Arion heard hurried footsteps approaching. The guards were coming. He realized there was no hope for him to live peacefully in this village ruled by Malakai's iron fist. He had to escape—and take his siblings with him. But how?
He shut his eyes tight and opened the Skill Creator window. His health was full, but he'd have to gamble everything.
Ding~
[Skill Creator — Creation Mode]
"I need a skill to help me escape. Something... something unbelievable!" Arion thought. "The damn system won't approve a normal escape skill, so I'll force it to accept this one!"
He considered skills like Teleportation or Instant Jump, but he knew the system would reject them. No matter how he adjusted the conditions or weakened the power, every attempt at a simple escape skill ended in failure.
"Damn you, you cursed system! Do you want me to rot in this dungeon? To die in agony?" Arion growled.
Then, a dark idea flickered in his mind. "If it rejects anything too strong... what about something so weak it's laughable? A one-time skill that destroys itself after use?"
[Analyzing proposed skill: Desperation Leap]
Proposed Description: Consumes all available mana to teleport the user a completely random distance in a completely random direction.
Expected Rank: F (at best)
Mana Cost: All available mana.
Cooldown: None. The skill self-destructs after the first use.
Note: The direction is entirely random. There is no way to control it.
"This is insane!" Arion muttered. "A short range, random direction, one use only—and it drains all my mana! This is the worst thing I can offer you, you vile system!"
He slammed Create, half-desperate, half-defiant.
Flash-flash
[Creating...]
[...Success!]
Ding~
[Skill Created: Desperation Leap]
Type: Movement Skill (Escape)
Rank: F
Description: Consumes all available mana to teleport the user a random distance in a completely random direction. (No guarantee you won't appear in mid-air or on the edge of a cliff.)
Mana Cost: All available mana.
Cooldown: None. (Skill self-destructs after first use.)
"It accepted it!" Arion whispered, half laughing. "The filthy system! I tricked it! This is exactly what I needed!"
He didn't waste a single heartbeat. He thought of his siblings back home. He focused every bit of strength he had—and activated Desperation Leap.
FSHOOOOM!
Arion vanished from the torture chamber.
At that moment, the guards burst into the room—swords drawn, rage on their faces. But they found nothing.
All they saw was Prince Malakai groaning on the floor, his face partially burned, shrieking incoherent curses while pointing at the empty air where Arion had been hanging.
"Where did he go? Where did that wretch go?!" Malakai howled, as the guards exchanged bewildered looks.
---
Into the Shadows of the Forest
FSHOOOOM!
Arion reappeared, dizzy and reeling. He had no idea where he'd land—but at least he was away from Malakai and the guards. As his vision cleared, he found himself lying on damp soil, surrounded by thick trees.
"The forest?" Arion whispered. "Lucky... or maybe a curse from this filthy system!"
He looked around, trying to get his bearings. The trees were unfamiliar—this wasn't the part of the forest he usually hunted in. Desperation Leap had thrown him deep into the wilderness, far from the village.
[HP: 200 / 200]
[Mana: 0 / 100] (All mana consumed)
"Damn! Zero mana!" Arion growled. "And getting back to the village will take forever in this exhausted state!"
The sun was beginning to set, long shadows painting strange shapes across the forest floor. A surge of dread filled Arion—Leora and Kalin were alone. "I have to reach them before full darkness!"
He forced himself to stand, relying on sheer instinct. Every step burned, but the fear for his siblings burned hotter. He tried to activate Danger Sense—nothing. No mana, no hope.
"Damn stingy system!" Arion muttered. "Gives me great skills then leaves me empty!"
An hour passed. Night fell fully—dark and cold. The forest came alive with the sounds of predators in the undergrowth. Arion's body was failing him.
[Strength: 5 (-2 due to extreme exhaustion)]
[HP: 187 / 200] (-13 from exhaustion, effort, and minor injuries)
"I must reach them..." Arion repeated to himself, a mantra to keep him moving.
Finally, after a grueling trek, Arion spotted faint lights between the trees—Serafin Village! Relief flooded him, but it didn't last.
He slipped quietly back home. Leora and Kalin lay sleeping on their worn mats. For a heartbeat, Arion felt a fragile peace—but it vanished as quickly as it came. Staying here was certain death. Malakai would make good on his threat.
"We have to run," Arion resolved. "There's no hope in this place."
He gathered every useful scrap in the house, then gently shook Leora and Kalin awake.
"Wake up, little ones," he said firmly. "We have a long journey tonight."
Leora blinked sleepy eyes at him. "Journey? Where to, brother?"
"To another city. A big city—where no one can hurt us," Arion said, trying to sound calm.
"A big city? Will we see wizards?!" Kalin squealed, half awake but excited.
"Maybe, you little imp," Arion grinned. "But first, pack quickly."
They didn't have much—some ragged clothes, scraps of food, Kalin's wooden toy. Arion packed what he could into his storage, stuffing the rest in a big sack.
"The meat!" Arion remembered. He still had 4 kilograms of tough Shadow Wolf meat. "We can't leave that behind." He stored it too—certain it would come in handy.
"Now we move. Quietly," Arion ordered. "We leave before anyone notices."
His plan was to slip out through a side path he knew well—avoiding the main gate and its guards. Their destination: the next city, days away on foot.
With final preparations done, and the night growing darker, Arion led Leora and Kalin out of the house. Leora carried a small bundle. Kalin clung to his sister's hand. Arion gripped his steel sword—ready for anything.
"Don't be afraid," Arion said, taking Leora's hand. "I'll protect you both."
They moved silently through the back alleys. The cold air bit at their skin. A few stray dogs barked in the distance. Leora and Kalin trembled, but they trusted their brother.
They reached the village's edge. The hidden path led to another forest—beyond it, the trade road to the next city.
Standing at the forest's mouth, Arion looked back at the small village that had been his living nightmare. There was no nostalgia—only a hard resolve. "This isn't the end. It's the beginning."
He drew a long breath. The road ahead would be long and dangerous. But with Body Memory, Flame Pit Trap, Medium Fire Spark, Enhanced Sprint, and his new sword—Arion was ready.
"Let's go, little heroes," Arion said with a wicked grin. "A whole new world is waiting for us!"
And the three stepped into the shadows of the forest—leaving behind Serafin Village and Prince Malakai's threats forever.