Child from the Dungeon

" Seriously Black Merchant, how do you make this place? " Donovan wonders around, seeing everything he could see around Black Merchant's residence.

He sees so many weapons that the System can't even scan them, as if it can't compromise how powerful the Merchant's weapons are.

" If it were not because of the barrier here... " Donovan sighs, as he tries to touch the weapons but instead he touches an invisible barrier.

< Unknown Invisible Barrier: [?????????????/?????????????] >

< Perhaps this is the reason the Weapons' status is concealed, the scanners can extract anything unless the barrier is penetrated. >

< System scans a high use of Magic or... >

< or... >

< or... >

" If you're lagging now then stop it, stop scanning. " Donovan tells it.

" Since I'm on an uncharted area for now, an area I believe is not within Elysium Haven or within the Westerios Continent itself. "

" And, the last thing I wanted to happen is you, System, lagging in front of me, making things difficult for me if you didn't at least notify me of everything. "

< System understand User's concern. >

< System will maintain availability from now on. >

< But the thing is, aside from scanning these weapons, there are some areas around here that the System Scans happened to take notice of. >

< A living being, not sure if it's a monster or not, but the scans implied that it is near. > System says it, showing it on the Map how much further Donovan should go.

" Black Merchant stored many things, didn't he? " Donovan asks, following his destination out of curiosity, he follows the directions, looking around more of the places as the System maps it for him, seeing more of the items, the goods, the Black Merchant had in his place, a place that validates him of the Great Kind of Merchant he is.

" He said to tell him anything that I'm interested in, but the problem is, all of them are goodly intriguing. "

" Besides that, the barrier disallows the System to not even catch the Items' name, so how could I tell which one I'm interested in if I can't say or identify its very name, names are essential in the weaponry business! "

" It's not just a mere identification, in the Equipedia Website, the name of a weapon is always the customers' catch of first impression of what the weapon or item on how much is it priced, or what it's capable of! That's just how it works! " Donovan rants while slowly reaching his destination, his target the System scanned, a living creature behind a large door made out of a gray silver-ish kind of metal, a metal Donovan and the System couldn't scan or get what it is made of.

< Likewise, the scans can't extract any info even from this particular object. >

< Whatever it's made of, Black Merchant must've made it from something outside other's reach. >

< This is the System's answers so far, so much for being 'Copy'* >

" Ah yes, you're a 'Copy'... " Donovan remembers.

" Speaking of Copy, about my <Vague Memory Voices> Passive... "

" Do you happen to perhaps track or identify how the Memory even comes to me? " Donovan asked but the System replied with a simple 'Nope'.

" Figures... "

" Guess the past is blurry as ever... " Donovan decides to brush it off, opening the door that leads him into a room, a room that looks like..., a lab.

< Location Unlocked >

< Black Merchant's Place, Hidden Lab Section. >

< Target Found >

" Hmm... " Donovan approaches, witnessing a tube, within it, a gray-masked person, with his long silverish-like hair, is in stasis, placed there for recovery or something Donovan doesn't know why.

< Scanning >

" If he's like this, then he must've been recovering from a great battle. "

" Large tube, filled with liquids and a breathing hose connected to his mouth... "

" Hmph, this guy must've gone to war or such, no thought came to mind after seeing this, it must be... " Donovan says this but suddenly stops.

" A lot of certainty there? " Donovan suddenly wonders to himself, he acts like he snapped out, suddenly looking at the person inside the tube again.

" Wait, how do I come to the idea that he's after war...? " Donovan immediately wonders.

" I just met this guy and saw him for the first time. "

" Why did I just think that I say things like I..., wait- "

" Why I'm here? I know I came before because the System showed me about his existence, but... " Donovan stops.

" No, this isn't me..., if it were me, I'd instead travel this place through the shadows to sneak at the existing person first rather than meeting them first hand. "

" Especially when I'm not in the academy, I always do that per my 'Draven' persona these times. " Donovan says that, but suddenly.

< The Tube has been opened >

< The New Subject's Progress Inside the Tube has been finished. >

< dd:hh:mm:ss >

< 00:00:00:00 >

"( Four Time Segments?)" Donovan sees it, for the four pairs of the time digits shown mean the process the guy undertook has been done from days past.

"( Never knew System could identify the time thus far, System usually and only defies time by showing the hours tops. )"

"( But still... )" Donovan sees the person coming out, the masked guy, even when he woke up, he still wears his gray-silver mask.

* The person sees Donovan, tilting his head a bit. *

Donovan looks at him, within his very mind, it already told him to draw his weapon, but somehow, as the guy came out, Donovan's very instincts drove him not to.

"( If something happens, I should've equipped <Aether Blade, Ascalon> and swung its blade just to be sure, but- )" Donovan's skin began to shiver.

"( Why do I felt that if I do it... )"

"( Something bad is gonna happen to me? )" Donovan says this as he frowns, trying to maintain himself while the guy still stands in front of him, silent, but Donovan with his very instinct told himself that behind the mask, the guy's must've been preparing himself to strike.

< (!) Message (!) >

< [Options]: >

< In this scenario, the User will be given two options, this is crucial since this would likely determine the User's fate and once it is made, the User can't back out, even if the User can. >

< Options: >

< 1) Attack and Survive. >

< 2) Wait and See. >

...

" Ah... " Donovan sees this, as things are paused during the 'Options'.

" 'Wait and See'? "

" Are you sure about that? "

" I know that I felt afraid, but at least the first option is worth trying than just letting myself at this guy's mercy. "

" A good option yes indeed, but what if he came to me with bad intentions while I'll 'Wait and See'? " Donovan asks himself, immediately decides the First One.

< Option Chosed (!) >

Donovan immediately equips his blade and...

Just expected...

* Thud!!! *

As Donovan equips, the masked guys immediately plunge and hit Donovan into the nearby wall, giving him a great punch Donovan survives if it were not for his armor.

* BAM!!! *

" Ooophh! "

< [Item: Aether Black Shadow Symbiotic Armor +8 (SS) ] >

< The Symbiotic Armor greatly reduces the damage >

< Please Stand by while the System continues to Scan the New Subject and Calculate the Damage >

___________________

Extra:

* 'Copy'.

The System means what it describes itself in Chapter 2: "Character Origin: The Child from the Dungeon".

We go way... back people after around 260+ Chapters, after 4 Volumes, and 2 Spin-Off Volumes.

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