She had called it a "Taye charm," meant to guide lost souls home.
He took a deep breath, unclasped the necklace, and laid it gently at the base of the central stone.
The second it touched the stone, the entire shrine lit up. The blue glow intensified, rushing up the carved lines like veins surging with light. The hum grew louder, then burst into silence —complete, overwhelming silence.
Then…
Quest Complete: Path of Reclamation
•+5% to Mind
•+3% to Agility
•Memory Fragment Unlocked: Echoes of the Past
•Skill Unlocked: Focus (Level 1)
•New Trait: Spiritual Sensitivity (Dormant)
•New Pathway: Mana Detection (Locked, 5% progress)
SAPA's voice returned, calm and steady.
"Congratulations, Player. You have completed your first major quest. Your connection to the metaphysical layer has begun."
Gideon staggered slightly as a flood of visions surged into his mind. Faint memories, flashes of warmth and sorrow, laughter and loss. His grandmother's face — her hands weaving the charm — and the stories she told about a time when people could whisper to spirits and hear them whisper back.
Then, something new.
A vision that wasn't a memory.
He stood in a strange land, where the ground shimmered like glass and giant trees hung upside down from the sky. A figure cloaked in golden fire approached him, eyes glowing like stars.
"You are marked," the figure said. "The land knows your name."
Gideon gasped, stumbling back in the real world. The vision faded.
SAPA immediately updated:
Spiritual Layer Contacted: +1% to Mana Pathway Activation
New Objective: Awaken Mana by engaging with a spirit entity.
"Okay," Gideon whispered. "This is getting real."
The shrine's glow dimmed, returning to its quiet pulse. But something had changed in Gideon. He felt it. His breath moved smoother. His body felt lighter. His mind — sharper.
New Notification: Player Status Updated
•Body: 8%
•Mind: 18%
•Mana: 1%
•Magic: None
•Agility: 7%
•Stealth: 3%
•Resilience: 4%
•Willpower: 2%
•Overall Level: Earth Level 2 (Low Grade)
Title Unlocked: The One Who Returned
He smiled faintly. "Okay, SAPA. What's next?"
"There are multiple paths from here," SAPA replied. "You may return to society, enroll in a learning center, seek out spirit hosts, or take on local missions. You now exist within the open system."
Gideon rubbed his eyes. "And I still have no idea how to explain this to a normal person."
"Normal is subjective," SAPA said. "In truth, most systems exist beneath the surface of what is called reality. You are simply now aware."
Gideon walked toward the edge of the forest. The shrine pulsed behind him like a heartbeat fading into the background.
New Region Unlocked: Eruwa Sub-Zone
Local Missions Available: 3
•Mission 1: Help the Old Herbalist Retrieve His Lost Satchel
•Mission 2: Find the Crying Girl Near the Abandoned School
•Mission 3: Collect Spirit Dust from a Nearby Grove (Warning: Hostile Entity Present)
Each one pulsed with a faint golden glow.
"Let's start small," he murmured, selecting the first.
⸻
Mission Selected: Help the Old Herbalist
Objective: Locate Baba Agba's lost satchel in the forest's west path. Reward: +2% Body, +1% Spiritual Affinity. Chance to gain Herbalism skill.
Gideon sighed and adjusted his shirt. "Baba Agba, huh? Let's go save an old man's herbs."
He stepped back into the forest, screen glowing faintly in his vision, and the system watching silently as his legend —whatever it might become — began to unfold.
The west path of the forest was less a trail and more a suggestion. Overgrown roots tangled beneath Gideon's feet, and low-hanging branches clawed at his shoulders. But there was a sense of direction guiding him now — an invisible thread tugging him deeper into the unknown.
Mission Active: Help the Old Herbalist Retrieve His Lost Satchel
Distance to Target: 450 meters
Local Threat Level: Moderate
Birdsong faded the deeper he went. The leaves whispered secrets in tongues he didn't recognize. A few meters ahead, a faint shimmer — like heat haze — pulsed across the path.
SAPA's voice rang out: "Warning. Minor spirit activity detected. Recommend caution."
"I thought this was a fetch quest," Gideon muttered.
"You are dealing with an Old Herbalist," SAPA replied. "Nothing is ever simple with them."
He crept forward until he reached a twisted tree stump. Something sparkled beneath it — a cloth-wrapped satchel, dusty and torn.
As he reached for it, the air shifted.
Out of the shadows, a low growl echoed — not animal, not human.
Then it emerged.
A creature barely taller than a dog, made entirely of smoke and bone. Its eyes glowed red. Its form flickered, glitching between solid and spirit. It bared needle-like teeth and hissed.
Spirit Entity Detected: "Forest Mocker"
•Type: Lesser Disruption Spirit
•Weakness: Fire, Light-based Attacks
•Strength: Confusion, Fear Manipulation
•Threat Level: Green
"Great," Gideon muttered, backing up. "SAPA, I don't have any weapons!"
"You have potential," SAPA responded calmly. "Engage. Improvise. Survive."
The Mocker lunged. Gideon dove to the side, scraping his elbow against a root. Pain flared, but he rolled and kicked upward, catching the spirit square in its center. Surprisingly, it made contact — the thing staggered, letting out a screech like ripping metal.
Achievement: First Combat Engagement
+1% to Body
+1% to Reflex
+1% to Stealth
+5 XP
A dull heat sparked in Gideon's chest. He felt something — not rage, but clarity. A memory surfaced: his grandmother chanting softly over a bowl of herbs, a candle flame flickering as she whispered words that seemed to ripple through reality.
Instinctively, he repeated the chant under his breath.
Mana Pathway: +3% Progress
Spell Awakening (Minor): "Candle Light" — Spirit-Level Flame, temporary. Duration: 5 seconds.
His right hand ignited — a small flicker of pale orange fire hovering above his palm.
The Mocker recoiled instantly.
"Oh, you don't like that, do you?" Gideon grinned.
With a short burst of courage, he surged forward, shoving the flame into the creature's chest. It shrieked and dissolved into black mist.
Enemy Defeated: Forest Mocker
•+2% to Mana
•+1% to Courage
•Gained Item: Mocker Core (Unstable Spirit Fragment)
•Gained Skill: Spirit Intuition (Level 1)
Panting, Gideon fell to one knee, sweat soaking his shirt.
"Player health at 78%. All vitals stable," SAPA said. "Well done."
He grabbed the satchel from beneath the roots and stood slowly. It was heavier than expected, and warm to the touch.
As he turned to leave, the forest seemed… calmer. Less hostile.
When he emerged from the treeline, an old man in a faded green wrapper was waiting on a wooden stool. His beard was long and snow-white, his staff carved with ancient symbols. His eyes, though old, sparkled like he knew things no one else did.
"You found it," the man said softly. "Even fought the Mocker, eh?"
"You must be Baba Agba," Gideon said, holding the satchel forward.
"I am," the old man replied. He took the satchel with trembling hands and opened it, revealing bundles of dried leaves, glowing seeds, and one small, golden vial.
"You have done well, young one. The forest recognizes you now."
Quest Complete: Help the Old Herbalist
•+2% to Body
•+1% to Spiritual Affinity
•Skill Gained: Basic Herbalism (Level 1)
•Reward Item: Spirit-Infused Balm (Restores 30% Health)
Baba Agba reached out and placed a hand on Gideon's shoulder.
"The path you walk now is not one you chose alone. The land has called you."
"Why me?" Gideon asked, honestly.
"Because you are broken… and only the broken can truly evolve."
He smiled, then turned, vanishing into the early morning mist as though he had never been there.
SAPA chimed one last time.
Chapter Complete: The Fall and the System
•Overall XP Gained: 175
•Current Player Level: Earth Level 2 (High Grade, 60% progress)
•Unlock: New System Menu
•Skills
•Quests
•Inventory
•Spirit Bonds (Locked)
•Guild System (Locked)
As the mist cleared and the sun rose higher over the land, Gideon stood taller than he had in years.
Not because he was strong.
Not because he was fearless.
But because, for the first time, he was evolving.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The soft, rhythmic tone of a heart monitor filled his ears.
Gideon's eyes snapped open.
White ceiling. Hospital walls. IV line back in his arm. The same dull smell of antiseptic.
He gasped, sitting up too fast — pain lancing through his ribs.
A nurse in the corner dropped her clipboard. "You're awake!"
"What… what happened?" Gideon whispered. "Where's… Baba Agba? The shrine? The creature—?"
She looked at him with confusion. "You've been unconscious for three days. We thought… we weren't sure you'd wake up."
SAPA? he thought. But no voice answered. No glowing screen appeared in the corner of his vision. Nothing.
Was it all… a dream?
He looked down at his chest. No wounds. No satchel. No forest dust or spirit fragments. Just hospital sheets and bruises.
But then — he felt something.
Around his neck, tucked beneath his gown, was the Taye charm. The one he had offered at the shrine. It was warm.
And his right hand… it tingled faintly, like a memory of flame.
The nurse adjusted the IV. "Try to rest. You're safe now."
Hmm Safe?
Gideon turned to the window, staring out into the world. The trees. The sky. The sun just beginning to rise.
He didn't know what was real anymore.
But deep in his chest, he knew one thing for certain:
Something had changed.