Malgrath Velnoctene
Arvian's heart raced as he opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. His left arm ached the most as a wave of pain swept through his body.
'Am I alive...?' he thought, his mind clouded with the fragmented memories of what happened earlier.
He looked around and pushed himself up with trembling arms. There was a wooden bed underneath him and the room was small, bare, and dimly lit, with stone walls.
'Hell, how is my arm first-class? No wounds; ah, got it; it regenerated because of the Nyxian awakening, but how am I here...' Arvian thought.
Dareth was standing close to the window, staring out with his arms folded and back to the window. He seemed lost in thought.
Without turning around, Dareth spoke as he sensed movement. "Huh. So you're awake..."
Although he spoke in a calm tone, Arvian felt uneasy about the edge in it.
Arvian rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the tunnel and crystal in his mind. "What actually happened? How am I here?"
Dareth turned his gaze towards him, his expression serious yet calm.
"Well, you completed the Nyxian Trial but collapsed right after awakening your form. Your Nyxian form is... different. It's unlike any of ours, even the last of the bloodline. The form you awakened is similar to that of one of our ancestors—the leader of the bloodline, the first to ever awaken a Nyxian form."
Dareth paused, a distant look in his eyes. "I've never met him, but our team leader told us about him; he was a student of the ancestor. It seems your form is unlike anything we've seen before."
"Really? But what is his name?" Arvian mumbled, still processing the surprise.
"Malgrath Velnoctene," Dareth replied, his voice steady.
"Malgrath...? I don't remember him in the novel," Arvian thought, his mind racing. "He wasn't in the novel. Hell, maybe I just forgot..."
Dareth seemed to sense Arvian's confusion, but he continued. "Anyway, I noticed you're not strong enough to control your Nyxian form. This isn't just any regular form, like what the rest of us have. Even Malgrath couldn't control it properly. He died because he couldn't manage the power, and the side effects started draining him. If you don't get stronger, the same thing will happen to you. It'll start weakening you, and eventually, you'll die."
Dareth's words hung in the air, heavy with warning.
"I will become strong," Arvian said with his hand moving on the back of his head and giving a smile,
"You have to become one of us. However, there will be an exam for the World's Best Academy in a month. I want you to go there and become stronger."
"Why the academy? Can't I grow stronger with you?" Arvian asked.
"There's a reason we are preparing to declare Second World War—7 against the world. Well, including you, that makes 8. And we have to win. I need you to make friends at the academy, gather information, and keep us informed about anything related to the war... or us. Also, stay close to a boy around your age, Lioren Kain."
"Lioren?" Arvian thought, his mind racing. 'Ah, the main character...
Arvian grinned. "Ah, this will be amazing. I've always wanted to fight in a war."
"Ah, you'll truly enjoy yourself when you start dancing with people in the war you have one month to prepare for the exam, so we have plenty of time. There's another boy around your age who will be your teammate. Both of you will train under me for the next month, starting tomorrow."
"Hell, I don't even know what to say. Dang..."
"Really? I'm excited, but where are we now?" Arvian asked, still processing everything.
"We're in Azmaris, the capital city of the Virelith Nation."
"Azmaris? Ah, I remember. The central city of the Virelith Nation is the most developed city in the world. This was one of the most beloved settings in the novel.'
"You stay here for now. I'll be back in a moment."
Darerh left the room, leaving Arvian alone. Arvian felt a bit of relief wash over him in the quiet.
As soon as Darerh was out of sight, Arvian quickly called up the system.
He focused on his abilities.
[Abilities:]-Below 3000 points
「Basic Combat Reflexes - LV-1」: Enhances the user's reflexes in combat, allowing faster reactions to threats. Grants a slight boost in evasion and counterattack speed, improving the ability to dodge and parry attacks with basic weapons.
「Unknown Ability - LV-NA」: LOCKED (Will be unlocked at level 50)
"Hell, what is this Unknown Ability? I don't even remember getting this after defeating the monsters. Wait... is this the Nyxian form? Ah, that means at level 50, I'll be strong enough... Amazing."
With that, Arvian decided to visit the Novel Store.
[Novel Store] Upto 3000 pts
「Taming」:Grants the ability to tame wild creatures, making them loyal allies. The user can establish a bond with beasts, allowing them to command and cooperate with them in combat or other tasks.
[ 1500 pts]
「Extraction Ability」: Allows the user to extract valuable resources or materials from creatures, objects, or environments with precision. Can be used to harvest rare items from monsters or gather essential components from the surroundings, such as herbs or minerals.
[ 2500 pts]
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[Store-Points-3000 pts]
"The Taming ability... nah, Extraction Ability is better. I can receive a lot of items by killing monsters with this."
Arvian made the purchase for the Extraction Ability from the store. As soon as the transaction was complete, a new panel appeared before his eyes.
[2500 pts have been deducted from your points.]
[Congratulations! You obtained Extraction Ability - LV1]
Level 1 Effects:
+10% efficiency in resource gathering.
Increases the chances of obtaining rare materials.
Arvian excitedly closed the system and leaned back against the wall, his hand pressed against it.
"I still can't believe I'm going to become stronger like the characters I've read about. But here I am, in a world with monsters, powers, academies, wars, and bloodlines. It's not like the cruel Earth—no monsters, no apocalypse, no wars, nothing. Ah, this life is going to be amazing!"