Under the cold light of a full moon, he ran.
His feet slapped against the damp ground, uneven and soft with moss and rot. The landscape stretched on like a cursed dream—graves, broken stones, crooked fences, and the scent of dirt and decay. It should've been pitch black, but the moonlight filtered through the swaying trees just enough to see.
"Damn," he muttered, gasping for breath. "How big is this graveyard or... whatever this place is?"
His legs wobbled, lungs burning, body aching.
"And this half-dead body… I'm getting tired just from running a few seconds," he grumbled, stumbling to a stop. Exhausted, he sank down onto a flat stone—maybe a headstone, maybe just a slab—and leaned forward, chest heaving.
His hands trembled in front of him, skin pale and blotched with strange spots, veins faintly blue beneath the surface. "First, I die. Then I wake up in a body that's already halfway gone..."
He stared at his own fingers, caught between fear and curiosity.
After a few deep breaths, he forced himself to think. "If there's a graveyard this big, there has to be a village or city nearby, right?"
He glanced around, letting his gaze fall on the scattered corpses near the cracked tombs. Their clothes were odd—simple robes, worn leather armor, faded cloaks with metal buckles.
"Not modern," he whispered. "And speaking of clothes... mine are a complete mess."
After a moment's hesitation, he approached a nearby corpse. Not fresh, but not completely skeletal either.
"I don't know who you people are... or where you're from, but... I'm sorry. I really need this more than you right now. Please forgive me."
He tore off what he could—a worn cloak, some boots that sort of fit, and bits of cloth he wrapped around his arms and legs. The makeshift outfit didn't make him look less like a vagrant, but at least he wasn't exposed to the cold.
He kept walking.
Even with the moon above, the graveyard's endless stretch of monuments and trees gave him chills. The occasional crow call echoed eerily in the stillness. The smell of old death hung in the air.
Then—snap.
He stepped on a soft patch of ground and dropped hard into a shallow dip.
"Ah, shit!"
He hit with a sharp crack. White-hot pain lanced through his leg. He screamed.
"F-Fuck! My leg!"
His shin burned. He reached down with shaky hands and felt it—a fracture. He could see the bone shift beneath pale skin.
"Are my bones made of glass or what?! It wasn't even that deep!" he groaned, collapsing back.
Sweat coated his brow. He stared at the stars and laughed bitterly.
"I died. Woke up in a corpse. And now I'm about to die again from a fall. Can my luck get any worse?"
But then something changed.
A tingling sensation ran through his leg.
The pain dulled.
The bone—visibly fractured—began to shift. Re-knit. Regrow.
Within seconds, it was back to normal.
"What the... what just happened?"
His eyes widened.
"Status window!" he called out instinctively.
A transparent screen shimmered into view.
Name: Jax (Unknown Surname)
Status: [ERROR: Cellular Breakdown Detected]
Strength: F
Agility: F-
Endurance: F-
Intelligence: B+
Arcane Power: F
Unique Ability: Bone Dominion (F-)
Description: The ability to manipulate, regrow, and weaponize one's own skeletal structure. The more the user's bones fracture, shatter, or splinter, the stronger the ability becomes. Evolution through pain.
Elemental Affinities: None
Skills: None
"I forgot about the only ability this busted system gave me," Jax muttered.
He hadn't even properly looked at it before, as he was too terrified and confused.
"All my stats are trash... F or F-? Seriously? At least Intelligence looks good."
He squinted. "What's the highest possible stat grade?"
[ S+ ]
"Figures," he muttered.
"So... no system shop? No skill trees or cheat codes?"
[ Correct. Not accessible. ]
Jax groaned. Not from frustration, but pure exhaustion.
"So I can only check my status? That's all?"
[ YES ]
"Why is there an error, anyway?"
[ Possible cause: Improper soul transfer to damaged vessel. ]
"...My luck is truly the worst, both in life and in the afterlife." he sighed. "Do you know who did this?"
[ I don't have access to that information. ]
Jax leaned back. He should be angry. Furious.
But instead, he was numb.
He was too exhausted, both physically and mentally, to be angry.
"At least... tell me about this world. I need something to go on."
[ Acknowledged. Initializing overview. ]
WORLD INFORMATION:
This is a fantasy world where every person is born with two types of power:
1) Arcane Power:
An innate elemental force tied to one's soul.
Common elements: Fire, Water, Lightning, Ice, Air, Earth.
Rare elements: Antimatter, Void, Ethereal Flame.
Most people possess one element. Nobles sometimes have two or three. Some legends speak of beings who possess them all—but their existence remains unconfirmed.
Arcane Power is fueled by capacity (how much energy you can store) and mastery (how well you control it). It can be used for direct elemental attacks or subtle enhancements.
2) Unique Ability:
Each individual is born with one distinct ability, completely unique to them. Some are simple. Some are powerful. No two are identical.
These abilities require time, experience, and adaptation to fully unlock their potential.
Nobles often possess stronger or more refined Unique Abilities. Power often defines status.
Jax listened quietly. It was a lot to take in.
"So... nobles and commoners, power-based hierarchy... Sounds like a medieval setup," he muttered.
[ You are correct. ]
"Do I at least understand the local language?"
[ You can speak and comprehend the common tongue of this world. ]
"Well, that's a relief."
He stood up slowly, brushing dirt from his knees.
"Thanks for the info, I guess."
[ You are welcome, Host. ]
He looked around again.
The graveyard stretched on, silent as ever.
"I should get moving."
[ I do not have information on nearby settlements. ]
"Didn't expect you to," he said flatly.
Still, he noticed faint footprints in the soft earth. Maybe someone had been here recently.
He followed them.
Step by step. Bone by bone.
Eventually, just as the black sky began to bleed into gray, he spotted a light.
Faint. Flickering. Maybe a torch.
His first sign of life.
He walked toward it.