Edwin stood over the goblin's corpse, breathing heavily, his body drenched in sweat and blood. His vision blurred as exhaustion pressed down on him like a heavy weight. The dull ache in his limbs reminded him that he was still alive — barely. His gaze drifted to the goblin's crude sword. The once-blazing rune etched along the blade flickered weakly before fading entirely, leaving nothing but a simple, dull engraving.
[Quest Cleared]
[Status and Storage are being unlocked]
[Points are being given]
[Should The Rune Be Extracted?]
"Huh?" Edwin asked and then looked at the goblins sword.
"Yes!" He said.
The Goblin's sword which had a rune on it was enveloped by a blue light before it dissipated.
[Rune of Enhancement Extracted]
[Rank:Simple]
Edwin felt a stinging feeling in his arm.
"Argh!" He welped at the slight pain,more from the shock of the pain rather than the intensity.
He looked at his forearm,the same markings that were on the sword were now on his forearm.
"What is this?!" Edwin questioned.
[This is the Extracted Rune]
The text shifted and expanded into a detailed list. Edwin's brows furrowed as he read the numeric values now displayed before him.
[Strength: 13]
[Agility: 14]
[Durability: 15]
[Sense: 15]
[Health: 543/2000]
[Rune:1/5]
[Rune of Enhancement]
[Rank:Simple]
'Did I really take that monsters rune?,"He asked.
"Wait?!,It says I can only take 5 ruins!," Edwin said in shock.
If he knew he could only have 5,he would have chosed something better later along the line.
He sighed,blaming hid poor decision.
He looked at his health.It was also dangerously low
His breath came in ragged gasps as he stumbled toward the edge of the forest. The dense foliage and towering trees loomed around him, casting long shadows in the fading light. After what felt like an eternity, he spotted a boulder and collapsed onto it, his sword clattering to the ground beside him. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but at least he was still breathing.
Reaching into his pouch, Edwin pulled out a handful of Velpa Berries. Their bright orange skin glistened under the dying sunlight. Grimacing at the bitter taste, he forced himself to eat them.
As he chewed, the glowing blue screen continued to hover in front of him. Curiosity gnawed at his mind despite the pain wracking his body.
"Okay, so thi—wait, what even are you?" he asked between bites.
[I am a System.]
"A system... what is your name?" he asked, his voice still weak.
[I do not possess a name.]
"Can I name you?"
[You may name me whatever you wish.]
The voice was mechanical, devoid of warmth, but it carried a faintly feminine tone. Edwin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, a name came to him.
"Hm... how about Elara?"
[Processing... Name registered as 'Elara.']
Edwin nodded, satisfied. "Elara it is, then."
As he finished the last of the berries, a new thought crossed his mind. "What's this 'Storage'?"
Another message appeared, this one the same size as the status window. It showed a grid of empty slots, save for one, which was filled with the sword he had just used to kill the goblin. The same sword that now rested beside him on the rock.
Edwin frowned. "Wait... is that my sword?"
He pressed on the filled slot, and in an instant, the sword disintegrated into a flurry of blue pixels, vanishing from sight.
"Wha-what the hell?!" Edwin jumped back, his heart racing.
[Here you can store weapons and items from your journey.]
"...Oh. That's actually very useful," Edwin admitted, though he was still a bit shaken.
He pressed the slot again, and the pixels swirled back into his hand, reforming the sword as solid and sharp as before. Edwin's lips curled into a grin.
"So cool," he whispered.
Satisfied, he stored the sword once more. The convenience of it was undeniable.
"What are points?" He asked.
[Points are reward given to you after you defeat an enemy]
[You can add them to your stats]
"..I see" He said while leaning back
As he leaned back against the boulder, a more somber thought crept into his mind. "Why did I gain this power?" he asked quietly.
[That information is restricted. I cannot answer questions regarding my or your revival's origin.]
Edwin let out a frustrated sigh. "Hm, of course it is," he muttered.
"Hm...If I continue to complete quests,I will not die?".He asked.
[Yes,As long as you don't decline or quit a quest,you will live]
"... I see"
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The fading light bathed everything in hues of orange and gold. Edwin knew he couldn't stay here for long. The goblin's corpse was sure to attract other predators, and in his current state, he wouldn't survive another fight.
He pushed himself to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his body. His steps were unsteady as he made his way back toward the road. Every movement was a reminder of the brutal battle he had just survived.
Then his stomach growled loudly, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Guess those berries weren't enough," he grumbled.
He looked back at the forest and then at his wounds.
He might as well spend the night at a safe place and recuperate.
The next morning, Edwin emerged from the forest, his body sore but invigorated. The faint scent of damp earth and wildflowers clung to the crisp morning air. Yesterday had been grueling—he'd hunted down a few rabbits for food and patched himself up as best he could. The meat had been tough, but it had kept him alive.
Now, he walked along the dusty road, biting into a vibrant orange Aval fruit. Its tangy sweetness burst across his tongue, momentarily distracting him from the dull ache in his limbs. As he chewed, he summoned his status window, the glowing blue display flickering into view.
[Strength: 13]
[Agility: 14]
[Durability: 15]
[Sense: 15]
[Health: 1400/2000]
His health had mostly recovered, though faint reminders of yesterday's battle still throbbed beneath his skin. He exhaled in relief, glad to see the bar wasn't dangerously low anymore.
Edwin had stored his sword in the system's storage for convenience, freeing himself from its weight. Now, with only the sound of his boots crunching against the gravel, he pressed forward. The road stretched endlessly before him, winding through vast fields and clusters of trees.
His goal was Lekri.