Morning light filtered through the tent, waking me. I ran a hand through my messy hair, rinsed my mouth, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped outside into the cool morning air.
Noticing a few glowing embers still smoldering in the fire pit, I coaxed the flames back to life for a bit of warmth.
Once the fire was going, I grabbed the leftover meat, some vegetables, and a few other ingredients from the food container on the carriage, and cooked a simple porridge.
Having grown up in a small community, surrounded by forest, I learned early on how to survive in the wild.
From foraging for edible plants to starting a fire, those lessons became second nature. At the time, they felt like just another part of daily life—but now, they give me the slightest chance of surviving here.
After a while, the porridge was finally ready, the rich scent of simmered meat and vegetables rising with the steam, curling into the cool morning air. I gave it a quick stir, letting it thicken just a bit more over the fire.
Almost as if on cue, Cassemir and Angar stepped out of their tents, drawn by the smell.
Without a word, they settled around the fire with me, and we shared a quiet breakfast, the warmth of the food and flames cutting through the early chill.
***
After we finished eating, Angar stood up with a stretch and began collecting the bowls and utensils.
I've got the dishes
he said, already moving without waiting for a reply.
Cassemir, always a bit more direct, glanced at me.
You can go stretch your legs if you want. he said, his voice even. Roam around, clear your head. But be back in three hours—we'll be moving on after that. We've still got a long way to go.
I nodded, already feeling the pull of the forest beyond the clearing. A brief moment of freedom before the road called again.
***
After making sure I was alone, I stepped into the clearing. The frost beneath my boots crunched softly, the forest around me silent and still.
Mist clung low to the ground, curling around tree roots like pale smoke.
I took a slow breath, letting the cold settle into my bones.
My eyes locked onto a tree at the edge of the clearing. It stood tall and brittle, bark cracked and branches bare. I raised my hand and whispered the spell.
Frostneedle...
The air shimmered. Thin, gleaming needles of ice materialized in front of me, floating for a heartbeat before launching with a faint hiss.
They streaked forward like darts of light, embedding themselves deep into the tree's trunk with precise, freezing impact. Ice began to creep outward from the points of contact, spreading like frostbite.
I narrowed my eyes.
BURST!!!
The needles detonated with a sharp, crystalline crack. An explosion of frost and splinters tore through the trunk, shredding wood and bark in a violent burst of icy shards. Shattered fragments rained down around me, glinting in the pale light like frozen shrapnel.
A fine mist of cold vapor hung in the air, swirling in slow, ghostly spirals before settling over the ruined clearing. silent, and eerily beautiful.
It never stood a chance, not against this kind of power.
Holy shit.
I breathed, staring at the destruction.
I stood frozen, eyes locked on the shattered remains of the tree. Splinters still lay scattered across the ground.
The trunk had been ripped apart like paper. clean, brutal, effortless.
I hadn't expected that much force.
My hand was still half-raised, tingling with leftover energy.
I swallowed hard, heart thudding against my ribs.
What the hell did I just do?
Ting!
The sharp chime of a notification cut through the silence, pulling me out of my thoughts. A faint flicker of light appeared in the corner of my vision and then the status window materialized before me, hovering in the air.
I drew in a slow breath, then another, forcing the rush of adrenaline to settle.
***
You have completed the first step of the tutorial!
Objective: Use a skill for the first time — COMPLETED
Reward: New Skill Unlocked
***
Lines of text floated in midair, strangely satisfying to read.
A soft chime echoed as the reward line pulsed, and a new message slid into view.
***
New Skill Unlocked: Frostbind
Frostbind [Bronze]
Mana Cost: 150 [MP]
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Unleashes a wave of chilling energy that temporarily freezes the target's limbs, reducing movement speed by 40% for 5 seconds. If the target is already affected by an Ice-type skill, Frostbind instead freezes them in place completely for 3 seconds.
Additional Effect:
Has a high chance to instantly shatter frozen targets, killing them outright.
***
It looked good on paper. but if I missed, I'm left exposed, vulnerable for a full fifteen seconds.
As if reading my thoughts, another message suddenly popped up, filling the air with its quirky, almost mischievous tone:
*#%%%#*
MR. M'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING THIS WORLD 101
Oh no! Your soul's been sucked into this god-awful place, a realm full of death, misery, and, well... magic!
MAGIC! Yes, my dear friend, the one thing you could only dream of wielding back in your silly little world.
But wait! what's this? A pathetic skill as your first reward?
Don't be down just yet! Because I, Professor Oak. uh, I mean Professor M-am here to help you grow stronger...
...at a small little price of
YoUr FuCkInG SOUL!!!
The message blinked cheekily on the screen before adding in a hushed, almost apologetic tone.
Oh, sheesh, silly me! I forgot, I already got it.
Anyways, that's all for now. Goodbye!
The screen flickered off, leaving behind an unsettling silence.
What the fuck?
I muttered, shaking my head.
Before I could dwell on it any longer, the familiar glow of the status window appeared once more, snapping me back to the moment.
***
Hanse Belmorn
Affinities: Dark, Water
[Mana: 950/1000]
Strength: ◉ (F-)
Stamina: ▽ (D-)
Agility: ◉++ (F+)
Intellect: ☆ (B-)
Skills/Arts:
??? (Curse):
Damned to roam the world for eternity. [Passive] : Revival
Frostneedle Burst (Bronze):
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Shoots a cluster of thin, high-speed ice needles that stick and explode after a short delay. [50 mana]
Frostbind (Bronze):
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Unleashes a wave of chilling energy that temporarily freezes the target's limbs, reducing movement speed by 40% for 5 seconds. If the target is already affected by an Ice-type skill, Frostbind instead freezes them in place completely for 3 seconds. [150 mana]
Additional Effect:
Has a high chance to instantly shatter frozen targets, killing them outright.
...
Stormvault Descent [Arts](Gold):
I - Cloudstep Forma: This opening phase blends quick jabs and palm strikes with low, sweeping kicks and shin taps. The goal is to disrupt their attacks, and prepare for stronger follow-ups.
II - Breaker's Reach: A sudden, lightning grab that takes advantage of an opponent's stagger from Phase I. Securing a single decisive grip (wrist, collar, or torso), and channels body rotation and hip drive to throw the enemy forward (to smash them into terrain or other foes) or upward (to set up aerial follow‑ups for Phase IV). It's a control move designed to create the positional advantage for a powerful finisher.
III - Skyward Maelstrom: Building momentum through rapid, bounding leaps. The fighter bolts from point to point with explosive hops; after a succession of precise leaps (typically the 6th, 7th, or 8th), channels the accumulated energy into a devastating aerial strike delivered from far above. Each leap past the fifth greatly increases power, but also the risk of catastrophic leg injury.
IV - Stormpiercer: The fighter locks onto the opponent (often after Breaker's Reach throw or leap series, wich is mid-air), then channels all momentum into a focused spear-like strike (fist, foot, or knee) aimed at a critical point.
***
I struck gold, quite literally.
I muttered, half in disbelief.
There it was, glowing in the status window that hovered silently before me: [Stormvault Descent] – Art (Gold).
...
Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.
- Jim Rohn