The heat crawled slowly along his right arm, like hot ink spreading beneath his skin.
From shoulder to forearm.
Then… the hand.
Symbols appeared one by one.
Geometric lines coiling into spirals. Ancient runes that were neither magic nor technology… but somehow both at once.
The markings covered his entire arm, even his fingers.
Eric opened his hand, then clenched it.
The runes answered, flaring with an intense green glow.
—What the hell!? —he said tensely—. Hey! Explain this to me.
[Uncatalogued event detected. Information restricted]
[Analysis in progress….. analysis complete]
[Origin of anomaly: Confirmed]
[Probable cause: User lineage]
[Additional information: Restricted]
After a few seconds…
The heat no longer burned.
Eric sat down on the attic floor, his back against an old wooden beam, staring at the markings that ran from his right arm down to his fingers.
They no longer glowed brightly, but they were still there. Present. As if they had always belonged to his skin.
Eric frowned.
—Lineage…? —he repeated—. My family?
The system replied without hesitation.
[Partial confirmation]
[Warning: I am NOT authorized to disclose deep genetic data]
Silence.
Eric traced the markings slowly with his fingers.
—Great… —he muttered—.
He more or less understood what the system's evaluation meant.
—So this isn't something that "happened" to me —he said quietly—. It's something that… was already there, and just got activated.
The system didn't contradict him.
Eric exhaled and leaned his head back against the wood.
—Perfect… —he said with a tired laugh—. Family mysteries.
He didn't push it.
Instead, he wanted to find out on his own.
—Alright… I'll figure it out —he added—. At my own pace.
[SYSTEM SHOP]
Available Points: 2,000
His eyes lit up.
[PURCHASE – ZONAI SUPPLIES]
Zonai Batteries (x20)
–800
Small units began to materialize one by one.
Eric arranged them carefully in the attic, aligned and classified, like provisions for a long winter.
—Plenty of energy —he murmured.
He returned to the shop.
[PURCHASE – MOBILITY]
Small Zonai Wheels (x20)
Large Zonai Wheels (x20)
Zonai Steering Sticks (x20)
–1200
Remaining Points: 0
Eric watched as the devices stacked neatly against the wall, defying all known logic.
And then the idea hit him.
The opportunity to turn Hateno into the greatest urban hub in Hyrule.
—Cargo trucks… our own caravans —he said softly, a slow smile forming—
Transporting goods without relying on third parties. Hateno connected, supplied, and growing.
Eric lowered his gaze to his arm once more.
The markings almost seemed to stare back.
—Whatever you are… —he whispered—.
—I'm going to use you well.
…..
The days that followed brought no monsters.
They brought the sound of hammers, and the growing bewilderment of Hateno's people.
The thud of fitted wood became part of the village's rhythm. Dry hammer strikes, saws screeching, laughter, arguments over mismeasured lengths.
The entire village began to move in sync.
Eric didn't give orders. He explained.
—The wheel goes here.
—If the plank vibrates, reinforce it.
—It doesn't need to be pretty. It just needs to not break on rocky roads.
The villagers watched, tried, failed… and learned.
The local militias, once used to gripping weapons, now adjusted axles and raised cargo frames with almost reverent focus.
—You said this is ancient technology —a neighbor commented while tightening a beam—. Is that true?
Eric shrugged, wiping sweat from his forehead.
—Inheritance from our ancestors —he said casually—. They built these things in the past.
—I'm just putting them together again in the present.
Eric lifted his right arm with a blank expression. He'd lost count of how many times he'd done this to calm people down.
Villagers gathered closer, eyes wide with fascination.
They never seemed to get tired of it.
They had never seen anything like this.
—I can't get tired of looking at it.
—Yeah… it looks incredible.
Lyra, leaning against the shop's doorway, listened quietly.
She knew it was nonsense.
She knew it perfectly well.
But she also knew something else.
Her son made it work.
She still remembered the hour-and-a-half argument she'd had with Eric. She'd nearly fainted when she first saw the markings on his arm.
In the end, Eric had calmed her down, explaining that it was an inheritance from their ancestors, and that it explained why he was so strong at such a young age.
It sounded suspiciously like an excuse to avoid explaining something deeper.
Lyra couldn't find another explanation. For months she had wondered why her son had suddenly become so capable. A boy who once struggled to even hold a wooden sword.
And now, she didn't know what to believe.
After spending nearly the entire day watching over his condition, Lyra finally sighed in relief and let the matter go.
Accepting that Eric had grown up, and could take responsibility for himself and his own safety.
Lost in thought, she watched the first cargo wagons come together with surprising ease.
They were crude. Thick wooden platforms, large wheels reinforced with recycled iron.
Nothing elegant.
But when the first one rolled across the main road, loaded with sacks of grain, silence fell like a blanket.
Then applause followed.
—It moves!
—By the goddesses, it really moves!
Many villagers associated this with ancient Sheikah technology. In Hateno, as in many major settlements, Sheikah technology and its role in the kingdom's destruction after being corrupted by the Demon King were common knowledge.
That was why some people kept their distance.
But since the mayor raised no objections, they simply watched.
Eric smiled, satisfied.
With the extra batteries, anyone could operate these vehicles without relying on draft horses.
They could carry twice… even three times the load, depending on the wagon's size.
No worrying about exhausted horses. No worrying about monsters intercepting them on the road.
Just keep driving. Run them over if needed.
All you had to do was make sure you had spare batteries.
For Eric, this was big business.
Because while he was currently the only one with energy cells…
The system had never stated that Zonai devices shared the same restriction.
Which meant he could execute his plan: selling these creations responsibly.
With Hateno as the distribution hub.
…..
In the days that followed…
Smaller wagons were built for short routes, and Eric's inventory was completely depleted.
In return, a small caravan took shape.
Four large, rugged cargo wagons.
And four smaller ones, completing the convoy.
Eric watched as one of the wagons came to a controlled stop with a creak.
—It's not pretty —someone said, amused—
—Doesn't matter —Eric replied—.
—It's ours.
[A.N.: I'm calling it a "wagon" because it fits the setting better, but it's basically a wooden cargo truck with a steering stick lol.]