Silence.
The chittering was gone. The only sounds were my own ragged breathing and the distant, unfamiliar cries of some night bird under the twin moons.
I was alive.
The realization hit me in a wave of dizzying, post-adrenaline shock. I had actually survived. The system was real. The shop was real. The 60 Aether Crystals blinking on the interface were real.
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat, but it came out as a pained cough that made my ribs protest. Right. Not out of the woods yet. The system's awakening had fixed the worst of it, but my body still felt like it had gone ten rounds with a heavyweight champ. I was lying in a filthy alley in a bad part of a very dangerous city, and I had no idea if more of those Lurkers—or worse, the original attacker—were on their way.
Priorities. I needed to get safe, then I needed to understand this world and my place in it.
First, the dagger. I tightened my grip on the hilt. It was a simple, utilitarian piece about ten inches long, with a dull grey blade that seemed to absorb the moonlight rather than reflect it. The Aether-Iron. It felt… humming. There was a faint, almost imperceptible vibration in the metal, a whisper of power. It was the only thing that felt solid and real in this nightmare.
Using it as a crutch, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. The world swam for a moment before settling. Every muscle screamed in protest. I was covered in grime, my clothes—simple, rough-spun trousers and a tunic—were torn and stained with blood that I hoped was mostly mine from the initial attack.
The original Zane's memories were a jumbled mess, a chaotic slideshow of fear, poverty, and a desperate desire to become a Resonant and escape this life. He'd been jumped for the few coins he'd earned running errands. Pathetic. This world had magic, monsters, and flying warriors, and he'd been killed for pocket change.
Not me, I thought, the resolve hardening in my gut. That's not how my story ends.
I focused on the system screen, which still hung obligingly in my vision.
[Aetherial Shop] [Welcome, Zane Valthor. Balance: 60 Aether Crystals]
The interface was intuitive. Main categories glowed softly: [Weapons], [Armor], [Consumables], [Skills & Techniques], [Miscellaneous].
My heart rate spiked. [Skills & Techniques]. That was the good stuff. The real cheats. I selected it.
The list that appeared was both exhilarating and sobering.
[Aether Reinforcement (Basic)] - Channel Aether to temporarily enhance physical capabilities. Inefficient. High drain.
Cost: 80 Aether Crystals
[Minor Aether Sense] - Vaguely feel the flow of Aether and sense the approximate rank of nearby Resonants. Range: 5 meters.
Cost: 150 Aether Crystals
[Rust-Shatter Strike (Technique)] - Focus Aether into a weapon to enhance piercing/cutting power for a single attack.
Cost: 200 Aether Crystals
I scrolled down, my hope deflating slightly. The prices were high. I had 60 crystals. I was a beggar looking into a king's treasury, but at least I could see the gate.
Right. Start small. Don't get greedy.
I went back to the main menu and selected [Consumables]. This had to be where the healing potions were.
Bingo. The first item was exactly what I needed.
[Minor Healing Draught] Rank: 1
Accelerates natural healing and mends minor tissue damage. Ineffective against spiritual wounds or major fractures.
Cost: 30 Aether Crystals.
It was half my net worth. A significant investment. But a broken, pain-riddled body was a liability I couldn't afford. I needed to be mobile. I needed to be able to run.
Purchase, I commanded.
There was another silent, spatial shift. In my free hand, a small glass vial appeared, filled with a viscous, crimson liquid that shimmered with tiny golden sparks. It was unnervingly warm.
I didn't hesitate. Pulling the cork with my teeth, I downed the contents in one gulp.
It tasted like cinnamon and electricity. The effect was instantaneous and intense. A wave of warmth spread from my stomach outwards, sinking into my muscles and bones. The deep ache in my ribs faded away to nothing. The throbbing in my skull vanished. The cuts and bruises on my skin knitted themselves closed with a faint, itching sensation. In seconds, I felt… whole. Better than whole. I felt energized, as if I'd just woken from a perfect night's sleep.
I pushed myself to my feet, standing steadily without the dagger's support. I took a deep, experimental breath. No pain. Just clean, cold night air.
"Incredible," I whispered, my voice raspy but strong.
I was back to 100%. No, I was better than the original Zane had ever been. The potion had fixed a lifetime of minor malnourishment and weariness. I felt sharp, clear-headed.
Now, what next? I had 30 crystals left. I needed to get off the streets.
The original Zane's memories provided a direction: a flophouse he sometimes rented a cot in, in a marginally safer part of the district. It was a start.
But first, I couldn't walk around holding a bloody dagger. I needed to be discreet. I focused on the dagger in my hand.
Can I… put you back? I thought at the system.
The system responded instantly.
[Store item in Inventory?] [Y/N]
Inventory! Of course! The ultimate cheat. I selected yes.
The dagger in my hand vanished, reappearing as a tiny icon in a new, grid-based section of the system interface labeled [Inventory]. There were ten slots. The dagger occupied one.
Perfect. I was armed and my money was safe, completely undetectable. But I had a new problem. I had no physical currency. My Aether Crystals were digital, and the Void Crystal was gone, converted. The original Zane's copper marks had been stolen. I couldn't pay for a room.
I looked at my balance: 30 Aether Crystals. The shop was my only answer. I navigated to the [Miscellaneous] tab. It was a chaotic list of oddities: rare herbs, lumps of ore, monster parts... and there it was.
[Low-Grade Aether Crystal (Artificial)] Rank: 1 A synthetically generated Aether Crystal. Contains impurities and unstable energy. Not suitable for cultivation, but holds monetary value.
Cost: 15 Aether Crystals.
The system could mint its own currency. It was a terrible exchange rate—15 real crystals for 1 fake one—but it was a solution. I needed a roof. Purchase.
A crystal appeared in my hand. It was cloudy and pale blue, humming with a weak, erratic energy, a far cry from the pure, potent feeling of the shop's currency. But it would pass. My balance dropped to 15 AC.
I took a final look around the alley, the scene of my first death and second birth. It was just a dirty, forgotten place again. I turned and walked out onto the main street.
The city of Ravenhall was exactly as described in the novel: a sprawling, grim metropolis of dark stone and darker ambitions. The architecture was a mix of Gothic spires and industrial pragmatism, with pipes venting steam and Aether-conduits humming with energy along the walls. People hurried through the streets, their faces hidden by hoods or scarves, their postures tense. This was a city where you kept your head down and minded your own business.
Good. Anonymity was my friend.
I navigated the maze-like streets using the original Zane's fuzzy memories, finally arriving at a dilapidated building with a sign that read "The Grumbling Golem." It looked like it might collapse in a stiff breeze.
I approached the hulking, bored-looking man at the front desk. "A cot. For the night."
He grunted, not looking up from cleaning a glass. "Five copper marks."
I placed the artificial Aether Crystal on the counter. "Will this cover it?"
He stopped cleaning and picked it up, squinting at it. "Synthetic junk. Where'd a scrap like you get this?"
"Does it matter?" I said, trying to sound tougher than I felt. "It's got value."
He snorted, but pocketed the crystal. "It'll cover a night. Don't expect change. Top of the stairs, last door on the left. Don't cause trouble."
The room was exactly what I expected: a cramped, windowless space with six cots, smelling of sweat and mildew. Three were occupied by snoring figures. I took an empty one in the corner, my back to the wall.
Finally, alone.
I lay down on the lumpy cot, ignoring the snores, and pulled up the system screen. The shop interface glowed in the darkness, my personal window to infinite possibility.
[Aetherial Shop] [Balance: 15 Aether Crystals]
I had a roof over my head for one night. I had my health. I had a weapon. But I was broke. Down to my last 15 crystals.
But most importantly, I had knowledge. I knew this world's plot. I knew its heroes and villains. And I knew the five women who were the true power behind the scenes, the mothers who had watched their children's stories end in tragedy.
I didn't know how yet, but I would find them. I would change their fates.
But first, I needed to get strong. I needed to earn crystals, properly this time. Not through a terrible exchange rate, but through hunting. I needed 65 more just to buy Aether Reinforcement. The math was grim but clear.
I closed my eyes, not to sleep, but to plan. Tomorrow, the real grind would begin.