Jarek threw himself into the action with impressive fluidity, his movements calculated and precise. He slipped between the rampestre's massive legs, dodging lightning attacks with surprising agility. His shiny black dagger glinted briefly in the darkness before slamming into the creature's side. A scream pierced the air as the beast writhed under the attack.

Sora, still a little stunned by the speed of Jarek's intervention, straightened up and massaged his arms, still reeling from the previous shock. Jarek's dagger was almost vibrating in his hands, and he was lashing out with cold precision.

"That's how you should attack, kid," Jarek said without even glancing at Sora, focused on his target.

The rampestre visibly more enraged than ever, turned abruptly to face his assailant. But Jarek anticipated this move and, in a flash, positioned himself behind the creature, thrusting his dagger deep into one of the cracks in its carapace. The monster jerked, trying to free itself, but the precision of Jarek's blows seemed to stun it for a moment.

Sora took a deep breath, preparing to act. He had learned his lesson from watching Jarek, and although the creature remained a threat, he knew that if he was to survive this ordeal, he had to behave differently.

He rose to his feet with more determination and moved towards the beast, this time calmer, more focused. He used the distraction Jarek was causing to approach from behind and swiftly struck the rampestre, striking where Jarek had left an opening in the carapace.

The blow sent the creature reeling, and it screamed as it folded in on itself, wounded and under pressure. As if by reflex, the monster swung its long, stinging tail at Sora, hitting his arm.

The power of the blow caused him to drop his weapon and slide beside him. Taking advantage of the moment when the monster wasn't concentrating on him, Jarek took the initiative to attack him, letting a bright red fire cover the entire black dagger in his hands.

As he retrieved his sword from the ground, Sora felt a slight wave of heat as Jarek stood several meters away.

The monster, too, felt the heat and quickly turned towards the source, but it was too late in the moment as Jarek had already leapt into the air to drive his flaming dagger into the eye of the giant rampestre, which collapsed almost instantly.

As the beast landed heavily on the ground, a final explosion of light and heat engulfed the cave. The entire cave was covered in a mixture of blood and burnt brain, bringing with it an unpleasant roasted smell.

Sora dropped to his knees, a feeling of disgust running through his body, while Jarek, as calm as ever, wiped his blade and his clothes with a piece of cloth.

"Not bad, kid. You still lack power, but you're on the right track."

Sora, still holding his right arm, couldn't help but smile. "Thanks for the help."

Jarek shrugged, his smile widening mischievously. "I wasn't about to let you die with your mouth open, alone in a cave."

Sora struggled to his feet, taking one last look at the defeated creature. There were no more rampestre in sight, but a strange sensation lingered in the cave air. He knew that, despite his victory, he hadn't yet explored everything this place had to offer.

Jarek turned towards the entrance, preparing to leave. "Come on, we've got what we need. Grab a few pieces of these rocks, and we'll head back."

Sora nodded, but before he started rummaging, he glanced at Jarek, a little pensively. "You knew the beast was coming, didn't you?"

Jarek gave him a sidelong glance, his smile turning more serious. "Nothing was certain, but I knew such a creature lived here."

Not wanting to know why Jarek had hidden the existence of such an entity from him, Sora asked System0 to give him three Alfa Of Oblivion seeds and swallowed them to heal his bleeding arm, injured by the spikes on the tail of the giant rampestre.

As Sora began to eat the seeds, Jarek, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. He stared at the seeds with an incredulous expression, his eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and alertness.

"Wait a second…" His voice was low, almost a whisper, but filled with an unusual urgency. He quickly approached Sora, his eyes fixed on the items as if they hid a dangerous secret. "What was that?"

Sora, who had nearly forgotten about his presence, didn't really know how to answer. He had just revealed to Jarek a function of his system he would've preferred to keep secret for now.

However, he knew that sooner or later, he would have to tell him the whole truth. But for now, he decided it was safer to play innocent. "That? Those are Alfa Of Oblivion seeds."

Jarek looked him up and down with disdain, realizing Sora was trying to take him for a fool. "I know. I recognize them. But how did you make them appear out of nowhere?"

Sora took a deep breath, searching for the right words. He observed Jarek, whose serious face and piercing eyes seemed to read every thought. He quickly understood he wouldn't be able to dodge the man's questions. "Alright, listen," he began, crossing his arms more to steady himself than out of defiance. "What you saw is one of my system's abilities. It's called System0."

Jarek raised an eyebrow, still very attentive. "A system, huh? That's the first time I've seen anything like it… I mean, it's clearly got nothing to do with the Ushi. So what exactly is it?"

Sora sighed, then continued, his gaze hesitant. "I don't know everything myself. But what I do know is that System0 works differently from traditional powers. I don't have a Ushi, but I do have… a kind of library." He pointed to his forehead. "It catalogs things, like items, and even resources, like these seeds."

Jarek shrugged with a falsely casual expression. "A library, huh? Not bad. But it's not that impressive if you can't use it efficiently. These seeds, where exactly did they come from?"

Sora hesitated, sensing that Jarek wanted to learn as much as possible about his system. "I didn't find them. They appear when I ask for them. But I can't get just anything, only what I've… unlocked. After each fight, there's a certain chance that my system records what I encounter. It catalogs it, improves it, and lets me access it."

Jarek seemed to weigh each word, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So what you're saying is, the more you fight, the more… adaptable you become."

"Basically, yeah," Sora replied with a nod. "It's like every victory, every failure, adds a piece to a puzzle I can use later. These seeds, for example, come from Alfa Of Oblivion, which I encountered during an earlier quest. Once registered, they become available to me when I need them."

A surprised look appeared in Jarek's eyes as he understood the implication. "So, basically, once your system records something, you can access it indefinitely?"

"Hmm, not exactly…" Sora replied, weighing the pros and cons in his mind about what he was willing to reveal. "I can only use what I possess, if I run out of Alfa Of Oblivion seeds, I'll have to go get more before I can use them again."

While tapping a finger to his temple, Jarek still looked somewhat concerned. "That's pretty useful, but I want to warn you. You know that if you consume too many seeds, the healing effect gradually weakens, and you risk memory loss."

Sora looked slightly surprised by this new information. "I figured the healing effect was diminishing, I can already feel that they're not working as well as before, but I didn't know I could suffer memory loss."

Jarek took a step back, arms crossed, his expression thoughtful. "Now you've been warned. But that raises another question: does anyone else know about this? Because if it's as rare and powerful as you say, kid, you've got a big problem. People on ARK won't hesitate to hunt you down for something like this."

Sora lowered his eyes for a moment, staring at the ground. "No, no one knows about my system. Just you now. And that's why I wanted to keep it a secret."

Jarek shook his head, a nervous smile forming on his lips. "You just shared your biggest secret with a mercenary. You're crazier than I thought."

Sora smiled faintly despite the tension. "If you wanted to betray me, you would've done it already."

Jarek burst out laughing, breaking some of the heaviness in the air. "Fair enough. But listen, kid, keep this between us. And use your system wisely. People respect strength, but fear… fear's a whole different story."

Sora nodded, promising himself to be more cautious from now on. But one thought kept gnawing at him: if his system kept evolving and drawing attention, how long could he really keep it a secret?

After securing a few fragments of phosphorescent rock and other useful materials left behind by the rampestre, the two mercenaries left the cave. Sora, still deep in thought, kept casting furtive glances at Jarek, wondering what the latter truly thought of his system. The silence between them felt heavy, as though both were still processing the earlier conversation.

Jarek broke the silence, his voice deep but calm. "You're worried about your secret, aren't you?"

Sora looked at him, a bit on guard, but Jarek didn't seem to have bad intentions with his question. "Don't worry, you know one of my secrets too, so we're even."

Sora frowned, puzzled. "Me? I know one of your secrets?"

As he began walking toward the cave's exit, Jarek stopped and turned to face Sora. "Of course. You're one of the few people on this floor who's seen me use my Ushi, twice, no less. And you know my Ushi is fire-type, which means you can easily figure out what would work best against me." He paused for a few seconds, then added with a smug grin, "Then again, you'd still need to find someone close to my level."

Sora chuckled before replying, "Yeah, if you're the only Gold rank in the Mercenary Order, I'm not likely to find someone who can beat you."

Jarek laughed heartily as he exited the cave.

Once they stepped out, the cool forest air brushed against their faces. The contrast with the suffocating heat and acrid stench of the beast they had just slain felt almost surreal. Sora took a deep breath, slowly shaking off the lingering anxiety from the encounter. The talk with Jarek had only added weight to his thoughts, but he wasn't about to let it overwhelm him.

"So, kid, ready to head back to Grimpoint?" Jarek asked, shrugging with a nearly satisfied smile.

Sora nodded, his eyes fixed on the forest's edge silhouetted in the fading twilight. What he had just experienced in the cave was merely a drop in the ocean.

They walked in silence for a while, the sounds of the forest the only noise breaking the stillness. The trees seemed to whisper secrets in the wind, and Sora couldn't help but wonder how many more terrifying creatures lurked in this world. The more he learned about it, the more he realized how much remained unknown.

Jarek, meanwhile, seemed at ease, almost indifferent. Sora glanced at him discreetly. Even though he hadn't revealed all his abilities, Jarek seemed to command his environment with unsettling ease. His fire-based Ushi, powerful as it was, didn't seem to be his only strength. There was a confidence about him that went beyond combat skills. It wasn't just about strength or speed, Jarek knew how to manipulate situations to his advantage, and Sora was certain he couldn't compete… yet.

They advanced through the woods, their steps leaving silent marks on the damp grass. The road ahead was calm, but unease still lingered in Sora's mind. His thoughts kept circling back to the conversation about his system. Even though Jarek seemed to accept the secret, a doubt remained. What kind of people might be interested in the strange power he possessed? And above all, how could he keep it hidden while trying to carve a path through such a ruthless world?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.