[Dawn] was the last piece of information the runes had to offer, and honestly, it was the one Luciel had looked forward to the most. It had captured him from the beginning, drawing him in like nothing else had. It was as though the sword existed as a part of his soul, and a huge one at that.
With a shaky breath, he commanded the runes to open a path to Dawn.
Relic: [Dawn]
[A sword crafted by your beloved, said to be drawn at the world's edge, where night breaks and the sun does not rise. Its light promised eternity, love, and a song to be sung, no matter the lifetime.]
Weight: Immeasurable
Type: Weapon
Stars: [Eternal Embrace], [Dawnbringer], [Sealed]
[Eternal Embrace]
[The sword cares for its master as dearly as it does its own existence, as does the one who crafted it. Such insurmountable love made the star eternal, never to fade. Whenever you suffer — from anything, even yourself — the sword wishes to be by your side.]
[Dawnbringer]
[The sword awakens surrounding Relics, amplifying their Weight and Stars as though compelled to rise with the coming dawn. Only those deemed allies may bask in its light.]
[Sealed]
[The dying stars will slumber on until a worthy symphony kindles their flame.]
'Beloved? Eternal Embrace?'
Whenever the runes used "your" or "you" instead of addressing generally, Luciel could not help feeling as though it was talking to him. He felt the same about Scarlet's description.
If so, who was this "beloved" figure?
'No way it's the old man, right?'
Luciel's complexion went pale for even thinking about it.
Meanwhile, Bambi was giggling beside him like a madwoman.
"Who's this "beloved" of yours, hmm?"
She prodded him in the chest repeatedly.
"Did you have a hidden maiden somewhere I don't know about? Oh! Maybe you're secretly dating one right now!"
'This fucking…'
He grabbed her face and squished her cheeks together, forcing her lips into a pout and shutting her up.
"Bring out one of your Relics."
"Fwor wha?"
Suddenly, he felt a strange dampness on his palm.
Her eyes shone with innocent delight. His eyes shone with the opposite light, full of disgust. He had never expected her to pull a move like that.
"You know it doesn't work on me, right?"
Bambi only shrugged.
He retracted his hand, wet in saliva. He quickly summoned the flame and dried it out.
Then, he moved to the main topic.
"Dawnbringer enhances nearby Relics. This is pretty significant, no?"
She answered with curiosity in her eyes, as if the whole shenanigan beforehand didn't happen:
"It is. I'm curious how exactly the Weight and Stars would be enhanced. A Star is pretty self-explanatory, but what does Weight mean? Because I'm sure it's not the actual weight."
"We have to test it out."
Bambi nodded and pumped her fist.
"Yes!"
Then, she enthusiastically added:
"And you know what else? You can be our personal appraiser and accurately analyze all the Relics! If that's not a cheat code, I don't know what is. We hit the fucking jackpot!"
And she went on and on, her words sticking together.
"Oh! I remember Relic appraisers are always in demand. Each Relic pays a buttload of money as well! Luciel, we're gonna be rich!"
Hearing her battle cry of greed, the only thing popped up in his mind was:
'We? Who's we?'
But Luciel didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he let her be. If he was ever truly in a pinch and took up appraising, he would at least give her a small piece of the pie.
"Anyway, what's the plan?"
Now that reality had settled in, that he was a Resonant, he felt at a loss again.
Luciel had gained power and a chance to truly live, yes, but that was only the first step. Where could he place his ambition? It was something he had to consider seriously. He also understood that the journey was going to be long. There was no need to be impatient now that he was able to stand on his own.
"Already had a friend send a skyship. We're going to a nearby CORE to register you first, then you can consider your options."
"I see."
The Center of Resonance was where most Resonators began their journey. Hosted by Heerser, it was mandatory to register and obtain an official identity. Once you became a Resonator, you were no longer a mundane human.
"In the meantime, I'll help you with Essence control."
"Let's test out the—"
Before Luciel could finish his sentence, the ground shook intensely as if it was being uprooted. The debris left behind by the fire rattled violently. The trees surrounding the cabin bent in unison. Roots tore through the soil like surfacing veins, and the canopy shed its leaves in a violent spiral that climbed upwards.
But there was no wind.
Luciel sprang to his feet and went on high alert.
"Bambi. I don't think this is the skyship you talked about."
Bambi's grin slipped. She went quiet, eyes narrowing as she swept the line of trees. Her expression darkened, all playfulness gone.
"...Yeah, that's not my ride."
Bambi swallowed.
"It's a dimensional ship."
'Dimensional ship?'
A dimensional ship was strictly a military vessel. It wasn't commercial like the skyships. Its main function was to traverse to the Shattered Realm through the fabric of reality. Using this method, it could also teleport anywhere in the world.
Only a handful of entities were licensed to use it.
'What on earth would a dimensional ship be doing out here?'
Luciel subconsciously summoned Dawn. In a situation like this, there was no choice between flight and fight. You just had to stand your ground and pray for good luck.
Then, a thin fracture split the sky open above the forest, widening unevenly like a wound being pried open. Colors he'd never known existed bled through the pale sky. Instead of an azure blue, he saw a bruised spectrum of violet and molten gold, as if the sky had been turned inside out and muddied by corruption.
"Luciel!"
He turned to Bambi. She had already brought out her signature humongous red bow — her favorite weapon Relic.
"Yeah."
"Cover your whole body with Echo Essence. Do it now! You won't get out in one piece without a third layer."
Luciel's face scrunched up.
"Third lay—how do I—"
He never got the rest out.
The world dropped. The pressure from the fracture came like a wrecking ball. It pressed against his eardrums, his ribs, the back of his eyes. His knees threatened to buckle.
Bambi turned around in horror. She shouted as loud as possible.
"Dammit! Extend your consciousness!"
'Extend… extend…'
Luciel tried to hold on to his train of thought as his insides churned, feeling a strong urge to vomit and pass out. His head was ringing; his vision blurred, making him see the colors bled into each other like wet paint. Bambi was saying something, but her voice felt distant and muffled. Each breath he took was sharp and shallow, like his lungs were punctured.
'Hah… fuck.'
Blood dripped from every orifice of his body.
His legs finally gave out. Before he hit the ground, Dawn drove itself into the floor beneath him, and he caught himself on the hilt, kneeling.
Luciel vaguely saw the figure of Bambi running towards him.
"—u—el!"
Being crushed like this wasn't pleasant at all. If he were still a mundane human, death would be the kinder outcome.
But like what people had always said, 'What doesn't kill you… makes you want to return the favor.'
Since Luciel didn't know what the third layer was or how to form it, he had to resort to the alternative.
He took a deep, painful breath, and dug deep into his Soulscape. Then, with all his willpower, he doused himself in scarlet flame, both inside and out.
"Aaaaargh!"
Luciel screamed in agony while his body burned. It was as painful as the first time in the dream, but this time, the pain was real. He didn't know what had compelled him to make such a bold move.
Instinct? Stupidity?
Either way, his body and mind had to suffer from double the torment. But somehow, Luciel felt more alive than ever. He breathed even faster, circulating the Echo Essence to push out more flame and heat. He couldn't see Bambi anymore, or anything for that matter.
The sound was gone, too. The only noise in his world now was the crackle of fire.
Gradually, nothing remained but him and the flame.
Did he feel fear? Did he feel incompetent? Did he feel unjust?
No. Never. The first memory of his was him being beaten almost to death. The first victory of his was him stealing enough food for a week. Every day after that was borrowed time, and he had never once wasted it on fear or insecurity.
So the pressure, the burning sensation, was just another futile attempt to kill him. And he had a long history of disappointing those who tried.
His fingers started to loosen around Dawn's hilt. He willed his fingers to tighten, but his body didn't listen. The sound of fire grew quieter and thinner.
Luciel breathed out, and the flame parted.
The last thing he saw was a giant metal mass above the forest, and the sky stitching itself shut.