The door to Room Two hummed softly as Kaelen Ignis stepped inside. The air, unlike the bustling lecture hall, was still, almost sterile. Master Borin Stone sat at a simple, unadorned table, his Stone Golem Essence radiating a quiet, grounded power. His gaze, usually stern, held a flicker of something akin to curiosity.
"Welcome, Ignis," Master Stone rumbled, gesturing to the chair opposite him. "Have a seat. Tell me about your Essence. What is it, and how did you acquire it?"
Kaelen sat, his posture rigid, his hands resting on his knees. He had prepared for this. He would tell the truth, but only his truth. "My Essence is that of a Moonhorn Rabbit," he began, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "It was… my mother's pet. A small, horned rabbit she kept in her private chambers. She died when I was young, and it became mine. My family… they believed it was just a normal rabbit. My mother had told them a story of finding a wounded kit in the woods, nothing more. They never suspected its true nature."
He paused, a flicker of raw pain in his eyes as he remembered the night he was cast out. "I was disowned by my family, House Valerius. For failing to resonate with their fire Essences. I was… hunted. My stepmother sent guards to kill me." His voice hardened, a familiar bitterness creeping in. "I was bleeding out, nearly dead. Luna… the Moonhorn Rabbit… she transferred her Essence to me. A voluntary transfer. She saved my life."
Kaelen held out his hand, and a soft, silvery glow emanated from his palm. "I am capable of minor healing. It's amplified when I transform, when the horn manifests." He then reached for the Moonhorn Blade sheathed at his hip, drawing it with a fluid motion. The blade pulsed with a cool, ethereal light, its hilt formed from a spiraled, translucent horn. "And this… the Moonhorn Blade. I can materialize it. It feels… like an extension of my will. It cuts with unnerving precision. It feels like it can find the weakness in anything." He didn't mention the vitality drain, the subtle resistance to healing it caused. That was a secret he would keep for now.
Master Stone listened, his expression unreadable, occasionally nodding slowly. When Kaelen finished, a rare, almost imperceptible smile touched the instructor's lips. "Remarkable. A voluntary Tier 4 Essence," he mused, his voice filled with genuine surprise. "Many would be consumed by jealousy if they learned of this. Your family… they were fools to cast you out. Truly nuts."
Kaelen felt a strange warmth spread through his chest. Affirmation. From a Guild Master, no less. "Thank you, Master Stone," he murmured, a hint of genuine gratitude in his tone.
"A Moonhorn Rabbit," Borin continued, his gaze distant, as if recalling ancient texts. "Based on our kingdom's knowledge, it's a precise, life-affirming Essence. Its horn, as you've discovered, is capable of potent healing. But it also possesses a calming aura. It soothes fear and aggression in most creatures, even some low-tier Essenced beasts. If you learn to project that, it could be a huge asset in group engagements, allowing you to pacify threats without direct combat."
Kaelen thought of the irony. A precise, life-affirming Essence. A stark contrast to his family's destructive fire. He had been rejected for not being a flame, only to be gifted with a spring.
"But more than the healing, Kaelen," Borin continued, leaning forward, "is its ability to perceive life force. You can subtly sense the health of living beings around you, detecting injuries or illness. This also gives you a heightened awareness of living things in your immediate surroundings, making it difficult for living creatures to ambush him completely. It's a passive defense, a constant vigilance."
Borin paused, his eyes fixed on Kaelen. "But do you know what truly makes the Moonhorn Rabbit a Tier 4 Essence? What elevates it beyond mere healing and life sense? It is its rare, almost mystical, ability to purify corrupted Aether. Moonhorn Rabbits are natural conduits of pure, restorative Aether. In extreme cases, a master of this Essence can, with immense effort, subtly cleanse areas tainted by minor Essence corruption, or even temporarily disrupt the effects of a corrupted Essence within a living being. It's a power of restoration, of balance, a direct counter to the forces of decay and distortion."
Kaelen's breath hitched. Purify corrupted Aether. His mind flashed to the sick, twisted hum of the totem in the Whispering Caves, to the symbol of the Essence Syndicate. A power that could fight them. The irony was almost overwhelming.
Meanwhile, in a brightly lit room across the hall, Lyra sat before a woman with sharp, intelligent eyes and a single, elegant braid. This was Master Elara Swift, a Tier Flow Adventurer with a keen mind for tactics.
"So, Lyra," Master Swift began, her voice crisp. "Your file indicates a Tier 2 Falcon Essence, acquired through… less than ideal circumstances."
Lyra's jaw tightened. "I was a slave," she stated, her voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Baron Thorne. He made us fight. He forced the Heartstone on me. It enabled me to conjure small, razor-sharp feather-like projectiles directly into my hand, allowing me to rapidly fire them like arrows without needing a quiver. And it also subtly enhanced my vision and aim."
Master Swift's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her face. "Enhanced vision and aim… for a forced Essence acquisition? That's… rare. Truly rare." She leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "Ultimately, for a forced Essence, as you know, it's typically either a Weapon or a Transformation. Of course, there are rare cases when someone acquires both, but that's very, very rare. So far, only two such instances have been recorded in history, and it was always with a high-tier Essence where the resonance was exceptionally profound, almost a voluntary bond despite the forced nature. And even then, it was only a slight transformation result, not even a full transformation, but to have a physical effect aside from the weapon truly is exceptional. You must be gifted, Lyra. Highly gifted."
Lyra felt a strange warmth spread through her. Gifted. Not a slave. Not a tool. "Thank you, Master Swift," she murmured, a small, genuine smile touching her lips.
"Now, you can make excellent use of that," Master Swift continued. "Such enhanced vision and aim are incredibly useful for someone who is a distant attacker. Practice that precision, Lyra. Hone it. When you grow your Essence, you'll be able to conjure much more powerful feather-arrows, perhaps imbue them with piercing force, or even shoot multiple arrows with terrifying precision, a veritable storm of feathers. Focus on your strengths, and you'll soar."
Lyra nodded, a thrill of excitement running through her. The thought of becoming even faster, even more precise, filled her with a new sense of purpose.
Next door, Finnian sat across from a burly, kind-faced instructor whose own skin had a faint, rocky texture. This was Master Garen Stonehide, a Tier Flow Adventurer specializing in defense and resilience.
"Finnian," Master Stonehide rumbled, his voice like grinding stone, yet surprisingly gentle. "Your file indicates a Tier 2 Plated Turtle Essence, acquired through forced resonance. And your body… it speaks of immense pain, immense endurance. You are perfect for your role as protector."
Finnian gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. He thought of Lyra, of the endless beatings he'd taken for her, of the times he'd stood between her and the whip. Yes, he was a protector.
"Your Essence," Master Stonehide continued, "is a formidable defensive tool. You can enhance it as you enhance your physical capabilities. The stronger your body, the more resilient your plates become. But a turtle's strength isn't just in its shell, Finnian. It's in its foundation. You can learn to root yourself to the earth, becoming an Aetherial Anchor, making you almost impossible to move, even by powerful impacts. Imagine holding a chokepoint against a charging beast. And with enough training, you might even learn to project a Resilient Aura, a brief, localized defensive field that can protect those immediately around you, absorbing a fraction of incoming damage for your allies."
Finnian's eyes widened. An Aetherial Anchor. A Resilient Aura for Lyra. He pictured himself, unmoving, shielding her from a storm of blows. It was a powerful image.
"But remember, Finnian," Master Stonehide added, his voice serious, "no matter how strong your defense is, if you are late to block the attack, it means nothing. Practice your agility. Your speed. A strong shield is useless if it's not where it needs to be."
Finnian nodded, a new determination in his eyes. He would be faster. He would be an unbreakable shield.
In the fifth room, Ren Kaito sat before a woman with bright, inquisitive eyes and a perpetually curious expression. This was Master Anya Spark, a Tier Flow Adventurer and a renowned Aetherial engineer, her fingers often sparking with faint static.
"Ren Kaito," Master Spark began, a smile playing on her lips. "Your file is… fascinating. An accidental voluntary Tier 2 Spark Beetle Essence."
Ren beamed. "Yes! It was quite the unexpected resonance! I was merely attempting to quantify the Aetherial output of a cluster of Spark Beetles near an unstable Aetherial Node, and zap!" He gestured with his hands, a tiny, harmless spark dancing between his fingertips. "The only direct application I've truly developed is generating minor electricity, which I use to power my Aether-Weaver. And of course, my Energy Sight, which allows me to perceive the flow of Aether and other energy signatures in my environment as faint visual or tactile patterns. I can see power conduits, sense hidden Aetherial Nodes, and detect the presence of Essences, though not their specific type or tier initially. Aside from that, nothing much."
Master Spark nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Yes, Spark Beetles are exceptional conductors of electricity, natural living batteries. They are also known for their ability to produce subtle vibrations or low frequencies that can be used to find locations of hidden objects or even weak points in structures. Your Energy Sight is a direct manifestation of their innate sensory abilities."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping slightly. "But Ren, what truly makes the Spark Beetle a unique Tier 2 Essence, and what a master can achieve, is the ability to create temporary Aetherial conduits and, with immense focus, to overload or disrupt complex Aetherial systems or even other Essences by flooding them with raw, uncontrolled Aether. Imagine creating a temporary energy bridge, or short-circuiting a magical trap, or even briefly overloading an opponent's Essence, causing it to sputter or misfire. They are the ultimate Aetherial saboteurs."
Ren's jaw dropped. His eyes widened behind his spectacles, a thousand new ideas sparking in his mind. Overload Essences? Create temporary conduits? The possibilities were endless!
"However, Ren," Master Spark continued, her voice turning serious, "your progress with your Essence, while impressive in its analytical application, is very low in its direct combat and utility. This is likely because you are so focused on being an artisan, on his other inventions. It's good to have diverse skills, but you must not forget to develop the power you have within. Because more than any invention, your Essence will be your companion for life, especially since the Spark Beetle voluntarily gave it to you. It chose you, Ren. Nurture that gift."
Ren nodded, his usual exuberance replaced by a solemn understanding. She was right. He had been so caught up in using his Essence for his inventions, he hadn't truly focused on developing it.
A couple of hours later, the five young Initiates emerged from their individual sessions, their minds buzzing with new information, new possibilities, and new challenges. They gathered in the main hall, their eyes meeting, a shared understanding passing between them.
Master Borin Stone, now standing at the front of the hall, clapped his hands together. "That's it for today, Initiates! You have received your initial Essence diagnostics and guidance. Absorb this knowledge. Begin your practice. We will make sure that you will grow immensely over these six months. You are dismissed. See you again tomorrow."