After I exited the bath, I dressed up and went to sit on the bed.
After I sat down, I told the system,
"I shall wait patiently for my answers… you know what they say, patience is a virtue."
For a moment, I actually meant it.
Then something clicked in my mind.
"…Right."
I had enough skill points.
A small smile appeared on my face as I leaned forward slightly.
"Forget that—hurry up and buy that inventory that I worked so hard for."
This time, the reply came instantly.
'Okay, I will buy it.'
A pause.
Then—
'Also, a correction.'
My expression twitched.
Here we go.
'You didn't work for anything. You simply fought a group of weak creatures.'
The smile on my face faded slightly.
'The only things that encounter accomplished were granting you skill points…'
Another brief pause.
'…and presenting you with questions whose answers you are not yet permitted to know.'
I leaned back slowly, staring at nothing in particular.
"…You really know how to ruin a moment."
No response.
Of course.
But something about what it said lingered.
Not the insult.
The last part.
Questions… I'm not allowed to know yet.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then why bring them up at all?"
Silence answered me.
I let out a quiet sigh.
"Just forget it. I don't want my mood to go down more than it already has because of you."
'I have already purchased the system inventory. You are the one who hasn't checked it, foolish host.'
I wanted to say something back, but I didn't have the time or the energy.
"…Okay," I muttered.
"Status."
Celestium Aetherion System – Status Panel
Name: Selarion Aetherion
Age: 16
Race: Elasian
Status: Weakened, healthy, lost memories
Titles: Reincarnater, Primordial Dark Gods Sealer (sealed), Divine King (sealed), All other titles (sealed)
Bloodline: ????????
Physique: ????????
Level: 22
Health: 131/131
Strength: 130
Agility: 125
Stamina: 131
Constitution: 131
Energy: 77/77
Intelligence: 131
Charisma: 131
Concepts: 0
Mastery of Concepts: 0%
Concepts Met: 0
Mastery of Basic Sword Techniques: 70%
Mastery of Energies Wielded: 20% (Terra Essence, Aqua Vitae Flow, Ignis Inferna, Ventus Gale, Aetherial Pulse, Lumen Flux, Umbral Veil, Nihyra, sylthar)
Axions: Convergence Slash | First Slash (Still Learning), Divine Perception, Protection of the Forest, Plant Manipulation
System Inventory (Level 1)
System Shop
System Points: 22486
Unassigned Stat Points: 14
Coins: 20 Silver, 56 Bronze
Experience: 7632 XP (toward next level)
Missions
As I stared at my status, specifically the inventory, the system suddenly said,
'Come on, pull out your new sword already. Stop staring at nothing.'
"Okay," I said.
Then, as I was about to open the inventory, I suddenly remembered I didn't actually know how to use it.
"Um… how am I supposed to use the system inventory?"
The reply came fast.
'It's simple. Just think about the item you want to get, and it will appear in front of you.'
I immediately did as it said, and almost instantly, I felt a weight in my hands.
I gripped it instinctively.
"…Huh."
"No dramatic effects. No spatial distortion or anything."
I looked down at it again.
"Guess it really is that simple, huh."
A panel appeared.
'Yes. No dramatic effects or spatial distortion.'
Another one followed.
'Don't you think it's better this way than something overly dramatic with portals opening and such?'
I nodded slightly.
It was better.
Faster, too.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
"But how would I remember everything I put in the inventory?"
I paused.
The system replied,
'You can press—or think about pressing—the inventory button, and a screen with boxes will appear. You will be able to see everything you have stored. If you are looking for something specific but don't remember it clearly, it will still be shown to you.'
I nodded, a little more satisfied this time.
"Alright… that's useful."
Then I returned my attention to the sword in my hand.
It had a dark purple blade with a black handle.
Faint violet lines ran along its surface like natural fractures, but they didn't look like damage—more like patterns formed from space itself.
Space around it distorted slightly, like the air wasn't fully stable in its presence.
Straight lines in the background bent subtly when viewed near the blade, and distance felt slightly inconsistent the longer I focused on it.
It didn't give off any glow.
Instead, it felt quiet.
Heavy in a strange way, like it was pressing lightly against the space around it without actually touching anything.
I turned it slightly in my hand.
Then the system said,
'Why aren't you checking the sword's description?'
The moment I heard that, I asked on reflex,
"How do I check the description?"
Silence.
Then a panel appeared.
'...…'
It felt like the system was staring at me, trying to see if I was joking.
I paused.
Then I remembered something.
Right.
Divine Perception.
I immediately focused on the sword and activated it.
A panel appeared.
"I was just joking," I said quickly.
"I knew how to check the description."
I paused for a second.
"I was… just checking if you knew I was joking."
Silence.
I felt embarrassed.
How did I not know how to use Divine Perception?
Sigh… I am a fool.
I stopped thinking about the negative thoughts and focused on the panel that appeared.
Sylthen
Description: A sword that was forged from a condensed realm. The creator of the sword added condensed Sylthar energy into the sword to make it able to exist in a stable form despite being tied to spatial distortion.
It does not behave like a normal weapon. Instead, it exists partially within a fractured layer of space, allowing it to interact with distance itself rather than only physical matter.
Its core structure remains bound through Sylthar stabilization, preventing it from collapsing into raw spatial fragmentation.
Because of this, the blade does not rely on force alone when cutting. It interferes with the space between contact points, causing delayed separation effects depending on the stability of the target area.
At rest, it appears fully solid.
However, under movement or intent, it subtly shifts between spatial layers, creating slight inconsistencies in perception around its edge.
I stared at the panel for a moment.
Not because I didn't understand it.
But because I did.
"…So that's what it is."
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Not excitement.
Not fear either.
Something in-between.
Like I was holding something I shouldn't fully understand yet.
My grip on the sword tightened slightly without me meaning to.
"…A sword that cuts space itself."
I exhaled slowly.
The words felt heavier when I said them out loud.
For a moment, I just stood there, looking at it.
Then I closed the panel.
"…Alright."
Authors note
Thank you very much for reading this story.
I appreciate every one of you.
See you in the next update.