Aldrich sat on his bed, his gaze drawn to the trash bin where the shattered porcelain vase lay in disarray. The jagged edges of the fragments glinted faintly under the dim light of his room.
Slowly, he stood, each movement deliberate, as if the weight of the night pressed heavily on him.
He approached the bin and hesitated for a moment before reaching in to retrieve the broken pieces, the cool, uneven shards pressing against his fingers.
He was dressed oddly, in a makeshift skirt he had hastily fashioned from an old blanket. It hung awkwardly around his waist, a strange sight even to himself.
But it was better than nothing, considering the circumstances.
Ding!
[QUEST: ESCAPE]
Overview: Escape the premises of the Kane's Barony
Reward: x2 Lottery Ticket, 50,000 experience points
He looks at the unexpected quest but it did not ease his heart, looking at the rewards, he knows this will be a hard quest to finish.
"I remember I have 300 storage slots," he murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
His mind focused, and he mentally accessed his system inventory. Tentatively, he attempted to store one of the shards.
The pieces vanished from his hand as if absorbed by an invisible force. Checking his inventory, he saw a single slot now occupied.
[Inventory: 1/300]
Shattered Porcelain: x1
'Nice!' A small smile crept onto his lips. Encouraged, he quickly gathered and stored the remaining shards, each piece disappearing as if consumed by magic.
[Inventory: 1/300]
Shattered Porcelain: x56
He noted with satisfaction that identical items stacked infinitely within a single slot. The implications thrilled him. 'This is basically portable storage for weapons and equipment. Let's try this wooden greatsword.'
With a thought, he commanded the system to store the weapon. It vanished from his grip as effortlessly as the shards had.
[Inventory: 2/300]
Shattered Porcelain: x56
Wooden Greatsword: x1
'Perfect. It lightens my load and frees my hands.' He glanced at the system clock. The glowing digits read 9:58 PM.
His heartbeat quickened, a steady thrum in his chest that echoed the urgency in his mind.
A mix of fear and determination settled over him.
The time to leave was now.
Tomorrow, the household would see his transformed appearance, and he dreaded their reactions.
He imagined scientists dissecting him for answers, or powerful mages prying into his mind for his secrets.
Shaking his head, he banished the invasive thoughts.
Leaning against the door, he listened intently. The house was silent, the kind of stillness that amplifies every creak and whisper.
He cracked the door open, the faintest sliver of light spilling into the hallway. Peering out, he saw nothing but shadows.
Everyone seemed to be asleep.
Carefully, he stepped into the hallway, the floorboards groaning beneath his weight. Every sound seemed amplified, each creak a thunderclap in his ears.
'Why does everything sound so loud?' he thought, swallowing hard to steady his nerves. His heightened awareness made the ordinary feel ominous.
He moved toward the main door, his breaths shallow and controlled.
Just as he reached the living room, a rough voice sliced through the silence.
"Who are you?"
Aldrich froze. His stomach churned as his heart threatened to leap out of his chest.
He turned his head slightly, recognizing the voice. It belonged to Magnus, his second eldest brother.
Slowly, Aldrich summoned a shard of the porcelain vase from his inventory, the cool, jagged fragment grounding him.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice steady but tinged with regret. He kept his back to Magnus, refusing to meet his gaze.
'Pick a card!' he thought, activating his spell.
His right hand began to glow, shifting between hues of blue, red, and gold, an ethereal display of power.
A few minutes earlier.
Magnus had been restless, tossing and turning in his bed.
His thoughts swirled with doubts about his place in the family and his role in the impending war at the Southern border. The weight of expectations pressed on him.
"I know what I need to do, but Big Brother's words keep echoing in my mind. Should I stay here and manage the household? Or carve my own path?" he muttered to himself, his voice heavy with frustration.
He sat up, the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the clouds outside his window. The absence of the moon's full light made the night feel heavier, more oppressive.
He rose, stretching his tense muscles, when a faint creak reached his ears. Magnus froze, his senses sharpening.
As a Tier 2 Warrior, even the faintest sound couldn't escape his notice.
Pressing his ear to the door, he listened. The cautious, almost rhythmic footsteps told him someone was trying to move unnoticed.
His curiosity and training took over.
Quietly, he opened his door and peered into the hallway. He saw a tall figure dressed in an unfamiliar manner.
The sight of the strange skirt gave Magnus pause, but he focused instead on the figure's movements.
They headed toward the main door with deliberate care. Magnus followed, his steps silent as a shadow.
When they reached the living room, Magnus finally spoke. "Who are you?"
The figure froze. Magnus's eyes narrowed as he observed the glowing light emanating from the stranger's hand.
"I'm sorry" The weirdly dressed stranger uttered.
He then turned to face Magnus, his heart pounding.
Summoning all his courage, Aldrich slammed his glowing fist into the floor. "Volcanic Rupture!" he shouted.
The wooden floorboards cracked and splintered as a fiery fissure snaked its way toward Magnus.
The eruption of molten energy illuminated the room in a hellish glow.
Magnus leaped into the air, but the fissure erupted beneath him, sending a volcanic pillar crashing into his body. He grunted in pain, caught off guard by the sheer force of the attack.
Not wasting a second, Aldrich threw golden shard from his hand and hurled it at Magnus. The projectile struck his brother's forehead, stunning him.
Taking advantage of the moment, Aldrich turned and kicked the front door with all his strength.
The door exploded outward, splinters flying as he sprinted into the night.
Magnus groaned, his body aching from the unexpected assault.
The stun wore off after a few seconds, but the damage lingered. He pushed himself to his feet just as footsteps approached from behind.
"What happened, son?" Arthas, their father, arrived, his disheveled appearance betraying his haste.
William followed close behind, his expression one of shock as he took in the scene.
"Who did this?" William asked, his tone urgent.
"A… naked man. A mage, I think. He muttered something before leaving," Magnus said, his voice strained. "He said he was sorry."
Arthas and William exchanged puzzled glances.
"We'll search outside. He can't have gone far," William said. Arthas nodded, instructing Magnus to check on their siblings before they hurried out.
Aldrich's lungs burned as he ran, the golden shard buying him precious moments. Activating his Phase Spell, his form shimmered and faded, blending into the shadows.
His agility tripled, and his body felt weightless as he darted toward the forest.
[Agility: 11.67 (28 seconds)]
The horns from the household blared, a deafening wail that pierced the night air like a scream of desperation.
The shouts of soldiers rose in a cacophony of urgency, their voices ricocheting off the walls and mingling with the sound of hurried footsteps and clanging armor.
The chaos surged like a storm, each noise amplifying Aldrich's racing heartbeat as he darted through the trees.
His father's and William's voices carried above the din, issuing commands.
Aldrich's mind raced.
"Fuck! Why did Brother Magnus need to be awake during that time? I could have escaped quietly," Aldrich muttered through gritted teeth.
Then, a huge stomping noise thundered behind him. His father and Ralph, the head soldier, were sprinting after him.
Each of their steps left craters in the ground, a testament to their supernatural strength.
Aldrich's mind was getting paranoid, and he hastily concocted a dangerous plan. Fortunately, the Phase Spell rendered him semi-invisible, blending his windlike form with the surroundings.
Silently, he veered onto an alternate route. His father and Ralph barreled straight ahead, unaware of his sudden turn.
The spell muffled his movements completely, allowing him to pass through obstructions without a sound.
[12 seconds remaining]
Spotting a hill in the distance, Aldrich steeled himself and dashed toward it. Pouring every unassigned point into agility, he pushed his limits further.
Fortunately, while in this state his body is demolecularized, allowing him to pass through solid objects.
[Agility: 4.43 (Base)]
[Boosted by Phase Spell: 13.29]
His speed surged to 133 meters per second. The terrain blurred as he sprinted up the hill, his mind racing against the timer. The counter ticked down mercilessly.
[6 seconds remaining]
The rocky slope loomed before him, a jagged barrier. He scanned for any crevices or gaps large enough to conceal him.
[5 seconds]
His heart pounded as his vision remained filled with impenetrable rock. There were small pockets here and there, but none large enough to fit his body.
[3 seconds]
He was now getting worried and by the time his timer was left with one second he sees a small cavity that can be squeezed into, he stays at that space and stops, heaving and gasping for air.
He knows he need to stop and conserve the oxygen inside this space or else he will die.
Aldrich calms down and looks at the cooldown counter, there were less than 5 minutes left before he can use the Phase Spell again, so he used his breath sparingly while feeling a little claustrophobic inside this small cavity.