Hector walked along the edge of the road, using the roofs above him to hide the lantern light.
He doubted it would work, since the light was quite apparent in the dark. Would the Strix rely on eyesight to navigate in the dark? He had doubts about that, too.
The journey so far was uneventful. Granted, he only walked a few dozen steps, but nothing had tried to separate claw his head off or otherwise harm him.
There were a few Faceless along the way, and he could feel them trailing behind him, but he did not want to be out of breath when he had to run.
He glanced at the paper figurine. The radius of the circle increased, though not as fast as before. Hector suspected it had something to do with the number of Faceless; he would do his best to avoid crowds. The few trailing behind him were manageable. He''d make it to the Pillar intact at this rate.
His hope for a easy journey was interrupted when he encountered something new. He lifted the lantern up and illuminated a Faceless on the ground.
Above the corpse were two creatures. They were on the smaller side, about the size of a dog. They had four spine-like limbs, no visible eyes, and a thick rectangular beak larger and longer than the head. Their thick skin—or hide—had no fur and was colored black, which helped them blend into the darkness.
Hounds. That word popped into his mind when he saw them.
Hector wouldn''t have noticed the Hounds if it wasn''t for the Faceless, which they tore into with their teethless maws of chitin. He took a step back. The Hounds didn''t notice him yet. They had no eyes.
He surveyed for an alternative route. There was an alleyway off to the side, which he decided to take. He wouldn''t take any chances with the Hounds. The moment he did, two more Hounds bounded down the street and joined the other two.
The compass guided him as he took the detour and pushed more of the Faceless aside when he encountered them. Was it his imagination or were there more of them around?
The poppet had a third of blank space left. He increased the pace.
Light reflected off the surface of the Obsidian Pillar as he entered the plaza from the alley. The surroundings were silent, not much different from everything else. After waiting for a moment, Hector made a step towards the Pillar.
Nothing had tried to ambush him, so he walked across the plaza and approached the Pillar. He pressed a palm against the obsidian and words were formed on the stone.
Grade 1 (1%)
Shards: (-)
Pending Improvements: 1
Trial Status:
Aspirants: (201/1000)
Artifacts:
The Unwritten Grimoire: Grade 1 (1%)
Unused Pages: (5/5)
Paper Poppets: Grade 1 (18%)(+9%)
Poppets: (1/3)
Permissions
The grade for the Poppets increased by another nine percent. He consumed one and partially used the other. On his previous visit, it increased by eight percent with one being used up and the other partially damaged. Would a used paper figurine increase the grade by at least five percent? So many questions.
Why were the shards still an empty value? He reached into his pockets and held the three shards. Did he have to give it to the Pillar? Hand it in like it was a bank?
He pressed the shards against the glossy surface, and they melted into the pillar.
Shards: (3)(+3)
With a tap against the surface, the Pillar displayed the permissions he wanted.
Improvement: Consumes an improvement to realize a new proficiency, bind a unowned artifact, or imbue an innate matching the grade of the soul. Each grade of the soul will grant another improvement. Familiarity with the fundamentals of the subject is a requirement.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Manifestation: Manifests lost or destroyed artifacts with shards. The cost is equivalent to the artifact''s grade.
Meld: Graft a shard onto the soul. This will slowly increase the grade of your soul.
Satiate: Basic needs and fatigue will regenerate at the cost of shards.
Improvement selected.
Activating Improvement protocols...
Hector closed his eyes and focused on his knowledge of the strands. How they were formed with inhumane focus, how they caused the hallucination of abstract shapes, and how they became an extension of the mind.
He felt a weight. Something—a feeling attached to his body. It was akin to realizing the answer to an issue he thought about for days. Hector opened his eyes. A small translucent sphere the size of his fist was floating in front of his face.
Proficiency Realized: Strands
Strands: Grade 1 (1%)
(1) A strand represents the visual manifestation of the mind through the medium of a shape. The material and strength of the strand depends on the grade. The capabilities of a strand depend on practice and usage.
1: Shape: Orb
Finally. A tool he could use to defend himself.
Manifestation selected.
Shards: (2)(-1)
Manifesting: Paper Poppets (2x)
A square hole opened at the side of the words. Hector reached in and retrieved the two poppets. Two? He looked into his pocket and noticed the damaged one was still intact. Inefficient. He''d have to use the paper poppets before creating more.
Meld selected.
Shards: (1)(-1)
Grade 1: (13%)(+12%)
A cold sensation washed over his body, like he was being cleaned. He felt light and heavy at the same time. It was difficult for him to describe the feeling, but it felt good.
Satiate selected.
The empty pit in his stomach vanished, the dryness in his throat faded, and he felt more refreshed than a moment ago. How convenient.
Grade 1 (13%)
Shards: (-)
Trial Status:
Aspirants: (201/1000)
Proficiencies:
Strands: Grade 1 (1%)
1: Shape: Orb
Artifacts:
The Unwritten Grimoire: Grade 1 (1%)
Unused Pages: (5/5)
Paper Poppets: Grade 1 (18%)
Poppets: (3/3)
Permissions
Hector was at square one again: zero shards. That meant he had to find more shards for his next meal. He looked around. No Strix, Faceless, or Hounds, yet. He should leave while he still can.
Which way should he go? His previous safe house was not an option. It had the paper serpent and someone—or something—knew the location. The increased abundance of Faceless might be a problem. He would rather be cautious than take the risks, so that meant a new spot.
He took a step forward and made his way towards the opposite direction of the alley . The orb drifted in the air alongside of him.
Strands were an extension of his mind and with it he had a method of self defense, or attack depending how he viewed it. He raised the ring he had on his finger; the words of orange and red hovered above the inscriptions inscribed on the metal.
Under normal circumstances, the strands would be invisible to anyone other than him. They were a fragment of his imagination, after all. He guided the sphere to envelop the letters above the ring with a mental grip.
That changed when they became a circuit—a spell.
The orange words dimmed, and the orb turned from a transparent gloss to an orange red. The first step to a circuit had been completed: the strand had functioned both as a source and a conduit. At this point of the circuit, it would''ve been visible to any bystanders. If they focused hard enough, they would see a hint of red in the air.
It took all of Hector''s focus to maintain the spell, and even more the further away it was from the source. The orb would lose its color if he didn''t.
It was about time he learned what kind of rune the ring held.
Hector guided the sphere away from the faded letters and allowed it to drift in front of him. The shape of the strand determined the mode of manifestation, a flame to the fuel if he used his previous analogy. All he had to do was activate it.
He did that with a mental snap.
The strand completed the last step to the spell. The shape was the final spark and gave the color a physical form. A light other than his lantern illuminated the darkness.
The water on the ground hissed as the flame licked its surface. The thin layer of liquid coating the ground reflected a small ball of orange flame. The spell hovered above it, surrounded by a layer of steam.
A rune of fire, and an extension from a Law. Hector understood that runes were the fragments of a Law, like the dead skin of a beast. He didn''t understand what a Law was, or where they came from.
The color of the sphere, now surrounded by fire, was fading fast. The spell required fuel, and it was draining the reserves at a rapid pace. Hector pointed at the ground—a somatic gesture that made it easier to direct his will—and the burning ball flew as if he threw it.
More steam erupted from the water as the spell impacted the ground, leaving a burnt imprint on the cobblestone. The black liquid reclaimed the lost ground, covering the mark after a moment.
The strand had shattered. It would return with time, after his mind reconstructed the sphere.
With that, he completed his first spell. He had regained a degree of control over his situation.
The faded runes above the ring will recharge with time, as all runes drew power from their parent Law. He would have to test the amount it could hold when he had the time.
Hector left the plaza and entered onto an adjacent street. He heard a familiar shriek pierce the skies above him.