Horizon Unlocked

Richard's awakening was greeted by the gentle touch of a sunbeam streaming through the window, caressing his face with the tenderness of a morning caress. Outside, a chorus of birds heralded the beginning of a new day; their voices, a harmonious choir, seemed to sing in celebration of the dance of light. Nestled in the remnants of what had once been a rustic crib, a reminder of his father's love and care, Richard, now nearing the age of eight, stretched lazily, savoring the tranquility of a sleep that had been unfamiliar for so long.

As he got out of bed, the wooden floor creaked beneath his small feet, a sound as familiar as the surroundings. Richard walked, still bleary-eyed from sleep, toward the stream that bordered his home, seeking the coolness of the water to fully awaken his senses. On his way, a peculiar trill caught his attention, pulling him out of his morning daze. It was a sound he knew well, a melody that had accompanied him since the early days of his existence.

Turning around, his gaze found the source of such nostalgia, a raven. Not just any raven, but the one that, in his fondest memory, had elicited his first genuine baby laughter. The bird, once an awkward fledgling, now bore a majestic demeanor, with its feathers of intense black and a sheen that seemed to rival the night itself. Perched on the peak of Richard's home, the raven stared at him with an intensity that seemed to transcend the ordinary, as if it saw beyond the surface, probing the essence of the boy who would soon unveil previously unknown horizons.

Richard instinctively chuckled as he remembered those early days of his life, days of innocent laughter and simple discoveries. The raven, sensing Richard's joy, spread its majestic wings in a spectacular gesture, as if responding to the boy's smile with a proud display of its wingspan and splendor. The contrast of its black feathers against the golden dawn created an almost ethereal sight. Richard, amazed by the bird's intelligence, felt a warmth in his chest as he witnessed the power of that simple interaction, a silent but profound connection with the creature that, in a way, symbolized his own journey.

"Come here, my friend," Richard invited, his voice filled with affection and a touch of reverence. "It's been years; come greet me properly." He extended his hands toward the raven, half in jest, half in hope, that the bird would understand his invitation. Richard knew that their communication was not based on words, but there was something magical in that moment of mutual recognition, something that transcended the boundaries of human understanding. It was a wordless dialogue, a dance of souls recognizing each other, a sign that in Richard's world, the mystical and the mundane danced together in the light of the new day.

To Richard's surprise and delight, the bird responded to his call and gracefully flew towards him, landing with supernatural elegance on the branch of a robust bush. This simple act narrowed the distance between them, allowing them to be face to face. The raven's deep and insightful eyes met Richard's, and a glimmer of intelligence crossed the species barrier. Richard could then admire, as never before, the meticulous arrangement of the black feathers, how they captured and played with the sunlight, casting a rainbow of hidden reflections on his wonder-filled countenance.

"It's good to see you again, my friend," Richard murmured, approaching with respectful reverence. With gentle movements, he reached out and lightly touched the raven's puffed chest, feeling the surprising softness of the feathers. Rising a little higher, he stroked the bird's head, marveling at the fine texture beneath his fingers. The raven, in turn, accepted the gesture with an almost wise patience, leaning in to receive the affection, its eyes shimmering with a depth that suggested an ancient being observing and recognizing young Richard's growth.

Each caress seemed to strengthen the connection between Richard and the raven, a fusion of trust and affection that transcended the ordinary. And it was amidst this silent interaction that a peculiar thought infiltrated Richard's mind: "I have a system of exercises, and I am very grateful for it, but it has not changed since I received it when I turned one year old. If my system were like those broken systems in web novels, maybe it could evolve and adapt, and this bird would be more than a friend; it would be my eyes in the sky, an extension of my own perception." The boy chuckled, his vivid imagination painting fantastic scenarios on the canvas of his reality, while his hands continued to caress the raven gently.

A wave of nostalgia mixed with his daydreams as he wished for a moment to have at his disposal one of those extraordinary systems. With a playful look and still caught up in his fantasy, he said to the raven, "Buddy, don't you want to be my eyes in the sky?" It seemed like a rhetorical question, a playful exchange between species that shared a special bond. However, to his surprise, the raven emitted a hoarse sound, oddly reminiscent of laughter, and immediately afterward, a crystalline sound echoed in Richard's mind, reminiscent of a smartphone notification. It was an impossible sound, but strangely familiar, as if some hidden part of his exercise system had awakened, responding to the silent call of destiny.

Opening the interface of his exercise system, Richard saw a new option that didn't exist before called {Map}. He opened this option only to see the entire interface turning black, with only the center showing something. The center displayed his current location from above, but not as a satellite view, but rather like an ancient map, like a map from antiquity. "Is it because of the time? or can this evolve too?" Richard exclaimed in surprise. He didn't expect to unlock a map function at this point.

As Richard explored the newly discovered {Map} function in his exercise system, he noticed that the map details were unusually precise. Every line, every marking, seemed to have been drawn with a purpose, as if the cartographer who created it knew every inch of the terrain it represented. The forests were indicated by clusters of meticulously drawn trees, the streams by sinuous lines that captured the flow of water with surprising accuracy, and Richard's own house was a small icon, drawn with a level of detail that suggested coziness and security.