Chapter 2:First Breath of Power
Peter woke up in the shade of a tree, in a forest that seemed ancient and certainly more populated with poisonous creatures. After quickly assessing his surroundings, he had some ideas about where he might be in the Ether, as there were only three large forests in the areas discovered by humans.
After ensuring multiple times that the area was safe and that nothing was attacking him, he immediately focused his thoughts on discovering what powers his entry into the Path of Awakening had granted him.
A moment later, runes in a language unknown to him appeared in the center of his vision. Soon after, one of the most revolutionary inventions—an implant that allowed basic translation of Ether runes and communication via the internet—translated the text before his eyes:
[Welcome to Ether. Your story begins now. Find the nearest human citadel to return home.]
Moments later, another message followed:
[The pages of your journey begin to turn.]
After reading these messages, Peter attempted to summon his status window.
After several failed attempts, new runes appeared:
[Name: Peter]
[Rank: Awakened]
[Aspect: Eye of the ?Dead(?) God]
[Role: - ]
[Attributes]:
– [Death Walker]
[Elements]:
– Darkness
– Shadows
After carefully inspecting the runes, Peter noticed that the translator was having trouble interpreting some lines. However, he confirmed that his elements were Shadows and Darkness.
What intrigued him the most was his attribute, Death Walker, as the runes had called it. He focused on it, and its description appeared:
[Death Walker]
[Description]: Allows communication with the dead and movement between the world of the living and the dead. The user can hear the voices of the deceased, sense their presence, and draw power from the afterlife, making them an intermediary between life and death.
[Attribute Skills]:
[Specterbound] – Grants the ability to see and recognize intangible beings, including ghosts and echoes of the past. This ability allows the user to perceive things hidden from ordinary people and trace the lingering imprints of creatures that dwell in the shadows.
[Soulbearer] – Enables the user to send souls to the afterlife or bind them to the material world.
[Wraithbinder] – Provides the ability to combat demons, ghosts, and malevolent entities. The user can neutralize their influence, repel attacks from immaterial beings, and harness their energy in battle.
After studying the description, Peter realized that it detailed the abilities he had acquired through training under his master—though now explained in much greater depth.
However, the second mystery remained: his Aspect. The translator struggled with its full translation.
After a moment, another description appeared:
[Eye of the ?Dead(?) God]
[Description]:[Once a god (?)died, his eye remained open — an eternal wound in reality. It sees still. It remembers. And now, it watches through you.
This aspect grants the bearer an unnatural perception that distorts time, shatters deception, and reveals the hidden threads of fate itself. It is not sight in the mortal sense—it is insight, intrusion, and inevitability.
But sight is never passive.
The more you see, the more the world sees you back.]
Peter's breath hitched. He blinked, reading the description again. And again.
"What... the hell?!" he exclaimed, his voice breaking the silence of the forest. His heartbeat quickened, a wave of disbelief washing over him.
A god that died...? A wound in reality?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?! he thought, trying to steady the trembling in his hands. This—this isn't normal... How rare is this kind of Aspect? Is there anyone else with something similar?
His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the runes describing the abilities granted by this Aspect.
Despite what the name suggested, it granted him incredibly fast reflexes and heightened all of his senses to an unnatural degree.
The implications raced through his mind. This wasn't just a useful ability—it was borderline supernatural. Overpowered, even.
His master had always said power came at a price. But this… this felt like theft. Like he had stolen something from a god.
Peter was speechless. He couldn't even tell if this was luck—or something much darker wearing its mask,or a curse, wearing the hollow smile of a gift? He would have pondered it longer, but he was still in an unfamiliar and dangerous area. He needed to find human habitation—or at the very least, shelter for the night.
If I'm lucky, maybe I'll leave the Ether today, he thought, pushing aside a deeper analysis of the Aspect for later.
Spotting a nearby path, he headed toward it, hoping for a quick and easy trip home. When he reached the trail, he turned south and carefully followed it—until he heard a sound that didn't belong in the forest.
Shouts.
The clash of weapons.