In front of Theodore, where the blank white canvas of the void now lay, a breathtaking, expansive, and vibrant landscape. Dotting the sky above were golden sparks of light reminiscent of stars, and the ground below was a sea of golden waters that rippled with every step. Its surface shimmered like polished glass under the ethereal glow of the stars, and I that mirror-like surface, he found himself staring at a brighter and more brilliant golden glow.
He looked up to see his core, which was previously nothing but a mass of nothing with a strange glow within, but now, it radiated a blinding golden light, almost like that of the sun. Looking down at the palms of his hands, a multitude of thoughts dominated his mind, but none more than an important realization.
'I have actually done it! I survived the first trial! I am a herald!'
The realization washed over Theodore like a wave of warmth, filling him with a sense of triumph and pride. He had faced the dark, despair-filled world of Ygdrassil with nothing but his wit and body as a measly slum dweller and come out a victor!
As he stood there, the golden waters rippling beneath his feet, a memory flashed into his mind.
***
"Now, I know it might sound like a waste of time, but as your instructor, I have a duty to tell you this."
Stood in the classroom once more, his instructor prepared to impart yet another bit of knowledge onto him and his classmates.
"In the smallest inkling that any of you survive your trial and undergo an awakening, the first thing you will need to do is check what ability you received. Though you would have gotten an inkling as to what exactly it is during your trial, you will need to make sure of what exactly your ability is. And to do that, all you need to do is....."
***
Stood in the middle of his soul sea, Theodore concentrated, focused on himself, and according to his will, a string of words appeared before him. The strange text was like no language he had ever seen before, and yet, he was instantly able to understand what every stroke meant.
Name: [Theodore]
Ether core: [Awakened]
Ether saturation: [0%]
Class: [Undefined]
Trait: [Energy manipulation]
Trait Ability: [Kinekenisis]
Attribute: []
Relic: [Blade of faith, Fallen lord's crown]
Looking closer, he focused on the line of text that defined his trait ability.
Trait ability: [Kinekenisis: Some control the force of time, others control something more simple like the force of heat, but you are blessed with the ability to control the push and pull of anything you wish.]
Below was his attribute, the passive ability granted to all heralds.
Attribute: [Shock absorption: be it a pin prick, or a boulder landing on the crown of your head, all force directed towards you becomes null and void.]
"So I was right! My ability, or trait, is the ability to manipulate kinetic energy."
For the next few minutes, Theodore contemplated the applications of this ability. And pushing its limits, he thought up multiple crazy, unrealistic, and amazing applications. But for most of the time, he would have to raise his rank far above what it was now to even attempt them. So for now, he had to settle, but what really got his attention were the two relics he had received for defeating the spawns during the trial.
The first was the most surprising of the two.
Relic description: [Blade of faith: a weapon wielded by the lord of one of the nine worlds capable of absorbing, storing, and unleashing said energy whenever its wielder wishes.]
Relic rank: [Dormant]
Relic type: [Weapon]
Relic blessing: [Energy absorption, Energy expulsion]
Above the strange language was the image of a sword. But not just any sword, its hilt was made of a deep brown hue of wood he had never seen before. At the base of its hilt was a strange red ornament with the emblem of a dragon engraved onto it. The blade was a deep black and covered in rust.
The blade of the sword extended for nearly a meter and a half, nearly matching him in height. Its tip had been snapped off, leaving it looking like more than a decoration. But make no mistake, its blade was sharper than any normal weapon.
Receiving a weapon during his first trial was rare, but not unheard of. Though the rank of said weapons is typically on the low side, his blade of faith was no different. Being a dormant weapon, it didn't have the raw strength the likes of the higher ranks would have, but its blessing alone made up for that. In fact, one could say this weapon was made to perfectly suit the ability he had received.
But what really caught his interest was the second relic.
Relic: [Fallen lord's crown]
The image depicted was of a simple golden crown, which gave no real indication of its use or abilities. The lines of text, though, were even more mysterious than anything.
Relic rank: [Unknown]
Relic type: [Item]
Relic blessing: [Unknown]
'Well, that's a disappointment.'
As far as he was concerned, this relic was useless to Theodore. It wasn't a weapon, nor a charm, nor a supportive item with a good ability It was just a plain crown. But for some strange reason, he felt like at a later time, it would show its true use.
As he stood there contemplating the possibilities, the world around him was once again beginning to distort.
***
Theodore's eyes shot open, and without wasting a breath or movement, he swung his fist, and the casing of the pod he lay in shattered. Shocked by what had just happened, he crawled out. Gasping for air, he struggled to his feet when suddenly, he felt a menacing presence right behind him.
Twisting reflexively with speed he never imagined, he drew his arm back and threw a punch that connected with something. Looking up, he saw his fist in the grasp of a shadow, a dark human-like shadowy mass with its only defining trait being a set of deep crimson eyes.
From the mass of shadows, a deep, eerie, disturbing, and menacing laugh echoed, and from it, a voice which was now all too familiar to him echoed.
"Now that was better, you brat!"
It might not be where he would have preferred to be waking up, but finally, after a strange and sometimes nightmare inducing first experience in Ygdrassil, he was home.