It had been two days since the boy had blindly wandered into the forest and ignoring the system's nagging on increasing stats—all for the so-called Virelume Fruit.
From the high canopy, a small figure—no older than seven—could be seen dragging himself forward.
He was still on his feet, barely. Every step seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. His brown hair swayed limply with each sluggish movement, and some strands sticking to his sweat-slick face.
His breaths were shallow. Ragged. Each one harder to take than the last.
The reason?
Hunger gnawed at his belly like a beast, and thirst left his throat raw.
He wasn't wounded, but his body felt like a brittle shell—malnourished and fraying. A life of neglect, starvation, and cold solitude had carved deep scars beneath his skin.
The only silver lining…
[+10 Stamina]
— Endurance yields stamina. You have withstood starvation. Warning: prolonged deprivation may result in malnourishment.
— Total Stamina increased: 80 → 90
[Stamina: 40 / 90]
~Hours quickly passed by before the system spoke up.
[How long do you intend to keep this up?]
'...'
[Still giving me the silent treatment, huh?]
'...'
[Fine. Have it your way. Just so you know, the skill Celestial Eye is now available in the Skill Tab for 2,000 Pulse Points.]
'...'
[It could be useful… especially in your current situation.]
No reply.
The sun dipped behind the dense curtain of leaves, plunging the forest into a humid dusk.
His throat now burned.
And every movement became a colossal effort.
Even the time orb embedded in his chest pulsed with need—hungry, always hungry. He could feel it feeding on him, leeching his life force.
Then, his gaze caught something shimmering faintly in the distance.
A puddle.
And dragged his starved body towards it.
He then collapsed to his knees before it.
The water was stagnant and murky. A bloated insect floated on the surface—dead… or twitching. He couldn't tell.
Still…
He hesitated. Then remembered something from a half-remembered book he'd read once.
Boiling water.
Filtering with cloth.
Some basic scout-survival stuff.
Except he had no fire. No tools. Just his tattered cloak and dirt.
So he improvised: dug a pit with his bare hands, lined it with layers of leaves, and filtered the puddle through his cloak.
It took ages.
And his hands were trembling by the time he cupped the bitter water to his lips.
It tasted like moldy roots and despair. But he drank it anyway.
And didn't vomit.
Then a familiar chime rang...
[+1 Vitality]
— You have consumed contaminated water without suffering a negative effect.
[Vitality: 7 → 8][HP: 140 → 160]
He exhaled, slumping against a tree.
That day, when he had read the book about this world he was born in, he was excited about the thought of someday exploring its magical lands.
Now?
The flames of that excitement had dulled to ash.
Especially due to the orb within him.—his so-called inheritance—but was like a curse in disguise.
A constant threat, draining him in silence.
And strength?
He had thought it would come easier and flashier.
But now, he faced a cruel truth: he either sacrificed his precious pulse points… or build his stats through overexertion, inch by inch.
As for his parents, he didn't worry much about them. Since he sees them as strong individuals capable of protecting themselves.
Even if he isn't sure, he hopes that they are doing alright wherever they are...
'Hey, system… how do I find this damn fruit? I'm sick of wandering in circles. And I swear, I'll go insane if I stay out here any longer.'
[When it comes to missions related to resource gathering, the target is usually located within a certain radius. The Time Orb typically detects a unique mana signature before generating a quest.]
'Huh?! Then why didn't you tell me this earlier?'
[Because it's a hypothesis from an early user. I cannot disclose theories unless prompted directly by you. Also, this theory holds a 90% accuracy rating.]
'That's... actually useful. But how am I supposed to know which direction to go?'
[Follow your heart.]
'Seriously?'
[The orb is fused with it, technically.]
'Let me guess—another theory?'
[Yes with an accuracy rating: 50%.]
He sighed loudly.
'This is going to take forever,' he thought, collapsing onto the forest floor.
'How I'm I supposed to follow my heart?'
[...]
Leaves rustled faintly above as he stared at the dimming sky.
He blink once.
Then twice.
By the third, his eyes refused to open.
Sleep took him.
Later that night, as the cold bit through his thin cloak. He stirred as a loud chime echoed in his mind.
A blood-red warning flashed before his eyes:
[WARNING]
[Feralkin Beast Detected]
"Huh? When did I fall asleep?" he mumbled, sitting up, alarmed.
[Host, I suggest you RUN.]
'Yeah, but which direction?!'
He scanned his surroundings—too quiet. The kind of quietness that screamed danger.
[To the left. If you want to live past the night.]
'Alright!'
He braced himself to bolt when a chilling thought crept in.
What if the system was lying?