper," a familiar voice suddenly rang out, breaking the quietness and the hums of the insects.
Startled, the girl turned her head abruptly to face Gabo, the only son of the tribe's chief. He is a young man with broad shoulders and he carried himself around confidently as if the world revolved around him.
"I'll be there, Gabo," Lina replied softly, her tone remaining neutral.
Gabo slouched against a nearby tree as his gaze lingered on her for longer than necessary. She could feel his eyes roaming all over her, a feeling she'd grown accustomed to yet never comfortable with. Gabo wasn't particularly reliable, his role as the chief's only son only fueled his arrogance and impulsive behavior.
He frequently went out of his way to check on Lina though she already suspected it had little to do with genuine concern for her. His actions reeked of ulterior motives. Lina's quirky presence had caught his attention, she knew his fascination was short-lived.
"You better be there," he flashed a grin that was far from brotherly. His tone had an edge of entitlement rather than real authority.
Lina gave him a curt nod then waited till he went off before exhaling softly in relief.
She paid little to no mind after that. Slowly getting up from her perch, she brushed her hands against her simple tunic and cast her last look, longing at the stars in the sky.
"I guess I'd better go," she murmured, her voice tinged with regret but just as she was turning away, a sudden streak of crimson light caught her attention.
'A falling light.'
Her breath was caught mid gasp as she stood frozen, she watched as the streak of light came down. It slashed across the sky like a blazing arrow, lighting up the night. She followed its trajectory, her eyes wide in amazement capturing every moment of it, until it smashed into a far mountain, it was the opposite direction of her tribe but it was too far from where she was.
The ground trembled beneath her feet and the distant glow of impact momentarily lit almost the entire horizon, and it was followed by a late sound of explosion. Lina stood there speechless for a long time, she was stunned from the event that unfolded, her eyes were fixed on where the light landed.
Earlier before crashing, after being tossed to a new dimension, his system gave him details about his current status as the familiar ping sounded in his head.
Ping~
'you can access your void inventory by simply thinking or gesturing, you can also access your character profile in the same manner without speaking aloud, just simply you can use them to take in or take out items or equip or unequip the items at your disposal' the system explained to him in detail about how to use his own system.
"... So if I think about it 'status'" he thought about it and in front of him displayed a window showing his current profile.
"Name:
Millus Von Ashen Bloodfell
Title(s):
???
???
???
???
Race:
Primordial Vampire
Rank: ???
Age: ???
Gender: Male
Stats:
Strength: ???
Agility: ???
Intelligence: ???
Endurance: ???
Charisma: ???
Luck: ???"
'this is my name… so it's the random preset name when I was creating the character'
he said in his mind.
"A question tho" he asked the system.
"... why am I naked? And why are there so many question marks in the status window" he asked, to which the system replied
'the host needs to think about the equipment and the gear in order to equip it, it is only applicable to the items inside your inventory, as for the question marks, it is simply unknown' replied the system.
"alright… then let me try it, 'equip item' " then clothes appeared out of nowhere and covered his bare body, he watched it all appear under his eyes.
'Sovereign regalia has been equipped' the notification sounded.
"this is awesome" he exclaimed, then he said then "I have a lot of questions regarding the-ughh" he grunted as he suddenly slammed against the wall of space.
"Notice! The host shall now enter a random dimension and enter the realms thermosphere please brace for impact, also take into account that you might sustain substantial damage, please brace for impact" the system notified him.
"S-shit! equip 'eternal dreadplate' now!" he shouted.
'item has been equipped, currently equipped item has been replaced, item name: eternal dreadplate.'
"Notice! you have entered the world's thermosphere." Then the system notified him as he proceeded to crash down to a gigantic mountain, with a mighty crash everything within his initial vicinity and even the mountain was partially obliterated, animals and monsters alike were reduced to ash, as everything more than a mile was affected by his fall.
The immense magnitude of his fall created a 300-meter wide crater with him being buried 50 meters deep within the epicenter. The molten edges resembled a small canyon radiating outward from the impact site.
"Notice! The durability of the host's armor has been compromised, the armor effect Absolute Defense and Weightless Grace effects has been fully maximized during the descent and initial impact. However, due to an unknown force it resulted in only partial damage mitigation. The armor took maximum damage as much as possible ensuring the host was safe, the armor has already initiated self repairs, with an estimated completion time of one week and two days," the system explained.
Millus's mind resonated with words that made him sigh uncomfortably. Pulsating pain shot through his head as he strained to lift it from the ground, he felt soreness all through his body from the impact. He only sustained minor injuries not entirely withstanding the impact, his regeneration ability kicked in, rapidly mending his wounds with swift efficiency.
"D-damn… that was too extreme," he muttered hoarsely. "Everything was just a blur when I was falling…"
As he contemplated his circumstances, a sudden onset of sleepiness overwhelmed him.
"Notice! The host's soul is still adjusting to the vessel. Notice! To prevent further damage to the currently equipped armor, it will now be replaced with the second highest quality gear. The Sovereign's Regalia has been equipped."
"What? H-hey, system, wha---" he tried to speak, but the overwhelming exhaustion overcame him, and he passed out.
Back in the Bear wolf Tribe, the tribe chief Magbo, a large and muscular man, had summoned his people to offer prayers to the forest deity. A crudely carved stone statue, resembling a bear, served as the deity's altar at the heart of the tribe. The tribe gathered offerings of meat, fruits, and animal bones at the statue's feet while chanting prayers to seek protection. Many viewed the crimson falling star as a bad omen.
Gabo, the only son of the Tribal chief Magbo, stood up from the crowd. He glanced at the altar before shifting his gaze towards the horizon where the fiery light had vanished. With a solemn expression, he proceeded walking towards the residence of the chief.
"Father, may I speak with you?" he called out.
Magbo exited the house, his formidable physique outlined by the faint glow from the fire. "What is it Gabo? Why are you not praying to the deity of the forest with the rest of the tribe?"
"I think I know why the light appeared, Father," Gabo said with a dark face. "It's possibly because of that girl. She stares at the heavens every night, defiling the deity. The gods must've been angered, and they've sent an exampe in the form of that light."
Magbo's brow furrowed. "Then what do you propose we do to appease the god?"
"Why don't we sacrifice her to appease the forest deity? That way our tribe may avoid any calamity, the deity might even reward us for bringing the offender" Gabo suggested.
The chief stroked his beard thoughtfully about Gabo's suggestion. "I thought you had intended to take her in as your mate to continue our bloodline. Have you changed your mind?"
"I know it's a waste to let go of such a beauty," Gabo replied, his tone laced with frustration from the thought of her being an offering. "But she's still too young to bear my offspring. I initially planned to wait until she matured, I even ensured that no one else would have dared to touch her. But now, with the gods angered, we have no choice but to offer her life."
Magbo nodded slowly. "Very well. Well ready the tribesmen. And tomorrow, we will bring her to the deity's lair, and sacrifice her to the forest god."
Gabo smirked but added, "But before that, let me… enjoy her for one last night. It would be a shame for me to waste her beauty without even having to experience it."
Magbo chuckled, shaking his head. "Do as you wish. She is indeed a beauty, although she is not yet ripe. Otherwise, I would have claimed her to myself and sire you new siblings."
The two laughed, their voices filled with lust and malice.
Unbeknownst to the both of them, Lina remains crouched behind the chief's house, she's trembling uncomfortably from fear. She had crawled through a small hole she'd dug earlier, she was hoping to avoid the prayer rituals and eat quietly. But what she overheard chilled her to the bone.
She used her hands to cover her mouth and stifle her breathing. 'They planned this all along… they never truly helped me…'
Her mind raced with the thought of her imminent death and the inescapable future of being used as a toy leading to her ultimate demise. Tears rolled down her face as she was overwhelmed with fear.
At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears. Gabo stood close to the wall, and leaned his head over carefully observing the surroundings with a sense of caution.
"What is it, Gabo?" Magbo asked, stepping closer.
"...It's nothing, Father," Gabo replied and after a moment, he stepped away. "Let's feast instead by the fire with the other tribesmen."
Their laughter mixed in the distance, yet Lina stayed frozen in place, concealing herself behind the wooden barrels and crates.
'I-if I stay in this place, I will die… regardless. There is no means of escape…' Her contemplations faltered as she remembered the crimson light that fell from above.
'In that case, I'll look for the fallen light, that way even if I die… I'll at least be fulfilled.' It is preferable to confront the unknown rather than endure remaining here as their object of amusement.
Determined, she made her decision. Silently, Lina took possession of a basic sack crafted from grass twine and sturdy sticks. She stocked it with provisions, animal hide cloth, a stone blade, and a fragile animal-hide tent, all of which were formerly the property of the tribal chief.
While the tribal members were engaged in a ceremonial gathering, Lina discreetly departed under the cover of the night, she made her way towards the mountains where the light fell. Despite her nervousness , she continued forward, although it's night, the surroundings are not that dark as the stars and the moon provided her journey with subtle illumination, her apprehension was overshadowed by a delicate aspiration for her own freedom
End of Chapter