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Chapter 8 - Theft

Night had completely wrapped the city in silence, and the house was calm. The fire crackled in the fireplace, casting warm flickers on the walls. Near it, the pawed shark was curled up cozily, breathing evenly, his fins twitching ever so slightly in sleep.

The adventurer had recovered from his ordeal and was now sitting against the wall, slowly surveying the room. On the wooden table, the crimson crown lay still, looking like an ordinary piece of jewelry. But unlike everything else in the room—it was alive.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a loud knock at the door.

— BAM-BAM-BAM!

The pawed shark jolted awake. His ears twitched, and he rose to his feet, bristling as a low growl rumbled from his throat.

— Grrrr...

The adventurer tensed. The girl, sensing danger too, stepped up to the door and asked:

"Who’s there?!"

"Adventurers’ Guild!" came a stern voice from outside. "We received a report that you're harboring a monster. We’re here to put it down!"

The girl froze, stunned—but only for a second. She quickly pulled herself together.

"Wait! I’m opening the door!" she called out, then turned to the pawed shark in urgency.

"Quick, buddy! We have to form a contract, or they’ll kill you!"

The pawed shark blinked in confusion, clearly not understanding, his tail flicking in uncertainty.

But she didn’t wait for him to catch up. Grabbing his front paw, she whispered a quick incantation. Instantly, his body was wrapped in a gentle blue glow.

"Profile!" she whispered, and a magical interface appeared before her eyes.

In the “Familiars” section, a new name shone brightly—Jeff.

It worked!

— Wait—do you have a name?!

From outside came the impatient voice again:

"Open up already!"

The girl rolled her eyes and shouted back:

"I’m not a klutz, give me a second!"

She flung open the door. A group of adventurers stepped in, immediately scanning the room for signs of danger.

But then—they saw Jeff.

And froze.

All of them.

As if hypnotized.

"…Oh."

"Is that really a monster?"

"He’s… adorable..."

Jeff sat perfectly still, gazing at them with his big, gleaming eyes. His tail gave a small wag, and his ears perked up like a puppy waiting for a treat.

The adventurers caved.

"Uhh… maybe it’s a false report?"

"Yeah, looks like a harmless creature..."

"Let’s not waste time. Move out."

With exchanged glances, they left the house.

But one among them hadn’t been charmed.

A thief.

While the others had searched the home, he had noticed something unusual—a crimson crown on the table. Its ruby gleam was impossible to ignore. His trained eyes knew instantly: this was valuable.

“Definitely worth something,” he thought.

With swift and practiced hands, he grabbed the crown and tucked it under his cloak.

And just like that, the group departed—leaving the household unaware…

…that the crimson crown was gone with them.

---

Oh, come on. Five seconds. Five. I turn my attention away for five seconds, and someone steals me?! Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

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Chapter 7 - First Contact

The girl quickly rushed to the bed, noticing that the adventurer had regained consciousness.

"You’re awake! How are you feeling?"

The boy tried to sit up, but a sharp pain forced him back onto the pillows.

"Whoa, easy! You shouldn’t move just yet. You were barely breathing when we found you."

He groaned, covering his eyes. His head was pounding, and his memories were foggy.

"Where... am I?"

"In my grandfather’s house," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and examining his face. "We found you outside. Well, my grandfather did. You were just lying there unconscious, and beside you..."

She sighed and pointed toward the creature by the fireplace—a small, pawed shark that was currently staring intently at the crown.

"Yeah... this thing was with you. And you were also wearing this," she added, lifting the red crown from the floor and holding it out to him.

The adventurer weakly reached for the crown but suddenly froze. Something inside him tightened. He stared at the object, an eerie sense of déjà vu washing over him.

"Are you... sure it was on me?" he rasped.

The girl nodded.

"Yes, Grandpa said it was right on your head."

"And how did I end up outside?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he tried to piece things together.

"I have no idea," she admitted with a shrug.

"There was a crater where you were lying. No tracks, no clues. Just... nothing."

His expression darkened. The memories were still hazy, but the unease only grew stronger. He glanced at the crown still in the girl’s hand.

Then—he heard a whisper.

Soft. Faint. As if echoing from deep within his mind.

“Do you remember me?..”

He flinched. He’d definitely heard a voice. But besides the girl and the strange shark near the fire, there was no one else in the room.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with concern, noticing the tension in his face.

He swallowed and looked back at the crown.

“Do you remember me?..”

There it was again. That voice. Inside his head.

"Who's there?" he whispered hoarsely, eyes darting around the room.

The girl frowned.

"There’s no one else here," she said carefully. "Are you sure you’re alright?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out and took the crown cautiously. It was cold.

And then—visions erupted in his mind.

A massive, shadowy hall. Walls adorned with crimson banners. Distant voices—muffled and tense.

"You were made for a greater purpose," a commanding voice declared.

Then—screaming. A horrible, bloodcurdling scream, cut short by silence.

The adventurer gasped and dropped the crown onto the blanket. The visions vanished, but a dull pain throbbed in his temples.

"What... was that?" he whispered.

The girl was watching him warily.

"You really shouldn’t be up. You need to rest."

But he wasn’t listening. He stared at the crown again, and in that moment, one thing became clear:

He understood absolutely nothing.

---

Pfft. This idiot still hasn’t figured anything out. Odd… but I suppose he’ll play his part eventually.

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Chapter 6 - Attacks

Ugh... Was I sleeping?

Can objects even sleep?..

Whatever. What happened to that adventurer?

The crown looked around from the shelf, then fixed its gaze on the spot where the adventurer lay unconscious.

Yeah, still passed out... Makes sense. I was on his head much longer than last time. But that's not what worries me…

The crown suddenly felt someone watching it and slowly shifted its gaze from the adventurer to—

A PAWED SHARK?!

It was staring directly at the crown. And that look… As if it knew. As if it saw something no one else did.

What the…?

Then the shark jumped. And shoved the crown with its paws.

—HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

The crown hit the wooden floor with a dull thud.

—HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!

The shark approached, tilted its head, and made a strange, vibrating sound:

—MRRRRR?

—I don't understand you!

Profile!

---

Name: None

Gender: None

Race: None

HP: None

Durability: 180/200

Stamina: None

Mana: 750/750

Echo: 20

Skills: Echo of Mind

Special Skills: Acceleration, Telepathy

---

I lost durability from the fall, BUT—

—WHAT?!

My telekinesis is gone?! Why?! Are all my skills temporary?

...Then why didn't Acceleration disappear?

The crown’s thoughts were interrupted by that strange, trembling sound again:

—MRRRRR?

—You’re definitely not a cat…

And then it hit the crown.

Telepathy!

—HEY, PAWED SHARK! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

—Mrrr...

—I see… That’s not gonna work…

The crown was about to dive deeper into thought when suddenly, from the bed, a weak voice broke the silence:

—Ugh... Where am I?..

The adventurer was finally waking up.

Just then, a girl entered the room, drawn by the loud crash she'd heard earlier.

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Chapter 5 - An unexpected meeting

CROWN:

“What do I do?!” the crown panicked.

Then, suddenly — a spark of clarity.

“I’ve got it! I’ll make a loud noise!”

She focused, channeling telekinetic power toward a pot sitting on the stove. It trembled, then slowly lifted into the air.

“I didn’t expect Telekinesis to be this strong… I lifted the pot so easily!”

Without a second thought, the crown hurled it at the window. The glass shattered with a loud crash, echoing through the neighborhood.

---

Let’s check my mana… Can I still do anything?

Profile!

Name: None

Gender: None

Race: None

HP: None

Durability: 200

Stamina: None

Mana: 300/750

Echo: 20

Skills: Echo of Thought

Special Skills: Acceleration, Telekinesis, Telepathy

Active Skills: Echo of Thought

The crown froze.

“Why am I getting new skills?! Is it… because of Echo of Thought? But why is it active?”

Just then, rapid footsteps echoed from outside. Someone was coming.

Suddenly, a creature burst into the room. It looked at the unconscious man, then gently gripped his clothing with its teeth and dragged him outside. Once there, it set him down, lifted its head, and barked loudly.

The crown watched in awe.

“What… is that? A shark with legs?!”

The creature barked again, clearly trying to get someone’s attention.

“I think… he wants to help…” the crown thought, astonished by the unlikely savior.

The shark-dog kept barking and pacing in circles. Soon, a response came — an elderly man with a lantern stepped out of a nearby house, followed by a young woman.

— “What’s going on out here?” the old man asked, frowning.

The woman looked from the creature to the adventurer.

— “He’s unconscious! We need to get him inside!”

The landshark wagged its tail joyfully, but the crown felt a wave of unease.

“I’m not sure I want anyone to discover me…”

But there was no choice. The creature helped them carry the man indoors. They laid him on a bed, and the woman checked his pulse. Meanwhile, the crown was removed from his head and set gently on a shelf.

— “He’s alive… just unconscious. But strange. Why?”

The crown pondered her next move.

Telepathy… It just appeared. I can communicate now. But should I?

The adventurer remained unconscious until morning. Yet the shark-dog never left his side, standing guard through the entire night.

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Chapter 4 - I'm alive again

Crown:

— Feels like I’ve been stuck here for over a week… and every attempt to escape has failed. I don’t even understand why the glow in my eye is fading with each passing second. It’s terrifying…

Voices of the World:

— Our crown… it seems she’s dead.

— Strange, she vanished so quickly… Why?

— Maybe… a little help wouldn’t hurt. I guess this will be my second and final favor to her.

Some time passed. A group of thieves arrived. They quickly gathered all valuables — including the crown — and vanished without a trace.

Days went by. The thieves started selling their loot, careful not to draw attention. The crown ended up in the hands of an adventurer — a man looking for an easy path to power.

When the thieves sold it to him, they told him it would enhance his strength and magic.

Eager to clear a dungeon without effort, the adventurer bought it without hesitation.

Back home, he immediately put on the crown to test its power. But the moment he did, his body froze.

He collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Crown:

— I’M BACK! But… what happened to me? I was just on Bri’s shelf… What happened?

She tried to look around, but then realized something shocking.

— W-what?! Why am I sitting on someone’s head?! This is so… awkward.

But that wasn’t all.

The man underneath had fainted, and in that very moment, a flood of information rushed into her mind.

She now knew who this person was, what had happened to him… and all of his secrets.

— Ha… He’s unconscious because of me…

There was no time to dwell on it.

The crown quickly whispered the word: Profile.

Name: None

Gender: None

Race: None

HP: None

Durability: 200

Stamina: None

Mana: 750

Echo: 20

Skills: Mind Echo

Special Skills: Acceleration, Telekinesis

— Wait… Why do I have a new skill? And what’s this “Echo”…?

She didn’t understand, but that didn’t matter now.

— Telekinesis… That’s what I need right now. I have to call for help, or this person will die…

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Chapter 3 Games of life

The Crown looked around.

It saw that it was not alone.

On both sides, dozens—no, hundreds—of other crowns stood. They were silent, motionless, yet the Crown felt as if their empty, cold shapes were still watching it. Observing. Judging.

For the first time in all this time, fear gripped it.

What if it became just like them?

It didn't know how much time had passed. Days? Weeks? Maybe an eternity. It spoke—at first just to itself, then to the other crowns. It asked them questions, joked, screamed. They remained silent. So the Crown began answering for them.

— Who are you? — it asked.

— We, — it answered itself.

— Why are we silent?

— Because we do not exist.

At some point, in another stream of meaningless words, its voice suddenly said:

— Profile.

A window flashed before its eyes.

Name: None

Gender: None

Race: None

Health Points: None

Durability Points: 200

Stamina Points: None

Mana Points: 500

Echo: ####

Skills: Echo of Mind

Special Skills: Acceleration

The Crown stared at the table, but its mind was already drifting.

— I’ve gone insane…

The Crown hesitated. Maybe it had completely lost its mind. But since this strange window had appeared before it, why not test if it was real?

— Acceleration, — it said.

Nothing happened.

It was about to dismiss it as just another trick of its broken mind when it noticed—the mana points in the profile window started decreasing. The Crown looked around for any effect, and then its gaze landed on a tiny spider that had been crawling lazily nearby.

Now, however, it was dashing around like mad, as if it had suddenly gained incredible speed.

The Crown froze. Maybe all of this wasn’t just the delusion of a shattered mind. Hope, mixed with a slight curiosity, began to awaken within it…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter

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Chapter 2

The Goblin's Bargain

The world where the events take place was at peace, but everything changed the moment the crown began its awakening. It was just an object, a thing lost and discarded, but within its veins lay an ancient secret that could affect this world. Engulfed in silence, it lay in a dark room, feeling unfamiliar noises rushing past its fragile existence. The sound of footsteps in the corridor echoed like a threat.

The awakening was painful. A strange feeling came to its consciousness, as if the crown itself was something more than just an object. It couldn't understand how it ended up in this body—it lay helpless, without the strength to change anything. The footsteps grew louder. And then—the door opened, and a blinding light burst into the room. Right in front of it stood a goblin, his eyes lighting up with joy as he looked at the crown.

He picked up the crown, its surface trembling, and hurried away, carrying it at incredible speed while loudly repeating strange phrases that the crown couldn't decipher. In his hands, the crown felt as if it was losing consciousness just as it had started perceiving things—its awareness was still unformed, and the goblin's mind was unclear to it. Nonetheless, he reached his village.

The goblin was determined. He sold the crown to another of his kind—another goblin who decided to try it on. He had no idea that this act could lead to unexpected consequences. But unlike the previous owner, the goblin did not fall unconscious. It was strange, but it didn't matter. At that moment, the crown began to understand his language, its mind filling with new knowledge, and it started to comprehend the conversations around it.

It realized that this goblin was wealthy and looking for a gift for his wife. This goblin was full of plans, and shortly after the deal, he set off with the crown to see his spouse.

His wife greeted him with a smile, but when she looked at the crown, she smirked. She wasn't excited about the gift. "You're just as useless as the others," she said, calmly placing the crown in her bag like an ordinary trinket.

Soon, the crown realized that its mind was absorbing new emotions. "I... I think I can even feel the goblin's disappointment," it thought. Now that it had been discarded once again, its existence seemed meaningless. But, having no other choice, it decided not to give up.

Some time passed, and Bri returned home. She placed the crown on a shelf, not thinking about it anymore. She didn't even try it on.

The crown began to reflect: "Maybe I should take a look around and understand who I am and what's going on here?" Its thoughts filled with determination. A plan formed within its consciousness: it wouldn't sit idly by. The time to explore itself and the world around it had come.

This is my first work, and I would greatly appreciate any support! If you enjoyed the chapter or have any suggestions, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me, and I would be happy for any constructive criticism!

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Chapter 1 Awakening

The world was peaceful. Quiet, measured. The creatures living in this world knew no worry, and life flowed as it always had. But everything changed in an instant. The moment an ancient being, long forgotten, awoke from its centuries-long slumber. The shadow cast by its presence spread across the world, but no one knew that in this very moment, a new era was about to begin.

At this time, in lands far from monsters and ancient threats, a simple object — a crown — lay forgotten. But fate rarely chooses its path by chance. On that day, it caught the attention of a man. He was an adventurer, exploring forgotten corners of the world in search of wealth and glory. When his eyes fell on the crown, he couldn’t resist its magical allure and, without hesitation, placed it upon his head.

The crown, once merely an object, suddenly became something much more. The instant the adventurer donned it, a strange sensation engulfed his mind. It was as if his memories began to twist, slowly shifting into something new, something foreign. He collapsed, losing consciousness.

His companions, seeing him fall, were terrified. They quickly cast the crown aside, thinking it cursed, and rushed their friend to the nearest hospital.

Several days passed. The adventurer finally regained consciousness. He lay in the hospital, his companions by his side, hugging him joyfully, as if in disbelief that he had survived. Yet, despite all their happy words, the adventurer couldn’t remember what had happened. He struggled to understand how he had ended up here.

His mind was hazy, but then fragments began to surface, like a dream, in which he heard a voice. A voice that spoke of "copying memories," and in that moment, his mind was suddenly filled with the sensation of something forgotten.

"Where’s the crown?" the adventurer asked, suddenly alert, his eyes shining. "I need to find that crown."

And thus began his quest. With it came a deep sense of unease — that the crown hid something important and dangerous within it.

This is my first work, and I would greatly appreciate any support! If you enjoyed the chapter or have any suggestions, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me, and I would be happy for any constructive criticism!