Episode 2: The First Steps
The blue glow of the System dimmed, shrinking to a small icon at the edge of my vision as Borin moved about the room. The hovel felt smaller with another presence inside it—too close, too real. He set down a chipped wooden bowl that steamed faintly, the smell of thin porridge mixing with smoke and damp straw.
"Don't move too much," he muttered, thick fingers adjusting the blanket around my shoulders. "Ague takes strength even after it lets go."
I nodded, careful, playing the role the memories provided. Inside, my mind was racing.
Recovery quest. Full health to unlock mana. So mana exists here… and it's locked behind physical survival. Classic tutorial gate.
I glanced at the bowl.
"Eat," Borin said gruffly. "If you can keep it down."
I lifted the spoon. My arm trembled, muscles weak and untrained. The System flickered.
[Action Detected: Consume Food]
[Minor Health Recovery Initiated]
I froze for half a heartbeat.
So it reacts to actions, not commands.
I ate slowly. The porridge was bland, almost tasteless, but warmth spread through my chest. The ache in my limbs dulled, just a little.
Health: 43/100 → 46/100
Numbers. Beautiful, reassuring numbers.
Borin watched me from the hearth, pretending not to stare. "You were talking nonsense in your sleep," he said after a moment. "Names I've never heard. Sounded foreign."
My pulse jumped.
"Dreams," I said quickly, then softened it, letting the boy's memories guide my tone. "Bad ones."
He grunted, accepting that. In a world where people believed sickness came from bad air and angry spirits, dreams explaining strange words was more than enough.
When he left—boots heavy, door creaking shut behind him—I exhaled deeply.
"Okay," I whispered. "Let's test boundaries."
I focused inward, not on the bright [Status] tab, but on myself. On moving.
I slid my legs over the edge of the bed. Pain flared, sharp and immediate.
[Warning: Low Stamina]
My feet touched dirt. Cold bit into my skin. I stood—barely—using the bed for support.
The room swayed.
Don't pass out. Not now.
I took one step.
Then another.
[New Skill Acquired]
[Skill: Basic Movement (Lv. 1)]
Walking, standing, and balance under physical strain. Efficiency increased by 2%.
I laughed—quietly this time, breathless but triumphant.
"It really is a game," I murmured. "A ruthless one."
I sat back down hard, heart pounding. My stamina was nearly gone.
Stamina: 23/100 → 7/100
A mistake. Lesson learned.
This isn't power fantasy mode. This is survival.
The memory-Elric stirred again—images of frostbitten winters, empty granaries, children buried before they reached adulthood. This body had already died once. The System didn't change the world. It just gave me a way to understand it… and maybe, eventually, bend it.
I opened the [Skills] tab for the first time.
Skills:
Basic Movement (Lv. 1)
Farmhand Labor (Lv. 2) (Passive)
Animal Handling (Lv. 1) (Passive)
So the boy had skills already. Real ones. Useful ones.
Good. I won't starve immediately.
My gaze drifted to [Inventory].
Empty.
No starter pack. No beginner sword. No miracle pills.
I snorted softly. "Of course."
A sudden dizziness washed over me, the edges of my vision darkening.
[Critical Fatigue Warning]
[Suggested Action: Rest]
I obeyed without argument, lying back down as the room steadied. Outside, village sounds drifted in—wood splitting, distant voices, a dog barking. Life went on, indifferent to rebirths and systems.
As I rested, something new appeared.
[Hidden Condition Analyzed: Dual Consciousness]
[Effect Update:]
Cognitive Acceleration (Passive): Learning speed increased when applying prior-world logic to current-world problems.
My lips curved into a slow, thoughtful smile.
"So that's my real cheat," I whispered. "Not power. Perspective."
I wasn't stronger than anyone else here. I wasn't magically gifted—yet. But I knew things. Crop rotation. Germ theory, even if I couldn't explain it yet. Leverage. Organization. Long-term planning in a world that barely survived winter to winter.
A medieval world didn't need a hero with a flaming sword.
It needed someone who understood systems—plural.
The door creaked open again, light spilling in.
"Sleep," Borin said. "We'll see if you can stand tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
I closed my eyes, exhaustion dragging me down, but my mind burned bright.
Tomorrow I will work hard. Then mana unlocks. Then… we see what this world really allows.
[Quest Progress: Recovery – 18% Complete]
As sleep claimed me, one thought echoed, steady and certain.
This time, I won't just survive.
I'll change the rules.
Episode 2: End.