Chapter 9: The Hollow Spark
[You have fully awakened your Aspect]
Aspect: [Domain]
Aspect Level: [Unique]
Aspect Description: [At the dawn of reality, before body, mind, and the primordials were born, The Ancient One claimed the "power" of the first soul, leaving the virgin soul full of potential, but without power, for countless eternities. The Ancient One became power — PRIMORDIAL POWER.
At the twilight of the Primordial Era, shortly before POWER died and the concept it stole from the Soul was scattered through reality, ???? stole what was hidden in the depths of the dying Primordial and claimed the soul itself. ???? became the ruler of souls.
However, ???? noticed something else in the soul — a hidden spark, considered lost even by the Primordial. But ???? saw great promise and potential in this spark. To hide this discovery, ???? divided the spark into six forms. You control the first.
Take care: the gaze of ???? seeks you.]
The description ended, and Yukeli felt his breath hitch.
At the dawn of reality, before body, mind, even before the Primordials… the Ancient One had claimed the power of the first soul. He hadn't created it, hadn't received it — he took it. He tore away something that didn't belong to him. And by doing so, he became the very concept of power. PRIMORDIAL POWER.
Yukeli's heart raced. He didn't know what it meant to be a primordial, but if that being became power itself, then all strength, all ascension, all ambition, were born from a theft committed before existence even had form.
What came next was even more terrifying.
At the twilight of the Primordial Era, someone had stolen the soul itself from within the dying Primordial. Yukeli felt his throat go dry. To steal the first soul from the one who was power itself… it wasn't daring, it was madness. And that someone became the ruler of souls — not of a kingdom, not of a world — of all souls.
The simple idea made his skin crawl. Nothing that lives is truly out of reach.
And then came the spark. Something hidden within the soul. Something that even the Primordial himself didn't notice. Ignored by PRIMORDIAL POWER… but not by that other one. He saw promise where absolute power saw insignificance. He saw potential where even the concept of power had been blind.
To protect this discovery, he divided the spark into six forms. Six. Yukeli controls the first.
Fear didn't come in screams. It came as a weight, a slow and suffocating understanding. He hadn't just received a rare skill. He was holding a fragment of something that predates primordial power — something hidden from the very concept of power, something UNIQUE.
And the last sentence echoed in his mind:
'The gaze of ???? seeks you.'
It wasn't a theatrical threat. It was an inevitable realization. If he controls one of the six parts, then he is part of the secret. And the ruler of souls wouldn't seek with ordinary eyes. He would seek with essence, resonance, with something Yukeli didn't even know he was emitting.
His stomach churned. For the first time since he began exploring this magical situation, he didn't feel special. He felt exposed, small — like a flame trying to hide in a universe that can see even the smallest spark.
The worst thought formed, silent and cold:
'If even PRIMORDIAL POWER didn't notice this spark… what exactly am I carrying inside me?'
Yukeli didn't know, but he hoped to learn more from the skill descriptions.
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Aspect Skill: [Subtle Domain Manipulation]
Aspect Skill Description: [You are the master of your domain. You can control everything within it at your pleasure. In a subtle way, use the soul's will to manipulate and mold everything around you. Not even the elements escape your reach.]
Innate Skill: [Hollow Forge]
Innate Skill Description: [Your Domain unravels matter and transforms the silence left behind into weapons. Each object created becomes a hollow relic, whispering lies of a will they once had. Depending on the material, you can create glorious artifacts, but with no will of their own other than to serve as an ornament of a domain that has lost its shine.]
Yukeli had already used these skills instinctively, but seeing their descriptions made him envision new possibilities. The Aspect skill didn't just expand his perception; it gave him direct control. He remembered the fire spear he had instinctively molded during the combat against the serpent; it had been powerful, but it dissipated into nothing as soon as the attack ended, as if the will holding it together had been exhausted. The wall he had raised during the fight? Earth manipulated at his will. The speed he demonstrated? Perhaps subtle influence over the wind.
'Powerful… but I expected more,' he thought, a pang of disappointment crossing him.
The description of the innate skill was almost sinister.
Molding the serpent's fire into spears? He had barely scratched the surface of what he could do.
Yukeli touched the cold rock of the cave and decided to test it.
He imagined a simple sword. He felt the energy flow from his body, draining slowly as a blade took shape before him. The rock dissolved, its silence transforming into metallic wire, reflective and perfect in proportions.
The sword was simple but lethal: a smooth brown-toned blade with a slight silver tint, unadorned, but with subtle lines running like veins, emitting an almost inaudible whisper — an echo of its own reconfigured matter. The hilt seemed made of the same silence, fitting perfectly into Yukeli's hand, as if it had always existed for him.
He swung the sword in the air. The blade cut through space with ease, light and deadly. The sense of control was intimate and absolute — every movement responded directly to his will, as if the sword were an extension of his own soul.
Yukeli smiled, feeling the weight and responsibility of that creation. A fragment of primordial power, a hidden spark, now manifested in the most subtle and deadly forms.
Artifact: [Sword of Silence]
Artifact Order: [First Order]
Artifact Level: [Common]
Artifact Type: [Weapon]
Artifact Description: [Forged from the hard stone of the cave, the Sword of Silence reflects Yukeli's presence. Every strike is firm and precise, and the blade carries the coldness and solidity of the place where it was born.]
Yukeli held the Sword of Silence, feeling the firm weight of the blade. He observed the lines on the smooth stone, the cold glint reflecting the dim light of the cave, and took a deep breath.
"So this is how it works...", he thought. Every cut of the sword, every movement, carried something more than physical strength. It carried his essence. His will. The primordial spark that inhabited his body and shaped the world around him.
The sword wasn't grand on its own. It was this way because the cave stone — hard, ancient, and resistant — gave it the perfect base.
The fact that it was common level must be because no other special material or energy had been used in its creation. Still, it responded to his intention, to his influence. The cave material held the shape, but it was his will that gave life to the cut, determining precision, range, and impact.
Yukeli slowly spun the blade, feeling the balance. It was the first time he had held a real sword.
He practiced to adapt to the sensation. The weapon was a bit heavy, but he had enough strength to move it. His domain helped him.
Every movement was a reminder that, no matter how simple the artifact seemed, its power came from the combination of three forces: his primordial essence, the will he applied to the sword, and the resistance of the stone that formed it.
"It's not the sword that cuts, it's me," he murmured, finally understanding the bond between the artifact and his own domain.
Some people looked at Yukeli with curiosity.
Yukeli moved a little away from the cave wall and raised the sword to shoulder height. His gaze analyzed every detail: the cold glint, the solid form, the sensation of weight and firmness. Every movement told him something about what that weapon truly was.
He took a deep breath and decided to test something. He swung his arm and launched the sword toward an empty wall, far from where anything could be hit. The blade cut through the air smoothly, and Yukeli watched closely. But at a certain distance, something unexpected happened: the sword vanished, as if it had dissipated into nothingness.
Yukeli frowned and reflected. "Interesting… so the sword only exists while it's inside my domain."
He observed the point where it disappeared and began to calculate mentally, measuring the distance in steps and gestures, feeling the range of the energy he could still sustain.
"About twenty meters… that's all I can control for now." He smiled slightly, satisfied. It wasn't a small limit, but it wasn't infinite either. A beginning, enough to test his influence and still recognize the potential for growth.
He retrieved the sword, realizing that the test had taught him more than any attack could. The cave material gave shape to the blade, but what truly determined its power was his own will — and the space within which he could impose that will. Every step, every gesture, every movement of the sword was an extension of his essence, limited only by the reach of his domain.
"Well… at least now I know where I can actually use this," Yukeli concluded, summoning the blade to his hand like in a video game and feeling the cold of the rock against his fingers.
Yukeli raised the sword again, but this time not to throw it. His eyes swept the cave, attentive to details — small loose stones on the ground, the fine dust floating in the air, even the cold breeze coming down from the rocky ceiling.
"If the sword only works within my domain… then everything inside it should also respond to my will."
He concentrated, and the nearest stone trembled slightly. A trail of dust rose as if obeying a silent command. Yukeli frowned, adjusting his intent. A larger piece of rock rose from the ground, hovering a few inches above the surface, obeying the impulse of his mind.
'It's not strength… it's control,' he reflected. 'No matter the size of the object, what matters is the way my will acts upon it.'
'The more essence I put in, the more I can control.'
'But it's quite exhausting,' he reflected and decided to test the sword again.
He swung the sword in the air, and the blade began to emit a slight glow, following the movement of the floating stones. The energy of his domain seemed to fill the entire space around him, but he noticed that the influence diminished near the twenty-meter limit.
To test further, Yukeli reached out his hand and imagined a gust of wind rising from his own will. The air moved, whispering through the corners of the cave, kicking up dust and small stones. He realized that even something intangible, like wind, responded to his command, but only within the space he could mentally sustain.
Yukeli lowered the sword and observed the result of the test: stones were still floating, dust danced in the air, and the light breeze continued to move. He could feel the domain's energy enveloping every particle, silent but present.
'It's as if the cave itself has surrendered to my will,' he thought, with a slight smile.
'I'm still at the beginning, but it's enough to start understanding my power.'
He gathered the floating stones, returning them to the ground carefully, and kept the sword close to his body. Every test, every movement, every reflection brought him closer to understanding not just the weapon, but what his own primordial essence could do.