Nine of Swords (1)

A faint breeze brushed past, as Seon stepped outside the carpet of green.

Lush grass and wildflowers thrive in a small oasis.

But just beyond this place, Seon can see from atop the cliff, a barren desert stretched toward the horizon.

She remained silent.

Only till Ortos, the one who took the initiative to speak.

"This place was also part of the barren land if Goddess Lakambini didn-"

But his words were cut off when Seon suddenly spoke.

"I didn't ask."

Alas, the prophet is the type of person who will never bother herself over small details.

Seon narrowed her sight before turning back, 

Her eyes drifted looking so melanchonic, the way she steps away were far more no energy? than the ones she left impression before.

Ortos and the others sensed something—the faintest trace of sorrow in her expression.

What could she have seen? After all, wasn't a prophet capable of glimpsing the future? Did she see a pitiful fate for them?

The questions lingered, but they dared not ask.

For the fear of knowing the truth.

Little do they know, what comes on Seon's mind...

'why do these people not offer food as sacrifice gifts? God, I'm hungryyyyy'

****

"Is that the prophet?"

"It seems she is... she looks well—..."

"cocky?"

"HUSH! You must not speak bad about the prophet!"

Seon paid no mind to the hushed whispers around her.

The moment she stepped into this village, every eye was settled on her.

Well... she couldn't care regardless

Rumors that circulated were irrelevant as she had more pressing concerns at the moment.

Namely, the food in front of her.

Despite its lackluster appearance, the knowledge that the villagers would never dare slip poison or rocks into her food made it feel like a sumptuous feast.

With a savage enthusiasm, she tore through the dishes, consuming far more than her stomach should reasonably allow.

"PUWAHHH!" Seon exclaimed, leaning back with a satisfied grin, her belly slightly swollen from her overindulgence. "I'm full! I'm so full!"

As the post-feast bliss washed over her, the familiar system screen blinked into view before her eyes, hovering like a persistent nag.

Even though she hadn't intended to complete the first mission the system gave, somehow, it seemed to have been accepted regardless.

___________________________

[System:

Prologue: Introduce yourself as the prophet (COMPLETE)

Reward 50 Arcana Points given in the item box]

___________________________

'Strange,' She mused. 'Beating the crap out of everyone counts as an introduction? Well… if it works, it works.' 

Arcana Points.

She didn't dwell on it for long;

Her curiosity shifted to the new mention of 'Arcana Points.'

This system was always in flux, adapting to the power dynamics of whatever world she inhabited.

In one life, it had been 'Mana Points,' in another 'Charisma Points,' and in yet another, 'Martial Arts Points.'

Each incarnation brought something unique, but this was the first time she had encountered 'Arcana Points.'

Intrigued, she opened the stats system, anticipating the familiar setup she had grown accustomed to.

Typically, if the system carried over between lives, she could find similarities in its consistency.

Yes, it should follow the usual categories: 'Constitution,' 'Strength,' 'Agility,' and so on. If there were changes, they shouldn't be drastic.

But as she scanned the new layout, her expectations shattered.

___________________________

Stats:

|The Fool | The Magician | The High Priestess | The Empress | The Emperor | The Hierophant | The Lovers | The Chariot | Strength | The Hermit | Wheel of Fortune | Justice | The Hanged Man | Death | Temperance | The Devil | The Tower | The Star | The Moon | The Sun | Judgement | The World|

___________________________

"What the hell is this?" Seon muttered, staring at the screen in bewilderment.

She blinked rapidly, hoping her brain would start making sense of the overwhelming array of titles.

It didn't.

Her mind short-circuited while trying to comprehend the unfamiliar terms. None of these stats resonated with her, and the more she stared at them, the more her head throbbed.

The Fool? The Hanged Man? The Death? What could she get from that? Perhaps a chance to suicide, yes.

After a few moments of internal struggle, she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Ugh, whatever!" she grumbled, dismissing the system with a flick of her wrist. "I'll figure it out later."

After all, 'she' was the great Seon, who wouldn't need a system in her life.

Indeed... as long her limbs are perfectly intact, she is confident she can just brute-force her way all out.

Or so- that's what she believed.

"Kuwa HA HA HA—"

The moment her laughter erupted in the air, Yunnie's voice cracked through the tension, abruptly halting her amusement.

His nerves frayed and ended up blurted out.

"You can't!"

"Huh?"

Seon squinted at Yunnie as if seeing him for the first time.

It took a moment for the memory of the white-robed men to click into place.

Their trembling faces were now clear in her mind; they had been following her all along.

They probably wanted to pretend like an air in the place, however since their job is to guard and guide the Prophet, they are unable to do so.

Thus, they remained in this room for almost 2 hours, looking and watching her.

And finally, among them, Yunnie, the most timid of the group, finally found the courage to speak.

"Y-you can't beat the civilians!" he exclaimed, his voice trembled as if fear took place on his voice.

"..."

'what's up with these people?'