Chapter 23: The Ring That Shouldn't Be
Location: Kamar-Taj, Hall of Relics
Date: December 2, 2007
Time: 11:34 AM
Adam stood among the other initiates, his freshly-stitched robes fluttering as a faint wind from the mountain outside cut through the air. The Hall of Relics shimmered with enchantments older than most civilizations. Gold inlays pulsed with arcane sigils, and ancient artifacts hovered quietly in glassless cases like museum pieces that dared you to touch them.
Except today, they were about to hand him one.
Wong cleared his throat at the front. "Traditionally, relics choose their wielder. They respond to intent, energy... and sometimes pure dumb luck."
Adam muttered under his breath, "Well hey, I am one point into Luck."
The Ancient One stood beside Wong, impassive as ever.a ring starts glowing next to Adam"It is the one item here that has refused every master. It does not respond to sorcery. It doesn't even acknowledge existence in this dimension."
She gestured to a pedestal at the back. On it, a simple silver ring lay motionless. It had no gem, no shimmer, no carvings—just a plain band .glowing a little bit with Adam walks next to it.
Adam tilted his head. "That's it? It looks like something you'd get out of a cereal box."
"The ring was recovered from a collapsed timeline," she continued. "It once was a reality altering artifact... in another multiverse."
Adam's sarcastic reply died in his throat. Even he knew not to joke about that.
The Ancient One nodded to him. "Touch it."
He hesitated, then walked up to the pedestal. "Okay. Let's see if I explode or ascend."
The second his finger brushed the metal, everything changed.
[SYSTEM ERROR: ARTIFACT INTERFACE FAILURE – UNRECOGNIZED MULTIVERSAL SIGNATURE]
[WARNING: FOREIGN OBJECT ABSORBING SYSTEM FRAGMENTS]
[ALERT: PROCESSING… PROCESSING…]
Adam's knees buckled as a surge of energy flooded his hand. The ring latched onto his finger with a snap, and a thread-thin line of light pulsed from it—reality itself trembling for a fraction of a second.
His vision flickered.
Images: cities twisted into knots, a moon dripping like wax, someone wearing his face but smiling wrong.
[SYSTEM UPDATE IN PROGRESS: ARTIFACT BEHAVIOR INTEGRATED]
[SOLUTION: FEEDING ARTIFACT SYSTEM FRAGMENTS TO STABILIZE]
[PERK UPDATE: RING NOW ABSORBS EXCESS SKILL FRAGMENTS TO EVOLVE FUNCTIONALITY]
A new UI appeared in Adam's vision:
Artifact: Reality Thread Ring
Origin: Multiversal (Collapsed Universe 213-X)
Core Function: Absorbs system fragments to generate illusion-based phenomena rooted in multiversal logic.at some parts of the multivers it could transform again into a reality shaping artifact
Current Power: Tier 1 – Illusion Construction
Passive: Generates visual, auditory, and spatial illusions capable of deceiving senses and most detection magic.
Growth: Feeds on unused Skill Fragments. More fragments = stronger illusions.
Adam gasped, reeling back. "What the hell was that?"
The Ancient One blinked once. "You're still here."
"Did you expect me to vanish?"
She frowned, deeply. "Who knows.Other people I know ,you are a mystery."
Wong stepped forward, cautiously. "The ring reacted to you like it was waiting."
Adam stared at the silver band now hugging his finger like it belonged there.
"It feels… hungry. Like it wants more."
"Then be careful what you feed it," the Ancient One murmured, still watching him like she was trying to see the shape of a ghost.
Later – Kamar-Taj, Adam's Quarters
Adam collapsed onto his bed and stared at his palm. The ring gleamed faintly, pulsing with a slow heartbeat.
[Skill Fragments Consumed: 6]
[Ring Power Level: Increasing...]
[Illusion Capabilities: Expanded – Sound Manipulation Unlocked]
"Well, that's a hell of a graduation gift."
He pulled up his skill list, eyes wide.
"I've got time vision, nightmare illusions, and my bling eats skills like Pac-Man. This is either the start of something awesome or the prequel to a breakdown."
He grinned.
"Let's find out which."
End of Chapter SummaryStats:
Strength: 22
Intelligence: 28 (Progress: 0/2 – Tier 2 scaling active)
Stamina: 20
Charisma: 20
Luck: 1 (Progress: 6/10)
Mana Pool (MP): 1,320
A-Level Skills
Invisibility [Active]
Metal Control [Active]
Telepathy [Active]
Fast Regeneration [Passive]
B-Level Skills
Telekinesis
Advanced Illusion Weaving
Fire Manipulation
Ice Manipulation
Body Size Control
Enhanced Reflexes
Mystic Weapon Mastery
Magical Barrier Deployment
C-Level Skills (Support/Amplification)
Focus Channeling
Illusion Anchor
Heat Insulation
Cryo Buffer
Stabilized Form
Target Lock
Reinforced Will
Mystic Amplifier
Runic Booster
Mana Pulse Detection
Other Skills (Previously Acquired)
Phase Shift [Lv. 1, Active]
Miniaturized Tech Design [Lv. 1, Passive]
Engineering [Lv. 1, Passive]
Dimensional Stability [Lv. 1, Passive]
Kinetic Readjustment [Lv. 1, Passive]
Time Perception Shift [Lv. 1, Active]
Adaptive Tempo [Lv. 1, Hybrid]
Echoes Beyond Time [S-Rank, Active/Passive]
Foresight [S-Rank, Active/Passive]
Traits & Perks
Pact of Unbreakable Loyalty(New – Trait)
Transfer any skill to a loyal follower. Skill becomes inert if betrayal occurs.
Fragment Synthesis Protocol (Perk)
Efficient Evolution (Perk – Doubled skill fragment gains)
Spatial Awareness (Passive)