The sun dipped below the horizon. It painted the sky in shades of bruised purple and deep orange. In the small clearing, the only sound that echoed was the heavy breathing of a young man. Elias Northwood stood with his wooden sword lowered. His tunic was soaked with sweat. His muscles screamed in protest. This eighteen-year-old body was far cry from the hardened soldier he had once been.
He had swung the sword two hundred times and also ran until his lungs burned. Finally, he sat in silence for a full hour to clear his mind.
Ding!
The sound was like a cool breeze in his mind.
[Daily Quest Completed]
[Rewards: 10 System Points earned]
Elias wiped the sweat from his brow. "Ten points" he whispered.
He wanted to know what these points were for. He had experienced such a thing in his previous life but before he could even ask the question, a new message flickered into existence.
[System Points detected.
Condition met: Unlocking Shop Function.]
Elias jumped. The sudden chime in the quiet woods made his heart race. He looked around to make sure no one was watching fortunately he was alone. He turned his attention back to the blue light. The word "Shop" was now glowing with a soft gold light.
He focused his mind and clicked it.
A massive list of items erupted in front of his eyes. Elias was speechless. He had never seen anything like this. It was like a treasure vault of the gods. There were crimson potions that promised to heal any wound. There were suits of armor made up of strange black metal. He saw swords that looked like they were forged from captured lightning. There were items he could not even name.
"Is this real?" Elias asked himself.
He looked at a sword named "The Sun-Breaker." His eyes widened when he saw the price. It cost fifty thousand System Points. He looked at a simple healing potion and It cost five hundred.
Elias felt his excitement vanish. He looked at his current balance of ten points. He felt like a beggar looking through a jeweler's window. He was a long way from owning a lightning sword.
He began to scroll through the list. He ignored the glowing weapons and the legendary armors. He looked for the cheapest items. Finally, his eyes landed on a tattered book with old engravings.
[Item: Nature's Breath Meditation Technique]
[Description: A foundational technique to align the body with the flow of natural energy. Increases stamina recovery and calms the mind.]
[Price: 100 System Points]
Elias paused. A meditation technique. In his previous life, he knew that high-level knights used special breathing methods to grow stronger. He was never allowed to learn one. Common soldiers were only taught how to swing a blade and die.
One hundred points was a lot, but it was not impossible. If he worked hard for ten days, he could afford it. He felt a strange pull toward the book. It looked old and worn, but the engravings seemed to pulse with a hidden life.
"I need this," Elias decided. The Warrior's Trial was in two weeks. This was his best chance.
He closed the shop window. The darkness was thickening. He picked up his wooden sword and began the walk back to Bluefish Village. His mind was filled with plans. He needed to be faster moreover he needed to be smarter.
"Wait."
A sharp, arrogant voice cut through the silence. Elias stopped. He turned around and saw a boy standing near a large tree. The boy had silver-blonde hair and wore fine clothes.
It was Arlo.
Elias remembered him well. Arlo was the son of a wealthy landowner from a nearby city, and he frequently lingered in the village. He was talented and very proud. In their previous life, Arlo had passed the Warrior's Trial with ease. He had left for the capital and Elias never heard of him again. Moreover, in the past Elias was always afraid of him.
"What do you want, Arlo?" Elias asked. His voice was flat.
Arlo blinked. He seemed surprised. The Elias he knew usually looked at the dirt when they spoke. He did not expect the coward to speak back so clearly.
He has changed, Arlo thought. His eyes are different.
"Oh?" Arlo let out a short, sarcastic laugh. He stepped into the moonlight. "You have grown a spine, Elias. Or maybe the sun fried your brain."
Elias did not move. He just watched Arlo's hands.
"I heard you were out here playing soldier with a toy," Arlo continued. He drew his own wooden training blade. It was made of polished oak. It was much better than the one Elias held. "I wanted to see if you can actually stand like a man."
Suddenly Arlo moved. He was fast. He lunged forward and swung his wooden blade toward Elias's neck.
It was a strike meant to scare him. But Elias had the instincts of a veteran. He did not think. He just reacted. He shifted his weight and tilted his head.
The wooden blade passed through the empty air.
He is fast, Elias thought. My body is too slow.
Arlo pulled back. His eyes were wide with shock. "You dodged that?"
A slow smirk grew on Arlo's face. "Maybe you aren't a total waste of time. Let's see how you handle a real move."
Arlo adjusted his stance. He lowered his body. A cold aura seemed to gather around his wooden sword. Elias recognized it immediately. It was the Night Fang Sword Technique. This was not something you could learn from watching others. It was a secret art that could only be taught by a Real Knight. Arlo's family must have paid a fortune to have a knight tutor their son.
Arlo began to move, but then he suddenly stopped. He lowered his sword and sighed.
"No," Arlo said. He sheathed his wooden blade. "I will save it for the Trial. There is no point in showing my best moves to a commoner in the dirt. I will enjoy breaking you in front of the whole village instead."
Arlo turned and walked away. "Don't be late for the Trial, Elias. I need a warm-up match."
Elias stood in the silence. He was shaking from exhaustion. If Arlo had finished that technique, Elias knew his weak body could not have stopped it.
"I am still too weak," Elias whispered. A sense of urgency hit him. "I have no time to rest."
He hurried back to the village. As he reached his home, he saw two figures standing by the gate. A lantern flickered in the dark. It was his mother and father.
"Mother? Father?" Elias asked. "Why are you outside?"
His mother rushed forward. She grabbed his arms. Her face was tight with worry. "Elias! Where have you been? We were so worried. You never stay out this late."
His father stood behind her. He held the lantern tightly.
Elias looked at their worried faces. He felt a sharp pang of guilt. He had forgotten that they did not know about the war. To them, he was just a son who was acting strange.
"I am sorry," Elias said. He took his mother's hand. "I was training. I did not realize how late it was."
"Don't scare us like that, son," his father said. His voice was soft. "The woods are not safe at night."
Elias looked at them. He saw the warmth in their eyes. This was why he was fighting. He wanted to keep this peace alive.
"I promise I will be more careful," Elias said. He gave his mother a warm hug. "I won't let anything happen to me. I will be the one to protect this family."
His mother sighed and leaned into him. "Just come inside. The soup is still warm."
As Elias walked into the house, he looked up at the stars. He had ten days to get those points. He had two weeks to become a warrior. He would not fail.