In a deep ocean of Darkness, three beings were there, one was moving desperate, while the other two were still. A small fox, with her 4 tails, stood up and all of them were puffed, too.

(Master! Please! Don’t die!)

The one the small fox called master, was injured on his eye, and was bleeding profusely. The main problem wasn't only the bleeding, but also the condition he found himself in: Hellish Burn.

Hellish Burn, a condition where the one suffering from it, cannot heal by normal means. And by normal means is using [Light Magic]. [Light Magic], has the capability of healing injuries, purifying things, and of course, exorcising Evil Beings.

But with Hellish Burn, things get a little bit different. Hellish Burn is related to, of course Hell. It doesn’t need to be exactly [Hell-Fire Magic], but only a Hell-Element, or something related to Hell itself. To heal something like that, it is necessary a Divine-Element, or [Holy Magic], which is rare in and of itself.

(Why was I born as a Darkness Fox!? If-If I had been born as a Light Fox instead!)

(Bickering for something so foolish, I see. You have not changed at all, Daughter.)

The small fox complaints were interrupted by someone else's voice. A soothing, yet harsh voice, echoed around that ocean of Darkness.

The small fox, Kasumi, looked behind her, finding a beautiful woman floating in the air.

She had white silvery hair, golden eyes with a slit on them, 9 tails, with the same color as it’s hair. She has a beauty that cannot be rivaled against, and to complement even more her beauty, she was wearing a Shinto priestess garments.

(Mother.)

Kasumi gulped at the sight of her mother. The Fox-Goddess, also known for the many children found through the continents, Yuki.

(I’m rather surprised. I never would have ever thought that you would come here of your own volition.)

As Yuki said those words, Kasumi could feel an enormous pressure on her body. She staggered to keep herself on her feet, as she saw her mother moving towards the man on the ground, Kenji, bleeding to his death.

But before Yuki could pass right beside Kasumi, she stood right in front of her mother, making Yuki open her eyes in surprise at that act.

(You can keep yourself on your feet, through this pressure? Color me surprised, my foolish daughter. And all for the sake of a pathetic human.)

As soon as those words came from Yuki’s mouth, a black sphere was shot towards her. She waved her hand, making the sphere disappear, and soon as she did that, Yuki saw Kasumi growling in anger towards her mother.

(Do not! Call! Master! Pathetic! He gave me more love that you ever gave since the day I was born!)

(You dare show your teeth to your own mother, foolish daughter?)

(I am not Foolish Daughter! My name is Kasumi!)

(And you accepted that foolish name he gave you? Utterly-)

Bang!

As that horrendous sound broke Yuki’s speech, she looked at the source of the sound. A single gun pointed towards her, and a human who looked at her with an irritated eye.

“Shut. Up.”

No sooner had I woke up, I’m faced with Kasumi baring her teeth towards a gorgeous woman. But as they say, Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

(He is even foolish enough to bear his hostility towards a Goddess.)

“Oh, I’m sorry. Where is this goddess you're talking about?” I say as I look around.

(You dare to mock me?)

As those words were spoken, an enormous pressure assaulted my body. This is even more than [Killing Intent]. Looking at the supposed Goddess, a White, giant fox appeared right behind her, and it was, of course, growling towards me.

“Wow. You know how to use a skill. Not as impressive as I thought a goddess would be, though.”

(You mock when being in this kind of situation?)

“Oh, please. I mock anyone who’s not interesting.”

Just as that, the pressure was gone. She scoffed, looking away, and shutting her eyes, but her left one was opened slightly, and was looking towards me.

I tried to get up, but not soon I was on my feet, I stammered, and fell on my butt.

(Master!)

“I’m fine.”

(You are not.)

“What? Showing concern now?”

(I’m just concerned about someone who can kill that bastard.)

“Oh, invest now, and it might be lucrative for you in the future?”

(Precisely.)

What are you? A Tsundere? The way her speech was pointing at, was, obviously, towards someone I met recently. Or more exactly, towards someone who summoned me to this world. The Emperor.

“Shit. What did that guy do to be so hated?”

(He is a disgusting, foolish, and pathetic man, who does not see how foolish his desire is.)

She talks more like a kuudere, though? While I’m at my intern monologue state, I felt very dizzy. It’s like I’m holding something, and it’s about to slip through my fingers.

“What the hell is this, anyway?”

(You are dying.)

“Why, thank you.”

(Your body is starting to feel the main effects of Hellish Burn. You start by losing consciousness, then you wake up, and feel a surge of power. And finally, your life expires.)

“How cool.”

(Master! I’ll give you a skill to neutralize that!)

(It is impossible. Hellish Burn isn’t something you can just neutralize, so easily. He is already dead. Now, you will come with me. Kasumi.)

“How about no?”

I point my gun at her again. She looked at me in contempt, but I noticed something. Something that I can see very well in her eyes. And that is every time she looks at Kasumi. Oh. My. God.

“Or better yet. How about Kasumi’s mommy and I have a little talk?”

(Master! No! I-)

But before Kasumi could finish her words, both she and Amara disappeared from the darkness. What is this place anyway? I looked around, only to see an endless darkness.

(You are in the {Realm of Darkness}. If you don’t know.)

“Right. So, Mommy who doesn’t know how to convey her love for her precious daughter, what should we talk about?”

Oof. Touched a nerve. Her face is completely red in rage! She is showing that by glaring at me, and I, who is looking at her with a small smile on my face. I shook my head at her stare and she stopped, closing her eyes and sighing.

(What do you want?)

“I didn’t say anything. But really now?”

(What do you mean?)

“I didn’t have parents to look for me, so I don’t know how it is to be left aside.”

The so-called Goddess looked away. I noticed this since I saw Kasumi’s status, and her attitude towards Amara, I could see a pattern. She wanted attention. And if anyone who got that attention instead of her, would be brushed aside, so she could be the main focus.

It was something I usually saw at the orphanage. Children who received lots of attention, and children who were envious of others receiving such attention. Kasumi was related to the latter.

“You know, I already saw that pattern. But you know what? Too little. Too late.”

Now, the Fox-Goddess looked down, probably ashamed? Irritated? Don’t know what she’s thinking, but let’s set a deal here, else I’m dead anyway.

“So, let me give you a piece of advice, and you help me out. How about it?”

(Are you trying to deceive me?)

“I’m trying to stay alive, right now.”

(Fine. Say your piece.)

“If you want to reach towards your daughter, try to talk to her a bit. Not about foolish this, foolish that as you kept going. And also, don’t try to kill her benefactor in front of her.”

(Sentina says you saved her.)

“Oh. Right. I think she got the clumsy side off of her mother.”

(Fufu~)

“Anyway. Try to have small talks with her. Of course, it won’t be from night to the next day she’ll talk with you. But if you keep trying, without forcing your way through, you might find something where both of you have in common.”

(I shall take that to heart. Now, as for helping you… I won’t give you a skill.)

“Great. I’m doomed.”

(It is not because I do not want to. But it is because you already have it.)

“Uh, what?”

(You have not noticed yet? You were supposed to be dead by now. Well, the burn is still trying to kill you, anyways. I will at least cease the burn, then.)

She pointed her hands towards me, and a golden light came from them. It enveloped my body, and the pain was gone, as well as the sensation of something escaping my hands.

“Thanks. At least I’ll try to give a piece of advice to Kasumi. Milady.”

(Yuki.)

“I’m sorry?”

(My name. Yuki.)

“Hunh. Would you look at that? The snow and the mist.”

(Farewell.)

And so, she vanished. Or I vanished.

(Who is that man? What did I feel about him? It was… familiar.)

Yuki was still there, curious, and nervous about the boy she just talked to. In her eyes, he wasn’t a ‘normal’ human. Something dwells inside him. And worse, he doesn’t even know about it.

(He’ll find out about that in the future.)

She looked at the place where he was, where some blood was still there.

Yuki was the first Kitsune to ever exist. Together with Sentina, she was one of the Primordial Beings still living. Of course, the fate of Sentina was also shared with Yuki as well.

(At least, I was able to see one of my children after so much time.)

She was trapped in the {Realm of Darkness}, a place where no normal person would want to be. But why was her daughter able to reach such a place?

(It has to do with him. I am sure of such things.)

“Oh! Look, the little fox had talked to someone?”

Yuki looked up, towards the seemingly endless dark sky. She knew very well who this ‘thing’ was.

“Talk to your little daughter and that boy, I presume?”

(You.)

“You thought you could hold me? Your powers are failing you, Little Yuki. I’m an existence that you cannot stop.”

(I know that very well.)

“You do not know that well, child. Soon, I will be freed. And that boy will be the reason for it.”

(I swear, that if you do something to my child-)

“Oh, but of course I will. She will be the first to suffer.”

And so, that strange ‘thing’ vanished. Yuki was now sure of one little thing. Kenji wasn’t someone so simple, or normal. He had something else with him. Something that he wouldn’t notice, until a very late time.

I closed my eyes… Sorry, my eye, as to a strong light that appeared. The bleeding hasn't stopped yet? I held my hand in my left orbit, since my eye was gone. The bleed was still there, not as strong as before, but still there.

Looking around, I was outside of the Dungeon. More precisely, I was exactly at it’s entrance. Yeah, let’s just ignore the scum who just let the Vulture enter and take one eye from me. Getting up, still a bit groggy, I start to walk towards the outside of the forest.

Throughout the path, I met some adventurers going towards the dungeon. Of course, I was eyed by them, but only briefly. On the farms close to the forest, too, some farmers looked towards me, but they soon resumed their work.

At the entrance, the Knights were surprised at me holding my face, but they let me enter the city, even giving me directions to a doctor that was right close to the church. I thought they would tell me to go to the church for healing. Guess not.

In fact, the doctor was right beside the Church. I have a hunch why. Entering, I was greeted by a nun. When the nun at the counter saw me holding my face, she was startled, and guided me to the back of the place.

There, the bishop, who was a very good looking man(by the standards of my world), was, well, doing things with one of the nuns. C’mon man. Have a little shame. Oh shit. The nun who brought me, and was holding me by my arm, just let it go, and she…

Slap!

Gave a good slap at the two. One slap, two kills. I mean, one slap, two faces. Ouch, I felt that.

“Mister Franklin! Please, abstain from doing this inside of the church Medic Care!”

So, doing this outside of here isn’t a problem at all. Wow.

“Ahem! What the! Hey! Bring him here! Quickly! He’s bleeding!”

No shit, Sherlock. Grabbing my arm again, and laying me on some stretcher, he poured some potion, I think, on a sheet of cloth, and put it on my left socket.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t move. I know it hurts, believe me, I do, but do not move.”

I was about to ask how he knows it hurts, but I shrugged. He started to chant something, and a white light with golden dots poured off of him, and at my head. I felt a small pinch on my head, but soon, it was gone.

“Uhum. It was pulled by force, but the bleed has stopped. Also, he has a few remnants of Hellish Burn, but I don’t think he is danger anymore.”

Was that his diagnosis? Anyway, he took the cloth off of my face, and with another chant, he healed the broken vessels behind what would be my eye, and put a cloth on my head, which covered the left area of my face.

“I recommend you to arrange an eye patch for now. Or else, your eye might get infected again. Anyway, please pay at the counter. I mean, uhm, do give the church a bit of your donations, please.”

“Eye patch, and money. Got it.”

“Hey, now.”

Ignoring his complaint, I got up and walked to the counter. I took two gold coins, and put them in the ‘Donations’ box. The nun at the counter was super happy about that. Let’s not think about it.

(Ugh! Ah! Master!)

“You’re awake, I see. How are you? You’re okay?”

Right as I was walking towards the inn, Amara was up. I could hear her complaining about how much pain she felt with the Vulture’s claws when she got cut, but beyond that, she was fine.

“Right. You’re not with the effect anymore?”

(At least not. I’m feeling good right now. How are you feeling, master?)

“Apart from the excruciating pain from before, I’m fine. I’m gonna make an eye patch though. And see if I can do something with this eye of mine.”

(Master’s left eye had a use, right? It was like a Mystic Eye?)

“Mystic eye?”

(Hm! Mystic Eyes is a strange skill. Or better, a strange happening. When in contact with a lot of mana, the person might be affected.)

“How do you know so much about it? Don’t tell me.”

(Ah, yeah. I got one now. [Charming Eyes]. I think it was around when we were inside the dungeon? I just checked now.)

“Right. Kasumi?”

(Master! What that bitch told you?!)

Oof! C’mon, you don’t call your mother a bitch. Even if she is one.

“Well, first of all. Don’t call her that. Second, I gave a piece of advice to her, and she healed the Hellish Burn. Also, she might talk with me from time to time.”

(I’ll ignore her. She-)

“Kasumi. Appreciate something you at least have. Do not be mad because of that.”

I heard an “Oh yeah. Master didn’t have his parents” from Amara, and Kasumi stopped talking.

“I know that you don’t have someone to talk to. Believe me, I know. But just because of that, don’t mistreat your mother this way. Also, if she talks with you, and if she’s being forceful, let me know. Alright?”

I waited a bit, and in the end…

(Fine. But only if she’s not forceful.)

I made her agree with it. When I opened the door of the Inn, the Innkeeper was surprised at seeing me. He was a bit irritated, and I knew why, since it’s been 2 days that I was out. I pass more time out and gone, than anything else I presume.

“Well, at least you’re not dead. But I would like it if you paid the fee.”

“As an apology, here.” I gave him a gold coin.

“Well, I suppose I have to accept your apologies.” So simple. “Oh yeah. Be careful next week. It will start. The blood moon I mean.”

“Blood moon?”

“Yep. For a period of 3 months, day and night we will have a blood moon. I mean, blood moon and sun, I suppose? But whatever. The problem is the vampires. They will start to attack the cities and villages. Even the capital isn’t out of their target zone.”

“They get more powerful? Wow.”

“Yep. I don’t know about the other world, but here is like that.”

I opened my eye in surprise, but he just shrugged. He returned to the counter, and let out a yawn.

“Hey, kiddo. You didn’t know about the blood moon. Only people from another world wouldn’t know.”

“Fair enough. See ya.”

He waved his hand, and I climbed the stairs. Entering the room, I eyed the barrel with trash. All of this. Can’t I do something with it? I looked at the drawer beside the bed.

“I forgot about that.”

Walking to the drawer, I opened it. Inside was my phone and…

“This thing. I can feel some kind of tech on it.”

The card I received from the emperor. I didn’t need my left eye to understand what this really was.

“How could I forget this? I’m sure he wouldn’t give something like this to me without a very good reason.”

Yes. From the moment I received this card, I noticed what the card really was. It wasn’t “Just” an ID card. This was an ID card, and a supervision tool. The Emperor was hated by Sentina, and now, even Kasumi’s mother, Yuki, hated him as well.

The ID card was rigged, so that real information could be sent to the creator of it. And guess who was receiving info in real time about me?

“Good grief. I am an idiot. But not that much.”

I looked towards my phone, the card…

“Kasumi, take out that pouch from earlier.”

Not only the pouch, Kasumi and Amara came out of my shadow as well. With the pouch in hand, I took everything from inside of it, and put the card, together with my phone and the pouch, side by side on the drawer.

“If the card can send real time info about me, I could use its mechanism to send me information about the surroundings with the phone’s camera. I also could change the phone completely. I could use the phone as a storage device, and in place of my lost scan. Well, more in the future, I could use the camera as a basis to build a prosthetic eye or something.”

I sighed in stress. Why? I need more knowledge. The only way to understand more things is by learning from a pro. Which means…

“I’ll need to ask to be an apprentice. Blacksmith, Alchemy and… Magical devices? I think. Well, whatever. Oh yeah, let me see my status.”

I lost my left eye, and consequently, my scan. Hell, I even lost my complete {Heads-Up Display}. I can only see the right side of the ‘screen’ I suppose. But I do have the Guild Card, which I can use to look at my status. Looking at my status, though, I was very happy. Two reasons.

“Looks like my level cap is up to 15 now. And a lot of my skills shot through the roof.”

-STATUS-

Name: Kenji Species: Human Age: 15 Years Adventurer Rank: D-Rank LVL: 11 / 15 (↑6) SP: 24’154 (↑24’004) HP: 700 / 700 (↑400)

{+500} MP: 3’300 / 3’300 (↑2’400)

{+300} STR: 350 (↑160)

{+200} INT: 750 (↑400)

{+100} CON: 400 (↑160)

{+100} AGI: 850 (↑400)

{+300} DEX: 800 (↑400)

{+300} LUK: 15 (↑8)

CLASSES

• Student (M) • Fighter (Lvl 5 2UP) • Swordsman (Lvl 6 2UP) • Marksman (Lvl 6 5UP) • Researcher (Lvl 8 4UP) • Synergist (Lvl 6 2UP) • Alchemist (Lvl 7 3UP) • Enchanter (Lvl 3 2UP) • Warlock (Lvl 5 4UP) • Traveler (Lvl M) • Tamer (Lvl 8 NEW) • Summoner (Lvl 4 1UP.NEW) • Thread User (Lvl 2 1UP.NEW) •

SKILLS

• Language Comprehension (U) • Technomagic (U) • Other World Archive {Locked} • Sword Arts (Lvl 7 3UP) • Blade Arts (Lvl 4 3UP.NEW) • Martial Arts (Lvl 5 2UP) • Transmutation (Lvl 8 3UP) • Artificial Element Manipulation (Lvl 3 1UP) • Artificial Element Creation (Lvl 3 1UP) • Augmentation (Lvl 3 2UP) • Mana Manipulation (Lvl 5 2UP) • Summoning (Lvl 6 5UP) • Enhanced Vitality (Lvl 5 NEW) • Enhanced Pool (Lvl 3 2UP.NEW) • Enhanced Strength (Lvl 2 NEW) • Enhanced Body (Lvl 1 NEW) • Enhanced Instincts (Lvl 3 NEW) • Enhanced Knowledge (Lvl 3 NEW) • Enhanced Mobility (Lvl 3 NEW) • Stealth (Lvl 1) • Dismantle (Lvl 1) • Rot Resistance (Lvl 4 3UP) • Fear Resistance (Lvl 5 3UP) • Terrain Manipulation (Lvl 3 2UP) • Paralysis Resistance (Lvl 1) • Pain Resistance (Lvl 4 3UP.NEW) • Charm Resistance (Lvl 5 4UP.NEW) • Thread Manipulation (Lvl 2 1UP.NEW) • Leather Working (Lvl 4 3UP.NEW) • Tiredness Resistance (Lvl 7 6UP.NEW) •

TITLES

• Technomaniac • Half-Machine {Locked} • Unique Bug Killer • Weapon Creator • Focused Freak • Friend of the Primordial Spirit (NEW) • Fox-Spirit Friend (NEW) • Mocker of Gods (NEW) • Darkness Acolyte {Locked} •

ABNORMAL STATUS CONDITION

Hyper Slow Growth

“Right. There’s a lot of things bugging me now. New titles, new skills, but why did everything simply shoot through the roof? Especially the skills related to complementing my stats.”

I couldn’t look through the skills explanations anymore, since I lost my Scan. But…

“I may be able to create a new ‘Scan’ with my phone. Actually… I can make this phone be… A lot of things.”

I could make the phone be my ‘New’ {Heads-Up Display}. And everything thanks to the Emperor for giving me this card. Of course, I wouldn’t do this now. I needed to do a few things before starting to create new things.

I glanced outside through the window, looking at the crimson sky. Dusk already, huh? Without my left eye, I couldn’t have access to a lot of things.

First, the {Other World Archive}. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to have access to the Schematics of things, nor the blueprints. Which means, new things to create, or, re-create in this world, are a big no.

Second, {Scan}. Much to my dismay, most things were thanks to that. In fact, I guess I depended too much on it. Even my Title of [Half-Machine] is locked too. I didn’t scan it to know about it though. I doubt it would give me much info.

Thirdly, I need improvement. I can do things, no. I ‘could’ do them. But it was like a test, while I was cheating, though.

“I guess losing my left eye was a good thing, then? Without it now, I think it’s forcing me to get on my feet, and learn things the old fashioned way, huh?”

Glancing at the bed, I can see Kasumi and Amara, sleeping soundly. Right. Sentina asked me to not put them in danger. And I just did that. Remembering what the Primordial Spirit said, I set a mental objective to me.

“Hm. I guess this next period, no adventure then. Just learning.”

I smile, and close the window. I didn’t need to sleep, since I just woke up, in a way. But I didn’t know why, I just wanted to fall on the bed, and fall asleep.

-//-

Arc I, [A World Without Technology]. End~