By the time Theo jolted awake gasping for air as he struggled to swim through the empty space, after not feeling the resistance of the black waters, he opened his eyes to see that he now found himself back at the beginning of the trial.
"Where... how..." he asked himself.
Soon, the memories of how before his eyes, his body was ripped apart replayed in his mind. But that only made it harder for him to understand how he now found himself back here.
'Did I pass the trial? If so, what was the point of it?... To see how long I could play a sick game of tag with a bunch of monsters?'
Theo wanted nothing more than to give whoever, or whatever it was that put him through all of that a punch right in the face, but in this case where the one, or thing responsible was the world itself, there was nothing he could do but hold in his resentment. At least, for now.
He cast his gaze around and found that he was back the same half empty void of a soul sea he had found himself in at the start of his trial. 'I guess nothing has changed.....' Well, that was wrong because after what he experienced during his rial, it wasn't the exact same.
Below him, where there was previously nothing, a shallow pool of golden waters had appeared.
Around him, a strange energy enveloped his body, and above him, the sky which was previously barren, no, non-existent was filled with specks of light that dotted its expanse. And just below that sky, Theo could see his core overhanging at the center of the Void.
'I guess... it isn't exactly the same... But, I guess that means this place really is my soul, but why does it look so... different now?'
The state of his soul, though it had somehow undergone changes and was now closer to the descriptions he had heard so often was still as strange to him as it was before. It was no longer devoid of anything resembling the sea of souls he had been taught about all his life.
But unlike when he first arrived, his core, the very center of his being where everything encompassing him was concentrated, and the only thing that seemed to have any presence was now not only radiating an even more intense warmth, but it also now shimmering with a golden hue.
At its center he saw... something.... the closer he focused on that something, the stronger the feeling of a connection he felt towards his core. But when he tried to understand what it was, its very existence seemed to be beyond his comprehension as it floated at its center.
Theodore felt an inexplicable magnetic pull toward it, to the very core of his being. Obliging that pull, he approached his core.
"Beautiful!" he murmured, reaching out tentatively.
[Congratulations on your success candidate, prepare to receive your boon]
The moment his fingers brushed against the golden light, a surge of energy coursed through him, igniting every fibre of his being. His bones all felt like they were breaking, his muscles ripping apart and reforming at the same time.
Even his eyes felt like they swole to the point of bursting numerous times before being restored. The sensation was an overwhelming paradox of suffering and relief that felt like it would go on forever. After what felt like an eternity the pain finally ceased, and was replaced by a calm, relaxing warmth and sense of... dominance?
Theodore opened his eyes, and the sight before him now shook him to his core. Where the blank canvas of the void once lay, now a breath-taking, expansive, and vibrant landscape took its place. Dotting the skies were golden sparks of light reminiscent of stars, and the ground below was no longer o pool, but a sea of calm golden waters.
With every step e took the waters rippled brilliantly, Its surface shimmering like polished glass under the ethereal glow of the stars, and in that mirror-like surface, he found himself staring at a brighter and more brilliant golden glow of his ether core.
He looked up to see his core, as it radiated a blinding golden light. Its visage almost reminded him of that of the sun. Looking down at the palms of his hands, a multitude of thoughts dominated his mind.
'Am I dreaming? Is this really my core?'
But none of those thoughts mattered to him more than an important realization that soon dawned on him.
'I've actually done it! I survived the first trial! I am a herald!'
The realization washed over Theodore like a wave of warmth, filling him with a sense of triumph and pride. He had faced the dark, despair-filled world of Ygdrassil, or at lest some part of it, with nothing but his wit and body as a measly slum dweller and come out a herald!
'I'm a herald! One of the most powerful and influential people in the city!'
As he stood there, the golden waters rippling beneath his feet, a memory flashed into his mind.
***
Stood in the classroom once more, his instructor was on his way out after giving another lesson when for some strange reason, he turned to the class with a complicated expression.
"Now, I know it might sound random and like a waste of time, but as your instructor, I have a duty to tell you this."
prepared to impart yet another bit of knowledge onto him and his classmates.
"As cruel as it might seem, Taking into account the smallest chance that any one of you survive your trial and undergo your awakening, before you celebrate, and before you start making plans on how you will take over the outskirts, the first thing you will need to do is check what new abilities, and gifts you received."
***
Stood in the middle of his soul sea, Theodore concentrated, focused on himself, and according to his will, a string of words in a language unknown to him, yet still familia appeared before him.
Name: [Theodore]
Ether core: [Awakened]
Rank: [Awakened]
Ether saturation: [0%]
Trait type: [Undefined]
Trait: [Force]
Attribute: [Energy sense, Shock absorption, Ignition]
Relic: [Blade of faith.]
With a quick glance, there was nothing new written in the runes, but looking closer, he focused on the line of text that defined his attributes.
Attribute: [Energy sense]
Attribute description: [As the lord over the essence of all things, you perceive every strand of its existence.]
Attribute: [Shock absorption]
Attribute description: [Be it a pin prick, or a boulder landing on the crown of your head, all force directed towards you becomes your strength and is bent to your will.]
These two were the same as before, but right below these lines of text, new runes shimmered into existence.
Attribute: [Ignition]
Attribute description: [Using your given gift, you not only grant the gift of motion to, but you also bestow the gift of flames to the very air you breathe.]
"Is that the power I used when I pushed my power to its limit?."
For the next few minutes, Theodore contemplated the applications of this ability, but for now, he settled on the idea that using this ability would come at a cost. As though it granted him an amazing ability, flame generation, it came at a cost. Using it in the way he did was too harsh on his body, meaning if he was to use this ability properly, he would either strengthen his body, or find another application for it. So for now, he had to settle, but what really got his attention was the relic he had received for defeating the spawn during his third round of the trial.