Introduction To Skills (Part 3)

The portal brought them to a Shadow Realm which seemed steep. They saw themselves descending from a high ground, and so, they were dealt great fall damage.

It was a dusty area filled with pollutants, and with the sense of touch, they felt caverns that were constructed in various areas. This Shadow Realm was completely different from the previous one, with shades darker than what they had ever seen.

They wondered aimlessly, seeking refuge and protection against the Goblins. Luckily, Masuyo and Minato were fortunate enough to be gifted with talents.

Traps and dirty rugs and carpets invaded the floors, hindering the effective movement of the threesome. But, as usual, Akira pressed on with eternal resolve and an undying will.

"Hey guys, since you have talents, is there any chance this Shadow Realm isn't as dark?"

Although he was ready to fight without thought, the feeling of fear still lurked in his mind. He hinted continuously, trying to obtain coverage from his friends.

Masuyo, who wandered on her own, was on a journey - one to find the skill Sota mentioned. What would it be like? How would we obtain it? She pondered over and over, running simulations of different events in her head.

Minato paid no mind to the journey ahead and the words of Sota, rather he socialized with the other two, talked casually, and acted as carefree as ever. Although, to Akira and Masuyo, he was nothing but a hindrance, And his little actions slowly exterminated fear in their hearts.

***

They walked further into the darkness, now ready for any turn of events. The groans of spirits kept their voices heard.

"Is that a Goblin or..."

They kept asking themselves, walking further into the misleading realm. The sounds were disturbing and at the same time reassuring, given that no Goblins had been heard.

Akira proceeded with his observation while pondering how his life would have been if he possessed talents.

"Well, maybe my parents would have loved me. Or, I would have gotten attention from many people."

"Or, I would even have been a young star, with a powerful talent. I guess, my family is of a rare bloodline, possessing an impeccable talent or something of the sort."

"No, I have once again diverted from my original track. I'm meant to focus on the Goblins and this weirdly dark Shadow Realm."

Nothing could explain the darkness. Its shade was darker than the night sky, not even the darkest color could match it. It completely overruled any form of light, and sound found it hard to get transmitted.

The space seemed to darken, creating an unimaginable effect of quietness. Darkness spread, and their systems were triggered.

[Enemy approaching!]

[Level 3 Goblin. Misinformation!!!]

[Effect: Level 3 Goblins can be sensed once the area seems to darken. Be cautious!]

"Wait, level 3? Level 2 are hard enough to fight on their own, how're we gonna defeat a level 3"

"Plus, each level has a drastic increase in strength compared to its predecessor."

They panicked, immediately retreating from the scene. The only problem they faced, was the darkness that spread faster than the eye could catch.

Soon, the darkness made its way to the end of the realm, and then a loud sound was emitted.

"Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!!!!"

"Oh no," they spoke sadly after hearing the scream of the Goblin.

The Goblin was approaching, and with each second, its scream grew louder. The three were now in an unusual situation - forced to fight a potential hazard all the while being blind.

"This is messed up. An unfair match."

Akira cleared his eyes and stretched his eyelids in opposite directions in an attempt to increase his view of the scene. He glanced at his friends, seeking intervention as they both possessed talents.

"Hey, can't you use your talents? This is the right time to show them off," Akira hinted once more.

"Yes, but..." Masuyo replied.

"Shadow Manipulation"

The room maintained its state, with no visible change, apart from a white orb that appeared to surround Masuyo.

Shadow Manipulation is a talent, most likely an average one to say the least. It provides its users with the ability to manipulate shadows and darkness in general.

The talent is useful in the Shadow Realm, providing a clearer view. It dispersed darkness around the possessor of the talent, creating a lighter effect that is seen as a surrounding orb.

It isn't too useful in a heated battle, especially when fighting a level 4 or above that traverses realms, but if utilized well in the Shadow Realm, it can create a stronghold and basis for battle.

"Okay, it seems you haven't developed your talent to extend its range," Akira stated, utterly disappointed.

"Yes, sadly," Masuyo replied.

"What about you, Minato? What's your skill," Akira reiterated, regaining hope only to be cut short by his comment.

"Well you see, my talent is as low-graded as a skill. It just lets me get information about people's skills, items, and anything in general."

The whole team was a disappointment with nothing in particular to fight the Goblin. A student with no talent to start with, another with a useless one, and the only one who could improve their vision hadn't been training ever since.

They walked powerless away from the area where the sound originated until Akira came up with a clever idea. An idea that was about to break their suffering and give them hope during the battle.

"Sensory Attack! It's a skill I tried developing but I just couldn't. Maybe, it was because I wasn't too attentive."

"It is a skill, where the user clears his or her mind, and fully focuses on the environment. Sound, light, air, and even quietness. All these make up the Sensory Attack."

"Once you grasp all these, and have a good recognition of them, you could locate anything within your brand that could battle them."

"But the problem is unlocking the skill."

His friends affirmed his proposal and braced themselves for any danger. They were about to lay unresponsive in the presence of a level 3 Goblin, in an attempt to unlock a skill.

It seemed like a lot to bargain for, but it was their only hope and without it, could cause immediate demise.