Critical Aspect

Now, a small pocket of interstellar dust hovered around his forearm, coalescing into a band of beautiful light. 

And that only served as the backdrop.

On the surface, several glowing threads connected and intertwined with one another, shaping a complicated web that seemed to orbit around one point. 

That point had runic symbols floating inside the webs ethereal space, directly in the center.

Of course, June couldn't understand what the runes meant, but he didn't have to. Soon, the runes seemed to fade into particles, merging with the interstellar dust in the background. 

Directly after, new letters began arranging themselves, replacing the runic language.

What he noticed next was a sort of list… it read:

June: Trial Rank - [Awakened]

Element: Infinity - [4th Dimensional]

Pathway Threads: 0/5 - [0/55]

June didn't know what any of this meant…

Like Dusk had said, he earned his Element and the Runic Web. But, the inscription provided to him made no sense.

Luckily, he didn't have to worry about not knowing for long…

The web of cosmical threads shifted, zooming into a section several threads to the right.

A second later, the exact definition of what he seeked materialized before him.

It was as if his consciousness beckoned for answers, and the web obligingly responded.

The runes read:

[Infinity] - During the Age Of Wisdom within the Ark, before the concept of time took form, the Temple Of The Fallen preserved a Vessel dedicated to their sacred altar. For ages to come, this Vessel was revered by the fabled warriors, esteemed nobles, and lords of the Eternal Settlement. However, one starry night, the altar shook and gave birth to not only a Vessel but a descendant of time itself. This being came to shift the nature of the Ark, becoming a God for those housed in the Eternal Settlement. And with it came the inception of a new Element… Infinity.

The description was rather lengthy, but there was one thing that caught his attention.

'Eternal Settlement…'

Apparently, his Element was connected to the Eternal Settlement. It was the place that had been mentioned in Ethope's letter — It was where he was from.

For some reason, June got the feeling that this wasn't purely a coincidence, and it honestly rubbed him the wrong way.

Casting it aside, he delved deeper into the Runic Web which once more moved, providing the information he desired.

[Dimensional Tiers] - Through the passage between realms, there are pocket dimensions that harbor unique Elements waiting to find an awakened to latch to. Once bonded, these Elements are categorized in tiers. The 4th being the highest, while 1st the lowest.

'Alright…'

So that basically means his Element is categorized at the 4th Dimensional Tier, which grants him the highest 

Tier.

'Was it common to receive a 4th Dimensional Element..?'

He couldn't help but wonder.

Casting it aside, June thought of the Pathway Threads, and the Runic Web responded soon after.

He read the description carefully, and thought it over multiple times.

Apparently, Pathway Threads were a sort of tree you had to climb. 

The awakened is required to complete each Thread before moving on to the next. And to do that, they are supposed to consume Runic Shards that are spilled from creatures.

The amount spilled usually relates to the creature's Grade. 

The Grades were listed as such from weakest to strongest:

Special Grade, Transcendent Grade, Nightmare Grade, and Great Grade.

Great being the strongest, and Special being the lowest.

'So that damn serpent wasn't called Great for nothing.'

Anyway, once they have fully satiated phase one of the Pathway Thread, they earn an ability akin to their Element.

'Seems rather simple.'

He couldn't even begin to imagine what it'd be like to wield abilities… his mind was already creating scenarios in which he used them.

Nevertheless, it was time to peer into the Heritage of The Void. 

It hadn't been displayed on his main inscription, so he had to delve deeper into the Runic Web to inspect it. 

Which he did, and a second later the threads shifted once again. 

This time, though, they seemed to scale straight in, truly diving deeper into the intricacy of the web.

As the Runic Web moved, the glowing threads that lined the space seemed to grow darker, as if a venom had crept its way into the system.

And then, there it was… the runes read:

[Heritage Of The Void: Voidspawn.]

He directed his Runic Web to delve deeper into the Heritage itself, and that it did.

What he read next… unsettled him deeply.

[Critical Aspect]: Your very existence is bound to the Heritage. Thus, you are utterly forbidden to speak a word concerning the time span you have left or the Critical Aspect itself. Should you dare to do so, you will be met with the most grievous punishment, an iniquitous fate far worse than death. The Critical Aspect shall be lifted upon the day of Passing, only immune to the Legacy you choose.

[Strict Binding]: Your soul is bound to the Ark, yearning for its solace.

June was a bit upset. But, he had no right to be.

He had an inkling this would be the case…

Dusk had hinted at it, but at that time Dusk also chose not to spill it entirely.

Which was his prerogative to do so.

Perhaps Dusk was ashamed or thought it'd be too heavy to say. 

Or perhaps he thought if he had said it, June would've refused him and done something else rather than accept the Heritage. 

But he didn't have to hide it from him.

Regardless of what it meant, June was going to accept the Heritage anyway.

He was already required to, if he didn't, he was going to die in the depths of the Great Serpent and his decision would lead to the end of the world.

So there was no point in not telling him.

Also, someone like June was a perfect choice for such a Heritage anyway, so there was no need for guilt. 

It was as he had said, June had no loved ones, no friends, which meant no problem.

Dusk's situation, though, was dark — too dark. 

The amount of crushing weight that had been on his shoulders was probably immensely difficult for him to bear.

He was forced not to tell anyone about it too. 

About his eleven year life span due to a Heritage that the world couldn't even know about.

So that meant, his family, his friends, anyone he cared for simply didn't know, and would never know.

Dusk only made it harder on himself by finding people he cared for… specifically, the love of his life that he had mentioned.

Not only was he already ruined himself, but he was affecting her with it… even if it wasn't intentional.

What's worse is June couldn't seek her out himself and tell her the truth. Because that would still be violating the Critical Aspect. 

So in a way, he's affected June too — emotionally.

June clutched his head and let out a heavy sigh.

The situation was enough to make his head want to explode.