Chapter Four: Moment of Realization (1)
Dusken and Kyle travelled West for a very long time, facing the horrors that the desert had to offer.
In this journey, Dusken discovered and experienced the reality of life. Though no more creatures attacked them, it didn't mean they were unscathed.
The desert had things far worse than facing a level one creature - sandstorms, scorching heat that affected their psyche, and more.
Sometimes Dusken even felt like giving up, as no matter how much distance they covered, the desert was endless.
'Am I going in the right direction?' at a time, Dusken questioned himself in his mind. But when he had summoned the scroll once again, it was still pointing in the direction they went.
No other creatures attacked them, but the desert's hostile environment dealt more damage than any creature could.
Time slowly passed, and as the sun began to set, all they saw was the same endless expanse of desert.
'Now I understand why it's called Neverending,'
Dusken trudged across the desert, his head hung low, as intense pain wracked his senses from sweat rolling over his injuries.
'Thirsty, I'm thirsty,' he thought, swallowing dried saliva. The glaring sun was beginning to set, and thus, the suffocating heat had reduced. But still, his throat was dried, and he was dying of thirst.
His steps faltered as his thirst, coupled with the injuries he'd received, weighed heavily on him.
He heard Kyle's footsteps stop, which made him wonder why.
"D-Dusk," the voice of Kyle sounded in the area. He lifted his head and stared at Kyle with furrowed eyebrows. Kyle pointed ahead. "Look, water."
Those seemingly ordinary two words made Dusken survey the surroundings with fierce intensity. His eyes locked onto a small pond in the distance, its clear liquid glistening under the sunlight.
*Gulp*
Dusken gulped subconsciously before breaking into a sprint. He reached the pond quickly and drank a mouthful of water.
The cold, satisfying liquid, which seemed unaffected by the steaming sun above, flowed down his throat, and a tint of life finally reflected on Dusken's face.
Kyle also drank greedily, like a dehydrated beast - not that Dusken was any different.
After drinking enough water to slightly bloat their bellies, they lay on the barren desert ground, watching the sun slowly vanish beyond the horizon.
Dusken felt something deep within him stir as a cold sensation crept up his spine, making him feel uncomfortable, as though something was calling out to him.
He watched as the last rays of sunlight vanished and night descended.
Dusken discovered something shocking that immediately made him stand up in a quick motion like he had been electrocuted.
This action of his, instantly alarmed Kyle who also stood up and scrutinised the area for any potential danger.
"What's wrong, Dusk?" Kyle asked with a wary expression on his face.
Dusken completely ignored Kyle as he studied the area like a child, seeing the world for the first time.
With night came darkness and shadows that shrouded the surroundings, which even the moon's radiance couldn't fully disperse. The darkness should have blinded him or at least limited his vision, but to Dusken's surprise, his gaze penetrated it all.
He could see clearly in the dark, as though it was broad daylight. He could faintly sense the shadows of him and Kyle, subtle reactions from them as they moved.
His perception of the darkness was enhanced greatly; he could sense the cold breeze ahead, and all this info swarmed into his mind, making him almost stumble from overload.
"W-wow," Dusken blurted out with an incredulous expression on his face. "Now I understand what it meant." He kept on murmuring to himself as Kyle stared at him with confusion written on his face.
Dusken instantly summoned his scroll script:
Name: Dusken
Innate Name: -
Rank: Seeker
Level: 0
Spell Cards: -
Scrolls: 1
Material Cards: -
Talent: Abyssal Star (locked)
Side abilities: [Child Of the Abyss]
Innate abilities: -
Legacy: None
He squinted and commanded the scroll to show the description of his side ability.
Side ability: [Child Of the Abyss]
Side ability description: Your soul bears the vestige of the abyss. Thus, the abyss and all its related entities see you as their child.
'All related entities' Dusken thought as inspiration flashed in his eyes. Darkness was in the abyss, but he didn't know about shadows, and the description said all related entities of the abyss saw him as their child.
This meant that darkness, as well as shadows, were both entities of the abyss since they allowed him to peer through them.
This side ability was a passive one since it didn't expend his mental energy for it to work, and he also felt like he could subtly ask the darkness for something through his mind, like to move away or come closer, and they would heed his call, simply because he was their child.
But this didn't work all the time, because when he had asked the darkness to move away so that the night wouldn't be dark anymore, they didn't answer him.
Although he was their child, they would not heed his every command, just like a mother would not heed her child's every request all the time.
'Maybe this isn't all; after all, the description said all entities of the abyss see me as their child. Doesn't that mean there's more undiscovered potential for this side ability? As long as I find other entities of the abyss, they'll be mine to control.'
A laugh suddenly rang out as Dusken clapped in pure happiness. Though this side ability wasn't as grand as controlling heat or bursting through the earth, it was still a unique one that shouldn't be underestimated, and it had advantages if used properly.
Kyle stared at Dusken's odd behavior, wrinkling his nose in obvious dissatisfaction at being neglected by Dusken.
But Dusken didn't care, he kept on laughing like a madman.
His laughter echoed throughout the silent night. He was truly happy - perhaps over-happy - but simply didn't care.
The cold night air drifted in the area as a sudden realisation of something overlooked dawned on him.
Dusken trembled, inhaling deeply while noting it in his mind as everything fell in place. He pointed forward with an incredulous expression as the darkness shifted.