Chapter 4: The System's Secrets
The forest grew darker as Arjun carried the unconscious girl through the twisted trees. Strange cries echoed in the distance, roars, hisses, and clicking sounds that didn't belong to any animal he had ever known. His back ached, and his arms screamed for rest, but he refused to stop.
The timer in his vision ticked on mercilessly.
[Time Remaining: 22 hours, 07 minutes.]
"Still over twenty-two hours left," Arjun muttered, panting. "This is going to kill me before the monsters do."
Finally, he spotted a cave at the base of a cliff. It was shallow but dry, with only a few glowing insects buzzing around the entrance. It wasn't much, but it was better than staying out in the open.
Arjun laid the girl down gently against the stone wall. She stirred slightly, her breathing soft and steady now. Up close, he noticed faint glowing marks on her wrists where the chains had bound her. They pulsed softly, like embers under her skin.
"What are you?" he whispered to himself.
The system answered unexpectedly.
[Bond Partner: Maiden of Azure Chains.]
[Name: To be revealed after full awakening.]
[Status: Weak. Sealed. Dependent.]
[Bond Skill – Shared Vitality: When the Bond Partner is nearby, both Host and Partner share stamina and minor recovery. Efficiency increases with relationship growth.]
Arjun blinked. "Shared stamina? That actually sounds really useful."
A faint warmth spread through his chest. His exhaustion lessened slightly, as if invisible threads were supporting him. He flexed his fingers in amazement. "It's true. I'm recovering faster."
He stared at the sleeping girl for a long moment. "Guess you're more important than I thought."
Just then, a new golden panel appeared before him.
[System Tutorial Available: Shop and Skills.]
[Would you like to begin? Y/N]
Arjun let out a tired laugh. "Finally. Some answers. Yes begin the damn tutorial."
The panel shifted, displaying two glowing tabs.
1. Shop
2. Skills
Arjun tapped the Shop first. The air shimmered, and a catalog of items appeared before him.
Healing Elixir – 20 Points
Stamina Bread (Restores hunger and energy) – 10 Points
Beginner's Armor (Leather) – 100 Points
Beginner's Sword Upgrade – 80 Points
Fireball Scroll (One-use spell) – 150 Points
Bond Token (Strengthens connection with a partner) – 200 Points
Arjun's eyes widened. "Okay, so it's literally like a game store. But the prices… they're not cheap."
He checked his balance.
[Current Points: 100]
Only 100 points left after spending 50 to break the girl's chains.
"Great," he muttered. "Not enough for the cool stuff."
Still, the leather armor caught his attention. He remembered how close the wolves had come to ripping him apart. One more scratch, and he might not have survived.
"Better safe than sorry," he whispered. He confirmed the purchase.
The points dropped instantly. A faint glow surrounded him, and when it faded, a simple leather chestplate and bracers had appeared on his body. They weren't fancy, but they fit snugly and made him feel slightly less exposed.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
Next, he opened the Skills tab.
A glowing text appeared.
[Skill System Overview]
Skills can be purchased with points or unlocked through combat and quests.
Skills level up with usage.
Some skills are exclusive to Bond interactions.
[Available Beginner Skills:]
Sword Mastery (Lv.0) – 50 Points
Endurance (Lv.0) – 50 Points
Charm Aura (Lv.0) – 75 Points
Arjun raised an eyebrow. "Charm Aura? Of course." He shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "This stupid system really wants me to become some kind of lady-killer."
But still, his mind returned to the fight with the Crimson Fang Wolf. He remembered how awkward his sword swings had been, how close he had come to losing.
"Sword Mastery it is."
He confirmed the purchase.
Warmth spread through his hands, and knowledge trickled into his brain. His grip on the sword suddenly felt more natural, his stance steadier. It wasn't like he had become an expert overnight, but it felt right.
Arjun swung the sword experimentally. This time, the movement flowed smoother, less clumsy.
He smiled faintly. "Okay. This I can work with."
A faint groan pulled his attention back to the girl. She shifted against the stone wall, her eyelashes fluttering before slowly opening her eyes.
Arjun froze, unsure what to say.
Her gaze found him, soft but cautious. "You… saved me." Her voice was quiet, weak, but melodic.
Arjun rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah… don't mention it. Literally. I don't even know what's going on myself."
The girl tried to sit up but winced. Arjun quickly steadied her shoulder. She glanced down at the faint marks on her wrists. "The chains… they're gone."
"Yeah. I broke them," Arjun said, then added honestly, "Well… technically, the system did. I just paid the price."
Her brows furrowed faintly. "System?"
Arjun hesitated. He wasn't sure how much to reveal, but lying felt pointless. "It's… hard to explain. Let's just say I have something inside me that gave me the power to free you."
The girl studied him quietly. Her eyes, though tired, seemed to pierce through his words. Finally, she lowered her gaze and whispered, "Then I owe you my life."
Arjun blinked, caught off guard. "Uh—no, no, you don't owe me anything. I just… couldn't walk away, that's all."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Still… thank you."
Arjun looked away, suddenly flustered. The warmth in his chest from Shared Vitality pulsed again, stronger this time.
The system's voice chimed softly.
[Bond Growth +5]
He nearly choked. "Wait, what? It's tracking this too?!"
The girl tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Arjun said quickly, waving his hands. "Just… talking to myself."
The night deepened. Arjun sat near the cave entrance, sword across his lap, while the girl rested against the stone wall. She had fallen asleep again, her breathing steady.
But Arjun couldn't sleep. His mind spun with everything that had happened, the wolves, the system, the shop, the girl. He stared out at the dark forest, unease gnawing at him.
The timer glowed faintly in his vision.
[Time Remaining: 21 hours, 29 minutes.]
Arjun tightened his grip on the sword. "One day. I just need to last one day."
But deep inside, he knew it wouldn't end after 24 hours. This was only the beginning.
The system's cold voice whispered in his mind once more, as if reading his thoughts.
[Correct. For the Host, this is only the first step.]
Arjun exhaled slowly. He wasn't sure if he felt fear or excitement anymore. Maybe both.
He looked back at the girl, sleeping peacefully despite the chaos of this world. His lips curled into a small, tired smile.
"At least I'm not alone anymore."
And with that thought, Arjun prepared himself for whatever the long night of Azure Sky had in store.