Chapter 26: Heatblast
Hugo awoke with a heavy head and the gritty feeling of sleep in his eyes. The memories of the previous night's ordeal in his soul sea felt like a fever dream, leaving him with a big amount of unease.
Pushing himself off the cold stone, he yawned and walked over to where the others were already gathered around the a small fire eating a quiet breakfast.
"Good morning," he said, the words feeling awkward and overly loud in the grim silence.
Nephis and Sunny stopped their low conversation and looked at him. "Good morning," Nephis replied, her tone as even as ever
"Morning..."Sunny added, his voice noticeably cooler.
Cassie finished chewing a piece of meat and swallowed before offering a small, strained smile. "Good morning..."
'Am I really that unpleasant to be around?' Hugo mused internally, taking a seat near the fire and helping himself to some of the cooked scavenger meat.
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut.
"Did something happen?" he asked, glancing between their solemn faces.
Nephis was the one to answer, her gaze fixed on the dying embers. "...Cassie had another vision."
Hugo sighed, the piece of meat in his hand suddenly feeling less appetizing as he realized the reason behind their sour moods
"Was it that bad?"
"Not necessarily, but it was dark, to say the least" Sunny interjected, his voice low. He proceeded to recount the fragmented images from Cassie's vision: a boundless darkness held back by seven seals beginning to unravel; a human castle drowning in an ocean of flames; a corpse in ornate golden armor sitting eternally on a throne; a warrior woman with a bronze spear fighting a ceaseless horde of abominations; an archer piercing the sky with his arrows.
And finally, the part that unsettled Hugo the most: a dying angel being consumed by ravenous shadows, which were in turn devoured by a vile abomination with too many faces.
'What a mess,' Hugo thought, struggling to find a shred of hope in the ominous prophecy.
They were trapped in a godforsaken corner of the Dream Realm surrounded by abominations far stronger then them and now they had to contend with visions of cosmic doom.
On top of it all, he was still reeling from the horrifying discovery within his own soul.
His eyes dropped to the Omnitrix on his arm, the cold metal seamlessly fused with his skin. The idea that this relic, the core of his power was a vault containing hundreds of corrupted genetic templates was... horrifying to say the least.
He still didn't understand how it was even possible. The Omnitrix was meant to be a testament to lost races, a bastion of purity yet it was tainted from within.
Shaking his head to clear the dark thoughts, he decided to focus on the one potentially positive outcome from yesterday's trial.
He brought his hand to the Omnitrix dial, turning it. The familiar holographic display of his imprints appeared. He cycled past the Chimera, the Galvan and the Piscciss Volann, his focus settling on the new, fourth figure. It was still just a black silhouette on the dial but its humanoid shape was unmistakably that of the flaming abomination he had fought.
Hugo decided to take a quick look at his runes first:
Name: Hugo
True Name:Paragon of Purity
Rank:Dreamer
Omni-Core:Dormant
Soul Fragments:[116/1000]
Memories:[Proto-Tech Armor], [Polymorphic Crystal], [Conqueror's Wrath], [Black-Pearl Trident], [Emerald Spyglass], [Heart Compass]
Echoes:—
Aspect:[Omnitrix]
Rank:Divine
Aspect Legacy:[The Last Testament]
First Playlist:[Locked] [10%]
Second Playlist:[Locked]
Third Playlist:[Locked]
Fourth Playlist:[Locked]
Fifth Playlist:[Locked]
Sixth Playlist:[Locked]
Seventh Playlist:[Locked]
His eyes narrowed as he took in the runes displaying his soul fragments counter.
His soul fragments had jumped from 16 to 116 which was A massive unexplained increase of power.
'When did I even absorb that much?'
He was certain it was [16/1000] before he slept so Unless Sunny and Nephis had secretly fed him a hundred soul shards during his sleep then this made no sense.
'Don't tell me it was because of yesterday's trial...'
The memory of the blazing abomination he killed in the trial resurfaced But that didn't make sense. Soul fragments were either gained by absorbing shards or by... killing other Awakened. The latter worked because their human soul cores could resonate and absorb one another.
He wasn't the same species as that creature But his soul was now one with the Omnitrix, a Divine Relic containing the essence of countless races so In a way, didn't that make him a part of all of them?
Although there was a limite, he was not a part of every creature, his innate ability [essence imprint] would not have existed if that was the case although that didn't make the realization any less astonishing.
'So, in theory, I can saturate my core by passing these trials... or by killing members of the races contained within the Omnitrix.'
The implications were staggering to say the least.
The Omnitrix truly never ceased to surprise him.
His attention was then snagged by the small change in his Aspect Legacy. The First Playlist was now 10% unlocked.
'Ten pods in that room... clearing one gave me 10% of what I think should be a 100% So that's the key? I have to purify them all to unlock my first legacy relic ?' It was a daunting but clear path forward offering both new imprints and a greater power upon completion.
'Well, time for my big reward.'
He focused on the new imprint's data.
Fourth Imprint: [Pyronite]
Imprint Rank:Awakened
Imprint Class:Beast
Imprint Description:[The Sun God's first breath upon his divine realm caused numerous calamities and blessings. Among the greatest of these calamitous events were the Pyronite, beings of pure, eternal, divine flame.]
Imprint Attributes:[Calokinesis], [Minor Terrakinesis], [Resistance], [Blazing Spirit]
Imprint Abilities:—
[Calokinesis] Description:[A Pyronite can control its body temperature.]
[Minor Terrakinesis] Description:[This imprint can slightly manipulate stone ]
[Resistance] Description:[A Pyronite is immune to fire and extreme heat.]
[Blazing Spirit] Description:[A Pyronite's source element is fire.]
A sudden thought hit Hugo as he read the description 'are all Nobel creatures created by the gods?'
The spell seemed to include divine, or a god or two everytime one of his imprints were mentioned so it was a safe connection to make.
But after all that could mean nothing considering how humans were probably created by the gods as well
Hugo Turned his attention back the to attributes deciding to leave cosmic matters involving the dead gods to some other time.
'So I can control my temperature, manipulate stone to a small degree and gain complete immunity to fire and heat, and lastly I grow stronger when I'm near fire...'
Hugo summarized. The last attribute, [Blazing Spirit], was particularly useful although a but vague.
'Source element' was something most awakened had and it was basically what domain their aspects were related to and within that domain, their aspects and they themselves would be empowered. For example most awakened of house night would have their source element be either water or storm, and within that source element they would gain a tremendous boost to their strength.
'ah, thanks professor rock and miss j' he thought, remembering how he bombarded his poor professors with dozens of questions.
Hugo stretched slightly, feeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration warred within him. While the attributes were incredible powerful, the lack of active Abilities was a clear limitation of his aspect
The Omnitrix elevated his rank to Awakened when transformed but it didn't change his Class from Beast which meant He would never be able to manifest the full potential of a creature like a Pyronite's innate ability to project and shape fire.
After all A human could only form a single soul core, that was a fundamental law every awakened knew. Only Nightmare Creatures, and presumably the original Noble Beasts, could possess multiple cores housing different abilities. No matter how changed his soul was, he was still at his foundation, human.
He had to be.
Or else his remaining sanity would instantly crumble.
Pushing the dark thoughts away again, Hugo looked up and saw that his companions had dispersed. Nephis and Cassie were speaking in low tones while Sunny was practicing with his sword. It seemed they weren't planning to move out just yet.
Getting to his feet, Hugo walked over to Sunny, his steps a bit hesitant.
Seeing his approach, the pale boy stopped his drills and fixed Hugo with a cold stare.
"What?"
"...I'm sorry," Hugo began, forcing the words out. "For my behavior yesterday. I didn't mean it. I'm also sorry for endangering your life like that, it really wasn't my intention."
Sunny's cold eyes swept over him, making Hugo shiver slightly. The shadowy Sleeper scoffed before speaking in a barley restrained tone:
"Whatever. Just don't do it again."
With that, he turned his back and resumed his training, effectively dismissing Hugo.
The Paragon of Purity had a distinct feeling that sunny didn't forgive him but there was nothing more he could do about it
'Maybe I should be nicer to him from now on...' The thought felt foreign but the guilt he felt was real. He had been an asshole who almost caused Sunny's death.
That said, he wasn't about to reveal his Flaw to earn back favor Even if that meant enduring Sunny's resentment.
---
Hugo stood in the center of the platform, a safe distance away from the others. He stared at the Omnitrix, the familiar feelings of anticipation and wariness churning in his gut.
"Here we go..." he exhaled, pulling up the dial and selecting the new Pyronite imprint.
He slammed the dial down.
A flash of blue light engulfed him as he felt His body being remade in an instant.
His skin hardened transforming into dark red volcanic rock that cracked and glowed from within. His bones and blood melted away replaced by a churning liquid core of pure magma. His head ignited in a roaring blaze forming a mane of fire with two points of intense light forming where his eyes should be.
Where Hugo had stood, a humanoid creature of living rock and divine fire now towered heat shimmering the air around it.
Sunny and Nephis, watching from a distance, their eyes widened in fresh surprise. It was one thing to know he had multiple forms but it was another to see him shift from a tentacled horror to a walking volcano.
Hugo flexed his new hands clenching and unclenching fists of magmatic rock. He jumped experimentally surprised by the lightness of the body despite its rocky composition.
'Now for the tests.' He looked inward, reaching for the [Calokinesis] attribute. Instantly, he willed his internal temperature to rise. The glow from the cracks in his rocky skin intensified from a dull red to a brilliant, blinding orange. The air around him warped violently and the stone beneath his feet began to sizzle and melt into a shallow, molten pool.
Caught off guard by the intensity of the attribute, he quickly dialed the heat back down to a steady, manageable simmer not wanting to accidentally melt the entire platform ablaze or injure his companions.
Next, he focused on [Minor Terrakinesis]. He concentrated on the stone beneath him, willing it to move.
...
Nothing.
"Huh?" He scratched his fiery head, the motion sending a few sparks flying.
Hugo focused harder, pouring more intent into the attribute.
This time, a handful of pebbles and a few larger fist-sized rocks trembled, then levitated a few inches off the ground, hovering uncertainly in the air.
"Well, this is... limited," he mused, a bit disappointed despite the attribute possessing the word 'minor' in it's name.
But then his mind still sharp despite the form's bestial nature began to work. 'Wait, I shouldn't dismiss it just yet. This could be incredibly useful for crafting. Combined with my Galvan form's intellect and runic sorcery, it could make a good combination...'
A slow, devilish smile stretched across his fiery face "Neat," he rumbled, the sound like shifting gravel in a furnace.
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the light footsteps approaching until they were close. He turned to see Nephis standing there, her grey eyes analyzing his new form with a calculating intensity.
"...If you don't mind me asking," she began, her voice as level as ever, "how many transformations do you have?"
Hugo hesitated for a moment, as Revealing his hand wasn't inherently dangerous but a deep-seated caution still made him pause.
Finally, he raised four burning fingers. "Four, for now. But the giant tentacle form and this one are the only ones truly helpful on land. The other two are a support form and an aquatic-based form."
She nodded slowly, filing the information away. "I see. Well, after you're done with... whatever this is, come talk with me and Sunny. We need to plan our next move soon."
She turned to leave but paused, glancing back over her shoulder. Then, In the same neutral tone that one might use to describe the weather, she added, "...This form is cool."
And with that, she walked away, leaving Hugo staring at her, his fiery brow raised as he contimpliated wether she was making fun of him or making a joke.
He looked over at Sunny, who had observed the entire exchange with a look of pure bewilderment on his face . The shadow just shrugged, as if to say, 'Yeah, she's weird like that.'
'What a colorful bunch I've ended up with,'
Hugo thought, shaking his head before returning to his practic testing how his new rocky body moved with the weight and balance of his trident.
---
After detransforming, Hugo joined Sunny and Nephis at the western edge of the platform. They were deep in discussion and the news were quite grim.
Sunny's shadow had witnessed two new nightmare creatures similar to the carapace scavengers but of a much higher class—Monsters— arrive to claim the last of the transcendent soul shards from the giant shark carcass. His shadow had followed their path, which led west, the same destination they were heading for...
With the carcass nearly picked clean, the area would soon be swarming with hungry scavengers again making it impossible for four Sleepers to survive let alone travel throughout the labyrinth.
And so the trio came to a decision: they would leave the headless knight's statue for good tomorrow at first light.
While Hugo wasn't overly worried for his own survival on the journey, a strange, nascent sense of responsibility made him feel wary for his companions.
It was an unfamiliar feeling, this concern for others he barely knew But it was this small, flickering ember of camaraderie that led him to do something he normally wouldn't have considered.
---
[Sunny's POV]
After a brief attempt to lighten Cassie's mood, Sunny found himself battling a profound sense of boredom. With their departure set for tomorrow, there was nothing to do but rest and wait and while Sunny was a connoisseur of doing nothing, however he too had his limits.
Nephis on the other hand was a literal social void who couldn't hold a conversation while Cassie was still withdrawn, processing her harrowing vision.
That left the crazy shapeshifter with whom he was currently on shaky terms.
His shadow, Gloomy, seemed to radiate his approval at this state of affairs.
"You really don't like that guy,huh?" Sunny muttered wondering for the umpteenth time if his shadow was genuinely racist against other shadows
'He did apologize... But so what? Actions mean more than words so Unless he does something to make up for it, it doesn't count,' he thought grimly, although the fact that Hugo saved his life twice was still a fresh memory on his mind making the situation a bit too complicated.
His attention was caught by movement. Hugo had walked to a clear spot on the platform and proceeded to transform into his new "flaming devil" form and then... sat down cross-legged.
After Squinting a little, Sunny realized he wasn't just sitting idle. The small stones and pebbles around him were levitating, trembling in the air as Hugo focused.
'So he can manipulate stone to a degree...' Sunny noted making sure to keep that on his mind in case a confrontation happened between the two, although the treacherous lost from light would be lying if he said he was confident in winning a battle against the Paragon of purity.
The sheer versatility of the shapeshifter's Aspect was both impressive and unsettling. It confirmed a suspicion that had been growing in Sunny's mind since they'd met, a possibility he'd been quietly accounting for.
'It has to be that. I'm sure of it now.' The thought was both intimidating and in a strange way, validating.
'His Aspect is of the Divine Rank.'
It was the only thing that made sense. Hugo had gotten a True Name from his First Nightmare just like Sunny and Nephis had. The link between a True Name and a Divine Aspect was something Sunny was still figuring out but the correlation was undeniable. After all, he was living proof it could happen.
He sighed ruffling through his dark hair. "It's like a Divine Aspect bargain sale out here..." he scoffed under his breath, hoping no one heard the bitter joke.
When he looked back at Hugo, his jaw went slack for an entirely different reason.
The Paragon of Purity in his terrifying elemental form, was carefully, meticulously, using his control over stone to weave small, levitating rocks into... necklaces?
'Wait, are those... necklaces?' A dumbfounded expression spread across Sunny's face. 'Don't tell me he's planning to confess to Nephis or Cassie... Wait, could he be trying to confess to me?!' The thought was so horrifying that Sunny felt what little color his face had drain away.
---
[Hugo's POV]
Once he had crafted three simple but sturdy stone necklaces using [Minor Terrakinesis], Hugo waited for his transformation to time out. Then, After the requisite recharge period, he selected the Galvan form. The shift was instantaneous, the world snapping into hyper-focus as his intellect expanded.
He ignored the confused glances from Sunny and Nephis.
And With galvanizing speed, he gathered the necklaces and retrieved a piece of scavenger carcass using a sharpened bone shard to inscribe precise runic circles onto each stone pendant.
The runes he carved held two core concepts within them : [Senses] and [Empower].
It was frustrating; with his current level of skill, two enchantments were his limit, a paltry number for a Galvan's mind, which screamed mediocrity.
'Tsk, tsk, tsk! If only I could remain in this form for more than ten minutes! Oh! The wonders I could create!' he thought, the frustration sharp and deadly.
After the long inscribing of runes, He began the delicate process of pouring his own soul essence into the necklaces saturating the runes.
This was the main problem. He was the power source. The enchantments, even though they were passive—designed to subtly enhance the wearer's senses and physical resilience—would only last a few days before the stored essence was depleted. Sunny, nephis and Cassie couldn't recharge them themselves considering they were sleepers.
Although It was a temporary solution, but not a crippling one as He could always recharge them later, still the big flaw of the items bothered Hugo.
"At last! I'm done!" he exclaimed, a wave of mental fatigue washing over him just as the familiar, high-pitched peeping sound signaled the end of his transformation.
He reverted to human form, blinking as he looked at the darkening sky. The sun was dipping below the horizon, and the first whispers of the rising dark sea echoed in the distance.
"The day's already over?" Hugo frowned, realizing he had spent the entire afternoon crafting and enchanting the simple gifts, going over multiple cycles of Transformation and detransfirmation.
He looked down at the three stone necklaces in his hand, their runes glowing faintly with borrowed power. It was a small gesture but it was a start.