Eldric reached out to take the dagger from the woman before him; her face had an eerie blur of distorted features and shifting shadows. As his fingers wrapped around the cold metal, a strange fog clouded his mind. The world around him began to dissolve into an abyss of darkness, pulling him into an unsettling void. Every sound became distant, as though he were submerged underwater, and the colors around him bled into a swirling vortex of darkness.
Suddenly, Eldric's senses returned with jarring clarity. He found himself lying on the ground, his body racked with an intense, searing pain in his chest. Gasping, he looked down to see a dagger stabbed in his heart, blood pooling around the wound. The cold darkness began to creep over his vision, making the edges of his sight blur.
The darkness encroached further, and Eldric felt his consciousness slip away. The cold numbness spread from his chest, reaching his limbs and making them heavy and unresponsive. The pain was overwhelming, and a relentless force pulled him into the abyss.
Just as everything seemed to fade into nothingness, a sudden jolt snapped him awake. Eldric gasped for air, his eyes flying open. His small body was drenched in sweat, and he was shivering uncontrollably. His heart pounded violently against his ribs, feeling as though it might explode. Realizing he was lying on the cold, hard ground of the cave, Eldric took a long, shaky breath, forcing himself to calm down.
As his heart slowly steadied, he glanced around the cave, his eyes widening in awe. Before him stretched a majestic scene that seemed straight out of a dream. Shadows danced across the stone walls in the faint light filtering from an opening high above. A nearby waterfall cascaded down, its crystalline waters catching the faint light and scattering it into a mesmerizing dance of sparkles. The sound of the water falling was a soothing symphony, a steady rhythm that resonated deep within Eldric, like the heartbeat of the earth itself.
Under the waterfall, a tree unlike any Eldric had ever seen stood proudly, its branches reaching upwards, and its trunk was thicker than any he had encountered. Tiny, glowing creatures flitted around the tree, their luminescent bodies casting a soft, ethereal light that added to the cave's magical atmosphere. They moved gracefully, like living stars, weaving through the branches and flowers, creating a scene of unparalleled beauty. Surrounding the tree was a lush carpet of plants, their leaves and flowers displaying a spectrum of colors he couldn’t even name. The air was filled with the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of these exotic blooms, a scent so rich and layered that it seemed to wrap around him like a comforting embrace. The whole cave was a sanctuary of natural beauty. The air was cool and fresh, filled with the invigorating scent of water and earth.
Eldric let the tranquil beauty of the scene wash over him, helping to soothe his racing heart, and tried to remember the missing moments between grabbing the dagger and finding himself on the ground. But nothing seems to strike his mind.
"Why can't I remember anything?"
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, trying to remember again. As he strained to recall the fragmented memories, something started banging relentlessly inside his head. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, clear and loud:
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"Condition has been fulfilled."
The words echoed in his head, triggering a cascade of memories from the moment before his death. The same voice had spoken to him then, right before the darkness consumed him.
Startled, Eldric snapped his eyes open and noticed a glowing screen hanging in the air before his eyes. The screen's background shimmered with an ethereal light, almost as if it were alive. Patterns of light flickered and danced across its surface, giving it a mystical aura.
"Is that... a status screen?"
Eldric's brain began to race as he tried to make sense of the glowing display. Memories of his past life flooded back, where such status screens were a part of his everyday life as a hunter.
"Is this world also governed by unique statuses like in the past? Did my hunter skills also travel to this dimension?"
But his excitement was quickly dampened, and his mind went blank as he realized something was off.
"Why the hell is my status blank? What about my skills and my stats?"
Seeing the empty status screen, Eldric's heart sank. Frustration and disappointment welled up inside him. Just as he was about to swing his fist at the status screen, the ethereal patterns danced and shifted, forming words and numbers that revealed his stats.
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Status report: @@@@@
Name: Eldric
Age: 2 days
Condition: Stabilized
Potential: Infinite
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Attributes:
* Strength: 5/∞
* Endurance: 5/∞
* Agility: 5/∞
* Vitality: 5/∞
* Mana: 5/∞
* Mana Regeneration: 1/min
* Physical Regeneration: 5/∞
* Spiritual Sensitivity: 5/∞
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Hidden skills:
***********
***********
***********
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"What the fuck? My potential is infinite."
Eldric thought to himself, unable to believe his eyes.
"Is this really happening? Do I really have the potential to grow stronger in this life?"
His heart pounded with a mix of excitement and disbelief. The possibility of having limitless potential was beyond his wildest dreams.
"But what about physical regeneration, spiritual sensuality, and most importantly, this?" he wondered.
"What’s hidden skills about?"
In his previous life, he had seen countless hunters with unique abilities, but none had "hidden skills." The concept of hidden skills intrigued him. He tried to focus on the hidden skills section, hoping to reveal more information, but the screen offered no further details.
Eldric's mind raced with questions. Why were these skills hidden? Could it be powerful combat abilities, unique spells, or even passive traits that enhance my overall growth? But why hide them? And how could he unlock them? The idea that his potential was tied to these hidden skills gnawed at him.
"I needed to find a way to unlock them and understand what conditions had to be met."
Eldric felt a renewed sense of determination. The infinite potential and hidden skills presented both a challenge and an opportunity. He realized that this second chance at life came with its own set of mysteries and hurdles. To become stronger, he would need to uncover the secrets of his status screen and unlock the hidden skills.
"Whatever these hidden skills are, I will definitely unlock their secrets and become stronger. I vow to become the most powerful being in this world and never to be a victim again."