Testes(7/?)

(A/N: At the end of the chapter, there might be some answers in case some of you are dissatisfied with certain choices made by the Protagonist in this chapter.)

[Alternative Title: Evolution (1/2)]

A large amount of Energy suddenly emerged in the center of the [Small World], where Vesper was.

The Energy appeared with a bluish hue before taking on a spiral pattern, causing it to descend from the 'fake' Sky of the [Small World] down to the ground, where Vesper stood, replicating the movement of a spiral.

As the Energy descended, its color changed according to how close it got to Vesper. Starting with a strong blue and slowly transitioning to a light blue, an extremely strong purple, and finally gaining small white details as if simulating stars before the Energy turned completely white as it entered Vesper's body.

This sudden surge of Energy surprised Vesper and provided him with an extremely pleasant sensation throughout his body, a feeling that didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon because the spiral motion of Energy didn't appear to weaken.

Vesper stared at his hands and finally the rest of his body before forming a slight smile, observing the white Energy entering him through vital points like the heart and head.

'Warm...' It was the only word Vesper could use to describe the sensation that the Energy around him conveyed, as if the Energy itself was embracing him while performing this strange but familiar spiral movement.

'Looking at it this way, it seems like I'm trapped in a cycle... an infinite spiral cycle.' He looked up at the sky, allowing him to see the enormous spiral, with him being the center of it.

Vesper enjoyed the sensation for a while, closing his eyes and leaving all the work to the Spiral Energy, which gladly accepted when it trembled with joy before speeding up its movement, accelerating the process.

Unknown to Vesper, his interior where the Spiral Energy was stored wasn't simply 'expanding.' Vesper's Spiral Energy was contained within a sort of black receptacle that occasionally blinked with an infinity of colors, and at the center of this container, a small representation of what looked like a galaxy could be seen.

The galaxy representation was entirely white with small purple points simulating stars, as if the coloration had been inverted. The spiral movement the galaxy made as it floated in the center of the container was perpetual, and with each instant, it seemed to become more fluid, generating more Spiral Energy.

At this moment, Vesper was a literal and extremely functional factory of Spiral Energy.

...

After an unknown period for Vesper, who had decided to simply ignore everything and enjoy the moment, the white spiral disappeared completely, leaving only Vesper's lonely figure on the plain.

When he felt the warm sensation diminish and all the pleasure disappeared, Vesper's eyes opened, emitting a small platinum glow that quickly diminished, making way for a new pair of eyes.

Vesper's pupils now had a permanent spiral pattern, no longer needing the use of {Eye of Destiny} to have this strange appearance, constantly repeating an infinite spiral cycle.

At the same time, the coloration of Vesper's pupils changed to an extremely strong platinum. It wasn't just a simple 'white' or 'light gray'; the sensation conveyed by Vesper's eyes with this combination of pattern and coloration was strange. Perhaps he could make someone dizzy by simply staring into his eyes.

'Too bad, the sensation has completely disappeared...' He thought while hugging himself, feeling the Spiral Energy within him respond with a slight tremor, as if saying it was 'still here.'

This small and simple action made Vesper form a slight smile on his face.

'This is enough... for now...' He settled for this feeling of security that the Spiral Energy was giving him before shifting his eyes to the Yellow Tab.

[The user's Energy has increased tremendously.]

[In response to the sudden increase in Spiral Energy, the Veserithorn will be strengthened.]

[The Strengthening has been completed.]

[There are more than ten remaining notifications and enhancements, involving the rewards from the battle against the Cyclops and the increase in Energy. Does Veserithorn wish to see them now?]

Vesper looked surprised as he read the System notifications, apparently, the first three notifications appeared as the Spiral was still on the plain.

'I got so focused on that feeling that I ended up forgetting about the System...'

He released a bit of air, seemingly amused by this thought, before nodding, indicating that he wanted to see the rest of the rewards.

[Understood.]

[{Destiny Theft} was used on the Cyclops.]

[Due to the Cyclops's Destiny being much larger than all the Monsters Veserithorn has encountered so far, {Destiny Theft} has been reinforced.]

[(2) —> (3)]

[The number of Destinies {Destiny Theft} can steal has tripled.]

[Due to the sudden increase in {Destiny Theft} strength, all abilities of the Cyclops were completely stolen.]

[Strength, Agility, Speed, and Stamina have increased tremendously.]

[The passive ability {Lover of the Spiral} received a slight modification in response to the tremendous form increase.]

[The Evolutive Capacity of Spiral Energy reacted with the passive ability {Lover of the Spiral}, passively strengthening the body with a large amount of Spiral Energy.]

[All physical attributes have been exponentially increased.]

Vesper could feel his body changing as the notifications appeared one after another. His almost non-existent muscles gradually strengthened as he strangely felt each fiber becoming extremely resistant as Spiral Energy spread through them, fortifying them.

His heart seemed to resonate with all the enhancements, distributing Spiral Energy throughout his body, causing certain areas like the eyes, ears, and even the tongue to tingle slightly as Spiral Energy strengthened them too.

Thus, unintentionally, Vesper's body underwent a complete strengthening, even his internal organs and the most 'fragile' points that couldn't be strengthened with simple training became as resistant as his exterior.

This was another of the many miracles of Spiral Energy.

'This feeling of power...!' Vesper looked at both hands as euphoria began to surge through his body; he had never felt so full of strength before.

He clenched his hands slightly, and this simple gesture made a rather loud noise as a little air moved away from Vesper, signaling Vesper's lack of body control.

'I have a long way to go until I get used to this...' He simply decided to accept this 'cruel fate' for now. There were many notifications left to read; maybe one of them would help with body control?

[{Destiny Theft} has provided Veserithorn with the Cyclops's Active Ability.]

[The Ability-]

[...]

[The passive ability {Determination} wishes to consume the new Active Ability, promising a huge improvement to Veserithorn.]

Vesper blinked slightly surprised at the last notification.

'Does this thing have a will of its own?' He would definitely need to talk to Mr.G about this when the notifications were done.

Why not now? Well, PLOT.

'Grant permission.' He decided to allow {Determination} to consume the new Ability, unable to think of a downside to making such a crucial decision without thinking for a long time about what he would lose and the disadvantages of doing so without READING what the New Ability did.

[The new Ability has been consumed by {Determination}.]

[{Determination} leveled up.]

[You feel Determined.]

{Determination(MAX)}: Everything can be done by a Determined existence; the Impossible does not exist, and Limitations don't even dare to try against someone with enough Determination.

[(+): Every three strikes, one of them will be made in a [Determined] manner; this strike will have five times more strength than the others.]

'...' Vesper stared at the new Ability; saying he was 'surprised,' 'happy,' or 'excited' wasn't enough to describe how he felt at this moment.

'Level 10 was the Maximum Level of this Ability; I can feel my Determination increasing just by breathing...' He could feel it, his strongest emotion being precisely 'Determination,' which was coexisting alongside the Spiral Energy, making it thicker and more powerful with each passing moment.

'Does the Ability's description literally mean what is written there?' Vesper decided to ask the System while containing a mix of emotions. Expectation, fear, apprehension, happiness, curiosity, and various other feelings.

[Correct.]

[As long as the User desires and possesses sufficient Determination, he can make it happen.]

[Resist Death? The Cyclops' resistance won't even compare to the User's while Determined.]

[Face an Illusion? Confront all the world's evils? As long as the User remains determined, nothing can cloud the User's heart or hinder their goals.]

[{Determination} constantly feeds {Spiral Energy}, and both mutually assist each other. Two forces that completely alter the order of 'events' and ignore the existence of concepts like 'Impossible,' 'Limits,' or 'Difficulty' are collaborating to the fullest to aid Veserithorn.]

Vesper's body trembled with happiness.

He couldn't say he understood everything; there were some words or concepts that simply didn't register in his mind. What he knew was that the more determined he was, the easier it would be for him to proceed in the tests, and that's what mattered.

Later, he would ask Mr.G for more details, but for now, this was enough to make his body tremble with euphoria.

'All those deaths were worth it, definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely!' He repeated the words in his small head as he raised his arms in the air, swinging them randomly.

Vesper only calmed down a few minutes later, slightly embarrassed and tired as he looked at the System Tab.

[...Do you wish to proceed with the rest of the news?]

'Yes!' He agreed as a blush spread across his face; things got weird when he noticed the System 'staring' at him while he behaved that way.

[A Huge amount of EXP was gained from the Cyclops.]

[Due to the enormous level difference and {Destiny Theft}, an extra amount of experience will be granted to the User.]

[Veserithorn's Buffs are being properly applied.]

[Received EXP increased by 1,000%.]

[(Accumulated XP: 1,700,000)]

Vesper's dormant emotions (due to the large number of surprising news) attacked again as he observed the amount of XP he had received.

'Maybe I can reach Level 50 with this?!' He thought excitedly.

[No.] And the System quickly brutally murdered his expectations.

'...' Vesper, who had been stabbed directly where it hurt, choked for a moment before letting out a sigh.

'Even so, it's a lot of experience; you've already gained a lot, Vesper. There's no reason to be dissatisfied!' He convinced himself with a little 'self-hypnosis,' which quickly proved effective as his Determination acted, overcoming the disappointment he felt in a few moments.

'How far can I go with this amount of Experience?'

[Up to Level 40.]

'Great!' Vesper's eyes gleamed slightly; he was getting excited again.

'After the news is over, I'll think about the Experience. Keep giving me the news, please!' He requested as his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

[One of the two main missions has been completed.]

[A new Weapon Mastery of Choice is available.]

Vesper had discussed this before, the first time he had to choose a Weapon Mastery. He didn't spend hours just to choose a Bow; he had considered various points raised by the System.

Among these various points, one that ended up impacting Vesper's decision on the New Mastery he would choose the most: the need to switch between Short and Long-distance combat if he chose a Bow, which he ultimately chose in the end.

When this topic was decided, he had countless options. Short Swords, Daggers, Normal Swords, Long Swords, Daggers, Maces, War Hammers, Axes, Battle Axes, Scythes, Halberds, Shields, and many other options.

Many of the options were absurdly strange to Vesper, such as Ruler Mastery, why on earth was the System considering a Ruler a combat weapon?

It's not like there's a Ruler as sharp as a Sword with a special power to change the size of attacks and living beings with its measurement lines, so why?

(lol)

The System couldn't answer Vesper when he questioned the reason for the various strange options. It was a gigantic list of over 100 options, and sometimes classics were the best, even though many would argue against it.

Classics had been more thoroughly explored and carried more known manuals and capabilities, while going after the unknown and less chosen might make a person stagnate if they don't have the mind and potential to explore it to the fullest.

Many concerns were raised that day, and when all of them were resolved, only one option remained.

Neither Vesper nor the System knew what this Option would do to him and how exactly it would affect him. Vesper would be walking a path almost completely unexplored for now, and he honestly, was happy with that.

His entire existence was surrounded by things like 'doing the impossible,' 'going against all odds,' 'being someone outside of Destiny,' and so he did.

Vesper's fingers moved toward the most unlikely choice at that moment, and he selected his new mastery.

[Mastery chosen.]

[Rewards concluded.]

'Apparently, Weapon Mastery was the last of the rewards...' He thought before nodding contentedly at everything he had received.

His eyes moved to the chosen new Mastery as he felt pleased with his choice.

[{War Hammer Mastery}(1): Basic knowledge of how to use a War Hammer, a weapon used to oppress opponents and dismantle them with a single blow.]

Vesper felt quite excited about the idea of using a giant hammer to strike his opponents; he was sure that with Spiral Energy, its power would be absurd.

'Let's start with the experience distribution.'

He opened his Status Window and began to distribute the experience, unfortunately not doing it in a swift manner.

...

3 hours later.

[(Accumulated EXP: 0)]

Vesper let out a small sigh of relief as he collapsed on the ground; he was tired of standing (even though he could sit, he preferred to stand while distributing the stats).

'Now, let's see the result of everything properly distributed.'

'Status.'

[Name: Vesper Chronothread Nebulaspiral]

[Level: 5 —> 25]

[XP: 0/510,000] (Accumulated XP: 0)

[Age: 4 Years and 6 Months]

[Gender: Male]

[Race: Veserithorn]

[Title: {Spectral of the Divine Spiral}]

[Strength: 40/1,000] —> [Strength: 350/1,000]

[Agility: 45/1,000] —> [Agility: 335/1,000]

[Speed: 45/1,000] —> [Speed: 335/1,000]

[Stamina: 50/1,000] —> [Stamina: 400/1,000]

[Focus: 200/1,200] —> [Focus: 450/1,200]

[Skill: 60/2,000] —> [Skill: 600/2,000]

[Energy: 1,050/2,000] —> [Energy: 2,000/2,000] (LIMIT)

[Leadership: 20/1,000] —> [Leadership: 100/1,000]

[Tactics: 200/1,000] —> [Tactics: 500/1,000]

[Passive Skills: {One with Destiny(MAX)}, {Veserithorn Advantages(MAX)}, {Elemental Affinity(MAX)}, {Lover of the Spiral(MAX)}, {Determination(MAX)}, {Bow Mastery(MAX)}, {Enhanced Awareness}(NEW - 10), {Spiral(NEW - MAX)}.]

[Active Skills: {Destiny Theft(3)}, {Eyes of Destiny(MAX)}, {Twist(25)}, Wingding(Lv.35), {Cycle(MAX)}.]

[Mastery: {Spiral Energy(100)}, {Bow Mastery(MAX)}, {Body Reinforcement(Lv.30)}, {War Hammer Mastery(40)}.]

[System Points: {0}]

...

{Enhanced Awareness(10): Improves all mental attributes by ten times while providing significant additional understanding.}

[(+): The User gains the ability to manipulate their own memories, thus achieving photographic memory, disabling it at will, or creating and erasing events from their mind.]

{Spiral(MAX): Single Use.}

[(+): When used, Veserithorn will be ready to undergo his First evolution, the First stage of everything. Permanent strength increase alongside countless benefits will be bestowed upon Veserithorn, as well as a massive boost in many of his abilities.]

{Cycle(MAX): The Spiral has no Beginning, much less an end. Place an Action, Event, or Happening in an Eternal Cycle, deciding when this cycle begins and when it ends, so that everything can start over from scratch.}

[(+): The amount of Spiral Energy placed will decide the Strength Level of the Cycle, thus deciding up to what strength level the Cycle can withstand. Only the consideration of the current Power is necessary, not the Power after something is trapped in the Cycle, so a Transformation or new power being released inside the Cycle will be of no avail.]

Vesper stared at the new Tabs with a satisfied look, feeling the strength and vast amount of information wandering through his brain. He wasn't insanely surprised because these changes had been happening since he started distributing the experience, allowing him not to feel everything instantly: something that would definitely hurt Vesper.

'If we ignore the 'size' factor, I could probably go toe-to-toe with the Cyclops in raw power.' He thought, pleased with himself.

The changes Vesper had undergone were, at the very least, gigantic. Especially with his [Energy] attribute that had skyrocketed to the maximum in the blink of an eye.

The Buff of '+2' energy points for every 1 point in any other Stat was simply ridiculous, and Vesper knew that very well.

'But somehow... these 2,000 points in Energy seem just the beginning.' He squinted as he looked at the word (LIMIT) next to his new Energy Status.

'I probably should be able to break this Limit. It would be strange for my Energy limit to be this when the {Spiral(MAX)} Ability says I'm approaching my FIRST evolution; I definitely must have more stages the way this Ability is describing evolution.'

Vesper's enhanced mind due to his increased Stats and new Ability was working with new efficiency. One could say he was much sharper now, which fortunately for him: didn't interfere with his personal growth; one could say he was just an absurdly monstrous, yet still childish genius.

Vesper let out a small amount of air through his lips as he stood up.

BOOOOOOM

The ground where Vesper had placed his hand exploded due to the force exerted by him, causing him to fall into a small hole almost 15 meters deep.

'...' Vesper stared at the sky in a daze; he definitely had forgotten that he didn't know how to control the new strength he had now.

'This is going to be horrible to fix....' He released a resigned sigh.

END

-----

And here is Chapter 1/2 of Vesper's Rewards.

The second chapter will focus on the {Spiral} Ability, and PERHAPS many important things will happen in part 2, important enough that maybe the chapter titles will no longer be 'Tests' (≖‿ ≖)

...

I'd like to address some concerns about Vesper's sudden increase in strength before discussing some other points.

Vesper did not become invincible, omnipotent, or even absurdly powerful. As stated in this chapter, he will go through Evolutions and various stages, so he is still at the beginning of everything.

He is definitely NOT weak, but this is because of his Abilities and not his Stats themselves. I have many ideas and ways to present true challenges for this story and for Vesper himself, so don't despair thinking he became invincible.

That will happen in the distant future (ꈍ◡ꈍ)

...

I thought a lot about Vesper's new Mastery.

I wanted to put something like Sword, Scythe, Dagger, Katana, Broad Sword, Axe, and especially: FIST, but I thought they were all too commonly used, some more than others but still used.

I have not read a single story or fanfic to this day where the protagonist uses a War Hammer as a weapon, and certain... games inspired me to include this Mastery (games like Monster Hunter were the main reasons).

If you don't like the choice, that's okay. As I said before, he won't be limited to two masteries, so there is still hope, although I have some doubts whether he will learn to master all weapons or not.

Perhaps in a 'post-story end' chapter? Well, that's insanely distant, so I'll stop thinking so far ahead.

...

About Vesper's Determination.

His determination is definitely the most powerful weapon he has alongside Spiral Energy, and yes, it's something ridiculously Overpowered (OP), but that doesn't make him invincible.

He is 'only' well above his own league thanks to this and, in a way, has an absurdly powerful 'Plot armor,' but not invincible. The best example of this is the protagonist of Undertale, who has ridiculous Determination that makes him/her unable to die in most cases but still: can be defeated and killed.

...

By the way, I'm calling Vesper weak and many other things, but here's a little warning.

He is weak compared to the beings that are alive at this moment in the same era as him, and it is necessary that he is at this moment at the beginning of all creation, basically.

So most beings are either ridiculously powerful Gods or personifications of Concepts.

If you compare him to more 'normal' anime, like Tensura, Vesper is as powerful as a True Hero due to the Abilities he has. So yes, depending on what you compare him to, he can be an absolute monster or simply an ant.

...

I've already forgotten almost everything I wrote in this chapter, so I don't have much to say about it; I'll probably remember everything in a few minutes or hours.

So, before I forget: MAYBE the next chapter will be the last chapter of Vesper being trapped/bound to the [Little World]. Do you have any opinion on this? Too rushed? Too slow? Would you prefer him to go up to the 10th Stage instead of possibly skipping it with his Evolution? Share your thoughts on this, if possible~

...

-----

1 - What Abilities, Passives, or Masteries should he gain when reaching the milestones of his stats, like he did with Energy in this chapter? (the milestones: 500/1000/1500/2000/2500)

2 - Suggestions for characters for the {Chat}, please? I am quite satisfied with the ones already suggested, but new suggestions are always welcome! (this way, I can have a wider range of choices/options)

3 - Ideas for the First World to visit? (exclude HQs or movies that are not Anime, lol)

Have a good day / Good Afternoon / Good night! (づᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡