Chapter 2: The Forging of the First Blade
Elias woke before dawn, a habit ingrained from years of needing to be one step ahead of the day's demands. For a fleeting, disoriented moment, the events of the previous night felt like an elaborate, stress-induced hallucination. Then he opened his eyes.
The translucent blue rectangle of the System interface was still there, hovering silently near his bedside, its gentle glow casting faint, ethereal patterns on the ceiling. It wasn't a dream.
[System Status: Optimal. Host Unit Energy: 100/100. Awaiting Command.]
A slow exhale escaped him. It was real. The headache, the vision, the impossible promises – all real. He sat up, the coarse wool blanket pooling around his waist, and simply stared at the display. The fear from last night had mostly receded, replaced by a sharpened, almost unnervingly clear focus. This wasn't something to be scared of; it was something to be understood. Mastered.
He spent the next hour before the city truly stirred in quiet contemplation, probing the limits of his current understanding of the System. He couldn't physically interact with the display, but his focused intent seemed to navigate its rudimentary menus. He re-read the descriptions of the Barbarian, Archer, and Goblin units, committing their details to memory. The "Cost: Energy Points" seemed crucial. 100 points to start, 10 for a Barbarian or Archer, 5 for a Goblin. That meant he could, theoretically, empower ten Barbarians or twenty Goblins before needing to replenish. How did it replenish?
[System Energy replenishes automatically. Current Rate: 1 Point per standard solar cycle (24 hours). Rate can be improved via System upgrades or acquisition of potent energy sources.]
The information appeared as if the System had plucked the query from his thoughts. One point a day. Pathetic. At that rate, after creating a single Barbarian, he'd be waiting ten days to make another. This implied that the initial 100 points were a significant starting boon. It also hinted at future complexity – 'System upgrades,' 'potent energy sources.' The scope of this thing... it was vast.
He tried to access information on 'Prime Conduits' or 'Marvel Characters,' but the System returned a neutral: [Insufficient Data or Access Level. Further information will be unlocked as relevant criteria are met.] So, some secrets remained veiled. Fair enough. He had enough to contend with for now.
The city was awakening. The distant rumble of a tram, the clatter of milk bottles on a nearby stoop, the first hesitant coughs from neighbouring apartments. Thomas MacIntyre would arrive around eight.
Elias rose, performed his morning ablutions with a precision that had become second nature, and dressed in his usual attire – dark trousers, a crisp white shirt, a neatly knotted tie, and a woollen vest. He looked in the mirror. The same pale, serious face stared back, the same observant grey eyes. But today, there was a flicker deep within them, a spark of something new. Something hungry.
He didn't prepare breakfast. His appetite had vanished, replaced by a thrumming anticipation that tightened his stomach. He reviewed his ledgers again, but the numbers felt flat, mundane. His real accounting now involved 'Energy Points' and potential human assets.