The loss of everything, also defines the loss of purpose. Maru was one who lost everything, including his own purpose.

His sense of time didn’t accommodate his memories. 

His hunger for something to eat didn’t bother him. 

The village didn’t have any survivors except for him. All that was left was the smell of blood and the bodies of the villagers.

All he could do was cry.

Just cry.

Cry in the corner of his burnt home.

With nobody to console him.

Maru realized something: ‘He was truly alone.’

This realization was heavy, heavier than anything he’s carried. 

But for some reason, he felt calm. Even through all that pain, his heart was calm. Why was this? Why didn’t he feel pain no longer?

He then went to the shack where he keeps his tools, taking his shovel he returned.

It seemed like maru could break the sound barrier just by running fast enough, His strength and stamina was staggering.

- Maru -

“I wonder if I should just... die...”

| Please refrain from doing so. |

“Huh?”

| I am sorry for not introducing myself. I am sarah |

“I’m Maru.. My name is Maru Alck.”

|  I am happy to know that. Please use me when you wish to do so. |

“Sarah, what can you do? And why are you here?”

| I am an *Glitch*- I am here to guide you with my extensive knowledge |

What was that? It just suddenly stopped and repeated its sentence?

| I excel in: [Magic Command Source], [Soul Duine]. | 

“Soal Dween?”

| Incorrect. It’s Soul Duine. This gives me basic human knowledge. |

“It’s almost like you were made to assist humans.” I wondered what this thing really was. It was given to me by the thing I made a deal with, in exchange for his power... Have I perhaps given away my humanity..? Is that why I couldn’t be sad anymore? Not like it matters anymore.

“Well then, shall we get going?”

| Yes |

I tried searching for that blade I got during the battle, but it seemed it had disappeared. I couldn’t find it even when I tried to get it out of the ‘void’. I initially took it out of. 

Nonetheless I started walking towards the village.

---

Feeling the cold, maru rubbed his own shoulders with his palms, desperately trying to heat himself up.

“Sarah. How are you doing?”

| Why the strange question? Do you need any help? |

“I just wanted to know whether you were fine...”

| I do not feel temperature. |

“I wasn’t asking abo-... Well, whatever.”

Scratching his head, maru tried to ignore the stupid question he’s asked. Being in the forest without any supplies, is the same as suicide. As such, maru had to go back to the shack to get supplies. 

“We should have taken this before we departed, huh?”

| Yes. We probably should have. |

“I’m not sure I have anything of value in my shack, I took most of my things anyway.”

| Hmm. Do you have a hidden stash of money anywhere? |

“Well, my mother had money stashes, but I’m not exactly sure if it’s here. I mean if I knew it, I’d pick it up, you know?”

| In that case, try using your power to see if there’s anything hidden here. |

“How?”

| First, feel your entire body. Feel the way that the energy flows from your heart. |

“It’s not exactly that simple, now is it?”

| If so, please get some water from the well. |

“Alright.”

Maru then got water from the well which was next to his shack. As he had farmlands that extended to the south. He had quite a lot of land on which he and his mother previously worked on. But, now those lands had been burned to the ashes. The village itself was into the north, which was easy to follow, but it had quite a distance to the lands that he owned.

As soon as he got the water, he quickly returned into the shack.

“Ah crap. Ok, so now what do I do?”

| Now sit on the floor. Relax your mind and concentrate on your blood flow. |

“Blood flow?” 

| You need to feel how blood would flow through your body. It’s a bit weird to describe, but you should be able to do it. |

“I don’t feel anything.”

| Please spill the water on your body, when I tell you to. |

| Magic Core Interception: Process completed 100% |

| Pour the water on yourself now. |

Maru then spilled the water, but something weird had happened. Instead of the water making his entire body wet. It had flown on his body, as if it had been traveling through rivers, the water on his body traveled down and then spilled on the floor.

“Wha- Wha- What the hell..!?”

| That’s called magic flow. |

“Magic flow?! I never thought magic flow was an actual thing!”

| It isn’t exactly ‘magic flow’. It’s a primitive version of magic flow, that allows us to see whether somebody has magical aptitude. |

“I can’t believe it... I’m a mage..?”

| Well. What we used was an unconventional method, however it’s fine. |

“It felt like the water was going through my body, attracted to my veins.”

| To put it simply, your blood acts as a transmitter to get your mana from the “vessel” to the entire body. |

“I se-” Maru suddenly felt as though his stomach turned upside down, almost like from deep inside something was trying to hurt him. He spat out blood, trying his best to withstand the pain.

| Please respond. |

| Subject has fallen unconscious. System Avatar [Sarah] will try to heal. |

| System is unable to do so. Avatar [Sarah] will be released from its constraints. |