Noen ran a little, then vanished behind an nearby alleyway, his chest heaving as he finally found a moment to breathe. He wiped a streak of grime from his forehead and whispered, "Access Rewards."
The system flickered to life in front of his eyes.
[Reward: Bloodcrown (Armor)]
[+12.5 END]
[+4 VIT]
[2.5 LP]
Noen's eyes lit up. —Oh my god... that much?—
He grabbed his head, a manic laugh bubbling up. "I didn't even know you could get stats directly like this. And they're probably not being influenced by the Affinity stat—that's why they're so high."
He looked at the LP he received. —I mean, I got more here too. If my Affinity stat were higher, I'd definitely have gotten even more.—
He cleared his throat. "Inventory!" The system overlay shifted smoothly from the rewards to a grid.
[INVENTORY:]
{-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-}
Noen nodded. —Ten inventory slots... all empty for now.—
He took his blade, Duskfang, and pushed it toward the screen. It flickered and vanished.
[INVENTORY:]
{DUSKFANG} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-} {-}
Noen pulled his hand back. —That's actually amazing. I can carry ten weapons at once without even trying.— He rubbed his hands together. "So, and now it's time to level up!"
He flicked his finger to open the main status.
[System-Class: Noen]
[Title: The Absolute Zero]
[Role: 0]
[STR: -49.5 / 0]
[AGI: -46.5 / 0]
[END: -37.5 / 0]
[VIT: -46 / 0]
[FOC: -45 / 0]
[AFF: -50 / 0]
[Available LP: 2.5]
Noen paused. —Affinity is the only one still at -50, so that's the one.—
[2.5 LP Points taken away from your available LP.]
[2.5 AFF added to your AFF Stat]
He closed the system, but then something hit him. "Wait a minute... I also got the Bloodcrown from that magical beast. Where is it?"
"Armor!" Noen said, hoping to open a new menu. It worked.
[Armor:]
[Head: {Bloodcrown} ]
[Chest: {-} ]
[Stomach: {-} ]
[Arms: {-} ]
[Legs: {-} ]
Noen clicked on Head.
[Equipped: Bloodcrown:]
[The Bloodcrown is a jagged circlet formed from hardened, darkened blood that never truly dried. It was born on a battlefield where the Rider stood alone after a brutal clash against dozens of enemies. In the final moments of the fight, surrounded by the bodies of the warriors he had just killed, their blood soaked deep into the earth around him. Then something unnatural happened. The blood began to rise, lifting from the ground in thin streams before twisting together in the air. It hardened into a crown and sealed itself onto his head. Since that moment it has pulsed with a faint, living glow, feeding on nearby bloodshed and strengthening its wearer with every wound he inflicts.]
[Trait: +5% Movement Speed]
He saw a small disclaimer in the corner. "Oh... so that's why I can't see or feel it. It's invisible and weightless. It's there, but without any disadvantages."
Noen grinned. "All stats on max, here I come!"
⸻
Meanwhile, high in the Austrian Alps:
Kaelin Cross lay on a grassy meadow, the sky above him a deep, obsidian ink. He stared into the stars and sighed.
"Enhance: Absolute Awareness."
Kaelin's pupils dilated as his vision stretched across oceans and continents, piercing through the distance to the USA. He focused until he found Noen in that dark alleyway. "Good, he seems to be doing well," Kaelin muttered, sitting up. He wiped some dew from his sleeve and grinned. "I promised her I'd watch over him, after all."
⸻
Noen's pocket vibrated. He pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up his tired face. "Hello?"
"Finally, I can reach you, Noen! Where have you been this whole time?"
"Ignaz? Is that you?"
"Yeah. Why didn't you run with us?"
Noen leaned his head back against the brick. "Well, I... actually, forget it."
"The fact is, Mr. Gantz is furious," Ignaz said, his voice hushed. "You should have been in New York by now."
Noen let out a dry, short laugh. "What can I do about it? Besides, I don't give a damn what this motherfucker thinks."
On the other end, Ignaz chuckled, quickly trying to suppress it with a cough. He took a deep breath. "Look, the show you were supposed to be on has canceled your appearance. They said they don't want someone on the air who survived a plane crash the same day. Bad for PR or something."
"I get it," Noen said, his voice hollow.
"Tomorrow, the flight leaves from Burlington Airport," Ignaz continued. "You're going to—"
"Germany, I know," Noen interrupted, his mood shifting toward sadness. "I don't know how to feel about being torn down by my own country." He forced a small, bitter smile. "At least I'll see my mother and Kai again."
"Do you want me to pick you up rn?" Ignaz asked.
"Please, yes. I'm in a restricted zone right now, but I'm heading out. I'll send you the coordinates."
"Got it. See you soon."
Noen hung up and let the phone slide back into his pocket. "Ignaz is a nice guy..." he whispered, closing his eyes.
Next day:
Ignaz sat in the window seat of the plane , staring out for a moment before turning back to Noen.
"I'm honestly surprised you aren't terrified to fly," Ignaz said, his voice low so the other passengers wouldn't hear. "After what happened yesterday... I had to practically force myself to get on this thing."
Noen shrugged, his gaze fixed on the seatback in front of him. "Well. Now I know that there's someone sitting right next to me who could save us all in an emergency."
Ignaz offered a small, appreciative smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. His expression shifted, becoming heavy with a thought he had clearly been holding back for a while now.
"There is one thing we can't rule out, Noen..."
Noen turned his head, noting the sudden tension in Ignaz's shoulders. "What do you mean?"
Ignaz hesitated, glancing around the cabin to ensure no one was eavesdropping before leaning in closer to Noen. "The fact that... one day... you might be treated like a lab rat."