The salt-sting of tears burned hotter than the smoke.
Arion of Brownhollow—no, not Arion, not really—crouched behind a splintered cart, the real Arion's memories clotting his mind like spoiled wine. Fifteen years old. Third son of Lord Karyl of Brownhollow. Sworn to House Rosby. Squire to Ser Tallad the Thin. Dead family. The last thought slammed into him anew. His mother's scream as the raider's axe fell. His little sister's doll trampled in the mud.
SYSTEM INITIALIZED.
The words flared across his vision in glacial blue light, sharp and intrusive against the chaos of the burning village. Bandits—twenty, maybe thirty—roared through Brownhollow's narrow lanes, their leathers stained with mud and blood. Steel flashed in the firelight as they cut down fleeing villagers.
This isn't a dream. This is hell.
USER: Arion of Brownhollow
LEVEL: 1
XP: 0/100
CLASS: Squire (Noble)
HEALTH: 22/25 (Smoke inhalation: -3 HP/min)
STAMINA: 15/20
STATS:
STR: 4 | DEX: 5 | CON: 5 | INT: 10 | WIS: 7 | CHA: 6
TRAITS:
Crownlands Survivor: +5% Damage vs. Outlaws.
Grief-Stricken: -10% Focus.
ACTIVE QUEST:
SURVIVE THE NIGHT (MAIN)
Objective: Escape Brownhollow alive.
Reward: 150 XP, Trait Unlock.
Failure: Death (Permanent).
A bandit stumbled past the cart, dragging a sobbing girl by her hair. Arion's hand closed around the only weapon nearby—a woodcutter's rusted axe, half-buried in mud.
*INT Check Success (10/10):*
The axe is brittle but sharp enough. Strike the femoral artery. 78% chance of lethal bleed.
He moved without thinking. Years of historical treatises on medieval combat—his old life's obsession—crystallized into instinct. He lunged, swinging low. The axe bit deep into the bandit's thigh. A fountain of arterial blood sprayed Arion's face—warm, metallic, real.
CRITICAL HIT!
XP GAINED: 25
The bandit crumpled, howling. The girl scrambled away. Arion didn't watch her go. His eyes locked onto the notification:
SKILL UNLOCKED: DIRTY FIGHTING (LVL 1)
"Honor dies in the mud."
Effects: +10% damage with improvised weapons.
"Oi! Rat in the rubble!" A bald brute with a notched greatsword spotted him. Two others flanked him, grinning.
Threat Assessment:
Name: "Hack" (Bandit Enforcer)
Level: 3
Health: 50/50
Perk: Brute Force (Ignores 20% armor)
Run. The thought screamed through him. But Brownhollow's sole escape route—the postern gate—lay behind the bandits.
QUEST UPDATE:
OPTIONAL: PROTECT THE GIRL
Objective: Ensure "Lysa" (Villager) escapes.
*Reward: +10 Karma Points.*
Lysa was limping toward the gate, twenty paces away. Hack advanced, sword raised.
*WIS Check Failed (7/10):*
No tactical advantage. Stamina low. Survival probability: 17%
"System," Arion hissed, "give me something!"
SOLUTION:
1. DISTRACTION (CHA Check: 60% Success)
2. ENVIRONMENT: Overturn burning cart (STR Check: 40% Success)
3. FLEE (DEX Check: 75% Success)
He chose chaos.
"Your mother fucked a donkey, Hack!" Arion bellowed, voice raw.
Hack froze, bewildered. CHA Success.
Arion kicked the cart's splintered wheel. Flames licked up his boot as he shoved with every ounce of his meager strength.
*STR Check: 4/10 → Roll: 3*
FAILURE
The cart shuddered but didn't budge. Hack roared, charging.
*DEX Check (Dodge): 5/10 → Roll: 9*
FAILURE
The greatsword whistled toward Arion's neck—
—And slammed into a rotting timber beam as Arion threw himself sideways. Splinters rained down. Hack snarled, wrenching his blade free.
Perception Check (INT):
The beam's base is charred. Structural integrity: 12%.
Arion scrambled backward, grabbed a smoldering branch, and jammed it into the beam's cracked heart.
*INT Check (10/10): Success*
Fire damage multiplier: x3 vs. decayed wood.
The beam groaned. Then, with a shriek of tearing wood, it collapsed—crushing Hack's left leg. Bones snapped like dry twigs.
ENEMY INCAPACITATED: "HACK"
XP GAINED: 50
Lysa vanished through the postern gate. Arion followed, gasping. Outside, the Kingswood loomed—a wall of primordial darkness. Behind him, Brownhollow burned like a funeral pyre.
QUEST COMPLETE: SURVIVE THE NIGHT
REWARD: 150 XP | TRAIT UNLOCKED: CALLOUS CALCULATION
"You traded a man's agony for your survival. Mercy is a luxury."
Effect: +5% Critical Hit Chance when exploiting environmental hazards.
LEVEL UP! (Level 2)
STAT POINT GAINED → DEX +1 (Now 6)
HEALTH: 30/30 | STAMINA: 25/25
Hoofbeats thundered down the Rosby road. Torchlight revealed crimson banners: the leprous head of House Rosby. A dozen riders, led by a gaunt knight on a skeletal horse—Ser Tallad the Thin.
"Boy?" Tallad's voice was like gravel. "Where's Lord Karyl?"
Arion met his gaze, blood drying on his cheeks. "Dead. Brownhollow is gone."
Tallad's eyes narrowed, lingering on the notched axe in Arion's grip. "You killed Hack. I saw his corpse."
*CHA Check (6/10):*
Tell truth? 40% chance of suspicion. Lie? 15% chance of detection.
"The beam killed him," Arion said flatly. "I just lit the fuse."
Ser Tallad dismounted, clasping Arion's shoulder. His grip was iron. "Rosby needs every sword. You're a squire no longer. You ride with us."
NEW QUEST: THE ROSBY REDEMPTION
Objective: Report to Lord Gyles Rosby at Rosby Keep.
Reward: 50 XP, Title: "Blooded".
As the riders turned north, Arion glanced back one last time. Amidst the ashes, something glinted—a half-melted pendant stamped with a three-headed dragon. He pocketed it.
Item Added: "Burned Sigil"
Description: Valyrian steel fragment. Origin unknown.
The System flickered:
HIDDEN QUEST TRIGGERED: DRAGON'S ASHES
Objective: Discover the origin of the sigil.
Reward: ???
Cold dread coiled in Arion's gut. This game had just begun.