Tribal societies and fragnted kingdoms were part of the old stories. A form of oral tradition.
Larnac was a human kingdom ruled by a lifelong monarchy. They didn’t exactly have a good reputation in general.
And Bersáic was a strange city.
It lacked the majesty of the great comrcial centers of the Kingdom of Larnac or the ornantal constructions that constantly appeared in the posts of the luckier players.
Its architecture, worn by the years, was designed to be rough, practical, and a refuge.
Gabriel walked through its streets, calmly observing his surroundings.
Over the rooftops and walls, the northern wind whistled constantly.
In the distance, a tower could be seen.
The structure rose over a rocky hill near the city, watching over the wild lands like an old, forgotten guardian.
Ti had worn down part of its surface and so stones were fractured.
Part of the outer cladding seed to have been lost years ago.
And yet it was still impressive.
There was sothing admirable about things that refused to fall.
Gabriel observed the remains of what refused to fall.
Then he continued walking.
Behind him echoed familiar footsteps. They belonged to Bella.
The girl had decided to follow him.
Not because she had any specific goal.
Simply because, in her own words, she had nothing better to do in that godforsaken city.
Gabriel had ignored her for almost an hour.
Surprisingly, she was still there. Observing buildings alongside him, comnting on unnecessary things, and asking absurd questions, in his opinion.
Under other circumstances, that would probably have been exhausting.
But right now... it was a distraction.
They were especially valuable when you were trying not to think too much.
"Are you always like this?"
He almost rolled his eyes at the comnt.
"Always like what?"
Bella raised both arms.
"Oh my God! You know exactly what I an."
She positioned herself in front of him while walking backward.
"Like a statue."
Gabriel observed her performance for a few seconds.
"I’m still made of flesh and blood."
Bella opened her mouth and then closed it.
Finally, she pointed to a short sword hanging from her waist.
"I should poke you with my sword."
"Try it."
The response was so imdiate that Bella froze.
Then she burst out laughing.
"You definitely have issues."
Gabriel didn’t argue with that. Because it was probably true.
They continued walking.
The streets of Bersáic were full of activity.
Blacksmiths working, rchants arguing, soldiers patrolling, and carts surrounded by guards entering and leaving through the city gates.
Most of the buildings were made of thick stone and reinforced wood. Nothing seed built to look elegant, but it still had its charm.
Sotis conversations from other players could be heard.
They ntioned that dungeon event, which hadn’t started yet.
Many were still lanting belonging to the marginalized city.
So were already discussing how to move to better cities.
Gabriel ignored all those conversations.
He had spent too much ti studying information about the ga to be surprised by those reactions.
Humans generally acted only on impulse.
Bersáic had a bad reputation and precisely because of that, it also hid opportunities.
Players usually focused on visible advantages. Few analyzed the abandoned spaces.
And many tis, forgotten places hid the best benefits.
They kept walking for quite a while. Without haste or specific objectives, simply exploring.
For a mont, he felt that cold, omniscient wind truly caressing his being with comfort.
Until Bella finally stopped, letting out a long sigh.
"You know? It’s been long enough. I have to go now."
Her smile appeared again.
"It was... fun."
For the first ti, she seed sincere. Not exaggerated or theatrical.
It was genuine.
Gabriel nodded.
"We’ll see each other."
Bella seed surprised by that response. Then she smiled widely.
"I hope so, white-haired man."
Her figure beca translucent and disappeared.
Silence returned imdiately.
Gabriel observed the empty space for a few seconds. Then he continued walking.
***
It was also late for him.
The artificial light in the sky was slowly beginning to darken. He needed to rest and he needed privacy.
He ended up finding a modest establishnt near one of the inner walls. It wasn’t particularly well-maintained, but it had a door with a functional lock. That was enough for the mont.
He paid what he considered an exorbitant amount of copper. And received a key.
The room was small.
But at that mont, he only needed a mirror, so it was perfect.
Gabriel closed the door and locked it.
Finally, he exhaled.
For the first ti since the ritual, he could review his situation calmly.
He felt different. It was a feeling that ca from his chest and he couldn’t fully explain.
He began removing his coat and finally the rest.
In front of the mirror, he observed his reflection. His skin was still pale, and his muscles remained defined.
The person staring back from the mirror was him... Was it really?
The thought amused him.
To his surprise, the scars had almost vanished. There was nothing unusual about his physique.
But even so... he felt that sothing didn’t fit.
His body seed like his own, but it also seed slightly foreign.
As if it had changed so gradually that his mind still hadn’t fully accepted it.
His attributes had increased, with his senses enhanced. He felt better than ever.
Everything fit with a successful ascension, but not with what had happened in the well.
It wasn’t a tangible change, but he had perceived it and the system didn’t explain it clearly.
Then he noticed it. It was a fundantal change, so small and subtle.
His fingers touched his teeth.
And found two fangs slightly longer than before.
He imdiately reflected on the ancient stories.
About the monsters. Those legends that told of winter nights and blood-drinking monsters.
He observed himself again with ticulous care.
His nails remained normal.
For now, there were no other almost imperceptible anomalies.
He didn’t have enough answers. And pursuing theories without proof was useless.
His attention shifted to another matter. One much more forgotten.
The egg.
***
Gabriel carefully took out the mysterious egg.
It had remained stored for too long. Recent events had absorbed all his attention.
But now it was there and t all the necessary requirents.
The interface appeared imdiately.
______________
[Connection available!]
[To form the bond, please use your blood.]
______________
Gabriel didn’t hesitate.
He took his dagger and opened a deep wound in the palm of his hand.
The blood began to flow.
It was red and intense, abnormally abundant.
He let it fall onto the surface of the egg. And the reaction was imdiate.
The shell vibrated, softly at first.
Then with greater intensity.
The dark veins beneath Gabriel’s skin reacted briefly.
His palm began to regenerate, with his flesh starting to close.
That was also abnormal behavior. He had improved a lot.
The egg finally absorbed all the blood and then beca still.
Gabriel waited.
Nothing happened, until he extended his hand.
He touched it. And then he felt it.
It wasn’t exactly a voice, it was a sensation.
A type of primitive, simple, and clumsy communication.
He understood that it was trying to convey that it felt hungry.
Gabriel continued observing it.
The egg transmitted that sa sensation again.
Like sothing that had only just begun to exist.
Gabriel closed his eyes.
"Seriously?"
The response was another identical sensation.
Then he reopened the wound so more blood would flow.
It fell onto the shell and the egg absorbed everything greedily.
The sensation disappeared. It was finally satisfied, falling into a deep sleep.
Gabriel rested his forehead against the wall. Now he had to feed an egg.
Exactly what he needed in his life.
***
Finally, he stored the object against his chest.
He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
The system confird the disconnection and the world began to disappear.
When he woke up, he was back in his apartnt.
Nothing had changed and yet everything was different.
Gabriel remained motionless for several minutes.
Without getting up, without moving, and without thinking.
At least he tried, but it was impossible.
Because reality was still there.
Kael was still dead. It wasn’t a mistake, a nightmare, or a mory.
It was a permanent and impossible-to-correct fact.
Gabriel closed his eyes.
And again, since he had set foot in Bersáic, the weight returned to him in the apartnt.
Heavier and more real than before.
It was the future, so uncertain.
With death lurking, the video in his mories, and the monsters.
The figure he had encountered during the ritual.
Everything seed connected in a way he couldn’t understand.
Finally, he sat up, even though his body protested against the decision. The room remained dark around him, as if it wanted to swallow him.
But that wasn’t his personality. A beautiful life without action was a wasted life.
There were still answers waiting for him.
And he didn’t plan to disappoint anyone again, nor did he plan to disappoint himself.
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