Kaiser opened his eyes, staring at the familiar grand hall. He looked towards the throne and found it empty. Perhaps, the Patriarch had returned to the clan's Nexus in the Nirad Realm.
"Young Master."
His butler's voice sounded behind him, making him realize that there was someone else in the hall. Without turning, he asked.
"Where are the others?"
The butter immediately answered. "They have completed their quests and have returned to their respective abode."
Kaiser nodded, noting he was back in casual clothes.
Waving his hand, he moved towards the exit.
"Tell the Elder expecting me that I'm busy… I'll see him tomorrow."
It was standard procedure to report whatever transpired in the Awakening Quest to an Elder of the clan. However, Kaiser's state of mind couldn't accommodate retelling such a story.
"This…" His butler hesitated, but seeing that Kaiser was already leaving, he sighed.
"I will deliver your message."
"Good."
...
Kaiser arrived at his personal chambers, then immediately sat on his bed. He focused on the empty space before him, then willed his stats to appear.
[Kaiser Solace]
[True Identity - Beyonder]
[Ability - Freedom]
[Description: There are rules binding the world, laws and logic that must be followed. However, even laws can be defied]
[Ability Rank - Error]
[Affinity - [Darkness] ]
[Description: You can see, feel, hear, and control any form of normal darkness]
[Realm - Awakened]
[Rank - 1]
[Soul Trait - [Eyes of Sequence] ]
[Description: Your eyes see the 'TRUTH' of the world]
[Trait - [Cursed Voice] ]
[Description (Cursed Voice): Your words bend reality]
[Relics - [Unremarkable Sword] [Asura Vest]...]
[Shadows - [Cursed Knight]…]
Just as he had expected, the glowing strings of text appeared before him. He slowly read them, ensuring he didn't miss a single detail. The first surprising stat was his True Identity. He knew how rare it was to have a True Identity as it only manifested when a person became an Ascendant.
'So I got my own True Identity as an Awakened? How… comforting.'
His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the details about his ability. Unlike what he had expected, it wasn't an attack ability or even an enhancement ability. Instead, it was a simple utility ability.
However, its use was a bit absurd that Kaiser almost couldn't believe it.
'Defying laws? I know it's easier to bend the laws of the world to one's will at the Transcendent Realm, but…'
Completely defying a law seemed… impossible. Yet, that was the exact description the system had given his ability. Determined to test it, he closed his eyes. As an Awakened, one needed spirit essence to activate their ability.
Although Kaiser hadn't tried controlling his spirit essence, he quickly grasped the crux of it. He felt the flow of a soft energy within him, then directed his thoughts towards his ability.
'Freedom from gravity…'
At first, he felt nothing. Then, he felt himself leaving the confines of his bed… and floating in the air. He was greatly astonished by its effects. However, feeling his reserves of essence plummeting, he immediately deactivated the ability. He fell back onto the bed, bouncing slightly.
'This ability…' His gaze rippled, 'It has potential. What if I become an Evolved? Or an Ascendant? Or a Transcendent? How much stronger would it be?'
Calming his excited nerves, he checked the ability Rank and frowned. He knew his ability was definitely high-level, probably around the Legendary or Divine Rank. However, the information displayed was a bit confusing.
[Ability Rank - Error]
Did that mean that the system couldn't gauge his ability's rank? Or could it be that the ability itself was an error? Unable to find any answer, he moved onto his next stat.
His affinity for darkness gave him little surprise. After all, he had received some old sentient darkness's acknowledgement. The description was explanatory enough. Basically, he could see in the dark, touch darkness, and control any normal darkness. As for what other darkness could be abnormal, he didn't want to think about it. His shadow was already worrying enough.
His Soul Trait, was one of the things that intrigued him the most. He knew how rare it was to unlock a Soul Trait. Unlike a True Identity which could be manifested at the Ascendant Realm, a person might never get a Soul Trait even if they reached the highest realms of evolution.
"I'm quite lucky, I guess…"
Sighing to himself, he checked his Trait, then frowned. Unlike Soul Traits, Traits weren't rare. They were just a manifestation of a unique ability based on an action performed. His Trait was strange, as it was related to Cursed Essence again. The description was also vague, making him hesitate to test it.
He reached into his body and noticed another type of essence. Unlike spirit essence which was plain and neutral, cursed essence was strange and negative. It felt like the manifestation of evil—compared to spirit essence, that is.
Setting that aside, he wasn't surprised to see the familiar relics in his arsenal. He hadn't been able to dismiss them while he was in the quest. However, now that he had become an Awakened, they were nestled in his soul space.
Finally, his eyes landed on the last stat—Shadows. He already had a hint about it, but struggled to believe. Filled with hesitation, he expanded the information.
[Shadows - [Cursed Knight]…]
[Description: Any being you kill has their shadow eternally bound to you]
His breath quickened, and he immediately summoned the information about the only shadow visible.
[Cursed Knight]
[Realm - Awakened]
[Rank - 3]
[Ability - Enlightenment]
[Description: Cursed by the one she loved, her whole existence is stolen from death and bound to him eternally. Neither human, nor a true shadow, she remains a singularity among Shadows]
Immediately he finished reading, he closed his eyes. He felt a slight sting in his heart, though it was replaced by relief. At least, she wasn't just a husk of her former self.
'Was it because I was unwilling to see her die?'
That seemed to be the most plausible answer. A small smile appeared on his lips as he sighed.
'Haa… when did I become so possessive? Even towards an illusory being…'
This made him curious if he had transcended time and cursed the real Kara, or just the one who had been in his quest. Of course, thinking about that was futile, so he let the thought go.
Strangely, the other shadows weren't displayed. He wondered if there was a restriction on it, but couldn't find a concrete answer.
He closed his eyes, then slowly relaxed his body. A bit of sleep wouldn't hurt, right?