It began very simply:
_________________________
[Name: Nemo Clear
Title: None
Root Rank: Sapling
Root Powers:
- Metal
- Devouring
- Formless
Texture:
- Binding
- Endless
- Creation
Aspects:
Root of Metal: Chains Binding a Wilful Titan
[Aspect Description]: Your chains once bound a titan who defied the heavens and was condemned to eternal suffering. The Calamity released him, and now they lie empty—waiting for a new purpose.
Root of Hunger: A Hunger to Consume the World
[Aspect Description]: Condemned for eating the wrong thing, the gods cursed the beast to never feel full. No matter how much it consumed, its hunger never waned—only hoping that the next meal would finally be its last.
Formless Root: Formless and Empty
[Aspect Description]: The world was once empty, until there was something. Just like this root, it is void now—waiting to lay claim to a power it can call its own.
Faults:
I am compelled to bind people to me.
You are always hungry.
I am compelled by curiosity.
Verdant Gifts:
Fruit of the Tree of Hunger and Devouring:
A fruit plucked from a great tree that has consumed myriad things from myriad places.
Every taste holds forbidden knowledge inside and is able to placate any hunger... for a while.
Imprints:
Ever Searching for Hidden Truths:
The tendrils of truth can pry secrets from even the most forbidden places.
When in direct contact with something, the tentacles will quickly reveal its secrets to you.
Brilliant Flame of Blinding Splendor:
A flame that burns so brightly, with such beauty, it cannot be dimmed by the sorrowful pull of harrowing places.
Its bearer cannot be turned away by despair.
Root Materials:
0 ]
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Nemo was enthralled by what he was reading. He went over it again and again. He had even forgotten that Arbil was still waiting for him to respond. Though it seemed interesting, he couldn't make much sense of it. But as always, Arbil was a keen observer.
"Don't tell me anything yet—just listen for a moment. The general structure is the same for everyone since all strength flows from the same root system. So I can infer a few things.
First and foremost: your aspects. They are the root of your power—the root of your root, so to say. Some aspects speak of the past; others hint at a fate the wielder may fulfill.
These aspects are best kept secret. Someone might know how your power looks but not what it is meant to convey. Take the water root, for example. Two people can have it, and both manipulate water. But one aspect might honor its nurturing power, while the other reveals the terror of a raging tide.
To use your power well, you must understand what purpose it was created for.
Second is your root power. You're a sapling now—someone freshly awakened. Only the most basic traits of your root have surfaced. You'll learn more about it at the academy.
Third is the texture of your root. That's the way it was constructed. I heard you have a metal root. Metal roots are often textured with sharpness, resilience, or binding.
Sharpness may manifest as a blade, resilience as a shield or armor, and binding—well, most often, as a chain.
Metal is a straightforward root—more predictable than others. A sharp shadow, though? That's something else entirely. Interpretation is key. Just because your metal is resilient doesn't mean it can't be shaped into a sword."
Arbil took a sip of water and paused, letting Nemo digest the deluge of information.
Nemo turned back to his aspects.
Root of Metal: Chains Binding a Wilful Titan
Your chains once bound a titan who defied the heavens...
This must be referencing an ancient era, Nemo thought. Everything Arbil said matched. Metal chains, used to bind. It seemed fairly normal—at least for one root.
A chain that once held a titan.
It sounded impressive. Nemo felt a flicker of pride, even though he had done nothing to earn it.
Then he looked at the second description.
Root of Hunger: A Hunger to Consume the World
Condemned for eating the wrong thing...
This one felt more ominous. The cursed beast—it had to be the one where the Tree of Hunger grew.
It is cursed with hunger and passes that curse on to its avatars, Nemo thought.
His stomach growled. He grimaced. He had just eaten.
"There is much more to teach you, but that will wait for the Academy. For now, I'll say goodbye. I'll come get you tomorrow after lunch."
With that, Arbil left, gathering his things. Just as he reached the door, he turned back.
"Also—about your faults. Best not to reveal them."
He left, closing the door softly behind him.
Nemo noticed something: the door hadn't locked.
He stood up, walked over, and tested it.
Sure enough, it swung open. In the brightly lit hallway, Arbil was walking away.
Nemo almost called after him but stopped. He liked the feeling of an unlocked door.
So he simply shut it again and returned inside.
Inside, he sat down on his bed, exploring his status screen closer. He could see it now, black on white, or more like shining color strips on a dark prison wall. His root elements were metal, devouring, and formless.
When he thought back to the way his roots looked, he could feel their respective elements very clearly. His formless root was covered by mist and very hard to clearly see, but what was visible was almost transparent.
His root of metal was somewhat similar to the giant tree he had seen in the World of Metal. Its form was of a pretty normal thin root, but it had none of the inherent flexibility such structures normally had. It was hard and unbending.
The last one, however, was very different from the one he had seen in the world of hunger. Instead of being a fleshy appendage, sinew, muscle, and tendons stick on it. Instead it was a deep, dark red, almost seeming black.
Only its edges were turning a scarlet red. It looked hungry and brutal, making Nemo shiver. He quickly looked away from his roots and focused on the next part of his status.
Next it spoke of textures. Beyond what Arbil had told him, he had no idea what to make of that part.
He had already thought about the aspects and skipped over them to arrive at his faults. With a bitter smile he confirmed that he indeed had the two faults he had feared; only the last one stumped him somewhat.
After all, he had not felt its effect whatsoever, at least not that he had noticed. Then his gaze fell upon the section of Verdant Gifts.