In the Cosmic Expanse
"No progress at all. Heh." Fyar sighed after his victory. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the man in front of him. "So, what do I need to know about this Neutralize?"
The green-haired man was still staring at the chessboard, one hand holding his chin while his brow was furrowed. "Strange. I didn’t even make a blunder. Why..."
"Isn’t it obvious? Because I’m smarter than you," Fyar interrupted with a faint smile.
The man shifted his gaze to Fyar and laughed lightly. "Perhaps."
He then continued, "Alright. My first piece of advice is to never tell anyone about your power."
"But what about my comrades who saw it?" Fyar replied.
The man leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms casually. "Well, as long as they can be trusted, go ahead. But, just kill them if you sense any sign that they’re going to leak it."
Fyar’s eyebrows rose. "Is a human life that cheap to you?"
The man chuckled. "Do you own a mirror?"
Fyar was silent for a moment, his pupils dilating slightly upon hearing the question.
The man then snapped his fingers.
Instantly, a cigarette appeared between Fyar’s fingers, and a cup of hot coffee steamed on the table.
"Consider it a prize for winning the chess game. It’s useful for replenishing your energy," said the man, who was now also lighting a cigarette for himself.
What has this man seen through my memories? Fyar lifted the coffee cup and took a sip. The familiar bitter taste and warmth immediately spread through his body.
After that, he lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. The smoke he exhaled felt calming... to him.
The man continued his explanation, "Normally, when you reach level fifteen, you get to choose your power type." He began to gesture with his fingers. "Like Void, Fire, Air, Ice, Lightning, and Light, which are obtained by eating a specific magic orb. In your terms, this process is equivalent to choosing a class."
"However, since you’ve already obtained the Neutralize power, you can no longer choose another," he explained. "Your power is to neutralize. After you wake up, you will receive the memories of how to use it, so there’s no need to ask about that."
Fyar nodded. "Can you explain a little about Void and the others?"
The man sighed and waved his hand lazily. "I’m too lazy. Just look for it in a library, it’s bound to be there, though it won’t be complete."
"Stingy," Fyar muttered softly as he took another sip of his coffee.
After finishing his cigarette, the man continued,
"Lastly, when you wake up, you’ll already be level fifteen, and—"
"Seriously?!" Fyar slammed his hand on the table, his body jolting with excitement. A wide smile spread across his face.
"Let me finish!" the man exclaimed, looking slightly annoyed at being cut off.
Fyar coughed lightly and sat back down. "A-alright." He took another sip of his coffee. "Continue."
The man continued, "You won’t find any explanation about your power in any book. So, don’t even try, it’s just a waste of time."
"Then how do I learn it?" Fyar asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Like I said, the knowledge will be sent directly to your memories. This is one of the advantages of the Hunter."
Fyar leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. "But you said I could read about other Hunter powers like Void. Why is there nothing on Neutralize?"
"They write all of that down so it can be monitored and studied. As for why your power isn’t there... heh, you’d better judge that for yourself later," the man answered with a smile. He then stood up and clapped his hands once. "Alright, that’s all for now."
The man’s body slowly began to break apart, turning into particles of golden light that floated away and merged with the surrounding cosmos.
"At least tell me your name," Fyar said, calmly watching the man disappear.
The man smiled. "Farim."
"Good luck Starfall."
"Starfall? Is that me?" Fyar murmured.
Instantly, his vision went completely dark.
When he regained consciousness, the first thing Fyar realized was that the pain in his chest was completely gone. His body felt light and full of a new energy. Simultaneously, a series of foreign information flooded his mind.
technical data on how his new power Neutralize worked. Knowledge about its range, limitations, and applications was etched directly into his brain.
After processing all of it in a second, Fyar opened his eyes. He found himself leaning against Illya’s waist, hidden behind the golden tree.
Upon seeing him awake, Illya immediately hugged him tightly. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "F-F-Fyaar?! Thank goodness... thank goodness... I thought... I thought you were..."
Fyar’s face turned slightly red from the sudden hug. "I-Illya?" He gently patted Illya’s back.
Fyar gently released Illya’s hug and looked around. "We’re hiding? Don’t tell me the second statue has already broken?"
Illya nodded. "Zaefal told me to protect you while they handle the monster."
Fyar moved forward slightly, peeking at Zaefal and Rasie fighting desperately against the second owl monster. Zaefal was continuously blocking the brutal spear attacks, while Rasie was struggling to find an opening in the monster’s hard skin.
Fyar turned to Illya. "Illya, can you still use offensive magic? Like a fire shot or something similar?"
"Yes, although it won’t be very strong. This monster can harden its skin, Fyar. My magic probably won’t be very effective."
Fyar smiled. "That’s enough. To test my power."
Illya tilted her head. "Test?"