Chapter 12: Rewards
Hugo found himself in the back of a sleek, government-issued PTV watching the familiar dilapidated streets of his neighborhood slide past the window.
A profound sense of disappointment lingered in his heart because Soul Reaper Jet had not come with him as Escorting a Dormant through a family drama was understandably, far beneath the paygrade of an Ascended Master. But given that Hugo was a newly Awakened minor with a documented "complicated" home life, the authorities couldn't simply turn him loose.
So, they had assigned a government Awakened named Belle to him. The man was perhaps in his early twenties to mid , with a clean-cut look and an air of professional detachment that was a pale imitation of Jet's lethal grace. But one thing was clear, He was competent, yet Hugo still felt that the man lacked soul reaper's chilling iconic presence.
Hugo didn't bother starting a conversation, his mind was stuck in a state of grim anticipation as he played out the upcoming confrontation with his father in his head. each scenario more tense and unpleasant than the last.
But then, He was suddenly jolted from these spiraling thoughts by a realization—he still hadn't properly examined the two other Memories he'd gained at the end of his Nightmare.
'How could I forget something so crucial?' he chided himself, a wave of frustration washing over him. This was the kind of oversight that got people killed in the Dream Realm...
So He focused inward, pulling up the Spell's runes.
Memories: [Proto-Tech Armor], [Conquerer's Wrath], [Polymorphic Crystal]
He had already examined the [Proto-Tech Armor] during the first nightmare and saw what it was capable of but the other two were a complete mystery.
They were rewards from the two most powerful beings he had encountered in the nightmare. One from an Awakened Devil, the other from an Ascended Tyrant so naturally Thy were bound to be incredibly powerful.
With a tang of excitement, he decided to start with [Polymorphic Crystal], saving the Ascended-tier memory for last.
Memory: [Polymorphic Crystal]
Memory Rank:Awakened
Memory Type:Tool
Memory Description:[The First Thinker's prodigy was a fickle soul. Unlike his fellow Galvans, his brilliance was not tempered by their race's cold logic instead it was fueled by a myriad of emotions Yet, this did not mean he was inferior to the rest of his kin. As his genius was second only to the First Thinker himself.But In the end, he was not content. A gnawing greed consumed him, a desperate need to create something greater than his master's magnum opus. But all his efforts yielded were tools of exquisite destruction.]
Enchantments: [gaze], [upgrade], [greed], [envy]
'Albedo...' Hugo thought, the Galvan's frustrated face flashing in his mind. The description painted a tragic picture of wasted potential, a genius destroyed by his own envy.
But Hugo couldn't really feel pity for the galvan, as he was the one to inflict unimaginable pain to him during his first nightmare. Even if that version of him was an illusion conjured by the spell.
Not dwelling on the thought, He willed the Memory to manifest. A small, reddish-pink polyhedron-shaped jewel no larger than his thumbnail materialized in a small torrent of white essence.
It was cool to the touch and seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light.
The moment it appeared, new runes shimmered into view, detailing its enchantments Making Hugo eyes widen in surprise.
[Gaze] Enchantment Description: [This crystal can peer into the fundamental essence of things, revealing their hidden properties.]
'Incredible,' Hugo mused, his mind slowly processing the meaning behind it . 'It can identify enchantment descriptions and tiers. Other awakened would probably kill for this... ' He could probably auction it to a Great Clan for millions of credits as a memory capable of identitying memory enchantments and tiers would be incredibly useful. But alas, Hugo needed it more then he needed the money.
He kept scrolling through the runes, checking the other enchantments descriptions
[Upgrade] Enchantment Description: [This memory can upgrade any non-sentient object.]
[Greed] Enchantment Description: [This crystal can siphon any form of ambient energy and store it within itself.]
[Envy] Enchantment Description: [This crystal can release its stored energy as focused kinetic projectiles.]
Hugo stared at the runes with a strange expression, his earlier assessment of the memory changing immediately 'What a monstrously versatile Memory. How is this only Awakened rank?'
While the raw power of each enchantment would be limited to the Awakened Rank, their sheer utility was immense. '[Gaze] and [Upgrade] are passive utility enchantments which are already incredible enough but [Greed] and [Envy] could work as a great damage dealers.... Although I'd only be able to use them after I awaken '
Active enchantments required soul essence after all, which he couldn't manipulate as a dormant..
Hugo quickly pulled up the details for his [Proto-Tech Armor] to re-examine its single enchantment now that he could read it.
[Modification] Enchantment Description: [This armor can be modified to better suit its wearer's needs]
'isn'nt that useless? ,' he thought.
Memories were already designed to suit their owners need perfectly, wether it's an armor memory or a weapon.
'its an active enchantment though.... So maybe it has it's usefulness in other ways.'
Finally, it was time for the main event. The memory from Vilgax himself.
Memory: [Conquerer's Wrath]
Memory Rank:Ascended
Memory Tier:V
Memory Type:Charm
A genuine smile, thin and sharp, touched Hugo's lips. A Charm-type Memory was incredibly rare often granting powerful, persistent effects to an awakened And this one was of the Ascended rank. This was the kind of treasure that could define an Awakened's entire career.
Memory Description: [A king traveled the realms, gathering knowledge for his people. Eventually He found a home among the Galvans brilliant minds and though he lacked their innate intellect, he slowly earned their respect through sheer determination and eagerness to learn, even captivating the First Thinker. But when the looming threat of the Children of War descended upon his kingdom, the king begged the Galvans for aid. They refused, hiding behind their walls of neutrality. Years later, learning of the First Thinker's magnum opus, the king resolved to seize the relic's power to save his people himself. In the end, his quest brought only ruin, consuming them all.]
Hugo read the description carefully, the pieces of the ancient drama that had transpired during his first nightmare slowly falling into place.
Vilgax wasn't always a mindless conqueror; he was a desperate king... In a sense he betrayed by those he considered allies.
The Galvans, in their isolationist wisdom, had sown the seeds of their own destruction by denying vilagax help.
If Albedo was a genius warped by envy then the mysterious first thinker, Azmuth was an absent god.
'What a tragic, pointless cycle,' he concluded, feeling a strange, detached pity. 'No one was purely evil, and yet everyone was guilty...' A story of good intentions paved with corpses. Because while it was easy to paint vilagax as a desperate villain, it was also easy to paint the Galvans as villains for not helping a dying civilization even though they could Have easily done it.
It was a matter of perspective.
But such philosophical exercise was another luxury Hugo didn't have time for right now.
'It doesn't matter. They're all dust now Like everything in the dream realm....'
His focus quickly returned to the enchantments.
[Conqueror's Will] Enchantment Description: [Those weaker than you are instinctively frightened by your presence, their will to fight diminished.]
[Mighty] Enchantment Description: [All of your physical abilities are greatly enhanced.]
[Heart of Cinders] Enchantment Description: [While wearing this charm, you gain a moderate resistance to fire and extreme heat.]
[Aquatic Balance] Enchantment Description: [You can move and fight with perfect grace and efficacy underwater, unhindered by depth or pressure.]
[Diagon's blessed] Enchantment Description: [The king wandered for years, seeking a power to rival the Omnitrix's wielder. His path eventually led him to a pact with an ancient, sinister deity. As he did, you may consume this Memory to gain the same powers]
Hugo was speechless. 'This is… not what I imagined....'
the The sheer raw power of the charm was overwhelming. It granted A passive fear aura, a massive physical boost, a moderate elemental resistance and lastly an entire environmental adaptability.
It was a complete combat package that was a wet dream for any awakened.
But the final enchantment gave him pause. 'A Memory can be… consumed? To gain power?' The concept was alien and deeply unsettling. The description of Diagon which Hugo assumed was the name of the deity, as "ancient" and "sinister" sent a chill down his spine.
The potential was tantalizing to say the least, a direct link to a deity's power. But the cost was a bit too high for Hugo.
'No,' he decided after a moment of intense contemplation. 'It's too great a gamble. I'd be sacrificing four incredibly powerful enchantments for a single unknown and . And something described as "sinister" by the Spell is not something I want inside my soul. This stays a charm.'
there was also fact that this single enchantment description had confirmed the existence of an Omnitrix wielderthat had lived in the past of the dream realm... Which was a huge boon to Hugo considering the nature of his aspect.
Just as he was contimplating the implications of this knowledge , the PTV came to a sudden halt.
Awakened Belle glanced at him, his expression neutral. "Well, lad, this should be the address. Just go in and get your old man's signature on this paper." He handed Hugo a formal document which was obviously the Academy entrance application.
As Hugo took it, Belle's gaze sharpened. "Listen, kid. I don't know what sort of history you have with your father, and it's not my business But no matter how bad it is, it's not worth throwing your future away for a moment of anger. So, do us both a favor and don't do anything stupid in there, Understand?"
The message was clear and delivered with the casual authority of someone who could effortlessly enforce it. The gap between a Dormant and an Awakened was a chasm Hugo couldn't cross so he was obviously not willing to do anything that would put him in a situation where he'd have to fight a seasoned government awakened...
Hugo met his gaze and gave a single, tight nod. "I understand."
He stepped out of the vehicle, the door hissing shut behind him.
Hugo stood before the familiar slightly dilapidated house, a storm of emotions playing in his heart like a drum. Every neglected patch of lawn, every chipped tile on the roof was a testament to the life that had festered here after his mother's death—a life of silence, neglect, and the cloying stench of alcohol.
Bu what t superimposed over the grim present were the ghostly memories of a sweeter past, the aroma of his mother's cooking, the sound of her laughter, the warmth of her hand on his forehead everytime he fell bedridden.
His [Extraordinary Memory] was as much of a curse as it was blessing preserving every beautiful, painful detail with perfect cruel clarity.
With a sigh that did nothing to steady his nerves, he reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
immediately, he was met with a flying bottle of cheap whiskey, hurtling directly toward his face.