###
“Kallen’s Store! Come to the Kallen’s store!” Zayne’s dripping brows tided the drenching sweat pooling on his forehead. How long had it been since he started this pointless attempt at getting anyone interested in his store? Not only that, the sign weighed heavier than it looked; almost as if he’d been carrying a plank of pure steel instead of wood.
Kallen rested his head on his arm atop the counter, yawning every few minutes or so. “No one again today…”
Get your shop right first, then complain. Zayne wished to berate his thoughts aloud, but he kept his prim lips shut—he just had to endure this for the promised armor and weapons. While yes, he had better things to do with his time, but until he had that decent armor in his hands, he wouldn’t budge from this spot. Not when he’d committed minutes of his life to this fruitless endeavor.
“Where are you from?” Kallen spoke with a huge, airy yawn.
“Burg,” Zayne replied curly. The strain on his arms disallowed polite conversation, “Why?”
Kallen’s eyes didn’t stir, “I see… That’s why you’re working so hard.” He brushed his countertop, watching the passing crowd with a detached gaze, “I suppose it’s nigh time I pack myself away from this city. Maybe my luck will turn around closer to the capital…”
“You-” Zayne grimaced as he adjusted his position, “-won’t get any customers if you run your business like this…” His eyes perused every inch of his somber store, “You’re obviously not stupid, so why?” There had to be a reason. Otherwise, Kallen would be the biggest idiot he’d ever seen.
Kallen smirked, the unreadable, untrue expression creeping into his face again, “I have my reasons…” Another yawn left his lips, “Anyway, you’re participating in the test tomorrow, am I right? How’s that feel? I can’t say I’ve ever been on one of those tests before… With me being coreless and all…”
Zayne’s brow stiffened, “You’re coreless?” He turned back in disbelief, as shrewd-looking as this man appeared to be, he didn’t radiate the vibe of a coreless.
His smirk turned to a laugh, “Yep. Why do you look so surprised? Sucks to be me, right?” He leaned both arms and laid his head on top, “Alright. That’s good enough. I’ll give you what you want. The armor and the spear, you said?”
The massive plank slammed the cobbled floor. Zayne grinned, exulted. “Finally!”
###
Zayne hopped into sparrow inn to change his outfit, greeted by the grandma’s questioning frown, yet she allowed him privacy in her inn bathroom nonetheless. The new, dark green leather armor fit snugly on his torso, and never had once Zayne felt this protected before. With his sword dangling on his waist and a new spear on his back—a simple long spear made of steel—Zayne found a new sense of confidence for the test tomorrow.
Inside, he drew all the gems he’d kept. 6 normal goblin gems and the chief’s, he counted as he slammed those into his mouth, their prickly edges jabbing his throat on their way into his stomach. He winced for a short while until the messages stopped appearing.
[A monster gem is consumed, [White-marsh goblin]. You gained 40 essences.] x 6
[A monster gem is consumed, [White-marsh goblin chief]. You gained 120 essences.]
[You obtained an essence gem: Red-marsh goblin chief- grade 0, slot required: 1, +3 magic, +3 Endurance. Essence ability : (Earth) Earth tendrils: Consume 2 mana to trap an opponent with earthed roots. Cannot be used on water.]
Neat… Zayne closed his eyes, forked up 200 essences for a red slot, then plugged the new hole shut with his new gem. A shock of information flooded his brain, and in an instant, Zayne knew how to utilize this… magic. With a satisfied grin, he opened the wooden, crackling door, and exited sparrow’s inn after waving thanks at the owner. She held a light smile, noting Zayne’s better state of clothing.
CORE
Core.Level
5
To next level
350
Max. Essence
500
Race
Human
Mana
10/10
Essence
165
Class
-
SLOTS
Required ess.
Open slots
Required ess.
Open slots
White
40
0/3
Red
400
0/2
Blue
200
0/1
Green
100
-
Violet
500
-
Black
1000
-
TRAITS
NAME
NAME
NAME
Brawn
+9
Endurance
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
+10
Magic
+6
Agility
+7
Outside, he found a quiet little spot in a gap between two buildings. The cold key left its impression on his well-clad arms, egging him to resume the fight with the knight. Zayne had gotten stronger, sure, especially with Adrenaline and his expanded arsenal, yet he hadn’t forgotten the knight’s strengths, which despite his growth, still cast a shadow of doubt in his mind. He gulped an anxious breath, then darted his eyes away, checking to see if anyone was looking. Not here. Too many people.
His eyes searched the roofs of the buildings, locating a spot where no one would be gawking whence he returned. There, That place’s safe. His gaze landed on a cozy, flat roof wreathed by the taller buildings nearby, located a few blocks away from him. With a jump and a light exercise, then finishing his climb with a clamber, he reached the tall spot with little issues. Then, once his feet found solid footing on the roof, he sat and held the key, disappearing in an instant.
Opening his squinting eyes, he found himself back inside where the nightmare began. The sound of the knight clamored the sable Eternity, its figure lurching just close enough for Zayne to note its silhouette. With a determined grit, Zayne breached into the darkness and welcomed his old foe.
The knight snapped its head toward him and bolted the moment it sensed Zayne’s appearance. Two swift strokes curled the air with Zayne’s body contorting in response, dodging the strikes with difficulty. At first, he wanted to keep his mana supply high by not using adrenaline, but the fight would end in the knight’s favor had he done it that way.
“[adrenaline]” He chanted as he kicked himself away from the knight’s reach. Zayne bared his teeth to contain the sudden influx of power, twisting his head just enough to let the knight’s blade graze the air near his cheek, then drew his spear and struck with a nasty thrust. The knight let its shield deflect his pointed edge. Steel clangored against one another, then Zayne resumed with a low sweep on its legs, but its feet shrugged his attempt at bringing it down.
Fine. Zayne took a deep breath and extended his free arm, conjuring a magic circle. He felt the stoned floor squirming under his feet, then multiple roots shot from the gray rocks, entangling the unaware knight in an instant. “Now…” he breathed as he blitzed toward it, then crashed with a kick, strong enough to push the knight off and snap the tendrils, toppling it.
It shielded its head from Zayne’s follow-up.
With a hasty yank, he pulled its shield away, found a direct path to ravage the gaps between its armor, then crashed his spear into the spot between its neck and its head. Steel punched a hole into its insides, and for once, Zayne sensed it writhing under a semblance of pain.
An ear-piercing wail sent Zayne barreling away, his spear still lodged in its neck as it scrambled its way up, standing somewhat unsteadily. Its legs buckled when it clutched his spear and pulled it away, tossing it as it readied its stance. Strong. Zayne cussed with a single breath. How did such a creature survive its neck being ravaged eluded his mind, but he had no time to think. Strike while the iron is hot, He shoved his soles against the stone floor, propelling himself rapidly toward the knight.
It retaliated with a weakened swing, which after Zayne’s buffs and its wounds, paled compared to its previous assault, its vigor was now history. With a slight swerving of his feet, he sidestepped the languorous swipe, then avoided its shield, piercing a small gap between its chest plate with a precise stab. It wailed once more, yet its steel feet were glued to the ground, refusing to give way.
The dance of swords and shields resumed for another few exchanges before Zayne grabbed his spear sticking out of its figure. His enemy had been rendered an immobile rock, its buckling knees unable to support its weight. Zayne’s last charge spelled the end of its life, right when his adrenaline ended. Its shield nudged his first thrust away, but it didn’t follow Zayne’s next attacks. The knight jerked with agonizing agitation, then crumpled into the floor, its body vanishing.
Zayne stared upon steel graining into dust. Extending his hand, he extracted its monster gem. No essence gem in this one, He thought as he noted its usual glint. There was no way to have this gem appraised without alerting a million eyebrows—no such monster existed near Basin or the outer western continent, so he’d just find trouble attempting to appraise this one.
[You obtained a monster gem : [Tower-Deceased knight]]
[A monster gem is consumed, [Tower-Deceased knight], you gained 100 essences.]
100 essences… weaker than the goblin chief.
Zayne rose from his kneeling position, deliberating to scour the dark, depressing emptiness ahead. Without adrenaline, he’d lose a fight with another one of those knights, so he had to weigh the risk. Mana regenerated at a glacial pace without any traits to supplement it, so he had to wait for hours until he had enough to use another adrenaline.
The darkness spoke of Zayne’s footsteps as they echoed back at him. He swore he’d listened to the voices of the people he once knew—each masked by the quavering of a gentle wind—yet they dissipated with a shake of his head. Had he gone mad from the utter lack of sight? Each extra tiny step he took demanded just a touch more push than before, and collectively, after about an hour spent on the first floor, Zayne found another lit haven inside the never-ending darkness.
Another rasp of steel against stone welcomed him. Bathed under the light, the knight paced about in an aimless stupor. He shunned away from it, checking his mana before continuing. He’d restored 5 points from his walk, just enough for a pop of adrenaline. Zayne’s heart palpitated, yearning for a soothing calm, not another arduous battle. Had he been the same child from before, he’d be prudent and leave, but…
He wished for power, didn’t he?
“[Adrenaline]”
His steps rang against the hard ground, eliciting a snarl from the once listless knight. Their first strikes clashed, sending sparks about where their blades kissed, lighting the scintillating steel on its armor. Zayne had learned its patterns and behaviors, enough to render the fight manageable, but victory wasn’t guaranteed. Two clawing slashes and a spear thrust were delivered, then followed up with a kick and a twirl, Zayne mixed his attack patterns to find holes in its otherwise nigh impervious defenses. With his paltry zero mana, he had no vines nor tricks left in his arsenal.
With its advantage primarily held on his shield arm, Zayne had to swerve far enough for any openings to show. The knight kept its head facing toward him, its eyes glued at his figure, then lost Zayne as he suddenly switched momentum. He slid to its other side then slammed both feet against the floor, propelling him forward, crashing the steel knight with his full momentum and his spear.
It buckled from Zayne’s sudden attack, retreating one foot backward to maintain balance. Zayne kept his offense, refusing to let go, pushing further, toppling it without any use of magic this time. His figure shadowed its sunken helmet, slithering away from an incoming shield swipe, then planted a spear on its eye holes. His spear struck true this time, dealing fatal damage in one strike. Rasps of grating steel echoed as Zayne pushed until the knight lay lifeless.
Once dead, he extracted another gem. Although, unlike the last one, this knight was a touch more generous. Zayne inspected the gem under the beam of light from above, smiling. Essence gem…
Without waiting for a second, he gulped the queer gem down. A flash of energy sparked from within, then Zayne closed his eyes and read the new messages.
[A monster gem is consumed, [Tower-Deceased knight], you gained 100 essences.]
[You gained an essence gem! Green-Tower Deceased knight - grade 0, slot required: 1. +3 endurance, + 3 brawn, +3 agility. Essence ability : (Passive)Steel-skin: Reduces physical damage by 5%.]
Wow… A passive skill? And a good one too.
Zayne searched inside his blackness, staring at the pulsing core inside. Each beat extended a tiny, invisible finger toward him, beckoning Zayne to feed it essence. It was a representation of his lust for strength—he knew—and his mirth welcomed his innermost desires. A hundred essences punched another hole within his green tendrils, the new cavity hungered for a fulfilling gem to consume, and Zayne obliged. The instant he plugged it shut, he breathed in exultation.
CORE
Core.Level
5
To next level
350
Max. Essence
500
Race
Human
Mana
5/7
Essence
5
Class
-
SLOTS
Required ess.
Open slots
Required ess.
Open slots
White
40
0/3
Red
400
0/2
Blue
200
0/1
Green
200
0/1
Violet
500
-
Black
1000
-
TRAITS
NAME
NAME
NAME
Brawn
+12
Endurance
+10
Magic
+3
Agility
+10
Confidence lathered his steps as he perused the small beacon of haven, attempting to spot anything he could use; a torch or anything that helped him peer through the darkness. What he found instead was old stone and coarse walls, each tiny pore on their surface shadowed by the light above. Like the other knight, this one vanished into ashes upon extraction—its weapon and shield included.
With a nod of acceptance, he entered the darkness again.
The first floor extended way further than Zayne had expected. He had regained 5 more mana before he came upon an intriguing sight; a spot where the path diverged into four. Each passage led to another sable corridor, hissing with a slithering air of caution, telling tales Zayne had no understanding of.
Zayne pursed his lips, wondering, thinking, concluding; how long had he spent wandering about in this somber place? Had it been morning outside? While his avaricious side wished to scour this floor further, prudence nudged his head back in the wise direction. He willed his key into existence and took in a deep breath, studied the intersection once more, then left.