Damon took a deep breath as he calmed his excited mind.
He was pretty sure that he had received the blessing of the blade, but he wasn't sure how to use it.
'Maybe I could try something from one of the novels I've read .... Let's see'
Remembering his favorite novel Monarch of the mysteries, Damon concentrated and thought about "information" and "myself". As soon as he focused, his spiritual energy rushed to his eyes and a shimmering screen of holographic information started appearing before him. Startling him.
Although Damon did not know these Ancient looking symbols before him, the meaning behind it was clear to him thanks to the Universal Language blessing granted to all living things.
He quickly found the Symbols describing his blessing, but something else drew his attention.
'What is that?!'
****
Name: Damon Redhill
True Name: ?????
Core Node: Awakened.
Specter Rank: Grade II
Specter Will: Adolescent
Skills: [Spiritual Manipulation Lv5], [Mystic Sense Lv4], [Mystic Eye Lv3], [Mystic Shroud Lv3], [Hidden Inventory Lv1].
[Hidden Inventory ]: A special skill that creates an imaginary mental space to contain items. At the current level this skill has a storage capacity comparable to a small closet.
Techniques:[Hollow Cry Lv2].
Attributes : [Universal Language], [Child of Eternity], [Fated], [Blessing Of The Blade].
[Child Of Eternity]: ????
[Fated]: ????
Staring at the symbols, Damon sat speechless, trying to convince himself that he was maybe just seeing things.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts. .
"Interesting, [Fated] and a [Child of Eternity]? To think I'd find such a promising student." It sounded behind him, enchanting yet familiar.
He froze.
The voice sounded like hers… his master. But as he turned his head.
The woman standing behind him was not the elderly woman wrapped in robes he had seen previously. That form was gone. In its place was a tall figure with flowing black hair, dressed in black robes. Her face was eerily young with pale skin and sharp features. She looked down at him with quiet amusement, the corners of her lips curling up.
"Master…?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't answer the question directly; instead, she stepped forward. Her gaze flickered to the symbols reflected in his eyes.
"You shouldn't let anyone see that," she said, nodding towards the attributes on the screen. "Especially if you plan on staying alive for much longer."
Damon hurriedly dismissed the screen before responding.
His throat tightened."… You could see it ?"
"I can see everything here, "She said, almost absently. Then she crouched next to him, her hair falling over one shoulder like a shadow. "You shouldn't be able to see a status panel unless you did something dangerous like absorbing Spiritual energy from the surroundings. Those attributes… They don't show up for most people either. You're an odd one, boy."
He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he could trust Tomoe anymore after what he heard, but he understood he would have no way of stopping her if she desired to harm him.
He tried to hold her gaze with bated breath, but it felt like he was drowning in a pool of black ink.
She smiled.
"Don't be so tense. I'm not going to hurt you," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Not yet, anyway."
His body tensed, a sheen of cold sweat breaking across his back. He wanted to move. To do something, however, he was completely unable to move his limbs as though he had lost control of his body.
She looked away from him, eyes scanning the ruined landscape, then back to him.
"That's going to bring you trouble," she murmured. "But… it might also be the most interesting thing I've seen in years." Her smile widened ever so slightly, like a cat watching a mouse, wondering if it was safe to breathe.
Damon watched her cautiously. Something about the way Tomoe looked at him now felt different.
"You're afraid of me now." She said softly.
Finally able to move, he shook his head frantically to deny her words, "No, I'm just…..confused."
She leaned in closer to his face. Her eyes lingered on him, softening just slightly, Or pretending to.
"You should be, "She whispered." But don't let that fear distract you. Seeing this form means you're starting to understand my Will after awakening yours."
"Master… could you explain th- ?"
" Save your questions for later. Knowledge on Wills has weight. And you're not ready to carry it."
"Umm… what happens if Specters take energy from the environment?"
Hearing his question, she laughed, "Silly child, have you already forgotten? To take in spiritual energy, you need to spread yours out, leaving your mind vulnerable to chaotic influence."
Without warning, she flicked his forehead.
"Wha—!"
He didn't even have the chance to scream, he felt the world tilted as he fell back, arms flailing.
Quickly sitting up, he muttered, "She really flicked me…"
Rubbing his forehead in pain, he blinked a couple of times only to find he was now inside a room with medical equipment. It seems he was back home in the infirmary.
Suddenly, he was welcomed by a holographic panel appearing in his vision.
[I'll be watching so shine like the rising sun, my little Eternal.]
"Huh? How are you in my head?" Damon was dumbfounded after reading the message.
[I thought I told you, child. You opened the door, I just merely walked right in Hahaha….]
"Urgh…"
As the screen faded, he shuddered at her final words. The thought that Tomoe might be watching his every move caused his heart to race
"I'll need to quickly find a way to break this connection," he muttered. He was happy to have the status to monitor his growth, but he feared that once he started using it, he would become a beacon for other entities and certainly die an unfortunate death.
Looking towards the window pane, a blank look appeared on his face as he dazedly stared at his reflection, or could he even call it that.
What was reflected on the surface was not his average face. Rather, it was a completely new face. It was rather attractive with Long eyelashes with soft features. It was the kind of face you would likely never forget.
Moving on to his body, despite the basic training he did he was originally still rather slender, but now his body had become tone with muscle. It was strange, yet looking at the reflection, he couldn't deny it was him.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze lowered to his now toned legs. Standing up, he stumbled a couple of steps as he felt a sense of discomfort with his body. It was understandable.
At this moment, Damon's body was over fifteen times as powerful as the body of an average adult male fighter, But the changes happened too quickly as his soul suddenly returned to his body.
He groaned and fell back towards the bed for support.
Click…
The infirmary door opened as Vincent's group returned with Mother in tow.
"... Is that really Damon?" a voice asked. It was Henry, quiet as usual.
"Holy shit," muttered Ethan, stepping in behind him.
Damon finally turned, facing them head-on.
His siblings stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide and words caught somewhere between amazement and suspicion. Fin's brows pinched together, lips parted like he didn't know whether to be impressed or offended. Josh looked him up and down with open disbelief.
"You really…" Cassie started, then stopped, her eyes narrowing. "You look different."
"Different?" Vincent scoffed, unable to hide the edge in his tone. "He looks like a painting."
"Did that happen after your trial ?" Fin asked.
Damon didn't answer.
A few more seconds passed before their mother entered behind them. Silent, composed as always.
She took one look at him, and her gaze lingered; it wasn't obvious, but just enough for him to know she noticed the changes in his spiritual energy.
Then, she stepped forward.
"You passed," she said simply. "And you endured." She set a hand on his shoulder and continued, "Congratulations, Damon."
He didn't say anything right away. Her voice was calm, steady, the same tone she used when delivering orders or praise. Or so he thought, gazing into her eyes he detected the hint of warmth previously unseen.
Vincent muttered something under his breath and looked away. Cassie crossed her arms, expression unreadable. Fin, Henry, and Josh's eyes hadn't moved from Damon's face.
The air between them shifted as something unspoken now rested in the room with them.
He'd changed.
And they hadn't.