"A-AHHH—!!" Adrian's sudden scream echoed from the side of the boat, making Elric and Layla jolt in shock.
"Adrian!!" Elric shouted, immediately running towards him, the sound of the wind split by his hurried steps. Layla followed behind him without hesitation, her face tense.
Just as they were about to reach him, a bright blue light erupted from Adrian's body, then vanished as quickly as it appeared, as if sucked into a void. Both of them stopped for a moment, frozen in the shock of what unfolded before them.
"He's 'awakened', right? But why does it feel so unusual?" Layla murmured softly, her brows furrowed, her eyes still fixed on Adrian's not-yet-fully-conscious face. Hesitantly, she once again touched Adrian's chest, right over his core, where the center of that life energy resided.
But there was something different.
Elric also leaned in, placing his palm on him. A few seconds of silence passed before he speak.
"There's nothing strange. His core is spinning properly," he said calmly, though a faint doubt still lingered in his gaze.
Layla slowly shake her head. "But I felt it, Elric. Something, whether from the light or the vibration when he screamed. This wasn't an ordinary awakening."
They looked at each other, and for a moment, only the soft, steady beat of Adrian's core was the sole confirmation that he was still alive.
"If you're that certain," Elric said, his voice low but firm, "we should give him 'that' item, just in case."
Layla turned her head quickly, staring at Elric in silence. She knew exactly which item he meant, an ancient artifact used to perfectly conceal one's power level and core. Even the Grandmaster realm couldn't see its contents, would need to be in the Sage realm to see what was hidden behind it.
Layla and Elric had obtained it from their master and used it during the war. But now, it was no longer in use since the war had ended and they could suppress their own power.
Elric continued, his eyes never leaving Adrian who was still lying weak. "We'll confirm it again later. Besides, we can't know for sure right after his first 'awakening'."
There was a silent pause between them. The evening breeze blew gently, swaying Layla's hair and stirring the surface of the water around the boat.
"...Okay," Layla finally nodded slowly, a hint of weariness in her tone.
"We should just head home for now."
"Yeah..." Elric nodded curtly, carefully picking Adrian up.
That night, the sky was filled with stars. But in their hearts, the light that had appeared instead sparked worry.
...
As I slept, a blue screen appeared in the darkness.
[ Congratulations, you have ' awakened ' ]
[ Unity Core and All-Aspect Affinity have been unlocked ]
[ Skill [Atherion Dreamforge] can now be used ]
[ Requirements have been met ]
[ Activate now ] [ Yes / No ]
Without hesitation, I chose [ Yes ]
And suddenly, my vision, which was initially dark, transformed to reveal a massive training ground. I stood in the middle of an empty training field, looking around.
This place wasn't just big. It was majestic, and most strikingly, far more modern than anything I had ever seen in Eldrin. To the west, a tall tower not far from me stood firm, emitting a blue light from the crystal core at its peak. To the east, two buildings that looked like military barracks stood. Then to the north, a grand, magnificent palace, and to the south, a vast area with many buildings standing, possibly the imperial capital.
Where I stand, a training field stretched out, and nearby were a simulation room and rows of combat equipment I could only have imagined before.
Is this an empire that will emerge in the future? Or an empire from another world?
'Whoaa...' An amazed sigh escaped my lips.
My eyes widened, unable to believe what I was seeing. This is more like a hunter-style training ground discussed in the fictional novels I often read.
'Status'
I activated the status window, and a transparent blue screen appeared before me. One was the usual status window, and the second had a message.
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Message:
- For every realm rank-up, you can choose 2 new skills.
- For every stage rank-up, you can choose 1 new skill.
- You can learn all techniques and magic without any restrictions.
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"It seems the god who sent me here really wants to make me strong."
Oh well, it's a gain for me anyway.
Skills are fundamentally easy to learn. As long as there's a source, practice, and time, most people can master them. But for that very reason, I must be more careful in my choices. My top priority is skills that can't be learned through ordinary means. Hidden skills, or even those that can only be obtained through specific conditions. Not because I want to be different, but because such skills usually carry potential that far exceeds standard limits.
Then, about techniques and magic. Although I can learn almost any technique and magic as I please, it doesn't mean I can be greedy and take them all at once. The more I choose, the longer it will take to level them up. That's a basic principle.
What matters most is not how many techniques I have, but how strong the foundation I build from the start is. If the basic techniques are solid, strong, and understood to their roots, then leveling up will be much faster and more stable.
"Focus on quality, not quantity," I muttered to myself. That's the key.
Then a new message appeared.
[ You can now choose 1 extra skill and 3 new skills ]
[ Choose now? ] [ Yes / No ]
An extra skill consists of various combinations of skills that have reached level 10 or their maximum. The great thing about an extra skill is that it consumes no essence at all, and it is no longer bound by the rules of levels.
And through the system, I could obtain it without having to do the most troublesome part.
So let's see.
…
2 hours have passed since I started choosing skills.
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[ SKILLS ]
[Active]
- Absolute Immunity ( Ex )
- Atherion Dreamforge (Lvl Max)
- True Sight ( Lvl 1 )
- Dimensional Storage (Lvl 1)
[Passive]
- Adaptive Regeneration (Lvl 1)
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Yep, this is enough.
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[ ACTIVE SKILL ]
[Absolute Immunity] ( Ex )
Effect:
All types of attacks classified as debuffs, poison, curses, mental, soul, and anything the user deems to have a negative effect, will be nullified.
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[ Absolute Immunity ] is a combination of the skills [Poison Resistance], [Time Stop Immunity], [Mental Guard], [Disease Immunity], [Debuff Immunity], [Fear Nullification], [ Anti - Magic Immunity ], and [Corruption Barrier]. The most difficult extra skill to obtain, as it requires combining 8 max-level skills to get it. Whereas, a combination of just 4 skills is already enough to get an extra skill.
With this skill, I don't have to worry about debuffs from opponents and can fight to my heart's content.
Now, I'll go to that tower to see the techniques and magic.