"Just a step..." With the light words... Temorsth took a step, but what happened wasn't just a step.
*tear*slash*slash*
Antanasia, who was still kneeling in the tree's shadow with a blank face, realized the change by the scent that appeared in the air.
"Uh? What happened again!?" Turning her head up to look at what the commotion was.
'Why are you getting hurt at every living second?' Seeing a pool of blood below Temorsth's feet, she stood up and started walking toward him. She wasn't as agitated from seeing him get hurt as a few minutes before.
Arriving before him, she looked at his body for the injury. 'His left leg got cut up. Hm... is this the energy of space?'
No injury was on any other part except his leg which took the step, yet so much blood gushed from the torn-up flesh that the whole of his leg was already red.
'I can't heal this... I need to call for the elf queen...' Antanasia's thinking was halted as she looked up, something she wasn't expecting made her hesitate.
'Why...Why is he smiling?' She didn't understand Temorsth, who, although was bleeding profusely, looked as if he hadn't noticed the wound.
The satisfied smile and look revealed Temorsth's internal thoughts. 'We did it! We finally did it!'
'Kinda...yes.'
'Cool!'
'Uhm... I don't want to break the immersion but...' Amidst the words of cheering, the solemn voice of Brilliance sounded.
'Huh?'
'...we didn't learn it.'
'Uh?'
'What do you mean? It happened, our position had a slight sift.'
'Yes, but the system didn't prompt that we acquired it.' Since the not understanding radiated from them, Brilliance explained his thoughts.
'...!?'
'Skills!'
[Skills:
Reincarnation
Lear Family Swordsmanship
Olendriant Magic Art
Sword Mastery
Spear Mastery
Bow Mastery
...]
'Mastery... mastery... mastery. It isn't here... Titles!'
[Titles:
One who was embraced by death
Experienced the Singularity
Ruler of Light
Ruler of Dark]
'It isn't here either...'
'Yes... sadly it might have been luck.'
'Luck?'
'I'm not saying that we didn't do it, it can be that the system doesn't record Unique Abilities, which is pretty unlikely, or that since we didn't grasp the concept the system doesn't acknowledge that we learned it.'
'Then we need to understand its full concept?'
'Yes, this is the most likely case.'
'Ugh, then what we need...'
'We need to use the ability until we understand what the "slash it" part means.'
*Uh...* As Temorsth got annoyed, he hit his face with his palm.
'And now his face changed to anger... I can't understand this boy at all.' Seeing Temorsth face shift from his inner dilemma, Antanasia gave up on trying to comprehend his mind.
"Uh?" While he dragged his hand down his face, the realization hit him. 'I got damaged?'
*Ugh...* While dropping his spear, Temorsth kneeled down to grab his bleeding leg.
'What the hell was this delay in reaction?'
*Ugh...*
*Sigh* "Wait for a second, I call your mother here." Antanasia disappeared with the use of her Transcendence.
"Hmh?" Seeing it, Temorsth stood up. In fact, to him, the pain was none existent. He could feel it, but out of all of them the only one who would actively show something from it was Persona and now he had another thing in mind.
"Step..." This time he took a step with his other, still intact leg.
"Uhm!?" Surprise followed by anger appeared on his face.
"Hey! Why isn't it happening!? Just a moment ago...!" Temorsth's quickly changing emotions fully showed themselves in these frustrating times.
'This...' Even Brilliance was at a loss.
'What changed in this little time?'
...
'Maybe... the title.' After a second of thought, Brilliance came up with an idea.
'Uh?'
'The title didn't activate this time.'
'...! Title, Ruler of Dark.' Understanding what the words were trying to imply he opened up the tab of the title.
[Name: Ruler of Dark
Authority: Knight
Description: You are one of the few whom the energy and force of 'Dark' acknowledged as a possible Ruler.
Prove yourself by conquering the world of darkness.]
'I put it away because of this short explanation but now... what the hell is this title even doing?'
'Don't ask me, there is someone who knows more about this world than me.'
...
'Aidana, are you listening?' Hearing Brilliance's words, he called through the system.
[Yes.]
'What is this Ruler of Dark title?'
[You are asking more and more things I can't explain.]
'Great.' *Sigh*
[Um... I can't say much, but...] Hearing his obvious disappointment she changed her words.
'Hm?'
[Everything has a Ruler title, which represents the authority the bearer of the title has over the concept of the specific title.]
"Umu..." He nodded with understanding.
[Ruler titles are different from normal ones. You can get any title if you do or achieve their requirements, but the Ruler titles are only acquirable if you get acknowledged for example by the force of darkness.]
"Umu..."
[From the point you get the title, everything that helps you get stronger with that concept, whether it is only by name or action, the title or to say your authority with the concept rises.]
'...'
[That's the basic information of Ruler Titles.]
'Hm... everything has a Ruler title right?'
[Not everything, every important thing, but yes.]
'Then... for example, do weapons have rulers?'
[Yes, and the highest authority Ruler is the absolute power with that weapon.]
'Then is the Ruler of Spears that Great God of Spears?'
[This...] 'I already used too much plausibility...'
[No, he isn't but please don't ask more about this. Talking about gods eats away at my plausibility.]
'Sorry.' Temorsth remembered the Law of Plausibility, he didn't forget that Aidana was using her own to lift the burden it would cause him.
'I think I understand it.'
[Hm?]
'That Great God wanted to fight me...' Pointing at the yellow exclamation mark he continued. 'That is why this quest reminder is blinking on the side of the system panel.'
'Because I'm talented, he probably thought I get acknowledged by the concept of the spear, so he made me repay him with a fight when I get stronger.'
[What are you implying?]
'Simply, he wants to use me to get himself acknowledged by the "spear".'
[...!] 'This... I-I didn't... even I didn't think of this.'
'Anyway, still, I didn't get closer to understanding how I activate it.' Like he wasn't even concerned that a god targeted him, Temorsth continued the conversation.
[Uhm... Ruler titles are constantly active, it's like passive-type skills.] Following a moment of surprise, Aidana recited the words she was taught.
'Yes, I understood that much, then why didn't it activate just now?'
[That... I don't know either...]
'Um?'
[...I-I don't have a ruler title...]
'...!'
*Mhmhm...* A low chuckle sounded.
'So it wasn't that you couldn't explain, but that you didn't know how it worked?'
[No, I know it...]
'Theoretically?'
[...]
"Hum?" He didn't let her get away from the question with silence.
[Yes...] With a low and embarrassed voice, the answer was told.
*Mhmhmh...*
[Ugh...] 'Why do I feel that I'm getting bullied by someone who is 300 times younger than me?'
'It's because I am...' Aidana unintentionally was copying Temorsth's 'habit' of talking to himself.
...
"Baby! What happened!?" While Temorsth was speaking with Aidana, Elah arrived beside him.
"Uh?" And feeling his mother's touch, Temorsth woke up from his discussion.
"Heal... uh? Baby, it is enough for today, the sun is already going down." Because of the spell, Elah noticed that Temorsth's HP was almost full. And in that instant, she tried to make him stop.
'If it is damaging the body without HP being consumed, the attack was so fast and strong it cleanly cut through it. The energy of space... It is too dangerous.'
"No, I'm close I just need one more thing."
"Baby you can do it tomorrow."
"No, I can't!"
"Uh?"
"I have to do this now. Before I forget the feeling."
"No..."
"Mom...?" Feeling the pulling force from his shoulder, he turned his head to look at his mother. "Please let me go."
"Ugh..."
"Dad would... dad would... dad..." Temorsth almost said something that he would have regretted, but instead, he remembered...
"...?" Seeing thoughts cross her son's face, Elah got confused.
"Right, I was thinking of Dad!" He remembered the piece that was missing from his second step.
"His darkness burned... like... when the shadows cover the earth." As Temorsth's thoughts reached the perfect recollection of Xalier's step, he took his step too.
[Notice: You are imitating the 'Darkness' of a strong being.]
[Notice: Requirements achieved! Ruler title activate!]
*bang*tear*slash*slash* First, the ground beneath his feet crumbled, then his clothes tore followed by his flash opening up.
"Yes!" As blood flowed onto the destroyed ground, he raised his empty hand before his eyes. This time he didn't even use the skill of the Heart Wood Spear, this time he did it alone, with his own power.
"Ugh... No, don't do it! It's dangerous... What happens if something vital is cut?" Seeing Temrosth raise his leg to take one more step Elah's voice, full of worry resounded.
"Mom..." Temorsth turned to look at her. "...you will heal me."
"..." Even though he saw his mother's eyes tremble with worry, he turned back and continued with a new step.
*bang* As the earth shattered from the energy the step had. "Heal..." Elah restored all the wounds that appeared on both of his legs.
'Why... why are you like your father?' Seeing him not even stop for a second, the image of the young Xalier appeared in Elah's mind.
'Why are you the same as that stupid man...?' The image was of the time when Xalier was creating the same technique Temorsth was learning right now.
'But I can't...' Remembering the same face of determination she could not deny it. 'I'm happy... my baby... You will be even stronger than your father, I'm sure of it.'
...
*bang*drip-drop* As Temorsth took step after step the ground got destroyed more and more and the trail of blood grew and grew.
As the energy he used grew after every step, his leg got dragged a little farther every time.
'The pain of my muscles stretching to their limit. The pain of my bones getting cracked... the pain... this pain is the representation of my will!' As determination flared up his steps strengthened even more.
...
'Yes, that's exactly it. My technique isn't something rather it's the absence of it...'
'The absence of what?'
'Space and matter.'
...
'Space and matter... Yes, I found it!' All the while Persona took the steps, Brilliance was reviewing the memories. And finally, after hours of searching, he found it.
"...!" Just as Temorsth raised his leg to take one more step, he stopped in mid-motion.
"Slash the space open?"
"...?" Hering the words Temorsth murmured to himself, both Elah and An opened their eyes with wonder.
"Slash the space before me... the shadows... slash the space with shadows..." As slowly all the things placed themself into position.
'I will not accept you!'
"...?" A voice he never heard before appeared.
'I will not accept you!'
"..."
'I will never accept you!'
"And I..."
'...!'
"I deny it!"