EPISODE 103: SIX — 4
— Hall of Attributes, Year: 7291. Season: Color Fading.
“You understand what the Trial of Power requires,” I repeated, my eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yes, controlling your Power,” she said confidently.
My eyebrows scrunched together, confused, as I gazed at Madria, before I glanced at the closed mouth of Olvido. I studied the creature, a place I’d just escaped from.
Stone-like leathery skin covered its surface—while aged, yellowed teeth snapped both halves of its jaw tightly shut. Its head was lizard-like and two ridges on either side looked like small hills of shorts—it almost appeared like a monk’s hands placed together.
I didn’t see any limbs but… I believed most of the creature was buried underground—it simply left its mouth open for prey to wander in. The creatures would become lost as the (Breath of Olvido) consumed their senses—death was a slow, painful starvation. I truly suspected that we were only looking at the head of the [Raid Boss]. If that was the case, then this thing was easily the size of a small farming village.
“Whatever you figured out can wait, we should leave the vicinity of this creature before anything else.”
“You’re right,” Madria said as she nodded.
The small scratches and bruises on her body slowly dispersed as her regeneration returned to normal.
“Should we return to the entrance,” I questioned. The Hall of Attributes didn’t have a set hierarchy in the trials of attributes. We needed to settle down and exchange any information.
“No, I believe we should head towards the pillar. The [Echo] was clearly trying to take me there for some reason but traveling there was…,” Madria paused, searching for the right word, “…disorientating.”
“We can at least start the journey now and settle down after we gain distance.”
She nodded, and we set off at a swift and light jog. I didn’t know what or how the [Raid Boss: Olvido] would react. It was undergoing the process of evolution into a calamity level beast, and I—we wanted no parts of such a creature. Facing it would mean certain death.
I couldn’t help but recall its description as we moved.
Description:
Created in hopes of understanding how to reverse the effects of [Oblivion]—Olvido, the failed experiment of the Aspect of Knowledge grows as it consumes. One day, it too shall return to the embrace of Him.
Failed experiments… it made me think back to the area locked behind the gate of |Be|. The more I thought over it, the more I shuttered at just everything I saw. Thousands of filled vials of scaled creature parts filled the internals of the Aspect’s laboratory. It was clear now that he’d long since looked for a way to return dragons to the Realm of Genesis. However, it appeared he lacked the same touch his creator, Realm Lord Elrunian, held.
I now suspected the creatures residing in the forest of Wyverns Roost… were all failed experiments of the Aspect.
Imperius Academy freshmen only ventured on the outskirts of the forest, but deeper within were more scaled monstrosities and calamity level wyverns. It was jarring to know that they were all failed experiments of one creature.
My stomach churned at the thought of Minerva being stuck with him. He’s already infected one [Chosen of Madris] with his madness, if the words of the [Echo] were to be believed.
Why would the second [Chosen of Madris] strive to burn all knowledge of the continent? His title of [Knowledge Breaker]… what exactly was it for?
These questions and more rattled through my thoughts as we traveled. I didn’t notice the worried gaze Madria continuously looked at me with.
Two hours later, we found ourselves growing closer to a tower that steadily became larger as we moved toward it. I slowed before coming to a halt, next to me, Madria did the same.
“You’ve noticed it?”
“Yeah, but I also believe we’re far enough from the rising calamity,” I began.
I cleared the surrounding area of the waist-high grass, creating a space for us to rest comfortably without allowing creatures to get close with ease. Once I finished, I sat with Madria and pulled out a bit of our dwindling rations. The river that emerged from the Pool of Self-Reflection extended into the savannah, but the initial chase of the [Echoes] took us further away. We’d need to find it quickly or face the challenges that emerged from {Thirst}.
“Why aren’t we getting closer, but the pillar is getting larger?”
By now, the Pillar of Power and Endurance easily filled a tenth of the horizon. Its scale was nearly incomprehensible, as something this large would be nearly impossible to build. We’d approach the pillar, but the distance between us and physically arriving close enough to touch it never decreased. Only the size and scale of the object grew.
“I think it has to do with understanding Endurance but… I’m unsure as to how,” Madria began.
“Let me tell you what I discovered about Power.”
She held my full attention as she talked, and I glanced up at the trailing faith that continued to emerge from her in a constant stream. Ever since my blessing reached stage two, faith became visible to me. It was how I immediately was able to spot the fake Madria and determine it was an imposter. Her constant faith and belief streaming was the greatest guarantee of who she was.
“After… after I killed the [Echo] I found myself surrounded by a few of the native beast of the Hall… [Power Kittens] to be exact. They held no more than thirty Base Attack and Defense.
It was an accident really,” Madria said as she looked up to the sky. It began to take on a fading sunset color, but there was no true sun to say goodnight too.
“I’d step down on a kitten’s tail—hard enough that the system deemed it an attack. It simply vanished in a few motes of light that faded into me…”
She continued to tell me the story, and I began to formulate my own inferences and understanding. “Controlling Power is the key to the Trial of Power…”
Basic, but it made sense, in fact, it was something I constantly wondered about since my System Day and even beforehand. There was a reason after every level up every citizen, and as far as I knew, every person on the Genesis Realm needed to undergo a short but vital training in understanding how much force they could use. Without such training, we’d constantly attack one another in any simple gesture. I was careful to lightly touch anything and not apply too much pressure.
I’d always wondered, outside specialized skills, how one would control their attacks when fighting someone they didn’t want to kill. Now it seemed there was a deeper, less understood layer to the Prime System that wasn’t easily available to the masses.
“My Power is currently fifty-five, and the [Power Kittens] only hold a Base Defense of thirty. I think if you can manage to lower your attack into a certain range… then your attacks will no longer be negated,” Madria commented. She looked concerned as she gazed at me, but I found it cute.
“I’ll have to practice—there has to be some sort of key or element that we are missing here,” I began, looking away from Madria and toward the Pillar of Power and Endurance. There must be some sort of answer there, but our approach to get there wasn’t working. The pillar would grow larger, but the distance didn’t change.
“Let’s get some rest, I’ll take first watch.”
Whatever counted as night in the Hall of Attributes was here. The sky darkened until it seemed like a sun was just over the horizon. I pulled out a simple long piece of cloth I intended to use as a shawl and handed it to Madria.
She gazed at it blankly—I wondered if she ever truly spent a night out camping under the stars. We’d spent the final assessment all freshmen underwent at Imperius Academy outdoors, but in truth each of us was equipped with more than the necessities needed to survive. Tents, and other accommodations were made available. Here… all she held was the cloth.
“It’s not the greatest, but it’s all we have… bear with it.”
Madria grabbed the cloth and wrapped it around her like a shawl. I summon Adam and the remaining three [Spider Golems] I held. Outside of food and water, they were the only other assets I had in the limited spatial bracelet I designed. I paused, seeing into the internal space through my mind-scape. There was one more object, a parcel given to me by Ignis.
“If you’d like,” I gestured at my lap. “You can use me as your pillow… I apologize as your prince for not having better accommodations.”
I bowed my head, but a hint of a smile danced across my lips. Madria hesitated, but eventually, she pulled in close and laid her head on my thigh. That lasted around a second before she immediately sat up, her bangs hanged low as she kept her head down.
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She was definitely blushing, and I felt a warm feeling entered my heart. I wasn’t dense nor dull. Minerva pushed me forward to find love again, and I finally agreed that I was ready for it once more. To experience those emotions once more.
It was… nice.
Madria settled down near me, but no longer using my lap as a pillow. She closed her eyes and, eventually, her breathing settled. Once I confirmed that she was fast asleep, I stood and moved a distance away—leaving her under the protection of the golems.
My body entered the stance of (Imperius Combat Arts).
“Controlling my Power… huh?”
----------------------------------------
Madria silently watched Lawruthian as he slept. She was supposed to wake him several minutes ago, but she’d never seen him rest outside when they first arrived at the domain of Aspect Rasheed. That time was harrowing, and she spent the three days with little to no sleep, worried that Law would pass away. Worried that she wasn’t strong enough to save his life.
So when he woke her some three hours ago under the eternal setting sunlight—the moment she confirmed him asleep, she practiced. She only paused now to gaze at Lawruthian and…
…
It was natural for her body to enter the (Gamal Priestess Arts). When she killed the [Power Bunny] Madria didn’t think it was necessarily controlling her strength that did it. What she did believe was because her Power was already limited, she’d managed to find a workaround. Only now, if she could reign in her Power, could their theory be confirmed.
Her body flowed gracefully—her moves, whether a simple punch or kick, were accentuated and decisive. That was good, but now, Madria needed to try and actively control the amount of Power that went into each blow. The task was far harder than it sounded, and the main problem was… she didn’t know whether what she was doing was right. That was when she stopped. There was one option Madria always—always turned too when confused or feeling without guidance.
“ My Goddess, who first achieved ascension through War. Who then proceeded to master Wealth. Who now spreads Her Wisdom amongst Her magi. Guide me—show me. Guide me into the right direction. Guide me to understand Power. ”
She prayed. She prayed to her Goddess for guidance, and her Goddess answered . It still wasn’t clear, but now she understood because they were in a dungeon which held stories amongst the church. She’d grown up hearing how connection to the Goddess was limited in dungeons due to the Core’s domain of Intent over the area. Fortunately, since the Mountain of Final Hope—home to the Aspect of Knowledge — Rasheed, she’d experienced something similar, so it wasn’t too jarring.
A warm sensation entered her body, she could feel the presence of Her doing its best to communicate with Madria through the restrictions of the Hall of Attributes.
“Control my power…,” she whispered. “Control.”
She punched—this time it felt different—like a hand was pulling on her sleeve and slightly lessening the amount of power translated. It was similar to how she readjusted after a level. Every Edryan—everything experienced a shift in themselves when leveling. To Madria, this adjustment felt like quickly relearning how to touch something or someone. She didn’t necessarily have to walk on eggshells around other people and could do any normal thing like hug, shake hands, and more. It was beyond that mattered. If she accidentally put too much strength into a hug, then it would register as an attack—it was the same for any other sort of movement. Her full Base Attack damage would be applied to whomever she touched.
This was a constant for the inhabitants of Genesis—like the sun rises in the East and sets in the West—or what goes up must come down, in cases in which magic was not involved.
Madria felt her Goddess guiding her, but the message was unclear—interrupted by the area she was in.
She punched—again, feeling a difference that caused her to get excited. She could feel a change in her punches. It felt less like she wasn’t putting as much into it. Madria wasn’t certain—she needed something to test it out on. Excited—she rushed over to Lawruthian, finally unable to resist waking him.
“I think I’ve figured it out,” Madria said as she shook him awake.
Lawruthian groggily woke up but his hers sharpened at Madria’s words and excitement. He smiled at her and the world faded for that small moment.
“Good morning to you too,” he laughed and stretched before returning to the topic at hand. “You’ve controlled Power?”
Madria returned to herself, returning Law’s smile with a small one of her own. It grew brighter as she noticed the way his eyes focused intensely on her face. She glanced away and responded.
“I believe so… but I’d need to test it out on something.”
“Well, let’s find some prey then.”
***
Madria squirmed—uncomfortable, as the cute [Power Kitten] struggled to break free from Lawruthian’s grasp. The kitten gazed at her with its wide eyes, different colored paws, and cute pink foot pads.
“It’s nothing but a dungeon creature. It is soulless and will most likely be recreated by this place easily,” Law said in an attempt to comfort her.
It didn’t work, but Madria took a deep breath and once again prepared herself. Her body instinctively entered the attacking stance of (Gamal Priestess Arts). Once there, she sought that feeling again—eyes closed as she searched. Once found—the hesitation dispersed like clouds after a summer rainstorm. Her fist flew and connected before she could regret. The Edryan Queendom needed her [Chosen].
[Power Kitten] -1 HP.
You have slain a [Power Kitten] and have gained experience.
Congratulations!
You have passed the Trial of Power.
The change she felt was instant. She’d brought the strength in her attack low—as low as she could possibly feel. The moment it connected, a change overcame her body. Madria felt like she discovered a new limb she always had but didn’t realize it. Her body tingled—like a hit funny bone, and the sensations caused her to shiver.
As the [Power Kitten] dispersed into motes of light, a single parcel dropped from where the kitten once was. Law’s hands moved swiftly and caught it before it could hit the ground.
Carefully, he opened it to reveal a clean piece of meat.
“Well, that solves our food issue,” he said. “Did you… did you do it?”
Madria simply nodded, the sensation continued. It didn’t hurt, but she wasn’t in a state to communicate properly. She sat, legs crossed, as she struggled to understand the changes occurring to her body.
‘No, it's not my body… it's my soul. ’
Madria realized the sensation came not from her body, but soul. As it was the source of all strength and all changes of attributes occurred through there.
Time continued to pass and Lawruthian kept watch, waiting on her to finish her transformation. Not in body—but soul.
The light was high in the sky, like that of the noon sun, once Madria’s transformation began to slow. There was no level gain or change in attributes, but now Madria felt and knew she could lower the amount of Power put into each attack. Although, it took active concentration on her part. Perhaps she could train her new-found control into something instinctive. She didn’t understand the full implications of it, but as the time passed, she noticed the gaze of Lawruthian—it’d only grown brighter alongside the artificial light.
“Did you figure something out?”
“Not necessarily—well maybe? I’ve been thinking about the advantages of precisely controlling the amount of Power put into each attack. Feints, tricks, and skills would become far deadlier than they currently are,” he began excitedly.
Madria listened, a small smile on her face as she listened to the prince animately talk.
“Think about it. You could have a fireball with little damage in it as a feint but a secondary attack as the real thing. If such a thing were to happen wide scale on the battlefield… thousands would die. It would cost your opponent to waste mana in defending attacks as they believe it to be real. Imagine an army trained under these methods…
They would be…”
“Unstoppable,” Madria finished. The various applications available from being able to properly control her Power only now registering fully.
She continued, “it is dangerous in the wrong hands… an assassin or someone without the proper intentions could cause a massacre.”
“We are not the wrong hands… and the knowledge we gain here will only be taught to those we know and trust,” he began.
There was a light in her prince’s eyes. One of ambition she’d seen since that faithful day she sat beside him in Class One of Imperius Academy.
“If controlling Power can lead to such… then what of the other five? Vitality, Endurance, Mind, Self, and… Intent. ”