MYSTERY POWER
The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to pulse with an unnatural quiet. Sparrow, his left eye bandaged and throbbing, sat rigidly on the edge of his bed, his gaze fixed on his aunt, Autumn.
Canary, perched on a chair next to his bed, alternated between nervously fiddling with her braid and staring at Autumn with wide, curious eyes.
Autumn, her usual confident demeanor softened by a subtle concern, leaned forward. "Right, you two," she began. "You're now one of us, the Mystery Agents."
Sparrow, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice low and rumbling. "Mystery Agents?"
"Yes, Row," Autumn said, "People who have awakened Mystery Powers. The power is a... well I might say... a gift from this world, Mearth herself, to those who have survived encounters with surreal entities. Those who actively fight and destroy them have a near-certain chance of awakening them. And given that you two were definitely knee-deep in that fight at the restaurant…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at Sparrow's bandaged eye.
A shiver ran down Canary's spine. "So, we… we have super powers now?"
Autumn nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. "Very likely. But there are a lot of unknowns, so we're still learning as we go." She then looked at Sparrow's bandages. "Though, your injury might hamper your learning curve, for a while."
"It's not that bad," Sparrow declared in straight face.
Autumn chuckled. "If you say so."
Suddenly, she drew a card from the air and crushed it into pieces like it was made of a fragile, easily broken, piece of glass. A ripple of light followed, and a creature of pure, translucent jelly materialized in the air, its tendrils pulsing with a soft, ethereal glow.
"This is one of my power, a summoned beast... Timeless Jellyfish," Autumn explained. "This little one creates a kind of… bubble. Time moves differently here, for a while. Any conversations we have in here can't be observed from the outside." She gestured around the room, the jellyfish pulsating softly. "Other Mystery Agents have powers too, many that let them listen in on conversations."
Sparrow, despite his usual stoicism, was intrigued. He had a deep interest in the esoteric, and this whole thing was fascinating.
Canary clapped her hands in excitement. It was just like a show and she wanted to watch it all. "Wow! It's like something out of a movie!"
"It is real though, Ree."
"Now," Autumn continued, her tone becoming more serious, "we need to figure out your mystery classes and talents. It's simple, really. Just close your eyes, focus on the words 'Mystery Power', and let your mind lead you to natural comprehension."
She demonstrated, closing her eyes for a moment, and two cards materialized in her palm, a golden queen of clubs shimmering alongside the golden fifth of spades. "These are my two mystery classes:
The poker-themed cards immediately triggered something in Sparrow's mind - an echo of the memory from his previous life. Was it another evidence of reincarnator's interference? It was very likely.
He pushed the thought aside. He had more important things to focus on right now. He closed his eyes and concentrated, letting his mind settle on the phrase 'Mystery Power'.
A moment later, a card materialized before him: a copper second of spades. He somehow understood that it was a symbol of
Passive skills bloomed in his mind: [Body Enhancement], [Enhanced Recovery], and [Enhanced Reflex]. It simply felt like a fantasy game.
And then there were his mystery talents: {Physique of Giant}, which seemed to make his muscles hum with greater power, granting him the passive skills [Extreme Stamina] and another [Body Enhancement]. The latter seemed to merge with the [Body Enhancement] he gained from his mystery class and turned into [Greater Body Enhancement].
Other than that first talent, he also gained the {Eye of Truth}, granting an active skill [Appraisal] and a passive skill [Illusion Resistance]. The strange dream he previously experienced seemed to be implying the incredible potential that this talent could provide.
For the last talent... Sparrow was actually taken aback by the final talent that manifested in his mind. It was a unique talent, the {Soulworld Gate - Eldritch Mechworld}. It gave him a cheat-like passive trait [Soul Debuff Immunity], that made him invulnerable against any kind of soul affliction, and the unique skill [Souldream Gate to Eldritch Mechworld], that would allow him to enter a soul world when he slept.
He opened his eyes, his breath slightly ragged. "It's...
Canary's eyes glowed with excitement. She closed her eyes tightly and seemed to focus as hard as she could. She giggled a little as a card, the copper tenth of spades, materialized in front of her. "Mine is
She revealed her knowledge of the passive skills [Sense Enhancement] and [Enhanced Accuracy], as well as the active skill [Bullet Time] that she gained due to her mystery class. Those were, in any kind of fantasy troupe, a pretty standard skill set for ranged class like a marksman.
She went on to describe the talents she'd gained one by one. The first was {Telepathy}, a talent that gave her the skills [Mind Contact] and [Advanced Mental Defense]. It seemed to be a pretty common talent... a very useful one, but should not be truly unique.
The second mystery talent, on the other hand, was the opposite. This talent, the {Fairy of Elements}, gave her an obscure active skill [Elemental Shard] and a cheat-like passive skill [High Elemental Resistance]. The latter made her practically the nemesis of anyone using elemental power.
Canary's final talent was similar to Sparrow's, the {Soulworld Gate - Arcane Spriteworld}. It gave her [Soul Debuff Immunity] and the unique skill [Souldream Gate to Arcane Spriteworld], much like her brother's.
Autumn listened intently, her expression thoughtful. She nodded slowly. "Interesting… very interesting."
Canary chuckled again, looking at Sparrow while pointedly showing off her class card. "How's that, Birdbro? This time I'm better than you, huh? Ten to two?"
Autumn sighed. "It's not a poker game, Ree. Numbers on our class card is just class identification. It doesn't mean that the class with higher number is better than that of lower number."
Canary grinned sheepishly.
Autumn returned to her serious mode and told them about the requirement to register as an awakened. "Any awakened mystery agent needs to register under MIST International Union. Not doing it is actually breaking the international law and might land you in trouble. I'd suggest you do it too as there are privileges you can get by doing so."
After making sure that both her niece and nephew understood, Autumn continued. "Be careful during the registration though. You don't need to reveal all of your information. You don't need to write your middle name. You don't need to write your complete address. And, the most important thing, you should only reveal one talent during the registration. The one that is most obvious to others."
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And don't, for any reason, talk about your 'soulworld' talent to anyone outside of the family. It's tied to your maternal bloodline, our Elheart bloodline, and it can endanger you once it is revealed. You understand?"
Sparrow and Canary both nodded silently.
"These powers will continue to develop," Autumn continued. "After you're registered in MIST Union, I'll explain in more details. But, just as a rough illustration, you'll get stronger after you absorb the surreal stones that those damned monsters drop. It is the source of the growth of our power, so…"
"Wait a minute, Li'l Aunt. MIST Union you've just mentioned is like… the company you were working at?" Canary interrupted, tilting her head, her green eyes wide with curiosity. "They sell those electronic things like TVs, radios, and fridges, don't they?"
Autumn, perched on the stiff visitor's chair, chuckled, a low, twinkling sound that seemed to vibrate even the sterile air. "That's their public face, Ree. MIST International Union is a technological powerhouse, yes. They make some of the most advanced techs on Mearth. But… that's just the tip of the iceberg."
Sparrow remained silent, observing. He wasn't surprised. He'd always sensed something more to his aunt, something beneath the surface of her office-worker facade.
Autumn leaned forward, her own green eyes glinting with something that Sparrow recognized as serious intensity. "MIST stands for Mearth's Intervention against Surreal Targets. It's actually an international organization with one main purpose... to solve any incidents related to surreal entities. It was created by the awakened power holders... mostly mystery agents like us. And it is supported by the United Governments of Mearth. MIST is the first and last line of defense against those surreal entities invasion."
Canary's mouth formed a perfect 'O'. "It's that awesome? Who could guess..."
Sparrow's good eye flickered, he would never have guessed it either.
Autumn nodded, "Exactly. Nobody would have guessed it without sufficient information. That's the point. MIST is the hidden hand protecting Mearth."
Canary, always eager to understand, threw a barrage of questions, "So, like, how does it work? Do they have a secret headquarter? Do they wear special costumes? Do they have like, you know… code names?"
Autumn laughed again. "They do have headquarters, yes, though it's not as glamorous as in the movies. Costume? Heck, no. As for codenames… well, yes. When you register, you need to write your real names. Don't write your full names. Remember what I've just told you? Hide your middle names."
She paused for a while to emphasize the significance of that warning and then continued, "For your registration, other than real names, you also need code names. There are strange surreal entities and people with weird mystery powers out there that can give you big trouble just by knowing your names. Never use real name during mission. That's actually one of the most important rules for mystery agents."
"You have a code name too Li'l Aunt?" Canary eagerly asked.
Autumn nodded and answered proudly, "Starwitch. That's my code name."
"Anyway," Autumn continued. "Once you've registered, you become either one of the three types of mystery agent. You can be an active agent, which is what I am. We're paid regularly, like civil servants, and we are assigned missions against these surreal threats. Or, you can be a freelancer – you get paid per mission, so you can choose them when and if you want them. Or… you can just register as a passive member. Then you still have access to some information but no duties or special privileges."
"Special privileges?" Canary's brow furrowed. "What are they?"
"Access to Mystery Market, access to training ground, weapon licenses, fake identities for missions, resources..." Autumn said, her expression turning serious at this point. "Active agents and freelancers that complete their missions gain access to resources and knowledge to develop their mystery powers. This is unavoidable if you want to be stronger. But it's not for the faint of heart. The missions are dangerous, Ree. Very dangerous."
She paused, her gaze softening as she met Sparrow's remaining eye. "Your parents, my sister and your father, they... they were both active agents when they were alive. They died while doing one of the missions."
The statement hung in the air, a heavy weight. Canary, always bright and cheerful, fell silent, her gaze fixed on the sterile white sheets. Even Sparrow felt a shift within him, a cold knot forming in his stomach.
"I thought..." Canary's voice was small, almost a whisper. "I thought they died in a traffic accident."
Autumn sighed, the weight of her words settling heavily in the room. "No, Ree. They did not. Your parents… they died fighting. They died in a battle against an Apocalypse Black surreal entity, one that could destroy our town if they, and many other heroic mystery agents, did not stop it. They gave their lives to protect us, to protect our town."
Sparrow felt his jaw clench. The lie, so carefully constructed, now lay shattered at their feet. The image of a car crash that he had always carried, it was a false memory.
Canary's eyes grew wide, tears welling up, and her voice could not remain steady. "Fighting... so, surreal monsters... killed our parents?"
Autumn nodded, her expression full of sadness and a deep pride. "Yes, Ree. They were the best. They died so that we could live. Now, I continue their fight. Knowing both of you... I guess you will too."
Sparrow closed his green eye for a moment. He'd known, deep down, that the traffic accident story had never fully settled. He hadn't known what his parents of this world had actually done, but he had felt their absence as a great void in his life, and he had always known it was bigger than a simple car crash.
He let out a slow breath. He knew then what he would do when he recovered. He would honor his parents and continue their fight.
The sterile white of the hospital ward still felt surreal to Sparrow. He shifted in bed, the scratchy sheets a stark contrast to the chaotic events that had landed him here. Beside him, Canary was fiddling with a loose thread on her blanket, her brow furrowed in concentration. She had calmed down enough now. Across from them, Autumn, their aunt, leaned forward, her eyes serious and sharp.
"Alright, you both have a lot to process," she started explaining again, while tapping her fingers on her thigh. "Most awakened agents receive only one mystery talent. The lucky ones got two. I, for example, have {Supernatural Conjuration}, essentially magical ability to summon... things, and {Soulworld Gate – Mythical Beastworld}. It's how I gained my… summoned companions like the Timeless Jellyfish here. To have three like both of you is… extraordinarily rare."
Sparrow and Canary looked at each other and showed faint grins. They were lucky indeed.
Autumn further explained, "These talents can be enhanced using surreal stones, specifically the green ones. But unlike the 'Vicious Red' entities you fought, the entities that drop these green stones are coded 'Sentient Green'. They're not simple mindless monsters like the 'Vicious Red'. They're intelligent, strategic, and far more challenging. You don't just stumble upon them."
She paused, her gaze holding a warning. "They are not to be underestimated. They're not just monsters; they might even be… smarter than people, in a way."
The gravity of that statement washed over Sparrow's pride for possessing better starting points than others. He hadn't considered the complexity of this new reality.
Then, Autumn moved onto class development. "You both possess copper cards, indicating you're in the basic stage of development. You need to level up to reach the expert stage, the silver card." she added, retrieving something from her bag. "Red surreal stones, which are more common, are used for this. Those red ones come from the 'Vicious Red' entities. You can use them to increase your level up to ten."
She produced two marble-sized red stones, their surfaces swirling with an inner light. "I picked these up from the restaurant. The other one went to the policeman who helped you."
She handed one to Sparrow and another to Canary. The stone felt warm in Sparrow's palm, a pulsing energy vibrating beneath his fingertips.
"Only one red stone won't be enough to increase your class level, but it's still a start. You'll get more later. Anyway, once you reach level ten," she continued, "you need a breakthrough ritual and a specific power source item to ascend to the expert stage. That's when you'll get your silver cards."
Sparrow understood that he and Canary were just at the very beginning of a long, arduous path.
Finally, Autumn offered a small, tight smile. "Now, for some good news, or at least, better news."
She pulled out a small, intricate device. It was crafted from a shining metal and bore a single, shimmering eyeball-like lens. "Sparrow, I know your eye…well, it wasn't salvageable." She paused, her voice softening. "But I managed to acquire this for you. A Retrocognitive Eye Implant. It's a mystery artifact, my gift for your awakening." She placed it near him. "It will let you see the past to certain extent. Our awakened-mystery-agent doctor will sterilize and implant this in your missing eye socket later. Through surgery, obviously."
Sparrow stared at the device, a mixture of awe and unease swirling within him. The thought of seeing the past felt both enticing and terrifying.
Autumn then turned to Canary, pulling out a delicate silver necklace adorned with a single, smooth stone. "And for you, Canary," she said with a small smile, handing it to her niece, "a Blink Necklace. It allows you to teleport a few meters away once every hour. It's not that powerful, but it should help in critical situation."
Canary's eyes widened as she took the necklace, her fingers tracing the cool surface. A teleportation ability! She looked at Sparrow, the previously faint grin quickly spreading across her face again.