"What? What's happening? Why did I hear a voice? Maybe I'm just imagining things." Athen murmured to himself, still weary from the battle he had fought just moments before. Doubt clouded his mind, but before he could shake it off, something astonishing occurred that made him reconsider.
In front of his eyes, a transparent window materialized, shimmering softly in the dim light of the forest. A system—what could it mean?
"What am I seeing? Did I hit my head too hard?" He squinted, trying to grasp what was happening. But the window remained suspended before him, filled with strange, unfamiliar text:
System Name: Zephyria
Name: Athen
Origin: Earth 1345
Species: Human
Forbidden Name: // Still Unknown
Description: Ridiculously weak boy with no special abilities and no experience.
Kills: // 0
Monster Kills: // 1
Achievements: // 0
Power: // 0
Athen blinked, his confusion deepening. What did all of this mean? This was the first time anything like this had ever happened to him.
"Eh? It says Athen—could it be like a video game? Are these my stats?" He continued to wrestle with questions that spun in his mind.
"And I'm insulted here too. What does 'ridiculously weak boy' even mean?" As he scrolled down within his thoughts, he noticed the conflicting terms: kills and monster kills.
But amidst all that confusion, one thing sparked an overwhelming curiosity within him: the word "Power." The idea that there could be a form of magic in this world both fascinated and terrified him, opening the door to endless possibilities he had never dared to imagine.
"Power? Does this mean there's magic in this world?" he wondered, excitement mingling with uncertainty. "But how do I use it?" The questions flooded his mind as his heart raced.
"Zephyria!" he shouted, the name echoing in the hollow of the trees, and in an instant, the system vanished from his view.
Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, and Athen knew he could no longer afford to ponder his fate. Seeking shelter, he slipped behind a large tree, its thick trunk providing a cocoon-like safety amidst the clutching underbrush. He curled up, closing his eyes, drifting into a deep slumber while waiting to see what awaited him with the dawn.