System Map

The bright sun shares its sizzling rays with the land beneath it. The stagnant humidity in combination with the heat provides an illusion in the distance. Be it the Scorching Desert or the Abandoned Village, that far they look like dancing figurines.

Nox places his palm on his forehead, forming an angle, creating a make-shift shade for his eyes. He looks around until his gaze halts toward the Abandoned Village. A sigh escapes his mouth. "This way I guess"

"It's already hot enough. Without water, I won't last for long in a Desert"

Like in any situation where the first step is the hardest, the young man finds it difficult to move forward. He's reluctant to take that step, not out of fear, but the unknown is what's holding him back.

The young man takes a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. In his anxious state, his stomach is tightening and his heart keeps increasing its pace. With one foot in front of the other, Nox moves forward with steely resolve.

The sweat renders the fabric wet enough for his soft pink skin to reveal itself through the white thin shirt.

Every once in a while he will wipe the sweat off his face using his sleeve. He waits a few seconds before opening his eyes, to not let the sweat burn them.

{Analyzing...}

[Confirm]

[Karma Points have been distributed]

The sudden female voice surprises him and reflexively he utters in a startling voice. "What? Who is this?"

He waits for several seconds, but there's no reply.

The soft-spoken voice in his head urges him to make a mental image of what kind of person this could be. Her tone carries a certain elegance and depth. Similar to the voices of broadcasters he would hear on a radio.

The voice, though surprising at first, it brings back nostalgic memories. Not long after, he regains his composure and shakes his head. 'I guess the heat is messing with my head'

The young man lets out a long sigh.

As the sky changes colors from a vibrant blue to a warm orange hue, Nox figures out which way is what. The sun lowers itself behind him as he moves towards the Abandoned Village.

"East it is then"

The young man makes an internal note and thinks to himself. 'Good to know'

Like a veil, silence envelops the surrounding area. The cicadas' chirping subsides whilst the birds' stops entirely. His ears are ringing with a high-pitched whistle until his thumping heart reaches his ears.

He's been walking for a few hours with his head down and heavy breathing as sweat continues to drench his face.

While the sun is setting, the temperature lowers with it. The sudden change sends shivers down his spine, causing a reflex he can't get out of. "Achoo!"

He sniffs the snot in his nose, clearing his airways. He looks up and sees the familiar Black Rhombus-shaped crystal hovering over the location he's going. "It says Abandoned, but…"

The young man ponders and tries to make sense of the situation by remembering the recent events. Suddenly waking up in a strange place. Weird markings playing tricks on his mind, and, to top it all off, the voices in his head. "Some sort of hallucination, perhaps?"

Nox's lips crack, and his mouth is dry. He looks up, searching for the vein-like streams. He turns his head slightly to the right; as if he was recalling a mental map from earlier when he was standing on the hill, thinking to himself. 'If I remember correctly…'

With just the thought of finding a fresh source of water, his body moves on its own, in a Northern direction, all the while feeling a refreshing surge to his body as the temperature continues to drop.

[Warning!!!]

The sudden voice startles the young man, causing him to gasp. "Who's there?"

He looks around, attempting to locate the voice, but there's nothing in the vicinity.

[The host needs hydration!]

[Warning!!!]

[Vitality in dangerous levels]

{Loading…}

[Permission to communicate with the host; Granted!!!]

The young man halts. He holds his position and waits with mixed feelings. In the dead silence that follows, he can faintly discern his beating heart.

['Good Evening, Nox']

"Nox?"

["Indeed"]

"Sorry lady, but you have it wrong"

{Calculating…}

[Confirm]

['Your host's name is Nox. You've taken over his body, ergo, you are Nox']

"Bullshit"

['It is the truth']

The youth shakes his head, unable to comprehend the voice's words. In the meantime, he continues walking toward the streams.

"Who are you?"

{Loading…}

['Pardon my rudeness. I am the Grimoire Artificial Intelligence Adaptive System tasked with assisting you in your journey']

"Huh?"

The young man with a puzzling expression quires. "What do you mean? Where am I?"

['Call out loud, "System Map", and it will answer your question']

His eyes twitch in disbelief. He puts his hands on his forehead, supporting it as if he's having a headache, and utters, almost whispering. "Did I hit my head too hard earlier?"

{Inspecting…}

[Negative]

['Besides a minor bump on your forehead, no further damage appears']

The young man in an instant feels his forehead, and there's indeed a slight bumping. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

['You are not']

He gulps and calls out loud, hurting his dry throat while doing so. "System Map"

He stares at the ground, holding his mouth as he coughs a mouthful of fresh blood, painting the ground crimson.

Shriveling, he looks up, and a map appears on a translucent screen before him.

In awe, he stares at the holographic screen. Though his amazement doesn't last for long when irritation takes over and he lashes out. "This is a foggy screen. What am I looking at here? Care to explain?"

['Certainly. Before you is the map of this Continent which shows the places, you have visited so far']

He hasn't been to any places yet, therefore; his eyes maintain a blank expression. In a condescending tone, he quires further. "And?"

['If you look closely, there's a green line with dissipated fog on both sides. That shows your path']

The young man squints his eyes and tries to see the line. "Where?"

['You can zoom in by command. First time calling the System Map, shows the default settings']

"Tell me that beforehand"

He scoffs at the female voice and lets out in a soft voice. "Zoom In"

He voices the command. The map enlarges the portion of his location, showing the green line of his path.

"How do I know which way to go if the map shows nothing?"

['You have other markers to help you navigate the land']

The young man ponders over the words and lets out. "That crystal-like thing?"

['That is a Geo-Marker. The different colors represent the location's status']

"Then, the Abandoned Village I'm going towards to… What does the black color mean?"

['Black is the color of emptiness. And an empty status as a first destination isn't bad']

"I see. Credits to my lucky stars then. What's the red, by the way?"

['Red is for dangerous zone']

The young man lets out a sigh of relief for deciding to take the black Geo-Marker path. He places both hands on his chest and takes a deep breath to comfort himself.

He reaches the stream with fresh water and jumps in without a second thought. He stays under for a good while before resurfacing. After catching his breath, he lets out a -puah- grunt in satisfaction.

He stands in the cool water for some time. He keeps splashing his face and gulps down ample amounts. Droplets drop from his hair, but it's not something he qualms about.

After washing away the fatigue and having his fill, the young man walks out, taking off his shirt and tying it around his waist. The faint rays of sun hit his body at an angle, shading his muscular chest and abs.

He takes notice of this change on his body and, out of curiosity, checks the firmness by poking his abs. A smirk paints itself on his face as he flexes his newfound muscles.

Nox continues moving towards the Abandoned Village with ease, checking the map every once in a while to see his progress.

The translucent map now reveals some part of the vein-like streams, which provides him with a sense of euphoria as he keeps on calling it out and chuckles every time his path extends.

A full moon takes its place in the night sky, sharing its bright silver rays with the world below.

The system after their latest interaction didn't bother him further, allowing him to take in everything around him. His pace becomes slower since the Geo-Marking shares the same color as the background. Every few seconds he calls the map and adjusts his position.

Long into the night and the young man finally arrives at the Abandoned Village. As the name suggests, there's not a single soul in sight. The buildings are about to collapse and the wooden structure is with a beyond repair rot.

{Analyzing…}

[Destination reached]

{Loading…}

[Karma Points have been distributed]