True Beginning.

[ All wounds have been healed. ]

[ The item Blessing of the God of Entertainment is now bound to the soul of the Host. ]

[ A rune has been marked on the host's body. ]

[ All soul-bound items: 1/3 ]

[ Complete all 3 soul-bound items to activate the effects. ]

---

As the golden cocoon opened, it revealed Carous, fully healed by the system that had taken root within him. The cocoon began to shift its look and turn into a cape, with pale green on the outside and golden color within.

Carous' face started to form a river for the loss that he himself did not understand. As he opened his eyes again to the sky, he only saw the dried-up leaves that had fallen due to the fire that had started before.

Why am I crying? He asked himself, wiping away his tears from his face, but no matter how much he wiped them off, more would flow out. Stop! He begged his tears, but no matter how much he wanted them to stop, they continued flowing.

Minutes went on, and his tears finally stopped. He took one last look at the sky above him before his eyes met an uncanny sight—an open area on top of the trees that was once visible, now hidden beneath a blanket of dried leaves.

He sat up and looked around the area, seeing only the aftermath of the fight he had been through. The well had been destroyed completely. Before, it had only one flowing stream of water; now, the water was flowing in multiple directions. The houses that once stood in the shadows had been completely destroyed. The house with the tree he had entered before showed clear signs of an explosion.

The entrance was no longer there, and the wall had been destroyed completely, allowing light to flood inside the building. But most of all, the tree that once bore fruit had completely withered. All the fruits were gone, and no leaves were left.

He grabbed the cape draped over his body. He didn't question where it came from, but one thing was for sure—he wanted to keep it on him at all times and covered himself completely. He walked toward the house he had woken up in before, taking his time to make sure he wouldn't fall. As he entered the house, the three books he had laid down before were gone.

In their place was a single black-covered book. Opening the book to see what could be written on it,but it was all the pages was blank, there was nothing written at all in every page of the book. Seeing this he put it down back and made his way to the chest he grabbed within the building before.

He stripped off his tattered clothes, pierced with holes, and set them aside. As he removed his pants, now filled with holes, his attention shifted to a tattoo near his foot.

A question formed in his mind. Where are the sandals I was wearing before? Why am i walking barefoot?

The moment he thought about them, the tattoo glowed for a second, and the sandals he had been looking for appeared before him. He willed them away to put on new pants, and they disappeared as if at his command.

After seeing this thing before him, he picked up the a pair of clothes and replaced the one he have on, he looked at the chest he had taken before and examined the items inside.

He pulled out sheets of paper, flipping through them one by one. What am I looking for? He didn't know—he simply followed the instinct guiding his body, as if someone wanted him to do this.

Finally, he saw an engraved mark on one of the papers. Without questioning why, he grabbed the black book, pressed the engraved paper against it, and held it tightly in his hand.

Copying the actions of the frog before when he gain the ability to summon the fruit.

Just like when he had first gained the ability to summon the black fruit, a searing pain shot through his body. But he did not falter. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, keeping his hand steady as the book engraved itself onto him.

Half an hour of torment passed. The painful experience was finally done. Then, the book vanished. Just like how he got a tattoo before, he also managed to get a new one, this time its looked like a magnifying glass in his left arm.

Carous exhaled heavily, his hand still trembling. But now, he knew—it was bound to him.

Testing it, he focused his mind. Thinking about the black book. In an instant, the black book appeared before him. Floating above his arm, but the size was the same with his hand, seeing this he thought of it being bigger, since he can summon the fruit in his left hand without a problem, he thinks that this won't be a problem at all.

Just like he thought the book begun to change it's size according to his will, if he wanted it to get smaller it will shrink, when he want for it to get bigger it would and if he wanted for it to get wider it will, but it will only be the size of his arm. Then he took the risk and ripped away multiple page's of the book and crumble them away without a care he unsummon it and summon it back. He took a deep breath before opening the book seeing as the ripped off page's was back he felt relieve now he don't have to worry about paper that he can use to start off a fire and fuel for it.

---

After gathering all his loot from the house to the well, he began picking up the giant rocks scattered around the village, stacking them near the house entrance to block anything from getting inside.

Once the house was sealed, he rested near the well, eating berries from the jar and summoning black fruits to restore his stamina.

[ You have regained your stamina by 1 point. ]

The system alert flashed each time he took a bite of the summoned fruit. Carous ignored the notifications, focusing instead on his destroyed clothes. He tore the pants apart completely, using the fabric to wrap the shattered jar glass.

There had originally been six jars. All of them was in their best conditions without a hint of damage. But after his first day in this world there have been changes on them. One was still intact, filled with berries that the frog have gathered for him to eat, he made sure to save it worrying, that he might not found any other sources of food in this place.

Three had been completely destroyed after being thrown into them when it was near the well, thought he regretted his decision on leaving them outside, but at the same time he was glad of it. If it weren't for the shattered glass that was stuck on his back when he crashed into them, he couldn't deal wound on the Goblin which later on gave him to struck it with the spearhead, making him win the fight.

The last two were shattered, just by covering then with the torn clothes he have, they can still be useful for him, especially when gathering fruit if he ever find some. He wanted to make sure the berries that the frog will be separated from the one he will find, so he can remembered the Frog for helping him.

Remembering this, it bothered him deep inside, The frog. He couldn't found it after all this time no matter what.

He kept glancing around, hoping to see its body. Where is it?

He wanted to at least say goodbye—to thank it for its help when he had first awoken. But no matter where he looked, the frog was gone.

Searching the abandoned houses to see if the frog was inside of the house's but he couldn't find it at all, of course he didn't just look at the house's for the frog he also did this to look for some materials or tools that he can use, but it only gave him little—only a spatula, a spoon, a fork, and a frying pan. The other houses had nothing useful.

Sighing, disappointed at his find he lay on the burnt grass, staring at the sky. The ground was already sprouting new grass. Days had passed since the fight, he's mind begun to play with him. Maybe the frog survive but was eaten by other animals when it was at it's weakest. But he just shoo it away knowing that is impossible.

He sat up suddenly and looked at the reason for all of this, the goblin.The goblin's corpse have dried up aftee days left outside, it's blood have dried completely and it was lifeless, obviously.

Walking over, he studied the lifeless body, trying to remember all its abilities. Only three stuck in his mind: Fire magic through its staff this was the reason why the leaves have been dried up and the burn grass and the explosion that happened in the tree

Chains that could capture prey. The attack that defeated the frog, also the main reason for it disappearance. And the Tough, scale-covered skin, it made killing the goblin harder, especially when the scale appeared on it's neck making him fall off and lose his guard against the goblin.

Carous took its robe, staff, and a few bones from its thigh, then turned away. Right now he doesn't have any money on himself, so to make sure he can have some after meeting other people, he would sell this to the shop or to a merchant he can meet for cash.

As the sky turned orange, he realized night was near. He drank from the well, ate a few more berries, then wrapped himself in the cape, sleeping the night away.

---

As morning came, he grabbed the handbag and put the jar of berries inside it, along with the sheets of paper and a pen, while the other two jar dangled below, tied with the ripped clothes he had before. He took one last glance at the village, where the well stood in the middle, before wiping the tears from his face.

After wiping them away, a yellow footprint appeared before him, as if guiding him somewhere.

He didn't hesitate to follow it, mostly because when he was inside the golden cocoon, he had kept hearing a voice telling him to leave this realm and make his way to the real world, where humans and other races lived.

He checked his belongings before moving forward. Though the handbag was just a normal one, he could fit almost everything he had inside it.

"Let's see," Carous muttered to himself.

The other pair of clothes I have left (check).

Paper and pen (check).

Frying pan, spoon, fork, and bowl (check).

"Then... should I go now?" he asked himself, bracing for what lay ahead, knowing he could never return to this place again.

After spending two days in this village, he was finally leaving.

Moving deeper into the forest, he took one last look at the giant tree and the house where he had woken up. He waved his hand, showing a final goodbye.

His heart ached, as if he were leaving his homeland, with his family calling out to him.

Yet, he continued forward.