Under the blazing sun, the two travelers sought refuge beneath the towering gorge, a welcome escape from the relentless heat. Suddenly, the old man halted the caravan, reaching for water to quench the horse's thirst and take a brief pause. As Soren stepped down, Vixra'al warned him of several energy signatures detected overhead. Instinctively, Soren glanced back, sensing a murderous intent, but it was too late.
The old man plunged a dagger, laced with poison, into him. Soren gasped, reeling from the pain, while the old man, trembling, muttered an apology. Gritting his teeth, Soren's attention was drawn to a group of bandits emerging from the shadows. At the forefront stood a tall man in a steel mask, clad in a brown tunic and leather gloves, with a strap crossing his chest. Behind him loomed other bandits, their strong auras sending a chill down Soren's spine, especially from the tall figure.
With a hiss, the masked man removed his mask, revealing a face marred by metallic augmentations. He watched Soren squirm in agony, stepping closer with a mocking grin, clearly amused by Soren's plight. A few of his men blocked the exit, weapons drawn and ready to strike at any moment. In a panic, Soren fumbled for another crystal, but an arrow from one of the bandits struck his arm.
Feeling cornered, he wobbled on his feet, gripping his dagger tightly, ready to defend himself. The bandit leader, just a step away, mocked him, daring him to give it his all. Soren yelled and charged forward, but his dagger clashed against something solid, sending a jolt through his arm. The bandit leader, introducing himself as Raze, seized Soren by the hair, yanking him up as he fought against the grip. The old man trembled with fear, and Raze smirked, thanking him for guiding him there. In that moment, Soren understood the painful truth, the old man had sold him.
Out of nowhere, the bandit leader slammed him to the ground, pinning him down with a hand and hissing, "What did you Ashen steel punks do to my face? You're all going to pay for this!" He yanked Soren's head back and tossed him aside like a rag doll.
Then, he pulled out his weapon a massive mace designed to deliver a crushing blow. Soren quickly rolled to the side as Raze playfully knocked him down, clearly enjoying the chance to make him suffer a bit more. "Grah grah, squirm like a worm!" Raze taunted, while the other bandits whistled and cheered him on.
Soren kept a close eye on another burly bandit, who wore a split mask and a dark green tunic, standing nearby with a crossbow. He had to keep rolling to avoid getting shot. In a panic, he turned to Vixra'al for advice, but she stayed silent. Growing impatient, he decided to take a risk, he parried the mace and landed solid on his knee, but even that felt like hitting a wall.
"Urk!" Raze had just slammed his fist into Soren's face, leaving him with a bleeding, swollen cheek. Spitting out blood, Soren shot Raze a furious glare. Raze yelled, "That's it, boy! Bring it on!" Just as Raze was getting ready to deliver another punishing blow, Soren suddenly heard Vixra'al's voice urging him to recall. He dug deep into his mind, reaching for the power he had once wielded in his battle with Kael, the trauma still fresh enough to make the memory of that sensation come rushing back. A surge of energy flowed through him, his eyes glowing green as his dagger became enchanted with corrosive acid.
Raze felt a wave of unease wash over him as he witnessed Soren's transformation. "For now, this is all we can do. Make the most of it," Vixra'al guiding him.
In a single breath, he shifted his stance and charged at the ranger with terrifying speed, slicing through Raze's crossbow and delivering a swift strike to his throat. The burly man coughed up blood and crumpled to his knees, taken out in an instant. In the chaos, Soren took down other bandits, blocking projectile that struck his arm, which had grown a thick exoskeleton to block the attack. "What kind of power is that?" one bandit wondered in despair as Soren delivered another quick blow.
Soren successfully decimated Raze's forces, causing the remaining bandits to turn and flee. Raze shouted for them to stay, but fear gripped their hearts. Frustrated, he turned to Soren, veins popping on his forehead, and threatened to kill him slowly. He ripped his tunic, revealing shoulders reinforced with steel augments. As he began to chant, Soren watched in awe as Raze's aura spiked to a blinding white. "This man," Vixra'al noted, "has a high compatibility with elemental attributes." Confused, Soren asked, "Attribute? Elemental? What do you mean?" But Vixra'al brushed him off, telling him to stay alert. As Raze completed his transformation, his skin morphed into bio-armor, turning his muscles into solid steel plates. Shockwaves rippled through the air, and Soren observed closely. "Do you see it?" Vixra'al asked, and Soren nodded, "Yes, he's definitely an A-tier Crosent."
Boom! Raze charged ahead like an unstoppable force, growling at Soren with each step that shattered the stones beneath him. Soren, thanks to his newfound agility, leapt aside just in time, skillfully dodging each strike that created small craters in the ground. He aimed a blow at Raze's throat, but even his softest spot proved resilient, the attack merely bounced off.
In a swift motion, Raze grabbed Soren's head and slammed it into his own, causing a concussion. With Soren pinned down by Raze's right foot, the taunt came, "What now? You think you can still win?" Struggling to breathe and feeling delirious, Soren looked up at Raze, the sky casting a shadow over him, and in his mind, he could see Kael looking down on him. In a moment of terror, he shouted and hurled his dagger at Raze's face with a clang.
Suddenly, his aura surged, and half of Soren's body transformed back into his Ecrean form. "Come back to your senses, Soren! Don't let the monster take over!"
But Soren, lost control, completing his terrifying transformation. Raze's eyes widened in shock as he stepped back, feeling a twinge of fear. "Me, feeling scared?" Soren rose, dark aura oozes from him, saliva dripping from his mouth as he lunged at Raze. Raze braced himself, crossing his arms, confident that his defense would hold.
To his surprise, Soren's claws dug into his arm before he was smashed against the gorge. Losing his mind, Soren continued to growl like a wild animal. Raze, shaken and feeling the pain of broken bones despite his solid steel body, wondered, "Is this boy an Ecrea? How?" As rocks crumbled from above, Soren's attention snapped back to Raze, and he launched into a somersault followed by a flurry of attacks that overwhelmed Raze's armor, leaving deep wounds all over his body. "Soren… Soren… Snap out of it!" Vixra'al pleaded, watching as Ecrea consumed most of his body.
Suddenly, Soren woke up, glancing at his claws and the unconscious Raze. Regaining control, he halted and Vixra'al,said to him, "It's over… we won." still in shock, gazed up at the sky, trying to force himself to calm down.
Soren's exoskeleton crumbled away, reverting him back into his human form. He reached out toward the sun, casting a shadow on his face. Turning to Vira'al, he said, "I need to get stronger so I won't have to rely on that monster inside me." As he scanned his surroundings for something to wear, he grabbed a piece of clothing from one of the bandits. Vixra'al cautioned him to be careful about wearing someone else's things, so he let it go. Frustrated, he noticed a bag tucked behind a rock. Curious, he checked it and was pleasantly surprised to find a stash of various crystals and weapons. Most importantly, it held all the materials he needed for his quest, lighting up his eyes with excitement.
He returned to the guild, sporting a new outfit he had just bought from a local shop a sleek combination of black garb with weapon straps and a dark robe for added protection. The guild assistant raised an eyebrow as he examined the authenticity of each item through a scope lens. After confirming everything was legit, he nodded to the front desk and led Soren into a testing area to assess his strength and abilities.
Standing on a pedestal, Soren recognized an old lady who entered the room. She caught sight of him and, startled, stumbled back, shaking. "Get that man away from me!" she cried out. The assessment assistant, puzzled, asked her what was wrong, but the old woman kept repeating that he was an abomination, causing quite a scene. Other participants began to notice the commotion, prompting the assistant to quickly make an excuse and close the door to regain control of the situation. She knelt beside the old lady, whose eyes were wide with fear, and asked Soren to return another day for his assessment, explaining that his abilities would be evaluated then. As he left, the lady continued to mutter incoherently.
Outside, Soren turned to Vixra'al and asked if she had done something to upset the old lady, but she just shrugged it off.
The next day, in stark contrast to the old lady, a small child wearing a puffy white hat with gold linings and a white robe covered in mysterious inscriptions assessed her. The child asked the assistant to step aside and introduced herself as Ceylon Weaver, a court mage and astrologer. Soren couldn't help but scoff, mocking the child for trying to act like an adult, a move he quickly regretted when her golden staff smacked him right on the head. "I traveled a great distance, guided by the stars, and honestly, I can see why the Divine actress is so frightened," she said. Rubbing his head, Soren listened as the child continued, "You're quite a rare case. Looking at you, it seems you don't have any abilities that would allow you to pass the mana affinity test to become a Crosent." Curious, Soren asked what mana was, and she explained that in this world, it's referred to as Aether, but where she comes from, it's called mana.
He bombarded her with questions, but she silenced him by placing her staff on between his lips. With a sigh, she clarified, "I'm exactly as I said, summoned from another world by the Divine actress, bringing with me both memories and powers from that realm." Vixra'al then warned Soren to choose his words carefully, as Ceylon was capable of sorceries far beyond his understanding.
Ceylon then urged Soren to share everything, the whole truth. He sat down obediently, and after their conversation, Ceylon was taken aback. "Eldorin, huh? I can tell you're not lying, but why would someone like you choose to live here on the surface?"
Soren keeps sharing his story, carefully leaving out the parts that could get him into trouble. "And finally," Ceylon said, "I was told by the Divine actress that you too are a vessel. Is that true?" Soren hesitated, his words caught in his throat. Ceylon shot him a knowing look, realizing why he couldn't answer. "Alright, I'll let you pass as an insurgent, but you have to promise me one thing, Soren." He nodded eagerly. "Promise me you'll stay on the side of humanity and not bring about the destruction of this world." With a serious expression, Soren was taken aback. As he stepped outside, clutching his license with a smile, Ceylon pulled out a dark object that resembled a carved stone with tendrils.
On his first mission, Soren found himself facing a pack of Ecrean wolves, their thick exoskeletons and spiny backs making them a formidable foe. Thanks to his lizard-like abilities, he matched their speed, and his combat skills allowed him to land some critical strikes. After the battle, he decided to light a bonfire and settled down behind a tree to catch his breath. Curious, he asked Vixra'al what she wasn't telling him about what he had heard earlier. After a moment of silence, Vixra'al revealed that she possessed all sorts of knowledge about Ecrea and its weaknesses, as if it had been her life's work. However, her memories were fragmented, and many pieces remained hazy. All she knew was that she had once been human from another world, one that had fought in wars. "Wars?" Soren asked, and Vixra'al confirmed it.
A grin spread across Soren's face as he reassured her that they were partners and there was no need for secrets between them, all while basking in the warmth of the fire and strengthening their bond.
Missions after missions and Soren felt that he's strength is steadily swelling, as he feel it in his bones he can now take on Raze in a fist-fight, he confidently mused standing over a huge Ecrea.
In a surprising twist, Soren found himself facing the guild council after being accused of attacking a member of the Ashen Steel. As he sat in the courtroom, the Ashen Steel member pointed at him, recounting how he had been walking down a dark alley one night when he was robbed. To make matters worse, a witness emerged, claiming they had seen Soren wearing the Ashen Steel robe. With his defenses crumbling, the jury ultimately found him guilty on all counts.
As he glanced at the man he was accused of stealing from, a grin crept across his face. They began confiscating his belongings and tossed him into a cell, dressed in tattered rags. "Not this again…" Soren sighed, reflecting on his choices as he slumped in a corner, feeling despondent.
Later that afternoon, a man clad in an Ashen Steel robe visited him. He had striking silver hair and piercing pink eyes, accompanied by two assistants, a woman with a ponytail and glasses, and a tall guy with spiky hair and a masked jaw. The man introduced himself as Zereth, the captain of the Ashen Steel, and introduced his companions, Anissa and Yuri. Just as Soren was about to introduce himself, Zereth interrupted, "We know who you are. No need for pleasantrie, we're here to confirm something." He pulled out a torn Ashen Steel robe that Soren had worn. "We found this at the Espean Gorge in the western region. Nearby, we discovered graves that belonged to members of the bandit group we've been tracking for extermination." Anissa then revealed a piece of Soren's exoskeleton, "Now tell me, Soren, did you really take out the bandit group while also battling an Ecrea?"
Instead of feeling surprised, Soren felt a wave of relief wash over him, they didn't suspect he had the power of Ecrea. He nodded, accepting all the claims. Zereth then confirmed the accusations, mentioning they had captured a member of that guild, a frail old man who had been working with the group. The old man confessed and pointed out that one of their own had been secretly trading information with the bandits that night. "Is that so?" Soren asked, and Zereth replied that the traitor was currently being interrogated for his crimes. Zereth then turned to him and asked, "Did you do this alone, or are you working with someone else?"
Soren met his gaze and answered sincerely. Zereth apologized for the misunderstanding and assured Soren that he would be absolved of all his crimes. He gave signal to the warden, who appeared and opened Soren's cell, removing his shackles. Soren reclaimed all his belongings, stepping outside into the afternoon light, the sky painted crimson by the setting sun. Before they parted ways, Zereth turned to Soren and offered, "If you don't mind…" Anissa shot Zereth a disapproving look, but he brushed it off and continued, "Would you like to join our group and become a member?" Soren stood there, dumbfounded, feeling a bit awkward at the unexpected proposal.