"Kid, I can't let you live. You know that right? For the Great King Daeron and his excellency, I am compelled to tell you my name."
The man landed behind Solo, heat radiating from his legs as a slight whistle cut through the deep night. Solo dashed and jumped off the roof, trying to reach the other house in hopes of escape, when he felt his legs being brutally grabbed.
He was thrown onto the chimney of the building, and the impact left him gasping as two of his ribs were eviscerated.
"I am Awakened Garrick, soldier of Supreme Daeron of the Twilight Sea. You see boy, I don't know who you are or what you are doing here, however, I am tasked with exterminating future parasites before we attempt the exploration of Ariel's Grave."
Solo bounced off the wall and knelt on the ground, blood trickling down his lip. He looked up to see Garrick unsheathing his massive sword. 'A sword as big as a tree might as well be a hunk of metal, but I can tell. That thing is sharp beyond belief.'
"I see, Garrick. Your little threat fazes me nothing. I am Solo, the future of Clan Siphon. The future ruler of humanity, and the future conqueror of the Nightmare Spell. Your insignificant awakened presence does nothing for me."
Solo rose off the ground, clenching his fists, staring up at Garrick. "I see…the Nightmare Spell. The followers of Weaver may show mercy, even call you their lord, however, I damn the Daemons and the Gods, I'll relish your death."
Garrick brought his sword to his side, ready to unleash a life-ending slash. Solo braced himself.
"Yours too."
Immediately, the man approached Solo and swiped horizontally, aiming for his neck. Instead of the mysterious kid being cut clean in half, the stone chimney was severed as though it were paper. Solo managed to barely dodge the strike as he ducked and unleashed a vicious uppercut onto Garrick.
"Delicious!" Garrick roared, drawing two daggers from his belt and flinging them at Solo, aimed at his heart and thigh. The dagger cut cleanly through Solo's thigh, narrowly missing his heart. Solo screamed before the short distance between him and Garrick closed in. Garrick unleashed a devastating blow to Solo's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Solo was flung through the air, unconscious for a second before being revived by the agony coursing through him. "Ahh, I see. Those mundane daggers shouldn't have pierced through the skin of an actual awakened. You're a dormant human, and you dare insult me by fighting. Ha!"
Solo felt a surge of strength as his aspect kicked back in, and he rolled onto another building. He ran toward Garrick, deciding to dodge all of Garrick's blows as the man immediately switched to using his hands.
'So only the greatsword is a memory. Interesting.'
Solo thought to himself. Solo dodged three attacks, but on the fourth, he allowed Garrick to strike the ground, leaving his hand stuck in the rubble. Solo climbed the man's arm and unleashed a devastating knee kick to the awakened, hurting himself more than Garrick. Hurriedly, Garrick brought his arm up, allowing Solo to bounce off of it and dash away, running through the grand floating city. Garrick followed Solo, igniting his legs with a green fire as he dashed toward the boy.
'How do I kill this bastard? Let's see… The man is tall and bigger than even an awakened being, with a giant greatsword the size of a tree in a forest, and his aspect lets him make small dashes.'
Solo ran throughout the city, utilizing his smaller figure to parkour over the crumbling structures. Garrick chased after him, crushing anything in his path, leaving scorched earth in his wake. Solo gripped a flowerpot from a shattered window, seeing a faint silhouette of a child, completely unfazed by the destruction.
'The nerve of this kid…'
Solo hurled the pot toward the approaching goliath, but it didn't even faze him. The flowerpot bounced off Garrick's chest, and the chase continued. Garrick caught up, closing the gap with alarming speed. Solo grabbed a street lantern pole, using it to swing toward the mass of life. He feigned a kick, but Garrick didn't flinch. Then, the kick landed squarely on Garrick's head. Solo dashed into the air but was kicked by Garrick, sending shockwaves through his body as the impact tore at his flesh.
'Ack! I can't take one more hit like that or I'll die. I need to think of something—fast.'
Garrick threw three more mundane daggers toward Solo. They were easy to dodge in an elegant aerial twist, one even caught mid-air.
"Wait!" Solo pleaded, stretching his hand out while hiding a dagger behind his back. Garrick stopped right in front of Solo, his massive sword stopping mere inches from Solo's neck.
"What boy?"
"I'll tell you all about it. The Nightmare Spell, the Gods, the Daemons, Daeron, and Weaver!"
'Haha, I don't know any of what he was saying. How could a person of history know about the Nightmare Spell? Who the hell are the Daemons, and this Weaver guy?'
Suddenly, the buff gained from Solo's aspect surged. "You're telling me you know about Celestial and Divine affairs? You scrawny boy that can't even damage me?"
"Yes, I do. And what I'm about to say will disprove any of your fellow Awakened soldiers and guards about the benevolence of these beings."
Garrick's expression shifted, and his grip on the greatsword loosened ever so slightly. The power surging within Solo grew, tempting him to strike immediately.
'Not yet.'
"Ahh yes, Weaver, you know the guy! I know the guy, we all know this famous politician…" Garrick's face started to grow confused. "-I mean, entity, yeah, entity."
Garrick's expression softened as his interest peaked, and his grip on the greatsword slackened dramatically.
'Now!'
Solo quickly revealed the dagger, and Garrick gripped his greatsword. It was like time slowed as Solo grabbed Garrick's arm in a futile attempt to stop the strike. Garrick's leg lit up green as he tried to dodge back. But the dagger slid toward Garrick's neck. The rock-like tissues of his skin parted like paper under Solo's amped strength. Garrick's escape was futile. His death was instantaneous. The dagger cleaved his neck open, and Garrick dropped to the ground.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Garrick of the Sky Twilight Army.]
Solo grabbed the dagger, dropping to his knees as deep breaths wracked his body. He moved quickly, cutting into Garrick and removing the soul core, crushing it in his hand.
[You have gained your first bit of soul essence.]
[One of your attributes is coming into effect!]
[Your domain is being built by the death of the awakened beast, Garrick of the Sky Twilight Army!]
Immediately, Solo felt his soul essence overflow uncontrollably. It surged out of him, touching the very fabric of the world. His will was now imprinted on reality.
[A Dormant Domain has been placed onto the world! The concepts of the world have been bent to a measly dormant human. Although the world goes against you, it must bow down to the power of a domain.]
[The world welcomes domain holder, Solo of Clan Siphon!]