Because of what happened with the key earlier, I decided to prick my finger again. Once it bled, I tried dripping the blood onto the triangle engraved on the ring. The blood slowly spread, tracing the Baybayin script etched around it.
Suddenly, a transparent, glowing screen popped up in front of me, like some kind of holographic computer.
"Initializing..."
"Initialization Completed"
"Name: Henry Park"
"Age: 27"
"Race: High Human (20% bloodline)"
Level 1
"Experience: 0/100
"Health: 100/100
"Strength: 10 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Agility: 2 (Physically injured) (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Intelligence: 15 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Dexterity: 14 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Durability: 12 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
Skills: Portal to Eldorath, Appraisal, Dimensional Storage "20 cubic meters, upgradable", Auto-Translate "any Earth or Eldorath language."
Undistributed Points: 0
Hide Option: (You can hide your ring)
"What the heck is this?!" I couldn't believe my eyes. I even slapped myself, which I instantly regretted. Ouch! My cheek felt like it was swelling up.
This was like something out of those web novels. I read the screen line by line. Eldorath? Where was that? Skills: Portal to Eldorath, Appraisal, Dimensional Storage, Auto-Translate...
Hmm, Appraisal? Let's try it. I grabbed the vial with the green liquid and said, "Appraisal." A small screen popped up with the description: "High-grade Potion: Usable once per day. Repeated consumption reduces its effect. "Permanently increases Intelligence by 15 points." "Permanently increases Agility by 15 points." "Permanently increases Dexterity by 15 points."
I hesitantly removed the cap. It'd been stored for who knows how long. What if it was expired? I didn't want to get poisoned, but I closed my eyes and drank it anyway. It tasted like weak tea. Then, another screen appeared.
"STATUS"
"Name: Henry Park"
"Age: 27"
"Race: High Human (20% bloodline)"
Level 1
"Experience: 0/100
"Health: 100/100"
"Strength: 10 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Agility: 17 (Physically injured) (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Intelligence: 30 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Dexterity: 29 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Durability: 12 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
Skills: Portal to Eldorath, Appraisal, Dimensional Storage "20 cubic meters, upgradable", Auto-Translate "any Earth or Eldorath language",
My Intelligence, Agility, and Dexterity had shot up, but I didn't feel any different. Next, I took the red liquid. "Appraisal."
"Ultimate Grade Potion: Usable once every 10 years. Permanently doubles your Health and enhances other attributes based on your body constitution. Reconstructs muscles, organs, bones, and skin. Side effect: Intense pain."
I stared at the description. Reconstructs my muscles, organs, bones, and skin? Did that mean... my leg could heal? I stared at the screen for a long time before deciding to drink it. I completely ignored the "intense pain" part. As soon as I drank it, I was writhing in agony. It felt like my bones were being crushed inch by inch, my muscles were being torn apart, and my organs were being twisted. After a minute, I couldn't take the pain and passed out.
* * * I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window.
"Was that a dream?" I asked myself. I got up to get water and kicked the wooden box on the floor. I stared at it. The scroll and the blue liquid were still there, and two empty vials lay scattered on the floor.
"It was all real!" I whispered. I picked up the box and stood up. Then, I noticed a sticky, black substance on my body. It smelled awful, like oil mixed with something rotten.
I put the box on the bed and walked towards the bathroom. Before entering, I realized I wasn't using crutches. I was walking normally! My leg was healed!
I jumped in joy, but I didn't expect to hit my head on the ceiling. "How did I jump that high?" I thought about last night and said, "Status window open."
"Name: Henry Park"
"Age: 27"
"Race: High Human (20% bloodline)"
Level 1
"Experience: 0/100
"Health: 200/200"
"Strength: 18 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Agility: 45 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Intelligence: 43 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
"Dexterity: 45 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 20)"
"Durability: 20 (Earth Avg. Male: 5, Eldorath Avg. Human: 18)"
Skills: Portal to Eldorath, Appraisal, Dimensional Storage "20 cubic meters, upgradable", Auto-Translate "any Earth or Eldorath language",
Slow Regeneration (New Skill)
My Strength, Agility, and Dexterity had increased significantly and I got a new skill, I grinned and went into the bathroom.
After showering, I walked past the mirror.
"Is that me?!" I was shocked. My skin was smooth, my facial imperfections were gone, and I had more muscles, not bulky, but definitely more defined. I was also five centimeters taller.
I stared at myself for a few more minutes before getting dressed. I went to the bed and picked up the wooden box. I held the blue liquid. "Appraisal." "???" "You can't appraise this at your current level." "You must be level 15."
I put it down and picked up the scroll. "Appraisal." "Detailed Map of Eldorath." "Open by saying MAP."
"MAP," I said. The scroll crumbled into ash, and a screen popped up with a map.
"5 Continents of Eldorath World"
"Arcadia" (Ruled by the Elf Queen, home to Elves, 3 kingdoms)
"Eldoria" (Ruled by an Emperor, mostly humans, 4 kingdoms: Valoria, Aranthia, Silvercrest, Stormreach)
"Celestia" (Ruled by a Pope, one kingdom, home to low-blooded angels, saints, templars, religious followers)
"Terranova" (Ruled by an Elder Dwarf, 3 kingdoms, home to Dwarves, Gnomes, Golems)
"Mythosia" (Last High Human ruler 2,000 years ago, they vanished, no kingdoms, many tribes, home to Centaurs, Demi-humans, Sphinxes)
"Eldorath? Where the heck is that?!"
"My thoughts were interrupted by my growling stomach, loud enough to wake anyone nearby. 'Seriously, is my inner beast trying to escape?' I noticed the strange bottle, the liquid inside glowing blue. Where could I hide it?
Then, my skill activated: 'Dimensional Storage: A personal pocket space, 20 cubic meters.'
'Okay, how do I use this?' A screen appeared, like a game menu. 'Inventory' to see inside, 'Store' to put things away.
'Inventory.' A glowing grid appeared. I touched the bottle. 'Store.'
Poof. The bottle was gone, replaced by an icon: '??? Unknown Potion 1.'
My fridge was empty. Takeout it was. Later, at the store, some guys spoke a language I didn't know. At the counter, one said, 'Uhmmm xiāng yān, dǎ huǒ jī.'
'Excuse me?'
'Xiāng yān, dǎ huǒ jī.'
A screen flashed: 'Auto-Translate Active.' He wanted, "Cigarette, Lighter."
'What kind and color?' I asked, surprised I understood.
'Marlboro Blue.' I rang up their items.
'That's ₱731, please.' They paid and left.
With no customers, I checked my skills. 'Slow Regeneration: Your injuries heal on their own, but the speed depends on how bad they are.'
I pricked my finger. A tiny drop of blood appeared, then vanished. Like it never happened.
Then, there was 'Portal to Eldorath: Opens a doorway. Ring and "gate."' Eldorath? It sounded like a fantasy world.
A screen showed info about Eldorath: a big world with different places, from tall mountains with Dwarf cities, to green forests with Elven homes, and sunny plains where centaurs lived. Pixies flew like tiny sparks, and many other magical beings lived there.
Time in Eldorath and Earth operates on a 1:24 ratio. This means for every 24 hours spent in Eldorath, only 1 hour passes on Earth, and conversely, every 24 hours on Earth equals 1 hour in Eldorath. Imagine it as a subtle time warp, where each world experiences time at a significantly different pace.
However, it's crucial to understand that your physical aging is solely tied to Earth's time flow. While you might spend extended periods in Eldorath, living years or even decades, your body will only age according to the hours that pass on Earth. Therefore, you could live a long life in Eldorath, experiencing its wonders and challenges, and return to Earth having aged only a fraction of that time.
Eldorath had magic, but not the strong kind from stories. It was subtle, connected to nature. Elves could control plants. Dwarves could control fire to shape metal. Only beings like angels, sphinxes, and pegasi could truly fly. Healing magic was rare, found in Elven healers, saints, or those with angel blood.
You could bring things and people through the portal. People needed 85% loyalty, which I could check with 'Appraisal,' and a 'Life Bind' scroll from Eldorath. Or, if they weren't loyal, a 'Slave Bind' scroll. It was a big deal.
Before going, I needed supplies. I made a list... I checked my bank: ₱200,000. I bought canned goods, noodles, energy bars, dried fruit, bottled water, a first-aid kit, a portable stove, fuel canisters, a camping tent, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a used dirt bike, extra fuel, meat, vegetables, and fruits.
The Dimensional Storage was a mental space. To store something, I touched it and thought 'store.' It vanished into a grid. I could organize items by type. Importantly, time flow completely stopped within the Dimensional Storage. This meant that any item, including fresh food, would remain perfectly preserved, as if suspended in time. To get something back, I pictured it and said 'gain' for small things, or 'retrieve' for big things, looking where I wanted it to appear. Everything went into storage.
Back home, I showered and got my gear. I got my old military stuff: a black suit, a bulletproof vest, boots, two guns, a knife, and grenades.
I put everything on. The room was clear, even in the dark. "Is this from the potion?"
I raised my ringed hand.
'GATE.'"