Making his way downstairs Sim saw a set of six smooth stones each with a different symbol on them. Roman gawked up at Sim happily waving at him, a mischievous grin on his face. He waved back awkwardly and Sim noticed the strange looks he was receiving from Isla. They were all looking at him like he was insane or an idiot which wasn’t far off from the truth.
“Since you and I are linked by a special bond I think it is time you learn which rune matches your soul,” Roman explained.
Sim stared at the rocks thinking about how painful it was to absorb the light-based rune sitting at the edge of the table.
“Is it going to be painful again?” Sim asked.
“I noticed your MP was severely drained as you tried to use a light-based rune stone, but what this means is you are not a light user,” Roman smiled.
Sim sighed, “So I guess I need to learn what each rune does.”
“Exactly!” Roman chirped.
“This will take time, but once you learn I’m sure you will be great at it,” Roman said encouragingly. Sim nodded in agreement.
“This first stone here is Fire!” Isla announced.
Sim picked it up without thinking as it engulfed his body in a blaze of light. He frowned staring at his mentor. The others were staring wide-eyed watching as sparks flew from their hands. Sim felt a burning sensation on his hand as the rune began activating under his skin. He grimaced in pain as he squeezed his hand. The color changed immediately turning red to blue, and then it returned back to white. The light around him flickered violently, making his eyes water slightly.
“You are a natural…maybe. Now you need to cast!” Roman laughed.
[MC: Sim Owens]
[Level: 1. EXP 100/100.]
[Health 100/100 MP 100/100]
“Lance Mars Blast!” Sim shouted.
[MP -98.]
[MP remaining 2/100.]
The flame from the rune exploded outward. The rune stone burst into fire engulfing Sim. Flames consumed him causing him to scream in agony. He threw his arms over his head shielding his eyes. A flash of bright white lightning struck Sim from behind as he screamed in agony. When the light disappeared everyone jumped in shock.
“Wha--what happened!?” Sim exclaimed frantically. His entire body felt weak and dizzy as if the rune was draining all of his energy.
“Did you hit your head during all of that?! Are you okay?!” Roman panicked.
“His MP reduced greatly…” Isla noted.
Roman pulled out five bottles of green-yellow sludge in clear bottles; each bottle was filled with a murky yellow liquid. He put one on the ground right before him.
“This potion is filled with a special healing serum that can heal any injury sustained while casting. Drink it now!” With shaking hands Sim slowly reached for the bottle, opened it, and downed it with one shot.
“Eww…” Sim groaned. It tasted horrible. “That’s disgusting, what is it?” Sim said disgustedly.
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“It's called ‘Green Slime Potion’, it is made from my father's secret formula,” Roman replied.
“I regret creating that item!” He shouted.
[MP recovered 100/100]
“Next is the water rune!” Isla cheered.
Sim stared at it, not sure if he wanted to touch it right away; the look of hatred on his face showed that he really didn't want it to come near him. He lightly placed his finger on the top. A small drop fell on his skin causing him to jerk his hand quickly. It felt cold and slimy. He flinched from the feeling and pulled his hand back instantly.
“That’s so gross…” He complained.
Handling the stone he had a strange vision as the waves of the sea could be heard in the distance. It was dark with flashes of blue light and orange colors. The water was deep with a mysterious presence.
He could feel a serpent wrap around the rock as the surface seemed to ripple. As he watched something rose from below the waters. The water rippled causing an image of a monster to appear. He stared at the stone in confusion.
“Poseidon Reaction!” He yelled.
[MP -100.]
[MP remaining 0/100]
[HP -96.]
[HP remaining 4/100.]
A blast of water raged as Sim stared down with fear. The water grew even bigger in waves as it surrounded the stone making it impossible to hold onto. He closed his eyes tightly as the stone started growing warm. He held onto the rock with all of his strength. It suddenly crumbled completely, leaving no trace he was left in complete darkness.
“SIM!” Isla shouted.
“Sim!” Roman yelled.
Nearly unconscious he felt he was floating alone in the ocean. His heart raced as he drifted closer and closer to the bottom of the dark ocean. The surface was just above him, but the longer he floated closer the darker it became. As soon as he would touch the water he would sink his heart thudded heavily against his rib cage.
“I-I…” Sim mumbled.
“You are not in the ocean! Snap out of it! The great serpent finds a way to scare newcomers!” Roman shouted.
Isla was shocked by Sim’s reaction to the stone he had just created. He had seen many things in his time on Earth but nothing compared to what was happening at the moment Roman grabbed his arms dragging him upward. Sim felt his clothes were soaked wet.
He weakly reached out for the healing potion, but Roman snatched it before he could grab it.
“Are you okay?!” Roman asked sternly.
“Tired,” Sim mumbled.
“Do you remember why you are here?” Roman questioned.
“I am…a…” He whispered.
Roman allowed him to take the drink as he let the potion calm his nerves. The potion seemed to work. He felt his muscles relax and his head clear. He focused on his magic feeling it flowing through him.
[HP Recovered 100/100.]
[MP Recovered 100/100]
“I really don’t wanna continue,” Sim whispered.
“Yes you do,” Roman insisted.
Sim stared ahead at the rune stone that was resting on the table. Its glow was blinding as it radiated bright white light across the room.
“That one is the earth rune,” Isla informed.
Thinking he didn’t know what to expect he raised his hand hesitatingly and slowly pushed it toward the rune. He closed his eyes anticipating a painful experience, but surprisingly, there was no pain, just a gentle warmth washing over his arm. He slowly opened his eyes as he felt a tingle pass through his limbs.
He could hear nature whispering in the background as if the forest had taken notice of his presence and was trying to speak to him. Sim stood transfixed unable to move or speak.
“You must try harder than that,” Roman advised.
Sim took another step forward and pressed his fingers against the rune stone. Nothing happened.
“Again!” Roman demanded.
Sim hesitated and then took one more step. nothing happened.
“You will have to push your concentration through that stone for the next five minutes, it might seem like nothing, but it will make everything inside you react. So try again.” Isla ordered.
He felt the comfort of the vines twist and turn around his limbs, as the roots wrapped around his ankles. As he touched the rune stone he felt something else stir inside him. It felt familiar but different. There was a sudden heat traveling throughout his body as his skin buzzed and burned.
“Assault Sylvan Fusion!” He muttered.
[MP -25.]
[MP remaining 75/100]
[Skill: Assault Sylvan Fusion (AOE) (F): When a user uses ASF, their attributes increase by 50%. Nature comes more in tune with the user. This increases as the level increases.]
Sim’s eyes glowed green and took a step forward as vines from under the floorboards smashed against the stone, sending two verdant green tentacle roots to reach for Roman.
“That is quite enough!” Isla shouted.
She turned to Sim with a serious expression. Her eyes were shining brightly, her hair was flying wildly as she pointed her hands towards Sim.
“S-So looks like we may have found your element!” Roman laughed.
He dropped the stone watching the used magick crumble to ash as he felt energized more than usual.
“So I am an Earth rune holder then?” Sim asked.
“Yes, but this also means we need to attend the shrine for good health!” Isla noted.
“W-Wait the shrines are already erected?!” He shouted.
“East, North, and South at the moment,” Roman explained.
“I feel like there is so much I can’t remember yet it’s all happening so quickly,” Sim murmured.
He felt so nervous as pieces of his work started to manifest in front of his eyes. He was so eager to start his quest he forgot about his unfinished works.
“You need to focus more on your task and less on the memories. Once you finish this we may be able to get out your hair,” Roman explained.
Sim felt guilty hearing Roman put it that way, but couldn't say anything knowing he was being truthful. He wasn't ready to part ways with the others so soon, especially Roman.
“I doubt it will be soon because the books are gone,” Sim muttered.