UNLOCK: I CAN SEE MY STATS

chapter 4 : Fragments of the Forbidden

Around 11 p.m., Marcus woke from his sleep.

The first thing he did was open the panel. With a single thought, the holographic interface appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Marcus Abomarian

Age: 14

Physical Fitness: 5

Spirit: 9

Eternal Energy: 78 / 100

Blood Factor: Seal Body – Unawakened (100)

Unlock Points: 0

Skills:

– Energy Eater: Level 1 (100)

– Eternal Energy Triangle: Level 1 (100)

– Instantaneous Movement: Level 2 (500)

– Mirage Clone: Level 3 (1000)

– Lightning Style: Serpents of Lightning – Level 4 (5000)

– Earth Style: Earth Wall – Level 3 (1000)

– All for One: Level 9 (1,000,000)

– Healing Technique: Level 4 (5000)

– Disguise Technique: Level 0 (50) ]

Once he confirmed everything was real, Marcus let out a breath of relief.

"Thank God… it wasn’t a dream," he thought with a smile.

His gaze returned to the Eternal Energy section. Even without using the Triangle Refinement Technique, his body had passively recovered over thirty units just from rest.

Still, he didn’t consume it immediately.

There was a war going on. Letting his energy levels drop now would be reckless. Even though he was in the eastern camp, that didn’t mean he was safe. His emotional sensitivity had picked up a faint killing intent even while asleep. A surprise raid could happen at any moment.

And with the war at its peak, it was best not to repeat his past mistakes.

Looking around the dimly lit tent, Marcus noticed he had new neighbors.

About seven wounded lay on medical beds. One of them was in critical condition his entire right side crushed. If not for Eternal Energy, he would’ve already been dead. Normal people wouldn’t survive injuries like that, not even for a few minutes, unlike an Eternal Warrior.

Staring at the injured man, Marcus’s eyes gleamed.

An idea struck him one that could buy him time and grant a relatively safe position. This body had some talent in medical techniques.

He was originally assigned to the medical team, not the scouts. But he gave it up because of Liana.

Now, things had changed. He could use his near-death experience as an excuse to switch back to the medics. Normally, transferring between units wasn’t easy, but medical specialists were rare. This tent had only one doctor trying to save someone while others hovered near death.

That would make joining them much easier.

A broad smile stretched across Marcus’s face. He had finally found a path away from the front lines.

He glanced at the patients, closed his eyes, and was about to start the Eternal Triangle technique one that required no hand signs, only stillness.

But first, he needed to secure a place in the medical unit. He canceled his energy extraction and began thinking of ways to ensure his acceptance.

He was just about to approach the doctor to show off some medical knowledge when the tent flap opened.

Three familiar figures stepped inside.

“Marcus, you awake?”

Rio entered holding an oil lamp, casting light over the tent.

Marcus looked up and responded, glancing between Rio, Liana, and the brown-haired boy beside her—likely in his late teens.

“Yeah, I’m awake...”

“How are you? Are you okay?” Liana asked, her eyes scanning him.

“I’ll live,” Marcus replied with a light smile. Then he turned to the boy with a mocking tone:

“So, dear brother Paul! Are you here to check on my health... or to see if I’ve awakened the bloodline?”

Before Paul could answer, Marcus tapped his smooth forehead and added:

“Sorry to disappoint you and the proud family... I haven’t awakened anything.”

Paul’s eyes widened in surprise, but he grinned.

“Looks like your brush with death made you grow up.”

Marcus frowned internally.

“Damn... I let my emotions show too naturally. This vessel’s personality was supposed to be shy and withdrawn. That shift might draw the wrong kind of attention...”

In this timeline, Marcus was known as a quiet, repressed kid. But the real Marcus, after years of experience, had become much bolder. According to the vessel’s memories, his younger self had a strained relationship with both his family and his clan the former blamed him for his mother’s death, the latter considered him a disgrace for not awakening the Seal Body.

Thankfully, Paul assumed the personality change was caused by the ambush and Marcus’s near-death experience.

“I didn’t come here for that, dear brother,” Paul added. “Seems trouble follows you like a shadow…”

He pointed at Liana, who lowered her head.

“I came because of her. Your little bird here—she forcibly broke off the engagement three days ago.”

“…Huh?”

Marcus’s face went blank.

Liana quickly raised her head.

“Look, I was trying to tell you but—”

Marcus raised a hand, placing a finger to his lips.

“Shhh. No 'but'. Just… leave.”

Paul raised his eyebrows.

“Oh! You took it well. Honestly, I thought you'd break down or something…”

He patted Marcus on the shoulder.

“Looks like being thrown into war had some benefits.

Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re okay… and I’m happy with this new version of you.”

With that, he turned and left.

Liana looked down, guilt written all over her face.

“Marcus, I…”

He shook his head.

“Liana, I’ll treat this as a lesson… or more like a setback. And I’ll get over it."

He looked at Rio.

“My friend, I’m no longer an obstacle…”

Both Liana and Rio froze in shock.

After a pause, Rio asked,

“Since when…?”

Marcus clasped his hands and leaned forward.

“Coming close to death can really help you see things from a new perspective.”

He stared directly at Rio and added in a quiet, ominous tone:

“The past is the past. Leave it there… Now, if you don’t mind, I need some rest. I’m still badly injured, as you know.”

Rio studied him for a long moment, then scoffed and turned to leave.

Liana hesitated. She wanted to speak, but seeing Marcus with his eyes closed, uninterested in her presence, her words died in her throat. She had no choice but to leave.

“Heh… What a pleasant surprise,” Lucas thought.

He had been trying to figure out how to break the engagement, but it resolved itself without him lifting a finger.

But then he remembered Rio’s last look—that long, hard stare—and a deep scowl crept across his face. He released a flicker of killing intent so intense that even the unconscious patients flinched.

“That look… I hate it. ‘The past is the past’? My ass.

When the time comes, I’ll get rid of them both.”

The ambush hadn’t been random—it was a setup. A clean, quiet way to eliminate Marcus.

If he hadn’t returned to this body from the future, he would’ve died.

That’s why Marcus had sworn to eliminate both Liana and Rio.

Yes, they were the masterminds or rather, Rio was, and Liana helped him.

Knowing Marcus loved her deeply, they set a trap faking danger around her to bait him in.

The engagement had been arranged by their families. This version of Marcus genuinely loved Liana. But she loved someone else—Rio.

A week ago, she asked to break the engagement. Without a response, they moved ahead with the plan.

If Marcus died in battle, the engagement would be nullified automatically.

You might wonder why they didn’t just stab him while he was down.

The answer? One word: Curse Seal.

When a member of the Abomarian clan is killed—bloodline awakened or not—the killer is branded with a curse seal. It tracks their location and can’t be removed unless the host dies. Worse, it feeds off the killer’s energy, becoming a major liability.

On top of that, the clan head receives the victim’s final memory—a massive risk for exposure.

So they didn’t dare. Especially after they received news that the engagement had been officially canceled while Marcus was unconscious in the cave.

Marcus pushed the thoughts aside, let out a long breath, then closed his eyes and began channeling his Eternal Energy.

The magical triangle appeared once again.