Chapter 244 - Testing new skills

Listening to Shade's words left me even more confused than before. Considering that the names of the new abilities themselves lacked information on how they worked, I would probably only discover their true nature by using them. And speaking of using, I really wanted to try them out.

At this moment, I felt like a kid who finally got the toy they had been wanting for months. However, the worst part was that I couldn't use them right at that moment. Besides not knowing how these abilities work, Shade mentioned that they are much more powerful than common elemental abilities.

In the end, instead of testing my new powers, I had to endure this arrogant Elf with an inflated ego talking for almost two hours. Seriously, I was really looking forward to trying one of these new abilities against this guy, but considering that it would probably result in unnecessary confusion, I refrained from doing so.

Moreover, this idiot literally spent two hours talking nonsense. Almost everything that came out of his mouth was about how beautiful the girls were, and listening to his voice was starting to give me a headache. Honestly, the only reason he was still alive was because I remembered that this guy could never win them over.

Although my ego might seem inflated too, unlike him, I don't keep throwing it in other people's faces. Besides, I still consider myself quite humble. The fact that I'm not humiliating this idiot Elf right now is the biggest proof of that.

After exhausting hours of walking back and forth, we finally stopped at a hotel that seemed to be five-star. I say five stars because the place seemed to be intended for people with a lot of money.

"Well, this is the place where you'll stay during your stay in Eldoria" 

Said the Elf with evident pride in his voice. Seriously, how patriotic could this guy be? He literally spoke of Eldoria as if it were the best kingdom to live in. However, I must admit that I was surprised to find out that the place we were in was actually an inn, as the idiot Elf informed.

All inns in Eldoria are similar to the one we are staying in. The reason? Probably has to do with the fact that they consider themselves superior or something. Anyway, that doesn't take away the merit that inns in Eldoria are comfortable.

After that, I decided to simply check in with the girls. Meanwhile, this was happening, I sat at one of the tables in the place, looking boredly outside. What was I thinking? Nothing too complicated; I was just reflecting on my new abilities.

With that in mind, I sneakily looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to me, turned my attention back to the front. Slowly but firmly, I began to recite, keeping a small smile on my face.

"Abyssal Chain"

As soon as I uttered these words, I noticed something strange. Firstly, my voice sounded like a mix of both my voice and Shade's, but it wasn't in a normal language. Although confused, I didn't have time to think about it when, in front of me, a black liquid began to form.

Curious, I slowly approached my finger to the liquid in an attempt to find out what the heck it was. Although it looked like water, something told me that it was anything but water. It was at that moment that Shade's voice echoed in my mind, sounding concerned.

(My king, you must not touch that!)

Shade shouted urgently in my mind, making me recoil in fear. At that moment, a drop separated from the liquid, falling onto the table. To my surprise, instead of wetting the table, the liquid started bubbling in a frightening manner. Astonishingly, a hole formed in the table, causing the liquid to flow down to the floor below.

Following the liquid, I noticed that even the floor had been "melted" by it, which left me astonished. Seriously, what the heck were these abilities? Moreover, the way Shade warned me indicated that something unusual was happening.

"Shade... what would have happened if I had touched that?"

As I uttered those words, silence reigned for a few seconds before Shade's timid voice echoed in my mind.

(Probably... the same as what happened to the table and the floor)

Hearing Shade's words, I swallowed hard as I dissipated the ability, making the black liquid disappear completely. Firstly, why the heck would I hurt myself using my own ability? This is the first time I've heard about this.

"Shade, what exactly was that I just used?"

As I asked the question, Shade promptly responded, as if anticipating the moment I would ask.

(It was a variation of the elemental ability to manipulate water, but, being imbued with dark magic, the effect was completely modified. Despite depending a lot on how it's used, this isn't water; it's acid. Depending on the situation, it can be much more potent than regular water magic)

Honestly, that was scary. If water magic turned into acid, I wonder what the heck happened to the rest of the elemental magics I gained. At times like these, I hate being a gaming enthusiast. Although I know it's dangerous, I still want to try again.

With that thought in mind, I looked around once again, and, surprisingly, no one was paying attention to me. It seems my little trick earlier went unnoticed somehow.

"... Should I try, just one more time?"

Despite asking myself that question, I already knew the answer from the beginning; my curiosity had long won.

"Eternal Flame"

As I uttered those words, a small flame appeared at the tip of my finger. Although not as imposing as Aoi's fire magic, I was intrigued. Honestly, I wasn't sure of the exact purpose of this flame, or rather, no matter how close I got, I couldn't feel any heat coming from it.

"It's going to take some time for me to get used to these new abilities"