Individual Name: Arya
Race: Blue Star Human
Level: Lv1
Attributes: Strength 2, Agility 1, Stamina 2, Spirit 8
(Peak value for Blue Star Humans: 10)
HP: 20 (Stamina × 10)
MP: 80 (Spirit × 10)
Talent:Light Body Technique (E)
Magic Skill:Gathering Art (E)
(Personal status can also be viewed through the tattoo linked to the Shelter.)
Arya clicked her tongue when she saw her own attributes.
"So this is what five years in a sickbed did to me…"
Only her Spirit stat even looked decent—almost at the peak of what a normal human could achieve. Everything else looked pitiful. Agility at 1? She couldn't help but laugh a little bitterly. With paralyzed legs, expecting even a normal agility score was unrealistic. The single point she had was probably awarded simply because she could still crawl if she had to.
She had originally assumed the tattoo on the back of her hand was some kind of room key, but apparently, it doubled as a convenient status screen. Curious, Arya tapped the red dot beside Talent to inspect the Light Body Technique more closely.
Light Body Technique (E):
Reduces the body's weight, granting a floating effect.
Consumes 1 MP per minute.
"Floating? Wait—does that mean I can fly?"
Her mood shifted instantly. The bitter smile vanished, replaced by a spark of excitement. Without any hesitation, she activated the talent.
Her body immediately felt lighter—similar to the teleportation sensation earlier, but this time she could still feel her form, just significantly weightless. Arya pressed her hand against the edge of the table and pushed lightly.
Her entire body floated upward at once and slammed into the ceiling almost four meters overhead. Then she bounced off with a soft thud.
"Ow— okay, that didn't hurt nearly as much as it should have," she muttered, rubbing her head. Maybe reducing her body weight also reduced impact force.
Either way, she was moving. She could truly move again.
A breathy laugh escaped her before growing into full-blown laughter.
"Hahaha! This is what flying feels like? This is amazing!"
She soared around the small room, drifting from wall to wall like an overexcited cat discovering gravity was optional. Although the talent was only E-rank—the same as the basic Gathering Art—and nothing close to the powerful B-rank, A-rank, or S-rank talents others might receive, to Arya this felt like the greatest gift imaginable.
After five years of being unable to stand, let alone walk, even the ability to float around was a miracle.
"Alright! Time to see what this world looks like."
Still exhilarated, Arya shot toward the door, opened it, and zipped outside—straight into pitch darkness. Normally she might hesitate, but excitement had hijacked her thoughts. Five years confined to a single room would do that to anyone.
The last year had been the worst. After her inheritance had been swindled away by those she trusted, she had been left in a state that couldn't be described as anything less than despair. Compared to that misery, this darkness felt almost liberating.
She drifted through the night air, reveling in her newfound mobility—until something caught her eye.
"Huh? What's that?"
A faint green glow shimmered from the forest floor below. Her stomach gave a weak, traitorous growl.
"Supplies?" she whispered hopefully.
She found a branch nearby and pushed off it, angling herself toward the green glimmer. Her speed was slow—she still hadn't mastered maneuvering—but she eventually descended like a drifting feather.
A supply chest. An actual supply chest.
Her mouth went dry. Arya immediately lunged forward and hugged the chest, the joy of finding food overwhelming her.
"Awoo—"
The low howl snapped through the darkness, making her heart leap into her throat. She whipped her head around.
Pairs of faint green eyes gleamed from the shadows.
"Oh no."
Tucking the chest under her arm, Arya pushed against the ground with her free hand and shot upward again.
"Ha! Big Sis can fly!" she shouted down triumphantly, even though fear prickled through her.
The dark figures prowled below, long and shadowy, but none could follow her into the air. Using nearby branches as stepping points, she climbed higher and higher until she spotted the faint yellow glow of her Shelter—a tree-hole dwelling carved into a huge trunk, with a thick broken branch forming a small platform outside.
She floated inside, shut the door behind her, and finally allowed herself to breathe.
She placed the chest on the ground and hurriedly opened it.
Contents:
• 550ml Wa Ku Ku Mineral Water × 1
• Sweetie Self-Heating Hot Pot × 1
• 210g Master of Masters Ham Sausage × 1
• White Dress × 1
Food. Water. Even clothing.
Arya, still wearing nothing but a hospital gown she hadn't changed in three days, exhaled in relief. The gown smelled terrible—she didn't want to think about what three unmoving days had done to it.
She lifted the white dress and admired it, but her smile disappeared when she noticed the tag attached to it: "Three for Ten Yuan."
"…Seriously?"
So not only were Blue Star humans transported here, but even the supply crates were stocked from Blue Star's bargain bins? No wonder the mineral water and self-heating pot felt familiar.
"Oh well," she sighed. "Clothes are clothes."
She set the dress aside and opened the self-heating hot pot. Pouring in a third of the mineral water, she took a small sip herself to moisten her throat. The ham sausage, she decided, she would save for breakfast.
Gurgling sounds soon came from the heating pack beneath the meal. The comforting smell of warm food began filling the room.
As the excitement faded, Arya's adrenaline drained as well. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The memory of those glowing eyes in the darkness sent a cold shiver through her.
"I was too reckless…" she murmured.
A single mistake would've cost her her life. But without that reckless burst of courage, she wouldn't have food now either.
Maybe this was what the Will of the Karim World meant by "relying on oneself to struggle and survive."
She wasn't sure. But since her mind had cleared, she remembered something else.
"Didn't it say the small screen can appraise items? Let's try."
She placed the supply chest directly on top of the glowing screen embedded into the Shelter floor.
A line of text appeared:
[Shackle Chest (E)]
Duration: 43,200 minutes
Effect: Contains a static space where stored items remain frozen in their current state.
Description:One month. After that, throw out perishable food or else bugs will appear.
Arya blinked.
"So this thing is basically a refrigerator?"
That was… incredibly useful. Even if no one opened a newly spawned chest for days, the food inside wouldn't spoil.
Feeling reassured, she shook her head with a half-laugh, brushing off the memory of almost dying. Folding her arms across her chest, she sat back to review her current situation while waiting for the hot pot to finish.
She had been sold out by the Will of Blue Star itself. Returning was impossible. But honestly… she didn't have anything there worth returning to. She had no one left to care about. Whether anyone lived or died had nothing to do with her anymore.
As long as she lived—and lived well—that was enough.
Still… if certain "kind" individuals managed to survive until she grew stronger, perhaps she could visit them someday.
Her so-called grandmother.
Her uncle's family.
Her attending physician.
Her caregiver.
People who had smiled kindly while stripping her life bare.
If she met them again, she fully intended to give them a surprise.
A very special one.