John marshaled every ounce of his focus, breathing deeply as he attuned himself to the moment. He waited, knowing that whatever was hidden in the dark was not done with him. This creature might be fast, but so was the panther he had fought earlier. He would deal with it in the same way. He crouched low, circulating his energy and prepared his next attack.
His moment came sooner than he thought, and he gripped his knife hilt as he sensed another oncoming attack. He had memorized the rhythm of the last attack—this time, he wouldn’t be caught off guard. He was ready.
John shifted his body to dodge an attack that sliced past his torso harmlessly. He drew his knife at the same time.
Quick Draw
A notification bell sounded as he felt his knife cut through something meaty. A gut-curdling squeal rang out, echoing against the walls of the cavern.
Player has defeated Shade Stalker - Level 5
Shade Stalker? What was that? It was too dark for him to see what he had been fighting. Since it was venomous and sneaky, he imagined some kind of spider-like creature. John whipped his knife to one side to get rid of the blood, then sheathed it again. Suddenly, a sharp sense of danger surged through his veins. He acted without thinking.
Quick Draw
Instinct +1
John’s strike found its mark, killing the creature just as he felt its sharp fangs sink into his left side. Another notification bell sounded.
Player has defeated Shade Stalker - Level 4
Well shit. It seemed like there was more than one of these things down here. Almost as if to confirm his suspicion, a chorus of hissing erupted around him - an eerie, unified protest against him killing two of their kin. Sweat dripped down his brow as he took another stance, waiting for the next attack. But none came. Instead, a slow, burning sensation crept through his left side - the venom was spreading. John forced his mana into motion, moving it to slow the advance of the poison.
Why weren’t they attacking? It sounded like there were dozens of them. John racked his brain. They had sounded mournful earlier, perhaps they valued the lives of their brethren. It suddenly occurred to him that the best move for them would be to wait until the venom had weakened him before finishing him off. Shit. He needed to get out of here. But how was he going to find his way out without any light? The only light he had came from that tiny hole in the ceiling.
John tilted his head as an idea took shape. Without fully understanding why, he sat down and began to meditate, focusing his mind entirely on that thin ray of light. His gaze locked onto it as it pierced through the crack in the ceiling, standing in defiance of the surrounding darkness. He focused on it, drowning out everything else - the damp chill of the air, the distant echoes, and even the dull ache of his wounds.
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The light was steady, unwavering, yet it shifted subtly with the dust swirling through it, bending and refracting with each passing speck. He narrowed his eyes, tracing its edges. He tracked its path through the darkness, and observed how it interacted with the matter around it. It was warmth, clarity and motion. Not just something to be seen, but something that was - an energy that illuminated, revealed, and even burned. The longer he stared at it, the more he felt it, not just with his eyes but something deeper. Light was not passive, it could be shaped and controlled. Wielded. And in that moment of quiet realisation, something stirred within him.
Ding!
A notification bell sounded, but John ignored it. He continued to meditate. To an outside observer, faint flashes of light were flickering around him, pulsing in time with his breath.
—-----
In another plane of existence.
“Your Excellency, I have a report to make.” said a deferential voice.
“What is it, Squire?” replied a commanding voice.
“Planet EA748C7926E8DF, known by the locals as “Earth”, has begun their planetary merging process. The tutorial process has begun…”
“So? Why do you come to me with such a trivial matter?” snapped the second voice, sounding irritated.
“My Lord, I thought you’d like to know that one of their inhabitants has already comprehended an Aspect.”
There was a pause.
“How long ago did the merging begin?”
“My Lord, it was a mere 3 hours ago.”
“Hmmmm….”
The voice sounded intrigued.
“And what Aspect was it?”
“My Lord… It was the Aspect of Light. At the moment it is merely a Lesser tier, but even so… It has only been 3 hours.”
The voice sounded astonished by its own report. There was a long pause.
“Hmmm. It is good you have come to me with this, Squire. Find out as much as you can about this creature, and report back.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
—-----
John slowly stood up, circulating his mana - now suffused with a faint white glow. He compressed this new form of mana, condensing it as he placed his hand on his knife hilt. He shifted his stance in preparation for his next attack. He bent his knees, power accumulating in his body as he continued to concentrate his mana, making it more potent and lethal. He did not fully understand what he was doing, but he just knew that it felt right. Eventually, he judged that the time had come. He drew his blade.
A notification bell sounded.
Quick Draw - Glimmer
As his knife arced upwards, a brilliant flash of light cleaved through the darkness. It blazed across the cave, momentarily banishing the shadows and revealing the previously hidden contours of the space around him. It also revealed the spindly, four legged forms of the creatures that had been assailing him. The Shade Stalkers shuddered and screamed in pain as the light spread through the cave, blinding them. Knowing this was his chance, John memorized their locations as the light faded away. He rushed forward, his knife barred. Notification bells sounded soon after.