[07: 12: 15: 12]
…
Cassian sat on the cool floor of his temporary refuge, the low hum of the system still echoing in his mind. He had taken a short rest after his last blunder.
Now that I encounter this stuff, I better figure out what the heck Essence source is and just what my capacity is… If I overexert myself again and if that happens mid-battle…
He drew a deep, steadying breath and spoke softly to himself, "Let's keep that from happening… status."
Before him, the clear interface appeared.
...
WELCOME TIMEBOUND, CASSIAN CAINE
A Story Nearing Its End: [07: 12: 15: 09]
Age: 17 years
Ascension: 0th
Origin Card: LOCKED
Current Level: Trial of Worth
Life Crystal State: LOCKED
[STATS]
❂ CREATION: 0th Star [0/10]
❂ DESTRUCTION: 0th Star [0/10]
Substats:
Strength → 3 » 5 (+1 +1)
Modifiers:
Power → 2% increase
❂ KNOWLEDGE: 0th Star [0/10]
Substats:
Essence Source → 4 » 5 (+1)
Essence Conversion rate → 1x Destruction (1:1)
Effective Essence Well → 5/5 [Destruction]
❂ SACRIFICE: 0th Star [0/10]
❂ VOID: 0th Star [0/10]
Status Effects: Essence Source Deprivation [Negative] (02 min remaining), Essence Source Poisoning [Negative] (05 min remaining)
Remark: A stupid hooman, with puny strength and a cup for a well.
...
Cassian's eyes twitched as he read the remark; it had changed. He already had an entity mocking him, and now the system had also joined in. Leaning back and letting the numbers sink in.
So knowledge has a stat called Essence Source, and I have five points in it now, he mused, his brow furrowing as he processed the conversion rate.
But what does this "Essence Conversion" mean? And my Effective Essence Well—5 out of 5? The ratio is 1x Destruction; isn't it a multiplicative factor of 1? If the ratio changes to 2x, would I have double Essence Well?
And if so, how do I do that… Why isn't there a manual for this? Exploring is fun, but my life depends on it…
Regardless, each card must cost a point of essence to cast… except, wait… the summon golem card bears a five beside its attunement symbol. By MTG logic, that would mean it requires five points of any attunement essence and one point of the attunement of my card.
He exhaled, massaging his temple. "So it's safe to say some cards will cost more than a single point of essence—maybe even multiple," he murmured bitterly. Shaking his head, "Okay, I've wasted an hour resting. No more dilly-dallying." His stomach growled—a harsh, unrelenting reminder of his hunger.
"Man, the next monster I find, I'm gonna butcher its meat. I'm feeling hungry."
Cassian moved quickly, rummaging through the shelter for anything salvageable. He found a fire starter and a frying pan in decent condition and tucked them into his bag along with a few spoons and forks that weren't bent. Satisfied that his meager inventory was now marginally more useful, he stepped out into the blazing sunlight. He jogged lightly through the ruined corridors of the abandoned building, his breath steady, his senses sharp. The air was thick with the lingering stench of burnt flesh and ozone—a ghostly remnant of the battle fought mere moments ago. But as he reached the spot where the greysnorts had fallen, his pulse lurched.
The corpses were gone.
Only dark, congealed puddles of blood remained, staining the cracked concrete like ominous inkblots. Jagged scorch marks from his [Lightning Bolt] spell marred the walls, stark reminders of the power he had unleashed. But it wasn't just the absence of bodies that unsettled him—it was the unmistakable trail. Thick smears of blood streaked the ground, dragged in uneven lines as if something—or someone—had deliberately collected the remains and hauled them away into the depths of the ruins.
Da heck, am I in the wrong place?… No, this is where I killed the greysnorts…
Cassian cursed under his breath, instantly snapping his senses into high alert. He knelt by the trail, his fingers lightly brushing the still-viscous blood. It hadn't solidified yet, confirming his worst fear: this was recent.
I recover one point of essence every five minutes… so a full well would take 25 minutes to refill. I need to be more careful with my cards usage.
Cassian's mind raced his thoughts, a whirlwind of unease and speculation. Who or what took the bodies? Survivors? Scavengers? Another monster? His own voice sounded foreign to him, edged with a mix of dread and reluctant curiosity.
[DING! ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⏃ SAYS TO FOLLOW THE TRAIL! THIS SEEMS LIKE FUN]
That's the plan.
Cassian's pulse quickened. He took a slow, measured breath, forcing his nerves into submission. Calm. Focus. Keeping to the edges of the ruined buildings, he moved in silence, boots brushing lightly over the debris-strewn floor. His sharp eyes flickered across his surroundings, scanning for anything out of place.
Minutes passed as he followed the blood-slick path, each step deepening the unease twisting in his gut. Then—
He stopped cold.
Something wasn't right.
With deliberate slowness, he straightened, his grip tightening around the handle of his machete. His instincts screamed at him to be on guard. The trail… it was wrong. He didn't exactly know why, but it was throwing him off, and after he observed closely, he found out why. Not a single erratic smear, no messy crisscross streaks of blood. Instead, three distinct paths ran parallel, too precise, too methodical—an eerie contrast to the chaos of the battle that had unfolded earlier.
His chest rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths as his mind pieced together the unsettling truth. The greysnorts never moved like this. In their blind frenzy, they would have left a tangled, unpredictable mess of blood and claw marks. This? This was too deliberate. Coordinated even for those hound-type monsters.
A cold shudder crawled up his spine.
No… this isn't their work.
Whoever—or whatever—had taken the bodies had done so with no breaks, no straying off the path. A scavenger would have paused, struggled, adjusted its grip. A human would have left staggered imprints, signs of strain. But these trails were too clean, too unnervingly straight.
A new, far more disturbing thought settled in his mind.
Other card users?
For a fleeting second, hope flickered—until he crushed it under cold logic.
No. Any card user would have a far more efficient way to transport bodies than dragging them across the floor. This wasn't the work of humans at least that's what my heart is telling me. I'm not sure when this city fell when it was destroyed, but it's at least a few days old. In this chaos, I doubt humans had enough energy, food, or rest to keep working nonstop.
His grip on the machete tightened. He wasn't alone. And whatever had done this... it had a purpose. Haaa… a chill ran down Cassian's spine as the realization set in that he was facing a new species of monster, one that was too ordered and didn't get tired… it was bad news.
A slow exhale left his lips, barely a whisper against the silence.
I need to find out what I'm dealing with—before it finds me.
And with that, he pressed forward, heart hammering, senses on high alert. Cassian took a deep breath and pushed his vigilance to maximum as he checked the time [05:37 PM] in the waning light while he moved through desolate streets and past shattered houses.
I need to finish this before nightfall.
The distant mountains loomed ever closer, their jagged peaks clawing at the darkening sky. As he continued along the trail for another ten minutes, the crunch of gravel underfoot was the only sound in the eerie silence. Then, suddenly, a series of strange noises reached his ears—low, guttural sounds that sent a shiver up his spine.
Instinctively, Cassian dropped into a crouch and pressed himself against a crumbling wall, every sense on high alert. His heart thundered in his chest as he slowly crept toward the source of the sound. Peering around a corner, he finally saw them: Tall. Gaunt. Their skeletal frames stretched impossibly thin as if the mere concept of flesh barely clung to their existence. They moved with an eerie, unnatural grace, their limbs too long, their motions too deliberate. Before he could process the full horror of their existence, they struck. In a blur of terrifying precision, the creatures descended upon the greysnorts.
They moved with a precision that belied their eerie forms. In a swift, coordinated assault, the two figures attacked three nearby greysnorts, disabling them with a series of graceful yet deadly blows. Within minutes, the three massive beasts lay crumpled at their feet. Cassian's breath caught in his throat as he observed the scene. The meticulousness of the act—the way the corpses were handled, the straight, parallel trails of blood they left behind—confirmed his worst suspicions. These beings were not driven by hunger alone; they had a purpose.
But what came next sent a deeper, colder fear curling in his gut.
Without hesitation, the creatures took hold of the corpses and dragged them toward the mountains. Their movements were synchronized, seamless, as though bound by some silent, inhuman command. There was no struggle, no wasted effort—only the eerie efficiency of something that had done this before.
His hand tightened around the hilt of his machete as he muttered, "This is bad… very bad." His mind screamed warnings, but his body remained tense, ready to react at a moment's notice. Cassian's heart pounded in his ears. He froze, his breath catching in his throat as he watched the scene unfold. Sweat dripped down his forehead as his fingers twitched, readying his Lightning Bolt spell. His mind raced.
These monsters are way too organized, efficient, and utterly alien. I've never seen anything like this before. They don't act like the erratic monsters I've encountered; they move with purpose.
It's scary… I'm not ready for this… but this is my decision. And whatever happens, I'll survive and gain power.
Before he could make a move, the system blared a series of notifications, shattering his concentration.
[DING! ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⏃ ADVISES AGAINST ANY ATTACK]
[DING! ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⏃ JUMPS OUT OF THEIR BED AND SCREAMS, "WHY ARE THESE THINGS HERE?!"]
[DING! ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⏃ SAYS THIS IS BAD! VERY BAD! ... JUST WHEN THE RUN WAS GETTING INTERESTING]
…