Martin remained seated on the bed, his mind consumed by a single, focused thought: he needed a plan.
He was content with his new situation, but he wouldn't allow himself to make critical errors.
With no Paradigna Points, he couldn't buy any beings or creatures from the market.
He had to change that, and Paradigna had offered two paths: killing people, which he excelled at, or killing other creatures, a skill he was also proficient in.
"The stronger the monster I kill, the more points I'll earn," he whispered to himself. His old-world logic from video games, where he'd spent countless hours, kicked in.
The system was self-explanatory. An insect wouldn't yield the same points as a lion—it was a simple, clear concept.
Paradigna had also hinted at the vastness of this new world, where the very concept of "living" could take on many forms.
Martin didn't fully understand it, but he could guess.
It likely meant fantastic creatures like ghosts, mechanical beings, vampires, or werewolves.
After a moment, Martin closed his eyes and stood up. It was time to explore and learn about his new environment so he could decide on his first target.
He pulled on a long-sleeved brown leather outfit, then a black leather jacket from his closet. Grabbing a small axe from the corner, he hung it at his waist, a last-resort defense.
Opening the wooden door, he stepped outside for the first time.
The air was clean, the weather sunny, but a brisk wind made him glad for his jacket.
The village was quiet, most people working in their fields. Martin's lack of memories was a problem, but he had his excuse ready: a strange illness that left him with amnesia.
As he walked, counting the wooden houses spaced about 100 meters apart, he overheard a middle-aged man speaking to him.
"It's a good thing the village chief's son has a yellow eagle. I bet he'll be taken by the Fire Mountain Shapeshifters organization when they come through in a few weeks."
The man, with a dirty beard and a shovel in his hand, seemed to think Martin knew all this.
Intrigued, Martin turned to him.
"What is the organization of Fire Mountain?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
The man frowned, then laughed.
"Martin, since when are you such a joker? You know, they're the biggest shapeshifter organization around." He turned and walked away, thinking Martin's question was a joke.
But the answer was enough.
Martin deduced that these organizations recruited young, powerful shapeshifters, offering them money, training, and a place to live in exchange for their loyalty.
He continued his walk, observing the village's simple, pre-industrial technology—a world somewhere between the Stone Age and the Middle Ages.
"The Fire Mountain Organization will stop by in a few weeks to check for shapeshifters," he thought to himself
"I should get myself a powerful creature by then. And for now, it might not be a bad idea to join an organization, just to learn enough to survive on my own later."
To get what he needed he had to kill.
is first thought was the village livestock.
It was a low-risk option. He could kill them, hide the bodies, and no one would be the wiser.
As darkness fell, Martin prepared. He went home, grabbed a small backpack from his closet, and headed toward a distant barn he had spotted earlier.
The candlelight inside the house next to it went out, and Martin moved stealthily.
approached the barn, took a deep breath, and opened the door without a sound.
This was his old talent, the insidious art of stealth and killing.
Inside, he found two cows and ten chickens.
He knew he had to be quiet; a sudden commotion from the chickens could bring the owners out.
While he wasn't afraid of the owners, he had to consider the possibility that they too were shapeshifters, and he couldn't risk a fight he didn't understand.
Moving methodically, he used the tip of his axe to silently kill the chickens. Blood flowed, but they made no sound.
A few minutes later, he quickly dispatched the two cows. He placed some of the meat in his backpack, then swiftly left the barn and headed home.
The barn was only about a mile from his house, so he was back in no time.
The first thing he did upon returning was check his status.
Paradigna Status
Paradigna Active
Status: Martin Bloodfire
Soul Power: 1.0
HP: 100%
Shapeshifting: None
Paradigna Points: 20
Paradigna Shapeshifting Market: Online
He nodded to himself. The numbers made sense: ten chickens had given him one point each, and the two cows had given him five points each. The logic was clear. With a big smile, Martin entered the Paradigna Market for the first time. He didn't want to kill chickens or cows forever; he needed a better way.