Why do I feel so shaken?
Even when I have people in front of me,
I’m still alone.
—
I struggled moving, clutching at my side.
The sun slowly set in the horizon as the stars flickered, matching the rhythm of a heartbeat. They were dispersed like a splatter of paint, it was like the sky was a canvas, being illustrated in a different colour perpetually.
I approached the nearest building, it was dilapidated.
I’m surprised that it survived the rampage of the creatures.
The paint peeled off from each of the corners, exposing the brick behind. The colours of the brick varied, from top to the bottom the hue was mahogany and ochre.
An “eyesore” was the perfect word to describe what I was in.
It was in ruins, which was obvious to see with a singular glance. Especially with the fallen rumble, which I presumed had come from the ceiling, that had created an uneven pile on the floor.
I should explore.
I thought, glancing towards the sky. The sun had fully set, casting the world in a shadow.
Whilst staring out at the open horizon, a gleam caught my eye. Under the rumble, there was something.
Similar to how the game, Eternal Realm, operated, special objects gleamed with a bright, gold star. I was witnessing the same mechanic in real life.
I heaved the top wreckage off with all my remaining strength. My breathing hitched, I was exasperating desperately for a pinch of air. My body ached, as I continued to pull each grainy debris off this mysterious item.
I yanked the final debris off, and saw.. potions?
The potions weren’t damaged, there wasn’t a single scratch on the glass rim. That shocked me considering how dusty the surrounding area I was in, how was it kept that pristine?
The liquid inside was discoloured, but flickered a cerulean hue. There was a strange symbol on the bottle, which looked similar to a tornado.
I jolted as a display window popped up.
<4* Aeolia Times>
I clicked the description.
[Just like the beings in the Aeolia times, this potion will ensure a safe landing by releasing a surge of wind. Be cautious of the fury that may be contained under the concealed zephyr]
.. That wasn’t terrifying at all. I shuddered at the thought of the fury, how windy was Aeolia? If I recall, the island was ruled by Aeolus, the son of Hippotes, and was the ruler of the winds by Zeus.
Didn’t he interact with Odysseus? I can’t exactly remember what happened, but I don’t think it was positive.
“Four star potions.. this could be handy.” I quietly repeated, deciding on what I should do.
Although, according to ‘Eternal Realm’, any loot could be an advantage as all items served a boost for the user. Seeing how this world has become ‘Eternal Realm’, I might need this.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Quickly, I stored the potions into my pocket.
<4* Aeolia Times was stored>
<+ Luck!>
A gust of wind blew at me.
More luck? That could be useful.
Suddenly, I convulsed. Something was rising out of me.
I stumbled in my movement, momentarily kneeling on the floor.
I retched out my insides, I clenched tightly onto my shirt.
A dense, lumpy tar-like substance regurgitated out of my mouth, coating the ground below me in an indescribable fluid.
I need to lay down.
Struggling to move, I dragged my heavy body against the cold concrete floor.
I leaned against the wall, drifting in and out of conscious.
—
Ruffling of fabric rang in my ear.
“Another survivor.. I assumed most had succumbed to the attacks from the creatures.”
This person’s voice was sultry, with a velvety cadence that seemed to emphasise their mellow tone.
I had a hard time trying to remain still under the pressure of their formidable gaze, it made my hairs stand on their end.
“You’re alive, aren’t you?”
The articulation of their voice felt condescending, and an even more overwhelming weight incapacitated me. I parted my eyes.
“Ah, so you are awake.”
Long lustrous black hair whisked around her, glimmering in the moonlight. The tips of her hair swirled an golden hue, which complimented the dark raven knitted sweater that firmly fitted her body. A harness sat diagonally across her body, with another supporting the underside of her chest. Another harness rested on her waist, with a holder containing golden arrows. Her face showed no imperfections.
Was she sculpted by a god?
I stared back to her eyes, or what I thought was her eyes.
She was wearing black shades and I could see myself through the reflection.
I wasn’t the best looking person, but lord. I looked like an incest compared to her breathtaking appearance.
Hair that cascaded down the face whilst rough hair fibres surrounded the exterior of the head. The hair exhibited the plain colour of ebony, with the end tips turning purple—wait purple? That can't be right.. my hair should have fully be black?
My eyes also exuded the colour of—
Wine?
.. Wait— wait. When did my eyes turn purple? I swore that my eyes were— well should have been dark brown?
She took off the black shades, unveiling her grey-coloured eyes. They shimmered like stars in the sky, and seemed to possess integrity. She felt reliable, someone I could trust or lean on. She had unusually long eyelashes that fluttered gently. Her eyes could recite a fable, the deepness of them could lure and entice me to pry further—
.. Hold on. What am I thinking right now?
I ignored my pestering thoughts and focused entirely on the woman in front of me.
“Yu Haeun, you?”
She asked euphonious, her voice scratched the back of my skull.
She stretched her left hand towards me, radiating confidence through her gaze.
“.. Myo Dae.”
I felt compelled to take her hand.
Grrmnhh!
The sky crackled, tearing the world apart with a cataclysmic lightning storm that pressurised the tectonic plates to dramatically shift, shaking my body.
A force pulled me upwards, and I was gradually up on my feet.
Yu Haeun:
Age: 20
Height: 172cm
Class: Hunter
Sponsor: ?ρτεμι?
Art: ?οχ?αιρα
.. Is this her file? What is that ability? Is it in an ancient language..?
“Seems like you’re a regular citizen.. you don’t have an ability right?”
She said, before pausing for a bit.
“It doesn’t show in your character file if you do.”
I was surprised at her honesty, it was refreshing for a change.
“Abilities? What are those? Are they superpowers?”
“Hmm, seems like you haven’t received one yet. I’m sure you can gain an ability, but I’m uncertain on how.”
She pressed her hand against her lips, clearly immersed in her own thoughts.
“Do you have an ability?”
She faltered slightly.
“Indeed so, but I haven’t figured out all of it’s potential skills.”
“Well, what can you do?”
“I’ve figured out I have a special bow, with golden arrows. I can also travel on the arrows.. surprisingly.”
Aren’t arrows flimsy? The arrows must be enchanted in some way—
“?ρτεμι?”
Isn’t that Ancient Greek?
? is self-explanatory, it symbolises the letter A. I can’t distingush the next letters, but the last two “ι?” means “is”.
.. I’ll make sure to take a book from the bookstore.. if all the libraries aren’t demolished that is..
I’m glad that my obsession with mythology in my teens is greatly benefitting me right now.
Thanks younger me.
Grrmmnhh…
A similar sound resonated throughout the globe, another wave was starting.
<1 Elite Enemy and 150 Monsters Incoming>
“Another wave.. the first one only started a few hours ago. You’ll be in danger, let’s evacuate quickly. I’ll handle the monsters.”
It was only then I realised she had a bow on her back.
She pulled it from behind her, gripping onto the arrows that sat in the holder at their waist.
A portal materialised out of thin air, containing the most grotesque creatures.
She readied her position, keeping her feet apart. Attaching the arrow to the string, she raised the bow towards the open area.
With clean precision, the first monster that appeared disintegrated, as the arrow pierced through the creature. A bubbling fire sparked inside the wound, quickly spreading to the rest of the swarm.
Getting a closer look, I noticed that all her arrows contained a different coloured tip, the arrow that fired had a reddish-orange coloured tip.
“That’ll buy us enough time to escape.”
She fired another arrow, this time it stayed still. Ominously still.
“Hang on tight.”
Suddenly, I was pulled onto her. It felt unreal, the arrow seemed to hold the weight of two people.. and was strangely larger than usual.
“Wait--what?”
“ο?κο?”
She whispered, it was barely audible but it was enough for the arrow to immediately glide over the air in a quick motion. I tightly held onto Yu-nim, feeling embarrassed but more comfortable and secure in the position I was in.
Soon enough, we had arrived at.. a forest?
Specifically, an oak forest that overlooked the mountain range, with subtle wet pastures on the left side of the forest.
“What the—? How did we end up in a forest? I specifically said home..”
She muttered under her breath, before slightly hesitating.
“It must be because of Artemis..”
Artemis? THAT Artemis?
The goddess of hunting, the wild, animals, nature, and children?!
THAT Artemis?
I nearly fainted on the spot.
“Are you alright?”
A sweet, soothing voice melodiously brought me back to reality.
“I’m fine.”
I nervously stated, as my heartbeat eventually recovered back to a normal rate.
I need to get used to her face.. before it kills me.