Asher stood still, his raven-black hair waved in contrast to the blue sky. His indifferent blue eyes shimmered, staring at the battlefield ahead.
The air felt scorching hot to breathe; each breath took a toll on him. At that moment, his eyes were darting through the battlefield, trying to find the key that would lead him out of this nightmare.
On the battlefield, the men sure fought valiantly; their eyes showed such bloodlust that he had never seen before. He could vaguely see a man with a blade pierced into his chest; blood ran from his mouth to his chin, dripping to the sand beneath. Yet, the man paid no attention to the pain and ripped apart his opponent into two with his bare hands.
Blood splattered in the air; the winds blew calmly, brushing against their silver and black armor.
Suddenly, a mythical voice echoed through the dimension, across the battlefield, opposite Asher. A dark space crack extended itself in a triangular shape that towered over everyone, making the soldiers look mere ants in contrast. The world instantly lost its hue, replaced by a shadowy darkness that enveloped it.
Asher immediately understood what was happening.
'Reality Gates, huh?' He thought with a beaming expression. Reality Gates were the cracks in the space that led to the greatest battlefield of existence, the bootes void.
Ever since the mythical creatures showcased themselves to the plane of existence, the galaxies changed their structures accordingly. Earth, along with its solar system, was not present at the edge of the bootes void...
'Meaning the moment I enter that gate, I'd return home.' Asher thought in a whisper; the world suddenly felt too easy for him to compete against. All he had to do was to enter the gate.
And with his strength, that should be pretty easy.
Immediately, he closed his eyes, extending his senses deeper into himself; each blood vessel, each nerve cell, everything lay before him.
However, there was no trace of the mythical, mysterious strength he possessed. Asher furrowed his burrows; his left eyebrow started to twitch as he exerted more of his strength.
"No use." Asher muttered under his breath with an annoyed expression. He had already expected the strength to go away somewhat, but the timing couldn't have been worse.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the battlefield ahead; his ribbon was still covering his eyes, but due to some mysterious reason, he could see through it. The world, which felt easy to compete in, suddenly towered above him like a wall.
Without his mystic prowess, he was no different than any other frail teenager, if not worse. Heaving a deep breath, he stood still in silence. His eyes stared at the battlefield calmly, with no sign of any emotions whatsoever.
'If I want to avoid the battlefield, I'd have to traverse a huge distance with no food or water, which is probably a death sentence for me. So, that means...' Asher's expression suddenly darkened; his eyes stared at the battlefield that was filled with viciousness.
His lips suddenly trembled a bit; he had to move through the battlefield in a straight line, slaughtering everyone in his path, which was practically impossible with his physique. Even if he did not consider he had not been malnourished since birth and was skinny, the chances still remained slim, if not zero.
Heaving a sigh with a blink. Gripping his white blade, he brought it closer to his face. Immediately, he placed one of his feet behind while the other stood still ahead.
His eyes suddenly widened with a sharp look; a murderous intent reeked out like oceans befalling the world.
'Lets go.' He thought before bursting forward with tremendous speed. He had to make as few movements as possible in order to preserve his energy. That's why he had his blade to the face; it would only take a couple of fast, practiced motions to kill any opponent.
'If I am strong enough, that is.' He thought before a familiar voice echoed in his head.
[Enter the Reality Gate in order to escape the truest of the worlds and the most lying ambitions.]
Asher's expression remained still; he couldn't care less about the voice at the moment. The battlefield drew closer and closer, and the aroma of blood became visibly intense in the air. The bloodshed became much clearer; the silver and black armored men were truly ferocious; he saw a black armored man with no arms bite off his opponent's head.
'Truly a demon.' Asher thought before focusing on the task ahead. The edge of the battlefield from where he would barge in, the battle was somewhat not as intense in contrast. The men simply clashed with their swords, and their bloodlust was also not as bad as that of the monsters in the middle of the battlefield.
However, just as he ran, he saw something convulse itself in front of him; the air in front of him started to distort, and the space started to bend. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at what had just appeared.
[Awakening complete.]
'What?' Asher thought with a complexity of emotions in his eyes, mostly shock and confusion.
Just as he completed his thought, the text distorted once more before vanishing; instead of in its place, the space bent itself once more as another set of texts showcased themselves.
[The Curse of the Unknown]
[Rank: Weakest of All]
[Marking: Divine.]
[Curse activated: ???]
[Zodiac Mark: Pisces.]
A look of confusion echoed through his face; he knew how to read and write to some extent, but 'Zodiac' and 'Divine' were some strange terms for him.
However, just as he thought that the text had ended, another set of texts appeared; a fiery hue echoed through them that intimidated him.
[Signs: The Ethereal Blade of the Angel Born in Hell, The Voidish Ribbon]
[Essence: Chaotic Space.]
Immediately, Asher felt something course within his blood. The unknown energy that coursed within his blood started to dissolve within him, becoming one with his blood.
Immediately, he realized what was happening.
'Is this... my Essence.' Asher thought that his wistful longing for Essence, which could change his entire life, was right within him.
A laugh found himself through his mouth; his eyes shimmered violently. His heart was clutched in excitement. Each Essence had its own types, being unique in one way or another.
A grin appeared on his face; whatever was the text and the voice, it had just rewarded him with something great.
Immediately, he extended his senses within himself, tracing a hidden prowess beneath that reeked of immense darkness and corruption.
Staring at the battlefield, Asher resisted the urge to immediately use his mysterious prowess. After all, he had to make sure he could slaughter them smoothly.