[Congratulations, you have successfully found the Training room door.]
[You have now access to the training room.]
[The time in this room is the same as the time the tower has 1:24 hours.]
As I saw the system notifications, I opened the door.
As I stepped into the training room, I felt an overwhelming sense of vastness. It stretched out beyond what my eyes could comprehend, an endless expanse of greenery and open sky, like a playground that spanned for miles—ten miles, at least.
The air was fresh, infused with the scent of grass and trees, far different from the sterile, enclosed feeling I expected. This place, though not white and empty as I had imagined, felt alive, vibrant, as if the landscape itself were breathing with me.
The moment my feet touched the ground of the training room, I heard the another system notifcation sound echoing in my mind:
[As you are in the training room, your skills and elements have been unlocked.]
Immediately, I could feel it. The dormant elements within me, sealed for so long, suddenly surged back to life. Each one reignited, their power thrumming in my veins—fire, Ice, Space, Lightning—yet something was different. A new sensation, a fresh presence, as though a hidden part of me had awakened. A new element had emerged, unfamiliar yet instinctively mine.
Curious too see if there are any changes to the mana core as it was told by the system there was a transformation happening. So, I decided to check on it. I walked over to a tree, its bark rough beneath my fingers, and sat down beneath its shade.
I closed my eyes, letting the calm wash over me. Slowly, I felt my consciousness begin to shift, being drawn inward, deeper and deeper until I was no longer aware of the outside world.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in the heart of my inner realm, near the mana core. It hovered before me, vast and powerful, pulsing with energy like a miniature sun. But unlike a normal sun, its light was a radiant purple, vibrant and otherworldly. Yet, there was something off—a change I hadn't noticed before.
The core's bright purple hue was now partially veiled, a dark crystal purple spreading over its surface like a creeping shadow. Its familiar warmth, though still present, now carried an undertone of something darker, deeper—a power not entirely my own.
But I wasn't surprised.
After witnessing the memories of Astharoth, I had a feeling something like this would happen. I had gained the Astharoth mana core, and with it, my own core had been altered. The two had fused—Astharoth's dark, ancient power now mingling with my own essence, forming this unique blend. The black crystal, with its subtle yet undeniable influence, was a direct result of that fusion.
Slowly, I closed my eyes once again, allowing my consciousness to drift away from the core.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the training room. The fresh air greeted me once more, the grass beneath me soft and familiar.
I slowly got up from the ground, my mind clear and focused. As I walked toward an open stretch of land, the grass beneath my feet swayed gently in the breeze, the air quiet around me.
I stopped in the middle of the clearing, the space wide and empty—perfect for what I was about to do. Raising my hand, I concentrated, feeling the flow of mana from deep within me. My mana flowed effortlessly, winding its way through my veins toward my outstretched hand.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then a faint, dark smoke began to swirl in the center of my palm. The energy felt dense, almost tangible as if it were alive. The smoke coiled and twisted, growing darker and thicker by the second until it started to solidify. Slowly, it took shape, forming into a smooth, dark sphere that hovered just above my palm.
The sphere in my hand began to shift, the dark smoke twisting and contorting as if it had a mind of its own. Slowly, it elongated, the smooth surface reshaping into a sleek, pointed form. What had once been a sphere was now a spear, its tip sharp and deadly. I marveled at the transformation for a moment, feeling the weight of it, before I focused again. The dark mana responded instantly, the spear morphing once more, this time into the form of a sword—a long, ominous blade, its edge gleaming with a subtle dark aura.
I gripped the hilt firmly, feeling the immense power contained within it, as if the darkness itself had been forged into steel. The blade pulsed in my hand, humming with energy. I took a single breath, steadying myself, and then swung the sword downward with a swift, decisive motion.
The moment the blade cut through the air, everything changed.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the clearing. The black smoke that had formed the blade exploded outward in all directions, a wave of dark energy ripping through the landscape like an unstoppable force. It wasn't just the sound—it was the raw impact of it. The ground trembled beneath me as the black smoke spread out like a shockwave, its tendrils consuming everything in its path.
The grass, the trees, the very air around me seemed to evaporate, vanishing into nothingness. The vibrant ecosystem that had surrounded me moments before was gone, reduced to a barren, empty space. The energy hadn't just displaced things—it had erased them entirely, leaving no trace of what once existed.
I shifted my gaze to the ground beneath me, where the sword's hilt had once connected to the earth. A deep, dark scar ran from that point, a clean, straight line stretching far into the distance—so far that it disappeared into the horizon. The power of the strike had carved through everything in its path, leaving a mark on the world itself.
I couldn't help but smirk, a surge of satisfaction rising within me. "Well, well, what do we have here?" I muttered to myself, my voice carrying through the stillness. The devastation, the sheer precision of the destruction—it was exhilarating. This was power, the kind I had never felt before, one that could erase everything in its wake with such ease.
A low, almost wicked laugh escaped my lips. "Now this," I said, admiring the lingering trace of my attack, "this is a move worthy of me." The thought of what I could accomplish with such power sent a thrill down my spine.
I clenched my fist, the remnants of the dark energy still humming faintly around me. "I will call this move..." I paused, thinking for a moment, letting the name form naturally in my mind. Then, it came to me, fitting perfectly with the destruction it had wrought.
"Darkness Sword Art: Eclipse Erosion Slash!"