Aira needed to concentrate. Before she lost the feeling of it, she had to focus on that fleeting sensation. And there was a perfect tool for that.

Still, she spent a few moments after Jorin left the room before she could move. It couldn't be... For months, she was looking for any signs of magic. And then, she found it in this piece of craftsmanship... technology of the olden times? How did they get access to the arcane?

She cleared her mind and started working through her standard routine. Aira needed her mind to be as sharp and sensitive as possible. The trauma caused by the loss of her magical powers still loomed over her. The void that was left in place of her mana pool was scaring her. So, that's where she directed her mind. When something is so habitual to you, it may be hard to figure out what you have to do to experience it. You just see, taste, sense, or... do magic. One just scoops that so ordinary and so very special energy from their mana pool and forms it into something.

Aira dove directly into that void, confronting her fears.

"Energy..." Aira came out of her trance. Hours passed, but she felt better than any moment during the more than a month she spent in this town. She was wholly rested despite being awake throughout the night. "Something that I felt before..."

However, Aira didn't have a chance to explore it further as Lila stormed into her room. "Hey! Good morning!" she exclaimed, almost jumping because of her excitement. "It's unbelievable that Elder Jorin entrusted this device to you! They are such rare and powerful objects! It seems that he has great hopes in you!"

Aira spent the whole night practicing with the device. Both by using it and meditating with it, trying to find a deeper connection. But she wasn't able to regain the sensation that startled her while Jorin was with her in the room. As if responding to Lila's excitement, she carefully cradled the tablet in her hands, feeling its weight and smooth surface beneath her fingertips. Trying to recall that strange energy jolt.

As she prepared to turn the device on, a sensation that had already become familiar washed over her. It was like reuniting with an old friend after a long separation.

Aira's meditation routine on the previous evening reminded her of something profound. Something that had always been present in her life. It was as constant as the air she breathed. When she was transferred to this world, she lost that feeling. But it was so hard to pinpoint what exactly it was until the previous evening. Then, it shone again like a single ray of light in a dark room. The kind of light that gives you hope, even when you can't explore it fully yet.

A crackling energy filled the air around it as the device returned to life. It was as if a spark of magic had burst from within, though Aira believed that not to be possible. There shouldn't be any magic in this world.

She focused intently, willing the connection between her mind and the device to get stronger.

However, for all the power hidden inside the gadget, its surface showed only a jumbled mess of symbols and distorted images.

With a deep sigh, Aira showed it to Lila.

"Elder’s beard!" exclaimed Lila. "Did you break it?"

But as soon as she took hold of it, everything snapped into place. Once again, the surface showed the standard texts and images.

With a curious look, Lila handed the gadget back to Aira. All the letters on the screen shifted and transformed once again. The device acted like a living being, responding to their touch. And it seemed to favor Lila and dislike Aira.

Lila was both excited and worried: "Can you... Do you influence it in some way? You know I'll have to report that, right? That's exactly what the Elders were looking for. They may finally give you some slack and stop arguing about your future!"

Aira grabbed her slateboard and wrote: "Please don't. Give me a couple of days to experiment with it."

"Alright," answered Lila with hesitation. "But not more than a couple of days. I have my duties and responsibilities."

With that, they tried to make the gadget work in Aira's hands, but nothing seemed to help. Even another round of meditation wasn't affecting the distortion. And after several futile attempts, the women returned to their routine lessons with books and the slateboard.

***

Aira hid her excitement well while Lila was with her. But as soon as the ranger left, Aira dove into her meditation routine again. The need to figure out the power behind the device was intoxicating. Even more than what she experienced during her meeting with Jorin. Now, she only had to sharpen her senses and focus on that feeble power she felt emanating from the device.

She could almost grasp that fleeting connection, but it remained out of her reach. Whenever her focus wavered or she became distracted, the sensation diminished momentarily and faded away.

Minutes and hours passed, and exhaustion overtook Aira. But before abandoning her experiments for the day, she made the final push. Finally, she sensed a shift in the energy around her and around the device. And it brought profound changes. Changes within herself. Once again, like in her previous life, her body felt invigorated and alive, pulsing with arcane powers. It was almost like something within demanded her to jump and test her recovered abilities. After weeks of feeling sluggish and unresponsive, this vitality surge was astounding to her.

Aira opened her eyes and looked at the tablet.

========== System Loading... ==========

"Damn!..." Aira growled, not hiding how happy she was. "I did it!" she thought." There is a System in this world! Now, let's see what I’ve got."

========== Character Status and Skill Overview ==========

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Name: Aira

Race: Undead

Class: Necrokinetic Enforcer

Level: 100

"Oh, well, at least I got my hundredth level," she thought." And it seems that these humans were right about that undead thing, though. The System confirms it."

It took Aira a moment to register that the door to her room snapped open, so much focused on the device and regained access to the System she was. Before she could react, several men burst in, one forcefully kicking the gadget away from her.

A sharp jolt of surprise and fear surged through her body as two other men quickly grabbed and restrained her, binding her with ropes. Without the device in her hands, she momentarily lost all the boosts to her stats that energized her so intensely mere moments ago. Once again, she was slow and sluggish, not able to rebuff the assault in time.

Somehow, the loss of powers was even more devastating now than the first time, right after she came to her senses on her first day in this new world.

"Don't move," one of the men ordered, his voice cold and commanding. She tried to speak, to ask what was happening. However, the sounds that emerged were still the same guttural growls, unintelligible to the humans.

She was frantically trying to figure out what was happening. Did Lila tell the Elders about the glitching tablet? Aira felt angry, betrayed, and sad that the only person in this town who seemed to really care about her would want to hurt her. And what about all these rangers? The first thing they did was kick the gadget out of her hands. Were they here to deny Aira access to any similar devices? Or was it something else?

The men grabbed her roughly. They smelled of exertion and were breathing heavily. Their strong arms pulled her out of the room into the chaos outside. At least, at the last moment, she stole a glance at the device's surface and saw that it wasn't showing anything on its screen. They wouldn't be able to learn her secret.

The night was filled with the sounds of fighting—shouts, screams, metallic clang of blades, and even occasional bangs from the long-range weapons these humans reserved for most critical fights. Aira could see fires blazing in several parts of the settlement through the open windows. They cast a flickering, hellish glow over the chaotic scene. But one thing was settled. She wasn't the only target of the attack. Maybe it wasn't about her and the gadget after all?

Aira was led through the winding corridors of the building by the rangers. Everywhere, she saw signs of violence, with doors shattered, windows broken, and documents littering the floors. The rangers held her tight, but still, her feet slipped on the floors covered with blood. The town hall was as much a scene of mayhem as the settlement that surrounded it.

Finally, they reached their destination—the Council Hall. Against all odds, Aira hoped to see the panel of Elders gathered there, but of course, that wasn't what awaited her there. A single figure stood ominously in the center, his presence commanding the space with an air of authority and discontent. Garrick.

"Secure her over there," he ordered, his voice hard and full of hatred.

The men obeyed and tied Aira to a heavy wooden chair, one of the remnants of the Council of Elders. They positioned it directly in front of their leader. And as soon as Aira was seated and tied down, they stepped back, forming a loose perimeter around the room.

Garrick looked at her with a mixture of contempt and frustration. He began to pace slowly, his eyes never leaving her. "You must be wondering what's happening," he said. And his voice was filled with bitterness as if he regretted that he was pushed to take measures that were so drastic. "You see, I have grown tired of the spineless Elders. Their indecision. Their reluctance to take necessary measures—it's been infuriating. You can't even imagine how long I had to endure that!"

Aira's eyes followed Garrick as he paced, her mind trying to piece together his intentions. He stopped walking and stood in front of the long council table. Garrick punched it angrily with his giant fist, and turned to face Aira, his expression darkening even more.

"This game they decided to play with you, undead filth, it was the final nail in the coffin of my patience. They wanted to study you, to use you in their political games. But an undead can be useful only when it's destroyed. A beast, obviously intelligent, capable of lighting a fire and reading a book. That's pure insanity! Yet they wanted to 'understand' you. Weak. Foolish." He spat the words out, his anger evident.

He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "I needed to take control into my own hands. This town requires a strong leader. Someone who isn't afraid to make difficult decisions. The other Elders are too soft, too afraid of change. But not me. I see the bigger picture."

Aira's heart sank as she realized the full extent of the situation. Indeed, this wasn't just an attack on her but a coup. Garrick was orchestrating a revolt, using her appearance in the town as a catalyst to seize power. Was it the reason he allowed her to go out and walk along the streets of the town?

She growled in frustration.

Garrick looked at her, grinned, and continued his monologue, his voice rising with fervor. "Exactly, you are just a beast. These people need direction, and I will provide it. The rangers, the Elders, all will fall in line or be removed. But first, I need to get rid of you." He smiled. "A smart undead can't be a good sign."

He turned to his rangers. "Take her away, put her in a cell and chain her. We'll deal with her in the morning."

Aira's senses were overwhelmed as she was dragged to a new place—prison. Her head was spinning after Garrick's angry outburst, and the weight of steel chains around her wrists and ankles made it hard for her to focus on anything else. Once again, she had to rough it with lowered base stats.

Her guards shoved Aira into a cell, attached the shackles to the wall, and slammed the door shut. She was left in darkness. The only source of light a small barred window, which didn't help much as it was already the early hours of the night. She could hear the distant sounds of other prisoners groaning and crying out in pain, adding to her already heightened state of anxiety. Who were they? Anyone she knew?

Leaning against the cold, damp stone wall, Aira took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Panic threatened to consume her, but she knew that keeping a clear mind was the only thing that could allow her to escape this dire situation. But as she tried to formulate a plan, she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that time was running out for her. Now, when she knew the System existed in this world, there had to be a way to have a stable connection with it. She just needed to find it before it was too late.

***

The night passed in a haze of fear and uncertainty. Aira's thoughts drifted to Lila and the other rangers she suspected to be in the more moderate camp. Had they survived the attack? Would anyone come to her aid? Would they even want to help an undead? And was Lila among the people who plotted against her?

She pushed these questions aside, focusing on the immediate threat. All that wouldn't matter if she didn't restore her powers. And despite all her efforts, she couldn't recover that connection she felt with her tablet. It seemed that the physical contact was a pre-requisite. But where would she be able to find a gadget, let alone Jorin's tablet?

As the first morning light broke through the narrow window of Aira's cell, the heavy wooden door creaked open, and several rangers barged in. They yanked Aira offhandedly to her feet and marched her out into the murky light of the early morning. The settlement was eerily quiet. It looked almost abandoned and dead after the last evening's commotion or just compared to its usual bustling energy.

The reason became apparent when Aira was brought to the central square. Several large wooden stakes had been erected there. Surrounding them was a makeshift platform, hastily put together with rough-hewn planks. And the rest of the space was filled with what seemed like the whole population of the town.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of sweat, morning breath, smoke and burning wood, but the latter wasn't coming from the place of execution—the whole town seemed enveloped in it. Aira's heart pounded as she was dragged towards one of the stakes. Her feet stumbled over uneven ground and the steps leading to the platform.

She wasn't the first one to be brought there; several men had already been tied to the other posts.

Aira looked around the square, searching for any familiar faces. Maybe Lila was there? But all she saw were grim expressions and averted gazes. As if nobody wanted to acknowledge what was about to happen.