As Edmund's consciousness gradually returned, he found himself immersed in the afterglow of his exploration of the system. With a renewed sense of purpose, he finally opened his eyes, eager to acclimate himself to the extraordinary powers that now resided within him.
His initial priority lay in honing his newfound vision, which served as a gateway to comprehend the world in an entirely different light. Edmund looked around with his enhanced vision and was amazed at the colors and details that he had never seen before. He could see the tiniest of details, and everything seemed to be clearer and sharper. He tried to focus on different things, like the tiny insects in the cave or the patterns on the rocks, and he could see everything with incredible clarity. It was like he was seeing the world for the first time.
Deep down in the earth, in that damp, dark cave, Edmund saw various colors. He tried to make sense of them. He also saw some numbers in the corner of his vision. Those numbers were very small in size and blurred. If he focused and started to analyze the wall in front of him and think, they became clear again. He realized these were some form of statistics or data about the external world. Being scientifically minded, he began an analysis of the numbers.
He realized that as he looked at the wall and thought about it, he got the distance between him and the wall. He also got the depth he was at compared to local surface ground level. The next numbers he made out seemed to be about the air, but he couldn't quite tell what they denoted. There were still some more numbers, and they were even colored, but he couldn't make any sense of them. He gave up, leaving it for later.
Then he again focused on the slight tint of color that he could perceive, which seemed to be like on a different layer to reality. He also concluded that his vision was layered, and as he tried to focus, he could will it to be more focused on a specific layer. He could only see two layers right now, one was reality, the other was unknown. As he studied the new layer, he realized it contained a faint hazy fog that was slowly moving around flowing through things. The fog was a slight silvery white. He guessed that this may correspond to maybe cosmic energy. Without any evidence, he was only able to guess this much. For now, he called this "Energy Vision."
After barely coming to terms with his enhanced vision, Edmund mustered the courage to set his body in motion. However, as he attempted to rise, a sudden loss of control sent him careening into the cavern wall. The rocks crumbled under the impact, but he remained unharmed. It became evident that his physical form had undergone substantial changes, demanding a patient relearning of even the most basic movements. With unwavering focus, he exerted the minimum force necessary, gradually acquainting himself with the sensations of manipulating his limbs. Through dedicated practice, walking became more fluid, and he regained much of the motor proficiency expected of an adult human.
Having spent a considerable duration within the confines of the dark cave, Edmund resolved to ascend to the surface. The return journey proved surprisingly uneventful, as he effortlessly leaped across vast distances, easily bridging the gap between the depths and the ruins of Eldoria. With each step, a surreal realization settled in—he was no longer the frail scholar, but a being veiled in mystery and endowed with awe-inspiring transcendence.
In the following days, Edmund devoted his time to further acclimating himself to his transformed physique, but there was still no headway regarding the tutorial quest completion status. Unable to figure out what he was missing, he decided to set it aside for now and focus on exploring the ruins and retracing his previous steps. His next objective loomed ahead: a meticulous analysis of the wreckage, seeking clues that might unravel the enigma of the alien beings who had invaded this land centuries ago.
Edmund's gaze fixated on the massive crater that lay before him, its ominous presence a constant reminder of the enigmatic extraterrestrial beings that had once descended upon his world. Determined to unearth their secrets, he resolved to begin his alien search right at this very spot.
Leaving no stone unturned, Edmund channeled his vast array of powers into a different kind of excavation. With his archaeological expertise serving as his guide, he discarded the conventional tools of the trade and relied solely on his superhuman abilities.
As he set foot on the site, he focused his heightened perception, keenly aware of every subtle shift in the earth beneath him. With precision and finesse, he employed his strength to effortlessly dig deep into the ground, the soil parting effortlessly before him. What once required days of laborious digging was now accomplished in mere moments, as his transcendent abilities allowed him to reshape the landscape with unparalleled ease.
The layers of earth unveiled nothing eye catching for the most part. Edmund's acute senses discerned the slightest variations in color and texture, enabling him to distinguish the fragments that held significance in his quest for the truth.
As he delicately excavated the site, his knowledge of archaeological techniques seamlessly intertwined with his supernatural gifts. Suddenly, there was a change in his tutorial quest status.
Tutorial Quest:
Title: Grasping Your Powers
Status: Active
Description: Learn to control and harness your newfound cosmic abilities.
Progress: Mind - body synchronisation (26%)
As he read the update in quest progress, he finally realised the reason why it was still incomplete. As he had evolved and changed too quickly, his body and mind were not in sync. It seemed like being able to move was just a small part, he needed more time to get used to his new life. This was well within his expectations as he had already hypothesized something similar initially but did not make a conclusion due to lack of evidence. Well, now with the help of the system he could atleast validate that hypothesis.
As he moved on, his trained eye conducted stratigraphy which is basically the study of the layers or strata of soil and sediment in archaeological sites. He used it to understand the chronological order of different deposits and artifacts, as well as the processes of formation and deposition at a site. The pieces began to fit together like a puzzle, revealing glimpses of the alien presence that had once altered the course of history. At last after essentially confirming his rendition of the hypothetical events, he decided to focus on the main attractions - pieces of alien technology. As he collected various bits and pieced them together, something akin to a mining robot began to take shape. Combining this with the scant visions he experienced while contracting Noah, he could conclude that this was reminiscent of the mining robots that the aliens used. Now, the next part was tricky. He needed to figure out a way to operate or at the very least turn on this piece of alien technology.