Chapter 15: The Sound from Below
It's time. Finally, the day has come when I'll become victorious over Quatermine. "Ready?"
"Ready"
His signature dash opened up the game. I've been struck by this move so many times, my muscle memory has developed to parry and redirected to somewhere else. As I parry his move, I begin to swing my right arm, gripping my dagger with the force of 20 steamboats. A quick slice to the torso was what I was aiming for, however, he saw through me and parried my attack as well. Parry trades emerged from this battle until I mixed up my combos to with that triple slash move I did the other day. I managed to catch him off guard with that and broke his posture. And with him stunned, I spin around and push-kicked him back. But my agility wasn't enough and he dodged it just in time. I didn't see that. After he dodged, a quick kick to my other leg planted unto the ground was enough to take me out. I fell unto my back and heard something crack. This could be very bad. "Giving up already? Aloysius?"
"Quiet." I slowly straighten myself. Even though I'm scared shitless as to wtf that sound was, I still have to act brave and pull through. I feel my fortitude has potential. Only if I had the right tool I could draw it out...I understand! The right tool to train fortitude is to toughen the FUCK up.
I feel it. I hear it. I know it. I can hear everything now. the air, the pressure, my heartbeat, my breathing. It all draws back to a melody. A Song. Power surges throughout my entire body and my soul feels awakened. Like I've opened my eyes. The sound from below is calling out my name. As this strange power flows around my body, I can feel the gale gather around my fingertips. I take a deep breath and inhale the air. The moisture, particles, atoms and everything in between help fuel this power. I lunge toward him with the power of the gales. It feels like no lunge I've done before. As if I'm gliding towards him on top of the wind and air itself. He was caught off guard again and I took him down in one strike. It seems as though the Deep has Woken.
Chapter 16: Feel It Still
Plot armour saved me. I don't know what that was, but I felt like I was rising in the sky..."Ahh, so you've answered the Deep, huh?" Quatermine said as he was getting up. "I'm assuming you have no idea what just happened, no?"
"Yea, I have no idea why it happened."
"I'll fill you in. What you've just done is 'Powered up'. I know it sounds wack, but it's a real thing. Each time you gain power, you essentially 'go up a level'. The highest-ever record for the number of times you can power up is 20. Some people say they have powered up 23 times, 25 times, or even 60. Though, you'll rarely meet anyone at power 20. On average, most pathfinders can't get past power 15 because they've experienced all this Luminant has to offer. The way to gain power is to keep training. You'll be able to feel it within your soul. The first time you power up, you'll start to hear things. It's not your schizophrenia, it's the Deep calling. You hear it, right?"
"Yea, I can hear things that weren't there before. The sounds from below." What Quatermine said seems exactly to what I feel. After training my attributes enough times, I felt a rush of power flowing through my veins.
"You seem like you're good enough. Enough to at least take on one-star bounties now. Congrats man."
I've completely forgotten about that. I've beaten the instructor in a duel, i can take bounties now! Now that i think of it. Did i just beat the man that had taken down an entire Etrean ship? "Hey, sir? Were you holding back for the duels we had?"
"Possibly."
"I mean, they say that you took down an entire Etrean ship. The Kingdom of Etrea is full of warriors. If I defeated you, does that mean I'm stronger than a ship of Etreans?"
"You can try to take on a ship if you think you're strong enough. I'm not stopping you. You'll be able to see when people are holding back or not when you get stronger yourself."
Even though i feel like Quartermine was holding back, i feel accomplished.
Chapter 17: Voidmother
Now that I feel a little stronger than I was before. I'll go check out that Orb I saw yesterday. If I remember properly, it should just be around the corner. And so it was.
Something about this orb is mesmerising. There looks to be a white heart inside of it, surrounded by a pitch of darkness orbiting and engulfing it. It pulls me towards it. "Wsg lil knife" wtf, this thing can talk?
"Who are you?"
"Oh me, I'm what you call the 'Voidmother' Pretty sick name huh?"
"No no, who are you"
"You deaf in one ear or what? If it makes you feel any better, I am whatever is around you right now. Everyone like you experiences this dream except just a little differently. What brings you here, knife?"
"I...I want to be strong, take down Goldency, and save my people. And maybe get some bitches along the way"
"I see, I can help you, knife. You humans are real greedy yk? Though I can't grant you any of my power, I can depart you. It seems like this is the first time you've had an interaction with me. You do know that if I send you off then there is no coming back, to what your life was before."
I pause for a moment to have a quick reflection. The shifts I had worked in Lance Leshi's restaurant, the books I've read at the library, Innkeeper Ken and the guards. Then i remembered that this was all a dream. It's not like I'm actually going to lose them all, I'll probably just wake up.
"I wish for departure"
"Nw I gotchu, dull knife"