[Level Up!]
[4 > 6]
[Ding!]
[You killed 2 Lygrons!]
[Reward: 200 Mystery Points and 700 Exp.]
[Ding!]
[New ability acquired!]
[Light Devourer (Lv1)!]
[Ding!]
[New ability acquired!]
[Dark Lightning (Lv1)!]
[Ding! Ability Level Up!]
[Cursed Spirit (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Air Magic (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Wind Magic (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Ding!]
[You killed 2 Lygrons!]
[Reward: 200 Mystery Points and 700 Exp.]
[Ding!]
[New ability acquired!]
[Light Devourer (Lv1)!]
[Ding!]
[New ability acquired!]
[Dark Lightning (Lv1)!]
[Ding! Ability Level Up!]
[Cursed Spirit (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Air Magic (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Wind Magic (Lv1) > (Lv3)!]
[Name: Silas *****]
[Level: 6]
[Race: (Locked)]
[Bloodline: (Locked)]
[Experience: 5]
[Stage: 1/12 - 0/12]
[Path: (Locked)]
[Essence (Essensia): 70]
[Strength: 70]
[Magic Power: 70]
[Curse Power: 1800]
[Endurance: 70]
[Agility: 70]
[Intelligence: ∞]
[Core Stage: 1. Basic Form]
[Core Load: 54%]
[Unique Abilities:]
[Curse Summoning (Lv 1)] [Incomprehensibility (Lv 1)] [Telepathy Awareness (Lv 1)] [Essensia Cosmic Form (Locked)] [Black Smoke (Lv 1)] [White Smoke (Lv 1)] [Wind Magic (Lv 3)] [Air Magic (Lv 3)] [Cursed Spirit (Lv3)] [Light Devourer (Lv1)] [Dark Lightning (Lv1)]
[Shop: (Locked)]
[Mystery Points: 300]
[Ritual Points: 0]
[Stat Points: 60]
Lorian's knees trembled, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his muscles burning from tension. The intense battle with the Lygrons and the hot breath of death still lingered on his skin. When he delivered the final blow, he was out of breath. Most importantly, this victory had not been an easy one. Lorian collapsed to the ground, gripping the soil with one hand.
"Damn..." he muttered, breathing heavily. "Did you think it was that easy? No! It definitely wasn't easy! I almost died, dammit..."
The System's voice echoed in his mind, but Lorian had grown accustomed to it by now. Every "Ding!" signaled that he had grown stronger. But this power always demanded a price. His vision darkened for a brief moment before he took a deep breath and stood up. He shook the blood off himself—his wounds were already healing, but the exhaustion within refused to leave.
"Now," he said to himself. "Let's check the area the System showed me. And the new abilities… I'll examine them later."
He closed his eyes and focused inward. Suddenly, everything around him darkened before an image emerged—a small stream winding through lush green forests. As the misty vision cleared, a path formed in his mind. He opened his eyes and sprinted in the determined direction.
The dense scent of the forest filled his nose as he ran. The birds had fallen silent, and an eerie stillness dominated. This was nature sensing danger. Lorian took a deep breath and quickened his pace. Soon, the sound of running water reached his ears. Finally, he arrived at the stream. He exhaled deeply and smirked slightly.
"Finally..."
But then he hesitated. "Hey, System," he muttered under his breath. "Is this stream's water drinkable?"
[I currently lack information, Master. May I request you dip a finger into the stream for analysis?]
He frowned but complied, carefully dipping his hand into the water. It was cool… but something felt off. Within seconds, the System's voice returned.
[Master, the water is poisoned. It seems some creatures fought here recently, and one of them was a venomous entity.]
"Can the poison be purified? Or..."
[No. The poison cannot be purified. Master, the toxin will spread throughout the entire stream. Any living being that drinks from it will perish.]
[However, this limitation only applies to your current state.]
Lorian furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
[Master, you exhausted all your Essensia energy during the battle. Currently, purifying the stream is impossible. Please rest and focus on recovering your Essensia. Once you've regained enough energy, summon the Cursed Spirit and command it to purify the stream.]
"That's it?"
[Yes.]
"Alright then! Let's do this!" he said, quickly dropping to the ground. He sat in a lotus position and closed his eyes, focusing on the energy around him. The forest was silent, but a dense aura lingered in the air. Essensia energy began vibrating around him.
[Ding!]
[New Quest: Purify the stream from the low-stage Serpent Drake's venom!]
[Difficulty: Easy]
[Reward: New ability]
[Failure: Death of the village inhabitants]
Lorian's eyes widened. "Huh? Village inhabitants? There's a village around here?"
[Yes, Master.]
"How long until the poison reaches the village?"
[Approximately ten minutes, Master.]
Lorian nodded. He took a deep breath and began absorbing Essensia into his body. Energy flowed through his veins, but something unexpected happened. A sudden pain erupted in his arms and chest.
"Agh!"
His breath hitched, his body trembled. He clutched his chest.
[Warning! Essensia limit exceeded!]
Lorian's body convulsed as overwhelming energy surged through him. Essensia clashed within him, overflowing uncontrollably. Blood trickled from his mouth. His head spun. With great effort, he raised his hand—a silhouette appeared before him. A spirit wreathed in black and purple flames. The Cursed Spirit!
Lorian didn't speak. He simply pointed at the stream. The spirit nodded as if understanding and plunged into the water. The moment it touched the stream, a dark mist spread. The water's color changed. The sky seemed to darken.
[Ding!]
[New ability acquired!]
[Dark Mist (Lv1)!]
Soon, the spirit returned, hovering before Lorian. A peaceful silence settled.
[Ding!]
[Quest successfully completed!]
[New abilities acquired: Dark Mist (Lv1), Poisonous Mist (Lv1), Purification (Lv1)]
Just as he was about to take a deep breath, the forest's silence was shattered by human screams.
Lorian flinched. "System… don't tell me—"
[Yes, those screams are coming from the village, Master.]
He narrowed his eyes. The fear-laden cries echoing through the night didn't move him… at least, not at first.
"Whatever..." he said, shrugging. "I don't care. I'm not some kind of saint."
[...]
The System fell silent. But something held Lorian back. The silence became an unbearable pressure. His past seized him, forcing him to act.
"Are there children in the village?"
[Yes—]
Before the System could finish, Lorian suddenly lunged forward. Every step he took left cracks in the ground. He followed the screams through the dark forest, his eyes glowing. Soon, he emerged into a clearing. The village lay before him.
But the village was now in ruins.
Flames rose into the sky, black smoke swallowing the heavens. Huts were destroyed, roads littered with corpses. Lorian took a few steps before freezing. His heart pounded. The sound of a child crying reached his ears. At that moment, he heard nothing else—not the System, not anything.
There was only one decision: "Save them or forget."
Lorian closed his eyes. When he opened them again, something burned within. Despite his insufficient strength, a spark remained.
And that spark could save a child tonight.