"So, you may be wondering what the hell this all is, am I right?"
Walker turned around, stopping the admiration of his surprisingly bold writing. So this was the handwriting of a real man! So elegant, yet flowing--graceful, yet sharp!
Ah, ahem. Walker felt himself getting out of hand, sparkling particles seemingly spewing forth from his mauve purple eyes.
"What I did was sim-ple. You don't have veins, I'm hella surprised you have the structure for meridians to form, and I'm even more perplexed that mortisim can be stored in those wee bones of yours. So, I twisted the rules by using the mixture of cultivation techniques I have yet to make a name for...giving you the capacity to host a Qi-Archive within your pitiful self."
Tap! The sheath that had gone unused at his waist was used as a make-do pointer, Walker pointing at the uppermost left corner of the blackboard.
"A Qi-Archive is a rudimentary name that has become popularized by The International Convene back home. I heard some folks call it a Dantian, but it seems the term was seen as outdated, uninclusive, and inaccurate to how this phenomenon manifests."
"It need not be stored within the abdomen but instead designated by the owner. It exists in a metaphysical space, not truly being able to be withdrawn, and yet some can see it with the naked eye. What's more, it is shaped by various means...yet its true purpose is to acclimatize and produce Qi that is stored within. Of course, it's pretty tricky to hold qi that is too strong for it and even more difficult to host multiple types. That is why it is essential to determine the kind of qi that agrees with both the owner and the Qi-Archive itself. You tracking?"
The skeleton looked especially pitiable at this moment, his head spinning back and forth as if reeling from the sudden influx of information. Teret mentally recited what he heard many times as if trying to pick apart what Walker had said piece by piece.
While his head and shoulders were rotating, a single hand reached out and flawlessly scritched a question mark upon the forest flooring.
"Huh...nice multitasking skills. Well, I can explain that buzzword, qi, to you. It's like the natural force some creatures can harness, though it is difficult for anyone lacking a...Particularity, let's say...to use effectively. Buuut that's not really necessary here, so just think of it as another pool of energy to tap into! Like the mortisim that easily escapes your bones, "breathe" in, "breathe" out. Simple!"
Walker made what could only be described as a "cute" face as he discussed the intricacies that flew over Teret's head, his eyes encased by serene arches of stunning eyelashes.
Looking at them, Teret almost felt...envious? While still trying to process this information, he looked at his comparably ugly bones while glancing every now and then at Walker's sculpted-looking skin.
"Aaanyways, I'm going on a tangent. Unfortunately for you, your master is so talented that I can only offer 1 type of qi that won't fuck you up for realzies. Now, pick a place. I recommend your empty noggin, though...it'll form a sort of makeshift brain that will easily let the qi flow through your whole system."
With lingo that didn't make sense to Teret, his own system, yet seemingly understood by a giddy Mara, he obliquely tilted a finger on his lips.
Teret cocked his head to the side, his bony fingers prepared to evoke another question mark. No movements of the low-leveled existence that were the Pitiful Skeleton could escape Walker's honed eyes.
So it was no surprise that his brows shot upwards in shock as he scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, shit. I keep forgetting that you can't really think. Well, guess I'll take a look-see and fix it myself. Thank me lates, kay?"
Brilliant amber light surrounded by flowing circles of pitch black and violet fluctuations spanning his entire hand appeared on but one fingertip. Unseen waves bounced back and forth from the burgeoning, overcast amber glow emitted from the skeleton student.
A projection of the general shape the Qi-Archive was taking within Teret's frame materialized, projected from his empty sockets.
A series of yellowish brown stripes interrupted by russet-influenced amber shone in the violet glare. Vaguely shaped like an eyeball, a slitted vertical pupil that evoked the image of an absolute beast proudly appeared in the center of the eyeball's front.
Apart from the slitted eye, the precious-looking stone resembled a tiger's eye gemstone. But, as Walker bent and paced around the image, he had to admit the slit reminded him a lot of a wildcat's pupil as well...
A tiger's eye with a tiger's pupil. Walker had no idea what the strongest feline was doing showing up in his brittle student, but he was impressed that such a treasure had taken shape.
The Vault Within had properties somewhat similar to the Carbuncles that hosted monsters that took on many themes of wealth and precious materials. It formed a treasure akin to a reflection of the user's spirit at the time...and a tiger eye wasn't too shabby.
Typically, the more scarce the mineral, the more powerful it was. Tiger's eye was a gemstone that was only so-so when it came to rarity, sure. Walker didn't expect anything grand anyways, since he had already concluded that Teret wasn't a diamond in the rough.
Only carbon. He thought it would be funny if it was carbon, instead. But...
Isn't this gemstone a mutant? He had never seen a tiger's eye that had a real-looking tiger's pupil.
"You're one exciting mountain of carbon, my apprentice. Mutants...hey, I can count the amount I've killed with my fingers! Good stuff, huh?"
Walker clapped in congratulations, while the bewildered skeleton began to show body language reflecting his curiosity. With delicate movements, it tapped the projection, and amber wisps flowed past both his natural and prosthetic fingers.
"Now, let's start this show. I've been curious for a while about what it would be like to have a protege of my own, and here's the shot I've been hankering for. Hey, let's see if you think, "Hello, world!". I saw that in a movie once with my kid brother, kekekek..."
Lusters resonated and surged above the trees like miniature pillars, all at the urging of a single finger. A power that could blow up a neighborhood was guided along with delicate yet tyrannical care, suppressing it all at Walker's desire.
All of it culminated at his fingertip, increasing in scale due to the condensation. Then, runes danced along the spiral in a mystical scene, all being pressed within the skeleton's skull.
Click.
This subtle sound undersold the powerful waves that sounded like rioting tides. Yet even these could not escape the powerful barrier around the small oasis within the seas of crooked trees.
Sparks flared within the skeleton's skull.
Words that it had seen and was currently processing rioted around the empty domain. Yes, it was a domain. A realm untouchable by the physical, a thought-space that Teret could call his own. No brain was required to govern or order his thoughts.
Such was the miracle of a man renowned as The Demon of Norheim.
A brain was taking form, sweet form. Not in the plain led by the material, yet subtly differentiated from the spiritual. Experience flooded Mara's screen as the passive skill O'Fallen Babel seemed to absorb massive amounts of energy!
(...)
Empty space could be heard in the skeleton's nonexistent ears. The sounds of lacking mental activity emitted a dull hum akin to the warble of radio waves over static. Two words were the first to emerge.
(I'm...Teret.)
And like a flood, information was drenched in every corner of his consciousness. He had gifts given by a system that referred to him as his child, so it was his mother.
His mother affirmed he was male, and he didn't disagree. The soul of Usuku Teret was a boy; he felt comfortable with this.
He liked to build things. He liked to fight. And...he wanted to become stronger.
He was captivated by Walker's appearance and wanted to be handsome and cute too. Though, he didn't exactly like the overtly manly inclination of his features and instead liked the sharp shape coupled with the more feminine features he had seen in women. His mental image of himself could easily be described as androgyny.
He had made a promise with a white tiger who integrated with his own existence. With a simple thought, he pulled up his Trait window and read over the contents.
====#====
Trait Descriptions.
Limb Construction: Allows the owner to build limbs and upgrade their bones at later levels. Also creates a separate store of energies. At later levels, these energies will be able to be manifested into physical materials at the owner's discretion.
Aspiring Butcher: 20% stat increase when fighting to kill. Grants indifference to the act of killing at first, and will slowly increase enjoyment towards it. -> Death Drive
Sadism:
Creates the status 'Damage Lust', which scales attack power based on how much damage is inflicted in a short amount of time. When damage is no longer being imposed, the buff fades back to 0%. Caps at 100%.
Random Jackpot Algorithm:
Designate up to 7 targets. Roll a random number between 1-100. The landed number becomes a percentage increase in the raw capabilities of the target. Lasts until the target achieves a notable goal.
The additional effects are added when used on the host or those relating to the host. Effects cannot be stacked, and gaps between utilization are advised.
Bengal: 1~33%
Jaguar: 34~66%
Tiger, Tiger!: 67~99%
Tiger Breaks The Limit: 100%
====#====
Although his sockets were still empty, the light of understanding flashed in their depths. Teret had understood some of the implications of his actions, yet his mental state was childish. Doubts began to germinate, but as he reflected on all he had seen...
They seemed to vanish.
The pigs and the snakelike demons in that dark, dank place. Their first inclination was to kill him. Same with Alha, same with the gray figure carrying the wheel...he could even remember vague hostility from the trusty Mark Dugraff.
WantaDollah and his swaggering display of brutality, the smell of alcohol enhancing the potent odor of decay. Blood.
This was a world where slaughter was not a taboo but a commonplace activity. And his traits...they were of one who partook in these activities. Yet, nevertheless, Teret felt that he could not erase them.
His simple mind that resembled a child very closely shrugged off the vague feeling of being in the wrong.
As if seeing directly through the skeleton's bones like looking through a transparent pane of glass, Walker nodded knowingly. Then, putting a hand on the small skeleton's pointy shoulder, he sat beside Teret.
"The world isn't kind. Not even where I come from. You can pity, you can despair. No matter how you treat the world, someone will want to kill you. That's just how it is."
Walker's eyes became distinctly clear as if he was staring down an image directly in front of him. A sense of bloodlust and revelry was emitted by his figure, streaming out in a heart-palpitating aura.
"I am not a man who will be dominated by others' desires. I am a man who pushes my wants on the world and forces it to comply. When I was handed something that imbued me within an eternal cycle, I dirtied my hands and reigned over it. If you want to hear my story--just a bit of it--you may nod."
Creak.
Teret's head bobbed up and down as his neck swiveled over to the wistful demeanor of a man who would call himself a master. An even smile tentatively spread over his unusually solemn face, his eyes seemingly empty.
"Beware. The words I will tell you have never been communicated before. Not even to my only family. This secret was one I had planned to take to the grave, but I see the roots of indecision sprouting up within you. Such a mistake could cost you your life if you ever leave this 'game.'"
Walker propped up his hands and formed quotations with his fingers, his mouth caught in a knowing grin. His suspicions were confirmed just at this moment when he saw true sentience blossom from what would be an impossible place.
He was not a man of miracles but an irredeemable black hand that had stained many lives. At his core was a twisted flower that didn't exist within his home.
"Let me tell you a little about where I'm from. Listen up, I'm gonna tell you about a wide world known as Blue Pangea."