Arcane Tattoo

Sorath glanced at his right hand after he felt something moving as though his veins had become sentient and pulsing, as if a new heart— or a core, had formed in his right hand, pumping and circulating energies within.

His squinted eyes widened when he found an intricate design etched into his skin: a magic tattoo.

The arcane tattoo, to be precise, resembling tribal patterns starting from his wrist up to his shoulder, wove a mesmerizing dance of dark and smooth lines. 

The tattoo was glowing with a majestic sky-blue color as it tried to assimilate itself within Sorath's hand. 

It was undeniably a spectacular sight to behold. However, there lay a great pain behind its beauty. Sorath, who was experiencing it, still had to endure the pain even though he had successfully pulled out his hand from the lock.

After a few moments, the magic tattoo finished the assimilation into Sorath's right hand. All the majestic glow it produced had gone, returning to its original dark color. At the same time, Sorath lost consciousness after enduring that hellish experience.

...

Sorath woke up a few hours later, finding himself in the same chamber where he had to go through that hellish experience. Reminded by the earlier occurrence, he aggressively glared at his right hand.

"I couldn't think straight before because of the pressure. But..." He raised his hand and observed it with great attention. "Is this magic tattoo really the relic? I thought it was a gauntlet or a glove."

He tried to rest his finger under his chin, but a surge of sudden energy wave shocked him as his right hand touched the other parts of his body.

"What was that?!"

Confused, he stared at his right hand and blinked a few times.

Sorath attempted it again, trying to make sense of his newfound power. 

Carefully, he brought his right hand closer to his other hand. Then, as he grabbed the left-hand wrist, the energy wave surge happened again. This time, Sorath didn't break the contact but tightened the grip even more.

Sorath closed his eyes as the energy wave invaded his mind, telling him the information about the arcane energy that resided in his right hand, specifically the magic tattoo that served as a container.

The tattoo would function as a tool to use arcane magic, mainly absorbing, storing, and releasing.

It would automatically absorb arcane in the area where the energy exists, usually places like temples or ruins. 

Then, after it absorbed enough arcane energies, the tattoo would stop the process and store them in his right hand by injecting them through his veins and letting the implanted core circulate the energy.

Lastly, when the arcane had flowed as a result of a successful storing process into his hand, Sorath could use it to cast magic, strengthen his physical body, and so on, just like how the mages used mana to perform something unexplainable by science, but more potent.

"Let's try it."

However, since Sorath wasn't a pure Arcanist but relied on a relic, he couldn't cast even basic magic like summoning a fireball and the other elements.

To be fair, even a pure Arcanist couldn't cast or have control over common natural elements like fire, water, wind, and earth. However, they boasted the power to be versatile. They could shape or create something using arcane - which mana couldn't, manipulate intangible elements like time and space, and many more.

Back to the problem, Sorath was using a relic, so he couldn't do that feat since he was only borrowing the power of the relic. 

Well, it would be different if the relic he got was an extraordinary item capable of performing what a pure Arcanist and the mages alike could do.

"I can't cast elemental magic. But what about physical augmentation?"

Sorath closed his eyes, feeling the arcane running through his veins. After that, he used some energy to enhance his physical body. But he could only strengthen his right hand since that was where the arcane gathered.

"Well... while it has a different form, the usage of this relic is still the same from what I knew."

Sorath spread his arms wide, inhaling the air full of arcane. Somehow, it felt more refreshing to be embraced by the energy now that his right hand carried the power of ancient magic.

"With this much energy to replenish my relic, I'm confident I can send those automatons to oblivion."

Filled with confidence, Sorath strode toward the grand door while flexing his right hand. He canceled the enhancement on his hand to preserve the energy stored within. 

Since he was still inside the arcane-filled chamber, the magic tattoo immediately absorbed the surrounding energy to replenish the lost energy. And, of course, the effect while it was in the storing process didn't forget to remind him about the pain, even if the absorbed arcane was only a few.

Internally, Sorath cursed while experiencing the pain again, 'Fuck.'

Standing before the door with a grinning face, Sorath prepared his arcane as he waited for the door to open by itself.

Then, when the outside hall was exposed, revealing the stone golem and dozen humanoid automatons looking in the door direction with their arsenals ready, Sorath extended his right hand forward.

The arcane tattoo glowed white as an energy ball materialized at the tips of his index finger as Sorath made a gun gesture with his hand. The arcane whirled wildly, reinforcing the energy ball's size and power.

"This should be enough."

Sorath stared at the stone golem with a smug smile on his face, knowing that it and the automatons wouldn't dare to lay their hands inside the chamber for some reason.

"You see, I'm a very generous person. I always return the favor more than what I have to return."

With that, Sorath released the energy ball.

BUUUUUUURSSTT!!!

After its release, the energy ball turned bigger, obliterating everything that dared to stand in its path. But despite its size that overwhelmed the stone golem, it still looked small compared to the large hall. 

The stone golem and the automatons perished instantly after the slight contact with the energy, turning them into dust.