In the middle of the ruined forest, the girl was dragging her unconscious companion, barely able to pull him along while supporting his weight against her back.
Hours passed before she finally managed to bring both the elf and the masked man's badly injured lackey back to the riverbank where they had been before.
Only a few hours of sunlight remained, and Ebony was completely exhausted, so she approached the calmer edge of the river. Once she knelt down, she was finally able to see her new face for the first time.
She tried to stay calm, but when she saw a face so unfamiliar, as foreign as a stranger's, reflected in the water, she couldn't stop tears of sadness and fear for her future from falling.
She decided to wash her face, letting go of those feelings she knew were useless if she wanted to get out of there alive, and just as she finished, a system message suddenly appeared.
[---------------------------------]
Hello, hello, Ebony. I didn't think you'd make it out of that. You're smarter than you look, but your sharp tongue won't save you forever, and if you die I'll get very bored, so I decided to send you a little wedding gift, hahaha.
[---------------------------------]
The blonde frowned deeply, torn between shouting a curse or flipping off the god who had sent her to this world, but then a sound interrupted her thoughts.
A thunderous roar split the sky as a shooting star fell from above, white in color with small purple sparks.
Halfway down, the celestial body suddenly twisted and crashed just a few meters away from her, causing an explosion.
The crater it left behind was still glowing red-hot, but at its center stood a mouse with a thin, long tail. Its body was made of white fire, making its black eyes stand out.
Ebony recognized the little mouse from her judgment in the afterlife. For a moment, the creature stared at her, then hopped closer on its two hind legs.
"This… umm… hello?"
The little mouse was as chubby as a ping-pong ball, so cute that Ebony couldn't help but pet it. Strangely enough, the flames forming its body didn't burn her at all.
But the creature frowned and suddenly jumped, slapping her across the face with its tail.
"What the hell, woman? I'm not some damn plush toy, I'm a freaking star, show some respect!"
"S-sorry, it's just that you looked so…" The mouse stared at her as if waiting for her to mess up so it could hit her again. "…Majestic… that I couldn't help myself, I'm sorry."
For a second, the creature rolled its eyes, then without any explanation pulled out a sphere made of white crystal. It glowed intensely, and at its center was another thin crystal. Its overall shape resembled a cat's eye.
The protagonist didn't know whether to pick it up, especially since it was covered in shiny saliva from the very rodent that brought it, but then another system message appeared.
[---------------------------------]
This is a Reset Orb. If you eat it, you can reset your Attributes. This will allow you to customize your Piece according to your wishes, but remember, it can only be used once. I hope this helps you stop whining about your luck and do something good with your life.
[---------------------------------]
Ebony finished reading the message, and when she looked back down at her feet, where the sphere had been, the long-tailed messenger was gone without a trace, except for the crater.
She thought about what to do with the grape-sized sphere. First, she considered keeping it. Then she thought about selling it at an auction—surely some rich noble or even a king would want to change their attributes—but then one final message appeared.
[---------------------------------]
P.S.: The gift will disappear if you don't eat it within the next 5 minutes, and congratulations on your marriage. With zero affection, The Cat.
[---------------------------------]
"Son of a bitch! If it's my gift, I should be the one who decides what to do with the damn thing!" the girl shouted furiously, immediately grabbing the sphere. After hesitating for a moment because of the messenger's drool, she decided to put it in her mouth.
Despite being solid crystal in her hand, inside her mouth it felt different, soft and stretchy like a gummy candy. The taste was sweet and pleasant, until she finally swallowed it.
Her body began to heat up, her hair started to levitate along with the nearby rocks, and she could feel pure, primitive magic flowing through her body.
There was no pain, and no fear either. It felt peaceful, a feeling she had needed long before she ever died.
Then a system message appeared.
[---------------------------------]
You have successfully consumed a Reset Stone.
Attributes are values that represent the state of your Piece, meaning any of them can change for better or worse over the years. However, with the stone now integrated into your system, you may customize your Piece based on the points you currently possess. Please consider the following ranking system:
- - - - - - -[S = 81–200]
- - -[A = 41–80] ; [B = 21–40]
[C = 11–20] ; [D = 6–10] ; [E = 3–5]
- - - - - - - - [F = 1–2]
[---------------------------------]
Ebony carefully examined the ranking. There was no difference from what she remembered from the original game, except for the S rank, which hadn't existed in her time. A part of her couldn't help but feel excited as the message faded and another appeared.
[---------------------------------]
Total unassigned points: 43
Attributes:
- - Strength: (Unassigned)
- - Magic: (Unassigned)
- - Spirituality: (Unassigned)
- - Intelligence: (Unassigned)
- - Endurance: (Unassigned)
- - Vitality: (Unassigned)
[---------------------------------]
The blonde rested a hand against her chin, covering her mouth, a habit she had developed since childhood.
"(Even if I change my Attributes to be more like a Carry, like I'm used to, it won't really matter if my trait is still Healer…)"
Ebony turned her head slightly to look at the unconscious elf and the lackey with bandaged hands.
"(And even if I wanted to learn how to handle this trait, something is wrong with it… I can't freely heal whoever I want… That complicates everything. But if a magic stone like this exists, maybe there's a way to change my trait too.)"
She began tapping on the system screen, shaped like a parchment, until she finished allocating her points.
"(For now, surviving is what matters, and for that I need to stop relying on faulty healing.)"
[---------------------------------]
Total unassigned points: 0
Attributes:
- - Strength: (9) {D}
- - Magic: (4) {E}
- - Spirituality: (3) {E}
- - Intelligence: (10) {D}
- - Endurance: (8) {D}
- - Vitality: (11) {C}
You have successfully modified your Attributes. Please remember that these values may always change for better or worse depending on how you treat or improve your Piece. Have a nice day.
[---------------------------------]
The parchment vanished suddenly, and Ebony didn't feel any immediate changes in her body, so she decided to test it with the elf.
She lifted Lucian and rested him on one shoulder, and when she felt how light he was, she also hoisted the unconscious lackey onto her other shoulder.
With a confident smile, Ebony followed the river's path toward what she hoped would be a village, carrying both bodies with ease.
She didn't know what awaited her in this new life, but to her, the possibilities in a world filled with magic felt genuinely exciting.