The midday sun shimmered above them, its warm rays cutting through the canopy as Lukas and Freya walked along the riverbank, leaving the cave far behind.
Their boots splashed occasionally in the shallow water beside them. Birds chirped faintly in the distance. It was the first moment of peace since Lukas had arrived in this bizarre world.
He glanced down at the blade in his hand.
"Alright, Freya, about what you said earlier."
"Which part?" she asked, her voice echoing lightly in his mind.
"The power system in this world. Mana, aura, talents... Give me the full breakdown. I need to know what I'm working with if I'm going to become the strongest."
Freya hummed thoughtfully.
"Very well. To start, there are two main forces that fuel most combat and magic in this world, Mana and Aura."
"Mana is spiritual energy, often externalized through magic. People use it to cast spells, enchant objects, manipulate elements."
"Aura, on the other hand, is internal. It's willpower turned physical, used by martial artists, knights, and those who fight with their bodies as weapons."
Lukas smirked.
"So you're saying I'm a genius, huh? If I can use both, I must be pretty rare."
Freya immediately shut him down.
"No. That's because you devoured a corpse, remember?"
Lukas clicked his tongue. "Tck."
"Anyway," she continued, "Aside from Mana and Aura, there's a third layer of power that defines someone's potential, Talent."
"Every person is born with a unique set of traits. These are divided into three categories, Affinity, Unique Trait, and Resonance."
Lukas tilted his head.
"And?"
"Affinity dictates what type of energy your body is most compatible with mana, It also determines which element you align with if you become a mage."
"Unique Trait is a special ability you're born with. Often rare and powerful… and your [Devour] skill falls into this category."
"Resonance reflects your spiritual or mental connection with weapons, artifacts, or spirit. It's… more abstract, but important for synergy like what you and I share now."
Lukas nodded slowly.
"Alright, that makes sense."
Then he smirked.
"So basically, I'm talented as hell."
Freya sighed again.
"You're just lucky you stole someone else's talent."
Lukas shrugged with a grin.
"Hey, luck's a talent too."
As they continued walking along the riverbank, Lukas suddenly frowned.
A memory flashed across his mind, the masked figure, the glinting daggers, the killing intent in her charge.
"Hey, Freya."
"Hm?"
"There was this crazy woman who tried to kill me earlier. Chased me through the forest like I owed her money. You know anything about… psycho dagger girls?"
Freya paused for a moment.
"That's… vague. What did she look like?"
Lukas shrugged.
"Her body was... amazing."
A brief silence.
Then—"Pervert."
Freya's voice carried a flat tone of disapproval.
"Seriously? That's the first detail you remembered? Her body?"
Lukas smirked.
"Hey, don't blame me. Her face was covered with a mask. I just remembered what I could see."
Freya groaned.
"What kind of mask?"
"White. Bone-white, smooth surface, kind of eerie. Covered her whole face."
That made Freya go silent again. Her voice returned, sharper.
"A white mask… that sounds familiar. My previous master's killer wore one, too."
Lukas blinked.
"Wait, seriously? You think it's the same person?"
"Could be. But you said she was a woman, right? Did you see a raven tattoo on her chest?"
Lukas rubbed his chin, pretending to think harder than he actually was.
"Hmm... well, her chest was... hard to miss. But nope. No raven tattoo."
Another long silence.
Then Freya snapped:
"Hey! I wasn't asking for that level of detail!"
Lukas chuckled.
"What? You brought up the tattoo. I was just giving an accurate report."
Freya's voice dropped into pure deadpan.
"Your priorities are… disappointing, Master."
Freya's voice echoed with sudden excitement. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hunt that woman down!"
Lukas's eyes widened in panic.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" he threw up his hands.
"Let's not rush into suicide, alright?"
Freya's tone turned sly.
"Oh? Are you afraid, Master?"
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
"Excuse me? Who's afraid? I'm just being strategic!"
He crossed his arms, nose slightly lifted.
"I want to get stronger before fighting someone that insane again. And besides… I owe her a proper payback for nearly drowning me."
Freya paused, then chuckled.
"Fair point. I'll accept that logic. For now."
They continued walking, and Lukas suddenly turned thoughtful.
"Hey Freya, you're some ancient artifact, right? You must know a bunch of sword techniques."
"Of course I do," Freya replied proudly.
"But have you ever held a sword before coming here?"
Lukas looked away, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"Not exactly. I was a boxer back on Earth."
"Boxer?"
"Yeah. Hand-to-hand martial artist. Fists, footwork, dodging. That kind of thing."
Freya hummed, interested.
"So… something like close-combat aura manipulation. Interesting."
Suddenly, Lukas snapped his fingers.
"Wait a second…"
He looked around, puzzled.
"I just realized, I've been speaking the local language perfectly. I haven't had to learn a single word since I got here."
Freya responded casually.
"Maybe summoned individuals are granted automatic language translation."
Lukas blinked, impressed.
"Huh. Convenient."
Then he frowned.
"But wait… if I could speak her language, then that crazy woman definitely understood me when I begged her to stop chasing me."
Freya's voice was dry.
"Which means…"
"Yeah," Lukas muttered.
"She's actually insane."
Freya's voice rang clearly in Lukas's mind.
"Before we talk about swordsmanship, I suggest you start with learning how to use your Aura."
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
"Why Aura first?"
"Because learning sword techniques takes time, and a lot of precision. Aura is internal and instinctual. You already have combat instincts, don't you? From boxing?"
Lukas nodded slowly, then grinned.
"You're right. I could totally merge it with my punches. Aura-powered jabs, dodges, uppercuts..."
He laughed.
"Hah! You're smart, Freya."
Freya responded proudly.
"Of course I am. I am one of the seven legendary artifacts, after all."
Lukas clapped his hands together.
"Alright, let's go! Teach me now—!"
Suddenly, his stomach growled. Loudly.
He froze.
A beat of silence.
"Ah..." Lukas looked down, defeated.
"Right. I haven't eaten since I got here."
Freya sighed.
"Training can wait. Let's find you some food before you faint."
Lukas looked around the forest and the river nearby.
No fruit. No animals in sight.
But there was always… fish.
A spark of mischief lit his eyes.
"Wait a minute... I have an idea."
He stepped up to the edge of the river, took a deep breath, and activated his skill.
"[Laser Beam]"
A searing blast of pure light erupted from his mouth, firing directly into the water.
BOOOM!
The river exploded upward in a violent splash, sending steam and mist everywhere. Fish flew into the air like fireworks.
Lukas stumbled back, coughing.
"Ugh! Out of my mouth?! Why is it out of my mouth?!"
Freya chuckled.
"Looks like some side effects came with absorbing that tiger's skill. But… impressive use of it."
Lukas watched as a half-cooked fish plopped onto the ground beside him, still twitchin:
Lukas gathered the fish scattered near the riverside, stacking them into a rough pile with a proud smirk.
"Alright, time to cook these suckers."
He set out searching the area for dry twigs and branches, returning soon with a decent bundle. Then, lifting one stick high above his head to avoid scorching the surroundings, he activated his skill once again.
"[Laser Beam]"
A thin line of light burst from his mouth, focused this time like a blowtorch. It struck the dry twigs, and in seconds, flames crackled to life.
"Boom. Fire magic? Nah, fire beam" Lukas muttered smugly.
He took a sturdy branch, sharpened the tip using a stone, then skewered one of the fish and carefully positioned it by the fire. One by one, the other fish followed, lined up and roasting over the flames.
Freya's voice echoed with slight amusement.
"You're surprisingly skilled at this. Have you done something like this before?"
Lukas chuckled, puffing out his chest.
"Nope. Just good ol' man instincts."
"Man instincts?"
"Yeah." Lukas nodded proudly.
"Every guy has imagined this at least once, stranded in the wild, surviving with nothing but wit and willpower. I'm just… living the dream, I guess."
Freya paused for a beat, then muttered:
"Humans really are confusing creatures..."
Lukas grinned, turning the fish slowly over the fire.
"Hey, confusing or not, this is going to be one hell of a dinner."