Sikero
The wind howled across the battlefield, carrying the scent of blood and ash. Under the pale glow of the moon, the land lay in ruin, a silent witness to the carnage.
An elderly warlord stood tall amidst the destruction, his presence as formidable as ever. Clad in traditional samurai armor, he radiated the aura of a warrior who had seen countless battles. His long white hair was tied back neatly, and a thin beard framed his hardened face. In his grip, a long katana gleamed, a blade that had once carved history itself. He was a legendary warrior, feared across the land—not just a master of the sword but a former noble ruler who now fought to defend the last remnants of his fading clan's legacy.
Facing him stood a lone shinobi, his figure rugged and battle-worn. His tattered brown garb clung to his form, bandages wrapped tightly around his arms and legs, telling the story of past wounds and hard-fought survival. His left arm was no longer his own—replaced by a cold, unyielding prosthetic, a tool of war forged from loss. Scars marred his face, but his expression remained calm, unwavering. Determination burned in his eyes as he prepared to face the legend before him.
The shinobi—known as the Wolf—gripped his blade with steady hands, his breath measured. Across from him, the resurrected warlord, the undefeated Sword Saint, drew his katana. His sharp eyes gleamed with the fire of a warrior who had never known defeat.
The first strike came like lightning.
The Sword Saint dashed forward, his katana flashing under the moonlight. The shinobi barely managed to deflect it, sparks flying as steel clashed against steel. A second slash followed, faster, heavier. He sidestepped just in time, feeling the wind of the blade graze his cheek.
Seizing the moment, the shinobi countered with a precise Mikiri Counter, stepping into the Sword Saint's thrust and crushing it underfoot. A deep grunt escaped the old samurai, but instead of faltering, he pivoted with expert precision and slashed upward. The shinobi flipped back, dodging by mere inches.
The battle raged on—a deadly dance of blades. Sparks erupted with every clash, each strike faster, more relentless than the last. The shinobi parried flawlessly, inching closer to victory. But the Sword Saint smirked—his warrior's spirit flaring—before suddenly shifting his stance.
With a fierce battle cry, he reached for a massive spear strapped to his back. The moonlight gleamed off its blade as he swung it in wide, merciless arcs. His strikes became broader, deadlier. The shinobi barely avoided the first sweep, sliding under it with practiced agility.
Then, the sky split open.
A bolt of lightning cracked across the heavens as the Sword Saint leaped into the air, spear raised high. With a deafening roar, he brought it down in a thunderous crash.
The shinobi did not flinch.
Instead, he raised his sword, catching the lightning along the edge of his blade. Power crackled through his weapon, racing down its length before surging back toward the warlord. The blast struck the Sword Saint square in the chest, scorching his armor. Yet, even then, he did not fall.
The legendary warlord lunged again, relentless. The shinobi dodged, weaving through the storm of attacks with perfect precision. Then—the opening came.
A final deflection sent the Sword Saint off balance. The shinobi wasted no time. In a blur, he dashed forward, his katana gleaming under the moonlight.
One decisive slash.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The Sword Saint stood frozen, his weapon slipping from his grasp. A quiet exhale escaped his lips, followed by the faintest hint of a knowing smile.
"Well done…" he murmured.
Then, his body gave in. The undefeated legend collapsed, his strength finally spent.
The lone shinobi stood over him, victorious. The battle was over.
"...Farewell," the shinobi whispered, gazing down at the fallen legend.
The Sword Saint had fallen.
{Immortality Severed}
____
Lying on his bed, Eren let out a yawn, stretching his arms lazily. His eyes remained on the colorful screen of his game console, the remnants of his intense battle still flashing in his mind. He paused the game and navigated to the settings, saving his progress before leaning back against the pillows.
His gaze shifted toward the floating system screen hovering beside him, displaying a small side quest he had ordered Useless to generate.
---
[Quest: Lightning-Fast Sword Saint]
Objective: Defeat the Legendary Sword Saint Boss in Sikero in less than 4 minutes with no damage taken.
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (Hard)
Rewards:
[800 SP] (for defeating the Boss under 4 minutes)
[300 SP] (for taking no damage)
Failure Penalty: None
[Accepted]
---
[Quest Complete!]
[Time Finished: 03:52:39]
[Damage Received: None]
[Total Reward: 1100 SP Received]
----
Seeing that he had already completed the quest and received the rewards, Eren sat up on his bed, placing his new gaming console to the side as he opened the System Shop.
Just then, Useless spoke in an excited tone.
[Master, is there anything I can help you with? Are you looking for something specific?]
Still ignoring the system while scrolling through the shop's items, Eren answered stoically.
"No need. I just want to look around."
[Oh, okay. Then please, don't hesitate to ask if you need any assistance. I am ready on standby!]
Useless only received a lazy nod from its master before falling silent.
...
Yesterday, Eren had finally managed to gather around 100,000 SP, allowing him to buy the item he had been saving for.
A Modern Gaming Console.
It was a sleek, futuristic-looking gaming console, its body a matte black with smooth, curved edges. The device had a large 8-inch display that shimmered with a faint glow, its surface resistant to fingerprints and scratches. At the back, an intricately designed red dragon emblem coiled around the center, its eyes gleaming like embers. The console's ergonomic grip fit comfortably in the hands, and faint magical runes lined its sides—subtle yet elegant, indicating its mana-powered nature.
---
[Red Dragon Handheld Console X]
Type: Modern Entertainment Device
Brand: Red Dragon™
Price: 400,000 Gold Coins
━━━
[Description]
A next-generation handheld gaming console designed for ultimate entertainment. Unlike the original versions from the modern world, this device does not require electricity and instead runs on mana infusion. Simply pour mana into the core to power it, allowing for seamless gameplay without external energy sources.
━━━
[Features & Specifications]
• 8-inch Elderscale Display (900Hz OLED) – Crystal-clear visuals with smooth motion.
• Dragon-Core Processor X – High-speed performance for a lag-free experience.
• Adaptive Controls – Comfortable grip with customizable buttons.
• Infinite Game Library – Access thousands of games
• Mana-Powered System – Requires 50 MP per hour for standard gameplay. Can store up to 600 MP for 24 hours of use before needing a recharge.
• Auto-Recharge Mode – Gradually absorbs ambient mana when not in use (regains 30 MP per hour when idle).
[View More Details]
━━━━━━━━━━
The console was almost identical to the one he had in his previous world, except for one key difference—it used mana instead of electricity to function.
To purchase it, Eren used 90,000 SP to convert into 450,000 Coins, easily covering the cost. The remaining 50,000 Coins were spent on purchasing 50 video games.
This reckless spending immediately caused Useless to scream in despair.
The system watched helplessly as its master, after four days of hard work gathering SP, casually blew almost everything on what it considered a completely useless entertainment device.
Eren, on the other hand, found Useless's reaction both annoying and over–cringe.
With 12,300 SP left, he then proceeded to use 10,000 SP to buy an additional 50 games, bringing the total to 100 games—for a total cost of 500,000 Coins.
The result?
Useless went completely insane.
____
(Flashback)
[NO! Please! Master, STOP! THAT'S TOO MUCH!!] Useless shrieked in a panic.
Eren remained indifferent.
"Are you ordering me?"
[N-No! I would never! I just—Master, can't you wait until you gather more SP? You're wasting too much! Think of the efficiency—!]
Eren barely spared the system a glance as he continued clicking through the store, selecting games one after another.
"Relax. I can just earn more SP again. It's not like you're going to disappear, so don't worry."
What Eren said was true. he wasn't planning to use all the system points, but save some of it for the system to still exists in this world, and for future quests.
His fingers moved methodically, purchasing each game with zero hesitation.
Meanwhile, Useless was trembling so violently it seemed like it might short-circuit. Every time its master clicked on a game that he selects for purchase, the cost in Coins skyrocketed.
Eren, of course, didn't care.
In the end, he selected 100 games in total, costing 100,000 Coins—which was about 20,000 SP.
Seeing the final price, Useless made one last desperate attempt to stop him.
[Wait Wait Master! Just think about it for a momen—]
—Click.
[NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!]
---
[Purchase Has Been Made]
[20,000 SP has been converted to 100,000 Coins]
[Thank you for your purchase!]
[Current System Points: 2,300 SP]
After that, Useless went dead silent.
Meanwhile, Eren casually tested the new console, playing a few random games to ensure everything functioned properly. Hours later, after confirming that the console worked exactly like the one he had in his previous world, he called out to Useless to generate a new quest for him.
At first, there was no response.
The system remained in silent mourning, still crying pathetically over the "wasted" SP.
But then—
"Hmm...Should I jump out the windo—"
[I'M HERE, MASTER!!] Useless instantly snapped back to attention.
Eren eyes turn dull at Useless's pathetic reaction and began experimenting. He wanted to see if creating quests for video games would work, just like it had with the Rubik's Cube.
Useless, albeit reluctantly, generated a test quest for Tetris, adding some extra complexity that Eren requested.
The results?
The quest rewards were significantly higher like he expected.
Just by playing video games, Eren was earning more SP than ever before.
Useless, upon realizing this, went completely silent again and dumbfounded.
And then—
Its entire attitude did a complete 180°.
The once annoying, whiny system suddenly transformed into an overly enthusiastic bootlicker.
To Eren, the shift was even more annoying than before.
(End Flashback)
---