Max's brain seemed to short-circuit at that revelation. He blinked several times, trying to process what Harry had just said. "Two... essences?" he repeated slowly, as if the words were foreign to him.
Harry nodded enthusiastically, his grin threatening to split his face. "That's right! I got an F-rank Fool essence as my second essence... and as for my first and real essence..."
"It's called the Unyielding Enigma. Its rank shows X, which probably means it's unranked, but I have a feeling it's even more powerful than an S-rank!"
Max blinked, still digesting Harry's words. "Unyielding Enigma" he echoed, clearly baffled. "An X rank? More powerful than S rank?"
Seeing the confusion still lingering on Max's face, Harry chuckled. "Don't worry, it's a lot to take in. But let's focus on you first. I'm sure your essence isn't just F-rank, is it? You have something you want to say too."
Max hesitated, the memory of his awakening still vivid in his mind. He nodded slowly, deciding to share what he had experienced. "When my awakening started, I saw these strange messages. They were unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of."
Harry leaned in, his expression attentive and serious now. "Go on," he encouraged.
Max took a deep breath, recalling the strange sequence of events. "First, I felt this... surge, like a flood of energy rushing through me. Then, the messages appeared in front of my eyes."
Harry nodded, listening intently. "What did they say?"
Max recounted the messages he saw, which were mostly warnings.
Harry's eyes widened slightly as he listened, but he remained silent, letting Max continue.
"The last message," Max said, his voice lowering as he remembered, "was the most confusing. It said, 'You are the lone bearer of the Essence of the Lost, the Forbidden Traveler.' After that, everything just... stopped. I didn't feel anything else, and then they told me I was an F-rank Traveler."
Harry nodded thoughtfully, processing Max's story. "That's... unusual. The Forbidden Traveler and Essence of the Lost... those aren't typical names for essences. And those messages sound like they're from something ancient, something that isn't part of the normal awakening process. I seem to have an idea about what happened."
Max looked at Harry, his confusion still evident but mingled now with curiosity. "What do you think, Harry?"
Harry took a moment, considering everything Max had shared. "It sounds like your awakening wasn't normal at all. I think your essence isn't just an F-rank, but something far more complex. If you are the only bearer of an essence called the Forbidden Traveler, it could mean your powers are hidden or need to be unlocked over time. And it's probably powerful, even more than the S-rank essences. There's the word Forbidden after all."
Max nodded slowly, absorbing Harry's explanation. "So, you're saying there's more to my essence than what I've been told?"
Harry smiled, his expression encouraging. "Exactly. Check your status window and see what it says."
"O-Oh, right, I forgot about that." Max nodded, remembering Harry's advice to check his status whenever messages appear.
"Show Status." Max muttered and his status window appeared on his vision.
Max's breath hitched as he focused on the Essence section of his status window. He knew he had to understand what was happening to him, to make sense of the confusing, surreal messages and Harry's unexpected insights.
He reached out and pressed on the Essence, his fingers trembling slightly with anticipation. The status window shifted, and new information began to materialize before his eyes.
_____ ___ _
Essence Name: Essence of the Lost, Forbidden Traveler
Type: Lost/Forbidden
Rank: X
Description:
"In the shadows of eternity, the Lone Traveler bears the weight of worlds unseen. Your path is shrouded in the fog of forgotten dreams, lost in the echoes of time's unyielding march. A seeker of the forbidden, you tread where none dare follow, carrying the remnants of what once was and what could have been. The chains of destiny bind you no more, yet the cost of your freedom is steep—a mind erased, a soul forever searching.
Your last journey has begun, and the Lost must find what has been taken."
Warning: You are forbidden to tell the words above to anyone. It is both for your and their own safety.
---
Max's eyes widened as he read the cryptic description, a chill running down his spine. He didn't understand all of it, but the words seemed to speak directly to his soul, resonating with a deep sense of loss and purpose. He knew this essence was more than what it seemed—more than just an F-rank. It was a mystery, a puzzle that he needed to solve.
Not to mention the warning at the bottom. So, he couldn't tell the description to Harry? Was it that important and secretive?
'Sigh... Let's continue...'
As he continued to focus, the status window displayed his abilities, each one more intriguing than the last.
---
Essence Abilities:
1. Temporal Echo (Passive):
"The echoes of past selves whisper in the Traveler's mind, offering guidance from paths long forgotten. Memories of ****** subtly influence decisions, granting increased intuition and insight in unfamiliar situations."
2. Chrono Shield (Passive):
"A barrier woven from the threads of time itself, protecting the Traveler from harm by delaying the impact of attacks. Once per encounter, automatically rewinds minor damage to the point of origin, nullifying the harm."
3. Moment's Reprieve (Active):
- Briefly halts the flow of time for all except the Traveler, allowing for decisive action in the blink of an eye. Usable once every hour, the duration increases with mastery."
Cooldown: 1 hour
Duration: 5 seconds
Side Effect: You will experience a severe headache and your vision becomes blurry for a period of time.
4. Echoes of the Past (Active):
- Summons the skills and knowledge of past ******, temporarily granting abilities that the Traveler no longer remembers. The power and precision of these abilities grow with each use, though the outcome is always uncertain.
Cooldown: ?
Duration: ?
Side Effect: Memory and Personality Distortion
5. Temporal Leap (Active):
"Allows the Traveler to momentarily step outside the current flow of time, moving instantaneously to a nearby location. The distance and precision of the leap increase with practice, but overuse risks destabilizing the Traveler's temporal anchor."
Cooldown: 1 hour (Decreases with mastery over the ability)
---
Max stared at the status window, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The abilities were unlike anything he had heard of before, each one tied to the concept of time in a way that seemed both fantastical and dangerous. The passive abilities hinted at hidden memories and unseen protection, while the active ones suggested incredible potential—if only he could unlock and control them. Thankfully, he could get advice from Harry about them. But... Should he trust him...?
He looked over at Harry, who was watching him with a knowing smile, and realized that his worries were not needed and his friend might be right. There was far more to his essence than he had been told, and he had a feeling that this was just the beginning.