Arthur found himself back in the temple, his mind racing as he contemplated his next move. The cold stone beneath him served as a harsh reminder of his predicament as he leaned against a crumbling pillar, trying to organize his thoughts.
'So I believe I'm in the center temple of five on some sort of sacred grounds in a field of dead roses that are... evil?' he thought bitterly. 'This place seriously sucks.'
The reality of his situation was grim. He was extremely far from the core of this world with no food or water. During his time at the Academy, Arthur had often wondered why they wouldn't outfit candidates with basic supplies like food, water, or weapons when sending them to the Second Realm. Now, the cruel truth dawned on him with crystal clarity.
It was simple, really. When you got sent to the Second Realm, you'd either be teleported close enough to the core that you wouldn't need extra provisions, or... you'd be sent so far away that giving you supplies would be a waste of crucial resources since you'd most likely die anyway.
Arthur sighed heavily.
"And this sword is cool and all," he muttered to the empty chamber, his voice echoing faintly, "but aren't I supposed to get some sort of magical abilities?"
He closed his eyes, concentrating intently as he reached inward, searching his realm core for something—anything that might give him an edge in this hostile world. But to no avail. He couldn't find any sort of magic dwelling inside him.
"Did I get some sort of defective realm core or what?" Arthur grunted in frustration, kicking a small pile of rocks across the room. They clattered against the mutilated corpse of the monster he'd barely managed to defeat earlier, drawing his attention back to the beast.
He walked up to the body and knelt beside it, studying the dark ichor that oozed from its wounds. The creature's leathery skin was already beginning to decay at an unnatural rate, filling the air with a putrid stench.
"This must have only been a tainted beast," he whispered. "And it almost killed me... I really am dead, aren't I?"
Arthur stared at the corpse for a moment longer before deciding to search the rest of the stone temple. His initial exploration yielded little of value, that is until he returned to the upper chamber where he'd first been teleported.
The room above was much darker than below, with only small rays of dusty light poking through holes in the ancient walls. Strangely, Arthur realized he had no problem seeing in the darkness. He could tell it was dark, but it was as if he could see right through it. The peculiar ability flickered at the edges of his awareness, but his attention was immediately captured by something more pressing.
Wooden boxes lined the back wall.
His heart raced as he darted toward them, hoping desperately to find something worthwhile. When he creaked open the lid of a cobweb-filled, dusty wooden box, a smile grew inhumanly large on his face.
"There's no way," he breathed.
The boxes were lined with old runic clay jars, their tops covered by tied leaves. Arthur slowly picked one up, afraid that a firm grip might destroy the aged material. He lifted it with both hands before carefully sliding off the leaf to reveal what was inside.
"Oh hell yeah!" Arthur exclaimed, feeling something akin to excitement for the first time since arriving in this realm.
He put the jar to his lips and let the preserved water flow down his parched throat. He nearly drank it all in one desperate gulp but stopped himself to first make sure the rest were all filled with water as well. After confirming and finishing the one in his hand, Arthur's smile slowly faded as he surveyed his bounty.
'How the hell am I supposed to carry all of this? Damn cheapskates at the Academy couldn't even give me a backpack?'
Arthur frustratingly grabbed another bottle, staring at it as if it might offer some solution. As he examined the ancient container, something strange happened. His realm core pulsated differently from its constant longing for the core of this world—more like it was trying to release something.
Curious, Arthur decided to capitalize on this feeling, hoping to discover insight into what abilities he might possess. He closed his eyes, letting the sensation from the realm core escape and consume his body. When he felt something unusual happening in the hand holding the bottle, his eyes shot open, widening in shock at what he saw.
"What the hell?"
The bottle he held firmly was being rapidly engulfed by what looked like living darkness. Upon being completely covered, it vanished. Arthur stared blankly at his empty hand.
"What was that? Where'd my water go?"
Just as the words left his mouth, he felt the familiar pulsation in his core again. Curious, he repeated his previous action, and to his amazement, the bottle reappeared in his hand.
The smile that had momentarily vanished returned to his face, wider than before. "Neat."
Arthur examined his hand in wonder, turning it over as if expecting to find some physical change. This was it—his ability, or at least one part of it. Not flashy elemental magic or overwhelming strength like some of the stories he'd heard, but something... different. Something potentially useful.
"Some kind of storage magic?" he mused aloud, reaching for another jar. "Let's see what else I can do with this."
One by one, Arthur tested his newfound ability on the remaining water jars, watching with growing confidence as each disappeared into what he began to think of as his "Realm storage." With each success, the operation became smoother, requiring less concentration.
By the time he had stored all twelve jars, Arthur was grinning like a madman. For the first time since arriving in this hellish place, he felt a glimmer of hope. He might be far from the core, he might be woefully underprepared, but he wasn't completely powerless.
"Alright," he said, rising to his feet and brushing the dust from his clothes. "Water problem solved. Now I just need food, some new clothes, and to figure out how to not get killed by the next monster I encounter."