Years spun by, each marked by Pipkin's continued smallness and the villagers' gentle, almost pitying acceptance of his limitations. He was Pipkin, the quiet one, good for fetching small items and little else. The constant underestimation stung Xylos's pride, but it also offered a strange sort of camouflage.
The "System" remained a perplexing companion, its blue boxes flashing with increasing frequency as Pipkin went about his day. Even mundane tasks now triggered notifications:
[Action: Sweeping Courtyard]
[Reward: Dexterity +0.005]
[Interaction: Polite Nod to Elder Maeve]
[Reward: Social Awareness +0.002]
Xylos started to actively experiment, though his weak body limited him. He'd try to focus intently on a falling leaf, attempting to subtly influence its path, a faint echo of his control over currents. Sometimes, a new, even more cryptic notification would appear:
[Attempted Mental Influence (Minor)]
[Result: Negligible]
[Potential Insight: Mental Discipline +0.0001]
It was agonizingly slow progress, a snail inching its way across a vast desert. Yet, these tiny increments were the only tangible link to any form of power.
Lumi's interest in Pipkin remained a subtle undercurrent in his life. She often sought his company during her foraging trips, pointing out the hidden wonders of the forest.
"See this patch of Moonpetal?" she'd say, her fingers tracing the delicate silver leaves. "It blooms only under the full moon. Its essence can enhance magical concoctions."
[Knowledge Acquired: Moonpetal]
[Reward: Lore (Plants) +0.08]
One warm afternoon, they rested beneath the shade of an ancient willow tree by the Whispering Brook. The air hummed with a faint magical energy, and the "System" notifications flickered more rapidly than usual.
"You have a keen eye for detail, Pipkin," Lumi remarked, her gaze thoughtful as she watched a dragonfly hover nearby. "You notice things others overlook."
"I… I just look closely," Pipkin mumbled, avoiding her gaze. He still felt a flicker of unease whenever her attention lingered on him.
"Perhaps," Lumi said softly. "Or perhaps you see the world in a different way." She then pointed to a cluster of shimmering moss clinging to the willow's roots. "This is Whispermoss. It's said to retain echoes of past events."
As Pipkin reached out to touch it, a more significant blue box appeared:
[Interaction: Whispermoss]
[Potential Resonance Detected: Faint Echoes of Water Magic]
[Potential Skill: Minor Water Sense (Locked)]
Water magic. The very essence of his former divinity. A jolt, faint but undeniable, ran through Pipkin's small frame. He snatched his hand back, his heart pounding.
Lumi's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of curiosity in their depths. "Did you feel something, Pipkin?"
He shook his head quickly, feigning disinterest. "Just… cold."
But inside, Xylos was reeling. The "System" had reacted to his proximity to a source of water magic, hinting at a connection to his past. And the word "locked" echoed in his mind, a frustrating barrier.
Later that evening, as the village settled into a quiet hum, Pipkin sat alone by the brook, the moonlight dappling the water's surface. He focused his intent, trying to feel the water as he once did – as an extension of his own being. The "System" flickered:
[Attempted Water Attunement (Minor)]
[Result: Negligible]
[Potential Insight: Understanding of Elemental Resonance +0.0002]
Frustration gnawed at him. He was a god of the tides, yet he couldn't even stir a ripple with his will. But the whispers of the "System," faint as they were, offered a sliver of hope. His past was not entirely erased. It was dormant, locked away, waiting for the right key. And somehow, he had to find it. Lumi's perceptive gaze and the strange reactions of the "System" around her made him wonder if she held a piece of that puzzle.