Mysterious Sword

Cedric expressed his desire to leave the trial and was promptly teleported back to the chamber he was in before. As he headed towards the exit, he heard a familiar laugh. Upon exiting the chamber, he found both elves pointing their fingers at him, laughing like lunatics.

"Man, you should have seen your face!" said one of the elves.

"That's what you get for underestimating an agility trial. Did you think it was going to be that easy? Hah! I can now die smiling having witnessed yo--" the other elf was interrupted as Cedric put him in a chokehold.

Siegward struggled to break free, but eventually managed to tap Cedric's arm, prompting him to let go. After catching his breath, Siegward's demeanor turned serious as he warned Cedric, "That worm that swallowed you on the third level is a common monster called a Sand Lurker. They're often encountered in large bodies of sand."

Cedric was momentarily speechless, then spoke his mind. "What is it with you elves and your horrible naming sense? First, it was a Bark Lurker, and now a Sand Lurker?"

Chuckling while massaging his neck, Siegward countered, "Hey, I had nothing to do with naming these beasts. The name was given to them by other evolved beasts that originated as worms in the first place."

Cedric smirked, but was quickly reminded of a stray thought. Panicking, he asked the duo, "How long was I in there? I still have that meeting I arranged."

"Don't worry, you were in there for about 15 minutes. Let's go get you your bracelet so you can start using the points you've earned. I imagine I won't be seeing you much in the agility trial area anymore," one of the elves replied.

"No, screw this place. I'd rather try everything else available before I gather up the strength to go through that trial again," Cedric replied.

"Suit yourself," the elf acquiesced. The group quickly arrived back at the information drone's stall.

"Hey Scrap, I've earned some points. Could you explain how the bracelet works?" Cedric asked.

The drone's single red eye lit up as it turned to greet the newcomers. "Welcome back, young Cedric. The bracelet is a device given to all trainees after earning their first points. Once you receive it, you can interact with it to order food, check your point balance, order custom-made items, and place bets in the holo-arena."

The drone gestured towards where they had just come from before withdrawing its hand and continuing, "The bracelet serves as your identification and is designed to make your life easier. You may take your time looking at the available options by yourself. On a side note, don't lose it. Once you leave the Star-Shatter, your bracelet will be your saving grace on the Forge planet. Recruits bearing the bracelet are eligible to receive a one-time-use healing crystal. You can take the crystal with you into the forge, and it will help you survive a near-death state by quickly absorbing surrounding Essence to bring your body back to its original state."

Nodding, Cedric saw a small metallic bracelet appear on his wrist as the drone gestured towards his hand. He pressed it, and a small holo-screen appeared above his arm, giving him a menu with various options. Cedric noticed that some of the options were greyed out and asked Scrap, "Why are some options greyed out? It looks like even if I press on them, nothing happens."

Scrap took a moment to ponder, placing his hand on his chin. Cedric grew annoyed at the delay, almost calling out "This guy is an AI connected to the ship, he doesn't even need to think!"

After a couple of minutes, the figure of a lightbulb could be seen flashing in Scrap's eye, and he said, "Now that I've taken a moment to think about it, those greyed out options are a secret. You'll find out what they do once you arrive on the Forge planet."

"Thanks anyway, see you later, Scrap."

"Goodbye, Cedric. And may the Archons be with you."

Deciding to retreat to his room to process the day's events and explore the ship a bit more, Cedric bids farewell to his elven friends and exchanges contact information with them using his bracelet. He dashes back to his room, taking a moment to retrieve his father's sword. With the bracelet's help, he chooses the "Scan" option from the menu, causing a bright light to scan over the sword and a soothing female voice to speak in his mind.

"Federation standard issue double-edged sword. Given to Federation soldiers on their first official mission. Production date: 473 years ago. Engravings include minor sharpness enchantment, durability enchantment, and self-mending enchantment."

Cedric frowns. "That's strange. Father said his sword was destroyed by the Devourer. This sword couldn't have belonged to him. I'll have to ask him about it next time I see him."

He sheathes the sword and sets an alarm for two hours before settling down on his bed. Soon, he drifts off to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of his father.