Chương 14: Promises

The silence across the battlefield gave Eric a moment to think more clearly. He saw the keeper lying in a puddle of blood on the other side of the arena.

"You're not human, are you?" the warden asked, motionless on the ground.

"I'm not even sure myself." Eric knelt beside the corpse.

"Very well, then. Find my family and keep them safe… I give you my blessing." The dying Shattered took a deep breath and exhaled as he broke into smaller fragments. Soon after, these pieces turned to cinders, drifting into the air. Airborne, the particles swirled and formed together into a glowing diamond-like structure. The shard landed near Eric, and he reached for it. A magnetic force propelled the item toward him. /———————————————————————————\ New item discovered!

Last Will of the Dying Description: The last will of some beings is so powerful that it can be embedded into others. You are the successor to this power. One dying entity pledged its life-force to you. Collect enough of these and awaken the power within yourself. Warning: You may become a target after collecting this item! After your demise, your killer will absorb all quantities of this item. \—————————————————————————————/ He gave me his life… and now I'm a target? For who?

Eric stared at the remaining puddle of blood on the ground. Another commitment to someone I barely know. There's no other way, I guess. I'll give my best to find and protect the family of the Key Warden. He appeared corrupted to the core, but at his end, I could see the human in him. Eric sat on the floor. The words of the key warden made him think. Barely knowing his surroundings and having no one at his side, he absorbed the life of somebody else, somebody who was once human.

In his last moments, the warden only wanted his family to be safe. His last words were like an oath. Eric lay on the ground and looked at the ceiling. His chest tightened, and his thinking slowed. He had another living being practically begging him to save his family, despite Eric having done everything till now to rescue his own. I don't feel like a hero. Why does everything have to be so hard? Several screens appeared around, distracting him from his own thoughts.

He quickly browsed through all of them and was pleasantly surprised. /——————————————————————————————\ You have gained a level! Level 2 Reaper Acolyte -> Level 3 Reaper Acolyte Base stats increased with values suitable for your level and class. Rolling temporary buff, please wait… …. Temporary buff applied. \——————————————————————————————/ The influx of power was noticeable even without the stats and screens. Eric's muscles were rejuvenated, his mind was fresh, and his energy was high.

He barely contained himself from running around and jumping. Still, the scene earlier lingered in his thoughts. How did I even kill that guy? I remember throwing the dagger, but it was still in my hand. The second screen held the answer he was looking for. /———————————————————————————————\ New skill unlocked! Spectral Throw Description: Imbue your weapon and send forth a spectral version of it. You can hurl your original weapon for bonus damage. This skill benefits from concentration casting.

Essence cost is based on your Strength and Insight. Speed of the projectile depends on your Insight. You can summon multiple spectral versions, but each one increases the essence cost. You can delay the launch of the projectile for an increased essence cost. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. It would be cool if you could wield multiple spectral weapons, but that's too overpowered. Warning: Launching your real weapon does not guarantee it will return!

Requires a weapon to cast! \————————————————————————————————/ Now that's what I'm talking about! This is the second skill that has no tutorial. I could cast both Teleport and Spectral Throw without even knowing how. Maybe that's why I didn't have a tutorial. The system determined I'm powerful enough to handle it on my own. Why would it spawn a tutorial instead of leaving me alone in the first place? Eric snapped out of yet another episode of processing the system changes and pulled out his stats screen.

He was eager to see what the temporary buff was this time. /———————————————————————————\ Character Information Level 3 Name: Eric Graham Age: 24 Class: Reaper Acolyte Statistics: Strength: 8 + 1 Vitality: 5 + 1 Stamina: 6 + 1 Insight: 10 Willpower: 6 + 1 Awareness: 3 + 2 Bonuses: Compassion - Increased XP gain. Resets on level up.

Inventory: The Eternal Flame, Acid Potion, Golemite Scroll, Scroll of Revelation Skills: Teleport, Spectral Throw Achievements: Essence Room Wanderer, Titan Tamer, Einstein \————————————————————————————/ Looks like the system is not only absurd jokes and mockeries. Compassion is a great temporary buff. I'd level more easily. It would be cool if it was permanent. The portal at the center of the arena released more electricity and fog into the air.

After that, it began fading away, and Eric saw another system message for the first time. /———————————————\ The portal to The Warden's Inner Chamber is closing soon. \——————————————-—/ Before leaving the area, Eric searched the blood puddle for the key. /———————————————————————\ You have found an item! The Warden's Key Description: Key used for unlocking various doors around the tower. Scales with your Insight.

\————————————————————————/ Not eager to discover what happened when the portal closed completely, Eric teleported straight into it. He appeared back on the spiral staircase. Going upwards led him to the room where Ash was still trapped. No guards or scouts from the Shattered were near. The reaper acolyte ran over to the raven.

"Guess who survived? Told you I'd be back." The moment he pulled the key from his inventory, Eric realized there wasn't any visible lock. Ash flew to the bars and croaked once again. The raven dropped to the floor and hopped frantically across the cage.

"Why's this not working?!" Eric shouted and took a step back. He pulled out his weapon but decided against using blunt force. He wouldn't forgive himself for hurting the avian. Dad always said to think more than to act. I have enough essence to either camouflage or battle a small group of enemies. Let's try slowing down for a bit. After calming himself, Eric inspected the enclosure from top to bottom. At the base, he saw the same water channels as before.

The other engravings from the floor near the cage were not supplying the base with water. Following the streams backward, Eric realized the fountains fed water into the engraved pathways. The right-side fountain was misaligned, spilling water into the wrong channels.

"Is this why you were doing the toy motions earlier and jumping inside? I didn't need the key. The fountain just needs to rotate into position. Is that right?" Eric asked. Ash spread its wings and gave an approving flap. For once, the raven looked satisfied. It let out a single chirp.

"Okay! Now I have to figure out how to move this giant thing. Any ideas?" The raven flew upward and landed on one of the horizontal bars of the cage. It tried looking around the stone construct, but it had a limited view of its surroundings. I can't let myself be outsmarted by a bird… Eric circled both stone fountains, searching for some kind of mechanism, but found nothing. Ash was still quiet, but as soon as the reaper acolyte moved closer to the big exit, it let out another caw.

"Yeah, I don't speak bird, remember? Give me a hint at least!" Eric shouted while walking back to the cage. The raven moved to one horizontal bar closer to the right of the cage. It balanced on one leg and mimicked the big ornamental fountain near it. After several seconds, it turned its whole body, indicating that the structure should rotate counterclockwise.

"Yeah, I got that. Rotate the big fire hydrant-looking thing so that it redirects the flow of water. By doing that, we'll set you free." Eric pointed toward the fountain.

"How do we do that?" Ash hung upside down from the cage, pecking the horizontal bar it had been sitting on seconds ago with its beak. Gravity, levers, bars… what do you need? Eric looked at the other staircase he hadn't explored yet. He thought about what danger could lie ahead, but somehow, he wasn't that scared now. Surviving the fight with the key warden gave him the much needed confidence boost.

"I'll be back. I promise. Just stay here and be quiet," Eric said while looking at his caged friend. Similar to the path he had taken earlier, the flight of steps descended into the tower. Twisting and turning, the path led to the exterior of the fortress. The eternal Purgatory presented itself. Floating structures drifted through the void. Eric wondered where they went and how anyone could reach them, but ultimately, he had to traverse the obstacles right in front of him.

A narrow stone path wrapped around the tower's exterior. It didn't have any guardrails, and the smallest mistake could mean the end. Sticking out from the wall, the blocks were oddly shaped. There were also old flags attached to the side. Some of the old banners hung low enough to swing between the protruding stone platforms. The tower curved so sharply that Eric couldn't see where the path ended. He tried teleporting to the stony platforms, but they were out of his reach.

For a moment, he stopped to gather his thoughts. Yeah… this looks like a place for someone with far more mobility than me. Flying could also help. What should I do? I can't teleport, it's too far. He decided to turn back and leave. Just before reentering the staircase, he noticed a massive crack through the tower wall. It looked like an old pile of rubble, barely holding itself together. Beyond the cracks waited another Essence Room. An Essence Room? I wouldn't mind learning a new skill.

The dagger from Death couldn't break the wall. Even after transforming into a massive hammer, the weapon bounced off the cracked wall. Sweat dripped down Eric's neck as he stepped back, breathing heavily. The cracked stone was ancient and fragile, yet it refused to give an inch. An idea formed in his mind as he calmed down and slowed his heart rate. Eric looked through the cracks and tried teleporting to the Essence Room. His attempt was futile.

He couldn't move because he lacked a clear line of sight to his destination. Trying to teleport made his body vibrate painfully. His limbs went numb. Grimacing, Eric abandoned the endeavor before the skill could do something else. There has to be a way there. Come on, think! The dagger in his hand returned to its regular shape. The blue gem in the hilt reminded him of his new skill he had learned earlier. Eric grabbed his weapon with both hands and raised it overhead.

With all his might, he took a swing, sending forth the green spectral version of the dagger. Upon collision, the projectile did some damage to the wall, but it wasn't enough. Let's try one more time. For his next cast, Eric tried to concentrate more before launching the projectile. From all the descriptions of skills earlier, he remembered how the system talked about concentration casts and delayed casting. Working on instinct alone, he pointed the dagger at the wall and took a deep breath.

Closing his eyes, he visualized the attack step by step. Raise the weapon, channel the energy. Transform it into a hammer and launch. Got it. He wouldn't use a spectral version of the projectile, as this one needed the original weapon for maximum damage. Seconds later, he executed everything he had envisioned. The dagger flew into the cracked tower wall, transforming into a crushing hammer imbued with green, spectral energy. Dust surged into the tower's interior from the impact.

Eric picked up his weapon from the debris, proud of himself for discovering the secret and finding a way. Ahead of him was another obstacle before he could reach the rewards on the other side.