Don't you just hate it, when you're just minding your own business, going throughout the night by playing games and worrying about tomorrow's work. When suddenly, just as you're about to lay your tired body on the soft bed, your entire vision goes blank and when it returns you see unfamiliar walls...
Unfamiliar floor, scent, and vibe. A blink and I'm not in my room anymore, but I'm still on a bed. The room is muted, dull, even more than my own. A far-cry from my dimmed, gray walls full of anime-posters, the scene of maroon carpet and wooden walls – with a stigma of a lion holding a strand of wheat.
The sweat that forms on my forehead felt cold. My eyes turned around, curious and cautious as to what occurred to make me wake up here. Trying to remember the previous night, my head is suddenly stricken with a headache, making me squeeze my eyes in both pain and surprise. Genuinely, aside from the whole day, what happened in the instance I took the bed is basically void – as in, all I could recall is white noise.
"W-what just happened, " My voice sounded rough and dry, as if I didn't drink water at all.
The sound of a door knock took me out of my bemusement. The knock was quiet, deliberately so, as if the person beyond the door is afraid of making more than a decibel higher knock.
I didn't respond immediately, confused and not knowing what to do, I merely looked at the plain door and doorknob like someone was there.
The person behind the door knocked one more time. Again, the sound was low.
Finding it to be rude, and outright strange, not to respond, I opened my mouth, "Y-yes, come in. " My voice is different. Noticing the same dry tone, and now with a small itch on my throat.
The door slowly opened, creaks echoing. I watched in interest as to who it is, it might be my kidnapper or abductor. But, instead of a criminal trafficker like I thought, the person that steps in from the door is a petite – brown-hair – girl with a bowl cut. Surprised, I rubbed my eyes in confusion, closing and opening them to make sure what I'm seeing is real.
The girl, with her eyes covered by the thick bangs, tilted her head – though demure. My eyes narrowed, she looked afraid.
The two of us just… kind of just stared at each other. The awkward gap made my eyes twitch, as I finally had enough and opened my mouth. The volume of voice startled the girl, who, now I noticed, wore maid like clothes.
"What do you want? " Oh… that came out harsh for some reason. My tone is frigid.
The girl looked on the ground, making me look confused, as she bowed. The girl stated her purpose.
"Your dinner is ready my lord!"
My lord?
I look at her.
"My lord…?"
My words reached the girl's ears, and for some reason she didn't bring up her head. In fact, her quivering became more apparent. Hey! Is there something wrong with her, why is she shaking like she's in front of a murderer.
"Hey, you ok-"
"Sorry for my insolence, Lord Aphelios! This incompetent maid forgot to call you by your name, I ask for forgiveness!"
Ok, I think she's misunderstanding something here. My name is Abraham, not whoever this ponce-sounding Aphelios is. I don't know why she's misidentifying me with him, and with her behavior I'm quite cruel and cold, eh… Wait, I'm?
What is happening?
My name is Abraha-Apehlios. Abraha-Apehlios.
"WHAT!?" A sudden scream booms out of my mouth.
Why am I calling myself by a different name? What the fuck is going on? This shit is not funny, yo! What kind of twilight zone did I enter?
As the barrage of questions began to pile up, it all ceased when the sharp headache returned with a vengeance. Instead like needle being poked on my forehead, like just before, this time the damn sensation feels like a fucking drill create a hole on my skull. The pain is rippling, traveling through my body, and leaking onto my neck and chest.
The headache was so bad, I almost fell out of my bed. The sound of the petite calling for me in distress fades, as my vision gradually turns dark.
Men… what the fuck is HAPPPEEEEENENING!!!???
Suddenly, a blinding light exploded in my vision. Stunning me in my line of sight. The feeling of something being shoved into my head is palpable, painful and real.
…
…
"Apehlios, you have been banished to the old-manor."
A burly man with a big beard said, his eyes holding no margin for debate.
…
"You get what's coming for you, bastard son. I loathe the fact that we carry the same last name!"
A cruel woman with long hair, and green dress shouted. Slapping me with her fan.
…
"Get out of here! You're not one of our siblings! You're not my brother."
"You've done nothing but rot away with booze and prostitutes. A shame that you even have an inkling of a Lyndon's blood…"
"You don't deserve it."
"You're not welcome here!"
"Remove yourself!"
"Don't come back!"
"Rot away!"
"Kys!"
..
.
A downpour of memories came back to me like a stampeding tsunami, my head felt like it's about to explode with the sheer vision occurring at once. My name Aphelios is now making sense. I am the son of Baron Lyndon, the youngest among Five children. Born of a concubine, from the moment of my birth I am nothing but a half breed, a mistake for my family – and even to my mother, who suffers ridicule from the main wife of the Baron. Who in question, turned a blind eye towards the treatment.
I was trash. A bum who abandoned all prospects of the future. I abandoned my sword, along with it the path of Aura and Magic. I rejected going into the academy, too possessed by the inferiority that clings to me all my life.
Earning the title of "Aristocrat Bum," or "The Trash of the Baron's family." I rot away, spending my time in excess without substance. I was a genuine asshole, making everyone's life who even came near me a pain in the ass. These actions slowly tarnished the name of Lyndon, and my father finally acted, banishing me from the family estate.
Thrown into the old-manor. A place covered in sprawling ivy, and overgrown grass. I was basically left to die here, because this place is situated near the edge of the Black Thorn forest. A neglected piece of land, plague with Demonic Beast – animals twisted by chaotic mana. I say this because my father just gave me two knights, and they're lower class? They might as well be a squire, than a knight. Alongside twenty-servants to come in my every need, however, I know the reason why they're here.
The lord, or more appropriately, the main-wife, found them unsightly. And, set up events that showcase their supposed "uselessness."
I shook my head…
Why of all people in this world, why this bum? I'll be more happy to be a rat in the slums, or a damn bandit wandering freely in the forest, than this lashing asshole. My family hates me, even my servants. The maid's fearful behavior being proof. I have no fucking future, because I let my talent in swordsmanship to rot. Going into the academy is out of the question, because I'm now a young-adult. My life is a fucking deadend!
"Lord Aphelios, are you okay!?" The sound of the screaming maid came back, and along the scene of her holding my hand.
My eyes looked at her, this seemed to relieve her a bit – but the fear returned. Christ, I really did some fucked up things. And, she still went to check on me, what is she? An angel. A worry born out of fear.
"Shall I call the other-!"
"No need, " I put my hand forward, clutching my head with the other, "Just a headache in all, just bring me some water…"
"Are you sure, my lo-" I glared at her, stopping more questions in one action. The girl's reaction is one of deflation, as she shrinks back a few distance.
"Yes, lord Aphelios, " She ran out the room, and the door closed – echoing with a blunt sound. Leaving me with the silence…
And an existential dread.
"W-who am I?-"
[SYSTEM AWAKENING COMPLETED!]
A mechanical sound shatters that identity crisis, making me jolt back in surprise. I look around the room, alarmed and honestly quite scared, no one is here – aside from me.
[SYSTEM INTEGRATION COMPLETED!]
[Introducing the, "Marital System" started!]
"Where the fuck is that coming from," The answer came to me suddenly.
A golden-hologram, hovering in front of my face. Surprised, but on impulse, I tried to swat it. My hand went through, like it's not there.
[Greeting Abraham, or, Aphelios Lyndon. I'm the Artificial Assistant meant to aid you in utilizing the Martial System!...]
"Okay, " I put my hand up, and surprisingly the so-called Ai assistant halted its speech, "Before you start, am I going crazy?"
[I assure the Host that you are not, in fact, crazy. System scanning detects no defect in cognition!]
I look at it for a second. I just laid still in my bed, waiting for it to disappear or start to twist like an illusion would. But, that didn't happen, and the golden interface remains.
"I'll take your word for it, " I said. Finding it a waste of time to not do anything, "So, what can you do exactly?"
[The Martial System revolves around martial capabilities. This, of course, includes fighting, war, strategic prowess, and the usage – alongside creation – of armaments of war. This unit provides the facilities for the martial growth of the designated host, Aphelios. Progress in attributes and status will be provided in real time, and participation of conflicts will be rewarded with either skills, schematics, tools and weapons; ranging from common, rare, and lastly epic.]
"Like a game?"
[The system is modeled after them, yes!]
This is huge! With my hand on my mouth, the sheer excitement inside me right now is palpable. If this is anything like in games, then gaining skills and weapons for survival will be easy. And, while Aphelios' body had grown weak along the years of neglect, he was able to awaken his aura! Although, the question if I could wield anytime soon is vague, to say the least.
I should be able to use it… Rattling my brain brought the memory of the sensation of aura. Text, and practitioners, speak of your body, remembering aura if you awaken it. Once the body experiences the sensation, evoking it again will be easier. However, if the individual stops honing their control, the mastery might crumble.
In my case, due to the actions of Aphelios, there's a high-chance that I will not be able to evoke. At least, for a short amount of time.
But, if the system has a mechanic of skill enhancing, then maybe I could forcibly re-discover it again.
"How can you gain skills, and weapons though? How about stat increasing, is that a thing?"
[As I said, the Host will gain reward if you partake in battle. As the Martial System, that is the premise. Satisfy those terms, and the system will reciprocate. As for attribute mechanics, alongside skills, the host could gain System Points that could be used to increase attributes. And, the attributes are as follows…
Strength
Constitution
Dexterity
Insight.
Aura and Magic cannot be properly quantified due to their metaphysical nature. For example an Aura user being a frail man, but has an aura reserve abnormal of their stature. Even being weak they could use their Aura to get stronger, this applies to magic also.]
That's interesting, I don't think games have that. But, I guess the depiction of magic – or aura – is more solid. As the player has a clear variable of their magic, and a quantifiable cost if they use skills in such.
[To quantify these two energy, is like dividing by zero. it is undefined. Their nature is close to infinity.]
This is the first time I've heard magic being described this way. In most media, magic is something that could be observed and measured. I guess this world power system is close to Soft-magic than hard.
[Wrong.]
The system suddenly said. My eyes widened, it could read my mind…
[The usage of magic in this land is measurable, just the energy itself being uncountable. The usage of LANGUAGE to EVOKE magic is the constant medium. To verbalize Magic is to contain it within a finite interpretation, this is how magic-circles function.]
I do remember reading something like that.
"But enough about magic. Can you explain each attribute?"
[
Constitution: Measures physical endurance, vitality, and resistance to damage
Strength: Represents physical power and the ability to exert force.
Dexterity: Indicates agility, reflexes, and coordination.
Insight: Reflects mental acuity, perception, and strategic thinking.
]
Seems normal. Basically, the generic core stats of a wide-array of games! I guess vitality, and others associated with it, is compressed into one stat. The Constitution status, eh.
The door opened suddenly, and came out the same brown-haired from just before. In her hand is a glass of water, which I look at very suspiciously. The Girl, instead of walking towards me, just stood still beside the door.
I was about to ask what's wrong, when the memory of how I treat them surface. I hold my tongue. She's waiting for my permission to move.
Shaking my head, I said.
"Come closer."
The girl walked with steady steps, watching the water for any leaking. From my perspective, it looked silly – even adorable. However, with the context of why she's acting like this, sigh, it's just sad… How my actions basically ruined my own image.
I took the cup, and drank from it. The water is fresh to the throat, I hope, however, that there's no nasty materials in it – that's usually the cause of death in this type of time.
I handed it to the girl, and waited for her to get out. Instead, she again just stood still. In this distance, I notice beads of sweat forming on her hair covered face. Curious, and staying in character, I spoke.
"Is there anything you wish to say?" The girl slightly shifted in her position. Seemingly nervous to blurt out the words, as if it is stuck in her throat.
I shook my head, again, "I ask for you to speak, maid. So state whatever you wish to say."
The girl finally found the courage to speak, as she raised her head to meet my gaze. Holding the glass tightly, she uttered, "T-the coop is attack, lord Apehlios!" She shouted, making me retreat my head a bit.
"What was that?"
"T-the chicken are killed, Sir Andre found them with their heads ripped-out! The Sir theorize a monster-rodent, Lord Aphelios, and wishes for me to announce to you."
"... That's it?
The girl skittishly nodded.
Christ, even just announcing this is terrifying for them! Aphelios, you're a fucking scumbag rat!
…
..
.