He took the glass full of fragments in his hand. He drank. Sipping a prophecy would be the first time in his knowledge. He gulped and drank it all down. He couldn't taste it, although he felt the texture.

Sometimes it was rough and soft, both cold and warm. He expected the liquid to be viscous, but it was diluted like water. It didn't settle in his stomach. It seemed to immediately become a part of him, his whole being absorbed and stored somewhere deep down.

He was filled with fragments, clearly receiving more than he had before. He also saw the prophecy, the future, which would definitely come true.

***The stars constantly adorned the sky. They created constellations and showed the way. Those that burned by their own power are no longer visible. The disappeared stars haven't gone anywhere. They have fallen, but they are with us. They help those who take oaths. The Forgotten Ones will return; they will see humanity before the cataclysm, and they will give them a chance, but first, they will wait for the Chosen One. Oh, they will wait for the Chosen One.***

'It's a reference to the gods,' Ashe concluded, avoiding opening his eyes. The information was almost completely blurred. In a flash, he saw his grey hair rustle, standing at the centre of events. There were people behind him. Binders and Seeers who followed him.

The numbers in his head also changed.

[1.58% - 9.80%]

A mere 1% difference that required stabilisation. This was new knowledge that at first glance didn't seem like much. In reality, it affected the world as well, and in the boy's eyes, it was a huge step forward.

Ashe himself received his first Covenant ability.

Protection, which was intended for his Eclipsed rank. After each renewed oath based on the fragments, the boy will gain a new ability.

This power, in turn, gave him the ability to manipulate the fragments. He wanted to learn more and put this theoretical information into practice.

He opened his eyes and saw the cup in his hand again.

'Wait, I haven't finished drinking yet?' The boy was surprised and felt a little joy in his heart. He leaned back again, expecting to get more. Unfortunately for him, the liquid was no longer flowing, as if it were stuck and wasn't going to move. He was trying to think about how to use it when the glass evaporated in his hand. It disintegrated into fragments and disappeared.

Then a new change occurred among the numbers formed in the periphery of his mind.

[1.58% - 10.80%]

'What's going on?' he almost shouted out loud. 'Did this prophecy reach the world and become common knowledge? Yes, but why not me?' He was dissatisfied, but couldn't do anything. He also suspected that it might have reached the gods.

As for the fragments he had collected, he had already accumulated a fairly good amount. He could tell the story and transfer power to others through it. The choice was his to make, and he would give this power to whomever he wanted.

Their progress would be much slower, but still significant.

Nothing had changed in the illuminated room. It was hollow; there were no glasses or scales to be seen. The environment was empty of fragments. They gathered around Ashe.

His first ability, Protection, involved specific manipulation of the fragments. It was as if he had an exhaustible supply and could use it to create a barrier around his body. He was a little disappointed because he wanted a flashier ability, but he had to admit it was useful.

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Protection wasn't used only to protect against attacks. Its main advantage was manifested in the use of fragments.

To explain it simply, Ashe could completely disintegrate 1.58% of the fragments in his body. Turn them into Shards. These are smaller units of fragments that only he could access. No one could understand the future from them, no one could transform them into power, and only Ashe could use them.

After transforming into Shards, the boy would be able to manipulate the fragments in the physical world. For now, only protection would be his main expression, but he would soon discover other hidden properties.

He also learned to absorb fragments from monsters. When he saw the future, he understood how it happened, and it became known to him. Ashe went through great development and wanted to test it.

The process began in the room itself. Still, he could do nothing else. He marvelled at his being.

What was he? Outside of being human, the Chosen One must lead the world to a greater future. How many and what kind of atoms did he consist of?

7 × 10²7. A number that corresponded to his age and proportion. He couldn't grasp each and every one of them. But he saw the fragments scattered among them in his mind's eye.

He crushed them, shrank them, and turned them into shards.

Then he made a wish and released a certain amount into the outside world. It was his desire, and it was fulfilled.

The fragments came out of the room, but instead of the usual scattering, they remained together.

[1.58% - 1.41%]

Ashe felt the decrease immediately, but it wasn't a substantial one.

He brought the fragments closer together and, as if by instinctive knowledge, grouped them. It wasn't a worldly unity but stood on the borders of reality. He created a shield with them and imagined how it blocked incoming attacks.

Then the object solidified. It was as if it were a thin layer of fragments that would be resistant to everything against the boy.

'That's amazing.' A smile played uncontrollably on Ashe's face. The whole process took a few seconds, and more practice would have reduced this short time even further.

His success was accompanied by a change in the room. All four walls disappeared, creating an exit. The boy pulled back the barrier. He separated the shards and allowed them to unite. The process failed outside his body.

He received the fragments in their entirety, but it took longer for them to merge than it did for them to disintegrate. The boy didn't have to interfere. The shards united on their own to become fragments. All that happened in his being.

Ashe rushed toward the exit with increased motivation and determination. He was close to Zalindar and was satisfied with his achievements.

He left the empty room and returned to the entrance of the cave. Furthermore, he couldn't tell which way he had gone or how he had arrived, but the main thing was that he was going in the right direction. There was no longer a sound, and no more fragments were flying in the air to find the way. This time he had to descend the mountain and, after leaving behind the fog, greet the new city.

Suddenly, his premonitions activated. It was as if the prophecies were triggered to warn him. Having reached the edge of the cliff, he studied the area around him, his mouth almost hung open.

'Is this some kind of joke?' Ashe even laughed a little. Because something happened that he probably couldn't have imagined. A monster stood five meters away from him. This creature was not strong. In fact, it wasn't dangerous or rare.

It was a Humpborn, a four-legged animal with a hump. Very familiar to the boy and his only undefeated opponent so far. It was climbing towards Ashe, dripping with saliva.

Earlier, he compared Humpborn to a Seeer woman. Now he found a similarity in himself. The monster's skin was like his long and unkempt hair. Both of them were ash-covered and unwashed creatures, with dirt and a desire to kill.

The monster came towards him, and the boy didn't take a step. Neither forward nor backwards. He held a sword in his hand.

[1, 58% - 1, 55%]

He almost completely recovered the fragments, but he didn't intend to depend on them. He had to avenge his old self first. Ashe knew that this creature wasn't exactly the one he had fallen to the ground in despair before.

Nor was his heart filled with disgust. He simply had to confront his failure and defeat it with his own strength, which didn't come from the prophecy.

Ashe could still see the fragments of the monster's body. More clearly, and they were still rushing towards him. His physical form was much better than it had been even a week ago. His senses became keener, his muscles had more power and speed. The heart was calmer, and his mind was processing information from his surroundings more quickly.

The monster continued to move closer to him, and the original five meters shrunk to three. This was the distance at which both could attack, and they would cover this small area in a split second.

The staring was over. It was time for blood, and this fight would leave only one alive.

"Come closer!" Ashe summoned his nemesis, his silver sword ready to strike.