Zayne stared at the fallen boar, its soul now an echo mingling with his own. The lingering boar instincts weren't just unsettling—they were outright embarrassing. He caught himself scratching at the ground with his foot, the way a pig might unearth truffles.
"Alright, Eve," he muttered, forcing himself to stand upright. "How do I stop wanting to eat dirt?"
[Residual instincts will diminish over time. If they persist, please consult the system's mental recalibration feature.]
"Gee, thanks. That's super comforting."
As Zayne tried to shake off his pig-like urges, he realized his surroundings were far from ordinary. The forest wasn't just lush; it seemed… alive in ways beyond the ordinary. The trees whispered faintly, their leaves shimmering as though infused with a faint light. And there was the unmistakable feeling that he was being watched.
"Okay, where am I exactly?" he asked.
[Analyzing current environment… You are in the **Soulwood Forest**, a region known for its abundance of spiritual beasts and anomalies. Caution is advised.]
"Spiritual beasts? You mean like that boar? What's next, a fire-breathing squirrel?"
[Unlikely. However, stronger threats are present. Suggestion: Seek shelter, regroup, and adapt to the system's capabilities.]
Before Zayne could argue, a faint hum reached his ears. It was melodic, yet haunting—a sound that seemed to wrap around his very soul. Intrigued, and against his better judgment, he followed the sound deeper into the forest.
---
Zayne stumbled upon a clearing, where a strange object floated mid-air. It looked like a crystalline shard, pulsating with a faint, otherworldly glow. Runes danced along its surface, shifting and rearranging in a language Zayne couldn't comprehend.
[Warning: Detected artifact of unknown origin. Interaction may result in unpredictable outcomes.]
"Unpredictable outcomes? That's basically my life now," Zayne quipped, stepping closer to the shard.
The moment his fingers brushed its surface, a surge of energy shot through him. His vision blurred, and for a split second, he was… somewhere else. A grand hall, with towering pillars of light and shadow. Figures shrouded in darkness loomed above him, their voices echoing like thunder.
*"The Soul Bearer has awakened."*
Before Zayne could make sense of the vision, he was back in the clearing, the shard gone. But something had changed. His body felt heavier, and a faint scarlet mark now burned on his right arm—a twisting rune he didn't recognize.
"Eve," he said, voice shaky, "what just happened?"
[Unknown. The artifact appears to have imprinted a unique power or curse upon you. Further analysis is required.]
"Of course it did. Why can't I find a normal treasure chest full of gold and snacks like a proper adventurer?"