As he navigated through the relentless storm, the biting cold winds whipped against his tunic, seeking to invade his skin. Yet, thanks to the enchantment enveloping him, he felt remarkably fine and unscathed. In truth, he ought to be grateful; despite the harsh conditions, he managed to traverse this chaotic weather with relative ease.
However, comfort was a fleeting advantage, as the energy consumption from the enchantment had surged dramatically, depleting his essence reserves by more than half and limiting the enchantment's duration to around six hours. This equation did not even factor in essence required for other things, like his creating and using the arrows of (essence arrows) or the summoning of the artifacts itself. It was infuriating, especially with only three runestones available. He could only hope for a respite from this weather, but for now, he had to push onward through the snowstorm.
Even with his king's eyes, the swirling chaos around him obscured his vision; it made perceiving his surroundings nearly impossible. He could, however, attune himself to the air, and what he sensed changed his views of this zones—the once familiar essence now existed in a snow-like solid state.
He had previously encountered two states of essence: the gaseous form, permeating the air all around, and then the liquid form, coursing within him gained from the runestones and creatures he had vanquished. The notion that such a dense energy could not become solid was a misconception he had harbored; he was now reminded that the laws governing his own world might not apply here, in an environment far more complex.
And witnessing essence solidified in such harsh conditions illuminated the severity of the storm he was bravely braving. A daunting thought crossed his mind:
'what if his essence reserves ran dry while he battled through this tempest?' He didn't want to discover that grim reality just yet.
Still, caution was paramount; he had no guide and no clear destination—he was utterly lost amidst an unrecognized terrain.
After trudging along, mulling over his options, he detected a peculiar presence just within his limited perception—a wall? He approached it, curiosity 'of what could be in this barren place guiding him', and as he drew nearer, the nature of the wall became clearer. It resembled a mountain face, not a mere flat surface. 'Do I truly have to scale this wall?' he pondered. But before surrending to that doubt he sought out to find any potential openings at ground level.
He trailed alongside the formidable structure, but after some time without signs of a passage, he resolved to climb. Lacking climbing gear, he nonetheless relied on the enhanced physical traits granted by his essence energy, enabling him to ascend. Grasping a jutting rock ledge nearby, he pulled up himself upward and commenced his ascent.
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He had been climbing for nearly two hours now, and other than the relentless rocks to scale, he hadn't encountered any structures. Doubt began to creep into his mind as he questioned his decision to undertake this climb. There was nothing to do but continue upward; retreat was not an option at this height.
The storm had passed at this height on the ground below, revealing only a sea of snow clouds below, a testimony to the unending blizzard down below. He realized the storm's persistence indicated it wouldn't soon cease, a timeline he couldn't even begin to fathom. It made sense, then, that the essence in the surroundings could manifest in such a way, With the storm behind him, he felt his senses sharpen again, and a wave of relief washed over him.
After all, losing or having restricted something innate was always a cause for unrest. Although he concealed his agitation, he had felt a profound restlessness; now, however, he sensed that oppressive weight lifting. Yet, an unsettling thought arose—that perhaps this trial was designed to challenge him through his best asset: his heightened perception.
That notion, though it seemed random, held a kernel of truth. The trial conjured scenarios that served not only to test but to confront an ascender, turning strengths into vulnerabilities in order to forge a more resilient version of themselves capable of prevailing even in adversity.
El would come to grasp this concept when he finally encountered others during the trial and on his broader ascensions.
Amused by the peculiarity of his thought, he suddenly perceived a grotesque shape clinging to the wall—a creature navigating horizontally. Although it remained at a safe distance, it obstructed his path forward.
Fortunately, he also detected an opening in the wall, which he hoped would be a cave or at least a ledge where he could rest and recuperate.
Continuing his climb, he soon approached the opening he had sensed earlier. Peering close, he sighed in relief: it was indeed a cave. As he drew nearer and landed on a small rocky platform adjacent to the entry, he steadied himself but remained vigilant. A familiar scent wafted from within, hinting at something ominous inside. Though he hadn't detected any living presence.
The dimming visibility of the cave didn't hinder his acute senses. Inside, the walls were blackened, with some areas stained with what appeared to be dried blood. Bones—some broken—and remnants of carcasses littered the ground. A look of mild disgust crossed his face; it was clear this was the lair of a creature.
Suddenly sensing danger, he quickly summoned both his [essence arrow] artifact and a runestone to replenish his dwindling energy. Squatting down, he set his bow aside momentarily, bringing his hands together to form the usual binding seal with the runestone—but to his dismay, it didn't work.
"Damnit," he cursed inwardly and quickly picked up his atifact just as a massive creature landed on the platform outside the cave—it was the being he had sensed earlier, confirming this was indeed its lair. As he assessed the situation, he noticed the creature resembled a mountain goat of Troy, though he knew better than to make direct comparisons; the reality was bound to be vastly different. Both he and the creature paused for a moment, sizing each other up, while El's expression shifted to concern as he tested his essence, realizing he needed to react swiftly.
With the artifact's negative effect,he could only conjure three or four arrows with his dwindling essence energy he had left.
Meanwhile, the goat creature, sensing an unfamiliar presence in its territory, felt an instinctual urge to eliminate the intruder.
Yet, instead of attacking, it chose to observe, waiting for the strange being to make a move. But when it saw that the creature remained still, mirroring its own stance, the goat creature ultimately opted for aggression.
Clearly, El was at a significant disadvantage in this impending confrontation.
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