The Keepsake’s Warning

'D---t --ust tha- --rl!'

'B- -are--l of -ale--a!'

Over the past two days, Kalin had become increasingly convinced that 'someone' was trying to communicate 'something' to him, but he honestly couldn't understand what they were saying. If he had had some knowledge about Isaac's old world, then he would have compared the phenomenon to trying to listen to someone on the phone, with that other person having an exceedingly bad connection. He was barely able to make out that someone was speaking, but that was all.

Every time that he was being contacted, he felt a bout of weakness well up inside of him, so he had already connected this phenomenon to the stone ring on his pendant. Was it a transmitter of some kind, or was there a consciousness attached to it, or was it making him hallucinate in some way? He had already told Isaac about it, but the man in question had kept oddly quiet and only assured him that it wasn't a problem - or rather, that it wouldn't be one, as he would make sure of that, if necessary. Aside from that, Isaac had left the whole situation alone, happily acting as a mere observer.

Only after Kalin had eaten dinner and told Valenoa that he would need some time alone did he have the opportunity to take a look at the grimoire that had been handed to him today. Right as he was about to flip to the first page, he felt a part of his accumulated strength disappearing.

'-on-- r--- --!'

He waited for a few seconds, to see whether or not any more information would come his way, then his expression darkened. Under his breath, he couldn't help but complain.

"If you want me to do something, then at least speak clearly. I have no idea what you're saying!"

As expected, there was no response. Without further ado, he opened the book which was titled 'Magic, the Key to Your Hopes and Dreams: Achieve Success in 138 Easy to Follow Steps!'. Admittedly, when he had first taken note of it, he had been in disbelief, because the title… it honestly just sounded stupid, or like a scam. But because he knew that his teacher wouldn't pull one over on him like that, he chose to give this tome a fair shot.

'If there is one thing that every child dreams of, it is to tame the elements and to perform miracles. While one can earn respect via mastering the art of combat, magic has always been fascinating to the vast majority of the population. And who can blame them? Compared to swinging a sword around, blowing up one's enemies with a ball of fire appears far more impressive.'

Furrowing his brows, Kalin slightly shook his head. Although he also had an interest in magic, he didn't think that the traditional means of combat were necessarily inferior. He didn't share the same sentiments as the author of this work, at all. But really, there was no point in arguing with a book.

'Don't -ead it!'

Yet again, his body grew a bit heavier, but because the grimoire's effects had already activated, he didn't notice the words that an unfamiliar voice had desperately mentally transmitted to him. Instead, he simply continued to read.

'Whether it be just to look cool, or to stand out via reciting impressive-sounding chants, even the simple process of casting a Magic is already one that can make the user stand head and shoulders above the crowd. If one's pursuits are more heroic in nature, then magic will be a fantastic tool for the job as well. Even during everyday life, it can make one's burdens far easier to bear. Of course, all of this only applies if one obtains a Magic that is suited for them.'

How vain did one have to be to want to be the center of attention? Whenever Kalin had met people with such aspirations in his life, he had always felt puzzled. Did they truly enjoy the spotlight so much? Only one part of this paragraph successfully struck a chord within him: the mention of heroic pursuits. Although he had never wanted to become a hero, he had always believed that heroes did 'the right thing', which he aimed to emulate. After all, was there anything wrong with attempting to be the best person that he could be?

'Speaking of, that is also the first step that you, dear reader, will have to take. That is, should you want to embark upon any of the numerous paths mentioned above, or any others that could be assisted by the acquisition of a Magic. Clear your mind, and only focus on answering a single question, as thoroughly as possible: What is magic to you?'

By now in a trance, Kalin found himself staring into a mirror that showed him a reflection of himself. If there was one thing that was entirely out of the ordinary about it, then it was that his mirror self didn't have a stone ring pendant dangling from its neck, and the one that he wore appeared slightly different - as if it was out of focus.

"It can be both an overwhelmingly powerful weapon and a versatile support tool. In either case, it should be used to save oneself and others from difficult situations."

Instead of responding to him, or even deigning his answer with a single ounce of attention, the self in the mirror glanced at the stone ring that was resting upon Kalin's chest, a complicated expression showing on its face. It was a mixture of intrigue, annoyance, amusement, pity and indifference.

'It's been a while, last of the Archai. Didn't I tell you to never let me see you again? You're putting me in quite a difficult spot here.'

As if it had heard the mirror self's words, the stone ring flickered, accumulating the slightest hint of power that it could muster, in an attempt to shatter this entire space. Before it could unleash it, however, the self in the mirror released a sigh.

'We both know that you can't succeed, so don't waste your energy. Considering that this situation was out of your hands, I won't make a move against you. This will be my final warning. Next time, I won't be able to afford to be so merciful anymore. I will see myself forced to purge the worlds of the last Failure.'

A bit of slight struggling later, the stone ring calmed down again, returning to normal. Still, compared to before, it had become even fainter. Finally having dealt with this 'acquaintance', the mirror self refocused on the task that it was actually here for. With a supportive smile, it asked Kalin another question.

'Why do you aim for the salvation of both yourself and others?'

From one moment to the next, the mirror suddenly reflected something different - a memory of Kalin's, the one which had had the strongest emotional impact upon his life.

It was his father's death, and Kalin's sorry hide getting saved by Jakk and Isaac in the nick of time. Even though it had been more than a month since then, Kalin still felt bouts of extreme sadness whenever he was confronted with what had happened back then. A major event, like the death of a parent, simply couldn't be overcome in such a short time - or, maybe, ever.

Still, there had been two rays of light guiding him in that ocean of darkness that had threatened to drown him, and that were his teacher and his now-close friend - Isaac and Jakk. Afterwards, many other friends that he had come to cherish had also entered his life. Due to having first-hand experience with it, Kalin knew how impactful and relief-inducing it was to get saved from the brink of death. Ever since then, possibly to help himself overcome the ever-present grief that he mostly successfully repressed, he had wanted to help others.

Before this traumatic experience, while he wouldn't have shied away from saving other people, he wouldn't have done anything reckless, but nowadays, he wouldn't hesitate for long before taking risks if it meant that he could rescue someone. Ultimately, his core motivation for doing so was still a selfish one - however, did that really matter if the results were a net positive for everyone?

The memory that he had just been forced to re-experience left Kalin's cloudy eyes tear stricken. As he vocalized his answer, his voice trembled in anguish.

"I don't want others to feel the same pain that I had to experience. Whenever I see anyone in a similar situation, it makes me recall that day, and it hurts. I know that what happened back then wasn't my fault, but I still feel guilty."

Next to the mirror self, another reflection of Kalin appeared, one that was a bit less muscular and only very slightly younger. It stared at its real self with a touch of regret in its eyes.

'You're trying to atone for staying alive. Have you thought about how your father would feel if he knew that? He sacrificed himself for you.'

Even though he was in a deeply muddled state at the moment, Kalin still clutched his chest in pain, his expression warping into a more agonized one.

"He would feel saddened, to say the very least. But even though I know that, these feelings of mine simply won't go away!"

Reflecting the same pain as the real Kalin, the younger mirror self forced a compassionate smile on its lips.

'Are you sure about that? Maybe you just don't want to let go of them, because you don't want to risk forgetting your father - especially not his last moments.'

Stumped, Kalin stared ahead blankly for a while, then he nodded at his slightly younger reflection, some realization dawning in his eyes. Although he wouldn't be able to retain the memories of what he was currently experiencing, his subconscious thoughts would still change. This past self of his had just done him a great favour - but instead of sticking around to rest on its laurels, it simply dispersed into nothingness after nodding back at him.

Again left all alone with Kalin, the regular mirror self asked its third question.

'The kind of forgiveness that you seek isn't one that others can grant you. Only you can do so. But when saving others is concerned, then magic can indeed be of service. What, exactly, do you need?'

After a fair bit of thinking, Kalin figured out how he wanted to respond.

"A way to shield others from afar, until I can hurry to their side to protect them in person."

He wasn't powerless anymore, and he would only grow in strength in the future. So the only way that others could still end up getting harmed in his presence was for him to neither be close nor fast enough to rescue them. But instead of wishing for an increase in speed, which might turn out to still not be adequately fast, Kalin chose an alternative route that he judged to be more ideal - to keep others safe from the moment that he realized that they were in danger, until he arrived next to them.

'So you chose a comparatively advanced solution. I approve of your decision, me.'

Clearly positively surprised, the mirror self showed a pleased smile, before fading away as if it had never been there to begin with.

-----

Feeling a little lightheaded, Kalin opened his eyes and sat up straight, then he stood up from the chair that he had been resting on and stretched a few times. As he was walking around a little to get his circulation going, he stumbled over an obstacle on the floor, and almost fell. Thankfully, he managed to catch himself.

"Hm? What was that?"

With bewilderment written all over his face, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and glanced at what had almost caused him to kiss the floor without his consent - it was a heavy book that was clearly four- to five hundred pages thick. Wait, why did it look so familiar?

"Ah. The grimoire!"

Sudden comprehension glittering in his eyes, he crouched down and picked it up, then he flipped it open and read through the first few paragraphs.

'Yup, I definitely read it. I vaguely remember these words. So, if everything went well, then I should have obtained the qualifications for a Magic, right?'

Perfectly timed, at that very moment, an event that his fellow students and subordinates would be familiar with after today played out. A drop of Ichor appeared in front of him, which Isaac used to update the young man's Status remotely, then he left a freshly-penned sheet of paper on Kalin's desk.

His brows furrowed because he wasn't entirely sure what exactly about him it was that had just changed, he grabbed the document and studied it carefully, searching for answers.

[ Himayat Rahshaf: As long as the user can perceive specific beings, objects or areas, they can envelop them in barriers of extremely high voltage electricity, which can be utilized offensively as well. While at least one barrier is active, the Agility of the user will be increased by up to 100%. Depending on the amount of mana that is consumed, the duration, offensive potential and durability of the barriers, as well as the exact Agility buff that the user will experience, can be adjusted. Will require 50% less focus if activated via the chant.

Chant: "Embrace." ]

Moments of silence ensued. Then, finally, Kalin's eyes reddened, and he almost crumpled up the sheet that he was holding. How could he possibly not guess why he had obtained such a Magic? Although a wave of grief momentarily assaulted him, what washed it away was the gratitude that he felt. He knew that, at the very least, he would now be able to be a far better protector than before.

It took a while, but eventually, his emotions calmed down enough for him to want to test out this new ability of his. The chant was extremely short and simple, so he memorized it in an instant, took a deep breath and focused on a shoe that he had placed on the floor, in the middle of the unoccupied area.

"Embrace."

Feeling… 'something' leaving his body, not even a split second later, a flickering veil of electricity had encapsulated the shoe. Kalin couldn't tell how strong or weak the barrier's protection was, but he could observe that it lasted for around twenty seconds, and that he felt maybe ten percent faster whilst it was active. Seemingly, this was the current default state of his Magic.

"Phew, it works. Then… what about this?"

Because it wasn't mentioned directly in the Magic's description, he wasn't sure whether or not he could protect himself within a shield of lighting as well. But the wording… it didn't specify that he couldn't use it on himself, right? With that in mind, he selected himself as the target and chanted once more.

"Embrace."

This time, a bigger amount of the 'something' - the mana - that he had taken note of before left his body, only to surround it in a layer of electricity right after. It had formed a sphere that was just a little bit further away than where his outstretched limbs would still be able to reach, and it also moved alongside him - he didn't need to worry about touching it at all. He could still feel the Agility-enhancing effects as well.

"Damn, this is awesome!"

Cheerful, Kalin took a few steps, careful to not actually bring the dangerous sphere anywhere too close to anything conductive - thankfully, the floor and the ceiling were made out of wood, so he didn't need to worry about them. He didn't even recall the nails that were embedded within, but for some reason, no problems ensued despite their existence.

Twenty seconds later, the effects of his Magic ended. Calmly, he sat down on his bed and reflected upon what he had just observed. This Magic would safely protect him, and if he ran directly into a monster while enveloped in it, then the electricity would surely hurt it as well. Was that what the description meant when it stated that it could be used offensively? Or were there other methods of attack besides that one? In any case, it would prove a valuable tool to escape, to rush to other people's side and to support his combat style - well, he would still have to figure out that last one in further detail. For now, he might even hinder himself if he tried to wield his spear while surrounded by that sphere. Lots of training to get accustomed to it, and more, was definitely in order.

If there was one downside to the Magic, it was that the mana cost for protecting himself for a mere twenty seconds was quite steep. Although he didn't yet have a concrete understanding of mana, he could still feel a vague mental exhaustion. Approximately, he would be able to use his Himayat Rahshaf five more times on himself before fainting. Of course, he could be slightly off about this, but he didn't intend to test it - what kind of madman would experiment on themselves like that, to the point of even losing one's consciousness? Well, maybe Isaac, but not Kalin!

A sudden knock woke him from his contemplative thoughts.

"Wait just a moment!"

Intrigued as to whom it might be, he stood up and unlocked the door. Just to make sure that he wouldn't be disturbed during a crucial moment of his Magic's acquisition, he had locked it a few hours ago.

"I stopped by before, but you didn't answer. Are you okay?"

Clearly worried, as soon as the door opened, a breathtaking redhead in a plain nightgown made her way in, sizing him up anxiously. Noticing Valenoa's slight panic, Kalin showed a warm smile and grabbed her shoulders gently, his voice calm.

"I am. Sorry about earlier, I had no idea that you stopped by - you see, I was sleeping. I told you that I'd be busy, right? Well, I got a grimoire today. That's a book which, once read, will bestow upon its first reader a customized Magic. Apparently, it also causes the reader to nap for a while… so, yeah, that's what happened."

Hints of shock, confusion and happiness clouded Valenoa's eyes - it appeared like she hadn't fully understood what he had explained to her just now, but she was glad that he was alright. With a bright smile, she opened her arms wide, signaling to him that she wanted to hug. He blushed a little, but then pulled her close to allow the wholesome embrace to take place. To be honest, he actually felt quite stimulated by the situation, seeing as the only thing that separated him from Valenoa's bombshell of a body were a few layers of cloth...

"Next time, please warn me in advance, if possible. I was really scared…"

Although she sported a relieved smile, traces of unease could still be made out in her voice, and she was shivering slightly. She had gotten closer to the others as well, but she had mainly bonded with him. An hour of agonizing over his wellbeing had really not been that great of an experience.

Distracted from the inferior temptations of the flesh by the pangs of guilt that her words caused him, he patted her back quietly for a while, before ending the hug a minute or two later. In an effort to cheer her up a little, with an excited grin on his lips, he pointed at a shoe on the floor, the same one that he had used during his previous experiment.

"Please stand back a bit, I'll demonstrate my new Magic to you!"

Quite thrilled by the prospect, Valenoa moved a meter or so backwards, then she gave him the okay.

"I'm ready."

With a nod, Kalin turned his head and focused on the shoe, then he uttered the short chant for a third time.

"Embrace."

After he had confirmed that the barrier had successfully appeared, he focused on Valenoa again. Seeing her surprise, but also her fascination, he couldn't help but feel a little accomplished, and a bit of pride welled up in his chest.

"Whoa… amazing! It's so beautiful..."

Her emotional words only further elevated those feelings, but they also made him a little embarrassed. Subconsciously, he grabbed the stone ring on his pendant, attempting to distract himself, but that was when he noticed it.

'Why is it so cold!?'

Usually, it would neither be too cold, nor too warm - but currently, the ring felt uncomfortable to the touch. It wasn't cold enough to make him detect it through his shirt, but now that he had grasped it directly, the difference to before took him aback.

Suddenly distracted from his performance, he picked the ring up and scrutinized it, only to notice that it had lost some of its luster. While it hadn't been any different from a regular stone ring before, it now felt frail and weak. Wait, how could a mere ring even appear that way? Was he going crazy?

Right as he was questioning his sanity, a familiar but at the same time unfamiliar feeling welled up in the back of his mind. He vaguely felt someone begging him for help, but also asking for his consent. He could somewhat intuit that it had to be the stone right asking to absorb some of his strength again. But why was it doing that only now, and not before?

For a few seconds, he contemplated in silence. During that time, his Magic's effect had already come to a close, and Valenoa had asked him something, but he had been too deep in thought to hear her. She had moved closer to him and was staring at his serious face in confusion by now, but he simply didn't notice her.

'Should I help it?'

As he was repeatedly asking himself that question, the ring seemed to slowly but surely grow 'weaker', although he had no idea why or how he could even determine that. It felt like he was watching a counter tick down, and he grew increasingly uncomfortable.

'Oh well, fuck it. I consent. Do what you have to do!'

Right as he mentally responded to whatever was contacting him, he felt an unprecedented bout of weakness overcome him, and he stumbled backwards, only being kept upright by Valenoa, who had hurried to support him.

Compared to before, where he had only lost one to four of each stat every time, he had clearly lost at least tens of them right now, at once. To be honest, it could have even been more than that, he just didn't know. Thankfully, the ring stopped afterwards, and its physical appearance, as well as its temperature, returned to normal. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that it actually grew a little warmer.

Ultimately, the reason as to why he had chosen to help the ring out was that it was the only memento that his father had left behind. He was interested in what secrets it held as well, but the person that it reminded him of was so much more important than that.

While he was in the middle of assuring Valenoa that he was okay, and that she really didn't have to worry, he heard a voice in the back of his head again. Only this time, the connection seemed to be very stable. It was the voice of a girl or a woman - he couldn't entirely be sure - and it sounded pleasant to the ears, or rather, the mind. He didn't get to wallow in that sensation, however, as her tone was serious and her words contained an entirely unexpected wake-up call.

'Thank you kindly for your help. I will be unable to contact you for a while after this, unless there is an emergency, because I have yet to sufficiently recover. I've been trying to give you this warning for a long time now, so while I still can, let me do it successfully for once: Don't trust that girl! Be careful of Valenoa!'