Chapter 6: The Beginning of the Great Event

Time passed quickly. Evan and Riley's relationship grew closer. After the quest to save Riley and defeat Marco, Evan still received other quests, but the quests he got were not as challenging as fighting Marco. Besides that, there was something strange about the rewards he received.

If previously Evan received 5-10 status points and experience, this time Evan only received one each time he completed a quest. This happened when Evan reached level 5.

Of course, Evan felt frustrated because instead of progressing faster, his development actually slowed down.

On a cold evening, Evan sat in front of his house with Riley, contemplating his progress.

“What are you thinking about?” Riley asked, curious.

Evan sighed deeply. “Nothing.”

Riley frowned. “But you look like an old man thinking about his false teeth.”

Evan rolled his eyes. He couldn't tell Riley about his powers. Maybe he would tell her in the future, but not now.

“Why do you like helping people in our district so much?” Riley asked.

“I just like doing it,” Evan replied without thinking.

Riley smiled. “You know? People call you the savior kid of district 37.” As a friend, Riley felt proud of Evan. Why not? Evan always did good deeds without complaining or asking for anything in return. For Riley, if Evan grew up, he might become someone who could change their district, maybe even the entire city of Arcadia.

Evan knew about the nickname. He just didn't care, because he received rewards beyond what he did.

Lost in thought, Evan checked his level progress.

Name: Evan Theodore Walker (9 years old)

Job: -

Title: 3/3

- Steel Heart (Permanently increases all status points by 5)

- Helper of District 37 (Increases affinity with the residents of District 37)

- Animal Lover (Increases the chance to tame animals by 2 points)

Level: 9

Experience: 80 (100 experience points to reach Level 10)

Health: 100%

Stats:

Strength Points: 70 (+5)

Agility Points: 60 (+5)

Stamina Points: 50 (+5)

Sensitivity Points: 20 (+5)

Intelligence Points: 20 (+5)

Endurance Points: 60 (+5)

Mana Points: 0

Special Abilities:

Animal Taming (2/10)

After reaching level 9 with difficulty and gaining various status bonuses, titles, and special abilities, what puzzled and frustrated Evan the most was his mana points. According to the system's explanation, mana would be crucial when someone learned magic. If this status appeared on Evan's HUD, then he would have the opportunity to learn magic, right? So why hadn't he received any magic skills or mana points?

Frustrated, Evan ruffled his hair, ignoring Riley's odd look.

Seeing her friend frustrated, Riley suddenly suggested visiting her parents' shop. “How about we go to my parents' shop? I’ll show you some pretty cool collections.”

In the future, Evan had visited that shop too many times. To Evan, there was nothing interesting, but because there were no quests to complete, he finally agreed to Riley's invitation. “Let’s go. Maybe I can find a magic wand there,” Evan said casually. He didn’t know something was waiting for him there.

***

In a skyscraper located in the heart of Arcadia, a tall, sturdy man handed a photo to a man dressed like a ninja.

The photo was of a sword that had aged.

“I want you to find this sword for me. Whatever it takes, you must get it,” ordered the tall, sturdy man.

The man dressed like a ninja only nodded silently, then disappeared like a gust of wind.

The tall man then walked to the glass window and looked out at the bustling city of Arcadia. In the past, this city was targeted by his ancestors. They were sorcerers who used dark magic to conquer Arcadia. However, their efforts were thwarted by a group calling themselves the Protectors of Arcadia.

Five hundred years had passed, but the man did not forget the history of his ancestors. The curse of darkness was so strong that it bound them through generations. Now Arcadia had become a modern city, where no one believed in things like magic and mythical creatures. Money ruled Arcadia, but the man did not care. He had money, and now what he needed was to summon the dark army that had been sleeping for thousands of years.

If his ancestors had failed to awaken this power, this time he would be the first to succeed in reviving the dark forces and conquering Arcadia completely.

As the man smiled and opened his palm, a fireball suddenly appeared and danced in his hand. "Soon all the relics I desire will be gathered. Then, the offering to open the gate to darkness will be made!"

He had already collected seven relics. Only three remained, but the man was confident he would gather them all.

***

“This is a woman’s breastplate from the Mawa tribe,” said Riley, like a historian guiding tourists. “And this is the telescope of James Moragi, a man skilled in reading signs and fortune-telling.”

Unlike the enthusiastic Riley, Evan felt bored because he already knew all the items there. But to appreciate Riley's effort, he still followed the brief tour until they stood in front of a rusty sword displayed in the darkest corner of the room.

“Umm… I don't know the history of this sword, but my parents always say it's cursed.”

Evan also knew about the sword because, in the future, it would be stolen, but the photo of the sword would still be displayed. It was a shocking event because Riley’s father was even killed in the incident.

“Wait!” Evan suddenly stopped. Because he was focused on completing quests, he had forgotten about that event.

“What is it, Evan?” asked Riley.

Evan did not answer Riley’s question. He closed his eyes and focused on his future memories. “You said you would soon be 10 years old, right?” Evan asked suddenly.

Riley nodded. “I’m celebrating my birthday on Sunday.”

Evan opened his eyes. His face suddenly turned pale. Now he remembered that the tragic event happened exactly when Riley turned 10. Amid his confusion and worry, the notification from the system he had been waiting for finally rang loudly.

Quest: (0/2)

1. Protect the Blade of Eternity

2. Save Michael Chang

Time limit: 3 days

Failure to complete the quest: Death of Michael Chang and the destruction of the future world

Evan’s eyes widened. Destruction of the world? Evan then began to think about why he was given this power and brought back to the past. Did it mean something was threatening this world? How could a 9-year-old, soon to be 10, save the world from destruction?

***