Elyan stepped cautiously to the far corner of the old house, near a broken window. He pressed his back against the crumbling wall, his eyes darting around the room, seeking any possible escape route. The adventurers were closing in, their mocking laughter echoing through the abandoned structure.

"Careful, everyone," Bronnar joked. "This house is older than Darius's last plan. We don't want to bring it down on our heads."

Sorcha remained near the entrance; her eyes fixed on Elyan but making no move to join the encroaching group. "Don't be foolish," she called out. "If this house falls, I won't risk my life for your capture."

"Give up, kid," Rowan said, his voice softening with a hint of false sympathy. "You don't want to get hurt, do you? Come quietly, and this won't have to get ugly."

Elyan's grip tightened on his knife; his knuckles white. "No," he muttered, more to himself than to them. He felt the weight of his fear and rage pressing down on him, threatening to suffocate him. The memories of his peaceful life in Eldergrove, the warmth of Mira's smile, and the simple joy of his days were a stark contrast to the cold, hard reality he now faced.

The adventurers noticed a change in Elyan's demeanor. His aura shifted, a palpable intensity filling the room. Darius furrowed his brow, sensing the danger. "Watch him," he warned, his voice low.

Suddenly, a notification flashed before Elyan's eyes, startling him.

System Alert: 813$5i^& 0f @!! is asking for permission to activate Hunting Mode?

Elyan blinked, momentarily distracted by the words. The adventurers saw the change in his focus and one of them, eager to capitalize on the moment, lunged forward. Elyan caught the movement in the corner of his eye and instinctively tried to refocus. He lowered his stance, remembering the rough instructions of a drunkard he'd once seen at the village inn, demonstrating knife techniques to an uninterested audience.

The house groaned under the strain, and the adventurers hesitated, the fear of the building collapsing making them wary. Elyan's eyes darted between his captors and the fragile structure around them. His heart pounded in his chest as he weighed his options, feeling the ground shifting beneath him.

Then, with a deafening crack, the weakened walls and floor gave way. Elyan felt himself falling, his surroundings a blur of dust and debris. The world seemed to slow down, the faces of the adventurers frozen in expressions of surprise and fear. He tried to brace himself, but the collapse was too sudden, too overwhelming.

Elyan hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. Pain shot through his body as he struggled to push the rubble off him. Above, he could hear the adventurers shouting, their voices muffled by the debris. Panic surged within him, but he forced himself to stay calm. He had to find a way out, had to survive.

As he crawled through the wreckage, his hand brushed against something cold and metallic. He glanced down, seeing the glint of his knife amidst the broken wood and stone. Grabbing it, he pushed himself forward, inch by painful inch, towards the faint light filtering through the gaps in the rubble.

Elyan's mind raced. The system's offer echoed in his thoughts. Hunting Mode? What did it mean? Could it help him now, in this desperate moment?

Elyan's body felt heavier with each passing second. He stopped crawling and lay on his back, staring up at the sky framed by the jagged edges of the collapsed house and the cliff beyond. The cool air brushed against his face, mingling with the sharp scent of dust and earth.

He quickly checked his status, hoping for some guidance.

"SYSTEM

Name: Elyan ####

Status: "Forsaken" (Fortune's favor eludes you)

Blessing: 813$5i^& 0f @!! (Activated)

Strength: 8 (+5)

Agility: 10 (+5)

Intelligence: 12 (+5)

Endurance: 20 (+5)

Skills:

• [Keen Senses] (F+),

• [Enhanced Reflexes] (D-),

• [Indomitable Spirit] (D-),

• [Knife Mastery] (F+)"

His blessing now had additional words: "Activated." All his stats had increased by 5, indicated by brackets (+5), and his skills showed slight improvements. He also noticed a missing status effect: Novice Guardian Shield Charm. It must have protected him from the fall's impact.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

As Elyan pondered this, the additional words on his blessing vanished, and a searing pain surged through his body. It was so intense that he couldn't move. His vision blurred, but he could make out the figures of the adventurers peering down from the cliff above.

Despite his pain, Elyan's passive skills sharpened his hearing. The dampening of his other senses heightened his ability to listen to their conversation.

"What a mess!" Darius's voice was filled with anger. "I told you to be careful! Now look at what you've done."

Sorcha's tone was icy and scornful. "Incompetent fools! You've ruined everything. This is what happens when you hire amateurs."

Shalia's face was pale, her eyes wide with concern. "I can go down and check on him," she offered hesitantly, glancing nervously at Sorcha.

Sorcha's reply was curt and dismissive. "He's a damaged product now. I'm not wasting any more money on him. He's useless to me like this."

Darius's anger flared, but his tone was cold and practical. "What do you expect us to do, Sorcha? We can't just leave him here if there's any chance he might still be useful."

Sorcha's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with contempt. "Don't get sentimental, Darius. We had a deal, and this mess is your responsibility. The product was supposed to be delivered in perfect condition."

Bronnar, standing nearby, shifted uncomfortably. "We didn't mean for this to happen. It was an accident."

"Accidents," Sorcha spat, "are costly. And this one is too expensive for me to fix."

Rowan, who had been quietly observing the situation, stepped forward. "Maybe we can salvage this," he suggested, his voice steady but strained. "If we can get him back up, we might be able to heal him enough to still make the trade."

Sorcha turned her glare to Rowan, her patience wearing thin. "And who will pay for that, Rowan? You? He's no longer worth the effort."

Shalia looked down at Elyan's motionless form. "But he might still be alive. We can't just leave him here."

Sorcha's expression hardened. "He's of no use to me now. Besides, we have more important matters to attend to. We need to move on before we attract any unwanted attention."

Elyan's heart sank as he heard Darius's final words before darkness overtook him. "Leave him to die."

Rowan clenched his fists, a mix of frustration and regret flashing across his face. He looked over the edge one last time, then turned away, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

The world faded into a cold, merciless void as Elyan's consciousness slipped away.

Elyan was awakened by the moonlight shining on his face, the cold breeze of the night gently caressing his skin. His throat felt parched, and he struggled to open his eyes fully. The pain from his injuries was a dull throb, a constant reminder of his fall.

He was startled by a sudden voice. "Oh, you finally woke up!"

Elyan tried to turn his head towards the voice on his right side, but the pain from his injuries stopped him. He winced, the effort sending a sharp jolt through his body.

"Ah, you shouldn't move too much yet. Let me clear out this 'house' from you. Hehe," the voice chuckled at its own joke.

Elyan grunted, feeling helpless. "Ough... thank you."

As the stranger worked, Elyan started to see more and more of the night sky. He noticed something odd: the wood debris was floating away from him, moving as if guided by an unseen force.

Shocked, Elyan forced himself to look for the person helping him. Guided by the sound of humming, he turned his whole body towards the noise, ignoring the pain. His face turned pale when he saw the stranger.

The only thing that came out of his mouth was, "What... what are you?"

The figure, a shimmering, translucent form, paused and looked at Elyan. "Hm? Me? Oh. Haha, I guess you've never seen something like this before... I mean, definitely not in this generation. I am what you call a memory fragment but with a form. Yes. Haha!" The figure struck a pose with each word, as if enjoying its own explanation.

Elyan's mind raced. A memory fragment? He had read about ancient magic and lost artifacts, but never had he imagined encountering something like this.

The figure continued to clear the debris, its movements fluid and effortless. "There we go, all clear now. You should be able to move a bit more freely."

Elyan tried to sit up, wincing as the pain shot through him again. "Why are you helping me?"

The memory fragment floated closer, its form shifting slightly. "Why not? It's not often I get to interact with anyone. Plus, you seem like you could use some help."

Elyan studied the figure, still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "A memory fragment... with a form. How is that possible?"

The figure laughed, a light, airy sound. "Magic, of course! Long ago, I was created to store memories, but twelve years ago, I awakened and gained a form. I'm not sure why, but here I am, wandering, observing, sometimes helping those who need it."

Elyan felt a mixture of awe and disbelief. "So... you can move things with your mind?"

The memory fragment nodded. "Among other things. But enough about me. You're in pretty bad shape. Do you have any healing items or spells you can use?"

Elyan shook his head. "No, I... I don't. I had a charm, but it's gone now. That's probably why I survived the fall."

The memory fragment tilted its head, examining Elyan. "Well, we'll need to find you some proper healing then. But for now, let's get you somewhere safer. Can you stand?"

Elyan gritted his teeth and slowly tried to push himself up. The pain was intense, but with the memory fragment's help, he managed to get to his feet. The world spun around him, but he forced himself to stay upright.

"Easy now," the memory fragment said, hovering nearby. "Take it slow and steady. I'll guide you."

Elyan nodded, feeling a strange sense of comfort in the presence of the ethereal being. As they moved away from the ruins of the old house, Elyan couldn't help but wonder what other surprises this night held.