Ethan raised the stone to his face, and a prompt popped up in his vision. He stared at it briefly and muttered, “What is this thing?”
[Stone of Displacement] (aspect stone, legendary)
A stone with the power to awaken an aspect ability.
Absorb?
Yes/No
Legendary? That must be rare, he thought, turning the murky grey stone over in his hand and wondering what it would do. The seed he found previously had bonded to one of his attributes. Would the stone do the same?
Ethan had doubts as the item description mentioned awakening an aspect ability. However, he summarized that he had only one aspect, meaning more flux-related powers would be awakened. What abilities does flux even grant? he thought, trying to recall the comic books he had read.
He remembered the captain's diary, mentioning how his troops were training with the golems. Was this how? They absorbed the abilities from such stones and then honed their skills? he asked himself, turning the stone over in his palm, feeling its weight. Ethan was surprised it weighed next to nothing as it rolled around in his palm.
He sat by the library's only table and stared at the stone in his hands with no idea what to do next. He could risk it and try to absorb the item or wait. What is the worst that could happen? he asked himself, looking at the walls lined with books. As it stood now, he had spent weeks reviewing the things in the library. This stone was important, given that it was tugged away at the furthest corner of the library. Of course, if worst comes to worst, I will just pass out for a bit and need a bath later, Ethan shrugged and mentally accepted the prompt.
The stone lit up in a golden light and erupted into flames. Ethan lost his grip on the orb in surprise and dropped it. But by the time it reached the floor, the orb was no more. Instead, an array of sigils briefly floated in the air before his face. Then they immediately surged towards Ethan, who scurried back in a futile attempt to escape them. Unrelenting, the letters converged on him and rushed into his chest.
Ethan tried to scream but could not. Nor did he pass out from the pain. So instead, he just blinked, and it dawned on him. He knew the true nature of the space as if the information was always in his head. How to manipulate it to form passages between multiple points, to visit realms that had just formed, and to create a space that was his own. As soon as the knowledge came to him, it went away and left him empty.
Ethan felt that he almost had the skills, knowledge, and power. However, a simple prompt was all that was left now of the stone and the power that surged in him. A new window popped up.
You have successfully absorbed [Stone of Displacement].
Skill [Warpstep] has been formed!
[Warpstep] (spell)
Rank: Apprentice (0%)
Base cost: Varies
Cooldown: Varies
Instantly travel a short distance. The maximum distance traveled depends on the mana available. Cannot be activated if touching a living being.
“Seriously?” Ethan exclaimed, his excitement rising as he read the ability over, thinking of dozens of ways to utilize the power. “Holly, shit, this is huge! I am as good as gone from this place!”
Ethan sprung up from his chair with renewed vigor and ran for the library door, stopping himself at the last moment. “Wait a minute,” he said to himself. “Why run when you can teleport.” He looked around and squinted, imagining himself at the other end of the room.
To his surprise, he immediately felt the space pull at him, the air rushing past him. The next thing he knew, he was at the other end of the library. He blinked at the sudden displacement and reeled over, dumping his breakfast on the floor and coughing for a good minute or so.
“There goes my ticket getting out of here,” he said, wiping his mount against his sleeve. “Yea, yea. As Mr.Yashida would say: training first, action later,” Ethan recognized and slowly walked to the door on his own two feet.
- - -
Ethan went straight to the empty training hall and flicked the lights on. This time they did not blind him as he was ready for the blinding light, hiding his eyes in a sleeve. He walked in and closed the door behind him, noting that they had stopped making the awful sound. Curious, he thought and panned his gaze over the dark poles across the training hall.
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He chose a pole closest to the captain’s desk, noting how the mat next to it looked the most worn among all the others. Walking up to it, he touched the pole covered in runes, remembering what the captain had written about them in his journal. Activated upon touch with some mana, he thought and mentally crossed his fingers.
Ethan concentrated on what it would mean to pass mana to the pole, closing his eyes. He thought about how he summoned his sword construct and repeated the same motion, trying to call his sword while touching the pole. Nothing happened for a moment, and he opened peered an eyelid open.
Then he saw it and took a startled step back. A few meters away, a dark figure stood, intently watching him with its white eyes, black wisps flowing from its form. It made no sound or movement besides turning its head once Ethan changed his position.
He eyed the dark shadow and thought, So this is the training golem? Damn, that thing looks creepy. Give the thing a helmet, and you have your dark lord, Ethan thought, focusing on the creature. A prompt popped up as per usual.
[Shadow of Gloom] (conjuration, unranked, ???)
A conjured shadow of the Gloom. Used as a training partner to advance one’s abilities. Always the same rank as the attacker. Be careful what you fight for.
“Wow, this thing is for real. Hey, window, can you tell me more about how this works?” Ethan asked the grey window next to the golem, and to his surprise, it obliged.
The construct is unranked until attacked. Once attacked, it will adapt to the attacker’s rank and fight until incapacitated or the attacker leaves the designated area or submits. Available ranks: Apprentice, Adept, Master, Grandmaster, Paragon, ???.
“What do the three question marks mean?” Ethan asked the window, but it did not oblige any more answers. He looked at the shadowy golem once more, it not having moved a centimeter and shuddered. Eerie, he thought, moving around the training area, the golem matching his movements.
“All right, at least you provided more information on how this works than anything else. So there are ranks. By the looks of it, I am unranked, given that you are the same,” Ethan conversed with the shadow. The humanoid figure continued to observe him silently, not making a move.
Ethan looked around and saw that nothing was happening. Then he said, “I guess there is only one way to advance my skills.” He sighed and summoned his blade, a calming chill taking shape in his arm, spreading over his body in a second.
He gripped the sword tight and took a fighting stance. Curiously, the golem did not move or imitate him. Then Ethan sprung into action, dashing forward and making a diagonal slash at the golem.
In a split second, the golem formed a shadowy sword of his own and parried Ethan’s attack, pushing his sword away before slicing at him with the same move. Ethan repelled the attack, aiming at the creature’s torso. But, just as he reached it, the shadow sped up and passed his sword.
The next thing Ethan saw was the bright ceiling lights as he flew out of the designated training area. Then he felt pain as he hit his back against the stone floor. Air got pushed out of his lungs, and he lay there for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath.
He coughed a couple of times, shaking his head, and slowly rose. He observed the golem who stood silently, watching him.
It looks like I found the first way how to stop this thing. Step out of the training area, great. I need to do it the right way next time. My back can take only so much abuse, he stretched and cracked his back and observed the golem again.
[A shadow of the Gloom] (conjuration, apprentice rank, ???)
“Oh, look at you. Rose a rank,” Ethan mocked the shadow before an understanding struck. “Wait, that means I am the same rank as well. So you dropped down. All right, way to go, Ethan,” he said and walked to the far side of the training area, not taking his eyes off the golem, noting it continued to observe him.
Ethan stood by the border and exhaled. Then, taking a fighting stance, better understanding what he was up against, he charged the figure. Ethan did not expect the shadow to play by any set rules, observing firsthand that the creature would exploit any opening he gave it. As Yashida-sensei used to say, 'You are your own worst enemy’.
His sensei’s wise words proved true. The golem immediately advanced on him as Ethan stepped into the ring, sword in hand. They clashed and exchanged a fury of blows, no one gaining the upper hand. Ethan did not dare to lose concentration or take it easy this time, dreading flying out of the ring again or worse.
After a few minutes of fighting, Ethan saw that the golem was adapting to his moves and always was a step ahead. Then, finally, it made a strike that he did not expect or a move he would not have thought of otherwise. The more they fought, the more he felt at home - doing what he knew well. Advancing.
Just as the golem was about to swing again, aiming at Ethan’s head, he shouted, “STOP!” The creature stopped its sword mere centimeters away from Ethan’s head. He exhaled slowly, took a step back, then another, and walked out of the ring. The figure continued following him with its gaze. Yea, that was a close one, he thought, wiping his sweaty brow.
Ethan breathed heavily, sweating buckets from his short fight with the creature, before a prompt popped up.
Aspect [Flux] has advanced to Apprentice rank!
Progress: 1%
Ethan burst out laughing and dropped to the ground. It took him a while to calm down and catch his breath before saying, “All that and just one percent? I am not sure if I will get out of here anytime soon.”