“Okay,” he muttered.
“Let’s take stock.”
At the thought, his inventory opened.
[Inventory]
Wampus Cat Claw ×4 (F)
Wampus Cat Pelt ×1 (F)
Stabilization Wraps ×2
He stared at the list for a moment.
“Well,” he said, “at least the murder cat left me something useful.”
Carefully, he reached for the wraps and began securing them around his arm, clumsily, he fixed the bandage to his arm the best he could. As he focused on the bandage in his hand, another window appeared.
[Analyze: Stabilization Wraps]
Functions:
? Improves the effectiveness and control of healing skills
? Reduces bleeding and structural stress on injured areas
? Lowers the risk of healing backlash when used properly
Limitations:
? Does not restore health on its own
? Single use per wrap
[Stabilization Wraps provide structure.]
[Healing Supplies Restoration.]
Hector frowned thoughtfully, from what he could tell, they looked like normal bandages, usable with or without healing magic, like ones he had used before. The difference was not in what they did, but in that they allowed healing to do safely. He slowly unrolled the wrap and positioned his arm more carefully this time. Once the bandage was in place, he hesitated, then he focused.
“Emergency Heal.”
The green light that answered him was softer than before, the sensation from his first use was not present this time. He allowed the bandage to guide it instead of forcing, an itching sensation spread across his limb. The itching sensation eased as he felt his arm start to return to a healthy state.
Hector exhaled. “That… felt different.”
This time instead of attacking his body the healing actually repaired it. For the first time since waking in this forest, he felt something close to understanding. Before, using the spell had felt like turning a hose on full blast. This time, he let only a trickle through. It was still awkward but manageable. He examined his arm closely, relieved that the violent sensations from before never came.
[Health: 75%]
[Emergency Heal (F) increased to Level 2.]
Encouraged, he cast Emergency Heal again.
[Health: 100%]
[Mana: 0%]
The bandages slowly dissolved into light, leaving behind a perfectly healed arm. Hector flexed it carefully, testing his range of motion.
“Wow,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “It is like I was never in a life-or-death struggle. That is incredible.”
His health was full, but his mana, was completely gone.
“So that is the tradeoff,” he murmured. “Guess it has to come back somehow.”
He leaned back against the tree, letting his thoughts settle. The most important thing now was planning. Reading about system apocalypses and living through one were two very different experiences. What he lacked was not strength, it was understanding. He needed a path forward, closing his eyes, he took a slow breath.
“First things first,” he said quietly. “Let me explore my status page.”
Hector stood up and stretched. He flexed his arms and legs, trying to work out any lingering aches and pains. Surprisingly, there were not any. Still, it felt good to move, to remind himself he was whole.
“This healing magic is some powerful stuff,” he muttered.
Just moments ago, he had felt awful. The fight had drained him completely, but once the healing finished, it was like his system had been jump-started, energy flooding back into him all at once. The sensation lingered, warm and invigorating, almost addictive, part of him wanted to feel it again. Only hours earlier, he had been lying in the middle of a road, bleeding out. He wondered briefly if the little girl he had helped yesterday was okay. He had not wanted to die; this felt like a second chance.
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The Pantheon had pulled him back from the edge, and now he was stranded in a world he did not understand. He was confused by his current circumstances, yet excitement stirred in his chest. The thought of adventure crept in alongside the uncertainty, a quiet thrill at the idea of everything he might see and experience.
Still, a shadow lingered behind it all. Everything had changed too fast; he had no idea what the rules were. Hector glanced around his surroundings, faint light filtered in through the opening at the base of the tree, barely illuminating the hollow. Thick roots curled along the walls, casting long shadows across the ground. He paused, taking it in, for the first time since arriving, he realized something strange, he was not terrified. Nervous, sure, but underneath it all, he was having fun, it had been years since he had felt this alive.
He took a slow breath. “Okay, I survived this time, I just need to keep that momentum up. The big question now is what should I do next?”
“Food and water,” he continued, thinking aloud. “Even with all this system and Pantheon stuff, I am guessing I still need both.”
His thoughts drifted back to the Wampus Cat, and how close he had come to dying. A shiver ran through him, his arm tingling as if ghostly claws brushed against his skin.
“First, I need to figure out what being part of this Pantheon System actually means.”
He hesitated, then focused inward the way he had when examining the cat.
“If this is really a system, then there has got to be a way to check my stats.”
For a moment, nothing happened.
“…Please?” he added.
The air shimmered, if he was going to survive ninety days alone, he needed to understand the rules before they killed him. Hector let out a slow breath and focused.
“Status?”
The now-familiar shimmer appeared, resolving into a translucent window hovering comfortably at eye level. It did not buzz or glow dramatically, it simply existed.
“Well,” he murmured, “that is convenient.”
He leaned closer, studying it.
[Status Sheet – Hector Renegade]
Core Tier: Mortal Core
Level: 3
Class: Field Medic
Hector blinked.
“Level three already?” he muttered. “That feels fast. Guess nearly dying counts for something.”
His eyes drifted downward as more information unfolded.
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 7
Endurance: 10
Vitality: 8
Intellect: 7
Spirit: 12
Perception: 2
He frowned slightly.
“Okay. Some of these sound good, but some sound concerning.”
He focused on Strength.
Strength:
Governs physical power, lifting capacity, and raw impact force.
Agility:
Governs movement speed, balance, coordination, and reaction time.
Next.
Endurance:
Governs physical resilience, resistance to fatigue, and the body’s ability to continue functioning under injury and strain.
Spirit:
Governs healing potency, mana regeneration, and affinity with mana-based energies.
Intellect:
Governs a user’s mana capacity and the ability to process information. Not inherently a measure of ones IQ, but of one’s potential.
Vitality:
Governs the user’s health, resistance to injury and recovery from damage.
Finally, he hesitated before focusing on the last stat.
Perception:
Governs awareness, sensory acuity, threat recognition, and anomalous detection.
“Two,” Hector said. “Fantastic.”
He let that one sit without comment. The window shifted again.
Resources:
Health: 100 / 100 (100%)
Mana: 0 / 100 (0%)
“Yep,” he sighed. “That is about how I feel.”
He could still feel exhaustion lingering in his muscles, a deep weariness that had not vanished with the healing, and the empty mana pool explained why the comforting warmth from earlier felt so far away.
“So, it is not infinite,” he said. “Noted.”
The system continued.
Conditions:
- Severe fatigue
- Minor Core instability (unidentified)
Hector frowned.
“Minor,” he repeated. “I really do not like that word when it is inside my body.”
He focused on Core instability, waiting, but nothing happened. The Pantheon apparently was not in the habit of elaborating.
“Figures, just my luck, looks like I am heading into this blind.”
He scrolled downward.
Skills:
- Emergency Heal (F) Level 2
- Pain Suppression (F) Level 2
- Combat Assessment (F) Level 2
- Analyze (F) Level 1
- Inventory (F) Level 1
Still, something about that list bothered him.
“These did not activate when I wanted them to,” he murmured. “They activated when I needed them.”
That thought sat uncomfortably in his chest. Forcing power through something he did not understand. That was how he had nearly killed himself when he experienced the Overheal. With a thought, he closed the status window and opened another.
[Inventory]
Wampus Cat Claw ×4 (F)
Wampus Cat Pelt ×1 (F)
Stabilization Wraps ×1
“Well, I know what the wraps do but what about the other stuff?”
He focused on the pelt first.
[Analyze: Wampus Cat Pelt]
Tier: F
Type: Crafting Material / Utility
Functions:
? Provides insulation and environmental protection
? Can be used as bedding, clothing lining, or crafting base
? Retains minor natural durability
Notes:
? Untreated pelt retains biological residue
? Further refinement recommended
Hector eyed the hollow around him, then the cool dirt beneath his boots.
“Blanket it is,” he decided.
He moved on.
[Analyze: Wampus Cat Claw]
Tier: F
Type: Crafting Material
Functions:
? Naturally sharp
? Retains structural integrity after extraction
? Suitable for tools, weapons, or reinforcement components
Notes:
? Biological weapon traits degrade over time
? Crafting proficiency affects final outcome
Hector rolled one of the claws between his fingers.
“All right,” he said. “You are a problem for later.”
Finally, he summoned the remaining wraps from his inventory and stared at them. He did not need to analyze them again, he understood them now, at least at a basic level. The bandages gave him a structure to work in, something concrete that made a small amount of sense. Upon realizing this he guided his skill into the structure created by the bandages. Carefully, he spread the pelt beneath him and settled back against the tree roots, letting the forest’s quiet settle in around him. Somewhere deep inside, he felt it, a faint warmth, barely noticeable, like embers stirring after a fire.
Hector smiled faintly.
“I am not strong,” he said softly.
But for the first time since waking in this forest, he believed something else too.
“I am not helpless either.”
[Analyze (F) increased to Level 2.]