"Those individuals are given a test. And if they pass, they return with miraculous abilities."
The mayor's message repeated, echoing through the tunnels as Bennan paced around his room, clutching his head.
While he had been in the hallway, the overhead light in his room had come to life as well, bathing the service inlet in dull, even light. The combination of the sudden brightness and the constant droning voice was beginning to make his head throb.
He let out an exasperated grunt and reached out, summoning the Servant's Sword.
A plain-looking silver blade wove itself into existence in a swirl of shimmering sparks. Stomping back into the hallway, Bennan leapt upward, easily coming within reach of the speaker. With a sharp slash, he severed the wires, sending it clattering to the ground with a metallic thud.
The mayor's voice continued faintly from deeper within the tunnel, but it was too distant now to make out the words.
Letting out a relieved sigh, Bennan returned to his room and sat heavily on the edge of his bed, burying his face in his hands.
I literally just got back hours ago… and now I have to return to that awful place?
Though it had been awful, Bennan hadn't truly needed to fight to clear his First Nightmare.
He had been placed in an ancient castle within the Dream Realm. Instead of brutal combat, his trial had centered around political intrigue. Finding Bennan's strange manner of speaking and awkward demeanor amusing, a young knight had taken a liking to him and ultimately protected him. Through a mixture of dumb luck and poorly timed honesty, Bennan had helped the knight ascend to the throne.
Well… at least the air there was nice and clean.
His grip tightened around the Servant's Sword, his expression hardening. As he looked up, the runes appeared before him once more.
Aspect Description:
[Your body is a carefully crafted reservoir for energy.]
Aspect Rank: Transcendent.
Aspect Abilities: [Arrest]
[Arrest] Description:
[You can halt your own movement, storing the energy.]
Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I need to use this time wisely if I want to survive again. I doubt anyone will be there to cover for me this time.
Rising to his feet, Bennan raised the sword and assumed what he believed to be a proper combat stance—at least, one similar to what he had seen the knight use.
Halt my own movement…?
He hesitated, eyeing the blade uncertainly, then swung downward while issuing the mental command.
His arm stopped instantly.
A faint trickle of energy flowed into the rest of his body—subtlety coating his muscles.
Lowering the sword, Bennan examined himself. There was no visible change, but a slight buzzing pulsed beneath his skin.
He swung again—this time releasing the stored energy.
His body responded immediately. He moved far faster than intended, overswinging and stumbling forward to catch his balance.
Well… it's easy enough to use, I guess. All I have to do is mentally tell my body to activate it.
His eyes narrowed.
Time to run some tests.
Returning to his stance, Bennan raised the sword again and swung, putting all of his dormant might behind the strike. He arrested the blade once more. This time, he felt a much larger surge of energy flow into him. His muscles buzzed, easily containing the kinetic force from the blow.
He stood still, counting silently.
Seventeen… eighteen… nineteen… twenty…
Suddenly, Bennan felt the energy begin to fade.
Hmm. So I can hold it for around twenty seconds before it dissipates.
He swung with all his might again, arresting the sword as his muscles once more saturated with energy. Raising the blade, he waited.
Seventeen… eighteen… nineteen—
He swung down hard, stopping the sword mid-motion. Even more energy poured into him, mixing with the already buzzing power beneath his skin. This time, despite the intensity, the earlier energy didn't fade. Instead, it combined with the new surge.
A grin spread across Bennan's face.
Launching himself toward the concrete wall of his room, he slashed downward, releasing everything at once. The stored energy dispersed evenly throughout his body, empowering the strike. The sword vanished into a gray blur, materializing again by his side as the impact landed.
Looking up, he saw a deep gash carved into the old concrete wall.
His smile faded.
Holding up the Servant's Sword. The blade had dulled from the strike, and a large chip was missing from its edge.
Bennan dismissed the sword back into his soul sea for repair, shaking his head as he muttered,
"Man, I thought it being in the first tier meant it was good… dormant memories really suck, huh?"