Firelight and Fractures
The shack looked like it had been assembled by desperation.
Half the roof sagged under the weight of wet leaves and moss. The door was a slab of bark propped against the frame. But inside—there was warmth.
A fire crackled in a sunken pit. The scent of dried meat, wet wool, and burning herbs filled the cramped space. Riven sat cross-legged on a threadbare rug, tending a dented kettle over the flames.
Ash sat across from him, a thin blanket over his shoulders, steam curling off his rain-soaked clothes. The adrenaline had worn off. Now came the pain—dull aches in his back, shoulders, wrists.
> [System Status: STABILIZED]
Minor fractures: Self-repair in progress
Recommended: Rest, protein intake, low movement
Auto-leech cooldown: 2 hours.
He winced and muttered, "You could've warned me that borrowing monster stats hurts like hell."
> System Response: Noted. Rephrasing future warnings for emotional clarity.
"Good."
Riven raised an eyebrow. "Talking to yourself?"
Ash glanced up. "Therapy."
The boy snorted. "Could've fooled me. Most people who talk to themselves don't punch a Fangbeast in the face with a stick."
He poured two chipped mugs of something dark and bitter-smelling. "Drink. It'll help."
Ash took a sip. Nearly gagged. "This tastes like burnt bark and sadness."
"Exactly," Riven said. "That's how you know it works."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Outside, the forest hissed with rain again. The fire popped. One of the roof planks creaked under the wind.
Then, quietly:
"You really don't remember anything?"
Ash stared into his mug. "Storm. Tower. Lightning. Then I woke up here."
He didn't lie. Not completely.
Riven didn't press. He just nodded and pulled a ragged map from a pouch near the wall. "You're in the northern tip of Grimore. No-man's land between the Talmar Kingdom and the Wastes. Adventurers come here for coin or suicide. Sometimes both."
Ash leaned forward. "And you? What's an eight-year-old doing in suicide territory?"
The boy's expression didn't change. But his voice got quieter.
"Monsters killed my folks two winters ago. Guild orphaned me. Said I had talent. Gave me a sword and a letter rank. Sent me out to earn my keep."
Ash frowned. "You're a D-rank."
"D+ now," Riven corrected with a smirk. "And I'm still alive. That makes me better than most."
Ash looked at him—really looked.
This kid had seen more war than most soldiers. And he still kept moving.
Respect.
"Thanks," Ash said. "For dragging me off the roof."
Riven shrugged. "You bounced off it, technically."
Ash laughed for the first time since arriving. It hurt.
The fire crackled louder. The wind outside shifted. And for a moment, the world was still.
Then—
> [System Alert: New Quest Unlocked]
Quest: Survive and Adapt
Objective: Learn the world. Build power. Discover system origin.
Bonus Goal: Protect Riven.
Reward: ???
Failure Consequence: Death (yours and/or others)
Ash stared at the glowing blue text.
"…Well," he muttered. "That's comforting."
Riven was already curling into a blanket near the fire, sword close at hand. "Rest up. Tomorrow we head to the village. There's a bounty board. You need coin, clothes… maybe armor that isn't just luck and sarcasm."
Ash nodded. He watched the boy's breathing slow into sleep.
Then he looked out the broken window at the storm beyond.
He didn't know what he was. Or why the system chose him.
But one thing was clear:
This world didn't need a hero.
It needed a survivor.
And Ash was damn good at pretending to be one.
---
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[AWI SYSTEM INTERFACE – V1.0.3]
USER ID: Ash
LEVEL: 1
CLASS: — (Unassigned)
RACE: Human [Anomaly Tag: Dimensional Drift]
TITLE: [The Fallen] (Temporary)
LOCATION: Grimore – Outskirts
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[STATS OVERVIEW]
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[PASSIVE SKILLS]
[STAT LEECH] – Rank: S (System-Bound)
> Absorbs 50% of target's Strength, Agility, and Stamina during combat.
Warning: No limiter in place. Overload risk increases with stronger enemies.
Cooldown: 2 hours (Current Setting)
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[SYSTEM FEATURES]
[AWI Interface] – Adaptive HUD for real-time readouts
[Enemy Scan v1.1] – Detects threat level, weakness points, and aggression rating
[Emergency Boost Protocol] – LOCKED
> Auto-triggers under fatal conditions. Unknown potential.
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[QUEST LOG]
[MAIN QUEST] – SURVIVE AND ADAPT
> Objective 1: Identify world rules and power structure
Objective 2: Unlock combat class
Objective 3: Trace origin of system link
Bonus Objective: Keep Riven Alive
REWARD: Unknown
FAILURE: Death (or worse)
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