When Midnight came to his senses, the first thing he felt was the scent of the sun. It was strange. The sun was a glaring ball of plasma impossibly distant. It couldn't have a perceivable scent. Yet, at the moment, he could swear that he vaguely grasped it. It smelled kind and ruthlessly impassionate at the same time.

...It seems I haven't died yet. Though it's hard to say if I feel truly alive...

I remember reading an article about health harm and video games. To think it was true. Like seriously, when I log out, the first thing I will do is find that article and slap the like button. Such professionalism and insight. Absolutely astounding. The author needs praise!

While lampooning, he tried to move his numb limbs. They felt heavy, foreign, and uncoordinated. It was as if they were cut out and then reattached with the cheapest possible glue. Three minutes later, he staggered back to his feet and checked his condition. He wasn't surprised to find it deplorable.

Broken fingers, swollen joints, cracked nails, sore throat, bruises, and lacerations to fill buckets... His left ear was done for. The tympanic membrane had burst and he couldn't hear with it. His mouth wasn't much better. Gravel, old blood, and sticky mud crunched between his chipped teeth. The mixture stung his tongue and irritated his tastebuds. To summarise. He resembled a runaway from the intensive care hospital ward; a victim of a hit-and-run scene.

I won't log out for the time being. The AI warned me that I may die. It didn't mean this virtual body. For a player, death in the game is a negligent thing. Its words referred to my real-life self. If my game avatar is in such a sorry condition I can imagine the repercussions the ordeal must have brought to my flesh...

But, it's ok as long as I am still kicking. Let's see the console work for its price. Isn't it a high-quality one? It is equipped with emergency gadgets, medicine, and nutritional liquids. If I let my body sleep for a while it should recover just fine...

Done with his preliminary evaluation and with no potions to treat his wounds now, he staggered back to his bag, took the bellows inside, and rinsed his mouth clean. At the same time, he quenched the annoying thirst that tormented him.

In Euclex magic was a miracle, but even miracles were bound by the rules. To create water out of thin air was simple, but the conjured liquid was not real enough. Unless he used a complex structure to gather the scattered humidity or to purify an already-existing source nearby, magically produced water couldn't satiate thirst or soothe the emptiness in his stomach. For better or worse, now, he lacked the strength to do both. The goatskin container was a real lifesaver.

Next, he took a few bright-colored petals and reluctantly bit them. His tongue numbed and he grimaced, but the ache in his body subsided. His head became lighter and his mood somehow improved. A carefree smile bloomed on his lips and his eyes glimmered with an odd luster.

Just five petals of Papaver veritas and I got a bit high. It won't harm me to build some poison resistance... Ok. This will keep me going until I reach the General Store and purchase a potion or two. The Papaver is good as a trump card but I can't rely on it often. Not only does it cloud the thoughts but if ingested occasionally it can lead to addiction. Who knows what foolish things I may do under its influence? The Clumsy curse is more than enough. No need to add oil to fire...

Slightly refreshed, he looked around his small hideout.

The previous storm had passed like a dream, and the sun was already clinging near its zenith. Warm rays slipped between the gaps in the timber and brightened the gloomy interior.

The pile of hay he stacked yesterday was scattered again. It was an inevitable result of his delirious trashing. Another reminder of the unpleasant experience was the imprints left in the mud. They spoke at length of his story, one overflowing with grievance and pain.

Desperate to erase the memory of those hours, he shifted his gaze back to the grass and coughed a couple of times. Trapped in the shack, the air was heavy with residual moisture. It clogged his lungs and carried the scent of moldy old laundry. It was unpleasant even hazardous.

Not a suitable environment for long-term recuperation. If I am not careful I may develop pneumonia... But, first...

Shaking his head, he slumped in the corner and opened the notifications backlog. Right at the end, two messages flashed brightly. Back then he wasn't in the state to perceive the important notifications, but now he finally breathed a sigh of relief. His attempt was successful.

I suppose all's well that ends well. Shakespeare made a good point.

He giggled and switched to his character window.

|Midnight:

Race: Half-Ling

Titles:

Origin - Vespertin Scholar

Pupil of Change

The First to Slay a Monarch

Public Enemy

Inheritor

Skills:

Lucky Encounter (Legendary)|

Instantly his carefree attitude, smile, and happiness vanished. His brows twitched and he had a bad premonition. Together with the expected additions, there was another new entry. The name 'Public Enemy' didn't sound good. He quickly selected the title and browsed through the details. His hunch was unfortunately confirmed.

|Title: Public Enemy (Legendary)

The pitiful Gnolls lament their loss. Rumors fly fast and stretch wide. All Underground Beings heard of your theft. All faithful sympathize with the Gnolls.

Skill: Underground Outcast (Legendary) - The Underground Monsters abhor you. The Underground Sentient Species distrusts you. The Church of the God of Calamity 'Ende' detests you and doesn't wish to have any dealings with you. Various Churches condemn you for stealing a sacred object of faith. From now on, you will be branded an enemy to all who dwell in the ground. They won't spare an effort to make your life painful and difficult.

Skill: Unhidden (Unique) - Fame is a double-edged sword. It can sing glory and it can expose secrets. From the moment you lay your eye on this skill, the system's incognito function will be fully disabled. Your identity will be forever exposed in all new public notifications.|

Pa

He slapped his tight and winced from the pain. He felt anger, resentment, and worry.

A pair of Legendary and Unique negative skills? What the fuck have I done to deserve a hate of this magnitude??? I just took a book from a bunch of illiterate worms! Why are even some random churches involved? For fucks sake, I didn't even know other deities existed! Who would worship a so-called God of Calamity? Are these guys nuts?...

Stumped by this out-of-the-blue revelation, his mind buzzed with a flurry of questions. For a few seconds, he fell in a daze. Even the Papaver's numbing effects couldn't fully suppress his chaotic emotions. This was such a low blow. A cheap and heartless betrayal!

With trembling hands, he pulled out the previous log and reread the two messages.

|World Announcement:

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Congratulations. Player X successfully learned the first-ever eX Grade skill inside Euclex! He excavated a part of ancient history and brought it back into this world!|

|World Announcement:

Congratulations. Player X received the Title of Inheritor. He is now the first player in Euclex to derive the long-forgotten knowledge of an Ancient Existence.|

So that's how it is.

I didn't notice it previously, but the system said Player X, yet still revealed my gender by using the pronoun 'he'. Was this a precursor or a hint? A small form of consideration I received from the AI...

I never imagined that there were skills that activate after being observed. This is like the double-slit quantum phenomenon! Then, if I hadn't opened the title, could I have kept at least my name hidden? But then, I wouldn't have known about the effects of the Underground Outcast. Screw you! Are you fooling with me?! You ultimately gave me no choice!

No, I shouldn't cry over the spilled milk. Who knows when or if I will ever be mentioned again? I can consider this later. I have more urgent matters to worry about. One is the existence of strange deities and their respective churches inside this fantasy land. Getting their attention for no good reason is bad...

But, I can only blame myself. This was a foolish but natural oversight. Lesotte is small and the native residents don't have a particular faith. They only believe in the supreme deity - the AI. Combined with the fact that I am an atheist and have never cared for bullshit religions, as well as my lack of time to browse all possible topics, this blunder is legit. I am not a sun to shine above the whole land. How was I supposed to imagine this situation?

If I knew, I'd have never considered stealing that treasure...

It's too late. Let's try to stay positive. Belief and gods may not be one and the same. The ire I earned from the churches may not represent the deities' true feelings...

Instead, the main problem is that I became an enemy to all underground creatures. This is much worse. How am I supposed to mine in the future? I was definitely tricked once again! I finally clinched a craftsmanship skill, and now I have to think of roundabout ways to secure my future resources. This must be what they call 'a price is paid for what fate bestows'. The price I paid was not only the physical and psychological struggle. It was what I am forced to bear in the future. Despicable...

He pushed himself from the hay, ignored the protest of his muscles, stood up and slowly paced in the room. He couldn't help but ridicule himself and gnaw at his lips. After more than ten minutes, he exhaled heavily, collected his thoughts, and rather uneased stretched out a finger to click on the last title.

It was the moment of truth. Would the eX grade skill prove worth all the trouble he faced and the hardships he would have to accept later, or would he have gained nothing and be left to suck on his thumb?

|Title: Inheritor (eX)

You broke through the long history and learned something forgotten. You are now one of the Archae Inheritors, the first race that awoke in Euclex. 'Blaze', the God of Fire and Craftsmanship is content. 'He' shows you some favor. 'He' will keep a close eye on your future achievements.

Skill: Akashic Forge (eX) - A craftsman without a Forge is like a bird with no wings. You possess a Forge unbound by the laws of this world. It exists in another dimension, separated from your current reality. Enter at will or make it descend to your feet.|

"..."

Phew

He shivered and exhaled deeply. His eyes flickered with hope.

It was worth it! I got my personal Forge. It even exists in another dimension. I bet it can double as an extremely safe hidden spot. I can enter from any location. That's perfect! I don't have to worry about the snooping monstrosity and its mouse! If only this matter didn't involve deities...

But this is an indirect proof that gods and religion are different. The question now is why are such beings involved with my titles and skills? Who are the Archae? How are these strange gods connected to them? I earned the favor of one and the hate of another. It's no coincidence that only these two were mentioned by name. If Blaze is related to my Inheritor skill then what about Ende? Is 'He' just someone watching over the underground species? Or does somewhere exist another Inheritor? One who Inherit something related to 'Him'...

But this raises even more questions. Why was I described as the 'first' in the world announcements?

The most obvious answer is that Ende doesn't relate to another Inheritor. I am just overthinking again. The other option is that the skill gained by the other Inheritor is incomplete. It reached a level slightly lower than eX grade. Thus, it earned them only a continental announcement? If it is true then, they are located outside this continent...

No, there may be other factors involved. The AI, or Ende himself has the authority to hide the Inheritor's information. Maybe the Player has a skill capable of erasing the news. A personal skill more powerful than the general censoring system? An Origin skill related to the safekeeping of secrets?

He felt jubilant but his temples throbbed painfully. These announcements, titles, and skills, led to too many impossible questions. Questions that made him extremely curious and perplexed, but he had no way to unveil the secrets implied...

In the end, he could only give up and suppress the noise in his head.

What mattered the most was not cracking this mystery but the skill in his hands. Unwilling to waste another second on blank hypotheses, he rushed to examine it. Unlike the negative ones, Akashic Forge was an active ability. He narrowed his eyes, concentrated, and evoked it with but a thought.

Swirl

Instantly his whole person burst into blinding white flames. Before his surprise settled his body melted away like a candle and he found himself in an ancient cavern. The air was stuffy and hot, thick with the sense of ages of history.

He sensed something and jerked his head up. Then, his pupils dilated.

At an unknown distance above, a giant ball of blazing white flames cast a gentle strange light.

I have never seen such a flame. It gives me the feeling of a lone star. It is infinitely high, yet if I stretch a hand up I can touch it...

The incongruity was peculiar. A shiver ran through his spine and he gasped. However, he wasn't afraid. It was because he instinctively understood something. In this odd space, he was the ruler. Everything in this Forge existed for him. His word was the law.

He peeled his eyes away from the star and swiped his gaze through the cavern. A massive rectangular table carved out of black granite lay in the center. It was so smooth that its surface resembled a mirror and reflected the 'star'.

With this table as the space focus, countless objects, equipment, and items littered the 'floor' in an orderly manner.

There were burning furnaces and a forge, bellows for manual heat regulation, an anvil with numerous hammers, tongs, chisels, files, punches, vices, a hacksaw, crucibles, wooden mold frames in all possible sizes... Further beyond, the stone 'walls' were cast in bizarre shadows. Despite the lit torches flickering in regular niches, the walls looked illusory and unstable. He felt that if he ever so wanted they could vanish expanding the cave, or shrink closer crushing his body.

The whole space felt extraordinary. it exuded a deep sense of silent, mysterious, and eerie magnificence.

It's like I am in the heart of a mountain and under the vast sky. Confined? No, this place is enclosed yet infinite. It solely depends on my thoughts...

It isn't only the space. Every single object in here is what I envisioned. Just now, I imagined what a fully equipped smithy would be. The Forge read through my will and materialized everything. Heh, it's a bit nice, and a lot creepy. It's like I play house from a god-like perspective.

Yes, not only can I stay here as much as I want, but I can even store items inside. This space is equivalent to an infinite inventory bag without a weight limit. I can summon the things I have stored back into reality too. I can even summon some imagined objects as well. But, unlike real items, they can't exist on their own. I am a mortal. I am not equipped with the will of a god. There is no way to sustain them for long in the world outside...

He snapped his fingers and the interior changed. The items were rearranged, opening a free space. A wooden table popped into existence, followed by an array of various flasks, vials, pipettes, and alcohol lamps. However, the lamps were empty without a drop of spirit inside.

Although it is called a Forge, in a sense it is closer to a workshop. The definition is vague and broad. I can summon equipment suitable for an apothecary, or even a tailor. But, I can only summon equipment that can be found in a workshop. I can't imagine the ingredients or other complete items...

He took a few steps, picked up a flask, and examined it for a moment. It felt somehow surreal. A second or two later, he remembered his speculations when he was in the Primordial Space and came up with an idea.

The Forge in Akashic Forge was an amalgamation of meanings. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and analyzed further.

The main interpretation is definitely to work with metal through heat. The broader meaning is to create something from scratch. The auxiliary meaning is that of deceit...

The things conjured are not entirely real. In a sense when I craft in this space I will be deceiving the rules by using 'fakes' to create real and tangible items.

Under the strange star, he snapped his fingers and the space became empty and desolate.

For once, he understood why the title window never spoke of a smithy per se. The 'Akashic Forge' was more powerful than he had ever expected. It was something related to the heart of the crafts. It was related to the god of craftsmanship 'Himself'.

"But why does such a skill even exist? Why would I receive this skill from a blank book?"

His voice traversed through the air and came back sounding foreign. Unfortunately, it didn't bring any of the answers he wanted.