“Astron….”
A dark place… I can’t see anything….
“Astron….”
The name reverberated in the void, shrouded in mystery. I felt a pull, an irresistible force drawing me towards an unknown destination. Shadows danced at the edges of his consciousness, teasing me with snippets of forgotten memories.
“Se…th….mo….st…e”
A voice in my head, echoing all around… But the words are bleak….
A smile was there… A smile of a woman… But my eyes can’t perceive…
“….ek….e….on…..on….” 𝞸𝒱xt.𝐂𝒪
The whispers grew louder, the pieces of the puzzle attempting to come together. A vision flashed before me—the glimmering gem of a silver color, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.
It felt significant, a key to unlocking the secrets that lay dormant within me, but it was unknown to me at the same time….
The knot in my heart grew with each passing time… The suffocating feeling drowned me.
“Ha!”
My eyes shot open as I jolted awake, my heart pounding in my chest.
I gasped for breath, trying to shake off the remnants of the haunting and cryptic dream that clung to my mind. The darkness of the room enveloped me, and for a moment, I struggled to discern reality from the lingering echoes of the dream.
“Hufff….. Hufff…. Hufff….”
My hand instinctively reached for my chest, feeling the rapid beat of my heart as I tried to calm myself.
The vision of the woman’s smile and the elusive words whispered in the void haunted me, leaving a sense of unease that I couldn’t shake off.
“What was that dream?” I murmured my voice barely a whisper. The fragments of the dream danced at the edges of my memory, teasing me with snippets of forgotten memories.
‘It was her, right?’ The smile of the woman I missed…. I knew the identity even though it was blurry… After all, there was no way it could be someone other than her….
“Mmm….”
Suddenly I felt a wriggling sensation around my leg, and the voice of humming came.
‘What?”
At that moment, my head came back to me as I was able to look around.
My eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light of the room, and as my surroundings came into focus, I realized that I was lying on a comfortable bed with crisp white sheets. The room was spacious, with soft sunlight filtering in through the partially drawn curtains, casting gentle rays across the wooden floor.
The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes from the academy’s history, and shelves lined with various healing potions and medical tools stood against one side. The scent of herbs and medicine lingered in the air, creating an atmosphere of calm and healing.
‘This is the academy’s infirmary for sure.’ I thought, seeing the room.
“Grrr…..”
But just as I was about to turn my body to the side, I felt a slight sting on my chest. I glanced down at my chest, which was wrapped in bandages.
Which reminded me of the wounds I had sustained during the battle with the Mistwraith.
The events of the last day came to my head not long after. The pain had subsided by now, but I couldn’t remember what happened after I lost consciousness.
‘But seeing that I am still alive and here, someone must have found me.’ I thought and immediately turned my attention to the side, only to see a girl sleeping beside me.
‘Who?’ At first, it was an unknown girl, but after a second of looking at the girl, I instantly concluded her identity.
‘Sylvie Gracewind.’
After all, she was a named character in the game.
As I gazed at Sylvie, memories of the game flooded my mind. In the game, she was the future Saintess, a gentle and caring healer with flowing golden-blonde hair and captivating deep green eyes. Her character was known for her kindness and willingness to help others, and she came from a middle-rated family within the game’s lore.
Even though she came from a middle-rated family, she was a girl with ambitions to help people and did her best to make others happy. And thanks to her good nature and rare healing affinity, she was easily able to get a scholarship and enter the Arcadia Hunter Academy.
‘If it was her, that makes sense how easily I was able to get treatment this fast.’ I knew the wound on my chest was deep, and me losing my consciousness might have been dangerous if no intervention was made.
But I knew the instructors and patrols had already been notified after I activated the light artifact, which would destroy the barrier Mistwraith put on, but still, I assumed I would be grounded for a while, but if Sylvie was there, that made sense if she healed me even though not fully. ‘Her healing skills mustn’t have reached that ceiling yet.’ I thought.
‘But there are other important things. If she was there, when did she come? Did she witness everything happening? Did she see how I killed Mistwraith?’
Questions lingered around my mind as Sylvie stirred slightly in her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering.
I watched her for a moment, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed peacefully. It was strange to see her here, in the real world, as a living, breathing person rather than a fictional character in a game. Even though I saw the other characters in the cafeteria and Ethan on the training grounds, it was the first time I was seeing a named character from this close.
Her complexion was fair, with a touch of delicacy that spoke of a sheltered upbringing. Her yellow hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, hinting at a preference for simplicity over extravagance.
However, upon closer inspection, I noticed a few stray strands out of place, revealing a disheveled look that hinted at a lack of concern for her appearance in the face of more pressing concerns. ‘It seems she didn’t even have the time to pay attention to herself.’ I thought, seeing the signs of her makeup messed up.
Her clothes were modest; they displayed subtle signs of wear, indicating a frugal lifestyle or limited means. It was the way of her casual clothing. Yet, her attire was neatly arranged, suggesting a conscientious effort to maintain a respectable appearance despite her circumstances.
Her hands, though roughened by work, bore no callouses, hinting that she was not accustomed to heavy labor but possibly had engaged in more delicate tasks. It was expected, knowing that she was a healer in the game.
‘For now, she must not have her weapon yet.’ Well, being a healer doesn’t mean she didn’t need to learn how to defend herself. Contrary, it was the opposite since the healers were the ones with light attributes, making them the target of demons. But for now, she had yet to face the consequences of not learning defense techniques.
But one question remained.
‘Why is she here?’ I asked myself. After all, I was never close to this girl, even though we were in the same class. ‘There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, but there are eyes here.’
I thought, immediately noticing the presence of other people around as well as the small lingering feeling of being watched remain.
‘It must be a skill.’ I concluded. The feeling was there but I couldn’t see any cameras or recording devices inside.
‘In any case, let’s wait until they show up first. I also need to look at my stats.’
I thought to myself as I called the status window in my head.
——————————————
?Name: Astron Natusalune
?Occupation: Weapon Master (level 1)
?Talent Limit: 6
?Passives:
– Vengeful Bane
?Attributes:
Variable Attributes:
– Strength: 1.4 –> 1.5
– Dexterity: 2.1 –> 2.1
– Agility: 1.9 –> 2.0
– Constitution: 1.4 –> 1.4
– Intuition: 2.1 –> 2.2
– Magical Power: 2.5 –> 2.6
– Mana Capacity: 1.6 –> 1.8
?Traits:
– Perceptive Insight (Unique)(Unchanging)
– Lunar Enigma (????) (Growth Type) (Stage 0)
– Shadowborne (Legendary) (Growth Type)(Stage 1)
?Arts:
– Basic Dagger Style (Common Grade) – %36
– Basic Nonarmed Combat Style (Common Grade) – %29
?Skills:
– Dash
– Keen Eye
?Body Imprints:
——————————–
As the panel appeared before me, my attention was immediately drawn to the new section shown beneath.
‘Passives section appeared.’ (N1)
Passive section….
It was a special section for special buffs that would activate when certain conditions were met. Normally it was hidden since most people would not have such special skills unless they met certain conditions.
‘Vengeful Bane.’
As I looked at the name, a description of the passive appeared.
———————
Passive: Vengeful Bane
Description: The passive that allows the User to deal more damage to demons, fueled by his desire for vengeance. With the Vengeful Bane skill, the User’s attacks become imbued with a potent energy that pierces through the defenses of demons, inflicting greater harm upon his foes. This skill acts as a manifestation of the User’s determination to seek retribution against those who have wronged him and those he cares for, turning his wrath into a powerful force to be reckoned with.
———————-
‘I see…. A passive that comes from my very being, huh?’
Considering the contents of the game, it made sense that I had such a skill. After all, Ethan and other leads would also acquire their related passives when the time comes.
However, that was not all the changes there. After all, there was another thing that caught my eye.
‘Shadowborne is here as expected.’ The reason why I risked my life, almost dying and getting killed by that primordial demon, even though I could wait for the safer route.
It was because of this new trait that I would come upon.
————————————
Trait: Shadowborne
Description: The innate trait bestowed by the Mistwraith grants the ability to harness and manipulate shadows with great proficiency. It enhances the user’s control over darkness, enabling them to bend and shape shadows to their will.
Stage 1:
Shadow Veil: The user gains the power to blend seamlessly with shadows, becoming nearly invisible in dimly lit environments. This grants them enhanced stealth and the ability to move undetected.
————————————-
It was a growth type of trait that would unlock more and more skills and specialties as time passed and mastery increased.
In the game, this trait was passed to another demon that was attacking the academy as the Mistwraith was killed. And that demon would be able to escape by using this new trait and blending into shadows. Then, he would later appear as a very formidable opponent and as the successor of one of the primordial demons.
“But no more,” I mumbled. After all, it was now in my hands.
I was very tempted to play with the shadows in my hands, but I knew I was being watched. Thus, I decided to put everything down for a second.
My stats also showed quite an increase, especially my strength stat, which was hard to increase increasing by one. ‘Pushing myself to limits.’
It was the term that was often used by the natives of this world, but essentially it was true. If one pushed themselves to limits, they would be able to get their rewards by getting stronger until they reached their talent limits.
Closing the status window, I started watching Sylvie sleeping comfortably since I had nothing to do.
/CREAK/
Until the door opened once again….
———————–A/N————————–
N1: Before, there were a bunch of question marks in the art/trait section, and I was planning to put this ‘Vengeful Bone’ into there, but later I thought it didn’t make sense, so I decided to put them in a new section called Passives. I will edit those chapters later.
Hope you liked the chapter.
You can check my discord if you want. You will be able to see the illustrations here and engage in a conversation with me if I am available.
/XJEgBRM3C