Chapter 6
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A weird figure was walking down the mountain. It was similar to a human figure but with an irregular lump above the shoulder area. After a closer look, it was the figure of a human, lifting another unconscious human.
It was Jake and Lee. Lee was still rendered unconscious from the previous battle. Jake estimated that it must be late outside and decided to carry him. Soon, he arrived at the large gate of Mt. Odake. A uniform-wearing man noticed and approached him.
"Is there any problem?"
"No, he was just too exhausted from the hunt."
"I see…"
The man left Jake and returned to his post. His gaze, however, never left Jake's body for even a second.
At that time, Lee's eyes twitched as he held his head with one hand.
"Urgh…"
"Lee! You're awake!"
Jake bent his body to placed Lee back on his feet. His shoulder felt so much more comfortable after putting down the weight.
"Jake? Where are we?"
"We're just outside Mt. Odake. We just passed the gate."
Lee's sight returned after a while as he looked around the surrounding. He tried his best to recall his memory before losing consciousness. Then, panic filled his face.
"Jake! Did you kill them all? How did we get out of that place!?"
Lee raised his voice, loud enough to let the man from before hearing the conversation. The man, intrigued by the sentence, once again, came over towards the duo.
"I'll tell you later! Let's hurry and catch a cab first."
Jake dragged Lee towards the empty street. Fortunately, there was a yellow cab waiting at his destination. They boarded the cab and gave Jake's address to the driver.
During the journey, Jake told Lee the details after he lost his consciousness. However, he didn't say anything about the monster cores and left them inside Lee's storage item without him knowing. Lee's gauntlet was also placed inside.
Naturally, he hid the existence about the dark orb.
After arriving at Jake's house, Jake gave some money to pay for his share of the journey. However, Lee refused and persisted to pay the entire fee. The driver doesn't say a word from the start.
The cab drove away as Lee gave the order and Jake went inside the house.
"I'm home…" He whispered.
Jake walked inside the house, towards his room. On his way, he spotted a figure sitting on the sole couch in the living room. 'Crap', he thought.
However, that thoughts didn't linger for too long after he saw Ethel's expression. She had her eyes closed as she supported her head with one of her hands.
"Sis…"
Jake felt bad for causing Ethel to worry about him. He approached the sleeping figure and kissed her on the forehead, whispering 'Goodnight and thank you' before carrying her towards her room.
Then, Jake, too, entered his own room and sat on his bed.
With a flip of his hand, a dark circular orb appeared on his hand. A complicated expression was formed on Jake's face. It was a mixture of confusion, worry, and other negative emotion.
"<Demon's mark>…"
<Demon's Mark>, it was a term that no one in Aestes never heard of. It was a term associated with one of the calamities which invaded the peaceful world of Aestes. The second calamity, the descent of the demon lord was what they named it.
As the name suggests, it was the invasion from the infamous Demon Lord. The nightmare came from the sheer amount of his force. It was one thing if they all attacked a single point but they didn't. The army was spread out through the entire world, appearing at totally random places.
After a thorough investigation, the resident found out that the monster came out of a certain item which the Demon Lord hid. It acts as a portal to spawn his army. However, it needed a huge amount of time before accomplishing that goal.
That item was none other than the orb that Jake held in his hand, the <Demon's Mark>.
Jake could only shake his head in confusion as he stared at the dark orb he obtained.
"Hey, system. Do you have any idea on what exactly happened?"
… … …
There was no response to the question.
"*Sigh* Say something even if you don't know…"
He put away the orb inside his storage. This time, he called out his status window to check on a certain skill. It was the skill he got after coming into contact with the <Demon's Mark>.
"A blessing from the demon lord? What kind of idiot named that shit. The effects are welcomed though."
The description made Jake a little bit confused as it required some kind of <Key> to fully release the might of the skill. He assumed that it must be the remaining <Demon's Mark> that he has yet to found.
On Aestes, there were exactly 12 of the <Demon's Mark>. The number matched perfectly with the description of the skill.
However, what came after his understanding was a sense of urgency. The existence of the <Demon's Mark> meant that the great invasion will occur in near future. There was no time to waste.
Jake decided to put away that thought for now and focused on getting stronger, fast.
"Damn it… why can't it be another type of system or at least let me retain my stats…"
Those thoughts lingered in his head as he fell asleep.
Unknown to him, his neck started to let out a bright light. The center of it is the tattoo on his neck.
A mysterious phenomenon occurred. The tattoo moved! It was rotating at an extreme speed. It continued on after some time before returning to its previous state.
That night, Jake had a dreamt of a distant memory.
Jake found himself standing against a black figure. The other party was wearing a skeleton mask to cover their face. The impact of their duel has affected the surrounding terrain.
A hole of wasteland was made at a dense forest. The scene triggered the dark memory within Jake's consciousness. This was his battle against the demon lord.
"This…"
Jake's view was disturbed by a sudden movement. His body moved on its own, not listening to his command.
Jake kept on slicing and thrusting towards the masked figure. Laughter filled the battle. It originated from the demon lord. However, Jake paid it no heed as he suppressed the demon lord.
The battle began to appear one-sided with Jake on the upper hand. However, the laughter never stopped.
Jake's lips moved by itself.
"What are you laughing about!"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
The action succeeded in angering Jake. He lunged forward with great confidence as he chased the demon lord. The sentence 'I can do it' echoed in his head.
However, the Jake, who was dreaming, shed a tear. The entire body refused the order to move an inch.
'No! You fool! Go back to the town!'
Tears flowed along his imaginary cheeks. No matter how much he yearns and screamed, it was to no avail.
'Please…'
At this moment, the demon lord was finally defeated as his severed head made an arc. The battlefield gave a roar of victory.
The scene was suddenly replaced by a ghost town. No… It was not a ghost town until recently. This was the town of Saltham, the base, and hometown of Jake in Aestes.
The lively street was nowhere to be seen. In its place, a mountain of corpses was present. The only living being remaining was a handful of monsters, hiding at some random building.
"ARGH!!"
'ARGH!!!'
Jake fell down to his knees as he stared at the remains of the town. He frantically entered the town, calling out multiple names. However, no one answered.
The group who accompanied him couldn't stop his action. They just stared at the remains in silence. There are some who offered a prayer.
The scene was, once again, replaced by another scene. This time, it showed him fighting against an enormous figure. The enemy was staring down at Jake from a higher position.
The cycle continued. Each time, Jake would lose something precious to him. Something… that he swore to protect.
'Stop it… STOP IT!'
The cruel dream bound Jake's consciousness with the body. As such, he could not cover his eyes or ears to ease the pain. He was forced to re-live the situation over.
Finally, the cycle ended with him dying within Natalia's embrace.
Jake regained control of his body. However, he was transported into a pitch black world. His legs gave away as he slumped on the non-existent ground.
[Do you regret that decision?]
A sweet voice was heard. The voice found its way into Jake's heart and soothe it with its mere presence. Jake lifted his head to find the source of the soothing voice.
"Who…?"
What greeted him was a small light, circular in shape. It was floating a small distance away from Jake's face.
[Do you wish that you were there to save them?]
The soothing voice rang out again. This time, he was sure that it came from this mysterious light. The question contained no malice.
Jake unconsciously gave his honest answer by nodding.
[I can give you a chance. However, the decision will still be in your hands. Now, close your eyes.]
At the last moment, a winged silhouette flew towards Jake's chest, disappearing as it came into contact with Jake's skin. This went unnoticed by Jake as he had his eyes closed as instructed.
*
Jake jumped out of his bed. His body was covered by a sticky transparent liquid. His breathing was ragged as he did so.
"… It's a dream?"
However, the assumption was crushed as a small ball of light lingered at Jake's side. Jake only notice the phenomenon after he heard a familiar voice.
"Good morning, Master!"
The ball of light started to transform at a pace visible with naked eyes. It was similar to how those from series 'Sailor Moon' transform but without any exaggerated movement.
It formed a winged figure. However, one could see the resemblance with a human's. Jake assumed the gender to be a woman by the sweet voice and the long hair it formed.
The size of the winged-figure was modest. Jake could open up his palm and let the figure placed her entire body on it.
Soon, the transformation was completed. The missing color started to appear.
Jake opened his mouth in shock at the winged figure, especially at her characteristics. She had long silver hair, similar to himself. It came as a surprise as he never thought of his hair color as a mainstream.
The fair skin she possessed increased the charm of her beautiful light blue eyes. She had her lips formed into a smile as she greeted Jake. However, despite her size, her body proportion was that of a female teenager.
"Who are you?… No… What are you? Why did you call me, 'Master'?"
"I am the system's persona. That was the only explanation I have right now. As to how and why I came into existence, I have completely no recollection of it. As the system's persona, it is natural to address you as such."
'That was a surprisingly detailed explanation…' Jake thought silently.
"I have some news to deliver. A good one and a bad one. Which one does Master prefer to hear first?"
"…"
"The good one then…"
"The good one is… There is an additional function to the system. The system referred to it as 'Guildmaster'. Its appearance was covered in mystery. However, the system was aware of its magnificent ability. Please open your skill bar. There should be two additional skill added to it."
The explanation was delivered with a prideful posture. She, who claimed to be the system's personal, held her head up while crossing her arms. It was similar to when a teacher explaining something to their students.
Jake brought up his skill bar and noticed the additional skill. The two skills were called <Grant Skill> and <Inspect>. He was familiar with the latter but it was his first time hearing the former. Fortunately, a description was shown after he tapped on the skill.
==
Grant Skill [1]
Grant a specific skill by consuming a specific skill to an individual. The same individual can be granted another skill using the same method.
Current limit: 3
==
Jake's eyes turned wide. This ability was too domineering. The ability to transfer a skill was unheard of, even in Aestes. It would be similar to giving a random person a large amount of experience.
"What's this specific scroll that it mentioned?"
"Huhu... I'm glad you asked that. That skill is the product of this all-mighty system. The scroll it mentioned can be found at the system's store. Naturally, you need to purchase it with real money. Oh! And you cannot use that scroll on yourself."
Jake held on his desire to rush into the Time Chamber. The day has just begun and it would be a waste to use 8 hours just to check the store.
"However, the power came with great responsibility. Your previous task has been double and the system will guide you to become the greatest guild master. Look forward to it!"
The persona made a great pose for the finale. She pointed her tiny finger towards the sky and declared. However, Jake's reaction was bland, causing a frown to appear on the persona's face.
"What about the bad news?"
This was the reason for Jake's lack of reaction. He braced himself for a bad news in similar scale to the good news he just received.
'A guild master, huh?' Jake recalled the figure he saw in his dream. It had great similarities with the system's persona. However, he couldn't understand the 'chance' she was talking about.
"This… *ahem*. The entrance of the mysterious power has caused a great impact on one of Master's skill, <Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessings>. Its effects were reduced. Master should check on the skill description for more details."
==
Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessing [Incomplete 1/12]
Raised the owner's darkness and light affinity and bestowed a perfect immunity against both magic damages.
(Current Resistance: 5%)
==
Jake's eyes turned wide as he viewed the detail of his skill. Indeed, the effect has been downgraded. However, it was not to an extent where it became a trash skill.
The persona lets out a sigh of relief as she observed Jake's reaction. It was a very human-like emotion, contrary to her identity as a persona of a system.
"The last would be an addition of the term, <Level>, in Master's status window. It should be useful to gauge your strength. Oh! The skill <Inspect> that Master received is a bit unique. Master should try and use it."
"That would be all. Please call me out if you have any other question."
"Wait!"
Jake stopped the persona from leaving while trying to hold her in place. However, his hand passed through her body without any resistance, shocking him.
The persona looked a bit embarrassed but soon recovered her composure.
"Yes?"
"What should I call you?"
"Ah! Feel free to refer to me however you want. I don't have any specific name."
Jake felt that it was a shame for such a beautiful woman to be nameless. He made a troubled look and made a decision.
"Then… Should I give you a name?"
"Oh?"
The persona's eyes sparkled for an instant however it went unnoticed by Jake. She soon recovered her composure and nodded slightly. Her eyes were filled with expectation.
"Yes, I have no problem with it."
Jake gave it a little more thought before sounding his opinion. The matter of choosing one's name was not as simple as he imagined.
"What about… Sylphy? It came from the name 'Sylph' as a mythological air spirit known for its beauty and winged appearance. I think it suits you."
"Sylphy… Sylphy… Not bad! I like it. I offer my gratitude for giving me a wonderful name. From today, I shall refer myself as such" Delight was written all over Sylphy's face.
"It's great that you like it" Jake responded with a smile of his own.
The meeting with Sylphy took a small time of Jake's morning. The disappearance of Sylphy brought silence back into Jake's modest room.
Jake was surprised at himself for remaining calm and accepted the unusual events that have been happening to him. The existence of the system was weird enough but now, he met a human-like persona of the system.
However, he never denied nor questioned the existence of the system until now. It was as if the system was a part of him, as such he never felt any discomfort as he explored its functions.
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A weird figure was walking down the mountain. It was similar to a human figure but with an irregular lump above the shoulder area. After a closer look, it was the figure of a human, lifting another unconscious human.
It was Jake and Lee. Lee was still rendered unconscious from the previous battle. Jake estimated that it must be late outside and decided to carry him. Soon, he arrived at the large gate of Mt. Odake. A uniform-wearing man noticed and approached him.
"Is there any problem?"
"No, he was just too exhausted from the hunt."
"I see…"
The man left Jake and returned to his post. His gaze, however, never left Jake's body for even a second.
At that time, Lee's eyes twitched as he held his head with one hand.
"Urgh…"
"Lee! You're awake!"
Jake bent his body to placed Lee back on his feet. His shoulder felt so much more comfortable after putting down the weight.
"Jake? Where are we?"
"We're just outside Mt. Odake. We just passed the gate."
Lee's sight returned after a while as he looked around the surrounding. He tried his best to recall his memory before losing consciousness. Then, panic filled his face.
"Jake! Did you kill them all? How did we get out of that place!?"
Lee raised his voice, loud enough to let the man from before hearing the conversation. The man, intrigued by the sentence, once again, came over towards the duo.
"I'll tell you later! Let's hurry and catch a cab first."
Jake dragged Lee towards the empty street. Fortunately, there was a yellow cab waiting at his destination. They boarded the cab and gave Jake's address to the driver.
During the journey, Jake told Lee the details after he lost his consciousness. However, he didn't say anything about the monster cores and left them inside Lee's storage item without him knowing. Lee's gauntlet was also placed inside.
Naturally, he hid the existence about the dark orb.
After arriving at Jake's house, Jake gave some money to pay for his share of the journey. However, Lee refused and persisted to pay the entire fee. The driver doesn't say a word from the start.
The cab drove away as Lee gave the order and Jake went inside the house.
"I'm home…" He whispered.
Jake walked inside the house, towards his room. On his way, he spotted a figure sitting on the sole couch in the living room. 'Crap', he thought.
However, that thoughts didn't linger for too long after he saw Ethel's expression. She had her eyes closed as she supported her head with one of her hands.
"Sis…"
Jake felt bad for causing Ethel to worry about him. He approached the sleeping figure and kissed her on the forehead, whispering 'Goodnight and thank you' before carrying her towards her room.
Then, Jake, too, entered his own room and sat on his bed.
With a flip of his hand, a dark circular orb appeared on his hand. A complicated expression was formed on Jake's face. It was a mixture of confusion, worry, and other negative emotion.
"<Demon's mark>…"
<Demon's Mark>, it was a term that no one in Aestes never heard of. It was a term associated with one of the calamities which invaded the peaceful world of Aestes. The second calamity, the descent of the demon lord was what they named it.
As the name suggests, it was the invasion from the infamous Demon Lord. The nightmare came from the sheer amount of his force. It was one thing if they all attacked a single point but they didn't. The army was spread out through the entire world, appearing at totally random places.
After a thorough investigation, the resident found out that the monster came out of a certain item which the Demon Lord hid. It acts as a portal to spawn his army. However, it needed a huge amount of time before accomplishing that goal.
That item was none other than the orb that Jake held in his hand, the <Demon's Mark>.
Jake could only shake his head in confusion as he stared at the dark orb he obtained.
"Hey, system. Do you have any idea on what exactly happened?"
… … …
There was no response to the question.
"*Sigh* Say something even if you don't know…"
He put away the orb inside his storage. This time, he called out his status window to check on a certain skill. It was the skill he got after coming into contact with the <Demon's Mark>.
"A blessing from the demon lord? What kind of idiot named that shit. The effects are welcomed though."
The description made Jake a little bit confused as it required some kind of <Key> to fully release the might of the skill. He assumed that it must be the remaining <Demon's Mark> that he has yet to found.
On Aestes, there were exactly 12 of the <Demon's Mark>. The number matched perfectly with the description of the skill.
However, what came after his understanding was a sense of urgency. The existence of the <Demon's Mark> meant that the great invasion will occur in near future. There was no time to waste.
Jake decided to put away that thought for now and focused on getting stronger, fast.
"Damn it… why can't it be another type of system or at least let me retain my stats…"
Those thoughts lingered in his head as he fell asleep.
Unknown to him, his neck started to let out a bright light. The center of it is the tattoo on his neck.
A mysterious phenomenon occurred. The tattoo moved! It was rotating at an extreme speed. It continued on after some time before returning to its previous state.
That night, Jake had a dreamt of a distant memory.
Jake found himself standing against a black figure. The other party was wearing a skeleton mask to cover their face. The impact of their duel has affected the surrounding terrain.
A hole of wasteland was made at a dense forest. The scene triggered the dark memory within Jake's consciousness. This was his battle against the demon lord.
"This…"
Jake's view was disturbed by a sudden movement. His body moved on its own, not listening to his command.
Jake kept on slicing and thrusting towards the masked figure. Laughter filled the battle. It originated from the demon lord. However, Jake paid it no heed as he suppressed the demon lord.
The battle began to appear one-sided with Jake on the upper hand. However, the laughter never stopped.
Jake's lips moved by itself.
"What are you laughing about!"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
The action succeeded in angering Jake. He lunged forward with great confidence as he chased the demon lord. The sentence 'I can do it' echoed in his head.
However, the Jake, who was dreaming, shed a tear. The entire body refused the order to move an inch.
'No! You fool! Go back to the town!'
Tears flowed along his imaginary cheeks. No matter how much he yearns and screamed, it was to no avail.
'Please…'
At this moment, the demon lord was finally defeated as his severed head made an arc. The battlefield gave a roar of victory.
The scene was suddenly replaced by a ghost town. No… It was not a ghost town until recently. This was the town of Saltham, the base, and hometown of Jake in Aestes.
The lively street was nowhere to be seen. In its place, a mountain of corpses was present. The only living being remaining was a handful of monsters, hiding at some random building.
"ARGH!!"
'ARGH!!!'
Jake fell down to his knees as he stared at the remains of the town. He frantically entered the town, calling out multiple names. However, no one answered.
The group who accompanied him couldn't stop his action. They just stared at the remains in silence. There are some who offered a prayer.
The scene was, once again, replaced by another scene. This time, it showed him fighting against an enormous figure. The enemy was staring down at Jake from a higher position.
The cycle continued. Each time, Jake would lose something precious to him. Something… that he swore to protect.
'Stop it… STOP IT!'
The cruel dream bound Jake's consciousness with the body. As such, he could not cover his eyes or ears to ease the pain. He was forced to re-live the situation over.
Finally, the cycle ended with him dying within Natalia's embrace.
Jake regained control of his body. However, he was transported into a pitch black world. His legs gave away as he slumped on the non-existent ground.
[Do you regret that decision?]
A sweet voice was heard. The voice found its way into Jake's heart and soothe it with its mere presence. Jake lifted his head to find the source of the soothing voice.
"Who…?"
What greeted him was a small light, circular in shape. It was floating a small distance away from Jake's face.
[Do you wish that you were there to save them?]
The soothing voice rang out again. This time, he was sure that it came from this mysterious light. The question contained no malice.
Jake unconsciously gave his honest answer by nodding.
[I can give you a chance. However, the decision will still be in your hands. Now, close your eyes.]
At the last moment, a winged silhouette flew towards Jake's chest, disappearing as it came into contact with Jake's skin. This went unnoticed by Jake as he had his eyes closed as instructed.
*
Jake jumped out of his bed. His body was covered by a sticky transparent liquid. His breathing was ragged as he did so.
"… It's a dream?"
However, the assumption was crushed as a small ball of light lingered at Jake's side. Jake only notice the phenomenon after he heard a familiar voice.
"Good morning, Master!"
The ball of light started to transform at a pace visible with naked eyes. It was similar to how those from series 'Sailor Moon' transform but without any exaggerated movement.
It formed a winged figure. However, one could see the resemblance with a human's. Jake assumed the gender to be a woman by the sweet voice and the long hair it formed.
The size of the winged-figure was modest. Jake could open up his palm and let the figure placed her entire body on it.
Soon, the transformation was completed. The missing color started to appear.
Jake opened his mouth in shock at the winged figure, especially at her characteristics. She had long silver hair, similar to himself. It came as a surprise as he never thought of his hair color as a mainstream.
The fair skin she possessed increased the charm of her beautiful light blue eyes. She had her lips formed into a smile as she greeted Jake. However, despite her size, her body proportion was that of a female teenager.
"Who are you?… No… What are you? Why did you call me, 'Master'?"
"I am the system's persona. That was the only explanation I have right now. As to how and why I came into existence, I have completely no recollection of it. As the system's persona, it is natural to address you as such."
'That was a surprisingly detailed explanation…' Jake thought silently.
"I have some news to deliver. A good one and a bad one. Which one does Master prefer to hear first?"
"…"
"The good one then…"
"The good one is… There is an additional function to the system. The system referred to it as 'Guildmaster'. Its appearance was covered in mystery. However, the system was aware of its magnificent ability. Please open your skill bar. There should be two additional skill added to it."
The explanation was delivered with a prideful posture. She, who claimed to be the system's personal, held her head up while crossing her arms. It was similar to when a teacher explaining something to their students.
Jake brought up his skill bar and noticed the additional skill. The two skills were called <Grant Skill> and <Inspect>. He was familiar with the latter but it was his first time hearing the former. Fortunately, a description was shown after he tapped on the skill.
==
Grant Skill [1]
Grant a specific skill by consuming a specific skill to an individual. The same individual can be granted another skill using the same method.
Current limit: 3
==
Jake's eyes turned wide. This ability was too domineering. The ability to transfer a skill was unheard of, even in Aestes. It would be similar to giving a random person a large amount of experience.
"What's this specific scroll that it mentioned?"
"Huhu... I'm glad you asked that. That skill is the product of this all-mighty system. The scroll it mentioned can be found at the system's store. Naturally, you need to purchase it with real money. Oh! And you cannot use that scroll on yourself."
Jake held on his desire to rush into the Time Chamber. The day has just begun and it would be a waste to use 8 hours just to check the store.
"However, the power came with great responsibility. Your previous task has been double and the system will guide you to become the greatest guild master. Look forward to it!"
The persona made a great pose for the finale. She pointed her tiny finger towards the sky and declared. However, Jake's reaction was bland, causing a frown to appear on the persona's face.
"What about the bad news?"
This was the reason for Jake's lack of reaction. He braced himself for a bad news in similar scale to the good news he just received.
'A guild master, huh?' Jake recalled the figure he saw in his dream. It had great similarities with the system's persona. However, he couldn't understand the 'chance' she was talking about.
"This… *ahem*. The entrance of the mysterious power has caused a great impact on one of Master's skill, <Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessings>. Its effects were reduced. Master should check on the skill description for more details."
==
Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessing [Incomplete 1/12]
Raised the owner's darkness and light affinity and bestowed a perfect immunity against both magic damages.
(Current Resistance: 5%)
==
Jake's eyes turned wide as he viewed the detail of his skill. Indeed, the effect has been downgraded. However, it was not to an extent where it became a trash skill.
The persona lets out a sigh of relief as she observed Jake's reaction. It was a very human-like emotion, contrary to her identity as a persona of a system.
"The last would be an addition of the term, <Level>, in Master's status window. It should be useful to gauge your strength. Oh! The skill <Inspect> that Master received is a bit unique. Master should try and use it."
"That would be all. Please call me out if you have any other question."
"Wait!"
Jake stopped the persona from leaving while trying to hold her in place. However, his hand passed through her body without any resistance, shocking him.
The persona looked a bit embarrassed but soon recovered her composure.
"Yes?"
"What should I call you?"
"Ah! Feel free to refer to me however you want. I don't have any specific name."
Jake felt that it was a shame for such a beautiful woman to be nameless. He made a troubled look and made a decision.
"Then… Should I give you a name?"
"Oh?"
The persona's eyes sparkled for an instant however it went unnoticed by Jake. She soon recovered her composure and nodded slightly. Her eyes were filled with expectation.
"Yes, I have no problem with it."
Jake gave it a little more thought before sounding his opinion. The matter of choosing one's name was not as simple as he imagined.
"What about… Sylphy? It came from the name 'Sylph' as a mythological air spirit known for its beauty and winged appearance. I think it suits you."
"Sylphy… Sylphy… Not bad! I like it. I offer my gratitude for giving me a wonderful name. From today, I shall refer myself as such" Delight was written all over Sylphy's face.
"It's great that you like it" Jake responded with a smile of his own.
The meeting with Sylphy took a small time of Jake's morning. The disappearance of Sylphy brought silence back into Jake's modest room.
Jake was surprised at himself for remaining calm and accepted the unusual events that have been happening to him. The existence of the system was weird enough but now, he met a human-like persona of the system.
However, he never denied nor questioned the existence of the system until now. It was as if the system was a part of him, as such he never felt any discomfort as he explored its functions.
A weird figure was walking down the mountain. It was similar to a human figure but with an irregular lump above the shoulder area. After a closer look, it was the figure of a human, lifting another unconscious human.It was Jake and Lee. Lee was still rendered unconscious from the previous battle. Jake estimated that it must be late outside and decided to carry him. Soon, he arrived at the large gate of Mt. Odake. A uniform-wearing man noticed and approached him."Is there any problem?""No, he was just too exhausted from the hunt.""I see"The man left Jake and returned to his post. His gaze, however, never left Jake's body for even a second.At that time, Lee's eyes twitched as he held his head with one hand."Urgh""Lee! You're awake!"Jake bent his body to placed Lee back on his feet. His shoulder felt so much more comfortable after putting down the weight."Jake? Where are we?""We're just outside Mt. Odake. We just passed the gate."Lee's sight returned after a while as he looked around the surrounding. He tried his best to recall his memory before losing consciousness. Then, panic filled his face."Jake! Did you kill them all? How did we get out of that place!?"Lee raised his voice, loud enough to let the man from before hearing the conversation. The man, intrigued by the sentence, once again, came over towards the duo."I'll tell you later! Let's hurry and catch a cab first."Jake dragged Lee towards the empty street. Fortunately, there was a yellow cab waiting at his destination. They boarded the cab and gave Jake's address to the driver.During the journey, Jake told Lee the details after he lost his consciousness. However, he didn't say anything about the monster cores and left them inside Lee's storage item without him knowing. Lee's gauntlet was also placed inside.Naturally, he hid the existence about the dark orb.After arriving at Jake's house, Jake gave some money to pay for his share of the journey. However, Lee refused and persisted to pay the entire fee. The driver doesn't say a word from the start.The cab drove away as Lee gave the order and Jake went inside the house."I'm home" He whispered.Jake walked inside the house, towards his room. On his way, he spotted a figure sitting on the sole couch in the living room. 'Crap', he thought.However, that thoughts didn't linger for too long after he saw Ethel's expression. She had her eyes closed as she supported her head with one of her hands."Sis"Jake felt bad for causing Ethel to worry about him. He approached the sleeping figure and kissed her on the forehead, whispering 'Goodnight and thank you' before carrying her towards her room.Then, Jake, too, entered his own room and sat on his bed.With a flip of his hand, a dark circular orb appeared on his hand. A complicated expression was formed on Jake's face. It was a mixture of confusion, worry, and other negative emotion."Demon's mark"Demon's Mark, it was a term that no one in Aestes never heard of. It was a term associated with one of the calamities which invaded the peaceful world of Aestes. The second calamity, the descent of the demon lord was what they named it.As the name suggests, it was the invasion from the infamous Demon Lord. The nightmare came from the sheer amount of his force. It was one thing if they all attacked a single point but they didn't. The army was spread out through the entire world, appearing at totally random places.After a thorough investigation, the resident found out that the monster came out of a certain item which the Demon Lord hid. It acts as a portal to spawn his army. However, it needed a huge amount of time before accomplishing that goal.That item was none other than the orb that Jake held in his hand, the Demon's Mark.Jake could only shake his head in confusion as he stared at the dark orb he obtained."Hey, system. Do you have any idea on what exactly happened?" There was no response to the question."*Sigh* Say something even if you don't know"He put away the orb inside his storage. This time, he called out his status window to check on a certain skill. It was the skill he got after coming into contact with the Demon's Mark."A blessing from the demon lord? What kind of idiot named that shit. The effects are welcomed though."The description made Jake a little bit confused as it required some kind of Key to fully release the might of the skill. He assumed that it must be the remaining Demon's Mark that he has yet to found.On Aestes, there were exactly 12 of the Demon's Mark. The number matched perfectly with the description of the skill.However, what came after his understanding was a sense of urgency. The existence of the Demon's Mark meant that the great invasion will occur in near future. There was no time to waste.Jake decided to put away that thought for now and focused on getting stronger, fast."Damn it why can't it be another type of system or at least let me retain my stats"Those thoughts lingered in his head as he fell asleep.Unknown to him, his neck started to let out a bright light. The center of it is the tattoo on his neck.A mysterious phenomenon occurred. The tattoo moved! It was rotating at an extreme speed. It continued on after some time before returning to its previous state.That night, Jake had a dreamt of a distant memory.Jake found himself standing against a black figure. The other party was wearing a skeleton mask to cover their face. The impact of their duel has affected the surrounding terrain.A hole of wasteland was made at a dense forest. The scene triggered the dark memory within Jake's consciousness. This was his battle against the demon lord."This"Jake's view was disturbed by a sudden movement. His body moved on its own, not listening to his command.Jake kept on slicing and thrusting towards the masked figure. Laughter filled the battle. It originated from the demon lord. However, Jake paid it no heed as he suppressed the demon lord.The battle began to appear one-sided with Jake on the upper hand. However, the laughter never stopped.Jake's lips moved by itself."What are you laughing about!""HAHAHAHAHA"The action succeeded in angering Jake. He lunged forward with great confidence as he chased the demon lord. The sentence 'I can do it' echoed in his head.However, the Jake, who was dreaming, shed a tear. The entire body refused the order to move an inch.'No! You fool! Go back to the town!'Tears flowed along his imaginary cheeks. No matter how much he yearns and screamed, it was to no avail.'Please'At this moment, the demon lord was finally defeated as his severed head made an arc. The battlefield gave a roar of victory.The scene was suddenly replaced by a ghost town. No It was not a ghost town until recently. This was the town of Saltham, the base, and hometown of Jake in Aestes.The lively street was nowhere to be seen. In its place, a mountain of corpses was present. The only living being remaining was a handful of monsters, hiding at some random building."ARGH!!"'ARGH!!!'Jake fell down to his knees as he stared at the remains of the town. He frantically entered the town, calling out multiple names. However, no one answered.The group who accompanied him couldn't stop his action. They just stared at the remains in silence. There are some who offered a prayer.The scene was, once again, replaced by another scene. This time, it showed him fighting against an enormous figure. The enemy was staring down at Jake from a higher position.The cycle continued. Each time, Jake would lose something precious to him. Something that he swore to protect.'Stop it STOP IT!'The cruel dream bound Jake's consciousness with the body. As such, he could not cover his eyes or ears to ease the pain. He was forced to re-live the situation over.Finally, the cycle ended with him dying within Natalia's embrace.Jake regained control of his body. However, he was transported into a pitch black world. His legs gave away as he slumped on the non-existent ground.Do you regret that decision?A sweet voice was heard. The voice found its way into Jake's heart and soothe it with its mere presence. Jake lifted his head to find the source of the soothing voice."Who?"What greeted him was a small light, circular in shape. It was floating a small distance away from Jake's face.Do you wish that you were there to save them?The soothing voice rang out again. This time, he was sure that it came from this mysterious light. The question contained no malice.Jake unconsciously gave his honest answer by nodding.I can give you a chance. However, the decision will still be in your hands. Now, close your eyes.At the last moment, a winged silhouette flew towards Jake's chest, disappearing as it came into contact with Jake's skin. This went unnoticed by Jake as he had his eyes closed as instructed.*Jake jumped out of his bed. His body was covered by a sticky transparent liquid. His breathing was ragged as he did so." It's a dream?"However, the assumption was crushed as a small ball of light lingered at Jake's side. Jake only notice the phenomenon after he heard a familiar voice."Good morning, Master!"The ball of light started to transform at a pace visible with naked eyes. It was similar to how those from series 'Sailor Moon' transform but without any exaggerated movement.It formed a winged figure. However, one could see the resemblance with a human's. Jake assumed the gender to be a woman by the sweet voice and the long hair it formed.The size of the winged-figure was modest. Jake could open up his palm and let the figure placed her entire body on it.Soon, the transformation was completed. The missing color started to appear.Jake opened his mouth in shock at the winged figure, especially at her characteristics. She had long silver hair, similar to himself. It came as a surprise as he never thought of his hair color as a mainstream.The fair skin she possessed increased the charm of her beautiful light blue eyes. She had her lips formed into a smile as she greeted Jake. However, despite her size, her body proportion was that of a female teenager."Who are you? No What are you? Why did you call me, 'Master'?""I am the system's persona. That was the only explanation I have right now. As to how and why I came into existence, I have completely no recollection of it. As the system's persona, it is natural to address you as such."'That was a surprisingly detailed explanation' Jake thought silently."I have some news to deliver. A good one and a bad one. Which one does Master prefer to hear first?""""The good one then""The good one is There is an additional function to the system. The system referred to it as 'Guildmaster'. Its appearance was covered in mystery. However, the system was aware of its magnificent ability. Please open your skill bar. There should be two additional skill added to it."The explanation was delivered with a prideful posture. She, who claimed to be the system's personal, held her head up while crossing her arms. It was similar to when a teacher explaining something to their students.Jake brought up his skill bar and noticed the additional skill. The two skills were called Grant Skill and Inspect. He was familiar with the latter but it was his first time hearing the former. Fortunately, a description was shown after he tapped on the skill.==Grant Skill 1Grant a specific skill by consuming a specific skill to an individual. The same individual can be granted another skill using the same method.Current limit: 3==Jake's eyes turned wide. This ability was too domineering. The ability to transfer a skill was unheard of, even in Aestes. It would be similar to giving a random person a large amount of experience."What's this specific scroll that it mentioned?""Huhu... I'm glad you asked that. That skill is the product of this all-mighty system. The scroll it mentioned can be found at the system's store. Naturally, you need to purchase it with real money. Oh! And you cannot use that scroll on yourself."Jake held on his desire to rush into the Time Chamber. The day has just begun and it would be a waste to use 8 hours just to check the store."However, the power came with great responsibility. Your previous task has been double and the system will guide you to become the greatest guild master. Look forward to it!"The persona made a great pose for the finale. She pointed her tiny finger towards the sky and declared. However, Jake's reaction was bland, causing a frown to appear on the persona's face."What about the bad news?"This was the reason for Jake's lack of reaction. He braced himself for a bad news in similar scale to the good news he just received.'A guild master, huh?' Jake recalled the figure he saw in his dream. It had great similarities with the system's persona. However, he couldn't understand the 'chance' she was talking about."This *ahem*. The entrance of the mysterious power has caused a great impact on one of Master's skill, Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessings. Its effects were reduced. Master should check on the skill description for more details."==Number 2: Demon Lord's Blessing Incomplete 1/12Raised the owner's darkness and light affinity and bestowed a perfect immunity against both magic damages.Current Resistance: 5%==Jake's eyes turned wide as he viewed the detail of his skill. Indeed, the effect has been downgraded. However, it was not to an extent where it became a trash skill.The persona lets out a sigh of relief as she observed Jake's reaction. It was a very human-like emotion, contrary to her identity as a persona of a system."The last would be an addition of the term, Level, in Master's status window. It should be useful to gauge your strength. Oh! The skill Inspect that Master received is a bit unique. Master should try and use it.""That would be all. Please call me out if you have any other question.""Wait!"Jake stopped the persona from leaving while trying to hold her in place. However, his hand passed through her body without any resistance, shocking him.The persona looked a bit embarrassed but soon recovered her composure."Yes?""What should I call you?""Ah! Feel free to refer to me however you want. I don't have any specific name."Jake felt that it was a shame for such a beautiful woman to be nameless. He made a troubled look and made a decision."Then Should I give you a name?""Oh?"The persona's eyes sparkled for an instant however it went unnoticed by Jake. She soon recovered her composure and nodded slightly. Her eyes were filled with expectation."Yes, I have no problem with it."Jake gave it a little more thought before sounding his opinion. The matter of choosing one's name was not as simple as he imagined."What about Sylphy? It came from the name 'Sylph' as a mythological air spirit known for its beauty and winged appearance. I think it suits you.""Sylphy Sylphy Not bad! I like it. I offer my gratitude for giving me a wonderful name. From today, I shall refer myself as such" Delight was written all over Sylphy's face."It's great that you like it" Jake responded with a smile of his own.The meeting with Sylphy took a small time of Jake's morning. The disappearance of Sylphy brought silence back into Jake's modest room.Jake was surprised at himself for remaining calm and accepted the unusual events that have been happening to him. The existence of the system was weird enough but now, he met a human-like persona of the system.However, he never denied nor questioned the existence of the system until now. It was as if the system was a part of him, as such he never felt any discomfort as he explored its functions.
