"Mm..." Kyle groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying on the bed instead of the chair.
His vision slowly cleared as he looked around. His body was perfectly fine, no unnatural heaviness and the fatigue he felt earlier has vanished as well.
’What just happened?’ he wondered, clutching the side of his head.
He glanced around the room and realized the person who had sent him into oblivion by pressing her forehead against his was nowhere to be seen.
The whole sequence was weird. For her to suddenly grow silent and offer him her name through such a strange way.
Slowly, he sat up and tried to recall what he had witnessed after his vision went dark.
"Guh... I can barely remember." The harder he forced himself to think, the sharper the pain throbbed through his forehead.
[Host, you have been marked.]
Kyle blinked in surprise. "What do you mean by ’marked’?"
[The host can check for himself in the mirror.]
Kyle frowned. That sounded suspicious.
He climbed out of bed and cautiously walked over to the mirror.
"Holy..." He nearly cursed under his breath as his reflection came into view.
Golden, curved vines stretched from the top center of his forehead, branching gracefully toward both sides in an intricate pattern.
It looked like an elegant tattoo but not made by ink rather than genesis itself.
[That is a Divine Mark, Host.]
[The Divine Mark of the Goddess of Hunt.]
[You have formed a connection with her.]
Kyle touched his forehead, but he couldn’t feel anything. "What exactly does this mean for me? And will it always be visible?"
Sure, it was beautiful but having it always highlighted on his head would be awkward and would draw unnecessary attention.
[Only the host can see it. As for its significance, Host, you have received a boon that surpasses every skill you currently possess. It is something on the level of your skill <Overlord>.]
"..." Damn. That certainly sounded incredible.
Still, instead of asking about the gift, he asked, "Where is she? Do you know if I can still talk to her?"
It had felt nice to meet her for the first time. Someone who had stayed by his side during his lowest days. Someone he had spent countless hours talking to in the past. Finally meeting her in person had filled him with genuine happiness.
[Unfortunately, Host, the existence you seek has already returned to the Nine Heavens.]
Kyle let out a slow breath. So meeting her again was impossible.
Trying to reach Maya through Adam would be pointless. Ethara had merely used her body as a vessel to descend upon the mortal plane.
The only way to connect with her was through the stream.
Talking about streaming, the reason she didn’t appear during the last stream...now he knows the answer.
Shaking those thoughts away, he sat back down on the chair before asking, "So? What does this Mark mean?"
[This Mark is proof that you are now under the protection of a deity. The host will no longer be affected by the miasma of the Dark Domain. The Host would naturally be able to manipulate Genesis better. For further information, the host may be taken to an expert later.]
Kyle realized the expert in question could be Aleda. She has always been a help when it comes to these things.
Humming, he asked. "Dark Domain? You mean Knull?"
[Indeed, Host.]
Kyle leaned back and snickered. "You mean to say I can enter Knull and survive?"
[Indeed, Host.]
"..."
Ah... okay.
It sounded impressive, though it wasn’t as if he had any plans to cross the boundary anytime soon.
[For further information regarding the Mark, the host must step outside and allow himself to be bathed in the moonlight.]
Kyle hummed. "Is that so?"
He checked his phone and saw there was still some time before Amanda might call. Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to test it.
After changing into a pair of jogging pants, he headed out.
Taking his key card, he entered the elevator and selected the top floor instead of the ground floor.
The building had twenty floors, so it took a while before the elevator finally reached the top.
There were no residential units on the twentieth floor due to security restrictions.
Stepping out, he glanced at the guard post and the electrical fencing surrounding the area.
He made his way to the staircase and soon reached the reinforced door that opened onto the spacious rooftop.
"Damn..." It was his first time coming up here, so the towering perimeter walls caught him by surprise.
That surprise, however, was quickly replaced by something else.
He... suddenly felt it.
"Woah."
His entire body felt strangely lighter.
He gave a small hop where he stood.
Once.
Twice.
And sure enough, he was jumping noticeably higher than he normally could.
He clenched his fist.
It almost felt as though he was under the effects of some performance-enhancing drug, one that filled his body with overwhelming strength.
His senses had become incredibly sharp. He could hear the constant buzz of the electric fence, the distant roar of an airplane high above, and even the blaring horns of vehicles far below.
"System?" Kyle asked excitedly as he stepped forward, allowing the moonlight to wash over his entire body with its soothing embrace.
[Host, check your head.]
Kyle blinked in confusion before pulling out his phone.
He tapped the camera icon and pointed it at himself.
"Woah!"
The sight made him blurt out in astonishment.
A golden crown now rested upon his head.
It was elegant in its simplicity. Its surface was smooth, broken only by a subtle ridge running along its center. At the front rose a single crest, modest yet dignified, marking the wearer’s station without unnecessary ornamentation.
Kyle reached up and touched it.
"It’s real... but what is this?"
[That is your Mark receiving the Goddess’s recognition. The source of its power is the orb above your head.]
Kyle’s brows rose as he tilted his head toward the brilliant moon shining overhead.
Right...
The Goddess of the Moon.
The system had mentioned her.
"So, to feel this amazing, I just need to stand under the moon?"
[Indeed, Host. In addition, you have gained several new abilities.]
[Please check your status window.]
Without wasting a second, Kyle summoned it.
[Stats:
Strength: 24 -> 40
Speed: 22 -> 42
Endurance: 32 -> 50
Intelligence: 20 -> 50
Affinity:
Magic Control: 20% -> 80%
Efficiency:10%]
[Skills:
God’s Eye: 420/1000 EXP
Overlord: 210/1000 EXP]
[Lunar Skills:
1. Enhanced Resistance: The host gains resistance against all curses and poisons.
2. Enhanced Regeneration: While under the moon, the host recovers stamina and heals wounds at a significantly faster rate.
3. Hunter’s Gaze: Upon activation, the host can immobilize any target whose Endurance and Intelligence are lower than the host’s for a few seconds.
4. Scent Tracing: This skill greatly enhances the host’s ability to track and pursue prey, surpassing normal human limitations.]
[Items:
Aquila of Achilles
Red Elixir: ×1
Lantern of Life
Birch of Greywing]
[Soul Points: 800]
"..."
Damn.
No, seriously...
What the hell was this?
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Had to think really carefully about this one. Thanks for reading. This was the sudden strength gain I talked about (￣ヘ￣;)