To his amazement, the pebbles began to quiver, and one by one, they slowly detached from the stack, hovering in mid-air. Tom watched in awe as they maintained a slight distance from each other, no longer bound by the gravitational force that had held them together. It was a small success, but it was progress.
After a few seconds, the pebbles gently descended to the ground, still keeping a distance between them. Tom's mind raced with newfound excitement, and he thought, 'So, this is how it works... fascinating.' Having stumbled upon a clue about how his Astralum of deconstruction functioned, Tom was eager to conduct another test of a similar nature.
He spotted a tangled mass of interlocked branches from a fallen tree nearby and decided to use it for his experiment. Drawing upon the Etherium as the source of energy for his Astralum, Tom took a deep breath. He envisioned the branches smoothly separating from each other, much like a puzzle being disassembled piece by piece. With intense concentration, he activated his power, and to his delight, the branches began to untangle and create space between them.
'Now I see why it's called deconstruction. From what I understand, it allows me to separate different parts of something and obtain them individually... truly fascinating,'
Tom marveled at the wonders of his deconstruction Astralum. It was a power unlike any other he had heard of, but considering the vast array of Astralums in existence, he realized there were still many unexplored powers waiting to be discovered.
After comprehending the mechanics of his deconstruction astralum, Tom's curiosity led him to wonder if he could combine the powers of both his astralums. Eager to experiment, he set out to test his abilities in tandem.
In the midst of the tranquil clearing, Tom took a deep breath, his focus intent on the intertwining ethereal forces within him. As he delved into the ethereal currents of etherium, he felt the distinct energies of each Astralum surging within him. With a surge of determination, he attempted to channel both his deconstruction and time-manipulation astralums simultaneously.
However, his first few attempts resulted in failure. The consumption of etherium was far more voracious than he had anticipated, rapidly draining his core's reserves in mere seconds. Before he could even grasp a semblance of control, his energy was entirely depleted, leaving him frustrated and out of breath.
Tom's brow furrowed in determination as he refused to relent. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he recalibrated his approach. The realization dawned on him that attempting to wield both powers simultaneously was an exercise in futility due to the astronomical etherium cost.
With renewed determination, he decided to take a different tack. Instead of trying to harness both astralums concurrently, he resolved to employ them in quick succession. It was a compromise, but a necessary one.
For this endeavor, he seized a fallen leaf from a nearby tree, employing it as a makeshift vessel. He carefully bundled a cluster of stones onto the leaf, ensuring their secure placement. With a purposeful flick, he launched the leaf into the air, its descent aimed toward him. As the leaf began its return journey, Tom's plan was set into motion.
He enacted his time manipulation Astralum, slowing the leaf's descent by a fraction of a second. Swiftly, his fingers brushed against the leaf, deactivating his time manipulation and activating his deconstruction power. The intent was to separate the stones from the leaf in mid-air. However, in the rapid exchange of powers, Tom's timing faltered, causing an unfortunate delay in activating his deconstruction Astralum. The consequence was clear: the leaf and its clustered cargo descended to the ground without his deconstruction power taking effect.
Unperturbed, Tom prepared for another attempt. This time, he reversed the sequence, hoping to capitalize on a different timing strategy. As he launched the leaf with its stony payload once more, he primed his deconstruction power to be the initial force at play. The concept was to dismantle the leaf and its contents, freeing the stones before engaging his time manipulation to slow them down.
As the leaf descended in his direction, Tom's deconstruction power engaged with precision. The leaf's fibers strained, and the stones were released. With newfound determination, he swiftly transitioned, activating his time manipulation Astralum. Yet, the complexities of channeling both powers seamlessly still eluded him. The leaf and stones landed on the ground before his time manipulation power could decelerate their motion.
In both attempts, the essence of Tom's struggle was vividly demonstrated: the delicate balance between swift execution and synchronization of powers. Despite his tenacity, the intricacies of wielding his Astralums in rapid succession remained a challenge, a testament to the intricate nature of mastering these potent abilities.
***
The sun was setting, and Tom knew it was time to return to his cave. He had successfully tested his new abilities and made significant progress. Without hesitation, he started on his way back, mindful of the darkness that enveloped the forest at night.
As he retraced his steps, the same question echoed in his mind: 'Why is this forest so eerily calm?' Not a single animal had crossed his path, and he began to wonder if any creatures lived in this mystical place.
As he was about to enter the cave, something terrifying occurred, an incident that would forever be etched in his memory. He sensed an aura of malevolence surrounding him—not just him, but the entire forest.
The aura was the most potent he had ever felt; The sensation was overwhelming, even Vista, the leader of one of the three most powerful guilds in his city, didn't radiate such a powerful aura. Vista's aura paled in comparison to what he felt now; it was as if his heart had been gripped, and cold sweat drenched his back.
This aura felt suffocating, and his heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible force. Beads of cold sweat formed on his back, and he felt paralyzed, unable to move.
He felt paralyzed with fear, a fear he had never experienced before, not even during the chaos in the café when Jason and his comrades attacked him and his friends. Tom's instincts screamed at him to flee, to get as far away as possible from this aura.
Tom gritted his teeth, trying to overcome the terror that threatened to consume him. Slowly, he attempted to move forward, but before his foot could even budge, another incident occurred.
A ferocious roar erupted through the forest, its deafening sound reverberating far and wide. It was a roar so mighty that it made the trees tremble, as if in response to an ancient force. The aura of malevolence intensified, and Tom's primal instinct screamed at him to flee from this overwhelming danger.
"ROOAAR!"
Just as tom was wondering where this roar was coming from, another incident emerged yet again, the forest, which had been eerily silent since his arrival, now resounded with a cacophony of sounds. Tom couldn't recognize most of the cries, but the ones he did recognize only deepened his anxiety. He distinguished howls of wolves, roars of tigers, and even the mighty cries of lions.
The first roar subsided after a few seconds, but the other cries continued for several minutes before eventually ceasing. Tom still stood in front of the cave, his face contorted with fear. As the cries faded away, his thoughts finally resurfaced, and he tried to process what had just transpired. Yet, the first coherent thought that crossed his mind was,
'My God... where have I landed?'