Grey sat cross-legged in the dim confines of his room, a lone figure swallowed by silence. The only illumination came from the faint glow of the half-curtained moonlight spilling through the window. Minutes trickled by, and gradually, like stardust drifting on an unseen breeze, he began to sense the dot-like psychic particles suspended throughout nature subtle, formless motes that pulsed with arcane rhythm.
Since the incident, this was the first time he hadn't seen that strange, formless entity.
As the particles coursed toward him and were slowly absorbed into his being, Grey's thoughts stirred in the depths of his mind.
"Tonight… I might finally reach the transition state. Once I cross that threshold, I'll need to consider how to advance further to become a Soldier of Darkness. The others had divine blessings to guide them on their path. I, on the other hand, must forge ahead without such luxuries. After living in this world for three years, I'm no longer a clueless outsider. I've seen its brutality firsthand. If I can't continue to ascend,the only fate waiting for me is death."
A long sigh escaped his lips. He closed his eyes and focused on the slow, deliberate absorption of the psychic particles dancing around him.
Time slipped away unnoticed. Night gave way to the pale shimmer of dawn. And then it stirred within him. A shift. His body pulsed with unfamiliar vigor, a strength that mirrored the sensation he felt when he activated his Citizen of Darkness abilities.
He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the dark sigil etched faintly on his hand. As he invoked it, lines of arcane information surfaced before his inner vision, eliciting a quiet smile of satisfaction.
[CITIZEN OF DARKNESS: TRANSITION STATE]
Authorities:
Time of Darkness: Your physical attributes increase by 100% while enveloped in darkness.
Stealth of Darkness: You can completely obscure your presence from ordinary individuals while within darkness.
(The effectiveness diminishes as the opponent's strength increases.)
The satisfaction in his heart bloomed briefly, but was swiftly replaced by a bitter helplessness. Promotion-that was the looming wall now. How to ascend from here?
His foray into performing as a magician wasn't merely for coin or applause. It was a calculated move to draw the attention of noble scions, to mingle with them under the guise of entertainment, and perhaps uncover clues buried in their privileged words. Yet, as he had expected, information about the hidden treasures was heavily guarded.
He had scoured numerous libraries across the Northern Duke Kingdom, hoping ancient tomes might betray forgotten truths. But in the end, he found nothing.
"The path ahead... will only grow harsher," he murmured, his voice swallowed by the early morning quiet.
Just then, a ripple stirred the stillness around him. Grey stiffened. He turned his head instinctively and froze.
Hovering before him, as if peeled out from the surrounding air, was that same formless entity the one he'd glimpsed during his very first meditation, moments after crossing over to this world.
Terror gripped him.
He wasn't meditating now. And yet it had returned.
As Grey stared, stunned, the entity began to shift. Its shape twisted, condensed, and sharpened until it took the form of a sword forged from pure nothingness.
Before he could react, the phantom blade plunged into his chest.
A gasp wrenched itself from his throat as hot blood spurted from the wound. Pain lanced through him like fire, so raw and overwhelming that his legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed to the ground, writhing.
As his vision darkened, and consciousness began to slip through his fingers like sand, the last thing he felt was the encroaching embrace of the abyss.