Light Trails (1)

A while later, everything around me didn't feel as familiar as it used to. This feeling wasn't caused by any visual changes. The new sense I had gained (I hadn't named it yet) felt strange. If I had to compare it to something, it would probably feel like eating ice on a hot summer day, because as the energy came, a sense of relief slowly accompanied it.

I hadn't felt hunger for a long time, which was strange, considering I had been actively running for quite some time. This must be related to the new sense, because there was no other way I could have been feeding myself—unless I had eaten my own crap. But I hadn't been nourished from any other orifice. I didn't give this much thought, though, because the only thing on my mind right now was escaping this hell.

Also, there was one more strange thing: the system hadn't appeared for a long time. The last time it showed up was when I identified the rabbit, and after killing it, it hadn't appeared again. Logically, it should have shown up afterward to give me exp or a reward.

I had no idea how to fix this broken, shitty system.

At several points on the road, I stopped to rest and had shouted out "System" repeatedly, but it didn't open. Since no one was around, I didn't feel embarrassed, but this would definitely make me look like some angsty teenager lost in his fantasies (even though the situation we were in was strange).

I kept running for a while longer, and eventually, I noticed that the patch of land I was standing on was slowly changing. So, I decided to stop and sleep a little, resting against a tree.

By morning, I slowly woke up. This forest was eerily quiet, and I hadn't seen any creatures aside from that rabbit. My breathing echoed through the forest. But it wasn't a problem. Whether it was a premonition or something I felt instinctively, I knew I was nearing the end of this empty forest. And it didn't necessarily have to be a premonition because as I continued to move forward, a ruined structure slowly appeared in front of me. This ruin reminded me of open-air theaters. I was sure I had seen similar things when I first went to Rome with my mom when I was eight. So, I slowly tried to climb up to the ruins. I admit I wasn't very good at this, but I didn't care too much. Honestly, I figured I'd improve over time, or I wouldn't survive because even that small rabbit had torn my arm open with a soft kick.

Since I had arrived here, the only thing that had improved, aside from my running, was my strength. While moving along the path, just for fun, I punched a few trees, creating dents in them. The trees here were a bit odd. Each of them stood there like a metal tank, and despite all the punches I threw, they only bent. What was strange was that normally, small pieces of wood would gradually fall off a tree when you hit it, but these trees didn't show the slightest sign of cracking, and the wood seemed to compress into the tree as a whole.

This situation was certainly strange, but honestly, what here wasn't strange?

As I continued thinking, I had already climbed to the top of the theater, and an interesting sight awaited me inside.

Two figures were standing there, though, if I said they were human, they looked more like stone statues.

The statue I thought was a man had a feminine posture and was slowly gazing at the sun. As he looked at the sun, his eyes slightly squinted as if they were burning, and his knees were a little bent. As I got closer, I noticed that the stone of his figure was made from a slightly different material. Normally, statues in the world were cast in molds, and the level of detail was never this extreme.

It was as if the man had turned into stone, and the woman beside him had a somewhat masculine posture. Instead of looking at the sun, she seemed to be casting a sad and accepting gaze at the man.

Everywhere on the theater stage, there were various body parts in the form of statues. Strangely, this didn't scare me at all, because I had no doubt that these could not have been human.

After taking a quick glance around, I slowly saw a door. The door didn't match the era of the theater; it seemed more primitive, yet it exuded a strange feeling because there were faint shapes on it, resembling wall inscriptions.

As I examined the drawings on the door, I saw three figures seemingly descending a staircase from the sky, their eyes looking down at the kneeling figures below them as if they were looking at them with disdain.

When the figure in the middle raised its hand, slowly, the picture began to add scratches in pieces, and finally, the parts split into three main sections beneath the three figures.

What a ridiculous picture, I thought to myself, and I tried pushing the door. It was initially very difficult to open, as if it had stuck from not being opened for a long time. However, after a bit of momentum, I quickly opened the door.

Once the door opened, it felt as if the inside and the outside were two separate dimensions. The dimension inside, though incredibly hot, made my body ache with its light, and it didn't feel pure at all. On the other hand, the air in the forest where I currently stood was cold and had an aura that seemed to draw in your soul.

Well, it probably wouldn't be a problem, I thought, and entered.

When I walked in, it was as if they were tracing the architecture of the old catholic churches and they had pictures of 9 statues inside, and the moment I walked in, I got a notification from the fucking shitty system.

**Welcome back, you have collected the energy required for the system.

**INFORMATION: The system's energy needs are obtained from the 6th starting sense called aether, more detailed information 3 Finish the test.

***Congratulations, [Congratulations for killing a 1 level Monster]

Reward:Unusual Wooden Sword[Level:0 Rank:Ordinary Belt:Nova]:The practice sword of an unusual master, this sword has acquired an unusual property after long practice.

-FEATURE 1[(Aether Storage)]:The weapon can store aether to create a subtle aura, making it a great choice if you have not progressed far enough in sword level.

-FEAT 2[(Intent) (Unique ability)]:Carries and releases the swordsman's intent.

**Inventory system open....

ONE CUT THE FUCK OUT OF YOUR VOICE, OPEN UP AND LET ME TINKER WITH IT, YOU'VE FUCKED UP MY HEAD

The system's voice went silent and the notification window closed. It was as if the system had listened to my voice. Just in case, I apologised and continued.

The system currently contained 4 functions...