[Unlocking new Trait in progress… 3… 2… 1]
[New Trait “Ve nre d r” unlocke— error]
[agf/14=jlgf]
Shouren suddenly grabbed his head, whimpering in pain. A metallic grating sound tore into his brain, sending pangs of agony through his nerves. In haste, Shouren flung the shards into his vault.
What was that notification!? Something weird is going on.
Right as he saw the glitching message on the system, Shouren saw images of illusory red-black chains spreading out from his chest and towards the trait hovering within his vision.
The chains weren’t real.
He instinctively knew that they lacked physical form. Only he could see them.
Why do I know this?
Shouren ignored the throbbing pain, and watched in horror as the malevolent red chains wrapped itself around the trait, constricting the letters in the boy’s vision.
[New Trait “ e n e d r” unlocke— error]
[lk\;*75asg]
Shouren clasped his chest, his nails biting into his skin through the thin layer of fabric. The molten chains were corrupting his trait. The boy finally realized what they were. He’d seen them before in a fleeting memory.
This is how my first trait got corrupted.
The boy shut his eyes, the pain overwhelming his senses. During his awakening, he was unconscious the whole time, and he never saw how his trait got corrupted. However, this time, Shouren was watching it unfold before his very eyes.
No!
Shouren grit his teeth. He felt the chains were consuming something else in his body while they constricted the trait. There was a price to pay for this, and the corruption was devouring it without his consent. The boy didn’t know what the corruption was eating, but he felt a sense of ‘loss’ the moment they materialized, and it grew deeper once the hellish chains enveloped the trait.
The dark crimson chains snarled, commanding the human to back off. No words were spoken, yet Shouren understood it.
Shut up! This trait is mine!
Shouren reached for the chains, and surprisingly, his hands made contact with the ethereal construct. His palms sizzled with scorching flames. The hellish chains were burning through his skin.
The red-black chains trembled with disbelief. The human could touch it.
That momentary lapse was enough, and Shouren tugged it hard with a twist. The dark crimson chains howled before they were sucked back into the boy’s heart.
Shouren’s hand quivered with relief, but a few specks of terror remained. That thing was inside him. And the boy knew it was sentient.
How did that thing get inside me?
Shouren shivered. He tried to scramble his memories of the day he awakened, but only a pitch black darkness answered him. Did he want to continue using his corrupted abilities after witnessing the source of it?
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The fiery chains would have made the trait more powerful, but Shouren’s gut was screaming at him to stop that process. This was not like his Cardsmith abilities. This time, it felt like the chains were corrupting something deeper inside— his soul.
Or did it already corrupt it?
“Did you go potty in your pants? What is with that pose?”
Rubin’s voice rattled Shouren out of his gloomy thoughts. The boy was glad that only he could see the horrifying chains.
“I was cheering for you, pumpkin-head.”
Shouren laughed nervously. His hands felt as though they were being roasted alive. He attempted to hide his palms, but the blonde teen’s eyes flashed.
“What is this, little goblin?”
Rubin grabbed one of Shouren’s hand before the boy could whip it away. His larger hand held Shouren’s in a vice.
Goblin’s foot, pumpkin-head saw it.
Red-faced, Shouren scratched his head with his other hand, and winced once the seared palm touched his coarse hair.
“Um… I was just practicing something.”
Shouren replied hesitantly after a temporary pause. Seeing those fiendish chains emerge from his body had already frazzled his brain, and he couldn’t think of an excuse quickly.
“I know what you were doing, kid. Just stop, alright? I’ve heard only those with [Uncommon] Cardsmith class card or higher could even attempt it. You’re going to kill yourself if you try to shard more than 4 pieces.”
Rubin was getting angrier after each word, his sapphire eyes drilling into Shouren while his fingers dug into the boy’s flesh.
Eh?
Shouren stared mutely at the older teen’s outburst.
“I knew something was up when I saw your glazed look during the last Sharding. I thought your E ranked Intelligence would be enough to dissuade you from trying it, but obviously, I was wrong.”
Rubin exhaled with frustration.
Shouren didn’t know what to say. He thought the blonde teen was a simple idiot, but Rubin had genuine concern for him. And he was also more attentive than he let on. Shouren didn’t think Rubin could see the dark red chains, but the teen probably had an inkling that Shouren cheated on their coin flip.
Yet, he didn’t probe Shouren. He let the boy have the class cards.
“I’m sorry, Rubin.”
Shouren hung his head in shame. Even now, he was lying to the older teen about the cause of his burns, but he couldn’t ever reveal that secret. It was better to let Rubin think he burned his hands trying to shard the cards rather than expose his corruption.
Shouren didn’t make a promise to never do it again, as that would be another lie. The boy didn’t know why Rubin cared for him, as he’d tried to scam the older teen at every turn.
“Give me your hands.”
Rubin stated sternly, his face locked in a somber expression.
Shouren didn’t retort, and quickly held out his palms. A surge of radiant pinkish lumen seeped into the boy’s hands, swiftly expelling the burned morsels of flesh and regenerating a new layer of skin once it healed the tender flesh underneath.
Seeing the guilty look on the young boy’s face, Rubin sighed. Shouren was a bright child that was limited both by his financial circumstances and his poor class card. The boy had to be cunning to survive where he grew up, but Rubin wanted Shouren to experience the other side as well.
The side which fought for the world. If Shouren kept looking at people with distrust, he’d never see them as worthy of protection. Rubin had his reasons for accepting Isola’s invitation into the Starhaven Guild, but the primary one was to clear the floors.
Every 10th floor brought new changes to the outside world, making the population stronger, eliminating diseases, and giving answers to why this happened to their planet. So much of the older history was shrouded in mystery since the system’s arrival. Rubin’s clan had scriptures passed down from their ancestors that cards used to be different than the ones they have today.
Certain sections even mentioned of cards existing even before the system’s arrival.
Instead of working together to save their plant, all the guilds, factions, and kingdoms fought each other to compete for resources, territory, and power. Starhaven was the same. Isola and Thalin were here to uncover what Sunspire was up to. One of their bishops had been discreetly stationed here for a while, and they had even blocked access to the dungeon for a few days.
“So, what did the ‘flavorful fellow’ drop? Don’t forget that you promised me dinner, pumpkin-head.”
Shouren rotated his freshly healed hands and tried to lighten the mood.
“Two [Uncommon] spell cards, and one [Common] spell card. Here, shard this one while I grab some of the boar meat.”
A tinge of anger remained on the older teen’s face, but Rubin silently brought out a gray card and tossed it to Shouren. Then, saying nothing else, he turned around to retrieve the boar.
Tier 0 - Misfire Cry [Common]
Deal sound damage to a random target— including allies.
Cost: 1 lumen per cry.
This card sucks!
Shouren commented inwardly. It was like the card was meant to be sharded than actually used in combat.
“Be safe, little goblin. I will not heal your hands if you try to be reckless again.”
Rubin said in a solemn voice without turning around. Shouren couldn’t see the older teen’s face, but he knew Rubin was being serious. He wouldn’t heal him if the card exploded in his hands again.
“I promise to be more careful, Rubin.”
Shouren whispered sincerely.
Rubin chuckled, aware that the boy didn’t say he wouldn’t attempt again, but only that he would be more careful next time. The brat had some guts. Well, it was his choice, but Rubin would also stick to his word and not heal the boy if he hurt himself. Choices had consequences.
The blonde teen then walked away.
“Alright, say goodbye little useless card.”
Shouren turned his attention to the gray card with an eager smile and activated his Sharding ability.
“What is this?”
Shouren mumbled in confusion. Something was very different this time. The card had numerous sparkling, flashing points of various sizes and of different levels of illumination. Shouren could see the insides of the channels like he was physically present there.
Ogre’s cheek, it’s the trait!
Shouren glanced at the notification that he ignored when Rubin arrived. Unbeknown to the boy, his left eye was glowing with a revolving, circular, runic pattern.
[New Trait “Veinreader” unlocked]
Looks like there will be more bonus chapters tomorrow :P
Bonus Chapter Milestones [Every milestone will unlock a Bonus Chapter each]:
500 Followers [484/500]
200 Favorites [94/200]
10 Reviews [7/10]