Power Half-Granted

The strange mark on his arm bore an uncanny resemblance to the blade-like rock he had seen in the chest earlier—the one he had ignored. He rubbed his fingers over the symbol, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Had it fused with him? Was this some kind of curse?

Shaking the thought away, he reached into the chest and pulled out the purple book. If there were answers, they had to be in here.

Sitting atop the chest, he flipped through the brittle pages, his eyes scanning the strange symbols. Halfway through, the frog suddenly shot out its tongue, stopping him on a specific page.

Frowning, he leaned in, but the dim light made the words difficult to read. Grabbing the necklace, he held it up to his ear. A soft flick—and it lit up like a lantern, casting a gentle glow over the book.

Under the shifting light, the ink on the page seemed to shimmer and pulse as if alive. He ran a finger across the letters, feeling a faint warmth beneath his touch.

The frog croaked, tapping a webbed foot against the page, emphasizing a symbol that matched the mark on his arm.

"What is this…?" he muttered.

Then, the text shifted. It was strange—unfamiliar—yet somehow, he could read it effortlessly, as if he had known this language all his life.

---

[Rune of Recreation]

A peculiar stone that can take on many forms. Most commonly, it appears as a mana crystal, a leaf, or even a simple page of paper.

The Rune of Recreation possesses a unique ability—the power to recreate anything it has fused with before taking root in its host. However, all recreations will be only half as effective as the original.

How to summon a recreated object: Focus on the item you have absorbed and manifest it in your hand.

---

His breath caught.

"Recreate anything I've fused with?"

The words swirled in his mind as he looked down at his hand. If this was real, he should be able to summon the fruit he had eaten earlier—the one that had given him strength.

Closing his eyes, he focused on it. The smooth texture, the faintly bitter taste, the way it had revitalized him.

A gentle pulse spread from the mark on his arm, thrumming in sync with his heartbeat.

The air in front of him shimmered. Slowly, something took shape—small, firm, and identical to the fruit he had eaten.

His eyes widened. It was the same size, same color, down to the tiniest imperfections on its skin.

Hesitantly, he reached out and grasped it. It felt real. Solid.

The frog croaked approvingly.

"So… I can recreate things I've absorbed?"

Excitement surged through him, but a nagging doubt followed. The book had said recreations were half as effective. Would this still work the same way?

He hesitated, fingers hovering over the fruit. The idea of relying on something weaker than the original made him uneasy.

Still, there was only one way to know.

He took a cautious bite. The warmth spread through his body again—but weaker this time, like an echo of the original power. It was subtle, but he could feel the difference.

Even at half strength, it was something.

Flipping to the next page, he searched for more information.

---

Warning:

Only one Rune of Recreation can take root in a host at a time. Attempting to fuse with another will cause instability.

---

His stomach dropped.

"So that means… I can only summon the fruit. Nothing else."

A sinking feeling settled in. This ability, which seemed so powerful at first, suddenly felt limited. No variety. No adaptability. He was stuck with what he had absorbed first.

Frustration prickled at him, but he pushed it aside. He needed to test his limits.

Summoning more fruit, he ate them one by one. With each bite, his body felt lighter—almost as if he had been starving for years.

By the twelfth fruit, he reached out to summon another—

Nothing happened.

His brow furrowed. I can't recreate more when I don't need it?

He let out a sigh. So, it only works when I actually need it...

Shaking his head, he stood.

"Whatever. This place gives me the creeps. We should get out of here."

He turned toward the entrance—then stopped.

The tree stood in the center of the room, its gnarled roots twisting across the floor, its hollow trunk looming like a silent guardian.

A shiver ran down his spine.

"No way… Don't tell me I have to go through that again."

He had planned to carry his loot outside, but before he could take a step, the walls began to tremble.

Dust rained from above as the entire chamber shook violently.

Instinctively, he covered his head, bracing for collapse.

Then—

A blinding flash erupted from the entrance.

The door exploded outward.

The shockwave sent a gust of wind through the chamber, scattering debris across the floor. He squinted through the settling dust, his heart pounding.

As the light faded, he saw it—

The frog, sitting calmly, its golden eyes reflecting the fading glow of a transparent sphere.

It had destroyed the door.

---

Outside

Seeing the frog perched in the wreckage of the door it had just obliterated, he let out a frustrated sigh.

"There was a door?! Why didn't we just go through that in the first place? Do you have any idea how much I struggled getting through?!"

The frog ignored him.

Instead, it hopped away toward the center of the ruined village, heading straight for the collapsed well.

"Hey—wait up!"

Not wanting to lose sight of it, he grabbed the chest, hoisting it onto his back with some effort, and ran after the creature.

By the time he caught up, the frog was sitting at the base of the well, next to the water spilling over its cracked edges.

Gasping for breath, he dropped the chest with a thud and collapsed beside the flowing water.

"What's wrong with this body? I'm exhausted after just twenty seconds of running…"

His limbs felt heavy. His breaths came ragged. He summoned more fruit, biting into them quickly in an attempt to replenish his stamina.

Then—without warning—the frog leaped onto him again.

He barely had time to react before its tongue shot out, pressing against his forehead.

A faint pulse ran through him.

The frog let go, croaked, then used the transparent sphere once more.

From the chest, a bowl materialized before them.

This time, instead of the familiar V-shaped fruit, the frog spat out multiple new ones—each different in shape, color, and texture. My eyes narrowed.

"These aren't the same ones as before…"