A System That Beats Death

[Heart Barrier]

(Shields host when incapacitated and ensures peak corporeal functionality)

He had been expecting a ridiculous effect such as immune to cardiac arrest or something that protected his mental state, but this was far better than what he anticipated. Not only was he safe if he fainted or went to sleep, the artifact would also regulate and supplement the body. This ensured minimal fatigue, incredible control over muscle exertion, and active regeneration of damaged parts. He could run marathons back to back if he wanted to and there wouldn't be any repercussions.

It made him d.e.s.i.r.e to see how effective the artifact was, but the effect would definitely be mitigated by the critical condition which his current vessel was in. Deciding that it would be more worthwhile to assess the situation, he notified the System.

The System then responded accordingly.

|You are Shen, a recently orphaned child. The assailants have crippled and scarred you before leaving you for dead. However, you persevered and now join the mastermind. |

"Mastermind?", Atlas thought.

The door to the shed was abruptly and forcefully pried open. A tall man with a muscular build then stepped inside, not bothering to steady the door which was about to fall off its hinges.

"Get up-", the man shouted before stopping himself.

Yesterday, he had left due to Shen profusely sobbing while cowering in fear and reeling from the pain. It was normal to be traumatized by death, but this man had become numb to it after witnessing and causing the death of so many. The display of weakness by Shen started to evoke an innate frustration which temporarily clouded his judgment. Luckily, he had not harmed the kid, but he might have been too tempted if he saw the same scene again.

Today, Shen was already up to the man's surprise. Unlike before, there was no trace of mourning left in his countenance and he even seemed indifferent to the pain that would make a normal grown man faint.

[C-Rank Quest:

Objective: Travel with Da Lan and Help Find His Daughter

Reward: *Unknown* and 3000 Points]

Another unknown reward? His last one had been a Spacial Ring which was extremely useful. As he did not die immediately, he was able to procure a sizable portion of his surplus and hastily crammed them into his Spacial Ring. He had done so in order to ensure that no matter how damning his predicament was, at least he would not starve.

Da Lan then shut his mouth and merely motioned for Shen to follow along. To Atlas' disappointment, there were no villages. The only thing man made besides the shed was a half-assed dirt road which few travelers seemed to take. The closest place had been the hamlet he lived in, but it had already burnt to ash along with the people in it.

The two then left on the winding and badly maintained dirt road. When the Sun set, the two found some logs to create a campfire with. While Shen rested his weakened body, Da Lan lit the fire. He then handed a piece of hard bread to Shen which he reluctantly took.

After biting a piece of it, he nearly gagged. It was worse than disgusting. It even stung the tongue and left a taste worse than vomit. Shen decided to not finish it after the first bite and secret, threw the rest of it away.

The two basked in the light of the campfire until Shen finally spoke for the first time, "Your name is?"

"Da Lan", he briefly stated.

"Where are you headed?"

"The Capital"

When dawn came, the two began moving again. Along the way, Shen would stop and momentarily forage for fruit and harvested a few wild herbs.

He refused to eat whatever that was again. Even expired MREs tasted better than that shit, Atlas thought.

At dinnertime, Shen began preparing for dinner before Da Lan could even intervene. As he unwrapped the steamed potato, the aroma caused Da Lan's stomach to growl. To preserve food, the only time they ate was at dinnertime which should have made dinner something to look forward to, but Da Lan was a terrible cook and only had those barely tolerable rations. Shen looked at Da Lan oddly before reluctantly tossing him a portion as well. Previously, Da Lan would have criticized Shen for doing a woman's job but after a single bite, he would have to be brain dead to not appreciate what he was currently eating. Da Lan then devoured the potato in such a way that people could be convinced that he had not eaten for an entire decade.

"How far is the Capital?", Shen asked.

"A few months of walking"

"Is there somewhere closer?"

"There is"

"Then why are we going to the Capital?"

"I have family in the Capital", which matched what the System had corroborated.

Life was tranquil as the two passed the time by constantly traveling. They would travel around 60 kilometers per day and then settle at night during which Da Lan would eat Shen's cooking. Due to Shen's resourcefulness, he was also tasked with collecting water and Da Lan never ceased to be surprised by how pure the water seemed. It tasted as if it was collected directly from the clouds.

After a month, Shen's complexion considerably improved with the burn scars starting to fade and his right arm partially regaining functionality. Noticing this, Da Lan decided that he would repay the kid even if it would be detrimental for his future plans.

"Oddly enough, you're the one taking care of me", Da Lan stated before abruptly throwing a wooden sword at Shen. Shen fumbled a bit but caught it with his left hand. He was nearly ambidextrous after using his left hand for so long.

"In the past, I was a general, so I have a bit of experience in combat", Da Lan stated in a solemn manner.

He then pointed his wooden sword at Shen.

"Are you willing to learn how to kill?"