Bound by Darkness: Mastering the Immortal System

3

Chapter 3: An Era of Chaos

[Strength: 1 ~ 1]

[Affection: 100]

Sebastian stared toward the door, his inner vision fixed on Ellen's floating data, then glanced momentarily at his own.

[Strength: 0 ~ 0]

The digit "0" did not signify a total lack of vitality; rather, it was a cruel mathematical rounding. In this unforgiving world, his physical presence was so negligible it barely registered as a whole number. It wasn't surprising. Ellen spent her days climbing jagged cliffs, navigating dense thickets to forage for rare herbs. Her body was tempered, agile, and strong.

He, on the other hand, was merely "The Blind Man." A caretaker of the apothecary who handled menial chores—sweeping the courtyard, drying roots under the pale sun, or roasting herbs in a heavy iron pan. It was for this very reason that although they hadn't been husband and wife in name, they had long been partners in survival.

Ellen didn't want him to die. In a world where strangers felt like threats, she sought security in the only soul she trusted. Yesterday's union wasn't born of mere romance; it was a desperate hope. She wanted him to feel like a man again, to kindle a spark of will to live so they could lean on each other, enduring one day at a time in this chaotic era.

As for surviving... no one could guarantee that. Calamities struck like sudden lightning bolts. Take the old physician, Sebastian's father-in-law. One day he was consulting patients, discussing plans to relocate the shop; the next, he was snatched by a passing general to serve as a battlefield medic. When generals marched through, conscripting men and seizing grain were common occurrences. In a single day, the able-bodied men of the village were harvested like ripe grain. The settlement became a place of orphans and widows, and the "Healing Apothecary" fell into ruin. In such a world, who could truly claim they were safe?

'Upgrade.'

Sebastian allocated 2 more points. In the skill column, "Mind's Eye" jumped from "Entry Level (0/2)" to "Entry Level (2/2)," and then instantly ascended to "Accomplished (0/4)."

At the moment the panel shifted, Sebastian felt a mystical surge of knowledge erupt from his very soul. His body and his senses sharpened. It felt as though he had lived in total darkness for decades, honing his perception, only for those years of experience to be compressed into a single heartbeat. He had completed a lifetime of cultivation within the ripples of time, without affecting the reality around him.

This time, years of tactile exploration and life in the shadows granted him a heightened sensitivity to the flow of air. When air encountered an obstacle, it could not pass; instead, it broke and scattered, creating a subtle resonance that sketched the contours of the world.

"Hooo..." Sebastian exhaled a sharp breath.

In his inner vision, the breath was like a drop of white ink falling into a vat of black. It expanded, rendered the space, and then faded into silence. An indescribable joy filled his heart. He hurriedly spent his remaining 2 points on "Mind's Eye," bringing it to "Accomplished (2/4)."

This time, there was no qualitative leap, but his sensitivity to air currents deepened. He reached out, his hand unerringly grasping the hardwood guide cane leaning against the bed. Tapping the floor, he walked toward the door with an expectant heart.

He pulled the door open.

The violent gale, swirling with heavy snow, stormed into the room. To Sebastian's heightened senses, it was as if a sea god had unleashed a raging tide into his eternally empty, lonely world. The moment the door opened, he was plunged into a vast, churning ocean of information. The air tumbled and surged, striking every surface and creating ripples in his ink-black consciousness.

The echoes and the shifting currents rendered everything in high relief. The door appeared. The tables and chairs. The medicine racks. The bed. Even the pale gauze curtains danced vibrantly in the pitch-black space. The walls revealed themselves, adorned with bamboo hats and sickles. In the corner, a bamboo basket sat; the wind whistled through its thousand woven holes, producing a delicate, detailed sound. On the small table by the window, the outline of an emergency oil lamp emerged—a half-arm-high vessel with a bronze handle.

A surge of pure joy filled Sebastian's soul. To him, this was nothing short of a miracle. He couldn't help but let out a wide, ecstatic grin.

In the distance, the frantic voice of a woman accompanied by rushing footsteps approached.

"Close the door! Close it!" It was Ellen.

She ran in, wiping her frozen hands, and slammed the door shut. She gave Sebastian a light smack on the shoulder. "Are you trying to kill us? We finally got a bit of warmth in here, and you let it all out!"

With the door shut, the wind was blocked. The ink-wash world quickly faded, leaving behind a "sketch" of the room's layout based on his recent perception.

"I'm going to chop wood," Sebastian said suddenly.

Ellen retorted sharply, "Chop wood? Forget it! Heal your body first before you think about manual labor!"

She guided him to the table, and while she busied herself outside, Sebastian sat there, "looking" around the room at the sketched objects. He stood up, touching a vase here and a rack there; his movements were unerring. When his hand gripped the sickle hanging on the wall, his data shifted: [Strength: 1 ~ 1]. Indeed, weapons granted him extra power.

He was like a child seeing the world for the first time, wandering the room in wonder. Yet, beyond the sketched interior lay an infinite, bottomless black. Floating in that darkness were Ellen's two lines of information.

Suddenly, he saw someone else approaching from afar.

[Strength: 0 ~ 0]

[Affection: 60]

The stranger arrived at the backyard. Ellen went to meet him. Sebastian leaned toward the window, straining to listen.

"Doctor Ellen, is Brother Sebastian doing alright?" A youth's voice.

From his predecessor's memories, Sebastian identified him as Kayden, a fifteen-year-old from the village. Kayden had escaped the draft because of his age and slight build.

"He's fine," Ellen said with a polite smile.

"Fine?" Kayden asked skeptically. "Word is he fell so hard he was on the verge of death."

Ellen froze. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Kayden chuckled. "Nothing, just worried about him. We're all from the same village. My mother was concerned, so she sent me to see if I could help with anything."

As he spoke, Kayden tried to bypass Ellen, pushing into the courtyard and heading straight for the house door. Ellen was just as fast, intercepting him. "Kayden, what do you think you're doing?"

Kayden ignored her, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Sebastian! Sebastian!!"

With every shout, Sebastian watched the youth's affection rating plummet. 60... 55... 50... and it was still falling.

Suddenly, Sebastian realized the truth. This boy hadn't come out of kindness; he had come to scavenge. Compared to other villagers, the apothecary still had some meager grain reserves. If Sebastian was severely injured or dying, the shop would become easy prey. This boy was a scout. If Sebastian didn't react or showed weakness, disaster would follow.

Sebastian walked to the door and yanked it open. Facing the boy, he gathered his strength and struck his guide cane heavily against the floor. "What do you want?" he snarled, his pale, clouded eyes staring directly at the youth.

Kayden recoiled, clicking his tongue. "Blind man, you look like you're hurting pretty bad, huh?"

Before he could finish, Ellen had snatched up a heavy wooden laundry bat. "Get out!" she roared. She had realized his intent as well.

Kayden tried to offer an excuse, but Ellen swung the bat with such force it whistled through the air. The boy scrambled back, shouting, "You're a doctor! Where did a woman get such strength?" He turned and fled the courtyard.

Ellen stood at the fence, hands on her hips, screaming after him, "If you ever come back, I'll break your legs!"

Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle. Last night, his wife had been a tender soul; now, she was a tigress. He raised his face toward the fleeing youth. Surprisingly, Kayden's affection rating had bounced back from 45 to 60.

Strength, Sebastian realized, was the only prerequisite for maintaining "friendly" relations in this world. Othe

rwise, only malice would grow.

'I must become stronger.' Sebastian clenched his fist.