The air was still around me. My breathing became slower. I relaxed further, deeper than the buzzing in my head, deeper than the ache in my body. I wasn't thinking. Just feeling.
Then I heard it.
A low-sounding pulse rising in my chest like a distant drumbeat.. It was pressure.
Suddenly, I felt a pulse run through me. The Blue glyphs returned, but this time they responded to me. One of them flashed brighter than the others.
Willforce.
Wukong's voice sliced through the stillness, contented. "There it is. Your Will has chosen its first path."
The glittering Willforce began dividing into three smaller ones. They shone in three different colors.
"Soul Sight. Spirit Guard. Dominion Will," Wukong asserted. "This is your first connection to the world. These are not tricks nor spells; they are the very essence of your soul, made flesh.
Before I could speak, a faint flame radiated across my chest, and radiant letters arose before me, like a skill tree delicately inscribed in the very air itself.
[Willforce Path: Started]
Abilities Unleashed:
Soul Sight [Level 1]
Connect with the emotional and spiritual presence of the creatures around you.
Able to detect aggression, lies, concealed energy, or fear.
Spirit Guard [Level 1]
Empower your weapon or body with soul energy. Minor damage resistance and sharpness bonus while focusing.
Dominion Will [Locked]
Requires more Willforce influence to trigger. It overpowers or stuns weaker creatures within a small radius.
Wukong whistled. "Not bad. Level one Soul Sight and Spirit Guard, right out of the box. Dominion's hanging in there, but you'll catch up.".
I looked at the shining skills, feeling them settle into me like tools I had always known, just waiting until now to be revealed.
What comes next?" I asked.
Wukong cracked his knuckles. "Now? Let's see what your Will can do. Time to push it. You're gonna learn how to use those skills on the fly."
He tossed me a wooden staff, worn from innumerable battles but vibrating with latent energy.
"Lesson two: Reveal to me the strength of your soul." I grabbed the staff, and in that instant, I felt a flash of something sparking within my chest. This was not training. This was the beginning.