[12:07] [11/1/102] [Snowpoint City outskirts, Glaciera Country, Yaokurov Continent]
Immediately after Ted turned around, he saw his back reflected in the mirror, now marked with silver lines that formed intricate patterns which wrapped sharply around his shoulder and lower ribs. It was really similar to the display he saw in his mind when using Identify, but this specific one was etched with the details of his stats.
[Ted Zimov]
Species: Human
Age: 21 years old
Soul Tier: 1 Star (Novice)
Physique: Null
Abilities: Identify
Talents: Leader, Box, Family Crest
Titles: The Reaper
Affinities: Ice, Night, Nature, Death
Soul Contracts: Snow Owlet
“I actually have three talents? My luck finally decided to show up.” Ted said, feeling a bit smug, “I can’t believe people calling me ‘The Reaper’ actually earned me a title. Can people just get titles by telling their friends to call them something? Probably not, there must be something specific involved.”
“Now, how do I figure out what each one does? I couldn’t use Identify on myself before but maybe it’ll work on the reflection?” Ted tried using Identify on the mirror and felt it activate.
“Alright then, no showing my back to others or letting anyone take photos of it. Let's start with the first thing I can check, the Identify itself.” He said, focusing on the only ability that he had.
Identify (Common): A basic skill that reveals general information about a target, such as its species, name, and power level; only works on those of the same tier. If the target is yourself or someone linked by a soul connection, the information provided will be more detailed.
“So, how could I use this on beasts with a soul tier back when I was still unawakened?” Ted put a hand on his chin in thought but soon waved it off, “More questions for later. Let’s keep going.”
Leader (Unique): Passively grants knowledge of who has significant or numerous talents, even before their awakening. Gains a small soul power and physique boost for each person who pledges their soul power to you.
“Whoa, i think this is something i’ve heard about before.” Thought Ted while trying to remember some details from school.
“I think that Unique talents are pretty rare and that they can either be useless or incredibly valuable depending on their specific uses.” Ted recalled this from his elementary school teacher, who often talked about some of the basics of awakening.
“Is this talent trying to make me build some kind of super team? Not that I’d mind strong allies, but I’ve never had subordinates before so it’ll feel a little strange. I guess I’ll take it slow, I don’t even know how it activates yet. Since it’s a passive one, maybe I’ll just feel something when I’m around people.” He moved on to the next talent.
Box (Unique): A space that can store various items. Its size increases with the user’s Soul Tier.
“Yep, this must be the mysterious box keeping me from showing off my abs now. So it really is a storage space… inside of me?” Ted chuckled, “Guess I’m a walking storage unit. I’ll need to test its size and limitations later.”
Finally, Ted focused on the last talent.
Family Crest (Legendary/Bloodline): Projects your family crest to relatives and subordinates.
A chill immediately ran down his spine, “Bloodline?” Ted couldn’t understand this one. Was it from his mother’s side? His father’s? How could his family have a talent tied to their bloodline when they’d always seemed like an ordinary family in a city far north?
“Did they hide something from me? Could this talent be connected to why they disappeared?” Ted’s thoughts spiraled as he tried to comprehend why his family would possess a talent that could be passed down.
“Not that I know much about the awakened, but from what I learned in school and from my instructor, no one mentioned talents passing down through bloodlines. Well, now I know they do.” He tried to rationalize it. “Maybe I’m just the first in my family to receive this… yeah, must be a stroke of luck.” After a few minutes of mulling it over, he finally shrugged and continued examining his abilities.
“So two of my talents revolve around interacting with other people without directly benefiting me. The only direct benefit is the minor strength boost from Leader and Box is literally just a storage space, at least from what I can tell.” He thought about each of them for a while before grinning and saying, “On to the title!”
The Reaper: This title embodies one who walks the edge between life and death, moving through the battlefield with the grace and finality of a scythe. The Reaper gains an innate sense of the scythe’s weight, balance, and lethal arc and also gains an affinity with the concept of death. Those who bear this title tread a thin line between the living and the dead, becoming both shepherd and harbinger of souls.
“Now that’s ominous… I’m a harbinger of death?” He murmured, pondering what this title truly entailed.
“So I get better with scythes and gain an affinity. Wait, does that mean I earned this title before I got my scythe or after?” He sighed, realizing he couldn’t Identify his affinities. “Guess I’ll have to find out more about them somewhere else. I wish they’d taught us more about the status tattoo in school instead of just basic awakening.”
Ted tilted his head, “Why do I feel like I have even more questions now?” He took a final look in the mirror, clapping softly to erase the image so as not to disturb the fluff ball on the table.
Quietly, he carried the mirror to his bedroom to store it. His room was half the size of his parents with a small bed to one side, a wall closet, a box of books on martial arts, foraging, and hunting tips and a desk right by the bed. A window located opposite the door let in faint morning light.
Setting the mirror by the bed, he returned to the table where the fluff ball was still dozing in a blissfull sleep, “Alright, my little fluffy feather ball, time to wake up for something important.” The owlet blinked sleepily, wobbling as it tried to stand.
Ted chuckled and helped it up, “Now, let’s think of a good name for you before we head into the city.” He said, receiving a small nod in return.
[06:32] [6/1/102] [Eternafrost Ocean]
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
In the middle of a vast blue ocean, somewhere to the west of the Glaciera Continent, a massive ship rocked violently as giant waves surged against its course. Countless sailors and fishermen dashed across the deck while working frantically to stabilize the vessel.
“HOIST THE SAILS! LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE BEFORE THAT GIANT DAMN STORM CATCHES UP!” Yelled a small woman amidst the chaos. She stood at just 1.2 meters tall, with long, wild orange hair that flowed down to her feet. Dressed in baggy, worn clothes that resembled a pirate’s attire, she also wore a captain’s hat nearly the size of her entire body with a green parrot perched on her shoulder as her soul contract partner.
All the sailors turned toward her and shouted in unison, “YES, CAPTAIN!”
The approaching storm was monstrous, yet strangely they all seemed accustomed to the sight, almost as if this was routine for them. The woman sighed in relief as they gained distance from the storm which seemed almost to be hunting them. She handed off the ship’s navigation to her crew and headed down the stairs to investigate the reason behind this relentless weather.
Below deck, the room resembled a tavern that now was empty as most of the crew was working above to guide the ship to safety. Weaving between tables, she finally reached a young man huddled in a corner who was hugging his knees.
Looking down at him, she said, “Honestly, when you said you usually brought bad weather with you, i thought you were joking. But this is the fifth storm this week that’s changed course to come straight at us. Are you cursed or something?”
The young man looked frail, nearly emaciated, with short black hair and lifeless eyes. His clothes hung off him, far too large and constantly slipping off his thin frame. He glanced up at her briefly and said, “I told you before I boarded your ship. You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She nodded slowly, “Yeah, you did, but this is still insane. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to take you where you want to go. I have to keep my crew and the fishermen safe. I’ll refund your payment and take you back to the continent.”
The man’s expression sank further as she shrugged and returned to the deck to relay her decision to the crew.
Left alone, he looked down at his hands and whispered to himself, “I’m always so close, yet so far. These damned storms keep blocking my path, but I won’t give up until I find it.” For a fleeting moment, a blue sheen flashed in his eyes before he slumped against the wall, drifting into sleep once again.
[10:37] [18/7/101] [Glacial Market, Snowpoint City, Glaciera Country, Yaokurov Continent]
A myriad of people from various races bustled through the streets of Snowpoint City. It was rare to see elves here, as they preferred warmer climates, but dark elves thrived in the cold.
Around one third of the city’s population was human, with about another third of it being dark elves. The rest comprised dwarves, who worked with booze and metals in the Frozen Forge; frost gnomes, who tended to the Frostbound Gardens; orcs, who often helped with wall security; and various other minor groups, each with their unique way of contribution towards their home.
Chloe was an unusual dark elf. Since birth, she knew something was different about herself. Her long white hair and completely black eyes stood out against her gray skin just like every dark elf. She was around 1.6 meters tall, with large, pointed ears adorned with a few earrings. Her daily style was casual, often in comfortable clothes.
But it wasn’t her physical appearance that set her apart. It was a strange sense or feeling that had accompanied her throughout her life. Apparently, other people didn’t have this feeling, they didn’t know when something bad was about to happen. But she did.
She used this ability to earn some quick cash. Many city merchants hired her as a kind of ‘theft alarm’. Her job was simple, she just had to alert them whenever she felt this specific feeling she had something bad was going to happen and they would pay her on a daily basis.
There was one time that it got dangerous when certain criminals found out she was the reason their thieving operations were failing, but a single call to some of the merchants ‘big bosses’ ensured they never bothered her again. She still wonders what happened to those criminals, as they never reappeared.
[08:01] [4/1/102] [Feets of Wind Guild, Suncrest City, Glaciera Country, Yaokurov Continent]
"Yuri, I'll need your help with two deliveries. Will you be alright traveling alone this time?" Asked an elf in front of him.
Yuri was an ordinary boy, standing at 1.62 meters tall with silky black hair that reached his neck and dark eyes. He wore the standard uniform of the courier guild he worked at, a soft blue set with white accents specially designed both for stealth in the wilds and for style. He knew he looked good in it.
Yet, no matter what he did, people always seemed to treat him as if he were a girl. He never understood why, he felt he looked quite manly in his daily life.
He immediately saluted his chief and said, "Yes, sir. There won’t be any problem with delivering both of them. May I ask where they're supposed to go?"
His chief looked at him warmly before replying, "This one needs to go to Snowpoint City in the north. Apparently, some of our enchanters are in need of more heat and ice cores from their mines. It’s a long journey from here since we’re on nearly opposite sides of the country, so it might take a few weeks. The second delivery is along the way; you just need to travel a little to the east along the path and stop at the Royal Capital, just drop it off at our main guild base. Are you sure you’ll be alright alone? We can always try t—"
"I’ll be fine! Bye bye!" Yuri said, cutting him off before dashing out of the guild. He didn’t need anyone babying him since he was a grown up, after all.
He quickly went to his house to gather his travel essentials and clothes for colder weather before setting off into the northern wilds.
This was his favorite place to go when city life got too stressful. The path through the wilds always made him feel at home, like the very ground welcomed him and guided him on his journeys.
It was easy for him to walk for kilometers, enjoying the vibrant life of these natural places. And it was just as easy to sneak up and surprise a few animals along the way. They were adorable up close.
After a few hours of walking through the forest, Yuri reached a river and swiftly set up his utensils to cook a meal.
“Ah, this is the life. I couldn’t ask for more.” He said, appreciating the nature around him.
[12:25] [11/1/102] [Snowpoint City outskirts, Glaciera Country, Yaokurov Continent]
"I didn’t think this would be so hard." Ted said, holding his head in thought.
The little owl in front of him hopped around the house while he pondered. Some people might wonder why naming an owl was so difficult, but...
"I’m definitely not going with 'Owly' or 'Snowy', those are too chidlike and simple. But why doesn’t she want to be called ‘Destroyer of Universes’? It’s such a good name." He said, baffled by her rejection of what he thought was an epic name. The little owl just gave him a side eye in return.
Ted grabbed a little notebook and pencil from his bedroom and sat back down on the living room floor, "Alright, let’s go over some options. You’re an owl, mostly white, with silent flight that’ll almost look like floating one day, and you’ve got pretty dangerous talons and beak, round and fluffy. Hmm..."
The little owlet, done with her house exploration, settled back onto his lap to receive some pats, which he happily provided.
Then, inspiration struck him. "Spirit! How about Spirit? It fits almost everything I’ve noted. What do you think of this one?" Ted asked, his tone hopeful and with eyes almost sparkling as he looked at her.
She closed her eyes in thought for a few seconds then gave a soft ‘Good’, prompting a huge hug from Ted.
"Yes! Finally! Welcome to the family, Spirit. It’s just you and me for now, but I’m sure we’ll find some friends and family along the way." He said, almost suffocating her in a hug with his excitement.
After a few seconds he released her, only to get an annoyed wing-slap to his thigh. Grinning, he got up and headed to his room.
Spirit followed as he said, "I’ll just grab some things and test this storage space I apparently have now. it'll only take a second and then we’ll head to the city." Spirit then gave him a nod and waited for him at the doorof his bedroom.
Ted grabbed an empty notebook from his room and pressed it to his stomach, releasing it into his storage void. He didn’t feel any difference but the book was gone in the middle of the ‘Box’.
"How strange... How will I know what’s in there?" He added a pencil and an eraser, with no sensation of weight or change within him. The difference came when he reached back into the ‘Box’.
He could instantly sense the exact location of each item in the space, effortlessly pulling them out from wherever they were inside.
"This is so cool, Let me put more stuff in here." He quickly began storing iterms he thought would be good to keep with him at most times like clothes, a medium tent, one sleeping bag, a few lamps, med kits, notes from his years in the corps, guides on foraging, and martial arts manuals.
Ted looked at his table and saw a small portrait of himself and his parents from when he was 10 years old, he picked it up and also put it inside the box after storing it in a soft cloth. He then went towards the door and picked up the owl on the ground, putting Spirit up on top of his head, she promptly arranged herself and stayed put like Ted’s hair was now her nest.
He moved to the kitchen and packed some food supplies, it would be good to test if they would rot over time in storage or if they could maintain themselves for a longer time. That way he could be both a storage and a fridge at the same time. He also picked some gallons of water he had stored in the house and put them inside the ‘Box’, even after all of these items he stored in it, the feeling was that it was only at a third of it’s full storage capacity.
"I think that’s everything I needed to store for now. You ready to visit the city, Spirit?" he asked the owlet perched atop his head, getting an enthusiastic "Let’s go!" in response.
Ted smiled and opened the door to outside, he felt the coldness of the winter that was reaching due to the daily falling of the temperature over the last weeks, he was wearing his camouflaged clothes even though he was no more working in the corps, it felt like his second skin after all the years he used it.
He finally noticed that the sun was basically on top of him, 'I forgot to even check this, it's apparently close to midday right now. I can't believe i was unconscious the whole night, i'll check in the city if today is the 11 of the month or more further in it, i don't think i've been passed out for that long but it doesn't hurt to check.'
The place around his house was similar to the Snowbound Reverie Forest, the grand difference was the absence of beasts and that the trees were more spaced out between themselves.
He quickly adjusted himself and started walking to the south, where the city was at, he had a lot of questions to make and there also were a few places he needed to visit as soon as possible.