Game of the Universe: Zenith

Arthur stared at the system notification in front of him.

He didn’t hesitate as he pressed ’Yes’.

The moment he did, the pouch in his hands began to shimmer. For a second, it almost turned transparent, as if it was about to vanish from reality. Then... it settled solidly in his palm.

And at that moment, something seemed to change in the back of Arthur’s mind. He could feel it; a hollow space that was now connected to him had appeared out of thin air.

It wasn’t big. Probably smaller than his own bedroom... but he could tell it was there.

Without hesitation, Arthur untied the last leather pouch from his belt.

The three hundred or so remaining stones clinked inside as he tipped everything into his storage bag.

...As expected, the bag swallowed them whole, as if those stones were nothing but a drop in the ocean. There was no clatter or anything. They just disappeared.

Arthur paused again, focusing on the storage bag. He didn’t even need to ask the dwarf how to retrieve something from it. He could tell that all he had to do was will it.

And indeed, the moment he just thought about it, one of those green stones appeared in his palm, its glow burning even brighter under the smithy’s flames.

[Elemental Stone of Earth detected!]

[Would you like to absorb it?]

[Yes / No]

Arthur dismissed the system notification and put the stone back into the bag, trying to keep an even expression in the meantime.

It was a new element!

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and focused on the small leather pouch in his palm.

In all honesty, he couldn’t say it didn’t sting... handing over the bulk of his earnings so far for a single item.

But he didn’t regret it.

Even if it was just for his own peace of mind or so he could hunt a while longer without having to head back to the city every now and then... it was a good investment.

He tied the pouch to his belt and let out a breath.

The weight was strangely ordinary for what this thing was supposed to be.

At the same time, the dwarf grinned as he watched the whole process before making his way back to his anvil. He sat down in front of the half-finished sword and picked up his hammer, his voice echoing once more through the empty smithy.

"What do you think, kid? Not bad, right?"

Arthur nodded.

"Thanks, old man. I’ll see you later."

The dwarf’s grin widened before he waved a dismissive hand. Then the rhythmic clang of the hammer rang out again.

...

Arthur stepped back outside as the city’s cooler air welcomed him once more.

His heartbeat had already started to pick up the moment he did, but he did his best to keep his expression neutral.

He simply glanced around, as if taking in his surroundings.

A few meters from the smithy, between two squat stone buildings, he spotted a narrow alley drowned in shadows. It was perfect.

He slipped inside it as naturally as he could, his sneakers scuffing softly against the cobblestone as he ignored the passersby. The plaza’s noise dimmed behind him as he did.

He glanced around, making sure there was no one watching him, before he placed a hand on the pouch hanging at his waist.

Just like before, the response was immediate.

A moment later, a small emerald stone appeared in his palm, just as he willed it, its green light washing over his skin and spilling against the dim alley walls. It pulsed faintly, almost as if it had its own heartbeat.

But this one was clearly different from the red and blue stones from befre.

[Elemental Stone of Earth detected!]

[Would you like to absorb it?]

[Yes / No]

Arthur didn’t have to wait. The system notification appeared in front of his eyes once more.

Naturally, he pressed ’Yes’.

The moment he did, the stone pulsed once before dissolving into motes of green light that sank into his skin.

Unlike when he’d absorbed the elemental stones of fire and water, however, this time Arthur could clearly feel the difference. There was no warmth coursing through his body or soothing wave of cold settling his nerves.

Instead, a thick pulse spread up his arm, traveling through his chest before it spread into the rest of his limbs. For a second, his entire body seemed to have turned stiff, as if it was trying to dig in and take root in the ground beneath his feet.

Arthur felt... as if the very stone underneath him had now become a part of him and he was now immovable.

But just like before, the sensation disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

And then... the familiar notification window popped up again.

[Elemental Affinity Gained: Earth (Minor)]

Arthur flexed his fingers once, trying to see whether he felt any different.

He didn’t. Apart from the third elemental affinity now sitting in his status window, nothing seemed to have changed.

...But well, he wasn’t done yet.

He placed his hand on the storage bag again and closed his eyes.

This time a different kind of stone appeared in his palm, this one nearly transparent, giving off a pure white glow that felt almost impossible to hold onto. It even gave off the feeling as if the stone might slip through Arthur’s fingers at any moment.

[Elemental Stone of Wind detected!]

[Would you like to absorb it?]

[Yes / No]