EPISODE 105: SIX — 6
— Edryan Queendom, Year: 7291. Season: Color Fading.
Madria frowned deeply as she watched Lawruthian. He was sweating, heavily —which was bad as he’d refused to drink water, much less eat anything . She clenched her fist, legs crossed as she sat on the ground. She was supposed to be meditating, to comprehend her newfound understanding of Power better, but, her eyes and mind constantly trailed to Lawruthian. Already, they were nearing the end of the second day and Lawruthian went from {Hunger} to {Starving} and his cheeks grew a bit gaunt. It irked her—the way he decided to progress, the way he refused her console on finding alternatives, the way he…
…
She took a deep breath, doing her best to bring her mind back to a calm state. She knew she was irritated because she cared for him, and irritation was not new to her. Yet, she didn’t know how to describe this sort of feeling, much less deal with it appropriately. He wasn’t a subordinate of hers or someone she held power over. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Lawruthian was her Crowned Prince—more than that, he was her [Chosen]. A representation of their Goddess in the Mortal Realm. He was, quite literally, double her leader, and it wasn’t just in aspects of the state but that of religion as well.
She released the breath, her chest heaved down forcefully as she exhaled. She couldn’t bring herself to a calm enough state for meditation, so there wasn’t any point in trying to force it.
Her gaze traveled to the Pillar of Power and Endurance. Lawruthian said he held a good idea of what the Trial of Endurance would require of them, but he hadn’t shared the full details with her. Over these past few… not nights and not days… they managed to pull together all their knowledge of the attributes. There were some things the royal family knew that not even the Gamals held knowledge of regarding attributes. It was expected, but still surprising at the depth of knowledge they kept. Knowledge—that the pair intended to put to good use to accelerate their stay in the Hall of Attributes.
The sky continued to darken as the not night began to settle over this strange place they found themselves in. Madria uncrossed her legs and used her hands to support her body as she sat back and gazed at the sky.
She’d never been away from home for this long. “My mother and sisters must be worried sick.”
The not-quite night sky deepened with storm clouds, and the smell of rain invaded the air. Madria glanced at their stable, more permanent shelter—a small hut built out of the ground and surrounding grass—before back at the sky. Tonight was the night she expected Lawruthian to enter the {Ravenous} state. It was the night his attributes would decline by 65% and put him in what they theorized was a state to kill one of the weak [Power Beast] they’d encountered. It would also induce hallucinations and… other harmful de-buffs.
“Starvation is not a game… tonight will be dangerous.”
Madria didn’t whisper this out of worry but caution. When she and Minerva read through the history books stored in the Library of Final Hope… there were many revelations exposed to them. The origins of one race—goblins—in particular, caught their attention. Madria continued to gaze at the stormy sky as she thought back to the passage read with Minerva.
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From the textbook New Genesis, Year 598.
The world cried—for the massacre brought upon our people was self-inflicted. For the red blood that filled the streets with Union belonged to both magi and elf.
The world cried—for the injustice its inhabitants wrought amongst themselves. For her fields of produce were bountiful yet the Saphens hadn’t understood the dangers of overpopulation.
The world cried —for the remnants that pushed the Saphens to destruction. For it allowed some, those who were not warriors, crafters… those who were considered less… to {Starve} .
It was in the streets of Union the [Goblin] was born. Not out of an attack by remnants of [Oblivion] —who still terrorized the walls of Union. It was out of the pettiness of man—Saphen, who let their fellow man starve. Those [Workers] they deemed less important. The Artisan Class, that is—who kept the city running in ways unseen to those in charge. For when one starves to the point of {Mania} … even… even their fellow man begins to look… appetizing.
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The words after that passage began to describe the harrowing event of when man—Saphen—began to do the unspeakable in the lower regions of Union. Those very actions gave birth to the Goblin race, which is reputed to be able to survive anywhere.
There was more to the story, but Madria’s eyes returned to Lawruthian. He’d continued to throw a single punch, his right arm strapped to his chest. She watched him. His left fist pulled back, and he steadied himself before an invisible enemy. She’d seen him throw this single punch a thousand times now—no, more . It was the same punch every time. A single straight punch, but it was more than just a standstill and attack on an imaginary target. Each time he punched, Madria watched as Law threw everything— everything… he had into that punch. It wasn’t just once but every single time.
These punches weren’t fast, each taking up to a minute, if not more to prepare. Yet, each time they were thrown, Madria could sense a devastating energy building up.
She cocked her head to the side. “It’s like… instead of trying to lower his Power to control it… he’s… trying to raise it?”
She looked confused, her eyebrows scrunched upward as she watched Law. She stayed that way, fully observing him, for several more moments before the not-quite night interrupted her.
The sky… crackled, and a single raindrop fell onto Madria. It was quickly followed by a second, then a third, a fourth, fifth. Yet as the rainstorm began, she continued to stay seated. If Lawruthian wasn’t moving… how could she not stay to support him?
So the rain fell onto both of them. One young woman resolved to follow one young man who struggled—struggled against himself, the world, and the Gods. A piece on the board called the Genesis Realm.
The store came and went… and the not-quite night turned back into not-quite day. Madria shivered but for the most part, remained fine. She shook her head, as she’d become lost in her thoughts sometime during the storm. She slowly stood, wet, muddied but fine outside of her appearance. Madria stretched, turning to face Lawruthian, only to halt.
Lawruthian was no longer punching. Now, he knelt, face inches from the ground as he intently stared at something. Madria grew concerned and began to approach him quietly. She understood he was experiencing {Mania}, and his behavior was not what she was used to. A frown appeared on her face as she closed the distance between them.
Lawruthian knelt on the ground, face centimeters away from a murky puddle. She watched as he swallowed heavily. Her frown only grew the closer she got. This was enough, and perhaps it was time for her to put a stop to this, regardless of whether Law wanted this or not. Just as she was opening her mouth to speak, Madria paused. She closely observed Lawruthian as he stared at the murky puddle.
“No…, he’s not staring at the puddle but… himself?”
For a moment, Madria thought Lawruthian’s desperation grew to the point he was willing to drink from the murky, unclean water. It was only after a bit more observation she realized he was not contemplating drinking the water but only staring at the image of himself within.
His hair was unkempt, and heavy bags lay underneath his eyelids. Even with all this… the training, the starving… Madria understood one thing.
“His eyes haven’t changed.”
Lawruthian’s gaze pieced into the water, as if it were searching to see something beyond the image of himself.
…
Searching to see his soul…
Who he was at the core of his being.
Grrrrrrrrooooan.
Madria bit her bottom lip, embarrassed at the sound that escaped from her belly. She turned toward the hunt—a large meal on her mind. Not for herself, but a strange confidence entered her chest as she watched Lawruthian stare into his soul. He would do it today—she believed in him, and her faith always led her straight.
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My soulscape was not an unfamiliar place. It was… an experience—being able to interact with your soul. It was not an experience I found harmful, or dissatisfying. It was just… new.
Not in the sense of something I’d never done before. I’d entered my soulscape when I was gravely injured, protecting Madria from the spatial rend that Thraag threw at us. I’d also entered my soulscape when I underwent the first class advancement and unlocked my second class. Yet, this was the first time I actively entered through my own accord. So… it was new.
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This was how the system interacted with you. How it allows attribute points to strengthen you. Now, if I was understanding correctly, it was the key to controlling yourself completely.
I’d always thought regular actions like hugs, or other accidental incidents, could be registered as an attack if enough force was applied. It didn’t matter whether it was on yourself or another. The moment you accidentally used too much strength, whatever you were touching was attacked. When I was a child and hearing stories of this for the first time, I thought it weird and strange that there was no way to control your Power and how much of it you applied.
I’d spent hours researching the Prime System and swallowing as much knowledge as I could fit.
I found little.
Not in terms of what the attributes can do, but little in what the Prime System actually was…
No explanation on its name. No explanation on its prowess to allow its users to gain strength and attribute points through levels.
Nothing.
With the ancient history of the Saphens—humans, magi, elves, and the newer races coming to light, I’d thought there would be an explanation with the Library. Yet, Minerva found nothing. Not in the sense that there weren't theorized lessons, but there were no solid facts.
There was no explanation in this final fragment of the Genesis Realm on what and who the Prime System was built by.
I stared through the puddle, deep into my eyes, until that gaze reached the very outside of my soul.
“Potential…”
“This must be what Goddess Madris meant by my potential.”
What I gazed upon was… the birth of a universe.
There were no other words to describe the outside of my soul. Only a brilliant red-gold shone back at me that seemed as deep as the endless void. A void—at its core, that was a dense ebony-gradient shining light.
“I’m supposed to lower the Power of that? ”
My body ached, and the smell of food invaded my nostrils as Madria began to cook. I felt {Mania} doing its best to steer me down a path of destruction as my body begged for food.
I returned my attention to the outside of my soul—my thoughts on the conversation I had with Madria as she described the process to me.
“The Goddess guided me. She helped lower the constant rate of Power my soul output into my body. It’s like…,” Madria placed a finger on her chin. “It’s like casting a natural spell. Instead of using runes… it’s like funneling mana but choosing how high or low you want your output to be.”
It sounded simple enough, but for days I struggled to lower the amount of Power my soul let out. If the soul was a facet, controlling Power would be akin to turning a handle to the off position. The only problem was—my soul looked and felt like the storm I’d experienced through the night. A downpour that only halted when it ran out of steam.
I searched my the outside of my soul looking for something… looking for anything that would serve as the handle to my facet.
“What is… that?”
As my gaze roamed throughout my soul, looking for the handle to my situation. Tiny motes of… something… flew throughout the air. What made me notice it was its direction. My soul was like a star constantly radiating energy outward. Whatever I noticed was being generated from my soul as it traveled inward toward it.
I peered deeper, struggling to understand what I saw… it looked… like Kair-unian. It looked like runes.
Slowly, I did my best to focus on one of the drifting runes. Red-gold eyes carefully stared within themselves.
“Ahhh,” I struggled. The runes were high-tier and of a quality I’d never seen before. It was dense, ordered, and was put together in a way that seemed impossible for a human to do.
“Traaa.
…bute?”
“Attribute is the first word…”
“Laam.
“Laamiter? Attribute Limiter — Sixty-Five… Percent?”
…
“Is that… the system? Is it working through runes…? Wha-how?”
What I saw only left me with more questions than answers, but I watched the way they interacted with my soul, and I felt confident in replicating its actions.
I pulled back, eyes rapidly blinking as I returned to reality. Slowly, I pushed myself up. My joints cracked after several hours of unused.
It was time to go hunting.
***
I stared at the first opponent I found when I entered this place. The [Power Bunny] stared back before hopping forward and head bumping me. I swallowed, at least, I attempted to. I’d absorbed some water during the storm, but not a drop touched my lips in two days. I could barely talk and all my attributes were limited by 65%.
“Sorry buddy,” I said as I punched.
Although weaken, I held exactly thirty defense, and the [Power Bunny] attack was negated exactly. The blow forced me a few steps back, but it left me in the perfect position to strike.
The blow landed, from one hundred forty-five damage to just fifty-one… and the bunny was bounced back.
“Why?”
“I’m already starving, my attributes are down sixty-five percent… so…
WHY? ”
It came in for a second attack and I once again attacked—the results were the same as before.
“Even now, Madria held more attack when she first discovered it… is it the animal,” I said, frustrated.
“No… no, it’s not. It’s me… I don’t understand yet.”
I sat, the bunny continued its attacks that pushed me back—unable to deal damage, if it only held one more point, perhaps I’d begin to lose Health Points.
If I could get rid of one point—perhaps it’d lose Health Points.
“Feel the restriction {Mania} is putting you under…”
“Feel your weakness…”
“Feel your strength.”
‘Feel your soul, Law,’ the voice of Minerva seemed to say to me. ‘I know you can do it.’
“Feel my soul, huh?”
The [Power Bunny] continued to attack, and my eyes began to droop from exhaustion. No food, water, nor sleep for two days took a toll on my body. {Mania} supporting status effects like {Exhaustion}, and more all wore at my psyche. Now, I couldn’t even defeat a damn bunny. Now, as its attacks continued, it blocked me from getting sleep.
The [Power Bunny] jumped at me and I caught it in my arms. Its heartbeat spiked and it struggled to free itself, but I held on tight. I didn’t have any reason, I just wanted to hold it, so I could shut my eyes for a few minutes.
Its struggles continued, but eventually, it began to wear itself out—my hold too tight for it to escape. As it grew calm, my eyes drooped further, my mind became duller, slower as I faded into sleep. A calmness entered over my body and the built, stress, tension, and repressed emotions all faded away.
You have slain a [Power Bunny] and have gained experience.
Congratulations!
You have passed the Trial of Power.
Madria sighed. She hadn’t noticed when Lawruthian left the camp as she prepared the meal. It was fortunate that he was far too weakened to get far. She gazed at him gently before a hand landed on his back. Divine mana made its way through his body, extinguishing de-buffs and other ailments. A small bowl of stew sat before them.
Carefully, as to not wake him, Madria slowly pulled on Lawruthian to lay him down. As she did so, a small partial fell out of his lap.
Her eyebrows shot up as she recognized the parcel—it was the very one that dropped from the beast after she slayed them when understanding how to control Power.
Madria smiled and the light of not-quite day continued to shine.
So this chapter is a Madria-focused chapter. I want to see Lawruthian through her eyes, her words, everything.
AN: Sorry this one was late once again but I can’t have things coming out before they’re supposed too! Had to fix the wording with the system part if you’re curious but in a way I can talk about it and not spoil things.