Chapter 38
Ryker
"Rage!" The memory of the mental roar shook me awake, and I found myself on the ground outside Silvar's cave. I pushed myself to a sitting position and saw Silvar sitting cross-legged atop a large rock a few feet away, with his walking stick laid comfortably across his lap. His eyes were closed, and his breathing steady. He looked as if he had always existed on that rock. Something about him felt in harmony with everything around him.
When the word "harmony" crossed my thoughts, Silvar's eyes opened, and two pools of infinity greeted me. He no longer had the white coloration of normal sclera but an ever-changing tapestry of colors passing across the two brightly glowing orbs. Everything around us seemed to be pulled into their depths, and even I felt a tugging on something deep within me. Just as I felt the draw grow uncomfortable, the sensation faded, and the otherworldly experience was over.
Silvar blinked twice, and his stern stare was once again trained on me. I sat there in awe of the display that moments ago threatened to hold me in that place for all eternity. The insights and revelations racing through my mind were almost too much to bear, and I had to forcibly still my mind out of fear of my sanity fraying and ultimately coming undone. Then and there, I understood just how alien Silvar was.
Once I had regained my mental footing, I asked, "Silvar, what was that? Your eyes were... indescribable."
He simply hummed and nodded before saying, "What I demonstrated for you was an ancient Vren cycling technique that has been passed down through the ages. It enables the user to draw in large amounts of vital energy and guide it to their core. This specific variation is used to layer and compress one’s core, but you are far from being ready for such things… We can discuss that more later. For now, how are you feeling?"
I filed the plethora of questions I had away for another time and answered, "I feel fine, but why am I here? The last thing I remembered was... pain, anger, and a feeling of invincibility. Everything else is a blur."
Silvar stood to his feet and stepped down from the rock, placing his hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture before speaking. "Ryker, I brought you to my domain so that we could have a private conversation about what happened. You will not be able to remember the events that led up to me bringing you here because I am actively suppressing those memories and will not release them back to you until you can demonstrate to me that you have enough control over your emotions to safely wield the power I grant you."
As the revelation that Silvar was keeping my memories from me set in, I felt a sharp pain of betrayal in my chest. It quickly began to grow into a simmering anger, and I pulled away from his attempt to comfort me, saying, "What do you mean suppressing my memories... Are you brainwashing me? I didn’t let you inside me to set up shop in my head and take over. This is my body and my memories, and I’ll be damned if I let you or anyone else control me!"
I took a threatening step towards Silvar, and he thrust the butt of his walking stick down forcefully into the ground, letting out a thunderous boom. He extended his arms out from his sides, and his presence grew to titanic proportions before me. Then he bellowed out in a deep and powerful voice, "Ryker! Do not take me for some meager mentalist full of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you... I’m trying to help you."
As he softly trailed off, his presence returned to that of a frail old man again. I just stood there, shocked by the depth of power and knowledge that Silvar kept just under the surface. I lowered my head in shame and told him, "Silvar, I owe you an apology. I don’t know what came over me. Since we first met and you touched my mind, I have found myself overwhelmed. My emotions are out of control, and I need help."
Silvar must have been expecting something along those lines because he didn’t skip a beat before responding. "I know, youngling; it is not your fault. In Vren society, it is a common practice for parents to plant a seed of emotional instability in their young just before they begin drawing on vital energy for the first time. This causes the child to be drawn into powerful emotions like anger, love, sorrow, and joy. You see, these emotions are key to tapping into your innate talents and abilities."
I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion and asked, "If that is the case, then why is my anger the only emotion I feel is out of my control? It’s as if any little thing that would have simply pissed me off in the past now drives me into a blind rage."
A sorrowful frown crossed Silvar's face as he took his seat on top of his rock and said, "That regrettably is my fault as well. When Vren create these instabilities in their youth, they usually allow all their emotions to run rampant. If a child has a gift for illusions, he may manifest that during a manic fit of laughter, or a child could be pouring their heart out over a sad story and discover the ability to be an empath and so on and so forth. Sadly, in your case, we do not need you to have such abilities… we need you to be capable. To be dangerous. So I left all of your emotions untouched, except your rage. I knew that if I unleashed your fury you would only be able to manifest violently. This instability led to your loss of control and unlocked not one but two powerful abilities."
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Equipped with this new knowledge, I began to pace. The idea of Silvar manipulating my emotions is concerning, but the resulting outcome was exactly what we both wanted. Power is everything to us now; without it, we will have no chance of surviving the challenges ahead, and I will have to come to terms with Silvar's methods later. I have no time to pout; I have work to do.
Once I felt I had processed the information, I stopped my pacing and faced Silvar before asking, "Now that we have unlocked these abilities, will you fix the instability?"
Silvar slowly shook his head before responding, "I am afraid that simply fixing you is easier said than done. Creating the instability was the easy part. You will have to do most of the work in regaining your full control. I will guide you through the exercises that will teach you how to draw in ambient vital energy faster, and by doing so, you will slowly master your emotions once more."
With the understanding that I could grow stronger and repair the damage inflicted by Silvar, I excitedly asked the question that I had impatiently been holding back since he told me about the abilities. "I am anxious to get started, but what are the two abilities you said I unlocked? All I can remember is flashes of color and vague impressions."
A cocky grin worked its way onto Silvar's face as he said, "Yes, the abilities. They both seem to be quite potent, and from my initial assessment, I believe they will make for a lethal melee combination. If you are so curious, why don't you just read the notifications you have been neglecting."
I reached up with one hand and slapped my forehead. Of course, I had forgotten all about the notifications blinking in the upper right corner of my vision. I focused my attention on the blinking bell, and I was immediately accosted by a flood of information.
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*NOTIFICATION*
ABILITY UNLOCKED
SACRIFICIAL MIGHT LEVEL 1
Ability Cost: -2 Mana, -1 Constitution
Harnessing the synergy of mana and nanobots present in your body, Sacrificial Might empowers you with a temporary +1 boost to strength, achieved by reallocating the required resources to maintain 1 point of constitution. Increasing this ability's level will result in improved Strength to Constitution ratio upon activation. Current Ratio +1:-1
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*NOTIFICATION*
ABILITY UNLOCKED
REJUVENATING NANO SWARM LEVEL 1
Ability Cost: -2 Mana per minute
Harnessing the synergy of mana and nanobots present in your body, Rejuvenating Nano Swarm attempts to heal any injury you sustain by boosting your body's natural healing factor and increasing your nanobot swarms efficiency as long as mana is present. Increasing this ability level will result in improved healing speed and efficiency of +10%. Current healing speed increase of 1000%
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*NOTIFICATION*
Multiple injuries sustained to the following:
* Left hand
* Left wrist
* Left Forearm
* Right hand
* Right wrist
* Right Forearm
Source of Damage: Self Inflicted
* Occipital Lobe
Source of Damage: Unknown
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*NOTIFICATION*
Post Activity Stat Increases:
+1 Strength
+1 Constitution
+1 Vitality
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*NOTIFICATION*
Ability Level Increases:
Rejuvenating Nano Swarm Level Up! +10% Healing Speed/Efficiency
Rejuvenating Nano Swarm Level Up! +10% Healing Speed/Efficiency
Rejuvenating Nano Swarm Level Up! +10% Healing Speed/Efficiency
Rejuvenating Nano Swarm Level Up! +10% Healing Speed/Efficiency
Rejuvenating Nano Swarm Now Level 5
New Effect +40% Healing Speed/Efficiency
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*NOTIFICATION*
Ability Level Increases:
Sacrificial Might Level Up! +0.5 Strength -0.25 Constitution
Sacrificial Might Level Up! +0.5 Strength -0.25 Constitution
Sacrificial Might Now Level 3
New Effect +2 Strength -1.5 Constitution
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Silvar gave me a knowing look and sighed before telling me, “I am afraid our time here is up. The moment you started to regain consciousness in the simulation, I pulled your mind to this place. If I keep you in this reality much longer, you will begin to sustain irreversible damage. Ruby will answer any more questions you have. Now brace yourself; I'm sending you back.”.