Aster stood before his mother's grave, the chill of dawn settling around his body like a shroud. The air was crisp, with each breath visible as a warm fog.
The graveyards silence was slowly broken by the sweet melodies of birds chirping, their gentle trills echoing through the stillness.
It felt.....peaceful.
" Phooo! " Aster exhaled warmly into his black leather-gloved hands, rubbing them against each other vigorously, so as to stop them from shivering and ward off the chill.
Aster's gaze fell upon the grey headstone, the carved inscription reading ' Beloved Mother ' in an elegant script.
He sat beside the grave, his head leaning onto one corner of the headstone, as if he was leaning on his Mom's shoulder.
" Morning, Mom. " he whispered as he closed his eyes and imagined his Mom.
After a quiet moment, he stood, collecting his thoughts as the cold seeped into his bones.
Behind him, a black pouch, the length of his arm, was attached to his back. Unfastening it, Aster pulled out the obsidian-black sword adorned with light purple engravings - the one he had bought yesterday.
Cradling the sword in his right hand, Aster held it close to his heart, his eyes locked onto the headstone.
" It's finally starting, Mom. I have received a status, and after clearing the tutorial dungeon, I'll be a full-fldged Awakened. Wish me luck. "
A gentle smile crossed Aster's lips ad he returned the sword to it's pouch and reattached it to his back.
" Goodbye, Mom. The next time I see you, I promise I'll be an Awakened. "
With a quiet exhale, Aster turned and walked away.
*****
" Hmm, I guess it's time. "
Aster exhaled, his finger cradling his chin thoughtfully. Before his eyes a blue rectangular-shaped interface hovered in mid-air.
" Congratulations on receiving a Status, Player Aster. Would you like to go through the tutorial dungeon? " It read.
" Of course I'd like to, but have I really prepared enough? "
Aster looked upto the roof and wondered.
' Should I really do it? Am I powerful enough to overcome both my illness and the monsters? ' He thought to himself.
He looked down upon the blue interface once again, determined.
He looked to his left, a wooden table. Resting on the table was a black backpack, full of food and water, the black ball his mother had given him, and a change of clothes.
Beside the black backpack, Aster's obsidian sword lay waiting. ' Well, hell if I don't, hell if I will. Doesn't matter, let's just do it. '
Aster grabbed the padded straps of his backpack, shouldering the backpack. He picked up his obsidian sword, it's familiar weight settling in his right hand.
" Congratulations on receiving a Status, Player Aster. Would you like to go through the tutorial dungeon?
YES/NO "
Aster's left hand hovered over the options before his finger pressed the 'YES' button.
" Confirmed. Transporting Player Aster to tutorial dungeon. "
Aster's eyesight blurred, instinctively making him close his eyes.
*whooosh*
A smooth, swift sound like a gust of wind impacted Aster's ears.
He opened his eyes, flabbergasted at the sight.
It was dark.
Aster stood within a stark, torch-lit chamber, made up entirely out of blackstone.
A step. A step. A step. He walked around the room.
Fine beach sand covered the blackstone floor, softening Aster's footsteps. But when he scraped his foot across the ground, the sand crunched and shifted, It's grains scattering like restless ants.
But Aster was staring in awe at the striking anomaly at the center of the room.
Before him was a large, white plate, integrated onto the floor. A gentle blue glow emanated from it's center, rising like a pillar to the blackstone ceiling. The glowing column pulsed softly, casting an ethereal light across the room.
It had otherworldly-looking text engraved on it.
" Beautiful..." the whisper came out of Aster's mouth automatically.
*zzz*
*zzzz*
Aster felt a faint humming vibration emanating from his backpack, catching him off guard.
" What the hell? Is that from my backpack?"
Aster took his backpack off, put it on the sandy ground, and unzipped the zipper.
" Hmm? "
In the darkness of the bag, a soft blue glow seeped from beneath his clothes, food and water.
His curiosity intensified as he rummaged through the bag, the blue glow getting more and more brighter. He dug in with both his hands, pushing aside the clutter, desperate to uncover the source.
" Woahh...."
Aster was left speechless as his eyes widened in awe.
The round, black ball that was once inert, had burst into radiant life. The triangle etched onto it's surface pulsed with an intense blue glow, mirroring the pillar's light.
He grasped the ball and took it out of the bag.
*step* *step* *step*
He walked towards the translucent pillar of blue of light.
*humm*
He entered it.
" Welcome, Player Aster. Would you like to enter the tutorial dungeon? "
' Wait a second. You're not important right now, dungeon. '
" Hmmm..." Aster's gaze fell upon the white plate, where a perfectly circular hole waited. He hesitated, the glowing black ball cradled in his palm.
" Is this where it goes?.." He asked himself, uncertainty etched in his voice.
He examined the hole once more, reaching to a conclusion.
Taking a deep breath, Aster positioned the ball over the hole. The blue glow and the soft humming were not intensifying more than ever.
" Here goes, " he whispered, releasing the ball, grasping his obsidian sword in his right hand tightly.
It slid into the hole with a soft click, fitting perfectly. The blue glow swelled, enveloped the plate, Aster, and the surrounding blackstone.
" &₹^#&₹#&@ presence confirmed. Automatically entering the dungeon. "
" Sh*t! " A flash of white light whooshed across his eyes as he blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden change.
The Blackstone room had vanished, replaced by the gentle rustle of leaves and birds chirping. He was in a dense forest.
Tall and towering trunks and branches surrounded him, their green leaves rustling softly. The air was alive with the songs of birds and the soft hum of insects.
Aster spun around, disoriented. The white plate and the glowing ball were gone. Leaving him only with his backpack, and his obsidian sword in his hands.
" Where am I? Is this inside the tutorial dungeon " he wondered aloud, his voice barely above a whisper.
" Welcome to the %#@#^><÷ Tutorial Dungeon, Player Aster. The time given to clear this is 5 days. May fate be with you, Oh, Solgaret. "
" What the hell was that? Was the system glitching or something? I'm Aster, not Solgaret. It must be a error or something I guess. Can't predict anything about supernatural anomalies. " Aster shrugged.
" But Mom's black ball....It's almost as if it was meant for that hole..I have seen people reviewing Awakened, but nobody had ever said anything about a ball..." putting his finger upto his chin, he wondered.
" Now that I'm in here, It's actually pretty beautiful. Boss monsters and monsters are usually in the center of the dungeon so, I should start walking right about now...."
Aster grasped his sword with his palm tightly, and started to walk down the dense, lush forest, unknowing of what awaited him.
" Grrrrrr..."