Zashirmiq opened his eyes to the soft glow of dawn. For the first time in days, calm energy pulsed through him like a steady stream.
He sat up slowly, stretched his arms, and stepped into the small kitchen. The house was quiet, except for the distant caws of bird-beasts beyond the outer walls. From storage, he pulled out flame-root tubers and a small jar of Windblossom seeds, then began preparing breakfast.
Soon, the scent of earthy sweetness filled the air. He stirred the bubbling porridge with care and topped it with crushed Windblossom seeds. A warm bowl of flame-root porridge was ready.
He glanced at the side cupboard and opened it. His father's sword rested inside. The sheath was scuffed and worn, but the handle still gleamed with quiet pride. He strapped it to his back, the weight settling into place like an old memory.
Once breakfast was ready, he carried the tray next door to Amina's home. Like most in the city, her house was modest.
He knocked gently, then pushed the door open slightly.
"Amina, it's me," he called.
She was still in bed, resting.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Much better," she said. "A couple more days and I should be fine."
"It's still early. You should be resting," she added, watching him with tired eyes.
Zashirmiq held up the tray. "Brought you something to eat. Don't worry about food. Just focus on recovering."
They ate in quiet comfort. The porridge was warm and slightly sweet from the Windblossom seeds. After she lay back down, Zashirmiq activated his Insight skill. A translucent interface shimmered in front of his eyes.
Status
Amina
Nexium: Primal
Level: 16
Energy Domains: Fire, Lightning
Specialized Domains: None
Skills: Fireball, Flame Dash, Ember Shield, Electro Field, Chain Spark
He blinked the screen away just as she turned toward him.
"I've got something for you," she said, reaching into a small satchel beside the bed.
She pulled out a greenish-blue fruit, shaped like a teardrop and faintly pulsing with a breeze-like glow.
"Windborne Zephyr Fruit," she said. "I saw it near the ridge two days ago. Went back yesterday to collect it."
Zashirmiq frowned. "You went out alone yesterday?"
She nodded. "You know how rare and expensive this is. I didn't want anyone else to find it or split the loot. We needed it."
She paused. "It can help someone unlock Wind energy, maybe even push their Nexium to the next level."
He narrowed his eyes. "And the mutated beast?"
"It caught me off guard," she admitted. "I had just cleared out the Hollowed Humans when it attacked. After that, everything went dark. I lost consciousness. You'd know better than me what happened next."
Zashirmiq didn't reply right away.
"We could sell it," she continued. "That should be enough to buy you a Revitalizing Potion and still stock up on equipment and supplies."
Her eyes drifted toward the sword on his back.
"Though... looking at that sword, it seems you already got the potion. And your Nexium is fixed. Did your system activate?"
He followed her gaze and gave a faint smile. "Yeah. Something like that."
"Then you don't need to sell this," she said, holding the fruit out to him. "Use it. Change your Nexium to something better."
He shook his head. "It's not useful for me."
"It's extremely valuable."
"I know. But believe me, I don't need it. It's better if you keep it."
"But I got it for you."
"I know. And I appreciate it. That's why I'm asking you to trust me. You should take it."
She studied his expression, then slowly lowered her hand. "Fine. I'll hold onto it for now. But I'm keeping it safe in case you change your mind."
He nodded. "Fair."
As he stood to leave, she walked with him to the door.
"Wait until I recover," she said. "Then I'll help you level up."
"I'll practice on my own first. Get a feel for this Nexium system. Don't worry, I won't take any risks."
"Okay. But promise me you won't do anything reckless... like what I did for that fruit."
He paused, then looked at her seriously. "We're a team now. So yes, I promise."
She smiled, warm and a little tired. "Sure. I promise too."
As Zashirmiq stepped outside, a familiar voice called out.
"Zash!"
He turned to see Fathima approaching with a small basket. Her twin braids bounced with each step.
"Coming to see Amina?"
"Yeah. Her injury was serious. Thanks to you, she survived. Thought I'd check in. Oh—" She eyed the sword. "Did you manage to get your Nexium fixed?"
"But... you spent everything on Amina's recovery," she added softly, almost murmuring.
"Good to see it fixed though. Want to go out with my team today? Might help you get a feel for battle," she said quickly, barely pausing for breath.
"Thanks, but I plan to go out alone. Just to test the waters. Nothing serious. I'll start hunting properly once Amina recovers and we head out together."
"Okay. Stay safe. You two are always welcome to join my team."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said with a chuckle and continued on.
Minutes later, the southern wall gate came into view. Sara, the gate guard, stood watch with her halberd resting across her shoulders.
"Morning," she called as he approached.
"Morning."
Her eyes landed on the sword. "Oh, congrats on activating your Nexium. Heading out for battle? You shouldn't go alone. Join a team."
He shrugged. "Just stretching my legs and checking things out."
"Okay. Stay near the perimeter. Don't go too deep."
"Got it."
She waved him through. "Come back in one piece."
The outer zone was quiet. Ruins, cracked roads, and wild growth reclaimed what civilization had lost. Zashirmiq stepped carefully, eyes scanning the debris.
Once he was in an empty area, he decided to test his skills.
He activated Storage. A strange feeling connected him to a hidden space only he could access. With a thought, his sword vanished from his back and appeared inside the storage. Another thought brought it back. After a few tests, he decided to store only important items here and use his ring for everyday storage. No one he knew had awakened a Space Energy Domain. This could be used to hide valuables from others.
Next, he tested Teleport. He focused on a spot ten meters away. In a blink, he vanished and appeared there. He repeated the process multiple times and confirmed a few things. The maximum range was fifty meters. He could bypass walls and structures, but needed to think precisely about the destination. There was also a cooldown. After each use, he had to wait five seconds before using it again.
With testing done, he removed the sword from his back and headed deeper, looking for a lone Hollowed Human to fight.
Within twenty minutes, he spotted one shambling near a collapsed shack.
He didn't hesitate and activated Insight.
Hollowed Human Status
Level: 10
Energy Type: Primal
Too high for a first battle. He moved on and soon found another.
Hollowed Human Status
Level: 2
Energy Type: Primal
Sword drawn, he moved in quickly. The Hollowed shrieked and lunged.
Zashirmiq vanished and reappeared behind it. With one swift strike, he severed its head.
[Enemy Defeated]
Energy Absorbed
Nexium Coins Obtained: 20
A faint pulse passed through his body.
Over the next few hours, he hunted more scattered Level 1 and 2 Hollowed. His confidence grew. By late afternoon, after another kill, a new notification appeared.
[Enemy Defeated]
Energy Absorbed
Nexium Coins Obtained: 20
Primal Energy Level Up: 1 → 2
Satisfied, he decided to head back as the sun dipped low.
He knocked and called out as he entered.
Amina was still resting. Fathima sat beside her.
"So? How was your first day and battle?" she asked.
"It was good. I kept my promise and took no risks. Still managed to reach Level 2."
"Oh, that's fast. Your Nexium must be an advanced version. It took me three days to hit Level 2."
"Well, we were just waiting for you. I brought dinner. Let's eat together."
The three of them sat together, sharing food and laughter. For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Later that night, back alone in his room, Zashirmiq asked the system.
"System. Why did only my Primal level increase?"
"Everyone possesses all energy types. However, as you've noticed when checking the status of Hollowed Humans, each has a dominant energy type. Energy absorption is highest from the dominant type. Other types are absorbed in small amounts. To level up the other energy lines faster, you must defeat enemies whose dominant energy matches those types. Otherwise, the process will be slow."
"Okay. Understood. Thanks for the explanation."