Nameless growled as he sprinted – his legs feeling as though they were pushing through water rather than air – spurred forward by an all-consuming fear that filled his very soul with panic. He was surrounded by nothing but darkness, so pervasive that even his [Soul Sight] and [Night Vision] failed to pierce it… and unable to see the source of his terror within it.

A loud scraping sound came from his left, causing Nameless to whip his head around in the same direction, only to be greeted by shadows. Whatever stalked him took pleasure in tormenting him, constantly feeding his fear by granting reminder of its presence, solely moving within the dark so as to not give even a hint of its identity.

Desperately trying to run faster, Nameless snarled in frustration as his limbs proved unresponsive to his will, the feeling of terror growing to the point where his fur stood on end as he wildly searched around for the creature that lurked in the dark.

However, his haste and distraction proved… disastrous.

He stumbled and hit the ground, immediately scrambling to get his paws underneath him, only for them to slip and jerk in directions opposite of what he desired. His panic grew with his struggles, his body’s discordance forcing him to reach out to [Proprioception] for aid… and found it missing.

Nameless froze – his surroundings completely forgotten – while shock stilled him completely, the realization of his Skill’s absence overwhelming any amount of fear or frustration he had for an instant. Numbly, he reached out to [Proprioception] again, as well as [Spatial Sense] and even [Tracking], only to find all of them absent.

The sudden lack of his Skills more terrifying than whatever creature was torturing him from the dark, countless questions darted between the fear and panic that swelled within his mind –

“It would not matter whether you had your Skills or not…” A familiarly dreadful voice reached his ears, violently ripping Nameless’s attention away from the absence of his Skills towards the speaker.

He watched with wide panicked eyes as a large paw emerged from the dark, its fur the colour of dried blood recognizable even in the low light. Another paw larger than his head joined the first, its long extended metallic claws *tacking* against the ground, “None of them would save you from Me.”

The distinct gravely rumble preceded the emergence of a face that had him tremble in dread, his eyes freezing on a malicious fanged toothed smile…

Mother.

Tongues of flame and ash passed between her fangs, making the sharp edges of her face all the more stark. Her roughly cut hair – with its ends smoldering – swayed as though it were ignited savannah grass caught within the wind; and her eyes… her eyes were roiling orbs of fire, floating within empty sockets, the surrounding skin charred and angrily puckered with infection.

“There are no amount of Skills you could cultivate, nor Growth you could pursue, that will protect you from me when I finally grow tired of continuing this farce.” She stalked forward, her every heavy step shaking through his body, plumes of acrid smoke leaving her mouth with every word, “Tired of pretending that you are anything more than an irritating nuisance!”

With her last word, Nameless’s mother lurched forward, her incendious maw expanding to completely consume his sight. He tried to react, to move from where he had been stuck to the floor… but found his efforts to no avail, as his limbs remained stubbornly ineffectual.

He could only watch – without even the capacity to make a sound – as he was enveloped within Mother’s fuming jaws, the heat burning his flesh while the smoke rolling out from her throat filled his lungs…

Before, with a wretched *snap*, her fangs closed upon him, and all Nameless came to know was pain, terror, fire… and his mother’s wretched and malevolent laughter.

―――――――――

With a terrified yowl, Nameless leapt to his paws, whirling around in confusion and panic. He wildly searched the shadows of his new “den,” fear still clinging heavily to his mind even as he roused, the heat and agony of his “mother’s” … consumption of him lingering on his hide like the sweat clinging to the skin of his face.

“Another nightmare…” Nameless’s heart thundered in his chest, the twisted visage of his mother mockingly flickering in front of his eyes, “And I doubt it will be the last of them.”

He took a long breath, the vestiges of his horrid dream twirling mockingly between his thoughts, as he slowly padded towards the mouth of his cave.

It had been three moons since he had first collapsed within the hollow, two of which were lost completely to sleep; his body, mind, and soul too drained and weakened for him to do anything beyond recuperate. But it was not all restful sleep, much of his resting mind occupied by nightmares and terrors just as… potent as the most recent of them; the wildfire, Mother, the feeling of drowning, or some combination of them, always having a prominent role.

Nameless huffed and shook his head in an effort to banish the haunting memories of his torporous torment, his paws lightly sticking to the moistened stone, while he pushed his way through the hanging wall of foliage at the cave’s mouth.

Under the early gloom of the rising Brothers, Nameless looked out, through the now much reduced rain, to the world beyond. While he had rested, the storm had continued to rage throughout, the flooded river below having risen further under the persistent deluge… and so too had the wildfire continued its wonton feast.

Across from him remained the still smoldering remnants of a jungle; a ground bereft of life, soil chocked and covered with ash, and dotted with broken and charred trees, softly glowing with the burning cinders that hid within their shattered corpses.

Devastation was all it could be considered and as he stared over it, the usual cold coil of fear wound up his spine, the destruction a stark reminder of what could have happened to him if he had not escaped the wildfire’s path.

Though… the wake of the wildfire did not just represent how close to ruination he had come.

Just as a time would come when plants would grow plentiful from the ash laden land left by the flames, so too had Nameless grown from the fire’s chase, “I do not desire to put myself through something like that again… however my survival was certainly not without its rewards.”

With a small hiss – his soul still raw, even after all the time that had passed – he manifested his Soul Reflection, a myriad of shimmering strings beginning to weave together in front of his eyes. They spun and twinned around themselves, a pulsating blue green hue traveling down their lengths, though their glow touched nothing but his own eyes.

The radiance of the strings grew until they flared into a singular scintillating sheet of liquid blues and greens, eddies appearing across its face, from which the metallic borders and lettering of his identity rose to display the details of his existence.

“All the closer to the Second Stage.” Nameless mused as he began to read his Reflection, taking in all the changes that had occurred following the rather… chaotic first day of his Proving, “Four levels to ninety-three, an impressive amount to gain after only a single day. However, after all I had to do, I am none too surprised.”

His eyes moved further down, passing through the lines presenting his still recuperating health – hitching slightly on his Mentality and Soul – before continuing on, down through his Traits… to the newest addition to their numbers –

Lesser Soul Resilience [Upgradeable]:

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

You have managed to push your soul to its very limits – and well beyond – while bearing, if not surviving, the consequences. In the wake of its exhaustion, your soul has been strengthened; beginning to reconstitute itself to be more pliant, enduring, and tough.

Your Soul gains a slight increase to its capacity to recover, resist foreign influence, and utilize Skills.

– Under any other circumstance he would be elated to have had the incredible fortune of cultivating a new Trait. However, its presence was much like the ash covered remnants of the jungle just beyond his Reflection… a reminder.

Nameless’s eyes flicked down, to the Trait just below, [Preternatural Wisdom], “There is no doubt within my mind that [Soul Resilience]’s appearance is due to [Wisdom]’s intercession. That without its assistance there is no possibility I could conceive, of my having survived at all, let alone received such a rare boon…”

His eyes didn’t waver from the singular line, a myriad emotions flickering behind them, “Which makes my feelings and concerns all the more conflicted. How much more are you capable of? What are the limits of your effects upon me? What are you?”

They were questions he had pondered on nearly every waking moment he had had. Asked within the confines of his mind – with bated breath – wondering if now would be the time [Wisdom]’s presence would arouse and grant answer… if not closure, to the multitude queries and concerns that ran rampant within his head, much like the river below.

Only for – as with every time previous – Nameless’s questions to go unanswered.

He stared for moments longer, silently observing the Trait in question, in some vain hope that answers would appear… before moving on, down to where his Skills resided.

Nothing too surprising had occurred amongst his Skills; most of them having grown considerably under his heavy usage of them, like [Sprint] having grown by twenty-five levels to sixty-seven – from its former forty-two – or [Claws] having grown by eleven levels to enter into the Initiate tier. Though, there had come the ironic addition of the [Swimming] Skill – only at level five – that must have come about from his final run of… flailing within the river.

Altogether, it was a daunting amount of growth, the likes of which Nameless had only seen after days of frequent hunts and battles, rather than the one he had spent mostly running rather than fighting.

However, it was also a perfect example of what the World weighed the greatest in determining how much Growth is deserved…

Struggle.

Whether it be through danger or difficulty; the more insurmountable the odds were to overcome, the greater the strain undergone, the more significant the risk to one’s life, the greater the rewards for survival.

As such – under the wildfire’s cinderous maw – every action and decision made, had been appraised under the impartial gaze of the World; his struggles, stumbles, and every step judged, all in determining whether his determination… or desperation, bore the fruit of progress grown under the light of strife.

“Just as it is called, this challenge, this Proving of ours, is a chance to grow and prove to ourselves that we can progress beyond our limitations, and not just survive, but thrive under threat and adversity… however, I do not believe this Proving is limited to just ourselves.” Nameless cerebrated, his focus moving beyond his Soul Reflection – dissipating it into a fine, glittering, mist – to the cloudy horizon, through which the barest gleam of the rising Brothers shone, “No, it is more than that. It is proof to the very World itself that we are worthy; worthy to survive, struggle, fight, grow, and live within it.”

He took a deep breath, feeling the damp air fill his lungs and the scent of rain coat his tongue, before exhaling in… relief, “What fear should I have of the future, of [Wisdom]’s abilities, or even Mother’s motives? When within the eyes of the World, I have yet to earn the right to even exist.”

The Proving was, by all references to it, just the method from which Nameless and his siblings would earn their Second Stage and through that, their magic.

However – more than his magic – there was something else that was missing from his Reflection. A small detail mentioned passingly and altogether insignificant alone, but crucial to his revelation…

His age was absent.

Despite all the time that had passed since his birth, it – beside his magic – was without detail, “For what reason would my age – something so insignificant – be missing just as my magic is, if not for it having yet to be earned just the same.”

“If my time living has yet to have value to the World, I should have no other focus than to change that, and put my energy in what I can change, rather than what I cannot…” Nameless closed his eyes, feeling the rain fall against his skin, taking another deep breath as his lingering fears faded away, “The Second Stage is my priority, earning my magic and claim to my time both, being of far greater importance than any of my fears or concerns.”

He wouldn’t forget his worries, [Wisdom]’s… peculiarities and his mother’s plans being far too significant to be so easily forgotten. However, he was well due the recognition that there was only so much he could do, only so much he could prepare himself for… especially given how weak he was.

As Nameless opened his eyes once more, he gazed out over the wildfire’s devastation, to the jungles and mountains beyond, “There is much more to life than my fear and the threats to it, and if I am to ever experience such things – or even have a chance of overcoming the adversities that already loom over my future – I must do as the Proving demands…” He lips quirked up into a small smile, his eyes shimmering with memories and conviction, “Survive and thrive…”

“Though it would be best I rest for at least one more day, especially after what I saw of my state from the Reflection.” Nameless stepped backwards, pulling his head and the front of his body back through the hanging vines and into the cave, “It would also give me some time to plan, and allow me to avoid any foolish mistakes, like my diving into a raging river while tired, with a wounded soul, and without the [Swimming] Skill…”

He huffed at the thought, turning his mind towards simpler things, “Though, despite the risk it put me in, it was as good a mistake as any for me to make.” Nameless shifted, pivoting to face into the cave, and padded towards the drier portions within, “My emotions seeped into [Tactics], guiding its representations to reflect my desire for a hasty path forward, rather than the cautious and measured approach I should have conceived of, if I had not been so… panicked.”

“In my… reliance on my Skills for support, I have underestimated just how much effect I have upon them; not just in the obvious – how I interpret and understand them or how I apply my attention to them – but also in regard to my Mentality whilst using them.” He moved to the spot he had startled from following his nightmare, laying down against the still slightly warm ground, “Without learning how to control my emotions, no matter the situation, my Skills may always risk being far greater a hinderance than an advantage.”

At his conclusion, Nameless sighed, his harsh exhale blowing a cloud of fine dust up into the air. It was by no means a simple sentiment, the number of stressful and dangerous circumstances he would have to throw himself into – to practice keeping a measured and calm head – would be far in excess to what he had already undergone, “Having lived through few such trying experiences – where my survival was truly left up to myself, and myself alone – has left me without much of the awareness of how those circumstances affect me, let alone how I can better control and guide my Skills while under a… less than beneficial mindset.”

“But that does not mean I have to remain inexperienced and ignorant…”

His mind swam with plans and possibilities, evaluating every movement, decision, and thought he could remember he had made during his flight from the wildfire. He had little to compare and contrast his experience to, every hunt and outing he had had prior being with the support of his siblings at his flanks, making it difficult to determine where his smaller slips and mistakes had been made.

However, it was a necessary assessment; determining where fault was, realizing where there had been better opportunities, and even recognizing where he made the correct choices, all an effort in trying to conceive of how he could better prepare for undergoing other… challenging circumstances in the future.

“It will take much trial and error, and more danger and risk than I would prefer to willingly take upon myself if I could avoid it…” Nameless huffed, his eyes losing that hazy quality as he emerged from thought, “However, as with all things it seems, what is necessary is oft not enjoyable to undertake.”

He stared across the small cave, to the cover of foliage at its mouth, his ears twitching to the light patter of rain outside. Already he could feel himself… changing, the necessity to adapt in order to survive the dangers assailing him, beginning to open his eyes to a multitude of areas he had neglected and ignored.

But so too was he growing aware of the necessity of rest – if not relaxation – how moments of repose and solitude were invaluable not just for his recuperation, or even for the time it granted him to plan and reflect, but for the moments in which he could just… live within.

Much like he had within the jungle, prior to its being consumed by chaos, he allowed himself to drift.

Nameless listened to the rain as it fell and of the rustle of wind against the plants, he breathed deeply the scent of damp and of stone and soil; and felt the press of his stomach and legs against the slightly rough stone below them.

He let himself become lost within his sensations; his worries and fears, revelations and plans, all falling away, “For everything I have realized, worried, and thought over. It is ironic that I never allowed myself the moment to appreciate one thing…”

Nameless’s eyes fluttered closed – his breathing slowing and a small smile appearing upon his lips – as he drifted off to sleep, the future put off for whence he would awake, with two words following him into slumber…

“I Survived.”