There was a close, yet distant sound, the smell of spring was strong. The moist gravel stuck into the hands, legs, and face. But, there was again, a question lingering in one's mind.
This.. this must be my Elusive Solace. Yet why am I not that surprised? I should be smiling with joy. But why am I so indifferent? I feel as if I'm at peace.
Edward pushed himself up, rubbing the moist gravel off his cheeks, hands, and legs. And took a deep breath. The air was humid like the very gravel that was on the ground, and alas quite comfortably chilly.
He looked around, beginning to walk, making a small grating noise in the gravel with each step. A large mountain was overlooking a large lake surrounded by green trees, some were slightly purple, but the mountain was reflecting off of the stagnant lake.
Edward caught the sight of something peculiar, however also familiar. A wooden bench that was placed before the calm great lake. So Edward calmly approached it, subtly grabbing the seat, and slowly sitting on it. The bench was smooth, and was exactly how he'd expect it to be, a lot of moisture still remaining in the wood itself.
He gazed into the lake water, watching his reflection that mirrored his every move. He stood back up, walking to the edge of the ground before the lake, and out of pure instincts. He stepped into the lake water surface.
The moment his foot landed on the water, a faint green pixelated light scanned everything around him, the surface, the sky, the mountain, the trees, everything that was below and was reachable by the grasps of the ones watching him.
Each step he took in the water, the same pixelated light scanned erupted in a wave of pixelated green light. The save of pixelation made him as if he was in a video game.
He made it to the center of the lake, the last wage of pixelation scanned the surroundings for one last observation.
Then suddenly, a green screen-like tablet opened before him. It was horizontally rectangular in shape. Lastly there was something asking him on the screen, or white words appearing before him on the said screen.
Do you wanna play a game, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇?
"A game?" Edward asked out loud, growing more curious about the question. He began to contemplate.
Was there a consequence to say no?
Is this a trick question?
But, then, he had a childish thought. An echo of when he was young, watching a video of a Regulator Truth Seeker saving a hometown in an old Maehwan town. And ever since then, he always wanted to become a Truth Seeker to hopefully be like that Regulator one day.
So, Edward curled his hands into a fist, raising his hand while slowly pointing to tap on the screen. He was quite unsure of how a Truth Seeker's Elusive solace worked, and if being one is guaranteed or optional, but he still tapped onto the green screen-like tablet.
The screen closed in on itself, then a new one opened.
Congratulations ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇.
You will be given 3 categories for your arsenal.
And
An immediate 50% health recovery upon leaving.
The small room where the battle took place was still the same as when it was like before Edward was knocked out. Amrisoa was still walking away from Edward's unconscious body, his staff still in hand. But he heard groaning from behind him, turning around and looking down on him. Edward held his shoulder, his head still had blood on it.
Amrisoa made a muffled sound of intrigue, spinning around his staff. He suddenly leapt into the air, nearly jumping over him, but was swinging his staff down at his head for another lethal blow.
Edward fearfully tilted his head up, watching the staff inch closer millisecond by millisecond, but he had a sudden urge to summon something.
And unexpectedly, the same green screen-like tablet he saw in his Elusive Solace opened, the most peculiar thing was that it seemed as if time was slowed down exponentially.
The screen contained 2 lines going down vertically, with 3 categories on the top above a horizontal white line.
The categories were
Offensive | Defensive | Support
—------------------------------------------------
Iron sword | Rusty shield | HP potion
Below those 3 items were censored, with [level up a category to unlock more items]
Edward naturally looked up, his eyes widening in shock to notice how close the staff is before it impacts his forehead. So judging off of the situation, he instinctively thought "rusty shield."
It was as if time resumed, with a floating rusty shield appearing out of thin air, blocking the full force blow by Amrisoa. Although the shield was now dented, Amrisoa flipped back in retreat, before making a small laugh, "how unexpected! You were the next one to become a Truth Seeker!"
Edward opened the screen again, however this time, time moved more normally, which prompted Edward to start thinking more critically, along with him figuring out he can simply choose whatever he needs out of instinct instead of slowly picking something.
An iron sword manifested from green light into Edward's hands. The sword had a comfy handle, but was also quite heavy. He could also observe his health, and influx that were formatted exactly like a rpg video game:
HP: 50%
INFLUX: 50%
Back to the matter, Edward held the iron sword with both of his hands. Preparing himself to fight, having the offensive capabilities, and the defensive one to at least survive a couple attacks.
Instead of what he expected to be an intense battle between deities who clashed below the skies crackling the earth like beasts sprawling out for destruction, he never anticipated Amrisoa to lunge into him in what he considered to be a "final attack." Which was blocked by the rusty shield, that also broke and disintegrated into fine dust.
However, Edward gripped his sword's handle, his fingers aching in battle.
Iron sword: Whirlwind uppercut
Edward swung through the air, creating a cyclone that released from the movement like an elegant dancer amidst a great tidal wave. Blood spilled into the air, with Amrisoa stumbling back in defeat.
Amrisoa spoke one last word, a farewell perhaps. "My purpose here took an unexpected early end… The Flawed Believer shall make his move here soon enough.."
Amrisoa began to fade into the air with the same mystic golden light that made Edward progressively hate the golden light.
Meanwhile, back at the location of Shizune and Satoya, Ludwig appeared to be analyzing the situation, even after effortlessly cleaving a projection head off. Until he felt a presence he wasn't familiar with.
I sensed an awakening of influx. Did someone just become a Truth Seeker? I must go investigate. Ludwig assessed, opening a gate and sprinting urgently through.
"Hey don't leave me here—Aaand he's left… I can't look over two unconscious people like this. I am still injured from that one insane asylum-looking place." Isaac folded his arms in annoyance. He took a back and forth glare at the unconscious Shizune and Satoya, scratching his head.
"Fuck it."