The best Quirk tests are simple, fast, and may just doom the Earth. this one is no exception. ENJOY!
.
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His heart thumped.
Friday night had flashed by, a certain Lilly spending all her energy to befriend a Squirrel that shook every time she approached. Yet, she had succeeded in the end after all.
Even now, the thing lay on the floor next to her bed, its little furry body nestled into a cradle of blankets, only its little head coming out, one that came alive as Jack rose up.
“Squeak?”
“It’s fine. Sleep in, and watch over her.”
Jack ordered it, the little critter nodding its head relentlessly as he himself got dressed already ready to head out. 9:30 AM, neither early nor late, but more than time.
He skipped breakfast, only leaving a gentle note before heading out. Saturday was a day to let go of the week’s stress for most, but this Saturday specifically would be special to him.
It didn’t take him long to check his options real quick.
< Horizon Center: Find Your Quirk Now! >
< Vanguard Awakening! 100% Trustful! >
< Aeon Ascension. Limit Break Now! >
< Awakening Lab! It is What it Is! >
…
As with any business, there were many places that specialized in awakening one’s Quirk, with many showcasing their Government affiliation proudly.
Get an awesome Quirk and have them offer you countless opportunities to join guilds with a click of a finger. Wasn’t it amazing? They all promised something similar, well all except one.
Awakening Lab: It is What It Is.
That had to be the shittiest line ever. Yet, the more Jack read about them, the larger his smile became. Yep, that would be the one. No link to any organization, just a plain test.
Right now, anonymity was what he wanted. He didn’t want to join a guild, play politics, or even get recruited for anything— not yet, anyway. He needed to learn about himself first.
He went alone if that even could be called alone…
AWOO! AWOO! AWOO! AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!AWOO! AWOO! AWOO!
Wolves howled in his inner world, their voices mixing with his own excitement and the grating of wheels on steel, so loud that it overwhelmed his senses. At some point, he even found himself mumbling, “Enough, quiet already.” under his breath, the other passengers glancing at him as if he had a couple of screws loose.
He happily ignored them all.
He focused on reaching his destination, which sat on the periphery of the Island’s downtown area. He quickly got out at the Old Harbor’s station, the smell of saline water drifting through the air and making him pause.
Here, time seemed to slow down. There was none of the bustle that usually accompanied life with Supers, and neither was there any drama going on; the place was mostly touristic.
People came here to enjoy life, and he alone was possibly an exception.
Dragon’s reach tourists taking pictures of the Island’s architecture, Wintermarks going around half-naked as they relished the warm climate, and even a bunch of natives enjoying early morning walks. It was calming, yet he didn’t dwell on it too much.
His strides had purposes, and soon he was there.
< Awakening Lab! It is What it Is! >
It was a relatively new building that stood alone next to the water. Gray and vast, the thing appeared as if someone had erected a giant circular balloon next to the Harbor. It seemed like one of those experimental centers that combined modernity and affront to the eyes.
Yet, one thing that didn’t let one down was the traffic. Teenagers were already going in and out, many accompanied by their parents, who seemed as excited as worried for their little ones. One such pair, a dad and his son, just happened to be talking next to him.
“Son, are you sure this place’s reliable? It looks… simple.”
“Reliable? It’s even better. There’s no waiting list!”
“What use is no waiting list if it’s bad?”
“Bad? There’s no way it’s— OH GOD!”
What had been a regular conversation between a dad and his son quickly turned hectic, the latter pointing and gesticulating toward a side of the Harbor like a complete madman?
His eyes lit up, and his shaking finger pointed nearby with utter shock. “I-Is this Echo Blade?! Don’t tell me, it’s really him! Is he here to get tested too?! That’s so crazy!”
All it took was that one guy to scream like an absolute dumbass and the atmosphere changed as the crowd went alive, even Jack glancing over along many.
A ninja with a glistening plasma sword.
The man was black from head to toe, and so were the eyes. No, not just the pupils, but even the eyeballs— glowing ones that gave him an otherworldly feeling. This only added to the black ninja outfit, making him seem like a hero straight out of a cartoon.
But what was important wasn’t his appearance but what his presence meant. This place was legit, legit enough for a D-Rank hero just to swing by. One had to know that this was the level of Golden Paradox, aka one of the stars of the Metal Knights.
Oh, and he was popular, for sure. That one “I-Is this Echo Blade?” sent teenagers running at him with pens, praying to get his autograph. Some supers were easy to meet at conventions, but this guy wasn’t one for sure!
Yet, he didn’t look at any of them….
Jack felt his gaze on him, or rather his shadow, the Super showing slight interest only to shake his head dismissively. Even from here, he seemed to say: “not worth it.” As for the teenagers rushing at him? They were bound to be disappointed.
“Stop gawking, I’m already gone…”
A voice escaped the man of black, and then he shattered. He just exploded, his body turning into glowing shards that dissipated soon afterward. Turns out they had just been staring at an echo? As many cried out in shock, Jack went inside.
If the exterior was a gray bubble, then the interior was a white cube. From the white tiles to the white walls, and especially with the chilly AC, the place felt like he had just entered a fridge. Luckily, there were white lab coat-wearing staff there to give directions.
“First-time Awakeners on the Left! If you’re already familiar with your Quirk, head to the right! Stay in the back if you’re not a Testee, and welcome to the Awakening Lab!”
The crowd quickly parted in two lines, well, three if one considered the parents staying at the back as they watched their offspring. The one on the left was full of kids around 12-14, while the second line had older teenagers and even a few adults.
In the left line, only Jack stood out, a smiling staff member approaching.
“Customer, the left line is only for Newly Awakened, aka youngsters who’ve only just gotten their Quirks. Please head over to the correct line so you can wait your turn.”
“Newly Awakened? Then I’m in the right place, but thanks.”
“T-That’s impossible! You’d have to—”
The man never finished his sentence, doubtful, and for an instant he even searched for the hidden cameras. Yet, Jack looked so genuine that he finally nodded, leaving.
Instead, it was a young kid waiting in line who took over the questioning, his eyes gleaming with incomprehension as he ushered disses in the most innocent manner.
“What?! But aren’t you an adult? You look super old!”
“If by super old you mean 18, then yes.”
“And you just got your Quirk?!!”
“Seems like it.”
As Jack shrugged, the kid looked so baffled, as if he had just eaten a bowling ball raw, already calculating on his fingers. 18-12, this guy was an entire 6 years late at least!
Wouldn’t that mean that there were literal children out there stronger than he was?! Realizing this, the youngster looked at him as if he were a mythical creature of legend. But while his gaze was pure, it wasn’t the same for the bystanders.
“Pfft— New Quirk at 18? This guy’s so damn foolish!”
“Mom, he really is too old to be here, right?”
“How delusional is this guy? Very!”
“Get out, loser: you stink!”
….
Gazes of ridicule gathered on him, enough to feel heavy. It was one thing for the kids, but even the adults were glaring at him as if they were seeing a giant pile of trash. Yet, amidst all the disparaging looks, one was different.
“T-That’s not right. So, what if he’s old? Old people can still have dreams!!!!” It came out as if a roar, the first kid who had innocently called him ‘old’ exploding in concerned rage.
“Y-You guys, you’re all bullies! Mister, I’m sure you’ll get a super strong Quirk! Then you’ll show them all that you’re amazing too! After all, my mom said nothing’s impossible if you put your mind and soul to it, and my mom’s really smart!” He heroically declared.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
In the back, an ordinary-looking lady was already tearing up.
This woman, she might have looked ordinary, but she wasn’t in his eyes. She had taught her kid well, the latter even daring to speak up in a crowd. And with the kid’s intervention, the snickers quickly died down, and no one spoke up anymore— or nearly no one.
“Pfft— The kid’s as dumb as that retard who’s taking the test for the first time at his age. Then again, there’s only so much one can expect from a commoner, am I right?” It was a pompous-looking man about the same age as Jack.
The difference was he was in the “adult” line.
Even his turtleneck and his gold-rimmed glasses couldn’t hide how much of a douchebag he was, disdain oozing out of him like shit in a public pool— very noticeable. It wasn’t just his tone either, but also how he kept everyone 2 meters away from him.
Anyway, he was merely an outlier, being literately the only one still calling out to him with a condescending voice. Jack ignored it and especially ignored the guy’s brags about how he was actually rich and just here to expose how worthless commoner facilities were.
Worthless commoner facilities? How many bricks would he shit if Jack just happened to call Sharky over? Countless! No, it simply wasn’t worth it.
Instead, Jack lowly whistled to himself, thinking about how much fun he’d have. As soon as he knew what his abilities entailed, he’d definitely test them with Sharky!
Thus, he patiently waited for his turn. So what if strangers laughed at him? He couldn’t care less, his eyes remaining fixed on the front of the line until it was time.
A counter, a cute clerk, and a bunch of teleporters.
And if the long line hadn’t been enough to discourage people, the sign at the side sure could. Full Quirk Analysis: 968 Credits! More than a month of rent for a single test was insane, and yet he knew it was the price. Actually, it would have been more expensive elsewhere.
That was something that the clerk quickly and cheerily told him.
“Welcome again to the Awakening Lab! It will be 968 Credits for one consultation or 1499 Credits for two! One right? As for how things work, it’s as easy as saying SUPER! You go in, touch the ball, and everything will be revealed. The whole process takes a few minutes!”
As she chirped, she pushed documents his way. It was a standard contract with a disclaimer and a few options. Receive promotional emails? No. User Data? Keep Anonymous! Number of consultations? The bundle.”
Yes, Jack picked the bundle one.
He didn't say anything. He just scribbled on the form. ‘The kid behind? The one who called everyone bullies, for my sake? Add him to my tab.’
Normally, he wouldn’t have done that, but he felt like splurging a bit at this moment. With the squirrel incident, he had a bit of Credits, and there was that promotion as well! Might as well take advantage of it, right?
For an instant, the clerk hesitated…
< Promotion only applicable to the same Family!>
< Promotion only applicable to the same Family!>
< Promotion only applicable to the same Family!>
….
That’s what the small print said on every single promotional advertisement they had in the shop, and yet, a second later, she relented. Might as well after all the snarky comments.
Thus, he quickly swiped his card like an absolute magnate.
Wait, card?! As he used his banking cards, utter bafflement filled the room. “I-Is this guy for real?!” “Why doesn’t he use mana pay like a normal person?” “This guy’s weird as hell!”
What was wrong with him? Well, he hadn’t had a Quirk until recently and simply wasn’t used to it just yet. Still, in a matter of seconds, he had paid, and it was his turn.
He turned to the teleported with stressed glee.
[Entering Experimental Room 137-B!]
[Refrain From Any Sudden Move!]
[Awakening Lab: The BEST!]
…
The world warped around him.
It was the same sensation as the portal. One second, he was in the Awakening Lab’s Lobby, and a second later, he was in a room fully enclosed, probably underground, was his guess.
In the middle was a ball of crackling energy. It looked as if a bored god had taken a purple Mana storm and encapsulated it inside an orb for mortals to worship in awe.
It was absolutely glorious and mysterious.
The storm inside was ever-changing and seemed to show scenes straight up from a fantasy world. Dragons, elves, tons of supers, and beasts of all kinds eerily rampaged inside it.
Yet, a second later, it was back to only being a storm inside an orb, as if the whole thing was as ethereal as a divine cloud. It was too weird and amazing to be explained in words.
“So that’s the thingy I need to touch, eh?”
Holding his breath, Jack went for it. ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! As soon as his hand made contact, he felt his entire body crackle with a bolt of Mana. It invaded him, swam through him, and even reached his shadow as it happily explored it.
Back in the White Plane, a bunch of wolves went bonkers. They had just been chilling when ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! A storm of lightning invaded their plane, tickling every single one of them with its Magic, only for it to go crazy as if a sentient monster.
[Ding! Orb of Knowledge Analyzing Your Quirk!]
[Scouring the Multiverse for Matches!]
[Please Standby During the Process!]
….
Multiverse?! Jack gasped.
But that wasn’t all. What showed before him wasn’t the usual floating text, but one made of powerful lightning that wouldn’t stop crackling even as it appeared!
He felt that whatever the tool was, it was straight out of a portal. Yet, he didn’t have too much time to dwell on it, the thing invading his vision completely!
[SCANNING IN PROGRESS! ERROR! ERROR!]
[SCANNING IN PROGRESS! ERROR! ERROR!]
[SCANNING IN PROGRESS! ERROR! ERROR!]
….
Lightning error messages.
His world turned to error messages, the tool about to go crazy. Seconds turned to eternities, and he found himself akin to a paper boat on a stormy sea, getting overwhelmed.
Mana, power, knowledge. Everything was different and the same. He was still in the white room, yet his spirit was getting dragged away. He was still Jack, but who was Jack again? And what was up with all that purple? He couldn’t even stop to catch his breath.
The scan messed him the fuck up, and then it was already over.
[Ding! Successful Match Found! Found Four Abilities!]
[Ding! Successful Match Found! Found Four Abilities!]
[Ding! Successful Match Found! Found Four Abilities!]
…
Had it succeeded? In his vision swam four fishes made of lightning. They circled around him playfully, just waiting for him to interact with them so they’d reveal their secrets.
[First Ability: Let me Shadow You!]
[No matter where one goes, shadows follow. A true shadow isn’t just a bystander but a powerful ally that can amplify any target’s power. Shadows are eternal!]
[Second Ability: Gate to Another World!]
[For most Shadows are merely that, shadows. Yours are different. A link to another world titled UNKNOWN: ERROR ERROR has been found! Be careful of undesirables sneaking in!]
[Third Ability: Shadows Upon This World!]
[A powerful Mana Source has been detected! Merge with it to acquire UNKNOWN POWER and bypass human limits! More Analysis Required. Critical Lack of Data Found!]
[Fourth Ability: #$±@£¢¤£¢¬¢¤]
[Ẻ̷̥͉̮̬̮̬͍̱͑R̵̢͈̬͆͆͊̈́̍̿̿̔͋̍͜͠R̷̛̛̜̙͔̝̘̳͕͉̥̊̎͂͗̈̎̎͑̇̓̏͝͝O̴̡̡̡̹͓̜̪̺̺͂̈́̉̈́͑̄̑͘̚Ř̶̨̖̳̖̣̜̝̩̘̥̩!̷̺̝͉̠͉̮̬͉͌ͅ ̸̨̧̢̥̗̘̰͖̥̲̞͚̏̓͑̍̑̏̉̃̇̎̀̄̽̾͜E̶̡̧͎̗̝̻͇͙͎̬͍̐͐̇̊͌́͛̑͋̈́̚͜͝͝Ṟ̷̥̥͆́Ŕ̶̯͙̲̭̣̙̙̱̭̐͒̉̃̓̓̈̉̆̏̅͆Ő̷͓̘̠̙̞̗R̶͍͙̜̆̈́́̋̆̆̀́̃̑!̶̧̝͇̺͇̪̳̯̱͗̂̅͌̀̓͘ͅ ̶̨̠͖̝̼͎͕̰̔̋́͛̃̐̊̌̉̍̒̏͒ͅͅĘ̸̛̺̼̟͈̮̺̓́̎̾̃̈̈́̓̉̄͠R̸̛̥͈̫̱͈̹͉̥̱̻͇̮͍̓͋͛̕͜R̷̠̻͔͕̯̪͓̭͉̼͛͒̽͊̓̅̔̀͝ͅǪ̴̧̡̯͎̖̰̩͈̞̤̞̘̪͆̃R̷̛̲̐͌̾͌̿̉́́̎͌̚ͅ!̸̲̂ ̷̜̟͍̘̹͚̦̜͔̣̟͔͚̉̇̀͗̏̏͑̏̀̈̎̚̚ͅĘ̷̢̧̯̺͉͖̪̜̜̹̯̗̭̇͆̆́̃̊̚̕͝R̸̝̹̒̓̾̐͆R̴̨̥̥͕̘̭̜͚̘̺̜̩̮͎̋̾̋̃͝O̸̡̠̫̞̲̠͚͚̘̺͚̖͊̌̋̎̀R̵̜̆̓̒̊̏̒̄͒̈͐̈́̕̚͝!̸̨̣̤̙͍̻̲̆̌̿̅̔̔ ̵̡̧͚̖̜̹̪̺̣̗͖͕̬̻̏]
....
“What’s up with this?!”
He couldn’t help but stare at the crazy list. An ability that seemed to be 100% support, one that ranged from utility to apocalyptic, one that had eerie potential, and one bugged one?!
All the unknown variables were probably a good thing, right? It probably meant that the ability was unique. If anything, the first one was probably the easiest to use, too.
“Guess that’s as much info as I’ll be getting, eh?”
It was vague, but it was already a start. As long as he experimented with those, he’d probably get great results. Yet, just as he was already satisfied as is, it happened.
[Ding! Launch Optional Advanced Scan?]
[More Mana is Required From User!]
[Please Focus on the tool!]
…
More Mana from the User?
That’s when Jack suddenly guessed what he needed to do. This time, he didn’t just let the Orb do its thing. He actively used its Quirk. First, he summoned Ink Wolves.
As they exploded unto the Orb…
[Ding! New Plane Identified: White Plane!]
[Ding! New Life Identified: Ink Wolves!]
[Ding! Encrypting Data For Safety!]
…
Overwhelming energy came out of the tool, and yet he got a familiar and reassuring feeling from it. This thing was the voice of the world, just in a different form.
It felt like the difference between an Internet-based database and one hosted locally on one’s computer. The first was more accurate, but the second was more friendly.
The system wouldn’t tell him things that easily…
“Better not waste this opportunity!”
That’s when he focused. This time, he didn’t call a wolf, but their big boss. “Shadow, come on out and play!” He tentatively called out, activating his ability at its full potential.
In a White Plane, an Eldritch Overlord made of Shadows stirred up. Its master had called? He wanted it to send part of its aura toward the real world? It would! And it sure did.
Jack felt a torrent of Mana from his shadow.
If his entire Mana had been a water droplet, this was a water tank! Except, it wasn’t water, but shadow energy, its darkness exploding out and corrupting even the air.
It spread. It flourished. It made him sick.
This Mana wasn’t like the Ink Wolves, who had instantly vaporized upon coming to this world. It was too dark, too corrupted, too foreign, and with it came the pain.
Just channeling it for an instant took all he had. Jack felt the darkness ooze out of his pores as if poison; all the while, his gut, and flesh churned as if trying to escape his mortal coil.
This wasn’t right. Nothing of it was right.
He expelled it all on the orb or tried. This wasn’t a power he could control. It splashed on the walls, the ceiling, and even on himself, hurting all the more. Yet, a little did reach.
[WARNING! WARNING! ELDRITCH POWER DETECTED!]
[WARNING! WARNING! ELDRITCH POWER DETECTED!]
[WARNING! WARNING! ELDRITCH POWER DETECTED!]
…
That’s when everything went to shit.
The orb turned from stormy purple to a vile, disgusting, corrupted purple, and then the power returned to him. As the entire room trembled, he felt the shadows invade him.
.
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.
Whatever that shit was, it was powerful!
He faintly felt Shadow tremble in dread in the White Plane, and then their link was cut. This Mana wasn’t his or theirs anymore; it was its own monster, one incredibly powerful!
As the tiles of the room cracked, he felt it. This vile thing didn’t just want him dead; it wanted to take over him, to become HIM. “As if I’ll let you, bastard!” a roar escaped him, yet roaring alone wouldn’t stop this curse.
It took over his fingers, hands, arms, and finally, it reached for his heart. It would corrupt him from the inside until he turned into a puppet for the dark power, one that was already whispering sweet promises to him.
‘Give in, and we’ll be the most powerful ever.’
‘We’ll show those mocking kids who we are.’
‘Let’s paint the Island in our darkness.’
‘Together, we’ll be unstoppable.’
…
It was his own voice.
This freaking thing spoke to his soul directly, and it used his own voice. It was all the dark thoughts he had ever had and even those he hadn’t. Shadow, the true power of shadows.
It encroached upon him entirely, about to succeed, for he found himself wanting it too. With power, he’d save his mother. With power, he’d get revenge. With power, he could do so much.
Yet, just as he was about to give up, he simply couldn’t.
“Ah, that won’t work…” Even the corrupted Mana stilled as a silly look filled his face. “Can’t paint the Island in Shadows. If it’s not pink, Lilly won’t agree to it.”
It was such a random thought, one that made no sense.
Yet, that’s what freaking saved him. Even the curse froze hearing such nonsense. What kind of crazed logic was this?! And that’s when Jack finally regained control of his body.
But just as he was about to sigh in relief, it happened. A flash of light brought an entirely new person inside the room, one that he recognized instantly.
The turtleneck and the golden glasses were very eye-catching, but one thing was even more so— the gaze of pure greed that the bastard gave him.
“That’s a nice Quirk you have there. I want it~.”
He looked his way as one would prey…