Chapter 11  : Chapter 2.4 - Beginning

A tree whose branches stretched toward the heavens, adorned with delicate leaves that glowed with an ethereal luminescence. The air around the tree seemed to hum with an ancient power.

It was the tree that housed the Vitalium Essence since I was finally able to see the shimmering aura inside the tree.

"Finally," I mumbled to myself, my hand reaching toward the tree. As my fingertips touched the tree, I felt the energy entering my body, filling it with strength. The weak feeling in my body started disappearing slowly.

/THROB/

Until I felt a throb inside my heart. 'Huh?'

Following that, a searing pain erupted within me, radiating from my heart like wildfire consuming everything in its path.

"KURGK!" I tried to voice and scream in pain, but my mouth was blocked by the familiar liquid that tasted metallic.

Agony wracked my body, overwhelming my senses. Each heartbeat felt like a hammer striking against my chest, threatening to shatter me from within. My vision blurred, the world around me spinning in a chaotic dance of light and darkness.

"KRUGHK!"

I tried to call out, but my voice caught in my throat. The pain intensified, becoming unbearable until it engulfed me entirely. Darkness closed in, and I could no longer fight against the overwhelming weight of unconsciousness.

"I...…m…th.....ou...…." "...….a...wi...y..."

As I slipped out of consciousness, the last sensation I felt was the ethereal voice sounding inside my head; however, in the midst of the pain, I could no longer discern what the voice was saying.

Little did I know, it was the very thing I was looking for.

*******

As Astron lay unconscious on the ground, a mysterious transformation began to take place. An ethereal white glow enveloped his body, radiating with a mesmerizing brilliance.

The surrounding environment seemed to respond to this celestial energy as if acknowledging the awakening of a hidden power.

In the midst of this luminous spectacle, there appeared a necklace on the choke of Astron, shining with a luminous light of green. It was a crescent-shaped necklace as the stone shone.

The green glowed ethereally as it slowly started flowing from the necklace to Astron's heart.

Following that, Astron's eyes slowly opened, revealing an otherworldly gleam of white within their depths.

"Brother….." An ethereal voice of a young woman echoed inside the environment, showcasing that the one that was inside the body was no longer Astron.

"You found the medium….We can finally become one…." As the same ethereal voice echoed, the green glow inside the Astron's eyes disappeared, his eyes becoming pure white. Behind his body, a silhouette of a girl appeared.

"My essence, my magic will be your power, Astron." In her incorporeal form, the girl extended her magical powers toward him, weaving a delicate tapestry of mystical energy. Her essence flowed into his unconscious body, merging with his essence seamlessly.

"I am with you, and I will always be." Her gentle voice echoed as her dreamy hands caressed his skin.

The green glow from the necklace intensified, pulsating with an otherworldly radiance as her enchantments unfolded. Her ethereal hands moved gracefully, tracing intricate patterns in the air, channeling the essence of her magic into Astron's being.

"Et solis ab ignis, elementum incendere, Introrsus ardens, vires mihi praebere. Fortitudinem et ignem, cordi eius infunde, Tenebris obstans, robore defende."

The girl whispered ancient incantations, her hands moving gracefully as she commanded the mana around Astron's body to enter inside.

The strands of light wove themselves into intricate patterns, forming ethereal symbols that seemed to pulsate with ancient wisdom. They adorned Astron's limbs and traced delicate patterns across his skin, like celestial tattoos of power. The light flowed through his veins, forming patterns for the future.

"Seek the Moonstone, brother," her voice echoed, filled with guidance. "And never forget where we came from…."

As her last words left her mouth, a faint tear dropped on the young man's face, as the silhouette blurred, turning into an ethereal light, as it flew into the necklace it came from. Eventually, the necklace vanished from the grasp of the Astron, along with the gleaming designs on its body.

*******

"Kurghk-" Feeling the pain over my head, I woke up with a grunt.

My whole body was aching inside, even though I was able to feel a weird sense of freshness all around my body.

The tree that had an ancient glow could no longer be seen, as in its place was there another tree that looked dried and dead.

"What happened?" I mumbled as I stood up. "What was that pain that assaulted me?" I tried to make sense of the things that happened just before but was not able to. "In the first place, this easter egg is supposed to make the person consuming feel comfortable," I mumbled to myself while stretching my body.

"I mean, I am feeling refreshed, but that pain was something else…." However, the more I thought about this, the more unanswered questions resided in my head. "I won't be able to reach anywhere with this."

Thinking that, I opened my status window. In a way, there was the possibility of seeing something related to there.

------------------------------------------

?Name: Astron Natusalune

?Occupation: Weapon Master (level 1)

?Talent Limit: 6

?Attributes:

Variable Attributes:

- Strength: 1.4

- Dexterity: 1.8

- Agility: 1.9

- Constitution: 1.4

- Intuition: 1.8

- Magical Power: 2.5

- Mana Capacity: 1.6

?Traits:

- Perceptive Insight (Unique)(Unchanging)

- Lunar Enigma (????) (Growth Type) (Stage 0)

- ?????

?Arts:

- Basic Dagger Style (Common Grade) - %12

- Basic Nonarmed Combat Style (Common Grade) - %29

?Skills:

- Dash

- Keen Eye

?Body Imprints: --------------------------------

As the panel appeared right before my eyes, I was able to see the change in my attributes immediately.

My talent limit also jumped from 4 to 6, showing how effective was the Vitalium Essence for my body.

However, there was one more thing that got my attention immediately.

'The hidden trait is awakened?' I asked myself, not understanding anything at all. 'Why? Just because I consumed the Vitalium Essence?'

However, I had no way of knowing the answer to that question, as the only thing I knew was the fact that I had a new trait unlocked.

---------------------------------

Trait: Lunar Enigma

Description: Lunar Enigma gives the user the ability to harness the powers of the moon, granting the user enhanced lunar-themed abilities and effects.

It is a growth type of trait, and with each stage it develops, the trait will unlock more abilities.

Requires a medium to use lunar skills and lunar enhancement.

Stage 0

Gives the user the ability to enhance the projectiles and imbue them with the power of the moon.

-----------------------------------

Seeing the panel of descriptions in front of me, my head was filled with puzzles and questions.

'Lunar Enigma? It is the first time I am hearing about this.' I thought. Since the game was an RPG game with a pretty wide world, there were several differences; there were different types of traits and arts players were able to acquire.

Therefore, I knew quite a lot of traits available, and this one was none of them.

Lunar Enigma.

Its description hinted at harnessing the powers of the moon, granting enhanced lunar-themed abilities and effects, which was a power that was almost non-existent.

"I recall that there was only one character in the game who had the ability to harness the power of the moon," I reflected, with the image of the villain holding a blade in my mind.

"I'm surprised but grateful for this gain," I thought to myself. I knew that I would need all the strength I could gather for the journey ahead.

'In any case, I need to return soon.'

'I must have slept for the whole night.' I thought looking at the dawning sky.

Since the sky was about lighten with the sun, I decided to return to my room while pondering my powers.

In the game, this was not what happened and now that I thought about it, it was a pretty risky situation since I was basically sleeping in the midst of a forest with no one protecting me.

Because Astron hadn't had access to his mana before, I had no way of how to use and hardness my mana now.

However, that didn't mean I was not able to.

As I reached out, feeling the familiar tingle of mana at my fingertips. With a deep breath, I channeled my intent and willed the mana to respond.

To my surprise, the mana obeyed effortlessly, like a river flowing through a well-worn path. It responded to my command, manifesting as a soft, shimmering light that danced in my palm.

Even though it was a simple mana release and mana sensation, it was a refreshing and exciting feeling for me.

'So this is how it feels….' I had that thought in mind as I made my way back to the Academy....

-----------------------A/N----------------------

With this, the introduction and small power-up ends. Now, it is time for some named characters in the game to make their appearances.

You can check my discord if you want. You will be able to see the illustrations here and engage in a conversation with me if I am available.

https://discord.gg/XJEgBRM3C