Awakened Element (2)
For six relentless days, Solace had pushed himself beyond every limit. Without a moment's rest, he trained amid the barren wastelands, driven by the urgent need to master his shadow—a power that had become both his weapon and his shield. His body had become a battleground of sweat and determination, each drop a testament to his progress. And now, at last, his efforts had borne fruit. His shadow, once wild and untamed, had taken on defined forms: a spear, a sword, and a shield. Yet, theory was not enough; he needed a final, practical test to prove his newfound abilities in combat.
Determined, Solace ventured deeper into the wastelands. His eyes scanned the desolation until he caught sight of a low-ranking beast—a weak creature known to roam these barren lands. It was a Rank 1 beast, the kind that only the most desperate or the unskilled would ever encounter. With practiced stealth, Solace tracked it, his heart pounding in anticipation.
As the beast wandered near a crumbling outcrop, Solace sprang into action. With a fluid motion born of tireless practice, he cornered the creature. Shadows danced around him as he summoned the spear form from his own dark power. Without hesitation, he hurled the shadow-spear with every ounce of his strength. The spear flew straight and true, its ethereal tip piercing the creature's heart. In one swift, lethal blow, the beast fell lifeless, and Solace's chest surged with exhilaration. This was the moment he had trained for—the final test of his combat prowess using the power of darkness.
Breathing heavily, Solace rushed forward to claim his prize. The beast's lifeblood had already begun to seep into the cracked earth, and among its remains lay the elemental crystal—a shard of raw power. For a long moment, he hesitated. The crystal shimmered with the promise of untold abilities, tempting him to absorb its energy and further augment his own power. Yet, a quiet debate waged within him. Absorbing the crystal would enhance him, but selling it could provide him with the means to fund further training and, more importantly, support Mara, whose kindness had been his lifeline ever since his parents died. In the end, practicality won out: he would sell the crystal.
That decision steeled his resolve. If he was to rise above the squalor of the outskirts, he needed to build a foundation for a future where Mara wouldn't have to sacrifice so much for his sake. With that thought fueling him, Solace set off, his mind already planning his next move: to hunt more low-ranking beasts. Although he admitted that he wasn't naturally gifted at close combat, his shadow served as both his sword and his shield. It was a force that fought in his stead, a power he was only beginning to harness.
Before returning to the city, Solace embarked on another hunt. Two more Rank 1 beasts, wandering in the wastelands, soon met their fate. With swift precision, he cornered and dispatched them, each kill affirming his growing confidence in the control he now wielded over darkness. The beasts fell as if caught in an inevitable tide, their struggles silenced by the relentless efficiency of his attacks.
The journey back to the outskirts was fraught with an uneasy awareness. As he made his way along the crumbling pathways, he could feel eyes upon him. In the shifting twilight, hungry gazes watched from broken windows and shadowed corners—some filled with desperate need, others with the predatory intent of those who sought to steal or exploit. It was a dangerous world, and his new abilities marked him as both a beacon of hope and a target.
Passing by a rundown building, Solace became acutely aware of a group of suspicious figures tailing him. Ever since he had learned to control his power, he had also honed a secondary sense—a subtle awareness of shifting shadows and hidden presences. He sensed the movement behind him: dark silhouettes sliding along the periphery of his vision. His eyes narrowed as he quickened his pace, weaving through the maze of decrepit structures until he reached a narrow corner of a building.
There, he halted abruptly and turned to confront his pursuers. "Why are you following me?" he demanded, his voice steady but laced with cautious authority. The group halted, and then one among them, a man with a roguish grin, stepped forward. "What do you have in that bag?" the man taunted, his eyes glinting with both hunger and greed.
Before the situation could escalate further, the leader of the group signaled one of his henchmen to advance. In an instant, Solace's training kicked in. With his awakened strength, he reacted swiftly side stepping the henchman in a single, decisive stroke. The man crumpled to the ground, and the onlookers scattered momentarily in shock.
Solace's eyes burned with controlled intensity as he faced the remaining assailants. "Who's next?" he challenged. One after another, the attackers lunged forward, but they were no match for his refined abilities. His shadow acted as both an impenetrable shield and a swift, cutting weapon, and within seconds, every threat was neutralized. The last of the would-be robbers stared at him in disbelief. Their leader—a gaunt man named Greg—realized the gravity of the situation. His face twisted with fear, and he bolted, disappearing into the maze of the outskirts alleys.
Solace did not pursue. Instead, he resumed his journey with renewed determination, heading toward the guild—a bustling haven where one could sell elemental crystals for the currency known as "stellar." In the aftermath of the Divine War, society had reformed, and the new economy revolved around stellar: 100 stellar could buy a modest snack, while a crystal—an object of immense value—was worth 50,000 stellar, the currency abbreviated simply as "s." Crystals were rare, coveted not only for their raw power but also for their ability to enhance abilities and drive research; a single crystal could sustain a family for an entire week.
At the guild, Solace negotiated with the traders. Despite the customary 10% fee for those not affiliated with a guild, he managed to secure a handsome sum—130,000 stellar for the crystal. The transaction was swift and efficient, leaving him with enough to support his ambitions and a small cushion for further training. As he stepped out of the guild, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. The thought of Mara's joy warmed him more than the stellar in his pocket ever could.
The path ahead was still uncertain, and the academy test loomed ever closer, but in that moment, Solace allowed himself to bask in the thrill of his accomplishments. His rigorous six days of training had transformed him, not just physically, but in spirit. The darkness, once a wild and unpredictable force, was now a precise instrument in his arsenal—a part of him that he could shape, wield, and command.