Nova shook his head slightly, snapping himself out of his previous state of disbelief and he reached out his arm and grasped the staff.
His eyes lit up slightly purple as a surge of energy coursed through him. The weapon felt like an extension of his own being, its power resonating with his mana.
He could feel the runes from the staff, working in harmony with the obsidian, amplifying his magic and offering a sense of stability he had not realized he needed before, it felt as though he could finally move forward from being stuck, ever since he came to Etarion.
[Nightshade staff obtained.]
[Weapon count: 1]
[Abilities: Amplify abilities, adaptability.]
[Special Skill: Mana Steal- Steals a portion no more than 10% of enemy mana and heals a portion of damage taken by a spell.]
"It's… perfect," Nova said, his voice filled with awe as he stared at the staff.
Sorev let out a satisfied grunt at the young man's acknowledgement of his work, as he crossed his arms before his chest, studying the way the staff resonated with Nova, as if it was meant to be within his grasp.
"Aye, lad, of course it is. I don't make anything less than perfect, the staff is made to grow with its rightful user, as your mana grows and your abilities get stronger, so will the staff, it will naturally adapt to your liking, each weapon made by me carries a mark of its owner, if it was ever to be stolen that could be used as a proof of identity, do you understand?" Sorev asked.
Nova nodded, he understood the necessity of the mark which was clearly visible on the base of the staff, his grip on the staff tightened a bit, as he thought of the upcoming trial, the last thing he needed before officially setting out on his path, the one that was right for him.
"You know, despite Crevan's recommendation, you did not need to do it, how can I ever thank you for this?" Nova asked, turning his gaze to Sorev.
Sorev's usual stern demeanor softened a bit as he looked at Nova. "Bah, do not get all sentimental on me now lad, we barely know each other, think of this as an investment for both me and Crevan."
"Alright, I understand why you would call it an investment, but this does mean more to me than you realize, it will help me with a lot of things, now more than ever, and this could decide my future, so thank you," Nova replied, with a chuckle.
"Good, if you ever need it to be repaired or if you ever need upgrades you know where to find me. Now if there is nothing else, get out of my forge, I have got real work to do," Sorev said, his grumpy and stern demeanor returning at full speed.
Nova chuckled while shaking his head in utter disbelief. He could not comprehend how someone could change their behavior so fast; it was beyond him. He gave a quick bow to Sorev and headed out the door of the forge, with the staff balanced easily in his hands.
By then, it was already evening. The entire day had been spent busy forging his weapon, but to him, it was worth it; it was something necessary for survival.
While he relaxed under the cool evening air of the city, he thought back to his life before he came to this world, both the good and the bad, he could not help but wonder what was happening there, whether or not the same thing that happened to him, maybe happened to others as well.
If so, what became of them? A lot of things ran through his mind and he glanced down at his legs, now he was able to walk properly, something he could not do in years and the feeling was quite good, now that he had a bit of time to himself, he was able to reflect.
While he was utterly lost in his thoughts, he felt his stomach grumble, and he exhaled deeply before looking around to find an affordable place to eat. He could not waste the little money he had until he got a job.
After a few minutes of looking around, he found a shop near the inn, where he was staying and he ordered something typical but which would also soothe his hunger for the time being, ramen, which would be his everyday meal until he started earning money to help himself.
While he was eating his dinner, his head began aching and he gritted his teeth, before placing his fork down, memories began flashing before his eyes, ones that he knew did not belong to him, but he had an idea as to whose there were and he was not pleased about it.
Within those memories, he saw himself or to be precise, the real Nova, being the center of attention, but not in the way most would be happy about, but being ridiculed by his own family and upon seeing that, his grip on the fork tighten, causing it to bend a little, he knew that feeling all too well, the anguish and helpless that comes with it, makes you wish for many bad things.
'I will have to get to the bottom of this once I start off here and can manage myself,' Nova thought as he finished eating his ramen.
He returned to his room in the inn, while thinking about the things that needed to be done and deep down, he wanted to fix his life, feeling as though he owed the real Nova, who had unknowingly given him a second chance at life, he intended to fix what was now his inherited broken life.
Nova called it a night after a long day, slowly getting used to the way things were for him, for the next day, he had the final step to do.
In the morning, when he woke up, he stretched off and went about his normal morning routine, moving about slowly and when he finished, he grabbed his bag, as well as the staff, which shrank to pocket size and the cloak.
He rushed down to the lounge of the inn and grabbed a few pastries, which was free breakfast, before leaving.
"Good morning, Erna," he said, his voice steady, "what's next?"
"Good morning, now, you test your strength. I checked and a sloth has opened up at the headquarters, the trial awaits, Nova. Prepare yourself—this is where your journey truly begins," Erna's voice chimed in his mind, calm yet purposeful.
With the staff in hand, a renewed determination ignited within him. Nova set off toward the headquarters to meet with Crevan so that he could do the trial, which would choose his path.