In a dark, hazy world, a lone figure sat near an ancient, gnarled tree. Their features were indiscernible, shrouded entirely in black, blending seamlessly into the oppressive gloom of the surroundings.
The figure's voice broke the silence, low and almost casual, yet tinged with a hint of satisfaction.
"The Eclipticon Order has been wiped out by me. Heh, that did take its toll, but it was worth it."
An ethereal, malevolent voice echoed in their mind, cold and piercing.
"You think erasing them is enough to lure Selena Solgest out of hiding?"
The figure scoffed, a smirk barely audible in their tone.
"Even if Selena doesn't appear, it's still a win for me. I've gathered plenty of Eclipse-grade Artifacts, though most are dripping with Corrupted energy."
The voice retorted, its tone laced with disdain.
"Foolish. You should move now—I can sense someone on the level of The Cursed Wanderer approaching."
The figure chuckled darkly.
"Isn't this the perfect chance to eliminate someone of such strength?"
....
The scene shifted.
A tall man with deep brown eyes and jet-black hair hovered high in a darkened sky, his round face handsome yet marked with a quiet intensity. Below him lay the ruins of an ancient city, its crumbled remains shrouded in an eerie stillness.
As he flew, his sharp gaze fell on a grotesque, three-headed creature waddling on the city's outskirts. Its intestines coiled grotesquely around its bloated stomach, a sight enough to unsettle even the bravest.
The man's lips curled into a confident smile as he descended. The beast, sensing his presence, unleashed an ear-piercing scream. The sound reverberated through the ruins, toppling the fragile remains of nearby buildings.
Unfazed, the man spoke in a deep, commanding voice.
"Will you live, or will you not?"
The creature, incapable of understanding the words but brimming with primal aggression, lunged at him.
The man sighed. With a mere glance, the beast vanished into thin air, its existence erased as though it had never been. Silence descended upon the city once more, even the wind falling still.
....
The scene shifted again.
A petite woman with flowing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes faced a shadowy figure, its features obscured entirely. The air between them crackled with tension.
"Stop it, Selena!" the figure roared. "You're forcing me to kill both you and Roosevelt. You know I'm fully capable of doing so!"
Selena closed her eyes briefly, as if to steady herself. In the next instant, she teleported directly in front of the figure and, with a flick of her wrist, bound them with shimmering chains.
The vision dissolved into darkness.
.....
A young boy awoke with a start, his chest heaving. The fragmented visions of his dream lingered briefly before fading, leaving him puzzled.
....
The morning light illuminated a vast library where the boy now sat, his small frame dwarfed by towering shelves of ancient tomes. He had short brown hair, black eyes, and stood at about 189 cm tall. Across from him sat a middle-aged man with a tall, sturdy build. The man's sharp green eyes contrasted with his short black hair, and a faint scar ran along his left cheek.
The man, known as Mr. Shinunaki, leaned forward, his voice calm yet firm.
"Komaru, today I will teach you about Principles and the nature of the four worlds."
Komaru nodded attentively.
"The universe comprises four distinct worlds," Shinunaki began. "Each is home to a unique race: the Gods, Demons, Elves, and us Humans.
"For humans, power stems from a ritual performed under the star Caribela. This ritual transports our consciousness to an unknown dimension, where we absorb energy released by the star. Once this energy is fully absorbed, we return to the human world, and the energy settles near our hearts."
Komaru listened intently, his curiosity evident.
"This energy allows us to create something known as a Principle. To do so, we visualize an image—a concept tied to the Principle we wish to create—and infuse it with a portion of the energy. However, you must never use all of your energy. Doing so leads to Corruption, and you'll vanish instantly.
"Once your Principle is formed, the corresponding knowledge fills your mind. A black spot then appears in your brain—that's your Principle. From there, you can use your remaining energy to channel its power."
Komaru furrowed his brows in thought. "But what if the Principle I create already exists? Wouldn't that cause problems?"
Shinunaki chuckled softly.
"That happens more often than you think. Each Principle is unique to its creator because of the image used to form it. Even if someone else envisions the same Principle, the chance of creating an identical image is extremely low. If, by some rare chance, two identical Principles are created, the first creator holds a slight authority over its power."
Komaru pressed further.
"What if two people intentionally try to create the same Principle at the same time?"
"That," Shinunaki said gravely, "results in disaster. Their energies would fuse, and one of them would inevitably be Corrupted."
Komaru nodded slowly, processing the explanation. "Couldn't someone create an overpowered Principle, like 'I kill every being'?"
Shinunaki shook his head.
"Impossible. Caribela governs the energy you absorb and judges whether your Principle is viable. If it deems the energy insufficient, the creation will fail."
He continued, "There's also the concept of Principle evolution. As you use your Principle over time, the remaining energy gradually infuses it, causing it to evolve. An evolved Principle is far more powerful. However, this process must be gradual; infusing all your energy at once will corrupt you."
Komaru tilted his head. "How do we know when a Principle evolves?"
"You'll feel an intense headache as the black spot in your brain grows larger," Shinunaki explained. "Once it evolves, you can perform another ritual to replenish your energy. Until then, the black spot prevents further rituals."
Shinunaki went on, his voice steady.
"Principles fall into five categories. Elemental involves control over the elements—fire, water, earth, and so on. Manipulator allows control over external objects or forces. Enhancement strengthens physical or mental capabilities. Summoning enables the user to bring forth creatures from another dimension, and Utility provides abilities that don't fit into the other categories, such as conjuring tools for exploration and problem solving.
"Then there is the grading system. Principles are graded based on their level of evolution: Nascent, Adept, Expert, Master, Ascended, and Celestial. Most people never go beyond Master, but some, like myself, strive for Ascended. Only a few ever reach Celestial."
Komaru's eyes sparkled with determination. "What grade are you now?"
"I'm a Master," Shinunaki replied. "But soon, I'll be Ascended."
Their conversation concluded, and the two rose, leaving the library behind.
The next day, both Mr. Shinunaki and Komaru were present in a dark room.
"Komaru, you will be performing the ritual today. Make sure to do everything as I taught you."
Hearing this, Komaru nodded. He took a silver knife and cut his finger. With the blood from his finger, he drew a big circle around him.
In the middle, he drew another small circle with a star inside it, then filled the star with drops of blood.
He then took a small bottle and opened its lid. Immediately, a fragrance which calmed the surroundings spread around.
There was a silver liquid present inside the bottle. This liquid is called Shunal's Essence. Komaru smeared three drops of it on the boundary of the circle.
After doing this, he sat outside the big circle and closed his eyes. He then started chanting the honored name of Caribela.
"Oh Caribela, the light of balance,
Grant me the silver glow of will and wisdom,
Let my path shine with your eternal grace."
After doing this, his body fell to the ground with a thud.
Komaru's consciousness had been transported to another dimension!
Inside the unknown dimension, beams of light illuminated the world. Komaru's figure started walking towards a transparent blob of energy.
When he came near the blob, the energy inside it immediately rushed towards Komaru, gradually seeping inside him.
Komaru felt a throbbing pain. He clutched his heart and tried to scream, but no voice came out of his mouth.
Immediately, he felt extremely calm. He started hearing the soft singing of a bird from a very far distance.
This means that the ritual was successful. Komaru smiled.
After slowly calming down his mind, he was in no hurry to return.
He started roaming around the blurry dimension. He saw small, bright stars around him.
Below him, there was a transparent floor. It looked as if he was floating mid air.
After being satisfied, he decided to return. It was a simple process, all he had to do was try to locate the place where the energy was, which is in the middle of his heart.
He took a deep breath, and managed to locate a small blob of energy right in the middle of his heart.
Just as he did this, his consciousness returned back to the world. Komaru slowly got up.
Now was the main thing. It was to create a Principle for himself!
What Principle should I create? Should it be Manipulation or Enhancement? Ah fuck, its hard to choose.
Komaru sat down on a chair and closed his eyes.
In his mind, he thought about the description of his Principle.
Breathing makes me powerful. This was the Principle he thought of.
As he tried to form a path from his heart to his brain, the path immediately severed.
This means that a Principle like this is too strong. I need to think of something more balanced.
Komaru closed his eyes once again. This time, he thought of a much more balanced Principle.
Learning history makes me stronger. Komaru thought of this Principle.
Hmm, this is a good Principle for me. It is pretty balanced, and the more history I learn, the greater strength I get. It would also consume less energy. With that, Komaru started forming an image.
In the image, Komaru wore a big black coat with mysterious symbols carved on it. He stood in a big library with an ancient book in his hands.
After forming the image, vast amounts of information started flooding into his mind information related to all the powers he had gained.
A surreal pain in his head made Komaru spit out blood from his mouth. But the pain was soon over.
As Komaru stood up, he could feel his Principle in the form of a black spot on his brain. He tried to imagine a path from his heart to his Principle, and he succeeded. A very small amount of energy flowed into Komaru's Principle, immediately fusing into it.
It seems one-fourth of my energy was consumed for the creation of the Principle. I have gained a few abilities.
The first one is Tactical Insight. I can predict the moves of my opponents.
The next is Cultural Adaptability. I can adapt certain skills and traits from different cultures or civilizations.
The last is Historical Echo. It helps me temporarily recreate a moment in history as an illusion or localized effect. I can use it once every hour and the effect will last around 10 seconds.
It seems that at this level, I don't gain any offensive ability. Thats still good, since a higher grade will help me gain more abilities. And learning more about history will help me slowly evolve my Principle. What category will my Principle be? Perhaps it will be Utility.
Right as he finished, the door opened and Shinunaki entered.
"Seems like you succeeded in the ritual. Good job." He smiled.
Komaru nodded, and then they both cleaned up the room and left.