What is this ...
Where... am I?
[Paradox system Interface completed]
[Name: Zachariah Oliver Keal]
[Age:17]
[Class: Shifter class]
[Seaquence level: Earth]
[Existence pool 0/100]
[Soul essence 100/100]
[Skill: shadow morph
User can transform into any animal imaginable, beware, the stronger the animal the more soul essence it'll drain] - < Skill mastery -ignorance>
Wait?... is this a stat window?
Zach had heared a lot about the paradox system, said to only be given to those that reach the seaquence level of earth.
And what is this about... shadow morph?
Zach tried to stretch forth his hand but couldn't.
Is this really my skill!?..... Wait, do I have a skill now?
Zach was in doubt.
Skills were special cards assigned to mystic artists who's reached a specific seaquence level, e.g
• Mortal rank - 0 skills
• Earth rank - 1 skill
• Sky rank - 2 skills
• Star rank - 4 skills
• Heaven rank - 8 skills
• Divine rank - 16 skills
• Immortal rank - 32 skills
Zach had one, which was this shadow morph.
The world suddenly exploded into a turret of light.
Argh!!
Zach's eye lid tightened.
He forced himself to open his eyes to be greeted by the sight of a dark room.
Wait!?, what is this?
He try to wiggled but he was strapped onto something that looked like a weird mix of a hospital bed and a torture device.
What's going on..?
He gritted.
"It's seems you're awake"
A feminine voice echoed.
Zach turned to side to see a beautiful brunette standing by the door.
Sharp eyes, lush brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and a face seemed to be carved by the best divine craftsman.
Something about her overall appearance sapped the strength out of Zachs limbs.
"What....what am I doing here?"
Zach was the regular, he had an overall boring appearance, short jet black hair, lazy grey eyes, and a lean figure. You know, the kind of appearance that would make anyone not look In his direction twice
"That mark on your forearm is a lot of responsibility" she stated, slowly standing up.
"The mark of a mystic arts major".
She gestured towards the sloth mark on his forearm, which was now fully revealled because Zach was in an orange clothing.
Zach never wanted to admit it, but ever since birth this mark had been with him.
" What is your edge?"
"I don't think I'm obligated to answer that, you know— considering the fact you freaking kidnapped me"
The voice became silent for a bit.
"You weren't kidnapped, we're examining your body to see if any parasites are in you're system"
"Well—as you can see I'm not going to be needing a.. uh, doctor's appointment anytime soon, so how bout you come untie me" Zach let out a dry chuckle.
"I can't do that"
"Figured..." Zach leaned back on the chair.
"People like you are called special childs"
Sigh... not his bullshit again...
He rolled his eyes.
Zach hated when people call him a special child because of the mark.
What was special about him?
People born with the mystic arts major ruin had something called 'edges'.
It wasn't anything special, just something they exceeded at.
For example, Zach's edge was the ability to think twice as fast as the average human.
That's what made him excel in his fight with the imp, although he never he never wants to admit it.
But that was nothing.
Others were born into riches. wealth, luxury and comfort.
While he, was born into stinking poverty, his family couldn't afford to pay rent and his mom worked overtime till she collapsed dead in her work place.
For years he struggled, major cooperations rejected him because he was weak.
People born with the mystic art major ruin, are either nobodies, or really powerful entities.
And funny enough, there were lots of people like him out there who were nobodies so the mark didn't give him an edge.
It made him a target.
"Special huh...?". Zach let out a dry chuckle.
"That's refreshing..?"
"Well I've got good news and bad news which do you like to hear?"
"Bad news...?" Zach replied Indifferently.
"Well the bad news is you won't be able to go anywhere unsupervised for the next 7 days."
"Why?.." Zach raised a brow.
"The Earth trial is in 10 days, if you don't know what that is it's basically a moment where each of a seekers respective god tests your strength in a very unique way".
"I don't get it.." Zach stared with a blank expression.
"Sure you won't" the lady laughed to herself and walked towards the exit"
"Wait!"
The woman stopped.
"What happens if I fail?"
She paused for a bit, pondering....
"Let's see ."
"Ah..?" She flickered her fingers, remembering something.
"Then, you'll never return.." she answered, then walked out.
Wait what about the good news?...
Zach wanted to ask but she was already gone, he leaned back on the chair.
"Never return huh"
Zach pursed his lips.
"What kind of sadistic god will I be given then?".
The days rushed past by, with the same old routine.
A group of officers in police uniforms would come in to feed him, not sure why he was still chuffed like this though.
Zach tried to asked the officer but they replied it was for 'safety reasons'.
Safety reasons?.
Then he tried to dig deeper and found the real reason.
Turns out another mark showed up when he deafeated that thyxar, the mark that indicates his skill.
The mark was the symbol of a bird's wings so they knew he was a shifter.
They were five class of seekers based on their abilities.
The mage class, The stealth class, The knight class, The seer class, The beast class and the shifter class.
"Shifter classes can be a bit..." the officer sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Unpredictable?...."
Unfortunately people of the shifter class tend to lose their minds and give into their primal nature, eventually going insane.
That's why shifter classes we're rare among the seekers.
The day finally came and Zach body felt like it was going to float off the ground if he wasn't strapped.
"Wait."
Tom, one of the officers who had grown very close to Zach called out.
"You will meet other seekers in the trial—make sure to get as many people on your side as possible, it's the only way to guarantee your victory" he said.
"Your skill, make sure you don't hesitate to use it, if any situation arrives that requires you to use your skill don't go saving soul essence. Trust me soul essence means nothing if you die"
"Oh...?"
"Yeah.....".
Zach's vison became hazy.
"And one more thing".
Zach vision slipped and he drifted to another realm but he still managed to hear what the police man before he goes.
"Don't trust pretty faces...."
Wait?... what?
Did he say don't trust pretty faces.
[Welcome slaves of the mystic arts to your frist trial]
[The Earth trial]