Chapter Text
Maidenpool, a city full of life. Children ran around, merchants haggled with the people, ravens occasionally flew up into the towers of the castle up on the hill around which the town had been constructed. Warm sunlight cascaded through the bustling town streets and spirits were high. It had been two years since the Greyjoy rebellion and everyone was appreciating the peacetime.
Archie had been five and ten name days old when the rebellion broke out, too young to participate. That left a sour taste in his mouth. He wanted glory but he doubted that there would be any new wars anytime soon, with how thoroughly the Ironmen had been crushed. No, there was no honor or glory in his future, only a quiet life selling apples.
His family had a monopoly on the apples in all of maidenpool… well it had been his family’s but now, only Archie remained. His father had died during Robert's rebellion ten years ago and his mother had passed only a year ago. He looked back fondly on his parents, it was his father who taught him how to read, something not many smallfolk could claim to be able to, though it took some serious time to read even the most basic sentences but better than not knowing at all. Numbers and Bartering however, that was all his mother's handy work. He could remember playing knights with his father as a little kid and learning how to bake apple pie with his mother. A smile crept onto Archie’s face as he counted out his coin.
That day had been a good one, two dozen apples sold, of those, 17 going to the lord’s baker. Lord William Mooton was almost addicted to apple pie but not just any apple pie, a dornish recipe which he had tried years ago and whilst travelling through the kingdoms and hadn't left his mind since. Thanks to that, Archie was well off. He didn’t have to worry about not having enough to live thanks to the lord’s addiction. He didn’t wear silk or anything fancy like that but he could live without worrying about whether he would be able to eat that week.
“An apple, lad”, a man threw down a copper coin on his stall but Archie pushed it back, “just sold my last one, ten minutes ago, I was just preparing to pack up. Come back tomorrow”
The man looked like he had bitten into a lemon but didn’t push it. First come, first serve.
Archie packed up his things and left towards his home, outside the city. He took a shortcut through one of the more shady alleys. He still had to cook when he got home. He had taken that shortcut many times before but now, it would be his undoing.
“Well, well, well”, a familiar voice said from behind. It was the man, only now, he carried a knife, the steel shining in the midday light which streamed down. He walked over, till he was centimeters away from Archie, “I originally wanted an apple but now, I want your coin pouch, hand it over”
Archie swallowed hard. He didn’t want to die, so he gave him the pouch, his hands trembling with fear. He didn’t want to die. One day’s profit wasn’t worth throwing his life away over. He still had-
He felt a sharp pain in his gut and then a warmth spread through it. Looking down, the knife was plunged into his stomach. It hurt, it hurt like hell. He had thought that being kicked in the balls was painful but being stabbed? That was a whole other beast. Was this how his life ended? Killed over an apple? He coughed up blood, looking at the man, pleadingly, “W- why?”
“Nothing personal”, the bald man shrugged, as if he hadn’t just signed Archie’s death warrant. He didn’t have malice in his eyes.
Archie could feel the warmth leave his body with every second that passed. Was death supposed to feel this cold? That piercing cold that robbed him of any memory of warmth or comfort. Would he see his mother again? Damn, he missed her but he also wanted to live… He wanted to be something more than this farmer, something more than a smallfolk.
Host’s desire for greatness catalogued
There was a voice, emotionless, female. He felt as though he had heard that voice before, long, long ago, though he couldn’t place it.
Do you want a second chance?
Hell yeah, he wanted a second chance. He had given up on his dreams of Glory, thinking that maybe it was better, living a peaceful life without violence but even in this ‘peaceful’ life, violence had found him. If violence was coming to him either way, then he wanted to make something out of himself.
Desire confirmed. System initiating… scanning body. Stab wound found. Converting wound into health points… loading… loading… System finalised.
The pain… it was gone. The cold was gone. The dark blood staining his clothes was gone. He rose to his feet, looking down at himself, no wound, no blood, he looked… fine? What was going on? His body was shaking. This was… he doesn’t actually know.
Engage your system by saying ‘status’
“Status?”
Archie
Title: Gamer
Health: 120/200
Mana: 60/60
Attributes:
Strength: 8
Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 3
Skills:
Gamer’s mind: MAX
Farming: 31/100
Reading(Common tongue): 5/100
Common tongue: 58/100
Bartering: 25/100
Numbers: 11/100
Those numbers… were they how good he was at certain things? 5 at reading sounded about right. He was literate but only barely. Health was self explanatory, how healthy he was. That stab had damaged him by 80 points. What would happen if health were to hit 0? Would he die?
Yes, if the host ever reaches 0 health, they die
There was that voice again.
“Voice… everything seems logical except… what is mana?”
Mana is your capacity when it comes to magic. Casting a spell or using a supernatural ability costs mana. Mana scales with your intelligence, as health does with your constitution
He… could do magic?
*Growl*
Well, first things first, get home and start cooking, he was hungry. Answers could wait till he had his stomach filled. Stew maybe? Or roast lamb chops?