Morning light wakes me up, but I don't want to leave my bed yet... It was good, that dream. I felt so free, without worries, anxiety, nothing to bring me down. Maybe the dream was real, a memory from the past, when I used to have a brother, perhaps.

Anyway, I need to get up and start reading before I help Skelones organize and clean the store. Hopefully, I can do better than he did. Despite having so much knowledge and items, Mr. Skelones is not very systematic.

Let's check my stats, shall we?

Health Integrity Physical: 90% minor pain Mental: 80% Anxiety (-20 WIL, -5 END) depression (-20 WIL, -5 END) determined (+10 WIL) Total: 85% Fine Stats Strength: 103 (+3) Endurance: 94 (+4) Reflex: 103 (+3) Intelligence: 102 (+2) Willpower: 71 (+1) Charisma: 101 (+1) Resistances Mental resistance: 1% your ability to resist mental stress, pressure, anxiety, and everything that affects your mind in a bad way. Electricity Resistance 5% You take less damage from electricity Skills Fighting Level 2 Improvised tools Level 1 Climbing Level 1 Aesiri Level 2 Staff Mastery Level 1 Friend of the squidcrabs Level 1 Runes Current willpower: 71 Mana 0/0 Runes Attuned 0 Affinities Electricity 10% Space 23% Light 5% Time 0,1%

My mental condition got a lot better. I do feel less like shit and more like a normal person, I guess. The feeling of something dark and desperate inside me is still there, but slowly I feel more in control of myself. One day I will defeat those mental health issues. One day.

Nice thing this house previous owner was probably a human, as there is a bathroom here. The cold water from the shower hits my skin, instantly making me awake for real and bringing me determination. A cold shower is just the best way to start a day.

After I am done showering and eating breakfast, I revise my annotations on the Introduction to Magic.

To cast spells, a person needs strong willpower. The author describes it as controlling the forces of nature through one's will, but I am now aware the will is how much one can control the system to cast magic for them, as everyone lives without conscience about the system, they control it unconsciously, through their will. I wonder if I can change that or I too need willpower to cast magic, as it is my lowest stat.

I also learned there is something called magic potential which determines how much magic a person can do and how strong a spell can be cast. People usually increase it through their lives and after experiencing magical effects. So if someone uses magic on another person, that person will evolve magically, but that seems to take a lot of time and magic to do.

I will have to keep learning more. First, I should see Mr. Skelones

The bronze droid was wearing a hat today, giving him a vintage look. His amber eyes looked at me, I am starting to understand his emotions based on his eyes and voice tone. Today he seemed happy

"Hello there." I say to him, as I enter the store, he was already on the balcony preparing stuff, the store still closed, however.

"Morning, feeling better?"

"Very much yes. A few memories of when I was a teen came back, I had a brother. Was a good memory"

"Good news indeed. I hope you remember more."

"So, there is really no one else who can see how the system works?"

"So early in the morning and already with questions huh? This is good, I wish more humans thought like that. Well, far as I know you are the only human who can." He pauses for a second before continuing "yet, there is something I wish to tell you. First, don't let anyone else find out you can read the system. Second, never let anyone know what I am about to tell you, especially other droids, as they might come after you for that." He looks down apprehensively and speaks again "We, droids, also have a system. Probably very similar to yours. We evolve, we can scan things, know about our conditions, and other information like that. We can't use magic as a human can, but our system can mimic a human will in order to activate a rune. This is also why my parts are made with alloys similar to bronze, iron interferes with magic, turning it chaotic or absorbing it, often destroying itself. Also… I have runes inscribed on my body, making me one of a kind. But don't tell anyone that." He finished with a mysterious tone

"Amazing… Wait, I am human, right?" I ask in a joking but nervous tone

"Yes, I am sure you are, I scanned ya" he answers

"So… my max mana is 0, any way to increase it besides aging and being exposed to magic all the time?" I ask

"Not that I am aware. Maybe you could use lots of artifacts? That could speed the process I guess… well, we should start working, the store opens soon and there are quite the amount of travelers around here these days. Adventurers too, hunting for beasts and ruins in the mountains."

Well, I can only hope to find a way to make it work. Maybe I should just study more? From what I know, being in contact with magic is my best bet, so I should use Artifacts to see if it does anything.

I worked hard, organizing everything efficiently to have more free time. I also spent time learning about the items in the store, prices and uses. The store was the only one selling artifacts in the valley, also the only one focused on adventurers and traveler's gear.

I read any time I could. I found one could gain heat affinity by having a connection with the fire, rich people did rituals and desperate -or crazy- people burnt their skin to understand the flames. I am not that desperate, however. There is bound to be some way I can work with.

Time flies fast and the day was over. The next one began and it was mostly the same. Except for something I got out of all the work and study

◇New skill: Efficiency Description: Through your effort to finish your work faster and your laziness to procrastinate more, you learned efficient ways to solve problems and have more free time. Effects: Finding solutions becomes easier. +1 to INT ◇New skill: Arcane Knowledge Description: You slowly uncover the mysteries of the arcane. While most people just simply do magic, you decided to find knowledge about how they work. Effects: You are better at understanding magic. +1 to INT +1 to WIL ◇Aesiri is now level 3◇ +1 to INT (+2 total)

Finally some progress. While those skills won't help me casting magic, studying will become easier.

Now, there is something I realized. The stats, every single point in intelligence I got made some difference, even a small one. I can learn better, understand easier…

Let's see how much Int I have...

Intelligence: 105 (+5)

+5 huh? I need to ask something of Mr. Skelones.

I proceed to bother my favorite droid with just a little more questions. We talked a little about skills and stats but I forgot to ask him something really important.

"Hey Boss, let's say my intelligence is normally 100 without a bonus. This 100, the system told me it was the normal or average, what does this means?"

"If your system is like mine -and it seems to be- 100 means the norm for humans and droids. If you have less, something is diminishing it, if you have more, you have a bonus to it. Also, if you have 100 of a stat and someone else has 200 that means the person is twice smarter or stronger than you are." He answers with enthusiasm. I think it's good for him having a student or friend or just someone to talk to really.

"Thanks, I suspected so. I got a +5 bonus to INT, so I am 5% smarter than an average person? Does everyone really have 100 in every stat?"

"Droids start with 100 in every, yeah. As for humans, I speculate they start with a penalty that slowly is lifted until they reach adulthood, then they are mostly 100 in everything, yes. Those who do have access to learning and training during growing can reach 100 faster, but to increase further than that, the only way is acquiring and leveling up skills."

"Thank you really, I should get back to work now" I then resume organizing things so I can get back to reading stuff soon.

Another day passes

And another one

And another

I have been here for 2 weeks now, in this shop on the road to the village. I made some good progress on some skills. And I already read through most of the books about arcane theory and a few about artifacts. I visited the village a few times too, tried finding Ayla but she was busy. Taking a moment off studying, I take a look at notifications and my stats

◇New skill: History Description: The study of past events. The road to the future is built using the knowledge of the past. Effects: +1 to INT ◇History is now level 2◇ +1 to INT (+2 total) ◇Aesiri is now level 4◇ +1 to INT (+3 total) ◇Efficiency is now level 2◇ +1 to INT (+2 total) ◇Arcane Knowledge is now level 6◇ +5 to INT (+6 total) +2 to WIL (+3 total) Intelligence: 114 (+14)

It's so weirdly amazing being able to know how much of an improvement I got from studying.

I and Skelones discussed a few ideas for me to be able to use magic if he was able to do it to himself somehow, I too would be. My favorite idea was that I theorized using an artifact to gather ambient energy and making it usable to me somehow. The problem was making the artifact, as it needed quite a few runes.

Also, I learned many things about the past, the Aesiri kingdom, and the valley. Apparently, the kingdom had a feudal system with lords having their own territory, but still obeying the king and paying taxes. The many lords however had different views on well, everything and so the kingdom broke apart into many different factions. There is also a rumor of some fanatics wanting to restore the kingdom, the Aesirite, 'te' being the suffix for new in Aesiri.

In my dreams, I revived memories of my past. I remember now that I used to have a family, one twin brother, one little sister, a dad, a mom, grandparents… But I also remember being alone in my apartment and thinking about not having a family any longer. I wonder what happened. Still, the little pieces of memories I dreamt will be cherished in my heart as long as I remember them.

Yet, I feel divided, broken, and fractured. Having only fragments of my past self is not something easy to bear. My new life in this world started when I woke up in the lab with almost no memories and some of them returning makes me confused, they bring more questions than answers.

As I was lost I thought, Mr. Skelones rushed into my room, I can see from the way he got here that something serious is going on.

"Bad news, kid. We need to leave. Travelers are saying the Aesirite are coming this way, already are close to the village and they are not found of droids at all" He said in a serious tone

"Why now? Shit" is the only thing I can think to say

He ignores me and proceeds to say "Grab the most important stuff of the store, anything to help us survive is a priority."

This is real, this is happening. And I am not ready. What if we have to fight? Things were looking so good here on the store, on the valley… Alright, get a grip, Kali. Get everything you need to finish your project… And to fight.

Quickly, I get what I need. I was the one who organized the store after all. Materials for artifact making, a few books, a black cloak, few clothes, rations, the staff of electricity, and a few adventurer gears, potions included. I also grab some artifacts from the store. Most of them are minor utilities like regulating temperature or detecting water, but one of them was an actual wand of arcane missiles, albeit missing an energy gathering rune, as they use the mana of the user.

Just as we are finishing packing, we see some people running away from the village in a hurry. A group of them however, decided to stop at the store and slowly walk into it, Most were armed with wood clubs but one of them had an axe. They are looking at the items and at us in a way that gives me chills to my spine.

"We are closed" says Mr. Skelones.

"What is the recycle bin afraid of customers? We only want your stuff and we will pay handsomely, by letting you live" one of the men said.

As I feared, they are thugs taking the opportunity of the chaos to grab what they can. Not today, they won't.

"Fuck you, leave before you find yourselves with your faces mopping the floor" I say to them. Skelones didn't move at all, as if waiting for something.

"What did ya say, bitch? Ya fucking dead now." the thug said, advancing on my direction. Before I could react, Mr. Skelones appears in front of me, grabbing the man by his neck and throwing him into the wall as if he were a ragdoll. The droid eyes glow Red. The man is still moving but clearly in pain.

Immediately, 3 of them attack Mr. Skelones, he easily dodges their blows while breaking an arm or two with his punches. The one with the axe looks at me with eyes of hunger. I don't want to think what this means, I just want to break his face. He comes at me faster, swings his axe and I dodge to the left and swing the staff to hit him on his leg, but I missed. He laughs slowly "I like it when they fight back" he says. Disgusting. I swing the staff again, aiming for his head. He however grabs the staff with his axe, using it as a hook to put it away and punches me on the face. This man is strong, unlike the hungry thief, his punch is really strong. I fall on the ground, completely out of balance. He is coming, I try to get up but isn't going well. He gets closer and swings his axe into me. Quickly, I somehow roll to the side, then he steps on my lungs to stop me. I grab the end of the staff and activate its electricity just for a second. The man gets back a little scared, not knowing what hurt him, confusion in his eyes. I am now in even worse shape than before, even using a low charge. The opportunity however is here, and I go on my knees and stab the end of the staff on the monster belly, immediately sending a strong charge into him. I watch him contorting himself hopelessly while I feel a mixture of adrenaline, pride, and a sense of justice for making this monster pay. It feels good, being in control of the situation for once. A cold metal hand touches my shoulder. Amber eyes look at me, speaking in a robotic voice "enough, Kali"

I then stop electrifying the monster. He drops on the ground, still spasming for a while. Burn marks like those of lightning on his body.

"Let's go, hurry" Skelones says. The other 4 thugs were lying unconscious on the ground. He then grabs his backpack and walks fast into the backdoor and I follow him with mine.

Is the man I electrified dead? I don't know and I don't know if I care. The look he gave me made me remember a memory I wish I forgot for real. The same look my father's boss used to give me when I was young.

My emotions are in turmoil right now but I need to escape, to focus. Mr. Skelones says he knows some caves we could go, for now, having an escape route in them in case we really need to go somewhere else.

We don't know anything about those Aesirite, how many they are nor how they are, all we know is they are fanatics and dislike droids.

Being in the forest now, Skelones stops to look back "I never thought I would be leaving here so soon. I really liked it there." His eyes a tone of faint orange and his voice in sorrow.

"I am sorry… I liked it there too." I say.