"What does 'Karma Ledger System' mean?" the old man asked himself, or rather, the young man now.
As he glanced at his reflection in the shimmering air, he noticed the change: his body had become youthful. He was no longer the aged man with a thick white beard and white flowing robes, but a young man with sharp blue eyes and long black hair. He was now dressed in dark, flowing robes. His face looked more majestic than he remembered it being in his younger years.
He was slightly shocked by his new appearance, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he asked bluntly to the strange energy swimming in the air,
"What is all this? Where am I?"
The strange energy responded, forming a glowing window before him. It displayed detailed information, where he was, what this place was, and what the system actually meant.
As he read through everything, it felt as if the ground slipped from beneath his feet. From what he could understand, he had been sent centuries into the past, to a time when no civilizations had yet formed and all races were living together in a primal state.
And his understanding of the Karma Ledger System was clear.
"A literal market that will give me anything in exchange for credits. The way to earn these credits depends on my deeds, every single good or bad deed I commit. But I can only access the market tied to one type of deed at a time."
Another window appeared in front of him:
[Which path would you choose?]
[Divine Path] [Demon Path]
Young Lucien Kaelhart considered both options. In his view, the Divine Path was the most suitable. The Demon Path might offer power, but it would lead only to destruction, and that was something he could not afford. Not in a world that had yet to be built.
He selected the Divine Path.
In an instant, another window opened, revealing a vast marketplace brimming with divine, sacred, and mysterious artifacts, untouched by even a trace of darkness. Along with it came a warning message.
He read it:
If you attempt to perform any evil deed, all of your positive credits will be erased. The Demon Path will then be unlocked, but your credits will begin at minus one million. You must then commit deeds worth a million negative credits just to reach zero, and only then will you be able to purchase anything from the Demon Market.
"That's a heavy cost. I'm not going to consider going down that path anytime soon."
Lucien turned away from the floating windows and began walking across the empty plains.
After a long while, he reached a village.
The village lay along the coast, and the sun was already nearing the horizon. The sky had turned a deep shade of yellowish red, casting long shadows over the land.
Lucien moved into the village, and the first thing he noticed was a crowd gathered beneath an old tree at the center. The villagers stood in silence, their faces heavy with worry and confusion.
What are they all worried about? Maybe I can help them and earn some credits. It will give me a practical example of how this Karma Ledger System works.
He thought to himself as he stepped toward the crowd.
One of the villagers, an old man with a long face, noticed the approaching stranger. The man put on a hopeful smile and walked up to Lucien.
"Sir, are you the royal guard sent by the Kingdom for us?"
All eyes turned to Lucien, filled with hope and desperation. He quickly understood the situation and the expectation hanging in the air.
"Yes, I am the royal guard. My name is Lucien Kaelhart. You can tell me your problem."
The villagers brightened with surprise and relief, their eyes drawn to the poised and refined young man before them. He looked far too noble to be wandering alone. The oldest among them, a woman dressed in white and leaning on a wooden cane, signaled for him to come closer.
Lucien said nothing. He simply walked toward her.
"Mr. Kaelhart, our village is in serious danger," she said, her voice low and trembling. "A sea monster has been tormenting us for weeks now. No one has been able to see it clearly, but every few nights, villagers vanish from their beds. People are too afraid to leave their homes, let alone try to fight it. We are just weak farmers, we cannot protect ourselves."
Lucien nodded and asked,
"How are you so sure that it's a sea monster?"
The old woman lowered her gaze and replied quietly,
"We have found the bodies of some of the missing villagers washed up on the shore. The marks on them... they were not made by any man or animal we know. And I am sure it came from the sea."
Lucien processed the information carefully.
People are being taken straight from their homes, yet no one hears a scream or sees anything? From my experience, only one kind of creature is capable of that. But I can't make any conclusions based solely on these statements.
"I will wait," Lucien said calmly.
The villagers looked at him in confusion, unsure what he meant.
He clarified,
"All of you return to your homes. I will guard the village tonight. If anything happens, I will protect you, no matter the cost."
All the villagers let out a sigh of relief and returned to their homes. Lucien remained where he stood, his eyes fixed on the old tree in the center of the village. He did not glance away, not even for a moment.
Eventually, the sun dipped fully beneath the horizon, and the night began. One by one, the candles and lanterns throughout the village were extinguished, casting everything into quiet darkness.
By midnight, the entire village had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. The breeze rolled in from the sea, cold and comforting after the heat of the day.
Suddenly, Lucien heard the creaking sound of a door opening.
Without making a noise, he stepped back and hid behind the tree. His eyes scanned the surroundings until he saw a familiar figure. It was the same old man who had first approached him and asked if he was the royal guard. The man was walking slowly toward the village's entrance gate. His eyes were closed, but his body moved with strange purpose, as if guided by something unseen.
Lucien began following him silently.
As he moved deeper into the shadows, he began to hear something. A melody. A gentle, soothing song drifting on the air. The voice was warm, enchanting, and almost unnatural in how comforting it felt.
But Lucien did not stop. He continued following the old man, staying cautious with every step. On the way, he picked up a sturdy wooden stick from the ground. It was crude, but it would have to do for defense. He had no real weapon with him.
After walking for some time, they arrived at the sea shore. The waves rolled gently under the pale moonlight, and there, perched on a massive rock just beyond the waterline was the creature the villagers had spoken about.
A mermaid with long, flowing green hair. Her body was lithe and shimmering, but her hands ended in large, sharp claws. She sat there, singing softly into the night.
As Lucien laid eyes on her, he understood immediately what she was.
My guess was right. It's a Rivenas, the evolved form of a siren. This creature lures its victims with song and slaughters them with claws that kill in ways no other beast can match.
Its unique ability to make only one person hear its voice at a time... that's why no one else ever noticed the song. That's why the victims never screamed.
The old man stopped in front of her, his eyes still closed, completely unaware of where he was or what stood before him.
The mermaid leaned forward and gently touched his face with her claws. Her expression twisted into a grotesque smirk, one that sent a chill down sleeping old man's spine.
She raised her hand high into the air then lunged at the old man.
SLASH!