Within minutes, Fractal had already fetched a cup of coffee for Morres, the normally sluggish man now uncharacteristically focused as he sifted through endless lists. His fingers danced over his interface, scrolling, filtering, discarding—until, at last, he finalized a selection. With a flick of his wrist, the compiled choices materialized before me in a crisp, glowing projection.

  “These are your best options for Dimensional Archery,” he stated, voice steady but expectant.

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Aspects: Dimension, Darkness, Dream

  Your next arrow fired produces a phantasmal afterimage that repeats the same power and trajectory at fifty percent potency. The spectral shot exists in an intangible state for a brief moment before solidifying, striking just after the first.

  Rarity: Common

  Aspects: Dimension, Predation, Nature

  Place a mark upon a target. For the next minute, any arrow fired will instinctively veer towards the marked location, subtly adjusting its trajectory to ensure greater accuracy.

  Rarity: Rare

  Aspects: Dimension, Death, Fire

  Imbue your arrows with the essence of sulfur and bone. Upon impact, additional spectral arrows rain from the sky at the target’s location, their numbers and spread determined by the original shot’s force and precision.

  Rarity: Epic

  Aspects: Light, Dimension, Darkness

  Summon a bow woven from liquid moonlight. Its power fluctuates with the time of day and the presence of celestial bodies. At midnight, under a full moon, it reaches its peak, its arrows striking with unparalleled force and clarity.

  Morres leaned back in his chair, cradling his coffee in both hands as he regarded me with a calculating expression. “Pick two,” he said, his tone betraying just a hint of curiosity. “I’ve already eliminated an ungodly number of choices to narrow it down to these. Don’t make me regret it.”

  Fractal peered over my shoulder, her ethereal mask shifting in curiosity. “Oooh, Lunarias sounds fancy! A bow of moonlight? Imagine the aesthetic!”

  Morres shot her a dry look. “He’s not here for aesthetics.”

  I, however, remained silent, my mind already at work dissecting the possibilities. Each choice had its own merit, its own tactical applications. But I could only take two.

  [Hunter of Hagravengaurd] was out. Not due to its rarity, but because I felt it—an instinctive, visceral rejection. Taking anything imbued with the Predation aspect while the essence of the Hydra still coiled raw within me? A gamble I wasn’t willing to take. I had no idea what kind of reaction that might cause, but I wasn’t about to find out the hard way.

  [Lunarias] intrigued me. Its potential was undeniable, but would it falter in daylight? That uncertainty gnawed at me, though it didn’t outweigh the pull I felt toward it. My [Truth] resonated with it—not because of Fractal’s enthusiasm, but as something deeper, something fundamental. That alone demanded my consideration.

  [Phantom Vector] was an easy yes. No debate, no second-guessing. The utility was too good to pass up—freeing me to deliberate between the overwhelming area denial of [Volley of the Damned] or the adaptability of a conjured bow that would always be at my side.

  I sent the question through our bond, half-expecting the answer before it even came. And, predictably, Fractal chose the prettier option.

  “[Lunarias] and [Phantom Vector],” I said, meeting Morres’ gaze as I made my final decision.

  His response was immediate, his voice slow and deliberate. “Why?”

  I exhaled, steady. “A bow can break. A bow I summon will not. If I’m going to dedicate a third of myself to archery, I don’t just want any bow—I want one that resonates with me. One that feels right. My [Truth] sang at [Lunarias]’s description. Why? I don’t know. But I trust it.”

  “And it’s pretty!” Fractal interjected, her voice lilting with excitement. “Not as beautiful as my feathers, my body, my mask—but liquid moonlight! That has to be beautiful! It’ll be fun to watch you shoot!”

  I had already known her reasoning before she even spoke. Predictable, really. But hearing it aloud, with that boundless enthusiasm, still brought the faintest tug of a smile to my lips.

  Her intelligence was like that of a younger teenager—sharp but sometimes whimsical, impulsive yet perceptive. It was adorable. But even as she spoke like a carefree child, her stance told a different story.

  Seven daggers. Three on her right hip, four on her left. Their placement wasn’t just for show. The worn leather of her sheaths bore silent testimony to their frequent use. She had fought. Likely more than I knew.

  A quiet reminder of just how much she had protected me in that year I had lost.

  “Alright. That’s reserved for you. Now, we’ll pick your next one. Remember, these dimensional abilities are key to your growth as a spellcaster. Gravity’s influence over them is almost always present—either in the pull, the weight, or the distortion of space itself.”

  Morres took another sip of his coffee, the motion habitual. His fingers flew across the Gloss display in front of him, bringing up a new set of options for me. His sudden burst of energy from the lethargy he had displayed earlier in the hospital was almost startling. But then again, my own... library? Soul? Inner self? Whatever that deep space of thought had been, it was now at least a little more familiar to me.

  “Alright, Alexander. One of these is non-negotiable. You need something with that level of force to truly start catching up to Fractal’s ability. Cordelia is closer to your current level, but you’re still behind.” Morres’ eyes flickered over the screen as he sighed, his voice a touch more deliberate as he added, “I’m telling you this because I know you. Fractal’s far beyond where you are right now.”

  I raised an eyebrow at the mention of Fractal, a mix of pride and mild exasperation flooding my thoughts. “Wait, what about Ten? And V?”

  “Ten’s waiting for you to recover fully. V, however, is more aligned with Cordelia. So, Fractal’s definitely ahead of your little group. Demeterra coddles its Walkers... It’s disgusting.”

  I caught the muttered side comment but didn’t address it. He continued his quick but methodical scanning, fingers moving in a blur over his screen. The Gloss display shifted, and he sent a notification to my own gloss.

  "[Ruinous Axis]," Morres said. "You're definitely taking this one."

  “Wait—mythic?” My voice carried disbelief.

  "Yes, Mythic." Morres didn't flinch at the surprise in my tone. "You saved the lives of an entire duchy by delaying a Howling Abbess—a massive threat, one that far outranks you right now. The Alliance of Free Cities is footing the bill, so, no, you’re not just getting the usual. Check the others. Pick carefully."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  I glanced through the list as the other options appeared before me.

  Rarity: Mythic

  Aspects: Dimension, Gravity, Destruction

  Description: Create an unstable gravitational field at a chosen location. Any object or entity caught within will experience randomized shifts in gravity—sudden crushing force, weightlessness, or spiraling distortion—all happening in chaotic succession. The longer the spell remains active, the more volatile and destructive it becomes.

  Rarity: Rare

  Aspects: Dimension, Gravity, Darkness

  Description: Conjure a small gravitational singularity at a chosen point, pulling in nearby enemies and objects before violently collapsing. The collapse causes an implosion that deals damage based on the mass accumulated.

  Rarity: Epic

  Aspects: Dimension, Gravity, Arcane

  Description: Surround yourself in a shifting veil of folded space. Attacks that strike you have a chance to be displaced to another plane, nullifying their damage entirely.

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Aspects: Dimension, Gravity, Motion

  Description: Instantly reposition yourself within a short distance by folding space, leaving behind an afterimage that explodes with compressed gravity a second later.

  Rarity: Rare

  Aspects: Dimension, Gravity, Fire

  Description: Summon a falling celestial body, such as a small meteor or burning comet, and direct it toward your enemies. The meteor’s descent distorts space around it, causing objects to be pulled toward its impact zone.

  “[Horizon Step],” I said quickly. “Hands down.” I didn’t need to debate it for long. A repositioning move that worked when I wasn’t focused solely on melee combat? It was perfect for me. “It’ll save my hide, my fur, my horn. Whatever.” I chuckled, realizing how serious I was about my survival.

  Morres didn’t smile but gave me a knowing nod, tapping his screen to reserve the ability. “Good. Let’s move on. You’re ready for this. Now let’s get those other cubes finalized. Err…cube finalized.”

  He scrolled through the list on his Gloss, his face twisting into a frown as he examined the options. “Well, it looks like with my filters, you’re getting four choices,” he announced, his tone laced with mild frustration. “Good news? I’m not combing through endless lists of skillcubes. Bad news? I’m really not happy with what’s on offer. Then again, I’ve always found Djinn’s a loathsome combat style… Damn you, Ranah.”

  The list flickered before me:

  Sapstorm Barrage

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Aspects: Nature, Air, Force

  Description: Channel the fury of nature’s winds into a devastating attack. The Machina rapidly fires high-velocity projectiles made of hardened sap and bark, enhanced by the power of the wind. These projectiles hit with the force of a small cannonball, and upon impact, the sap explodes outward, entangling enemies and inflicting significant damage.

  Resonant Shards

  Rarity: Rare

  Aspects: Nature, Glass, Sound

  Description: Tap into the harmonic frequencies of nature by converting sound waves into lethal glass projectiles. Upon activation, you and your Machina generate high-frequency vibrations that cause nearby glass elements—whether windows or natural crystal formations—to shatter, sending shards flying at enemies with pinpoint accuracy.

  Cinderstorm Gale

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Aspects: Fire, Nature, Wind

  Description: Summon a localized storm of burning embers, ash, and gusts of wind that disorient and damage foes. The Machina channels the power of the wind to whip up a violent tempest of ash and embers, blanketing an area in scorching air and fine dust. Enemies caught in the gale suffer continuous fire damage, and the fierce gusts disrupt their movement, reducing combat effectiveness.

  Aquatic Barrage

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Aspects: Water, Nature, Dust

  Description: Launch a rapid-fire barrage of water-imbued dust projectiles. The Machina channels water to saturate the ambient dust, forming hardened projectiles that fly in rapid succession. These projectiles carry both the crushing weight of dust and the penetrating power of water, impacting targets with formidable force.

  I could sense the logic behind each option, yet none of them immediately appealed to me. I mulled it over silently—each had its merits, but my instincts were telling me something. Finally, I broke the silence.

  “If it’s from this list… [Resonant Shards]?” I suggested tentatively.

  Before I could elaborate further, Fractal’s voice chimed in with a playful lilt, her eyes alight with mischief. “Awww… I was hoping for [Cinderstorm Gale],” she said, her tone both teasing and earnest.

  I shook my head at her exuberance. “If V is joining us on this, I don’t want him accidentally blowing up everything,” I replied, half-joking. “The guy is practically coated in his own explosives and traps.”

  Her laughter was a soft, melodic counterpoint to the seriousness of the discussion, yet I could see the wisdom in her preference. Still, the decision was mine to make—my path, my skillset, my destiny. As I scanned the list one final time, my mind racing with possibilities and contingencies, I knew that every choice here would have a lasting impact

  Morres seemed to move through the task with an almost painful lethargy, his fingers drumming absently on the edges of his Gloss display. He didn’t seem to care much for the technicalities of the process; inputting data, filtering through lists, selecting options—it all felt like the drudgery of a task he would’ve preferred to delegate. His eyes were half-lidded, as though he were on the brink of slipping into some kind of nap, but his words were carefully weighed and as sharp as ever.

  He let out a long, drawn-out sigh, the sound heavy in the air. His voice, though tired, held a note of finality as he glanced at me, his demeanor far more serious than I’d expected given the apparent lack of energy in his movements. “Delivery should be here tomorrow morning,” he muttered, tapping something on the Gloss, clearly disinterested in the details but still efficient enough to get the job done. “Until then, I have a task for you. A rite of passage, more than anything.”

  Morres paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. There was a certain gravity behind them, an edge of finality that contrasted sharply with his languid state. He looked at me, his gaze sharp beneath his disheveled appearance, his voice dropping lower with an almost ominous calm. “Succeed? You get the cubes and myself as your manager, free of charge.” His tone didn’t waver, not even a hint of sarcasm or irony. He was dead serious.

  Then, with a subtle yet deliberate pause, he added the last part—his words like a silent warning, far more threatening than anything he’d said before. “Fail? And Pandora’s Box has no further use of your corpse.”

  There was no exaggeration in his voice. No dramatic flourish. It was just a plain, matter-of-fact statement that carried with it all the weight of someone who had seen what happened to those who didn’t measure up. His lethargy didn’t hide the truth in his words; if anything, it made them more chilling. There was no room for failure in this world, not under his watch, not if I wanted to come out of this alive.

  The tension in the air settled, the quiet hum of the Gloss display punctuating the moment. Even Fractal seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, her usual chatter muted for a brief second as the reality of the task ahead set in.

  He handed me the book without ceremony, its thick pages heavy in my hands. The Complete History of Pendell. The title alone seemed weighty, as though it carried the burden of centuries, of countless battles, triumphs, and failures. The leather cover was worn, its edges frayed, as though this book had seen more than its fair share of hands—hands that had perhaps grown tired of its weight.

  I stared down at it, feeling the weight of history pressing into my palms. It wasn’t just a book—it was a portal to something far deeper, something far more real. I looked back at Morres, who seemed completely unfazed by the gravity of what he was handing me. He had no need to explain further; his eyes already told me everything.

  Realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind. The dull ache in my stomach, the sinking feeling in my chest, and the uneasy flutter of Fractal’s feathers beside me told me all I needed to know. This test wasn’t about theory or tricks. This was about living history— first-hand.

  I wasn’t just going to read about the past. I was going to experience it. And from the way Morres had phrased it, this wasn’t going to be some peaceful, academic journey. There were lessons here, lessons that could only be learned through direct experience—and likely at great personal cost.

  That cost rang to my [Truth.] I smiled. I’m willing to pay that price.