I made my way down the side of the building relatively quickly. I did my best to ignore the occasional tremor that ran through the stone under my hands or the fact that it was slowly rising in temperature. I just focused on taking one step at a time. I was itching to open the golden box of storage and see what was inside. I was hoping to find some awesome spells, weapons and magic shit that would make life so much easier for me. Unfortunately, I didn't want to do something brand new, especially while I was so high up. Instead of passing the time of my monotonous climb, I pulled up my racial abilities. I knew that Bakanda's ability caused a swap, but I hadn't had time to go through and see what he took.
My heart dropped as I realised my best skill had been taken! Refractive Scales had been the ability that had kept me safe this entire time. Without it, I was no longer going to be able to sneak around. After a stream of insults, I took a breath and thought about it rationally. I may have lost my ability to hide, but I was a lot stronger now that I had spells, and the Void Rend was a really powerful ability that was going to be useful even when I don't supercharge it. Maybe I didn't need to blend in as much, and I was still stealthy, especially as I still had my Serpentine Agility.
I was three- quarters of the way down when something occurred to break up the monotony of my climb down. I had looked up to see how much daylight remained when I noticed something. A small object in the distance, rapidly growing larger as it hurtled towards my temple. I did not want to stick around to see what it was, so I picked up the pace and made my way down. I had enough of god-tier entities for one day.
I had just made it to the bottom of the temple and had started running as fast as I could away from the ruins on the outskirts. I had just made it to the Jungle's tree line when the object that had been soaring towards the temple arrived. It came to a sudden stop ten feet above the temple, and I could see it for what it really was. A huge statue at least ten meters tall floated above the temple. It was similar to those Roman sculptures, only this thing had four arms and eight pairs of alabaster wings. Its eyes glowed with a white light, and it held a huge sword almost as long as it was made of white crackling energy. I stared in awe as the creature brought the blade down. The instant the tip of the blade touched the temple, the whole thing was consumed in a pillar of white light so bright I had to shield my eyes. When I looked back, the temple was missing; in its place was a creator, vast and empty.
Oh Shit! I thought as my mind struggled to deal with the scale of what I had just witnessed. It was over so quickly. The temple had proved to be such a big challenge. The one I hadn't been able to escape or fight through without help. It was just gone. I looked up to the giant statue, my heart thumping with fear. I got lucky, though the stone giant just looked to the sky and, with a single flap of its powerful wings, was gone like a rocket. I had no idea what had happened, but the system decided to give me a clue.
Congratulations! You have earned a new title, Witness Of The Divine.
Well, that explains the nature of that flying statue. Was it an angel? I thought before coming to my senses and realising that what it was was none of my business. I needed to focus on my own shit. Still, I was curious about what the new title did and focused on it, willing the system to give me more information.
Witness Of The Divine:- You have witnessed power beyond your comprehension, your eyes have been opened. You have been gifted with the ability to divine the true nature of things.
The title flooded my mind with new information, and a grin split my face. Finally, after all this time, I had an identity! Even better, it had next to no restrictions. I would always know what I was facing, so long as I had a chance to observe them. It would only give me the specific information I wanted to see, but that was useful enough. I smiled, thinking all that bullshit I'd gone through was so worth it. This title changed so much.
I tested the ability immediately, focusing on my clothing. I had noted that throughout all my fighting in the dungeon beneath the temple, they always appeared unmarred, even when I was certain that they'd taken damage.
Xamerkand Thread Clothing:- These items are created from the thread of the Xamerkand swarm. While worn, they aid in the wearer's movement. The clothes are imbued with mana and will always repair and clean themselves.
Stolen story; please report.
Well, that makes sense, and at least I'll never be naked again! I made my way up the nearest tree and, once in the canopy, spent some time using my title's ability to study it. It was called a Kafu Tree and had been native to a world called Citeria. The fruits were poisonous, but the leaves had calming properties when brewed into a tea.
Once I was comfortable, I grabbed a handful of the leaves and tried to open my golden box storage. I had expected it to be like an inventory system in a video game; instead, the golden dust that had merged within my scales poured from me, taking the form of a huge golden door floating right in front of me.
I stared at it for a good thirty seconds. I was not expecting that, and I felt even stupider for not using my title to work it out. I got up from my branch and made my way across to the door, examining it closely. I didn't uncover anything more than what I already knew about the door, so with a shrug, I pushed it open. The door swung open, and I stepped into a decent-sized room. It was square and held four long shelving units that ran the length of the room. On the opposite side of the room from where I'd entered was another door, old and made from a heavy wood.
I made my way across the room, looking at the sparse-looking shelves. There were a few boxes on the shelves, but they didn't look promising. I went to try the other door, hoping it led to some secret treasure trove. As I made my way into the room, the golden door closed behind me. I didn't worry, though; I could open it anytime I wanted. I could even move it around in this space. I reached the wooden door and tried to open it. Unfortunately, it didn't budge. Time to see what this door is about, then I said, focusing on it.
Seal of the serpent: The Serpent Prince Wazeet was able to condense his powers and essence, sealing them behind this door so that if he were ever revived, they would return to him. The only way to release the seal is to gain the key.
Well, well, well! There was something useful left behind here. I couldn't access it yet, but finding this key seemed like a worthwhile mission, and seeing how the temple had been all reptile-themed, I reckoned there was a good chance this fallen prince's palace wasn't too far. There was no guarantee that that's how the system worked, but I was certain. That there was going to be some more snakey stuff on the island or nearby ones. That made me think I needed a clear view of the island to see if there were any other landmasses nearby. That meant hiking to the mountain in the centre of the island, but I had nothing else to do.
First, though, I needed to see how best to use this space. It was a convenient safe room, if uncomfortable. I made my way to the closest shelf and pulled out the first box I could see. The box was heavier than I expected, made of a deep, mahogany-like wood. Inside, there were wide glass bottles filled with a deep ruby-red liquid. I focused on them, and my face split into a huge smile as I downloaded the information into my brain.
Azabek Berry Wine: This wine is sought after across the multiverse. Azabeck berries are found growing among the stars near the lairs of Great Devourers.
That descriptor left me with many questions, but wine was wine, and when you hadn't had a drink in god knows how long while dealing with the end of the world as you knew it. You were just thankful. Still, I wasn't a complete idiot; I shifted my focus from general information to a more targeted search. I focused on whether the wine had any effects on the body beyond enervation.
Azabeck Berry Wine:- Drinking this wine increases a random affinity from the following:-
- Void
- Radiant
- Earth
- Space
- Shadow
Having higher affinities will increase the affinity.
Well, that wasn't random, though. Space affinity would have been nice, but god knows how much I'd have to drink before I got it. If all the boxes here were filled with the stuff, I'd finally get it.
I put the box with the wine bottles back on the shelf and looked into the next box. The next three boxes were likewise filled with the same wine. The last box on this shelf contained something a bit more interesting. I pulled out a single tome, and I was excited at the thought of another spellbook.
Notes on free channelling: This tome is written by the Blade Witch Meena. This is a copy of her collection of notes on how to channel magic without forming a spell. While most are happy using the system to guide their spell progression, some choose freedom by channelling mana directly and guiding it through their affinities to create spells and manipulate the world around them freely.
Oh! This was something I could get behind. It was a book I had to study, something I hadn't done for a very long time. Still, I was excited; casting spells was something that would definitely help me grow stronger.
For now, though, I popped the book into the box, noticing for the first time the lack of dust in the place. It was a lot cleaner than it appeared. Not a single speck of dust was visible. This place was abandoned and old, but it was definitely clean. I moved to the second set of shelves and found them mostly empty, except for a box holding a plate and a cutlery set made of beautiful dark green crystal. The system revealed them to be nothing more than plates and cutlery. Expensive plates and cutlery, but plates and cutlery nonetheless.
The third shelving unit was different from the others. It had clearly been a weapon wreck once upon a time. Now there was nothing but a single sword. I knew nothing about swords, but this one was on the shorter side, about as long as my forearm, and was housed in a leather sheath embossed with beautiful, intricate spiralling patterns of mesmerising geometries. I ran my finger along the leather, and small wisps of blue energy rose from the weapon. Tiny sapphire raindrops that rose a couple of millimetres before fading away. I marvelled at the soothing sensation as the drops caressed my skin. If the sheath was this beautiful, then I wondered how the blade must look. With curious trepidation, I attempted to pull the blade from its sheath.
The blade came free from the sheath easily and soundlessly. I marvelled at the beauty of the thing. The blade wasn't made from steel; it was formed from thick panes of coloured glass. As I moved the sword, its surface caught the light from the glowing yellow orbs atop the sconces, illuminating the otherwise dark room. The blades' beautiful reflections covered the entire room with a kaleidoscope of cascading colours. An amazing sight I stupidly brought to an end: swinging the glass sabre, I smashed it into a shelf, sending a heart-stopping shatter as the blade splintered into thousands of tiny shards.
I just stared at the shards, eyes wide. That weapon had looked so cool! Also, why the hell was a glass sword not magically reinforced or something? What was the point of the stupid thing?! After a full minute of me cursing myself, the Night Prince and whoever made the stupid weapon, I noticed something off about the glass shards. Some were floating just above the ground, and there was a tugging feeling coming from the hilt I was still gripping. I activated my title and examined the blades' remains.
Prismatic Channeler:- These weapons were created for the Serpent Princes of Nikar. Seven were made. They each can absorb mana to grow stronger and bond to their wielder. Without a regular infusion of mana, the weapon will lose its connection to a bonded weider and grow weaker. Each Prismatic Channeler has a unique form that is revealed upon bonding.
Oh, that made everything a million times worse! I broke a unique magic item! I started to panic and did the first sensible thing in a while. I channelled my mana into the hilt of the weapon. Instantly, the tugging sensation ended. At first, it was me channelling mana into the weapon, then I felt something click as the weapon took over and started pulling mana straight from me. I was a little concerned, but with a quick check, I saw that it drained me of all my mana but had settled at a rate of 1MPS. I was fascinated to see how, with every second that went by, the bits of glass rose from the floor and reached the hilt. I watched in awe as, after a period of ten minutes, the blade had reformed.
The mana drain did not stop, though. Each piece of glass grew brighter and more opaque, and I felt the weapon grow denser, and I could smell the scent of magic, a sweet powder sugar scent like a sweet shop. I could sense my new sword's power. I could feel the magic potential within the blade. The weapon was more than a sword; it held a secret, and even when I looked with my title, only a fragment of information was given to me.
Prismatic Channeler- Alternate form:- For 100 mana, you can change the Prismatic Channeler into its true form.
A hundred mana was beyond anything I could do at the moment. But the feeling my title gave me was that the true form was incredibly powerful. Still, I couldn't complain. I had an awesome new sword, and more importantly, I had somewhere I could call home! I checked the last two shelves and was disappointed to find that one was filled with salami-like sausages that smelled amazing and were full of spice, while the other held a couple of boxes of small, waxy packages that turned out to be strong cheeses. They smelt like Stinking Bishop strong stuff, but tasty. I didn't think I needed to eat as I fed on monster cores, but I was still going to give it a go. I loved food, and I wasn't going to pass up the chance to eat! I had food, a safe room and some more powerful tools in my arsenal. Today I was going to rest, but starting tomorrow, I was going to power myself up for the climb to that mountain.