A void.
As far as the eye could see. A chasm, a maw of nothingness, an abyss that swallows all light. A place where time and space cease to be, where the familiar laws of the universe are suspended. It is a silent expanse, devoid of sound, touch, or taste.
The void is a cold, sterile emptiness, a vacuum of the soul. It is a black expanse, infinite and impenetrable, promising nothing, offering nothing. It is a void of hope, of dreams, of life itself.
Yet, within its depths, there is a strange allure, a magnetic pull that draws one in. It is a mystery, an enigma, a final frontier of the human experience. The void is both terrifying and captivating, a paradox of existence.
[Welcome! Congratulations on your successful transportation. Starting aspect assignment].
Some seconds passed
[Failed].
Alister's eyes expanded to the size of saucers. His usual indifference demeanor completely gone.
[Trying again].
[Failed].
The system repeated this for what felt like hours. Then said something unexpected to say the least.
[Trying aspects from other universes].
"What!"
Alister shouted, his eyes widened even more, If they even could.
[Failed].
[Trying again].
[Failed].
[Trying Seraph aspects].
[Successful!]
[Aspect: Seraph Craftsman].
[Aspect is too weak for the user].
[Evolving].
[Successful!]
[Aspect has evolved from Seraph Craftsman to Primordial Craftsman!]
[Congraduation! You have received the aspect of a Primordial Outer God! Receiving Primordial Craftsmans Lineage].
[Successful! Adding Lineage exclusive abilities].
[Successful!]
[Aspect assignment complete].
[Prepare for your venture into the Corrupted Realm, Successor of the Primordial Craftsman].
Alister hands were shaking, he felt in his chest a emotion new to him:
Excitement.
In the span of what not even could have been 3 minutes he went from the youngest son of a legacy clan which was rare all to itself, then to become the successor of a Primordial Outer God. It was way too much information to take in in such a small time.
His hands shook and his heart beated frantically in his chest, his breathing grew heavy as the dawning of what truly just happened settled in his mind.
But nevertheless he had to brace himself for the hardship that awaits him. The harsh climate, the unforgiving terrain, and the hellish Corrupted creature that wanted to eat him alive.
Alister closed his eyes and waited for his teleportation.
Not too long from when he closed his eyes, he opened them again. Once he did he was greeted with the sight of an azure forest. Trees, as far as the eyes can see.
This forest seemed like a place of mystery and wonder, where the tall, dark trees stand like sentinels, their branches reaching towards the sky. Their leaves are a deep, rich azure, shimmering in the sunlight like jewels. The forest floor is carpeted in fallen leaves, creating a soft, cushioned surface to walk on. The air is filled with the scent of dew and the rustling of leaves, the forest seems to hum with a life of its own.
The forest is a place where you can feel lost in thought, where the cares of the world seem to melt away. It is a place of peace and tranquility, a place where you can connect with nature and find your own inner peace.
Alister slaps himself across the face, remembering that this place is the Corrupted Realm. He looks around to assess his surroundings and situation. To his surprise there were a handful of people here. To make matters worse for Alister, there were much more girls than guys. Twelve girls and three boys, including himself.
Alister is what you would call…socially awkward. He didn't really conversate with the opposite gender, only his Mother, Sisters and Maids from time to time.
Should I just leave, I mean who will stop me? I think it would be best to hide my aspect anyway.
As if to contradict his thought, a gentle yet firm voice spoke up:
"Everyone gather around, let's assess the situation, check the supplies the system gave us and put up a proper defense for Corrupted attacks."
She spoke in a confident tone of voice, befitting a leader.
The confident girl has warm, sun-kissed skin that carries a subtle golden glow, as if she's spent countless days under the open sky, despite it being winter on earth. Her hair is short, a rich chestnut brown, with soft, straight hair that catches the light, revealing hints of auburn in the sun. Her eyes are a vibrant green, reminiscent of fresh spring leaves, with flecks of gold around the irises that shimmered in the sun. Her features are delicate yet defined, with a gentle curve to her lips and a nose that has a slight upturn at the end, giving her an air of youthful curiosity. There's a lively energy in her gaze, and a subtle hint of freckles scattered across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, adding to her earthy, natural beauty.
"My name is Olivia Emberstone of the Emberstone legacy clan."
Alister's eyebrows raised a bit, recognizing the name. Emberstone, a clan that was blessed by one of the six major gods: Emberlyn, goddess over fire and rebirth.
Alister wasn't the only one with surprise on his face, others look relieved to have such an ally. While looking through Alister thought he could see the two other boys blush.
He scoffs and summons his system's screen and looks at his status while Olivia looks at everyone's inventory.
The words on the systems seem to intrigue him.
***
Name: Alister Aetherbound.
Alias: —
Rank: Dormant.
Essence Core: 1 Core [0/3000].
Inventory: [Trusty Sword], [Leather Chestpiece], [Leather Bracers], [Leather Greaves], [Bread 5x], [Water Canteen 2x].
Remnants: —
Aspect Rank: [???]
Aspect: [Primordial Craftsman].
Abilitiess: [Novice Crafter], [Intuitive Design], [Primitive Alchemy].
Aspect Description: [Created by the chaos of the beginning energies of the worlds, the primordial, Ketharoth was created. His passion for crafting burned as hot as all the stars.]
Lineage: [Primordial Craftsman].
Lineage Abilities: [Rapid Crafting], [Rudimentary Enchanting], [Weapon Repairer], [Essences Connection].
Time Remaining: [2190 hours].
People Remaining: [50,000].
Before Alister could read more into his abilities and Lineage abilities, Olivia stood in front of him.
"What is it?'
Alister said curiously.
"What's in your inventory?"
Olivia spoke with a confident tone. Her eyes pierced him, like how his Mother does. As if seeing into his soul.
"Oh, one sword, some leather armor, five pieces of bread and two water canteens".
She nodded and mentally jotted it down. After talking to Alister she walked to the front of the group and spoke:
"Ok people, I have assessed that all of you have armor and a weapon, as well as the knowledge of how to work the system, equip your armor and weapons".
Alister closes his eyes and thinks of dawning the armor. The armor materializes on his body and the sword does the same into his hand. He opened his eyes, not surprised for some reason. The armor was pretty basic, but what did stand apart was his sword. It was nothing amazing, but it had a bit more detail.
Alister thought nothing of it and looked at the others to see if he could determine anything about their aspects from their gear. The boys were tank types, due to the huge shields and axes. Three girls had bows, so archers. Two girls with maces but in white clothing, healers. Two girls with twin daggers each, assassins. But five girls including Olivia held swords, swordswomen. But Olivia's sword held more detail, not as much as Alister's but enough to wonder why.
"We have to move and find shelter before encountering a Corrupted ."
Olivia spoke
"You two."
She pointed to the two boys, which they perked up in surprise too.
"You two in the front, shields up. Behind them will be the four swordswomen. Behind them the healers and assassins. Behind them will be me and him."
She points to Alister, to his surprise. But now he knew he wasn't the only one that recognized that detailed swords had a bigger meaning behind them, as for what the bigger difference was, still lies unknown. But that gave Alister information, to be wary of Olivia.
Olivia continued.
"Archers at the rear watching behind us."
Everyone quickly scrambled to their positions. But to put it kindly, if a Corrupted were to attack, all of them would die.
But nevertheless they marched at a semi-respectful pace.
Although something seemed to bother Alister, Olivia kept stealing glances at him.
Eventually after about thirty minutes of walking, Alister finally spoke:
"If you have something to ask me then go ahead, because your glances are starting to make me uncomfortable."
"No I have nothing to ask, just thinking that your hair is a weird color, your eyes too.."
Olivia spoke in a quiet tone, fearing that if she talked too loudly she would draw Corrupted to the group.
"Helluva first impression, lady Olivia Emberstone."
Alister talked in a condescending tone.
They stopped talking for the time being. Alister took this time to view his abilities. He opens up his system status window, focusing on the abilities. Knowing that this may take a while.
***
Abilities: [Novice Crafter].
Abilities Description: [The User has the ability to craft many items using essence cores, by combining the Users own essences and the essences from essences cores an item can be made. But the User is still a novice and essence is hard to control, don't expect easy times].
Abilities: [Intrusive Design].
Abilities Description: [The User seems to possess an almost instinctive understanding of weapon and armor design, allowing them to craft items that are well-balanced and highly functional. However, they have not yet mastered the art of aesthetics, and their creations tend to be somewhat utilitarian in appearance].
Abilities: [Primitive Alchemy].
Abilities Description: [The User has a rudimentary understanding of alchemical processes, allowing them to create basic concoctions to aid in their craft. This might include mixtures that reduce metal fatigue, improve the flow of molten ore, or provide temporary resistance to the heat of the forge].
Lineage Abilities: [Rapid Crafting].
Lineage Abilities Description: [The User can produce sturdy weapons and armor at a remarkable pace, creating functional pieces in a fraction of the time it would take a regular blacksmith. Yet, their haste means the items still lack some of the refinement and attention to detail of a more experienced craftsperson].
Lineage Abilities: [Rudimentary Enchanting].
Lineage Abilities Description: [The User can apply enchantments to their creations, such as increasing the durability of a weapon or tool, or adding a additional status effect. However, the User enchanting abilities are still quite limited in power and scope].
Lineage Abilities: [Weapon Repairer].
Lineage Abilities Description: [Provides the User the ability to quickly repair minor damage to objects or tools, making them functional again, The User takes an essence core into his mouth and breaks it, releasing the essence from the core into the Users essence channels, then into the weapon, repairing it].
Lineage Abilities: [Essence Connection].
Lineage Abilities Description: [The User has a natural connection to essence, by placing a essences core in his hand and focusing on the core, the User can see what type and rank the Corrupted is. As well as what element is most compatible with, by gaining a proper connection with the core].
Hmph, I really luck out, making, enchanting and repairing. Now all I need is to get my hands on some essence cores. Which won't be easy, I've never killed anything a day in my life. Plus, I'm surrounded by weirdos.
Alister's thoughts ran wild, thinking of ways he could potentially get his hands on an essence core, and to add insult to injury he doesn't even know how to properly control his own essence. What a dilemma he found himself in.
But they kept on marching, until something caught Alister's eye. A colossal, fallen tree lies on its side, its massive trunk hollowed out like a cavern. Adorned with its azure leaves and dark wood. The tree is roughly 200 feet tall and 40 feet wide give or take, and it's dark bark and wood are cracked and weathered. Azure leaves sprout from the trunk it fell from, adding a touch of vibrant color to the scene. The hollowed-out interior of the tree is dark and mysterious.
Alister nudges Olivia with his elbow.
"What is it?"
She asked curiously.
Alister points to the fallen tree.
"Shelter."
Alister said flatly
Olivia nods and tells everyone to make way for the fallen tree.
Alister did have to give it to her, she was a good leader. Not only did she have good looks, she had charisma, confidence and he bet she had the skills to back it up.
Once they reached the fallen tree, the men carrying the shields recalled them back into their inventory. They seemed a little out of breath, but nothing severe.
Did the aspect assignment also increase their stamina and strength? I've read many things about the system and the Corrupted Realm, as well as the Corrupted themself, but physical alteration is new.
Another thing caught Alisters eye in the middle of his thinking, scratch marks on the inside of the tree. Pretty large ones at that, territorial markings. Only a Corrupted with some semblance of intelligence, so only an awakened Corrupted or higher would fit the bill.
"Olivia, can you come over here and look at this?"
Alister's voice spoke in a loud enough voice so that all eyes were on him.
Olivia walked over to him and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could Alister pointed to the scratches in the tree with his sword.
"Not good, those right there are territory markers, meaning we are in some Corrupted house. A smart one at that, awakened or above. So there's two options here: 1. Leave and find a new place or 2. Stand our ground and fight it."
Alister stated.
Olivia takes some time and finally lets out a long sigh.
"We'll fight."