Out of all my new Aspects, I chose to view the Item first, mostly because it was the outlier, and because I didn't know I could even get items.
A small wooden ring appeared in the palm of my hand in a cluster of golden sparks, as I selected my first choice.
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|| [Ring of Mighty Evergreen] ||
|| [Equipment Designation]: [Ring] ||
|| [Description]: [A small relic bestowed upon every living creature created by the Celestial Spirit, Mighty Evergreen. It holds a small ounce of its divine might] ||
|| [Enchantments]: ||
|| [Sacred Guest]: [When in forests created by Celestial Spirit, Mighty Evergreen, you are treated as an honored guest. Nothing will seek to harm you in its domain, for that would be a direct attack against their sovereign] ||
|| [Evergreen Relic]: [When wearing this ring, any and all Aspects which align with the nature element, receive a reduced [-25%] Mana Point cost] ||
|| [Gateway]: [As a bearer of Mighty Evergreens divinity, you are granted access to the Rotted Meadows Dungeon] ||
[-][===][-]
"Dungeons exist?" I asked slightly startled.
Whilst I knew what a dungeon was and how it worked from the stories I had read as a child; it was still a surprise to see they existed. Usually, dungeons were some of the best places to go and get stronger.
They were also synonymous with enemies which could grant not only extra experience but also new sets of abilities.
It was something I would have a look into at a later date.
That is, if I survived this forest.
The screen before me flickered, before shifting to reveal two new messages.
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|| [Alert] ||
|| [The Enchantment…[Designation]: [Sacred Guest]…Only works on creatures who have not succumbed to corruption] ||
|| [The Enchantment…[Designation]: [Gateway]…Requires Mana Points to be sacrificed for it to guide you to the Dungeon] ||
[-][===][-]
"Ah, I was hoping that wouldn't be the case." I muttered, grimacing at the feeling of my skin physically stitching itself back together.
The Leshy had left many wounds through my body, though none of them were as life threatening as the cauterized cut across my back.
'Now that I think about it, this shirt is more of a rag than any actually clothing.' I'd have to take a look into replacing it, though how I'd go about getting a new shirt, I still had no idea.
'It's future Artorias' problem.' I decided, slipping the ring onto my right middle finger. Surprisingly, it fit me perfectly. I clenched and unclenched my hand, giving it a light shake from left to right, and even tried to wiggle it off.
Nothing. It remained firmly on my finger, as if it had been super glued onto my skin.
A good thing really, because I didn't want to have it slipping off during a fight.
Satisfied, I moved onto the newly acquired Aspects, beginning with the Aspect that was unlocked from the Hidden Quest itself.
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|| [Aspect]: [Observe] ||
|| [Level 1]: [Progression: 0%] ||
|| [Omphalos Designation]: [Active] ||
|| [Description]: [Your sight has been proven worthy. Now, you are able to pierce the veil of unknown, seeing the stats, Aspects, and any other useful information on those you use this on. It should be noted that the amount of information you gain is linked to your level] ||
[-][===][-]
My eyes tingled slightly as I read through the Aspect and acknowledged its existence. The pain didn't linger for long, and as an experiment, I turned to look at the dead Leshy.
"[Observe]." I intoned quietly, watching as another screen materialized a moment after.
[-][===][-]
|| [Note]: [Some information may be hidden due to this Aspect…[Designation]: [Observe]…Being a low level] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Corrupted Leshy of The Dark Forest] ||
|| [Level 42]: [?/?] ||
|| [HP]: [0/46,000] ||
|| [MP]: [0/?] ||
|| [EP]: [0/?] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Note]: [Due to high number of Aspects, only a limited number will be showcased] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Aspects]: ||
|| [Child of Mighty Evergreen]: [As a child of Mighty Evergreen, this creature has an intrinsic bond and high affinity with nature] ||
|| [Fallen Spawn]: [As a creature who has fallen to corruption, it now feeds and heals through the absorption of this tainted disease] ||
|| [Horror]: [As a Fallen Spawn, this creature has three Axion Cores inside of its body that define its strength and intelligence] ||
|| [Defiled]: [As a creature whose very nature has been twisted by corruption, it becomes fiercer and blood thirsty, relying entirely on its instincts] ||
|| [Forest Vanguard]: [This creature is strongest when defending a forest. Its [HP] stat receives a permanent boost of [+10,000] ||
[-][===][-]
"Well then, I have no idea what half of that even means. System, any help?" I asked aloud, only to be met with silence. I almost rolled my eyes at its lack of response. "Honestly, why am I not surprised."
I wasn't even sure where to begin with this new information.
Well, okay, I was slightly over-exaggerating there.
This information wasn't too bad to go over, once I sat down and actually had a good think about it. Really, some parts of it confirmed assumptions I had already made earlier about the corruption.
It explained why the Leshy wasn't acting like itself and was not only more reliant on physical attacks in the fight, but why it also didn't rely on any of the tricks or illusions its species was known for making.
To make an illusion, or trick someone, you had to have a degree of intelligence, after all.
'Though it wasn't entirely lacking in smarts, it did, after all, mock me.'
So maybe it wasn't as stupid as I had originally thought.
There was probably more to it all, but I was missing several pieces of a greater puzzle and creating theories that sat somewhere in the middle of being either correct or entirely wrong.
'I guess only time will tell.'
Then, of course, there was the bit of information which had made me ask my original question in the first place. What, exactly, was an Axion Core?
Better yet, what did it have to do with not only the strength of the creature, but also its intelligence? Something told me the name of its Aspect, [Horror], was connected somehow.
[-][===][-]
|| [For the use of logic to take educated guesses and create credible theories, you have gained a [+4] to your [INT] stat] ||
[-][===][-]
'Huh, so I'm heading towards the right direction.'
Whilst the confirmation was certainly helpful, it still didn't change the fact that I had no actual, physical proof for my theory. At least, not any proof that gave me concrete answers to my questions.
So, for now, I would leave it as another unanswered question and place it in the slowly growing list of other questions that I still had to find answers for.
Shaking my head to clear my thought, I pushed my hungering curiosity to the side, activated [Omphalos Mind] to help me focus, and looked toward my other, new Aspects.