[Grappling Hook]
- Equipment Rank: Common
- Hidden Power: None
[Tattered Cloak]
- Equipment Rank: Uncommon
- Hidden Power: One with Shadow.
- One with Shadow: When you are within darkness, you can fuse with the shadow and erase your presence. You cannot be heard, seen, or interacted with in any way. This ability is neutralized if the shadow in which you are occupied is illuminated.
[Lantern of the Damned]
- Equipment Rank: Rare
- Hidden Power: Soul Reap; Soul Flare.
- Soul Reap: You can collect the souls of those you have wronged.
- Soul Flare: You can burn the souls you have collected, causing them more suffering even in death. The light they produced automatically dispels all illusion or magical darkness.
As Blaze suspected, the two ordinary items are not ordinary at all.
In them are special hidden powers that can only be revealed when equipped.
Tattered Cloak is excellent for espionage and stealth. Its function is limited in direct combat, as enemies can easily dispel the invisibility by a light source.
Lantern of the Damned is the best of the bunch with two hidden powers. One to collect the souls and the other to burn them.
Phuc is floundering aimlessly inside the confines of his flame. His soul no longer knows sense and is only able to feel pain.
Blaze can see the fire dimming and becoming smaller the longer he burns the soul.
With one simple thought, he turns off Soul Flare.
The fire grows faint and is now only an obscure yellow spot of light. Even though it is hard to notice, the yellow soul is slowly growing larger, returning to its original size.
"The soul seems to be able to self-recover.
If that's the case, as long as I don't use him in one go, I should be able to burn him for eternity."
Blaze's smile widens to the edge of his face. He is currently wearing the Tattered Cloak which disguises most of his appearance.
His face is a pit of shadow with no actual facial characteristics. That is why when he smiles, a crescent moon appears that looks extremely unsettling.
Blaze flicks his wrist.
The Lantern disappears into a puff of yellow smoke. It is still equipped, and he can materialize it at any time.
The Tattered Cloak does not have this feature though, it's either he's wearing it or he's not wearing it.
"Only one final thing."
Blaze looks over to his Inventory.
Of the three original icons, two have disappeared completely.
One grid is filled with a new pixelated icon of a lantern, representing the new item he has.
The Tattered Cloak and Grappling Hook are not in the Inventory as he is wearing them.
Blaze touches the question mark icon.
[Customizing weapon…]
[Please design your desired weapon]
Blaze taps his fingers on the shadowy jaw, thinking about what he should make.
He doesn't know the extent of creating this weapon. Will it have Hidden Power like the equipment he just received? Can't he wish for a nuclear warhead?
[The weapon function and capabilities are limited to the user's current power]
A window pops up and answers his concern.
"It seems like I cannot make something too overpowered. If that's the case, what kind of weapon do I need right now?"
He has temporary invisibility with the Tattered Cloak, an illusion breaker with the Lantern of the Damned, and the Grappling Hook is purely a traversing tool.
Force Strike is only E-rank, it doesn't have actual combat ability and is only useful in very specific scenarios.
After pondering hard, Blaze decides that he lacks firepower. Force Strike can keep enemies at a distance, and Tattered Cloak can be used for assassination.
Blaze needs a long-range weapon that can kill a target in one simple strike. This kind of weapon is best to use in combination with his current abilities.
And there is no better weapon that can fill this role than a gun.
"I want a handgun that is easy to carry with a long effective range and strong enough firepower to kill most people in one shot."
Blaze doesn't understand guns, so he just describes what he wants to the System.
He lifts his hand to the air.
Digitized squares materialize inside his palm, a weapon is quickly forming and taking shape.
[Retrieving User's preference…]
[Creating a weapon that fits the user's desire…]
A few seconds pass, and all the digitized squares fuse into a wand.
At first look, Blaze swears it is a human finger bone. It has that same pale shade of brown with a polished and shiny finish.
The tip is shaved as sharp as a needle, while the handle is wrapped in this creepy bark-like material that actually moves around Blaze's finger.
"What the?"
[Weapon created]
[Destruction Wand]
- Equipment Rank: Rare
- Hidden Power: Lightning Strike; Destruction Beam.
- Lightning Strike: The wand can shoot out destructive lightning that can kill normal people in one strike. Each shot creates a loud thunder roar.
- Destruction Beam: The wand can charge its power for thirty seconds and shoot out a black, lightning-speed beam with destructive power that automatically finds its target.
Blaze inhales deeply and holds the wand like a baby. It's not the gun he's asking for, but it is better in every way.
He can't even believe the System is so generous and grants a Rare rank Equipment for the customizable weapon.
Blaze flicks his palm, and the wand disappears into the Inventory.
A new pixelated wand is inserted into one of the grids with a small letter 'E' as in equipped attached to it.
Similar to the Lantern, the weapon can also be withheld inside the Inventory and can materialize with a single thought.
Blaze feels incredibly happy with all his newfound strength. A simple superpower is useless, but those pieces of equipment are magnificent.
"Even though my power is E-rank. I feel like I can easily be compared to D-rank or even C-rank superheroes."
Suddenly, Kana's voice comes up from downstairs.
"Blaze! Come down here! Something's happened!"
His mother shouts with clear anxiety in her tone.
"I'm coming, Mother!" A low, hoarse voice replies Kana.
"Why is your voice so weird?"
Blaze's voice sounds like an angel in her head, therefore she is rather surprised.
Kana was thinking that maybe Blaze is in some kind of shock. That could explain the voice change.
Kana turns her back to see the figure walking down the stairs.
A humanoid being made out of black smoke that is covered in a rugged, black cloak. Its face is hollow with darkness, and only its white teeth are visible.
Kana screams for her life and grabs the kitchen knife.
"Mother?"
"Do not come near me!"
Kana points the knife toward Blaze but clumsily slips her footing due to a puddle of water on the floor.
She falls to her back, and the knife slips off her hand.
Blaze steps forward, unequipped the Tattered Cloak. He returns to his original form.
His left hand slaps the knife in mid-air so that it won't fall onto Kana. His right hand reaches out and supports his mother, preventing her from falling.
"Are you okay, Mother?"
"Hang on." Kana blinks then stays silent for a whole five seconds before continuing: "...What?"
Kana stands up straight again, suspiciously looking at Blaze.
"Are you really my son?"
Blaze rolls his eyes.
"Yes. It's my power."
"Wonderful! I was just joking with you, honey!"
"Right…"
Blaze looks over to the knife that just fell on the floor.
"Come, honey! A voidgate is opening!"
"A voidgate?"
Becoming an Awakened is a blessing but also a curse. In Ranas, there is a second world that exists alongside the physical one. Everyone calls it the void.
The Void is an endless, chaotic dimension that is filled with unimaginable horrors.
A voidgate is when a connection between the real world and the void is established. This connection does not allow for void monsters to enter the real world.
However, it will suck any Awakened being inside the void. No one can escape it, and it happens in an instant. The only way to avoid it is to get out of its range of effect.
Blaze and Kana both get to the living room. On the television, a reporter is delivering the news.
"A new voidgate has been located.
It is in Akansa and has an effective radius of thirty kilometers. Scientists have determined that this voidgate has a C-rank threat level.
All D-rank and below heroes, please evacuate immediately!"
A map shows up on the news, showing the detailed radius of the voidgate. Unfortunately, Blaze's house is deep inside it with not enough time to escape.
"We need to go!"
Kana says. She doesn't care if it's too far. She must try to get her son to safety.
"Too late, Mother!"
Blaze raises his left hand. The flesh on it is already halfway transparent. The sign that he is being teleported inside the Void.
Kana reaches out and grabs Blaze's arm, visibly distraught.
"Trust me, Mother. I will return to you in one piece."
Blaze holds Kana's hand.
Blaze disappears, leaving only Kana in the living room.