Extract from the -{ Tome of the ‘Forgotten One’ }- Divine scripture of the Church of the ‘Forgotten One’.

"As the stars fade into the obsidian expanse, know that I am the guardian of the night, orchestrating the symphony of souls in the realm beyond mortal sight." (The Revelation of Evernight 1:2)

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A deafening crash of thunder tore through the night, jolting Asher from his fitful slumber. For a moment, he lay paralyzed, his heart pounding in sync with the echoing rumble that reverberated through the cave. The relentless drumming of rain on the rocky overhang created a cacophony that seemed to mock his attempts at rest. Beside him, the fire sputtered and hissed, locked in a losing battle against the encroaching darkness and damp.

Slowly, Asher pushed himself upright, his muscles protesting every movement. He pulled his cloak—a patchwork of dire hound hides—tighter around his shoulders, seeking warmth against the bone-chilling drafts that snaked their way into his sanctuary. The air hung heavy with the pungent scent of wet earth and decaying vegetation, a constant reminder of the untamed wilderness that lay just beyond the cave's mouth.

Lightning split the sky, illuminating the cave in a stark, otherworldly glow for a fraction of a second. In that brief flash, the shadows seemed to come alive, twisting and writhing across the rough stone walls before plunging back into an impenetrable blackness that felt almost suffocating.

Asher shuffled closer to the dying fire, his movements stiff and pained. He tossed a few more sticks onto the embers, watching with weary fascination as they caught and flared to life. Sparks danced upward, tiny fireflies against the inky backdrop of the cave's ceiling. The renewed flames cast a flickering light across Asher's face, revealing a visage etched with exhaustion and an unsettling mix of determination and doubt.

His mind raced, trying to make sense of the bizarre events that had unfolded earlier. The memory of that otherworldly throne room lingered, vivid yet maddeningly out of reach. Asher's brow furrowed as he grappled with the unsettling realization that for a moment, he had not been entirely himself. It wasn't possession—no, it was something far more intimate and terrifying. Words had poured from his mouth, charged with meaning in the moment but now shrouded in a veil of impenetrable darkness.

"What am I becoming?" Asher whispered, his voice barely audible above the storm's fury. The question hung in the air, unanswered and foreboding.

One certainty remained: the skill 'The Eyes of Odin' held depths he had only begun to plumb. Secrets lay buried within, waiting to be unearthed. Asher's jaw clenched with renewed resolve. He would not allow this unknown variable to dictate his fate. Whatever power lurked within him, he would master it, bend it to his will.

"I've come too far to falter now," he growled, his words a challenge to the unseen forces that seemed to conspire against him.

Exhaustion tugged at Asher's consciousness, urging him toward sleep despite the tempest raging outside. With practiced efficiency, he prepared for the long, cold night ahead. His hands, calloused and scarred, scraped dirt from the cave floor, fashioning a crude but effective heated bed. Once his meager dinner was consumed, he extinguished the fire, carefully transferring the still-burning coals into a rectangular pit he had dug earlier.

A thin layer of dry dirt covered the glowing embers, trapping their heat. Asher lowered himself onto this makeshift bed, pulling the dire hound hides over his body like a shield against the biting wind. The warmth from below seeped into his aching muscles, and for a moment, he allowed himself to hope for a peaceful night's rest.

That hope was shattered as the first monstrous roar tore through the night, drowning out even the thunder's fury. Asher's eyes snapped open, his body tensing as primal fear coursed through his veins. The bestial cry spoke of untamed power, of creatures so mighty they could challenge the very storm itself.

Another roar followed, closer this time. Asher could feel the vibrations in the ground beneath him, a bone-deep tremor that spoke of unimaginable size and strength. Sleep became a distant memory as he lay rigid, every sense straining to pierce the darkness beyond his sanctuary.

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"What manner of beasts are these?" he whispered, his voice trembling despite his best efforts to remain calm. The night stretched on, an endless cycle of thunderclaps and monstrous cries. Each time Asher began to drift off, a fresh roar would jolt him back to terrified wakefulness.

When dawn finally broke, it found Asher haggard and hollow-eyed. He rose stiffly, his body protesting the night's ordeal. The air in the cave was thick with the acrid scent of smoky hides and sweat. Outside, the storm had passed, leaving behind a world washed clean and bright.

Asher forced himself through his morning routine, smoking meat for breakfast and performing a series of exercises to work the stiffness from his limbs. As he moved, he could feel his body slowly coming back to life, muscles loosening and mind sharpening. By the time he finished a brief meditation, he had reached a state of readiness—if not quite peak condition.

"Time to see what secrets this mountain holds," Asher muttered, gathering his meager supplies.

The climb was arduous, the steep slopes challenging even his hardened physique. Yet as he ascended, Asher felt a growing sense of anticipation. The air grew thinner, clearer, carrying scents of pine and wild herbs. It was a welcome change from the oppressive atmosphere of the lowland forests.

As he crested the peak, Asher's breath caught in his throat. Before him stretched a vista of rugged beauty, a sea of forested mountains rolling away to the horizon. But it was not the natural splendor that held his gaze. In the distance, sprawled across a neighboring peak, lay two colossal corpses.

The first was a serpent of impossible size, its azure scales still glinting in the sunlight despite the pallor of death. Beside it, like some nightmarish kraken dragged from the depths, lay an obsidian-black creature with tentacles as thick as ancient trees. Even in death, the air around them seemed to shimmer with residual power.

Asher's instincts, honed by countless battles, remained eerily silent. No warning bells rang in his mind, no prickle of danger raised the hair on his neck. It was this absence of threat, as much as his burning curiosity, that propelled him forward.

As he neared the titanic corpses, a ethereal message flickered across his vision:

[ WARNING!! ]

[ High-Level Dead zone ahead. The area contains an aura of death from the corpse of a high-level beast. ]

Asher froze, conflict warring within him. The system's warning clashed with the continued silence of his intuition. Slowly, deliberately, he inched forward, every sense straining for the slightest hint of danger. Yet with each step, the sense of safety persisted.

"What game is this?" Asher muttered, his eyes darting between the massive corpses and the seemingly empty landscape around them. "A trap? Or something more?"

Up close, the creatures' immensity was even more staggering. Asher's attempts to harvest materials from their bodies proved futile; his blade couldn't even scratch the serpent's scales. Frustration gnawed at him as he realized the potential wealth lying just beyond his reach.

It was then that he noticed the gap beneath the serpent's colossal form—an entrance to what must have been its lair. Without hesitation, Asher squeezed through the opening, driven by an insatiable need to uncover the secrets these titans had died protecting.

The cave beyond was a world unto itself. A vast, shallow lake stretched before him, its surface broken by a small island at its center. The air was thick with mist, and strange, luminescent plants cast an otherworldly glow throughout the cavern.

Asher's mind raced, piecing together the epic battle that must have unfolded here. "The snake... it was protecting something," he breathed, his eyes fixed on the distant island. "But what could be worth such a fight?"

The rational part of his mind screamed caution, but Asher was already wading into the frigid waters. The cold bit into his skin, and the mist seemed to play tricks with his vision. Yet he pressed on, drawing on the iron will forged through countless bloody encounters.

When he finally reached the island, what he found left him speechless. There, nestled in a crude nest, lay two objects of breathtaking beauty and power. A plant, no taller than his knee, bore three crystalline fruits that pulsed with an inner light—a mesmerizing blend of blood red and gold. Beside it, an egg the size of an ostrich's shimmered with swirling patterns of azure and white.

Asher's identification skill activated unbidden:

[ Blood Ascension Fruit: The Blood Ascension Fruit is a rare and potent fruit known for its extraordinary abilities. It can purify a being's bloodline, stabilize mutations, and infuse the consumer with abundant life force. This fruit is only found in areas where numerous powerful corpses lie, their remnant energies seeping into the soil and nourishing the plant that produces these remarkable fruits.

Current Status: The fruit is fully mature and ready to be used ]

[ Azure Earth-Snake Egg ( Unawakened ): The Azure Earth Snake is a colossal leviathan serpent, typically found in mountainous and valley regions. Known as apex predators, these formidable creatures command vast territories and possess immense strength capable of breaking mountains upon reaching adulthood. Their presence in any ecosystem signifies the pinnacle of the food chain, and they are both feared and revered for their sheer power.

Current status: The egg is undergoing an unstable mutation. This rare and unpredictable process can result in significant changes to the offspring's abilities and characteristics, potentially enhancing its already formidable traits or introducing new, unprecedented bloodlines and powers. ]

Asher stood motionless, his mind reeling with the implications of what lay before him. The fruits promised power beyond his wildest dreams, while the egg... the egg could be the key to taming a force of nature itself. Yet as he reached out, his hand trembling with a mix of excitement and trepidation, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.

"Is this truly my path?" he whispered, his voice barely audible above the gentle lapping of the lake. "Or am I delving into powers beyond my understanding?"

The cave seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Asher's decision. The luminescent plants pulsed softly, casting shifting shadows across his face as he grappled with the weight of the choice before him.