Maerion

A dark forest appeared before me shrouded in shadows so thick it felt suffocating. In the distance I spotted a lake. Its surface shimmered with a purple glow.

Everything else around me was pitch black.

"Am I dreaming?" I squinting to make sense of the strange scene.

Khe. Khe. Khe

There it was again.

A movement caught my eye. From behind the trees near the glowing lake something stepped out of the shadows.

It is a... what is this creature?

Its fur is golden brown and smooth. It has two long pointed ears that curve slightly backward. Its form is lithe and agile. Some variants have intricate features such as bat-like wings or tails that end in spiked or flame-like shapes. Its sharp teeth are often visible in a mischievous grin. Its glowing eyes locked onto me.

"That's your laugh?" I asked with surprisingly steady voice despite the situation.

I wasn't scared as I knew this had to be a dream.

Kira, Kira, Kira.

Its voice carrying a mocking sing-song tone.

A shadow that can't be the shadow itself.

I was dumbfounded.

Ugh. Not that annoying phrase again.

I frowned, "Who are you?"

Khe. Khe. Khe.

Maerion.

Remember my name.

It smiles sending chills throughout my body.

"Maerion?"

Kira, Kira, Kira.

Its voice dripping with amusement.

I can help you.

Before I could respond, it vanished and reappearing right in front of me. Its wide mouth stretched into an even bigger grin showing its sharp teeth glinting.

I stumbled back instinctively.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice now begin to trembling.

Make a contract with me.

Maerion leaning closer. Its smile widened revealing more of its sharp teeth that made me nearly scream.

Suddenly everything went dark. 

The dim light of the apartment's automatic night settings bathed the room in a soft glow, I woke up.

"That was… the scariest shit I've ever saw." I pulled my knees to my chest as I tried to shake off the lingering dread.

***

The platform buzzed with anticipation as the guide stepped forward in the Mage Training Center. Its eyes scanned around as they looked at us one by one. Then the guide start speaking:

[Welcome, participants]

[Rewards will be allocated based on performance metrics from prior missions, including prototype evaluations]

A system message appeared on the screen hovering in front of me:

[Prototype Evaluation - Coin Assigned: 200,000 Coins]

[Training Day 1 - Coin Assigned: 15,000 Coins]

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

15k for yesterday? Yeah, I knew that was coming.

The guide continued speaking,

[You can use these coins to purchase required items from the shop]

Then a new link popped up on everyone's hologram screens [SHOP].

[Coins may be utilized to acquire necessary items from the designated shop]

[Status enhancements are recommended to improve stamina and performance metrics. Allocate resources efficiently]

The guide paused briefly allowing us to process the announcements.

[Training missions must proceed until the allotted time expires]

[Qualified participants are authorized to disembark]

The hall erupted with enthusiasm. Conversations broke out all around me.

"Let's check out the city!"

"I want to spend time browsing the shop."

I sank into myself.

Lucky you!

While others wandered off I need to stuck in the shadow chamber.

Garis looked at me from afar with a mix of pity and encouragement in his eyes.

"You can do it!" his lips silently mouthed the words.

I just nodded in response.

***

"Shadow! Shadow! Shadow!!!" I shouted and my frustration boiling over.

"UGHHH! STUPID SHADOW!"

I threw a tantrum, slashing my Tendril Strike wildly around me and the shadows whipping through the air in frustration.

Khe. Khe. Khe.

I froze mid-yell. That voice again.

I forced myself to take a break as my body trembling slightly. Maybe distraction would help. I tapped the hologram screen to open the shop.

The interface was minimalistic. The categories were simple.

STATUS | WARDROBE | POTION | GEAR

I decided to explore each section one by one.

"Open Status," several card-like items appeared in the store interface

STR (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Boosts physical power, enhance attack damage.

AGI (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Increases speed, reflexes, and overall mobility.

INT (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Amplifies magical power and frequent cast ability.

VIT (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Boosts health points (HP) and stamina.

DEX (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Enhances hit rate and ranged weapons accuracy.

WIS (+15)

Price : 15,000 Coins

Description: Improves mana regeneration and increases mana capacity.

Without thinking much, I bought each of the status cards, STR, AGI, INT, VIT, DEX, and WIS. As soon as I completed the transactions, I felt a rush of energy and power surging inside me.

Then a message appeared on the screen:

[Max Body Compatibility Reached. Additional Status Enhancements Prohibited]

"Well, that's disappointing," I muttered.

Two status indicators appeared on the top panel, reflecting the results of my purchases.

STAMINA: 67%

MANA: 40%

"Why am I so lacking in stamina and mana?" I frowned.

"Open Potion". I command and then didn't hesitate to purchase both a Mana Potion (10,000 coins) and a Stamina Potion (5,000 coins).

After completing my purchase, a new menu appeared on the panel: STORAGE.

I opened it and found two potions listed under my inventory.

"Use Mana Potion?" I just guessing the prompt to use the item.

Suddenly a purple glow encircled my body.

MANA: 100%

"This is cool!" I was unable to hide my excitement.

Without hesitation I repeated the process for the Stamina Potion. A blue light radiated around me this time and filling me with a rush of energy.

STAMINA: 100%

"This feels… amazing," I whispered while rolling my shoulders.

Then I glanced at my balance. "Damn, I've already spent half of my coins."

With a reluctant sigh, I opened the [WARDROBE] section next.

The wardrobe section showcasing everything from functional mage robes to edgy shadow-themed attire. I quickly scanned through the prices and descriptions but most of the items didn't offer much in terms of enhancing power. To make matters worse they were ridiculously overpriced. While the designs were tempting I decided not to buy anything just yet.

My coins needed to last and clothes could wait.

Finally I opened the [GEAR] section.

The gear selection was as diverse as the wardrobe but everything here had a special effect. Some were general-use gear that all mages could wield while others were specifically tailored for shadow mages like me.

What caught my attention were the hilarious seller names under each item. I didn't know what the mechanic archetype's skills were but perhaps this was their doing.

VoidCrafter's Finest

PhantomForge Specials

MistyMancer Originals

I laughed to myself while scrolling through the options.

Most of the lowest price gear ranged between 30,000 and 80,000 coins, still within my budget if I spent carefully.

As I browsed, my eyes fell on a Dark Demon Scythe. Its blade was wickedly curved all black. Shadow tendrils swirled around its handle like smoke.

I chuckled.

Should I buy this and fully commit to role-playing as some death angel?

Before I could command the system to [PURCHASE] , a deep voice interrupted me.

You don't buy that.

Turning around, I found myself face-to-face with something I wasn't expecting to see.

Maerion stood in the dim corner of the room and its glowing eyes watching me intently.

"Maerion..." I said hesitantly.