Djinn Remanent

"Who dares to intrude?" I bellowed, my eyes straining to track the elusive congregation of aether.

Abruptly, the unseen force surged closer, propelling me into action. I enveloped myself in mana, my fist a blur as I lashed out. The impact felt strange—a connection, yet resistance, like striking a solid void.

Emerging from the void was a humanoid figure, his grip firm on my fist. Its sudden appearance rendered me momentarily speechless.

"So, you can perceive me," it uttered, genuine astonishment gracing its features.

I withdrew my hand, retreating warily. The figure exuded an opaque shade of purple, intricate tattoos of interlocking runes mapping his skin. His eyes held a luminous intensity, while his expression conveyed a blend of surprise and curiosity.

"Who are you?" I demanded, mana poised for attack within me.

"I've waited long for this moment," the figure mused, his gesture invoking a grand enclosure enveloped in a dome of translucent purple. He, who had been within arm's reach, now stood distant, yards away.

"A trial of your abilities," he explained, taking a measured step closer. "Your journey has been rife with challenges, but this marks your final test."

Resistance was futile, a battle inevitable. A smile unfurled on my lips. "At least I'll pry answers from you after I've defeated you."

"Assuming you prove yourself worthy," he responded, a spear of aether materializing in his hand. "I hope you understand the stakes."

My resolve fortified, I launched forward, my fist charged with lightning's might. No longer restraining my power, I collided with his defensive stance. My fist met resistance that defied explanation, its force nullified.

The figure and I commenced a dynamic duel, his ethereal aura matched by my augmented strikes. My blows encountered an imperceptible wall, negating their might. Each attack, though precise, yielded no tangible effect.

As the contest raged, an observation illuminated my adversary's strategy—his runes pulsed with aether each time he engaged them in defence.

We cascaded into a sequence of rapid exchanges, a martial symphony of strikes and evasions. His control over the aether-tipped spear was mesmerizing, the weapon bending and yielding like living wood.

In the heart of our engagement, he lunged with a measured strike at my left collarbone. Swiftly, I pivoted, ensnaring the spear's shaft. My left hand's grip held firm as I channeled aether and mana into my right.

His runes gleamed, prepared for a deflection. Yet my intentions diverged—my right leg surged forward, bypassing his defenses, and I pierced past him, securing his torso with my arm.

Anticipating his move, I executed a shoulder throw, capitalizing on the element of surprise. My aetheric intent shattered his guard, and he plummeted to the ground.

I surged with energy, gathering aether in my palm for a discharge. In an instant, he reappeared yards away—an enchantment akin to Blink, deftly executed.

The entity regained its composure, its demeanor more earnest now. "Impressive. I must confess, I'm slightly embarrassed by the fact that you've managed to land a blow on me."

With a determined expression, he thrust his spear forward. I sidestepped, anticipating the spear's extension—it was a user of aether, after all. Yet, to my surprise, the tip of the weapon vanished, then reappeared near my shoulder, delivering a searing jolt of pain.

Expect the unexpected, I reminded myself.

Drawing from my innate resilience, I suppressed the pain, allowing my body to mend itself. My legs surged with aether and mana, propelling me toward the tattooed figure. Strangely, though I sprinted, the distance between us remained unchanged.

The entity's weapon darted through a portal near him, but this time I evaded his attack. The delay between the aether's fluctuation and the emergence of the spear provided me with an opportunity.

"Your technique and physical prowess are commendable, but your earlier success was a mere fluke," he remarked, preparing to strike again.

A knowing grin curled my lips as I unleashed Realmheart's power. I felt a surge of warmth and knowledge sweeping through me, resonating with the ambient aether.

Stepping forward, I disappeared from his line of sight and reappeared behind him, aether crackling along my form.

"Perhaps this is more than a fluke?" I inquired, plunging my sword into his back.

The dome of purple light vanished, returning me to the hidden chamber. The entity had vanished, and exhaustion coursed through me as the aftermath of the battle took its toll. The new rune's influence clung to me like a frigid vice, exerting its presence both mentally and physically.

"I have never seen aether manifest in such a way before," the familiar deep voice echoed in front of me.

I snapped my head up to see that the source of the voice wasn't coming from that same entity...but the crystal floating atop the pedestal.

"Forgive me for the confusion. Seeing as I don't have a physical form anymore, I took our fight into your mind," the crystal stated, radiating a light that corresponded to the words it said.

I had many questions and wanted to move forward. "So what happens now? Have I passed your 'final trial' or is there something more?"

"The fact that I have chosen to even speak with you means that you have passed," the crystal answered. "That little spar was more for my curiosity and boredom, and you have done a splendid job in satiating both. Not only that, did you think I would not notice that you held back your strength against me?"

"Jude, was it? Earlier, you indicated that you wanted answers. What is stored within this aetheric remnant is something that I believe you'll want. All I ask is that you satiate my curiosity for a few more minutes."

"You said that I had passed your trial. Am I not already entitled to whatever it was you're going to give me regardless of whether or not I answer you?" I rebutted, tired of his antics.

The crystal paused, its glowing surface dimming for a few seconds before it spoke again. "Very well. I can grant you an additional small gift from my people."

I let out a sigh and began telling my journey after arriving here. I told the crystal about the beasts I had to fight, the trials I had to overcome, and what eventually lay ahead once I got out.

"Fascinating! To think you were not only able to forge an aether layer on top of your mana core, but also forcefully temper your own internal conduits to control its output. Truly something that could only be done who is not of this world." the crystal gushed, its lights pulsating excitedly.

I asked him what he meant by the fact that I was not of this world, only to be met with that he only knew that my soul was different from others.

"That's what those runes covering your body are for, right? They're used so you can control the flow of aether," I confirmed.

"Correct. While our people have mastered spellform in order to draw in and manipulate aether, true mastery and the organic appearance of Godrunes—such as that branch of spatium you had just received—only come through major insight."

"So this Godrune signifies that I've gained insight into a certain aspect of aether, right? By whom, or what?" I asked. "Is there a higher deity above the asuras that are bestowing these?"

"That information is not stored within this remnant," the crystal answered. "But aether is all around us and can work in ways that are impossible to imagine. The path of obtaining authority over aether is different for everyone, and yours—by far—is the most different."

"Our people were limited by our physical bodies. Most of our struggles weren't about gaining insights, but rather figuring out ways to make our fragile bodies handle the burden of aether."

"I may be speculating but I believe your new rune took on the appearance of lightning not because it is lightning but because that was how you conceptualized the abstract nature of that specific branch of aether," the crystal went on.

"So the Asuras aren't able to do what your people or I am able to do?" I asked. "They have the physique and aptitude to handle aether but not the knowledge and insights to conceptualize aether as their own, right? "

I felt the heavy pressure spilt out from the crystal. "Those beasts do not deserve the title of asura for the atrocities they have committed. Their greed for our knowledge and fear that we may overtake their position as the true wielders of aether led them to kill not only our people but take prisoner many of our most powerful mages in the hopes of torture and learn."

My eyes widened at the crystal's sudden outburst. I didn't know how much to believe but if what it said was all true, then the Indrath Clan wasn't so different from Agrona and the Vritra Clan.

I nodded solemnly, knowing the atrocities of war between two giant forces very well.

The crystal seemed to be studying me before it spoke once more. "My apologies for my outburst. It wasn't only my knowledge that had been stored in here but my emotions as well. As you surmised, the Indrath Clan—along with the rest of the asuras that their leader had fooled into believing we were a threat bent on destroying the world—had managed to succeed in their genocide but not in their pursuit of our knowledge."

"Because of these dungeons that you've built to keep asuras away?" I asked.

" Yes. This place is the work of hundreds of mages adept in wielding aether of different edicts, as you might've figured. Time, space, and life all work differently here and more of it is from the natural course of time rather than our own design," the crystal said with a hint of pride. "While our civilization had been ransacked and burned, we had created an ecosystem separate from that of the rest of this world, one that cannot be touched by asuras."

"I don't understand how any of that was possible though. With hundreds of aether mages, how did you guys lose?" I asked, more confused than before. "And also, how was it possible for your people to create a place where only lesser beings were allowed when the Indrath Clan—limited as it was—still had the ability to influence aether."

"That is not for me to tell," the crystal said. "And we were able to do so with the efforts of many spatium mages."

"My job is neither to guide you nor to reassure you, for you are to face the asuras. It is also not within my hands to control the outcome of Fate, merely to tip it in our favour," the rock said, as if sensing my frustration. "And it is why you will be receiving these..."

Suddenly, the halos of stone revolving around the crystal halted and a flash of purple light enveloped me before I had the chance to react.

A slight tingle radiated from my right forearm as well as down my spine, but even that lasted only for a second. The light dimmed and the first thing I noticed was a black rune running down the inside of my forearm. "What is this?"

"That..." the crystal said, "is extradimensional storage engraved directly into your arm. You mentioned to me about your regenerative abilities, so this rune is a bit special in that even if your arm is cut off, as long as it is regrown, this rune will stay with you."

"So no one can steal anything stored inside there?" I asked.

"Exactly," the crystal replied. "This does limit the space within the rune but I'd say it would still fit about a crate's worth of anything inorganic or dead."

I nodded in understanding, showing respect for the first time. "Thank you, truly." This definitely helped me break past my previous limits and become stronger. I was also able to understand the true reason behind Agrona's planned invasion of Dicathen.

"Don't thank me just yet. The real artefact is within the extradimensional storage within your arm. It holds the insights needed to unlock another Godrune."

My eyes widened as I hastily withdrew the single item from the storage. A small cuboid stone rested in the palm of my hand, and aside from its shape and deceivingly heavyweight, it was unremarkable at best.

Still, I was excited at the prospect of unlocking another Godrune without blindly trying to gain insight.

"Will this teach me how to create an aetheric weapon like you were able to do? Or maybe negate impact?" I tried guessing based on the abilities that he had used in our spar.

The crystal brightened. "No. This will be something far more worthwhile if you are able to decipher it."

"Decipher?" I asked. "So that rock isn't just going to give me a Godrune?"

"If that were possible, I'm sure that the Indrath or Vritra Clan would've long since taken control over the edict of Fate," the crystal replied. "No. This is but a mind's compass into gaining insights, and it's one that even I was not able to unravel while still alive."

"Is it not possible for me to trade this artifact with another that would give me the ability I mentioned before?" I asked. "Learning to manifest a weapon or being able to negate physical attacks would be tremendously helpful in going up against the Alacryans and the Vritra."

"These two edicts are minor branches that I believe you can gain insights to on your own," the crystal stated. "On the other hand, that artifact holds an edict capable of aiding you in the areas of the other dungeons similar to this one you have yet to traverse, and also help you turn the tides in your upcoming battle."

I stored the artifact within the pocket dimension and approached the portal, the new powers surging within me.