En Garde!

***

[En Garde]

The same words made me open my eyes again. I am in a viscious cycle of currently fighting this knight and dying repeatedly. The pain is unbearable.

'Why the hell is this happening?!'

Clink!

Parrying again this time I pushed him back. Lowering my stance I throw a dagger sideways taking his attention from the fact that I was getting ready to thrust with all the power in my lower body into his abdomen.

Chink!

A cold blue light shone from through the gaps in his helmet where the eyes are supposed to be. Not even giving me time to react he slashed down effortlessly.

'Wh…what, again.'

[En Garde]

The same voice shook me out of the pain and I was back on my feet. I didn't even notice there were three bodies laying on the ground. All three were me, all three laying there lifeless on the ground. All three cleanly cut. One cleanly split in half, one with the throat slit open forming an endless pool of blood and the last with the head severed.

Clink! Clank!

The repeated sounds of parrying dulled my senses, the pain almost breaking my consciousness.

Crack!

With the guard of his sword, he hit me on my upper body breaking my clavicle. I couldn't even feel it anymore. My eyes narrow as my arm goes limp.

[Wake up weakling, you and I are not done yet.]

This familiar voice I hadn't heard in a while jolted me out of the trance I was in. [Let me take over and show you how you use your marking, you are absolutely useless like this.]

Vouuush!

My consciousness left my body, now possessed by Bruno. My eyes dart around the room in order to find where my body was. I caught a glimpse of the knight and my body when I turned around. Bruno was now in control of it. His stance was weird, like a wild animal driven by instinct.

[Rose Shadow Garden]

As he chanted, black vines covered in thorns and black roses surrounded the night. They weren't enough to keep him in place but in that fraction of a second Bruno appeared right in front of him slashing the arm he was holding the sword.

Clank! Clank!

The knight's armor fell as the shell was empty now. It seemed that it was only a projection. A bell sound rang through the room.

'What the hell is Rose Shadow Garden??? Since when do I have a skill like that?'

[Look closely, you dimwitted clown, you might learn a thing or two.]

'There is a thing about self-made skills, they almost don't exist. When I say almost I mean only certain people have managed to freely manipulate Xer to that extent.'

Being able to control Xer without the use of skill cards, markings, or awakened skills is almost like going against the laws of the world.

Again I felt my consciousness slip into my body. The pain of overexertion hit like a truck.

[En Garde]

'Huh…what the hell. Didn't you defeat this fucker?'

[It should be you who defeats it, that's how the test concludes.]

Lowering my stance again I get ready to strike first this time as I was always the one on guard. Somehow the words flow naturally out of my mouth.

[Rose Shadow Garden]

My Xer erupted flowing towards the ground, the vines erected again this time thicker but more erratic. The knight was soon engulfed in them. Not wasting a moment I dash towards him.

Clink!

I pierced his empty shell right where his heart is supposed to be. The armor quickly fell apart again. The lumps of metal laying on the floor wrapped in vines.

My Xer was completely depleted. I'd used way more than I should have. Bruno did it with way more efficency than I, only needing it for a fraction of a second to take the knight down.

[Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat]

The knights voice sounded through the room again.

'They all wound, the last kills huh… I'm running out of time. If it means that I have yet to find my purpose.'

"This is only the beginning, Son of Night. Time is not on our side"

The lady's voice hit my ears as reality started to reform. Opening my eyes again I was met with the two curious gazes of Rennie and Reggie.

"How'd it go brother?" Rennie said tugging my sleeve, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"I've yet to see my results little one, just a moment."

The TEC card concluded the

-Analysis Complete-

-First Stage Awakening Complete-

-New Information Data Loading Complete-

****Upgraging to Xerith's Will****

-Upgrade Complete-

****Connecting to Warmind****

****Connection Error****

****New Connection Attempt****

****Connection Error****

****New Source Found****

****Now Connecting****

-Connection to Xion Complete-

[Name:Raphael Orion DracoFist]

[Age: 15]

[Bloodline Talent: Dragonic Blood, Black Lightning]

[Xer Afinity: Nature, Lightning, Shadow]

[Innate Talent: Wyvern's Eyes (Unawakened)]

[Markings: Xa'anath blade of deception, Fists of So'oar the first hybrid (Unawakened)]

[Marking Abilities: Blade of Deception]

[???: Rose Shadow Garden]

[Tal

-^Click to Expand Information-

'What the hell?! Why didn't it connect to the warmind?'

The Warmind is the only way to get access to a Xertor Body suit through X.W and this card somehow connected to somewhere unknown. This is unheard of.

The Warmind is essentially a collective consciousness made up of 700 years of artificial intelligence development basically acting as a system for all RiftWalkers. Xertors serve as enhancment armor that upgrades by connecting the X.W to the Warmind.

This means I cannot get my own Xertor since I'm not connected to the Warmind.

'I'm so doomed…'

"What's wrong brother?"

With a concerned look Rennie jolted up grabbing my hands. He saw my face visibly distort when I found out that I couldn't connect to the Warmind.

'Nonetheless I have to try anyways, I have to go to the R.W.C again and hand in my T.E.C card.'

I needed money and I needed it fast. The only way to earn right now is through the Rifts.