—I blinked, only to squint my eyes at the golden glow rising over the horizon, my eyes bleary.

A cold breeze bristled constantly against my skin, prompting me to wrap the cloak I was wearing tightly around my body.

Cleared, my gaze drifted around.

...Dammit. Some part of me was still hoping that meeting with God was a vivid dream.

I sat up, staring out at the green sea of grass that stretched out into the distance. Vaguely — if I strained my eyes — I could make out what seemed to be a human settlement way yonder.

But I was getting ahead of myself again.

Let's first prioritize what's in front of me, before even thinking about walking that far. Ah. And by 'in front of me,' I mean quite literally just off the edge of my peripheral vision was a text that read:

Welcome to the Weaved World

To begin your journey open your Statblock.

Statblock?

I felt a little dizzy. This...is way too surreal.

A quivering breath left my lips. One step at a time. Just like how I did it when I began battling the darkness of my own depravity.

"...Statblock open?"

Stats

Name: Renith

Title: Cardinal of Sin

Race: Human

Age: 21

Wise: 0 [+95]

Vitality: 13 [+25]

Agility: 17 [+375]

Endurance: 15 [+1005]

Strength: 24 [+550]

XP: 0

SP: 0

Oh? I seemed to have regressed to my younger years. That was something of a pleasant surprise. Don't get me wrong, my aged-bachelor look was regal and all. But even I couldn't say I didn't miss being young...

I started stretching, gently twisting my body, feeling for the youth. It definitely was there. My body felt rejuvenated. Though I didn't feel '+450' strong, whatever the hell that meant.

Hmm...should I test out this new body of mine more thoroughly?

Shaking my head, I let my attention fall back to the Statblock. There would be time later.

The layout of the Statblock was simple enough. Other than the 'Stats' it also had different 'tabs' such as 'Skills,' 'Skillsmithing,' and 'Energies Assimilated.'

After fiddling with the interface — an odd experience, given the entire thing responded to my thoughts — I found that except for "Skills" the rest of the tabs were blank.

Skills

Pride:

•Boosts your base stats to match your ego.

Note: Since your body cannot contain the full load of said ego, that is currently impossible. And honestly, a body fit enough to hold it does not exist.

Lust:

•Lowers the primeval sense of suspicion sentient lifeforms usually have towards strangers.

Envy:

•Matches your potential — be it in terms of martial prowess, artistic brilliance, or mental diversity — to that of the talented being that is unfortunate enough to be better than you.

Greed:

•Your body is compatible with all forms of ■-■'s Essence.

Wrath:

•Multiplies your base stats by five once in effect.

Caution: With your current level, reaching the requirements for the skill to activate will result in Essence Erasure.

Gluttony:

•If you eat beings with unique skills or abilities, there is a chance you might gain said desired aspect.

Note: Only one aspect can be devoured from a single being.

Sloth:

•Your wise stat is boosted when you are in a state of rest.

•Access to your own mental domain when you fall asleep or enter a deep meditative state.

•Your vitality increases sharply when you are in a state of rest.

OmniLinguist:

•Translates your words into something all the denizens of the Weaved World can understand.

•Translates the various languages spoken by the denizens of the Weaved World into something you can understand.

Mapblock:

Skill level: 1

•A simple map of the Weaved World.

I stared blankly, dumbfounded. The irony… all my life I’ve been held captive by my own primal urges, and now it seems they’re working to my advantage? Well… I couldn’t exactly complain, anyway.

But why was my base Wise stat zero? Was there a mistake, or...?

Shaking my head, I opened the Mapblock.

It was obviously a mistake. It had to be. No need to ponder on useless things.

Instantly, a flat, paper-like screen filled most of my vision. It was a simple—it almost looked hand-drawn—representation of my surroundings. Most of what made up the map was the field I was standing in and north-eastward, at the very edge, was a tiny fraction of the town or village.

I wasn't visible on the map and when I moved, it did not follow my position in real-time. Though, after making a few more observations, I found that if I moved a few paces and closed and opened the Mapblock, it would modify itself to match my new position.

I played around with the curious skill as I walked to the village.

"Oi!" someone shouted, breaking my dazed state. "Off with the hood!"

"Ah?"

I willed the Mapblock away, looking up to see who was being so noisy. A scruffy-looking man in his late twenties.

The man scrunched his expression with a great deal of suspicion, and by looking at how hard he was gripping the pitchfork in his hand, I could tell he was tense... One word away from lunging at me.

This could be dangerous...

I shot a glance at the men beside — no, it'd be more accurate to say they were standing behind him, scared. Perhaps I was mistaking the warp-faced man's fear for aggressive tension?

"Well?" he said, stepping forward slightly. "And you might as well show me your birthplaque."

I slowly removed the hood, brushing my curly bangs back. "Better?"

"No! Show me your 'plaque,” the man barked threateningly. “Then we'll think about being civil."

"I don't understand," I said, observing the man's dirt-patched clothes, then the village perimeter. There was no gate or wall to prevent foreign entry. "What authority do you hold to ask that of me?"

The man snorted. "As much authority as this here three-fanged stick gives me."

"...I see."

I pulled up my hood and turned heel, a few sighs of relief falling on my ears as I walked away.

Two things.

I need a 'birthplaque' to travel from place to place, and either the 'Lust' skill doesn't work or I'm missing something.

"Ah. No, it's three things," I muttered, plopping down at the exact spot I woke up. The trampled weeds of grass serving as an uncomfortable mat. "I need some food...and water. That's four things."

And it wasn't a necessity, but I could do with the touch of a woman.

A harsh heat spread from my chest to my cheeks. Sein's face flashed in my mind. The moisture in my mouth becoming viscous.

I smacked my teeth.

Would any woman satisfy me if it wasn't her?

"God! What am I, some lovestruck fool?" I pulled the hood down, forcefully stretching it over my flushed face. "...This isn't good."

But was it bad?

"Yes! Dammit. It is...don't you dare think otherwise."

I kept arguing with myself for a while, but soon the sun blazed down fiery wrath that forced me to stand up.

My plan was simple. Wait for dusk, then sneak into the village, extract information, from there it was on to a bigger town — hopefully a city. But the sun was unforgiving, plus I couldn't see any trees to sit under.

"..."

Why must I suffer?

I sighed, removing the cloak and using it as a makeshift umbrella by holding it over my head, sitting back down.

***

The hours ticked by slowly. However, it wasn't bad. Around the thirtieth minute mark, I started trying to meditate. It was a difficult task since I had to relax my arms now and then to adequately circulate blood flow.

Eventually, I just placed the cloak down and sat in a lotus position, taking the full brunt of the sun, emulating what I'd seen in movies so many times.

I spent hours sitting with my eyes closed, trying to relax. But my current circumstances prevented me from letting my guard down for even a second.

It was late afternoon when I decided I'd find out what my mental domain would be like when I slept.

I wiped the sweat off my slick forehead.

So much sweat and I couldn't say I desperately craved a glass of water. Was my body severely dehydrated and I just didn't feel it or was it that I just needed less water to live now?

"I really am ignorant of a lot," I mumbled, standing. It was almost time. By my estimate, one more hour and the sun would settle down the horizon — maybe forty-five minutes.

I took a step forward in the opposite direction from the village. Then, after covering a good distance, I began circling the village. I couldn't try and sneak in from the same side I first tried to gain entry.

When darkness fell, it embraced the surroundings so fast I was caught off guard.

I looked around, but without even a star in sight, all I could make out was my arms — barely.

Fortunately, I knew the village's direction. I began taking long strides, occasionally looking at the Mapblock to make sure my bearings didn't get skewed.

Slowly, surely, the village came into vision. I could make out some illumination a few hundred paces ahead.

It was quiet, I picked up as I got closer. Earlier, there was some activity within the village — so much so I could hear the bustle from outside. But now, it was as if the village was abandoned.

Pressing my back on the rough wooden wall of the hut closest to me, I listened for activity from under a closed, makeshift window.

I smiled slightly, there were muffled voices inside. Two young adults and a litter of children by the sound of it.

I let a few hours pass, waiting for the voices to fall silent, then I made my move.

Children. Women. Men. It didn't matter, I didn't want to risk going deeper into the settlement and getting caught. Hopefully, they'd be cooperative.

I frowned, touching the lock on the wooden door. The edges of the door splintered and splayed apart, breaking it would be easy but noisy.

'Oh. I should test my newfound strength, eh?' I grasped the lock slowly adding strength, the thing creaked softly as the rusty metal warped in my fist. 'This—'

Startled, I spun around, a strange feeling pricking down my spine. "...What the?" I murmured softly to myself. "How long has she been standing there?"

The person in question, an elderly woman, smiled, her wrinkles folding her skin.

"Long enough." She looked around, then at me with a sagely, studious gaze. "My, may I ask what you're up to?"

My skin seethed as I blankly stared at the trembling old lady.

Danger.

That's all that emanated from this harmless-looking granny. The morbid intent in her eyes was so clear, that I considered attacking her without a word on instinct. Not only that, there was something inhumane about her smell...

...No. That wasn't a smell.

"Child, I asked what you were doing."

"Ah...about that," I said with a smile, gently rubbing my head. "You see, the thing is I'm starving... I swear, I wasn't going to do anything violent to the residents. Maybe just eat their rations."

The old lady chuckled. "Oho. I see. I see... I know from experience hunger can drive one crazy. But if you were to do that, you'd be killing them regardless — very slowly, I might add."

"...That's unfortunate, but it can't be helped," I said, bringing my hood down. "Or can it lady?"

A bemused expression slacked the old lady's face. "...You're threatening me...for...food?" she asked, lowering the lantern in her hand.

"It's not a threat," I corrected. "A demand, more of. I suppose you could also call it a donation if that ease's you."

"...You," she whispered softly as if stunned, "can follow me. I was just about to have dinner."

Then, she walked down the street, gesturing for me to follow.

"So, granny, why is it you're the only one walking around this late?" I asked, breaking the silence, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

"I was visiting my nephew." She let out a snicker. "That brat... He's such a prattler, by the time he stopped telling me about his day the sun had already set."

"That's wonderful. It must be nice to have someone to talk to at that age," I said, following her down a narrow path. "But that doesn't fully answer my question."

"Yes..." the old lady continued, her voice oddly filled with endearment. "It is wonderful. In fact, he did tell me something interesting. He ran into a wandering vagrant today. A young—"

There was a loud, wet crunch as the back of the old lady's head caved around my fist, one of her eyes flying out of its socket. The woman's body bounced stiffly against the ground, tumbling away a few meters; out of the short alleyway.

Ember bounced into the air as the lantern light flickered, fading the next moment; the light source breaking on impact with the ground.

I took another step, instantly closing the distance between us, then I stomped down on her skull. It burst beneath my booted foot, blood and brain matter spluttering; staining the deep-brown earth.

Warily, I stepped back, observing the corpse. The fresh scent of death shot a familiar chill down my spine.

Did I act too rash? Was she really just a weird old woman?

'No. She was too suspicious from start to finish,' I concluded, kicking the bits of grey matter from my shoe. 'Besides, the deed is already done.'

...It'd have been nice to ask her some more questions.

"I...kne...w...it..."

A gurgled voice came.

My eyes trailed to the body in front of me. It twitched, before breaking out into violent convulsions, a dim red glow flashing under the woman's robes. Thick tendrils began wriggling out of the crushed part of her face..

"...That delicious smell...!" the distorted voice resounded again. "You're no human... But... you're no Hearthborne either...!"

I jumped back, surprised, my eyes scanning through the darkness for an escape route. I just knew it, dammit!