Arino felt his eyes open, like he was awakening from a dream, but what sat in front of him was not the sky he had hit the ground facing before succumbing to the spell. Instead, a strange tapestry of stars and silvery strings of light between them encompassed his entire field of view. It seemed endless, as eternal as time itself.
It was such a strange sight to see, especially so soon after preparing himself to die or worse, become some defiled abomination, that he almost thought he had fallen to the trial.
[Prepare for Appraisal…]
Arino's focus snapped back like a bowstring, and the first worry he had was what if his performance was subpar? Perhaps he had been meant to do something else, or perhaps he was meant to do nothing but follow fate? It didn't matter which result he expected however, as the spell was ready to speak.
The first whisper was very unexpected.
[You have received a Memory: Lotus Stigmata]
'A memory of an Awakened Terror must be powerful!'
Arino had originally hoped to receive a weapon, but some kind of tool, or buffing item might be more helpful upon his return to Acoria. Before he could ponder it any longer, another whisper began.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[A vile wanderer strayed too far from home. Vile caves and beasts alike failed to destroy him. A cursed follower of Destiny asked for mercy he did not recieve. A demonic temple fell. The Sacred spirit within was freed, and vile blood churned.]
[You have defeated a dormant beast: Shimmering Silvershell.]
[You have defeated an awakened terror: Silver Lotus.]
[You have received a Spirit's blessing.]
[You have achieved the impossible.]
[Final appraisal: magnificent. Your will is forged like the mightiest of steel.]
Arino was awestruck by the words he heard, not realizing the magnitude of his actions in the nightmare. The Wanderer he seemed to have taken over may have even fallen to the Silvershell, especially if he hadn't been trained similarly to Acorian youths. He wondered if this meant some kind of reward or increased reward, and his inquiry was answered.
[Dreamer Arino, receive your boon!]
His title had changed unexpectedly, why was he now a dreamer?
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Forged Usurper.]
The whisper fell on him like a hammer, his heart filled with murmurs of hope. Of Acoria, only the mightiest of warrior's had true names, and the earlier yours was awakened in your ascension, the higher you could rise. As a dormant, or a dreamer as the Spell called him, who knows how high he could climb? Perhaps he could grow into a savior of his people, taking back the world the Elder's say was once theirs.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
He barely thought yes before it continued,
[Dormant Aspect Lost Wanderer is evolving…]
[New Aspect acquired.]
His hopes rose as he listened carefully.
[Aspect Rank: Divine]
Arino felt his jaw go numb with shock.
[Aspect Name: Wandering Spirit .]
Despite his expectations being already shattered, they were thoroughly pulverized. He, a barely 16 year old boy, conquered the trial of an untested path to power and received both a True Name and a divine aspect. His dreams of someday being the Awakened to pull his people from this hell were seeming very possible now, as long as he grasps his fate.
He quickly summoned the runes of his aspect as he had before, confirming nothing of what he had just heard was imagined.
[Aspect Description: Spirit's are not born to wander, and yet a strangely persistent wanderer you are, forged by your journey and by your will. May your journey take you somewhere.]
[Innate Ability: Forlorn Spirit]
[Ability Description: Your body is not your being.]
It seemed his aspect wasn't divine because of some unbeatable power of sorts, but because of some latent potential. The mysterious innate ability didn't make him anymore hopeful for a combat ability
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Arino felt a strange energy not unlike the warmth of the soul fruit permeate his being, filling him with a gentle warmth. His body was tearing apart under the heat, down to the very bones shattering, and yet there was no pain. His body was reforming as a superior version of itself.
It was a comprehensive change, nothing left untouched. Even his hair seemed stronger now than it was before. His soul slowly ceased to burn with energy, and calm returned fully to him. The strange energy that now resided in him was strangely out of reach.
As his eyes refocused, his Soul Sea reached them. There was a mildly unbearable heat emanating from what seemed to an infant Sun, brimming with infernal flame. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, with two orbs of white that were strangely larger than his core.
The spell continued it's whisper, unperturbed by his strange soul unlike him.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
[Aspect Ability Name: Soul Forge.]
[Your soul is not as restrained as most are.]
A utility or perhaps unique ability was exactly what he wanted to start with, a powerful ability was useless if he had no idea how to use it effectively. Plenty of youths back home had died because they relied too much on their offensive aspect abilities.
[All Power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: Spiritual Appetite.]
[Your soul is constantly shrinking, devouring itself.]
Arino's very heart seemed to hit the ground in the terror of the relevation.
Was he simply going to cease to be at some point?