Kairos sat beneath the ancient tree, the cold, neutral text of the system interface glowing in his mind's eye. The initial shock had subsided, replaced by a simmering, focused energy. The Primordial Legacy System. The name itself promised power far beyond the petty concerns that had broken him hours before.
[Quest: A Humble Beginning] [Objective: Utilize the 'Basic Resource Synthesis' module to create a marketable product from local materials. Generate first capital.] [Reward: System Points x 100. Unlock: 'Basic Market Analysis' module.]
"Basic Resource Synthesis," Kairos muttered, focusing on the module. A flood of information streamed into his consciousness—complex chemical formulas, material properties, and simple assembly processes that felt both alien and instinctively understandable. It was knowledge far beyond his education, yet the system made it feel as natural as breathing.
His eyes scanned the forest floor. The system highlighted various materials with a faint, ethereal glow only he could see. [Pinus Aurelianis Bark - Rich in tannins and natural adhesives.] [Quartz Fragment - Can be pulverized for silica base.] [Luminous Moss (Genus Noctiluca) - Contains stable bioluminescent compounds.]
Bioluminescence. The word sparked an idea. In the vast, advanced world of Panterra, with its twelve continents and hyper-urbanized cities like Neo-Luminara, what was one thing that remained constant? The human fascination with light and beauty. He couldn't build a starship, but he could make something… magical.
The process was arduous. Using a sharp rock, he scraped the glowing moss from a nearby boulder, creating a pile of softly pulsating green paste. He crushed the quartz into a fine powder using another rock, his hands becoming raw and sore. He mixed the components with the sticky sap from the pine bark, following the precise ratios provided by the system.
After an hour of painstaking work, he held a small, lumpy paste in his hands. It wasn't pretty, but it glowed with a soft, persistent light.
"Now, a container," he whispered. He found a hollowed-out piece of weathered wood, its interior smooth. Carefully, he packed the luminous paste inside and sealed it with a clear resin he managed to extract from a different tree, another trick from the system's database.
He held up his creation. It was crude, a far cry from the polished goods sold in Neo-Haven's glittering plazas. But in the deepening twilight of the forest, it emitted a gentle, enchanting green light. It was a natural night-light.
He had his product.
The walk to the village felt different this time. The fear was gone, replaced by a determined purpose. He didn't slink in like a defeated boy; he walked in with a strange, glowing artifact in his hand, his posture straight.
The village of Oakhaven was a small, rustic settlement on the edge of the Aurelian Federation, a world away from the continent's capital. Life here was simple, connected to the land. As Kairos entered the main thoroughfare, a few locals tending to their evening chores stopped to stare, their eyes wide at the glowing object in his hand.
He ignored the whispers and headed straight for the only general store in the village, run by a stout, no-nonsense woman named Martha.
The bell above the door jingled as he entered. Martha looked up from her ledger, her eyes narrowing. "Kairos? Heard you were back. Didn't expect to see you in here. Your grandfather's place has been empty for a while. You need supplies?"
"Not today, Martha," Kairos said, his voice calm and steady. He placed the glowing piece of wood on the counter. "I'm here to sell."
Martha leaned forward, her skepticism melting into curiosity. She peered at the softly pulsing light. "What in the twelve continents is that? Some kind of city trick?"
"No trick," Kairos said. "It's a natural luminescent moss sealed in resin. It'll glow for weeks. Thought it might be useful. A night-light for children. Or something pretty for a shelf."
Martha picked it up, turning it over in her hands. The green light played across her weathered face. She was a shrewd businesswoman, but she was also a grandmother. "Hmph. It's… something. How much?"
Kairos's mind raced. He had no concept of its value. The system remained silent, offering no advice. This was his test.
"Twenty credits," he said, picking a number that felt both ambitious and reasonable for a village store.
Martha snorted. "Twenty? For a lump of glowing mud and wood? Boy, I'll give you five."
They haggled for a minute, a dance Kairos had only ever read about. In the end, they settled on eight credits. It was a pittance, even by village standards. But to Kairos, it was everything. It was his first capital.
As Martha handed over the worn plastic credit chit, a chime echoed in Kairos's mind.
[Quest Complete: A Humble Beginning.] [Reward: 100 System Points awarded. Unlocking: 'Basic Market Analysis' module.]
A new wave of information flooded his brain. Suddenly, he understood local market trends, resource scarcity, and basic consumer demand. He saw Martha's store not as a simple shop, but as a node in a economic network. He saw that imported batteries from Neo-Luminara were expensive and in short supply. He saw that his little night-light, while crude, filled a tiny, specific niche.
"Thank you, Martha," Kairos said, a genuine smile touching his lips for the first time since the betrayal.
"Don't thank me yet," she grumbled, though she was still looking at the glowing wood with a hint of wonder. "If that thing dies in an hour, I'm taking the credits back out of your hide."
Kairos left the store, the credit chit feeling like a sovereign's seal in his hand. He stood in the quiet village square, the first stars beginning to appear in the sky above Panterra, a planet vaster and more incredible than he had ever imagined.
He was no longer Kairos, the poor student from Neo-Haven. He was Kairos, the host of the Primordial Legacy System. He had eight credits, 100 system points, and a universe of knowledge slowly unlocking in his mind.
He looked up at the sky, towards where the lights of distant cities like Neo-Luminara would be blazing. Lyra and her wealthy boyfriend were there, playing their petty games.
A cold, determined light shone in his eyes, mirroring the soft glow of the moss in Martha's store.
"Just you wait," he whispered to the uncaring stars. "I'm coming."