Just as Marcus's concentration began to waver, he felt it—a subtle warmth emanating from the crystal, growing hotter with each passing second. The cloudy blue surface began to glow, first dimly, then with increasing brightness until light seeped between his fingers.
The warmth became heat, bordering on pain. Still, Marcus held on, gritting his teeth against the burning sensation. The manual had mentioned discomfort, not agony. Something was different about this skill crystal.
Is it really a fake crystal? Did that woman cheat me out of my money just because I'm a cripple?
Trepidation built in Marcus's heart as he considered the possibility.
While lost in thought, the crystal suddenly pulsed once, twice, then shattered in his hands.
But instead of falling as fragments, it dissolved into particles of blue light that hovered momentarily before rearranging themselves into a complex sigil—an intricate pattern of swirling lines and angular symbols that Marcus had never seen before.
The sigil hung in the air between his outstretched hands for a heartbeat, then shot forward, impacting his chest with enough force to push him back against the headboard. Pain pierced through him as the sigil seemed to burn its way through his sternum, penetrating deeper until it reached something at his core.
Marcus gasped, his body arching involuntarily. Light coursed through his veins, visible beneath his skin like luminous rivers. For a terrifying moment, he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but experience the invasion of foreign energy into his system.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pain subsided. The light faded, leaving him trembling and covered in sweat. His entire body tingled with residual energy, and his lungs burned with each ragged breath.
"What the hell?"
He whispered, staring at his hands. They appeared unchanged, though they buzzed with an energy he had never experienced before.
As if in response to his question, the air before him shimmered, and words began to form, not written on any surface, but hovering in the space before his eyes:
[BASIC SKILL: WIND - ACTIVATED]
[LEVEL 1 - PROFICIENCY: 0%]
[EFFECTS: MINOR AIR MANIPULATION, NO OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY]
Marcus blinked, but the words remained. This wasn't mentioned in the skill manual. Basic skills were supposed to be simple, instinctive abilities that users could access with practice and concentration, not whatever this was.
Before he could process what was happening, new text appeared:
[SCANNING HOST...]
[UNIQUE ORIGIN DETECTED]
[INITIALIZING SYSTEM INTERFACE]
The floating text expanded, forming a translucent window in midair:
[WELCOME TO THE TERRA SYSTEM]
[YOU HAVE AWAKENED YOUR ORIGIN SKILL: LORD OF CONTRACTS]
[BEGINNING TUTORIAL...]
Marcus stared in disbelief at the hovering interface. This was no ordinary skill activation. This was something else entirely, something unexpected and potentially far more valuable than a basic wind crystal.
His lips curled into the first genuine smile since Mrs. Abernathy's death.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Marcus whispered to the empty room, his excitement palpable.
Marcus focused his gaze on the floating interface, his mind racing to process what he was seeing.
The Terra System.
He had heard rumors of it on forums, but most dismissed it as a conspiracy theory or wishful thinking—a mythical system that appeared for only the most talented Transcendents, granting them abilities beyond standard skills.
Yet here it was, hovering before him like a holographic screen from a science fiction movie.
[TERRA SYSTEM TUTORIAL]
[ORIGIN SKILL: LORD OF CONTRACTS]
[DESCRIPTION: You may form contracts with any entity, skill, and/or object with Existence Points, binding them to your will. Contracted entities become allies or reliable tools that can also be nurtured through Existence Points.]
[EXISTENCE POINTS (EP): 0]
[CURRENT CONTRACTS: 1 - BASIC WIND SKILL (LEVEL 1)]
Marcus reached out tentatively, his fingers passing through the translucent interface without resistance. The display rippled like disturbed water but remained intact.
"How do I use this?"
He murmured contemplatively.
As if responding to his question, new text appeared:
[VOICE COMMANDS RECOGNIZED]
[TUTORIAL CONTINUING...]
[THE ORIGIN SKILL, LORD OF CONTRACTS, ALLOWS YOU TO FORM PACTS WITH ENTITIES AND OBJECTS THAT HAVE HIGH COMPATIBILITY WITH THE HOST, CONVERTING THEM INTO ALLIES OR TOOLS]
[CONTRACTED ALLIES OR OBJECTS CAN BE ENHANCED USING EXISTENCE POINTS (EP)]
[EP CAN BE HARVESTED FROM ANY ENTITY THAT CEASES TO EXIST.]
Marcus frowned.
"Ceases to exist? What does that mean exactly?"
[WHEN A LIVING OR NON-LIVING ENTITY'S EXISTENCE ENDS WITHIN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, YOU MAY HARVEST EXISTENCE POINTS]
[EXAMPLE: DESTRUCTION OF AN OBJECT = EP EQUAL TO ITS COMPLEXITY AND SIGNIFICANCE]
[EXAMPLE: DEATH OF A LIVING BEING = EP EQUAL TO ITS LIFE FORCE AND CONSCIOUSNESS LEVEL]
The implications hit Marcus like a physical blow. This system rewarded death and destruction. It converted endings into power.
—Power he could use to improve anything he contracted.
"So if something dies near me, I get points too?"
He inquired, unsettled by the realization.
[CORRECT. EXISTENCE POINTS ARE HARVESTED AUTOMATICALLY WHEN ENTITIES CEASE TO EXIST IN YOUR PRESENCE. POINTS CAN BE ALLOCATED TO ENHANCE CONTRACTED ALLIES OR OBJECTS, BUT THEIR EFFECTS ON ALLIES OR OBJECTS VARY, DEPENDING ON THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH THE HOST.]
Marcus's mind whirled with possibilities. If every death or destruction yielded points, and those points could enhance his abilities...
His gaze drifted to the corner of his bedroom, where a small electronic device sat on his dresser—a pest control unit that emitted ultrasonic waves to repel insects. Despite the technology, the occasional cockroach or spider still found its way into his apartment.
"Wait here."
He said to the interface, then laughed darkly at his own absurdity. He was talking to a floating screen as if it were a person, and it would follow him wherever he went anyway.
Marcus transferred back into his wheelchair and rolled to the kitchen. In the cabinet under the sink, he found what he was looking for—an old-fashioned spray can of insecticide. Mrs. Abernathy had insisted on keeping it as backup despite his preference for non-chemical alternatives.
He returned to his bedroom and began a methodical search, checking corners, baseboards, and the small space behind his nightstand. It didn't take long to find what he sought—a cockroach scuttling along the wall near his closet.
With a grimace of disgust, Marcus sprayed the insect directly. The unlucky cockroach twitched violently before curling in on itself, its legs spasming as the chemicals took effect. Within seconds, it had stopped moving entirely.
A soft chime sounded from the floating interface:
[EXISTENCE POINTS GAINED: +1]
[TOTAL EP: 1]
"It worked!"
Marcus felt exhilarated, staring at the dead insect. One point seemed insignificant, but it proved the system functioned as described.
For the next hour, Marcus hunted through his apartment with newfound purpose. Every cockroach, spider, and ant he found and killed added to his growing EP total. By the time he had thoroughly searched the kitchen and bathroom, the areas most likely to harbor pests, he had accumulated twenty-seven points.
[TOTAL EP: 27]
[ALLOCATE POINTS TO CONTRACTED SKILL?]
"Yes."
Marcus replied resolutely, returning to his bedroom.
"Allocate all points to wind."
[ALLOCATING 27 EP TO BASIC WIND SKILL]
[WIND SKILL: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2]
[PROFICIENCY: 0% → 27%]
[EFFECTS: ENHANCED AIR MANIPULATION, MINOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL]
Marcus felt a subtle shift in his awareness, as if a new sense had awakened within him. He raised his hand experimentally, focusing on the concept of moving air. A gentle breeze stirred around his fingers, cool and responsive.
"More."
He murmured, his earlier hesitation replaced by growing excitement.
He spent the next few hours hunting every insect in his apartment, methodically working through each room with the insecticide spray. The EP accumulated steadily, even if the process was slow and demanding.
By evening, he had raised his wind skill to Level 3 with 49% proficiency, unlocking "Moderate Air Manipulation" and "Basic Levitation Assistance."
It was the levitation effect that truly captured his attention. When he focused the wind skill beneath and around his body, he could reduce his effective weight. At his current level, he couldn't achieve true flight, but he could make himself light enough that moving from his wheelchair to his bed required almost no effort.
For the first time in seventeen years, Marcus felt less imprisoned by his broken body.