Chapter 2 - Chapter Two: The Awakening Power

Morning sunlight streamed through the crude wooden window into the room, and Cliff awoke with a start. He had dreamed of standing between nine enormous worlds, holding the blue-purple crystal in his hand, surrounded by endless void and starlight."That dream again..." Cliff murmured, raising his right hand to look at his palm. The blue-purple rune mark was still there, faintly glimmering in the morning light. Everything that happened yesterday wasn't an illusion—the crystal that fell from the Legacy Realm had truly merged with him.Cliff got up and, after a simple wash, wrapped a strip of cloth around his right hand. He decided not to let anyone know about this secret, at least not until he understood what it all meant.Stepping outside, Cliff saw that Greenwood Village had already begun a new day. Villagers were busy with their various tasks—some repairing houses, some preparing to hunt, others tending to livestock. Cliff headed toward the village chief's house; he needed to deliver yesterday's game to the chief, as was the village custom."Cliff, you're back." The village chief was an elderly man with white hair named Morin, the most respected person in the village. He had once been one of the Beast Realm's most powerful hunters, able to transform into a massive silver-backed wolf. But now, in his old age, he rarely used his transformation ability."Yes, Chief." Cliff placed the wild rabbits and pheasant he had caught yesterday on the table. "Yesterday's hunt was good."Morin nodded, studying Cliff closely. "You look different, child. Did something happen?"Cliff's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "Nothing special, Chief. I just walked quite far in the forest yesterday and am a bit tired."Morin gazed deeply at Cliff, as if trying to read something in his eyes, but finally just sighed softly. "Very well. You can rest today. Tomorrow, I hope you can lead some of the young people to hunt in the southern forest. Some strange tracks have appeared there recently, and I want to know what creature left them.""I will, Chief." Cliff nodded in agreement, then turned and left the chief's house.Walking along the village path, Cliff felt something strange. His senses seemed to have become more acute—he could hear the rustling of leaves in the distance, smell the faint fragrance of flowers in the air, and even feel subtle vibrations in the ground. This sensation was both familiar and foreign, as if he had always possessed these abilities but only now truly awakened them."Hey, the one without beast nature!" A harsh voice interrupted Cliff's thoughts. It was Ron, another young hunter from the village and one of those who often mocked Cliff. Ron was two years older than Cliff and had already awakened his beast nature, able to transform into an agile wildcat."I heard you went hunting alone again yesterday?" Ron approached Cliff with a mocking smile on his face. "I really don't understand why the chief trusts you so much—a useless person who doesn't even have beast nature."Cliff didn't respond and simply continued on his way. He was used to Ron's taunts and knew that arguing would only make things worse."Hey, I'm talking to you!" Ron grabbed Cliff's shoulder, forcing him to turn and face him. "You freak, you don't deserve to live in the Beast Realm!"The moment Ron's hand touched Cliff, a strange energy surged from within Cliff's body. Cliff's right palm suddenly felt burning hot, and the blue-purple rune mark began to glow, the light faintly visible through the wrapped cloth.Ron recoiled as if he had been shocked, staggering back several steps, his expression changing from mockery to terror. "You... what did you do?"Cliff was equally surprised. He looked down at his right hand; the rune mark under the cloth was glowing, and he could feel an unfamiliar yet powerful force flowing within him."Nothing, Ron," Cliff tried to remain calm. "I think we should both go about our business."Ron stared at Cliff for a moment, his eyes full of suspicion and fear, before finally turning and leaving. Cliff breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind was filled with more questions. What was that energy? Why did it appear when Ron touched him? Was it related to yesterday's crystal?Cliff decided to return to the valley where he had found the crystal yesterday, hoping to find some clues. He quickly left the village and headed deep into the forest.The valley was as peaceful as it had been yesterday, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Cliff went to the spot where the crystal had fallen; the shallow crater was still there, but there were no unusual signs.Cliff crouched down and gently touched the soil in the crater, trying to find any possible clues. Just then, his right palm felt hot again, and the rune mark began to glow once more.A powerful energy surged from the mark, forming an invisible ripple that spread outward. To Cliff's amazement, as the ripple expanded, the surrounding scenery began to change. The ordinary forest valley now presented a strange sight: the trees became taller, the leaves glimmered with faint light, unusual plants he had never seen before grew on the ground, and a mysterious energy permeated the air."Is this... a vision of the Legacy Realm?" Cliff murmured, recalling the images the crystal had shown him yesterday.Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind: "Find me... chosen one of destiny... find me..."The voice was faint and distant, but Cliff could hear it clearly. He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but he was alone in the valley."Who are you? Where are you?" Cliff called out loudly.There was no response, only the rustling of leaves in the wind. Cliff took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to feel the voice with his heart.When he opened his eyes again, he saw a faint beam of light extending from one end of the valley to the other, like a glowing path. Cliff knew this was a guide, and he should follow this light path.Cliff followed the path, traversing through dense forest and climbing steep slopes, finally arriving at a place he had never been before—an ancient ruin hidden deep in the mountains.The entrance to the ruin was a massive stone door covered with strange runes similar to the one on Cliff's palm. The door had partially collapsed, revealing a gap large enough for a person to pass through.Cliff hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and squeezed through the gap into the ruin.The interior of the ruin was dim and damp, permeated with an ancient atmosphere. Cliff cautiously moved forward and, by the faint sunlight filtering through cracks in the ceiling, saw the full extent of the ruin: it was a circular hall with walls inscribed with runes similar to the one on his palm. In the center of the hall was a stone platform with an ancient book resting on it.Cliff approached the platform. As he neared it, the rune mark on his palm glowed again, resonating with the runes on the platform. He reached out to touch the ancient book, and a strange energy flowed from it, creating a resonance with the rune mark on his palm.The pages of the book opened automatically, and Cliff was surprised to find that he could understand the text, despite it being in an ancient language he had never seen before."The Book of the Nine Realms..." Cliff read the title softly. "Recording the origins, laws, and destinies of the Nine Realms."Cliff began to read the contents of the book, learning that the Nine Realms were originally a unified world that later split into nine independent worlds due to a great catastrophe. Each world had its unique laws and beings, but there existed subtle connections between them. The Legacy Realm was the oldest of the Nine Realms, preserving many lost knowledge and powers.The book also mentioned the "Key to the Nine Realms," a mysterious power that could connect the Nine Realms, which only those chosen by destiny could master."Chosen one of destiny..." Cliff recalled the mysterious voice and suddenly understood. The crystal that fell from the Legacy Realm was part of the Key to the Nine Realms, and he, Cliff, had been chosen to wield this power.As Cliff was immersed in reading, the ruin suddenly began to shake, with stones falling from the ceiling. Cliff realized the ruin might be collapsing, and he quickly closed the book, preparing to leave.But just then, he noticed a small indentation beneath the stone platform, perfectly matching the shape of the rune mark on his palm. Cliff hesitated for a moment, then placed his right palm on the indentation.A bright light burst forth from the indentation, illuminating the entire ruin. Cliff felt a powerful energy flowing into his body, his consciousness beginning to blur, and countless images flashed before his eyes: scenes of the Nine Realms, ancient wars, mysterious creatures, and a blurry figure that seemed to be waiting for him.When the light faded, Cliff found himself still standing in the ruin, but the shaking had stopped. More surprisingly, the rune mark on his right palm had become clearer and more complex, and he could feel an unprecedented power flowing within him.Cliff knew that his life had completely changed from this moment on. He was no longer just an ordinary youth in the Beast Realm who hadn't awakened his beast nature; he was the chosen one of destiny, the bearer of the Key to the Nine Realms.With this realization, Cliff left the ruin and set out on the path back to the village. He didn't know what challenges the future would hold, but he knew he must learn to control and use this newly acquired power, for the fate of the Nine Realms might rest in his hands.When Cliff returned to Greenwood Village, it was already dark. The villagers had all returned to their homes, with only a few lights still burning. Cliff quietly returned to his small hut, not wanting to attract any attention.He sat on the edge of his bed, raising his right hand to examine the rune mark on his palm in the dim candlelight. The mark had become more complex, like a miniature cosmic map, with nine small points surrounding a larger central point, forming a wondrous pattern.Cliff tried to concentrate, directing the energy within him toward his palm. To his surprise, the rune mark immediately began to glow, and a miniature three-dimensional projection appeared above his palm—a three-dimensional image of the Nine Realms, each realm clearly visible, connected yet independent of each other."Incredible..." Cliff whispered in awe. He had never imagined he would possess such power.Just then, a soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Cliff quickly dispelled the projection from his palm and asked warily, "Who is it?""It's me, Cliff." It was the voice of Chief Morin.Cliff breathed a sigh of relief and got up to open the door. Morin stood outside with a serious expression on his face."Chief, it's late. Is something wrong?" Cliff asked, carefully hiding his right hand behind his back.Morin didn't answer directly but entered the hut, closed the door, and turned to Cliff. "I know where you went today, Cliff. I also know what you found."Cliff's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "I don't understand what you mean, Chief. I just went hunting in the forest."Morin shook his head and sighed. "No need to hide it, child. I felt the fluctuation of that power. That ruin—I discovered it when I was young, but I was never able to enter. It was waiting for the chosen one of destiny, and that person is you."Cliff looked at Morin in surprise, not knowing what to say.Morin continued, "I've always known you were different, Cliff. Although you haven't awakened your beast nature, you possess talents that others don't have. Now, you've found your own power, and this is the arrangement of destiny.""You... you know about the Key to the Nine Realms?" Cliff asked hesitantly.A flash of surprise crossed Morin's eyes, and then he nodded. "The Key to the Nine Realms—an ancient legend. It's said to be able to connect the Nine Realms, granting its bearer the ability to traverse between them. But this was just a legend. I never expected you would find a part of it.""A part?" Cliff asked, puzzled."Yes, the Key to the Nine Realms is divided into nine parts, scattered across the Nine Realms. What you've found is just one of them, the part from the Legacy Realm. To fully master the power of the Key to the Nine Realms, you need to find all nine parts," Morin explained.Cliff looked down at his right palm, where the rune mark was faintly glowing. "So, I need to travel to the other eight realms to find the remaining eight parts?"Morin nodded. "Yes, but it won't be easy. The passages between the Nine Realms have been closed for thousands of years and only open briefly under specific conditions. Moreover, each realm has its unique dangers and challenges.""What should I do?" Cliff asked, his eyes gleaming with determination.Morin thought for a moment, then said, "First, you need to learn to control your new power. Then, I will teach you some knowledge about the Nine Realms, which will help you survive your journey. Finally, when you're ready, I'll tell you how to find the passages to other realms."Cliff nodded, his heart filled with anticipation and trepidation. He knew an unprecedented adventure was about to begin, and he would be the key to connecting the Nine Realms."We'll start training early tomorrow," Morin said, then turned to leave. But at the doorway, he paused and looked back at Cliff. "Remember, Cliff, with great power comes great responsibility. The Key to the Nine Realms is not just a power but also a responsibility. You were chosen not only because you have the ability to master it but also because you have the courage to bear the responsibility it brings."With that, Morin left, leaving Cliff alone to contemplate his future path.Cliff looked again at the rune mark on his palm, feeling both excitement and concern. He didn't know how difficult the road ahead would be, but he knew he could no longer turn back.The wheels of destiny had begun to turn, and he, Cliff, once viewed as an outcast in the Beast Realm, would become the key to changing the fate of the Nine Realms.Night deepened, and Cliff lay on his bed, gazing at the starry sky outside. Tomorrow, his new life would begin—a fantastic journey across the Nine Realms, an adventure to find the Key to the Nine Realms, a quest to discover himself.And it all stemmed from that mysterious crystal that fell from the Legacy Realm.