They had returned and after sharing with the others what had happened. He had returned to his room to go over the items he had gained.
It was just him and Paldane, Paldane in his small form that he could retain at a moment’s notice. He snuggled up on Jazmel’s shoulder and nuzzled his neck.
“Come let us get you your rewards.” He cooed to Paldane, who perked up at the idea of rewards. He pulled out the Fireheart. A gem shaped like a crystal shard; it was cool in his hands, but he could feel a warm heat pulsing; thumping from inside the Fireheart.
“Here you go.” He offered and Paldane considered the shard, thinking how best to handle its size. At the moment they were the same length. He latched on and using his little wings. He pumped them as he carried the Fireheart from Jazmel’s hands and landed on one of the sofa’s in Jazmel’s room. He crunched down on it, chewing the crystal shards as he consumed the Fireheart.
DING!
YOUR COMPANION HAS BEGUN TO CONSUME THE MASTER TIER FIREHEART!
YOUR COMPANION WITH GAIN GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF FIRE AND FLAME!!
…
The system notice came quick and fast. Jazmel didn’t question it, Paldane seemed to know what worked for him and always knew what he needed. He left him to devour the shard and when he was done he curled up. To meditate or sleep, Jazmel could never tell.
Jazmel himself pulled out the white crow of Adrina, it was a figurine carved out of Ashwood. The crow was expertly carved and Jazmel studied it, trying to figure out how to unlock its abilities. But he didn’t have to, a lull overcame him. He found himself in a trance like place; like when you almost sleep but you are not fully unconscious. In that realm, he soon saw that the crow was not a figurine and instead. Was a full-grown crow! Much bigger than a raven. It cawed and then he woke up, jumping out of his sleep or trance.
The figurine was gone. But on his forearm a large white feather had been tattooed into his arm. It didn’t even hurt; it looked so real. Like a white feather had just entered his flesh. But he took it.
DING!
WHITE CROW OF ADRINIA HAS LEFT HER MARK!
…
He turned his forearm over trying to get a better look. But there was nothing to perceive, it simply was the white feather of a white crow. He shrugged; it would do whatever it needed to do.
He took out the rune of perception. A singular rune stone with the eye of perception on it. He had gotten it after dealing with Fror and now he was considering it now for the first time. He took it into his hand and the system activated, latching onto his will and casting energy around the rune stone.
DING!
MONARCH TIER RUNE OF PERCEPTION SENSED!
…
WILL YOU ACTIVATE THE RUNE OF PERCEPTION?
Y/N?
“Perception is almost as keen a sense as it is its own motion. The rune of perception will raise your senses to untold levels. What you thought you were capable of before. You will see was a narrow-sighted glimmer of the true.”
“For all in all, perception is the honest review of the truth. All those that seek the truth of things, have used perception to garner awards and rewards. Reaping benefits from the experiences they wrought. No fool of time has hindered their perception and insight. For it is only the man who asks why, who can know that there is a question as to what!”
“Follow the trails of Huginn and Muninn. Learn the truth, whatever that may be for you! Follow the trails of the ravens of thought and memory! Earn your perception!!”
Jazmel listened to these words, completely shocked to be entrapped within this rune stone. He was learning much here. whoever’s voice that was booming through his mind; straight from the rune stone, was clearly sharing his knowledge on perception and trying to teach Jazmel how to expand his skills.
“Perceive your senses. Consider your horizons, understand the peaks of the mountain tops all the way down to the roots of the mountains. Following the snaking path of the streams, the rivers, and the seas!”
Jazmel meditated focusing on the rune stone of perception and trying to find some affinity with it.
“I can see that you have some affinity with dragons and raven’s how precarious. The universe cannot even depict what you will become!”
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That shocked Jazmel, he had thought he was hearing the echo. A shadow of the past, but for whoever was speaking to be able to glean information from him. It scared him a little.
“I am no echo! This is but a glimmer of my persona, I have sheered some of my being off on this rune stone to better prepare whoever earns it.”
Jazmel conceded and he felt the glimmer soften on him.
“Prepare yourself son of Dragons and Godlings.”
That was all he heard, and the rune stone burned within his hand. Not a scorching heat, but it burned all the same. Hot to touch, he felt the rune stone crumble as the rune took hold of him. Taking hold of his senses, most keenly his eyes. It smothered his eyes, covering them in its authority and abundant Mana.
DING!
RUNE OF PERCEPTION IS RAISING SENSES!
…
…
…
SENSES HAVE RISEN GREATLY!
…
…
TITLE EARNED!
BEASTIAL BYAKKO SENSES! Keen senses of the byakko; the spiritual beast known to hunt all and make prey out of all.
…
…
EYES OF THE DIVINE HAVE FOUND GREAT HARMONY WITH THE RUNE OF PERCEPTION!
WILL YOU ALLOW THE RUNE OF PERCEPTION TO INFLUENCE THE EYES OF THE DIVINE?
Y/N?
Of course he accepted, he let the system activate and he felt his eyes tingle with authority, harmony, affinity, and system energy.
EYES OF THE DIVINE ARE WIDENING ITS PERIPHERAL!
HARMONY HAS BEEN FOUND!
AFFINITY HAS BEEN EXPANDED!
AUTHORITY OF THE MONARCH TIER RUNE STONE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED!!
…
…
CONGRATULATIONS!
EYES OF THE DIVINE HAVE CHANGED!
EYES OF THE DIVINE HAVE BECOME ‘TYRANNICAL EYES OF THE SEEKING DRAGON’
+20 PER
Jazmel felt his eyes grow intensely aware suddenly. His eyes were already attuned to the sight of Mana, and it was confounding, he struggled to consume all that he saw. But now, now he felt his entire body reading and considering everything around him. He suddenly felt naturally attuned to the world and he was consciously aware of it.
He was aware of Paldane’s presence. His very being imprinted in the natural waves of ambience. But now he was acutely aware of him, he could feel wafts of heat coming from beneath each scale. He could feel the coil of Mana forming in Paldane’s core. When he had told Jazmel he was meditating, he was right. He could feel it from him, the constant tugging and condensing of his Mana. He was pulling ambient Mana into his core and making it his own. Jazmel was truly in awe. He could feel his own presence, the very pressure of his being within the world around him. He felt strong, he felt himself pushing against the ambient Mana. He felt cool.
Next he took up the fire dragon opal and thought of his skills, in truth there was only one skill worth adding this to. He just needed to see how the skill would react.
DING!
…
YOU HAVE INVOKED THE TIER III FIRE DRAGON OPAL!
WHICH SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTUNE?
…
…
EVISCERATE CHOSEN!
..
…
…
TIER III FIRE DRAGON OPAL TAKES HOLD OF SKILL!
THERE IS NO AFFINITY!!
THE OPAL AND SKILL ARE CLASHING!!
…
…
…
FLAMES ARE BEING QUENCHED!
…
NEW SKILL!
UNABLE TO RETAIN TIER!
…
EVISCERATE HAS CHANGED!
FLAMING EVISCERATION (TIER I) HAS BEEN CREATED!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
That sounded just like what he needed, but in the comfort of his room. He couldn’t check or use the skill inside, so it would have to wait. But for now, he was simply happy with the change.
He looked over his other rewards and decided against using any of the others. Instead he rose up, leaving Paldane to sleep. He left his rooms and headed down to the forge, skipping down the steps two and three at a time.
It was a peculiar journey, after his senses having been raised he suddenly was much more aware of his surroundings. He was consciously conscious of the moving Mana around him; he felt like he was moving through an endless web. He was also acutely aware of everyone’s aura, the outpost tower was filled with it, he could feel traces of everyone. Echoes of who had come and gone, it was almost as if their Mana was there individual aroma; in a magic and Mana sort of way. It was both fascinating and intriguing.
He made it to the ground floor and smiling he entered the forge. The hissing sounds of quenching were high in the air, the blistering heat of fire and forging was constricting and Jazmel found himself under duress beneath the heat. He pang of hammer against metal upon the anvil was bittersweet. Jazmel enjoyed the sounds of the forge, he saw the beauty of hard work and pure labour. He hadn't asked but he himself was curious about the inner workings, one day soon. He was going to have to make time to come down and try his hand at it.
“My lord!” Gorin said, noticing Jazmel, the others continued working and he realised they were in a trance like place. It seemed to happen to many who created things with their skills from the system and Mana too.
“Do not worry about them. How can I help?” Gorin asked, yelling over the hammer sounds and constant quenching.
“I want you to enhance these.” He handed over all three of his swords, and Gorin looked at them, curious but clearly willing.
“Ok, I have some ores that I probably could use to strengthen their tiers.” Gorin was about to go off on a tangent, but Jazmel stopped him. “I want you to use these.” He pulled from his ring, the three ingots and Gorin almost dropped the swords. He urgently pushed them into his own spatial ring, then tenderly taking the ingots from Jazmel he whispered over them.
“These are purer than any ingots I have ever seen. System reward?” he asked knowingly and Jazmel nodded.
“I will make great works with these. Leave them with me!” he almost begged Jazmel, tearing the ingots from Jazmel’s palm and walking back over to his anvil himself. He seemed to have plans of starting straight away and in truth. Jazmel had no reason to stop him.
He backed off and left the forge, heading back up the stairs, with a wry smile on his face. Curious to see what Gorin would create.