Master of Wraiths

Phantom: [Master of Wraiths]

Phantom Suit: Joker

——

'Now, here's why you were different from all the other Essence I've seen.' 'Joker Suit… that's what the Infuser meant by Wild Card?'

Master, strangely, remained silent.

Not wanting to push anything, Orion read the rest of him.

——

Phantom Description: "Tales of a unique Wraith shook the Realm. One so strong that no Suit could escape its wrath. He was everywhere. He was everything. "

"So powerful that the weaker felt obliged to follow any of its commands."

"No Wraith ever felt forced to follow the Master of Wraiths. Yet, they diligently accompanied his lonesome travel."

——

Orion's brow furrowed as he read the description of Master of Wraiths. It was a unique story, but it implied many questions as well.

He was everywhere. He was everything.

What did that mean? 

'Were you omnipresent? Sounds… hard to believe. And what about being everything. What does t-'

"Orion," the Unleashed shut up as his Phantom said his name. "I do not know the nature of my Suit nor my reason of existence. So, from my goodwill, avoid asking any questions about it."

"Hopefully, my goal will grant me an answer.'

Orion remained motionless as Master talked, not wanting to say anything about it.

If his Phantom didn't want him to pry into his past, then he better not do so. After all, trust was an important feeling to grow.

And he didn't want his own Phantom to be wary of him.

Closing it, Orion said,

'My bad.'

"Do not worry. You can make your own theories but do not try to draw conclusions. Let me do the last part."

'Got it, Master.'

Having put that out of the way, Orion decided to read the rest of the Spectral Record. There was still something he had to check regarding his Ability.

——

Abilities: [Suit Control]

Weapons: — 

Fragments: —

——

Orion skipped the Ability for a moment to check the empty list below it.

'Fragments, Weapons, Charms, and Runes…' he peeked at the letter. 'This talked about a Fragment and Weapon, but not about Charms and Runes.'

Master quickly intervened,

"For a swift explanation, Fragments are for protection while Weapons — as their name implies — are for offense."

"Charms and Runes are the augments for Fragments and Weapons, respectively. A Charm may make the Fragment resistant to fire or Essence attacks or make the wearer protected against mental attacks."

"Meanwhile, Runes could make a Weapon's blade never be broken or for it to charge itself with electricity for a special attack and a lot of other usages."

"It all depends on the Suit of the Fragment, Weapon, Charm or Rune."

Receiving all that information in one go made Orion blink before rubbing his eyes. It wasn't hard to understand. It was simply too much at once.

After some seconds of digesting everything, Orion said,

'Alright… you can make very powerful things depending on those Charms and Runes then.'

"Naturally, but they have a limit. You could never put — for example — an 'Eight of Spades' Charm into a 'Four of Diamonds' Fragment. The Fragment would collapse right away."

"Just put Charms of equal or less Number. There is room for one Number of error, but I wouldn't take chances. Most likely, you will lose your Fragment."

Orion clicked his tongue,

'Well, there goes my idea of hunting elder gods.'

"Did you really-"

'Of course not. I'm not suicidal. It was sarcasm, Master. How the hell am I going to get a 'Ten' or so Charm if a mere 'Five' can kill me right away?'

"Ah… I see."

Orion quietly laughed before going back to the important part.

His Ability.

The one thing that all Unleashed bragged about one way or another.

The thing that will either make people respect, fear, or mock you. Because, at the end of the day, power was everything.

And if you weren't powerful, you were nothing.

'Please, let it be good.'

——

[Suit Control] Description: "You understand each Suit better than its creator, as well as their weaknesses. Yet a part of you seems to be locked. Perhaps something can unchain the remaining fraction of your true potential."

——

Orion carefully read the contents of the Ability, and the first thing he thought was…

'What?'

He re-read it again and again, but there was something that he didn't understand about it.

'This tells me nothing. What kind of description is this one. It's really vague. The last part is the only barely interesting one. Is it good?'

Master chuckled,

"You dare taint the Ability that I spent a lifetime on mastering? How rude, Orion. If only you knew all the strength you will be given from it alone."

'Then explain it to me. Better yet, how about I use it and just find out for myself.'

"You will not be able to activate it, let alone use it."

Orion frowned,

'Why not?'

"Because to understand my Ability, you are more than probably going to need guidance from me. It will probably take you months, if not years, to"

Orion felt a burning sensation in his heart.

Master's voice trailed off,

"… even activate it."

He felt a warm sensation enveloping his entire body. His muscles and bones felt stronger, and his skin felt more durable!

What was it, he didn't know, but the feeling was great. He felt invincible. The Ability was incredible!

Master quickly intervened,

"Alright, please, de-activate it for a moment."

Orion frowned but nonetheless complied as Master mumbled,

"This damned Record makes everything too easy to use… Look, do you know why I made you de-activate Suit Control?"

'Because you're jealous that I got it first try?'

"No. Well, yes, I am. I admit it. It took me years to even feel the slightest sensation of my Ability and even decades to use it. But that's not the point."

"If you were to learn Suit Control on your own, you are going to waste all the centuries it took me to learn how to properly use it. So how about a deal?"

'Another one?'

"Yes."

Master's voice sounded serious.

Far more than Orion expected it to be. This Ability, Suit Control, must be something important to him to literally forbid him from using it.

After pondering for some seconds, Master said,

"Firstly, I need to check your expertise with fighting and other fields. When I deem that you are properly trained, we will slowly learn each trait of Suit Control."

"Because even with the help of the Record, it will take you years to properly use it. Let me train you, and you will become far stronger than you ever thought."

Orion remained still for some seconds.

Well, it was a good deal. Being personally trained by the one that created the Ability? Orion would sign up in a heartbeat. But he wanted confirmation.

'How strong are we talking about?'

Master chuckled,

"I am a unique Phantom, right?"

"Draw your own conclusions."

Orion couldn't deny it. The idea of using the full potential of an Ability that directly came from a one-of-a-kind Phantom was exciting. Too exciting.

The promise of the power he would receive was also enticing.

If there was something he had learned, it was that being strong could solve a lot of problems in these changing times.

After all, the strongest of Unleashed were the most respected of them all.

Orion gave a silent nod to Master's deal.

His Phantom didn't say anything, but Orion knew he was smiling… if he had any facial features.

With that out of the way, Orion looked at the contents of the box.

There, he saw a tidied-up pack of clothing as well as a single-edged sword ending on an angular tip. It was barely a meter long. Perfect for swift attacks.

The cross-guard had a strange symbol engraved. A crown impaled by two vertical stakes. 

But past that, it offered no defense to the wielder's hands.

'Let's see what you are…'

Grabbing it, Orion was surprised to see both the sword and the clothing becoming slimy liquid and crawling up his arms — making their way inside via his pores.

It was a weird feeling, to say the least. Cold and hot at the same instant.

And the next moment, a set of runes — Wraith language — appeared in front of him.

[You've received a Fragment: Tinkerer's Clothing]

[You've received a Weapon: Bishop's Blade]