Cyril's eyes widened in disbelief as the glowing words hovered in the air. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as the last remnants of the strange noise faded away. The room felt heavy, almost suffocating, as he stared at the shimmering book in front of him.
[System Launching.....]
[Please Stand By...]
"What is this...?" Cyril whispered to himself, the confusion and panic rising in his chest once more. He reached out slowly, almost afraid to touch it, but the air around him felt charged, like something was about to change.
"Young master?!" Anna's voice snapped him back to reality. She was standing behind him now, her face full of worry as she listened to the strange silence that filled the room.
Cyril ignored her for a moment, his eyes still locked on the floating book. He tried to reach for it, but before his hand could make contact, the golden letters flickered again and then bam—the book closed with a sharp, almost thunderous snap.
Then the book began transform something similar to a plain glass with light blue colour.
"Is it some kind of illusion? I have heard rumours about Alveyran mages is prominent in illusion magic." Cyril mumbled to himself as the book transformed infront of him.
He reached for the blue object again, his fingers hovering just above it, unsure. His heart raced, and a cold sweat started to form on the back of his neck. But before he could touch it, something strange happened.
A burst of light flared from the object, and suddenly, glowing words appeared in mid-air, hovering in front of him like a window into some otherworldly realm.
=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=
<____[Personal Status]____>
[Name]: Cyril Avelwyn
[Soul Rank]: D
——
[Talents]:
➤Hunting (D)
➤Artistry (E)
➤Swordsmanship (C)
➤Diplomacy (E)
➤Etiquette (D)
➤Management (E)
➤Spearmanship (C)
=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=
[You have received a Welcome Gift Pack]
[Would you like to open it?]
[Yes] [No]
___
Cyril stood frozen, his mind a whirlwind of confusion. What is this? The words on the screen felt so real, too real to dismiss as some trick. But how could it be real? A status screen? And what were these talents? These weren't even... noteworthy skills. Hunting? Swordsmanship? Sure, he had trained in both, but they weren't exactly legendary talents.
The other talents listed—Artistry, Etiquette, Diplomacy—were nothing more than the skills a typical nobleman would be expected to have. All of them were marked with low ranks, most of them barely scraping by.
"This... this has to be some illusion," Cyril muttered under his breath, still unsure whether to believe what was in front of him. "Some magic trick, nothing more..."
His fingers were hovering above the yes option, he tried to touch it hoping his fingers would pass through it like before. But this time it was like a solid piece of glass and his index finger pressed on the yes option.
___
[Opening Welcome Gift Pack...]
[You have received a random Ability Card]
[You have recieved a Talent Upgrade Token]
[You have received a Weapon Choice Box]
___
Cyril watched as three new icons popped up in front of him. They floated lazily in the air, waiting for him to do something.
He hesitated. "Ability Card? Talent Upgrade Token? Weapon Choice Box? What even is all this?" he muttered, feeling like he'd fallen into a storybook gone wrong.
Anna, still blind to what was happening, stepped closer. "Young master? You're breathing really fast. Should I call the doctor?"
"No, no! It's fine," Cyril said quickly, waving her off without looking at her. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and focused on the first thing: the Ability Card.
Without thinking too much, he tapped the icon.
___
[Random Ability Card Acquired]
[Selecting a random Ability from F~~SSS]
[SSS Ranked Ability Dragons Heart Obtained]
[Integrating Dragons Heart to the users body]
___
Cyril barely had time to react.
A burning pain suddenly shot through his chest. He gasped and staggered back, clutching at his shirt.
Anna cried out, rushing toward him. "Young master!"
Cyril ignored her. His chest felt like it was on fire. He dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
___
[Dragon's Heart Integration in Progress...]
[Warning: Physical Overload Detected.]
[Stabilizing Host...]
___
Cyril's vision turned blurry. The air around him twisted, and strange glowing patterns floated in front of his eyes.
The burning pain grew stronger for a few seconds, then slowly started to fade.
He took deep breaths, feeling the heat in his body settle down. The pain was still there, but it was bearable now.
Cyril looked down and noticed something strange on his chest.
Right over his heart, there was a faint glowing mark, shaped like a curled-up dragon. It pulsed lightly, then vanished.
___
[Dragon's Heart successfully integrated.]
[New Title Acquired: Bearer of the Dragon's Heart.]
[Partial Dragonification Skill Unlocked.]
[Dragon's Eye Skill Unlocked.]
___
More messages appeared, but Cyril couldn't focus on them. He was too busy staring at the mark on his chest.
Anna grabbed his arm, her face pale. "Young master, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
Cyril forced himself to stand up, though his legs were still weak.
"I'm fine," he said in a low voice.
Anna looked worried but stepped back.
Cyril turned back to the floating icons. There were still two rewards left: the Talent Upgrade Token and the Weapon Choice Box.
He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and stared at the Talent Upgrade Token.
After a short pause, he tapped on it.
A flash of light surrounded him for a moment, and the sensation of power surged through his body. It wasn't painful this time, but it was definitely intense. He could feel something shifting inside of him, like a skill that had been lying dormant had suddenly been unlocked.
___
[Upgrading Talent: Swordsmanship (C) → Swordsmanship (B)]
[Talent Upgrade Complete.]
___
Cyril stood there, catching his breath. The sensation of power in his body wasn't overwhelming anymore, but it was still... different. His hands felt steadier, stronger, and when he flexed his fingers, there was a sharpness to his movements he hadn't noticed before.
He gave his sword arm a quick practice swing, and the motion felt fluid, like the sword was an extension of his body. The training he'd done all his life suddenly clicked into place, and the world around him felt a little clearer.
Swordsmanship B... The words echoed in his mind. It felt like a major improvement, but at the same time, it wasn't quite enough. He had a feeling there were levels to this, and if the system was to be believed, there were plenty more surprises in store.
The system didn't give him a chance to dwell on it. Another prompt appeared before him, this time for the last item: the Weapon Choice Box.
___
[Please select your preferred weapon type:]
➤ Longsword
➤ Short Sword
➤ Broadsword
➤ Katana
➤ Scimitar
➤ Rapier
___
Cyril didn't hesitate. The longsword was a classic, and it had always been his weapon of choice. He tapped the longsword icon.
___
[Weapon Choice: Longsword]
[Congratulations! You have received: Ironclad Longsword]
[Weapon: Ironclad Longsword]
A solid longsword forged from high-quality iron. Balanced for both offense and defense, it is an excellent all-around weapon for any swordsman.
___
The longsword materialized in front of him, its blade gleaming under the light. It was simple, with a polished steel blade and a sturdy leather-wrapped hilt. It felt natural in his hands the moment he gripped it. He could already tell it was well-crafted, neither too heavy nor too light—just the right balance.
Anna was still confused what's happening, as she looked at her while holding the sword tightly on his hand he heard a knock on the door.
"Young Master Cyril, it's me Sebastian. Your father Lord Dravis Avelwyn wants to meet you."
"Young Master Cyril, it's me, Sebastian. Your father, Lord Dravis Avelwyn, wants to meet with you." The voice from the other side of the door was respectful, but there was a hint of urgency in it.
Cyril's brow furrowed, and he turned his head toward the door. He hadn't expected this. His father rarely called for him unless it was something important.
"I'll be right there," Cyril called back, his voice steadier than he felt. He turned to Anna, who was still standing motionless, her focus entirely on him.
She must have sensed the change in the atmosphere too. "What's happened, young master?" she asked, her tone filled with concern.
Cyril paused for a moment, glancing down at the sword in his hand. It wasn't just any sword—it was his sword now, forged from the system's mysterious power. It felt strangely alive in his grasp. As he looked at Anna, he noticed the way her expression softened slightly. She might not see the weapon, but the change in his presence told her everything she needed to know.
"I… I'll explain later," Cyril said, his voice firm, though there was still an edge of uncertainty. "Stay here. I'll be fine."
Anna opened her mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again. Her worry was clear, but she trusted him enough to let him go. She gave a slight nod, still standing back as he moved to the door.
"Young Master," she said softly, almost as if she could hear his heartbeat speeding up again. "Be careful."
Cyril smiled briefly before exiting the room. As the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath and made his way down the corridor, trying to push aside the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind. The Ironclad Longsword at his side felt like it was meant to be there, as if it had always been a part of him.
Sebastian, still standing outside, nodded at him with a slight bow. "Young Master," he said. "If you're ready, Lord Dravis is expecting you in his study."
Cyril nodded and walked past him, his thoughts racing. Whatever was happening to him, to his abilities, to this strange new world that had opened up, he would have to face it head-on. There was no going back now.
And as he walked toward the study, he could feel Anna's quiet presence in the back of his mind, still worrying about him.