03: Arcanium System

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[Downloading the universe's data]

[Download completed]

[System: All green]

[Arcanium System: Linked]

[The Arcanium System has been installed successfully!]

[Good evening, Master Darius]

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[Name: Darius]

[Arcane Cells: 200/1000]

[Mage Rank: First Tier Acolyte Mage]

[Class: Battle Mage]

[Health: 100/100]

[MP: Infinity]

[Battle Power: 10]

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[Spells:]

[Arcane Bolt= Level 1]

[Magic Damage= 30]

[Cooldown: 1 Second]

[BP Rating= 5]

[You need 1 Arcane Essence to level up this skill]

[Mastery:]

[Anti-Mage Sword's Mastery]

[Level 1]

[BP Rating= 5]

====

[Quest: Forge 800 Arcane Cells to level up.]

[Click here to read the manual]

====

After what seemed like an eternity inside the void, Darius gasped for air when the relentless text messages stopped appearing in his mind.

"What was that?" Darius muttered inwardly, clenching his chest.

Upon checking his body, Darius found his chest had been healed. As he peeked beneath his shirt, the once-gaping hole was no longer and was replaced by spherical glass that was embedded in his chest. It emitted a faint, bluish light that flickered rhythmically alongside his heartbeat.

"Wait, I am not dead? W-what happened to me?"

[Would you like me to explain your conundrum, Master Darius?]

The artificial, robotic female voice resounded inside his head and made Darius surprised.

'Huh? Where's that voice coming from!?' Darius' mind was bewildered.

"Is this some kind of illusion magic? Show yourself! Fight me fair and square!"

[I am inside you, Master Darius.] Said the female's voice.

The faint hair on the back of his neck stood up upon hearing the voice loud and clear. Darius immediately ran frantically, hiding in the bush due to the unexplainable fear that he experienced.

Fighting an animal that was a few times bigger was not an issue for Darius. Wolves? He had hundreds of traps to outsmart these dogs.

The ghost-like being and unperceivable creatures, on the other hand, would scare him shitless.

"W-who are you! H-how did you get inside my mind?! Please, spare me, Mrs. Ghost, Spirit, or whatever you are! If you want my soul, then just take it!"

[I am no ghost nor a spirit. My name is Alexa. His— Ekhem, I mean, Mr. Nobody had inherited his greatest invention, which means, myself, a Magical AI, to yourself as his first good deed in this world.]

"Magical AI? What the flying "bird" is that? Where did he go, anyway? Did he leave you with me just on a whim?!"

[Maybe, he is an eccentric after all. Anyway, you must hurry. Your beloved one is in danger.]

He wanted to ask the AI woman about the text messages inside his mind and the old man's whereabouts. Though he was reluctant to jump to conclusions, he somewhat had a gist that the old man wanted something from him in return.

But now, there's something more important than his current condition.

"Maria!"

Wasting no time, he grabbed his father's sword and dashed through the thick snow, ignoring his cold feet that felt like almost fell off due to hypothermia.

By the time he arrived at the hideouts, the log cabin where he usually spent his time during the hunting season was already ransacked, icicles pierced the roof and blood spilled on the porch.

"Maria!"

Darius was shocked to death when he opened the cabin's door, the kids that he took care of like his own little brothers were all killed like dogs. No, words could explain the anger, resentment, and agony that swell inside his heart.

"No way, this is not real, Albert, Leo, Drake, George…"

The Arcane Energy in the forest grew restless, awakening the unstoppable force of nature that had been laid dormant for centuries. The spherical crystal in his chest resonated with the chaotic Arcane Energy and absorbed it into Darius' body. While doing so, Arcane Cells were being forged and were instilled into every strand of the neurons in his brain.

[You have forged 500 Arcane Cells]

[You have forged 1.000 Arcane Cells]

[Rank up! Second Tier Acolyte Mage]

Darius' eyes shone in otherwordly light in the process. Nothing could escape from his senses. On short notice, Darius located Maria's location as if he could see her before him with his heightened sight.

He then dashed in blinding speed, bulldozing every obstacle that hindered his way like a mad bull.

"Wait for me, Maria. I am coming!"

****

Meanwhile, on the frozen surface of the Lake of Undine, Maria, the red-haired girl who possessed the Flame Heart was being chased by the brawny mage and his pirate crews.

Alas, a long and tall ice wall emerged and waylaid her escape route.

Maria tried to blast the wall with her magic but to no avail. She was at a disadvantage for being surrounded by the body of this lake which was rich in Ice Elemental. Maria's Heart of Flame couldn't even make a spark.

"You have nowhere to go, Maria."

"You son of a—"

"Hehehe! Yield to me, and I shall spare the villagers. Trust me, you don't want the same fate to happen to your beloved one like what happened to your parents 13 years ago." Said the brawny mage.

"Tsk! I will burn your soul in hell if you dare touch them!"

"Oh, right. I forgot, I already did it a while ago. Hahahaha!"

"Irredeemable!"

Enraged, Maria charged forward with all her might. She didn't care for not being able to wield any magic as long as she could land a punch on his face.

The brawny mage cast another spell and imprisoned her inside a cage of ice lance. Some of the ice lances even pierced through her arms and legs, rendering her joints useless.

Even if she was in pain, Maria didn't even flinch, she was adamant about not giving herself in. She believed that Darius would come to save her. She just needs to buy some time for him.

The brawny mage sighed, resigned to what would happen to her.

He walked closer to her,

"Maria, Maria, Maria… Why won't you understand that your Flame Heart is needed by the Baron? His benevolence knows no bounds, you should be grateful to be chosen as his bride."

"Ptoeey!" She spat directly into his face. "Like hell, I would willing to be groomed by that pig!"

"Seems like I have to fetch your heart instead of your body to His Excellency."

"Try me, bitch!"

When the brawny mage was about to gouge out her heart, everybody on the frozen lake was alerted by the sudden surge of Arcane Energy that was coming from the forest direction.

"Get away from her!"

****