Chapter — Emergency Mode
"Booting sequence starting."
"Loading."
"Loading."
"Loading."
"Failed to initiate boot sequence."
"Booting in emergency mode."
"Performing diagnostics."
"Welcome, Euris."
Euris slowly opened his eyes.
There was no floor.
No ceiling.
No walls.
Just an endless, empty void stretching farther than he could comprehend.
He recognized it immediately.
This was the place he had first seen when the system had activated inside him.
The strange, peaceful emptiness that had once made him feel completely calm.
Except this time, something was different.
A window floated directly in front of him.
Euris stared at it.
The text was different from anything he had seen before.
[EMERGENCY SYSTEM NOTICE]
User: Euris Gear
System stability: CRITICAL
Cause: Excessive skill usage
Warning: Structural instability detected.
Euris's eyes widened.
"Structural instability?"
He looked down at himself.
His body looked normal.
No blood.
No bruises.
No broken bones.
Nothing.
Yet somehow, he knew that what he was seeing wasn't his physical body.
It was his consciousness.
A second window appeared.
User Euris Gear has overused system functions.
Severe physical damage has been detected.
Emergency Recovery Mode is recommended.
Would the user like to proceed?
Euris stared at the words.
Then his expression changed.
"Wait."
He leaned closer.
"Recovery mode?"
The word that stood out to him most was the one beneath it.
COMA
"Whoa, whoa, whoa."
He waved his hands.
"A coma?"
His voice echoed through the endless void.
"I didn't mess myself up that badly, did I?"
The system remained silent for several seconds.
Then the familiar mechanical voice responded.
"User Euris Gear's inquiry has been accepted."
A pause.
"Processing answer."
Euris waited.
He had never heard the system hesitate like this before.
That alone made his stomach twist.
Finally, the answer came.
"Yes."
Euris's expression dropped.
"...Oh."
"Damage sustained during excessive skill usage is classified as catastrophic."
Another window appeared.
"Multiple muscles, tendons, and bones have sustained fractures, strains, or other forms of severe damage."
Euris swallowed.
"That sounds...really bad."
"To recover as efficiently as possible, Emergency Recovery Mode is recommended."
Euris rubbed the back of his neck.
"How long?"
"Processing."
A loading symbol appeared.
"Approximately five days."
"Five days?"
Euris stared at the screen.
"That's it?"
"Estimated recovery time while Emergency Recovery Mode is active: approximately five days."
Euris thought for a moment.
Five days wasn't that long.
He had missed classes before.
He could probably catch up.
"What about energy?"
"Medical staff are currently administering intravenous fluids and nutritional support."
Euris blinked.
"So..."
"These resources will provide sufficient energy for Emergency Recovery Mode."
"Okay."
He looked back at the first window.
Then another question entered his mind.
"What happens if I don't activate it?"
The system didn't immediately answer.
That made Euris nervous.
Finally—
"Failure to activate Emergency Recovery Mode will result in catastrophic system failure."
Euris's eyes widened.
"...System failure?"
"The system will become incapable of functioning."
"So I'd lose it?"
"Correct."
Euris stared at the screen.
"Wow."
He sighed.
"That's not really much of a choice."
He reached forward.
His finger hovered over the button.
For the first time since receiving the system, he wasn't excited about what it could do.
He was afraid of what would happen if he pushed himself too far again.
The thought of losing the system wasn't even what bothered him most.
It was the realization that he had nearly destroyed himself trying to get stronger.
I got too confident.
He remembered the fight.
The speed.
The feeling of moving faster than he ever had before.
He remembered ignoring every warning.
I just wanted to win.
His hand tightened.
"Fine."
He pressed YES.
The moment his finger touched the button, the void began disappearing.
"E-Eh?"
His body began to fade.
The system window was the last thing remaining.
Emergency Recovery Mode Initiated.
Then everything vanished.
Recovery Mode Complete.
System Rebooting.
Boot sequence initiated.
Euris felt something.
At first, it was barely noticeable.
A faint sensation.
Then another.
He could feel his fingers.
His arms.
His legs.
His chest.
His breathing.
His consciousness slowly returned to his body like someone turning on a machine one component at a time.
His eyelids twitched.
He tried opening them.
Light immediately flooded his vision.
"Ugh..."
Euris squeezed his eyes shut.
Everything was painfully bright.
He waited a few seconds before opening them again.
A ceiling.
White lights.
Medical equipment.
A bed.
He was back.
He slowly pushed himself upright.
Every movement felt like it took twice the effort it should.
"God..."
He rubbed his face.
"I'm sore."
Actually, sore wasn't the right word.
His entire body felt heavy.
Like every muscle had forgotten how to move properly.
He looked around.
The medical room was empty.
No nurse.
No doctor.
No other students.
Just him.
Euris glanced at the military-issued watch on his wrist.
The date immediately caught his attention.
His eyes widened.
"...Five days."
The system hadn't lied.
He had really been unconscious for five days.
Euris slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
His feet touched the floor.
He stood.
His legs immediately wobbled.
"Whoa."
He grabbed the bed for support.
"Okay."
He took another step.
Then another.
Slowly, he made his way toward the exit.
He had missed five days of classes.
Five days of training.
Five days of everything.
And knowing the academy, there was probably already a mountain of work waiting for him.
Still, there was one person he wanted to see first.
Harry.
The hallway felt strangely quiet.
Euris slowly walked through it, occasionally using the wall for support.
By the time he reached his dorm room, his body was exhausted again.
He opened the door.
Harry was sitting on his bed.
The moment he looked up, his eyes widened.
"Euris?"
Euris barely had time to respond.
Harry jumped up and rushed toward him.
"Euris!"
Harry wrapped his arms around him.
A sharp jolt of pain shot through Euris's body.
"Ow!"
Harry immediately pulled away.
"Oh! Sorry!"
Euris rubbed his shoulder.
"It's okay."
Harry stared at him.
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then he smiled.
A genuine smile.
"I can't believe you're okay."
"Yeah."
"The nurse said you were hurt really badly."
Euris looked away.
"Apparently."
"I saw what happened after the fight."
Harry's expression darkened.
"It scared me."
Euris didn't know what to say to that.
Harry continued.
"You were completely unconscious. They had to carry you out."
He adjusted his glasses.
"I thought..."
He stopped himself.
Euris could tell what he had been about to say.
"It's okay, Harry."
Euris gave him a small smile.
"I'm back."
Harry nodded.
"Yeah."
He smiled again.
"You're back."
Euris walked over to his bed and sat down.
The mattress dipped underneath him.
He sighed.
It felt good to finally be back in his room.
Then—
Notification.
The familiar voice echoed inside his head.
"User Euris Gear has completed Emergency Recovery Mode."
Euris's expression immediately changed.
"Oh?"
Harry looked at him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
Euris opened the system window.
Emergency Recovery Complete.
Physical recovery: 50%
Estimated time until full recovery: 10 days
Warning: Physical strain is prohibited.
Penalty: All system skills unavailable until recovery period ends.
Euris stared.
"...What?"
He read it again.
"All skills?"
"Correct."
Euris's eye twitched.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Harry looked confused.
"Euris?"
"Nothing."
Euris dismissed the window.
He had already made enough mistakes.
There was no reason to complain about something he couldn't change.
"Fine."
He laid back down.
"I'll deal with it tomorrow."
Harry nodded.
"Probably for the best."
Euris reached for the charger and wrapped it around his hand.
The familiar warmth spread through his body.
He closed his eyes.
For the first time in five days, he felt safe.
Then he fell asleep.
A few hours later—
Euris jolted upright.
His entire body shuddered.
"It's freezing..."
He looked around.
Harry's bed was empty.
"Harry?"
No answer.
Euris rubbed his arms.
The cold was getting worse.
He looked toward the window.
His watch was completely covered in frost.
"What the...?"
He reached toward it.
The surface was frozen solid.
Euris looked toward the alarm clock sitting between the beds.
It was frozen too.
His eyes slowly moved toward the window.
A faint blue glow seeped through the glass.
Euris stood.
His breath became visible.
He walked toward the window.
The closer he got, the colder it became.
Then he looked outside.
Snow.
Everywhere.
Thick snow covered the academy grounds.
Euris froze.
"...Snow?"
He stared in disbelief.
"It's summer."
The blue glow intensified.
"What is happening?"
He turned away from the window.
The hallway was warmer.
Barely.
Euris stepped outside his room.
Something felt wrong.
The air was different.
He couldn't explain it.
The academy had always been loud.
People shouting.
Students training.
Weapons clashing.
Teachers yelling.
But now there was something else.
A strange pressure.
Euris slowly walked through the hallway.
His body still hurt, but curiosity pushed him forward.
He found himself heading toward the combat training area.
The closer he got, the colder the air became.
His footsteps slowed.
He reached the entrance.
The doors were slightly open.
A strange blue light leaked through.
Euris pushed the doors apart.
Then froze.
His heart stopped.
Standing in the center of the enormous training room was a creature.
It was massive.
Far too massive.
Its body towered over the arena.
Ice covered its scales.
Its long body curled across the floor.
Its head slowly turned.
Euris couldn't breathe.
His mind went blank.
Then something inside him snapped.
"A..."
His voice trembled.
"A wyrm?"
The creature opened its mouth.
Euris stumbled backward.
"No."
His breathing became rapid.
"No."
His hands began shaking.
Memories flooded back.
The destruction.
The fear.
The helplessness.
The things he had lost.
His eyes filled with tears.
"NO!"
The wyrm's body moved.
It charged.
Euris screamed.
"NO! NO! NO!"
The creature opened its mouth.
Blue energy gathered inside.
"AHHH!"
The blast erupted.
Euris shot upright.
He gasped desperately.
His hands flew to his chest.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
He looked around.
The dorm.
His bed.
Harry's bed.
The window.
No wyrm.
No snow.
Nothing.
"A-Are you okay?!"
Harry practically fell out of his own bed.
He scrambled upright and rushed over.
"Euris!"
Euris couldn't answer immediately.
He gripped his chest and tried to slow his breathing.
"I'm..."
He swallowed.
"I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Harry stared at him.
"What was that?"
Euris looked away.
"Just a bad dream."
Harry didn't look convinced.
But before he could question him further, he glanced at his watch.
His expression changed instantly.
"Oh my god!"
"What?"
"I'm going to be late!"
Harry rushed around the room.
Uniform.
Bag.
Shoes.
Everything was grabbed in seconds.
"I'll see you later!"
The door slammed shut.
Euris was left alone.
Silence filled the room.
He stared at the ceiling.
What was that dream?
He knew it was a dream.
He knew that.
But it had felt different.
Too real.
The cold.
The creature.
The fear.
And that blue light.
Euris slowly lowered himself back onto the mattress.
"Maybe it's the system."
He frowned.
"Maybe it's punishing me for overusing it."
The explanation sounded ridiculous.
But it was the only one he had.
"Yeah."
He nodded to himself.
"That's all it is."
He closed his eyes.
"I just need rest."
He tried.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Twenty.
His mind immediately returned to the wyrm.
"Goddamnit."
He opened his eyes.
"I can't relax."
Euris forced himself out of bed.
His body protested immediately.
He ignored it.
If he was going to be stuck without his skills for ten days, he could at least figure out what had caused the dream.
He grabbed his uniform jacket and slowly made his way out.
The library was almost completely empty.
That made things easier.
Euris limped toward one of the academy computers.
He sat down.
The machine activated.
He placed his hands on the keyboard.
His fingers hesitated.
He knew exactly what he wanted to search.
The word that had appeared in his nightmare.
The creature that had haunted his memory.
"Wyrm."
He typed it in.
Search results immediately filled the screen.
Euris's eyes moved across them.
History.
Biology.
Military records.
Incident reports.
He nearly clicked one.
Then stopped.
His hand trembled.
He didn't want to see anything related to that day.
Not yet.
He scrolled past it.
"Come on..."
More results.
He eventually found one titled:
Every Known Species of Wyrm
Euris clicked it.
The page contained dozens of entries.
Forest wyrms.
Sand wyrms.
Storm wyrms.
Volcanic wyrms.
Ocean wyrms.
Then he saw it.
His eyes widened.
Glacial Wyrm
Euris leaned closer.
The entry was short.
Very short.
He read it carefully.
"The Glacial Wyrm is considered the rarest known species of wyrm."
Euris's breathing slowed.
"Rare..."
He continued reading.
"Last confirmed sighting occurred shortly after the Great Shift."
His eyes widened.
"Since then, no confirmed sightings have been recorded."
Euris leaned back.
"So they're extinct?"
He kept reading.
"Due to the lack of reliable information, the species remains poorly understood."
That was it.
Almost nothing.
Euris frowned.
"That's all?"
He scrolled further.
Then stopped.
There was another section.
Known Associations
His eyes narrowed.
"Association with..."
He read the name.
"...Yuki Onna."
Euris stared.
"What?"
He immediately opened another search.
Yuki Onna
Only a handful of results appeared.
The first was an academy encyclopedia entry.
Euris clicked it.
A picture appeared.
It showed a pale, humanoid figure surrounded by ice.
The text beneath it read:
Yuki Onna
Classification: Elemental Beacon
Element: Ice
Euris's eyebrows rose.
"Elemental beacon?"
He read further.
"The legendary Yuki Onna was once considered nothing more than a figure of Japanese folklore."
Euris continued.
"Following the Great Shift, however, evidence of a powerful ice-aligned entity began appearing across multiple regions."
His eyes moved down the page.
"Modern magical scholars now classify Yuki Onna as a potential elemental beacon, though the exact nature of the entity remains unknown."
Euris stared at the screen.
The Glacial Wyrm.
Yuki Onna.
The Great Shift.
Something connected them.
He could feel it.
He just didn't know what.
He began searching for more.
Nothing.
He tried different spellings.
Different databases.
Different combinations of words.
Still nothing.
It was almost as if someone had intentionally removed the information.
Euris frowned.
"Why is there so little?"
He leaned closer.
His eyes were becoming heavy.
He blinked.
Then again.
"That's weird..."
He rubbed his eyes.
The room seemed to sway slightly.
He had barely slept.
His body was still recovering.
Maybe that was it.
"I'll just rest for a second."
His head lowered.
His arms folded beneath it.
The computer screen continued glowing in front of him.
The last thing Euris saw before falling unconscious was the image of the Glacial Wyrm.
Then the Yuki Onna.
Then the words beneath them.
Last confirmed sighting: shortly after the Great Shift.
Euris's eyes closed.
And the library fell silent.