2 2. TIM
'Trash Points?' Hunter confusedly stared at the book and tried to make sense of what those numbers meant. 'What's Aura infused Horse Dung?'
"What is Aura?" He pondered aloud, glancing up at Kavius, who returned his gaze with a furrowed brow.
"Rex, tell me something. Did you lose your mind along with the memories? Why are you fixated on an empty book?" Kavius questioned, his brows furrowed so deeply they threatened to leave a permanent mark. "Did you forget all your years of training?"
"What training?" Hunter feigned ignorance instead of hiding it. Getting answers was the priority. "You sure you can't read anything in this book?"
"What even is that boo—" Kavius shut his mouth when Hunter turned the book's page and almost slammed his face on it. Truly, the condition of his brother not only worried Kavius but terrified him. "Rex… Hey!"
But Hunter remained engrossed in the book as he found more information. He turned the page and found some sort of index with multiple options.
[Status]
[Quest]
[Abilities]
[Titles]
[Map]
[Storage]
[Shop]
[Goal]
Amused yet puzzled, Hunter tentatively reached out to touch the "Status" option, almost expecting it to respond like a touchscreen. He held back a chuckle, feeling like a lunatic daydreaming about everything, but then that sound came back.
Ting!
[Name: Hunter Hendrix/Remophroditux Ignius Kelib]
[Universal Rank: Knight Ordinary
Level: Third Breath
Race: Half-Demon (Akursed)
Soul Corruption: 0.3%
Attribute Points: 0 (5/1000 Trash Points)
Ability Cards: 0
Shop Tokens: 0
Money: 3 Revroth Credit]
'There is a page two button.' Hunter observed a small marker in the bottom right corner and pressed it. The page didn't physically turn, but the information transformed, revealing what seemed to be his own abilities quantified into numbers.
[Strength (Physical/Magical): 6/100
Agility (Physical): 2/100
Endurance (Physical/Magical): 5/100
Dexterity (Physical/Magical): 6/100
Aura Sense: 0.8/100
Charm: 50 (-55)/100 (Externally Suppressed)]
'Almost understandable, but what's the deal with Charm? I was charmful before, but now it's negative five?' Hunter pondered, quickly connecting the dots on what might be dampenin' it externally. 'The curse mark, ain't it?'
Then he returned to the first page and selected the "Titles" option, uncertain of its significance compared to the others, which resembled elements from a game he had long forgotten—something about Soul and Darkness.
[Congratulations! New Title Acquired!]
[Title: The Dumbass Cousin - Increases bond with Kavius whenever he's shown familial affection, or competence by the user.]
Speechless, Hunter looked up at Kavius' face. "I reckon I've just lost my memory. I'm pretty sure it'll come back if we find a cure."
[Kavius Favorability: +1]
[New Kavius Favorability: 3.5/5]
'This can be handy for measuring favorability and devising a plan to deal with folks,' Hunter murmured, recognizing the tool's use as he proceeded to explore the other options, clicking on "Abilities."
[Sword Arts - Temporarily Forgotten
Magic Arts - Temporarily Forgotten
Bloodline Arts - Dormant]
Ting!
[TIM Abilities Awakened]
[Akursed Abilities Awakened]
Ting!
[Fusing Abilities]
[Fusion Complete]
[New Abilities->
Necromancy(E)
Hellfire(C)
Soul Buyer(S)(Locked)
Devolution(C)
Plague Hand(B)
Hell King's Eye(?)(Dormant)]
[Note To User: Abilities can only be used on trash.]
'Only on trash?' The confusing note at the end earned all of Hunter's attention. But he didn't delve into it for too long since nothing made sense and moved on to other options.
Sadly, the "Map" feature required him to first possess a real map. As for the "Storage" and "Shop" options, they appeared to be locked for now. But after all that, he came to the "Quest" option.
[New Quest: Rise From Poverty!
Details: 3 Revroth Credit won't even get you a rotten loaf of bread. Secure your and your ally's belly.
Reward: 50 Trash Points & Kavius Favorability +1]
[New Quest: Reach Lameen City
Details: Your destiny has carved you a path. All you must do is walk on it.
Reward: 3 Shop Token]
[New Quest: The Dream Team
Details: In a world as dangerous as Revroth, being a lone wolf is a pathway to suicide. Gather a team that can stand the test of fate alongside you.
Reward: 500 Trash Points & Respect]
So much information left Hunter scratching his head. But it made him wonder about the last option, "Goal," since Quest had already told him what needed to be done.
So, he tapped on it.
[—TIM's Goal—]
[After darkness, there is sunshine. I am light, a will so divine. My goal is to rid the world of its filth until remains all but zilch!]
'I wonder if that's a noble goal or just a plain old threat?' Hunter hummed, eyes narrowing as his gaze remained plastered on the book. 'Such bullshit. How much longer do I have to deal with this craziness? Until I snap out of this coma?'
Yes, a coma was the only thing that made sense to him. Perhaps he survived being crushed in the garbage truck. Perhaps this was his mind's way of coping with the bodily damage. A world created from his imagination and the games he played when young.
'This couldn't be real, right?'
'Right?'
[New Kavius Favorability: 2.5/5]
Hunter shut the book and stared at his 'brother'. Those judging eyes spoke a thousand words, their message clear without saying. Worry, sadness, and fear were something he had seen and induced plenty of times in others.
"Let's try to find food first." Hunter tried to act reliably.
[New Kavius Favorability: 3/5]
He still saw the notification flash in his mind as if before his eyes. 'He's too easy.'
"Rex, you remember me now?"
"Well, no, but that doesn't change a thing. I'm confused, I'm in pain, and I ain't gotta clue what's happenin'. What's this Bloodmoon Ritual you mentioned? Why'd I go and do it? And why do I gotta hide my face now?" Hunter fired off a bunch of questions, still hiding behind that roadside tree. "Help me figure out what's what."
Kavius wearily smoothed back his hair, his eyes haunted by trauma. "Y-You sought to aid your father, but we, being a Knight family of sword mages, lack capable spellcaster Wizards. To swiftly gain strength, one must relinquish their humanity, Rex. The Bloodmoon Ritual transforms one into a half-demon, creature with potent magical prowess and rapid learning. They're dubbed Akursed, reviled as traitors, marked by curses and eyes. Yet yours..."
"Appeared on my face." Hunter gingerly traced the tender skin around his left eye, still tingling. "Won't a mask help?"
"People of all kinds typically avoid wearing a mask. It's like shouting to everyone, "Look at me, I'm special." It's suicide." Kavius lamented, descending into melancholy and anxiety once more, crouching low and cradling his head in his hands. "We're fucked, Rex. We can't go anywhere like this. The world hates your kind."
Grrrr!
All of a sudden, Hunter felt an intense churning pain in his belly that forced him to sit down. Due to the pain and confusion, he had forgotten how utterly empty he felt. "When's the last time we had somethin' to eat?"
"Three days," Kavius responded, eyeing Hunter warily. "What's wrong with you, Rex? Why are you speaking so strangely? Ain't? Happenin'? You sound like a commoner, a slumrat. And when did you change your clothes? Where's your armor?"
'Ah, darn my accent.' Hunter cursed his Texan blood and reminded himself to do as the Romans do. 'Can't be careless until everything's clear.'
"I don't know, Kavius. There's much that doesn't make sense." Hunter deflected, struggling to rise. Leaning on a tree, he straightened his legs. "Do you have a map of the regio—"
Sssh…!
Hunter lost words midway as he heard a sizzling sound underneath his palm that rested on the tree's trunk. He quickly lifted his palm up and looked.
A black, gooey, disgusting substance had gathered where his palm had rested. As if the tree was rotting, the black substance started to spread rapidly and caused a visible deformation in the tree's shape.
"Plague hand?!" He exclaimed and looked at the palm. There was nothing there, not even a stain. "This is ridiculous."
Right then, he looked further down at himself and noticed his black leather work boots, dark green pants, a similar-colored shirt, a belt, and, surprisingly, his visibility vest tied around his waist. It was all that he was wearing before his death. In contrast, when he looked at Kavius, the man appeared more medievally dressed.
He wore dark brown, thickly padded trousers and brown leather boots below. Above, he wore leather armor with shoulder straps, leather vambrace, and waist covers over his dark tunic. Kavius looked good with his slightly longer brown wavy hair and neatly trimmed beard.
'Adding the curse mark, I'd look like a fish out of the water to folks here.' He reckoned and tried to take off the bright and eye-catching visibility vest from his waist.
Ting!
[A true trash collector should respect his uniform. The host is advised to not remove his work clothes.]
"..."
"We have greater concerns than my attire or speech," Hunter tried to ignore the dying tree right beside him and the shocked face of his 'brother'. "Let's find a place to buy food. I have three Revroth Credits. What can we buy with that?"
[New Kavius Favorability: 2.5/5]
'Such mood swings,' Hunter sneered.
"That would fetch us a bowl of chicken bone soup. But I have four Revs, so we can manage two loaves of bread and some chicken soup with 'meat' in it," Kavius mumbled, rummaging through a concealed pocket in his leather armor. He pulled out a folded paper, unraveling into the map of Leopol Kingdom. "We're near Edge Town, and unmarked villages should dot the road."
Ting!
[Map Discovered]
[Map Ability Unlocked]
[Map Features Unlocked]
Right away, Hunter opened the book again and clicked on the Map feature this time. The pages didn't turn, but something appeared on it that filled the entire two open pages—A map with detailed names, markings that showed where he was, and edges covered with clouds.
"Tsk! That book again." Kavius scowled in anger.
"It's a magic book," Hunter clarified.
"But I see nothing in it."
"That's why it's magical."
"..."
Hunter tried to use the map as if it were a smartphone screen. And sure enough, he was able to zoom in on the red marker that represented him. "We're Northeast of the Edge town… according to the magical book."
Narrow-eyed, Kavius tried to snatch the book and take a look. "Give me that!"
Woosh!
Both men blinked dumbly. The book still remained in Hunter's hand, and Kavius' palm merely passed right through it as if it were mist.
"Bloody Hero! It 'is' magical!" Kavius exclaimed. "Where did you find it?"
"Let's move." Hunter closed the book instead, striding towards Edge Town. Thankfully, he didn't need to store the book anywhere; it materialized whenever he thought of it. "We should find shelter before nightfall."
Kavius kept staring at Hunter's retreating back for a long while. So much felt different from the Rex he knew, from the brother he had been with since childhood. 'How could someone change so drastically in a single night?'
Yet, he couldn't help but feel hopeful since this Rex seemed far more reliable.
"Wait for me!" Kavius collected his sheathed shortsword, bow, and arrows before catching up. They walked side by side, much like the past few weeks. "What else do you remember about me?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, in that case, I'm sure you'll once again relish in my hobby of singing." Kavius proudly proclaimed and coughed his throat clean, "Before Father forced the sword on me, I aspired to be a bard and an actor."
Hunter nodded softly. Kavius did have a face for that, and he seemed pretty tall too. "Go ahead."
"Alright, here I go. I heard this song from a bard long ago. Legends say an ancient Hero composed it." Kavius hummed, his voice melodic.
♫Toss a coin to your Wi—♫
"Stop!"
______________________
[A/N: Check out Hunter and Kavius here or on Discord.]
