'Some control the force of time... others control something more simple like the force of heat... but you are blessed with the ability to control the very essence that makes all things possible in any way you wish... what the hell does that mean? What is the essence that makes all things possible?'
His mind raced as he tried to unpack the weight of those words. The idea of him 'controlling' a concept, or an "essence" felt... abstract. Almost unreal.
'Is it the fundamental energy that flowed through everything? Something like the very fabric of reality?'
The thought sent shivers down his spine. But on closer inspection, the runes spoke of the essence that made all things possible, not the fundamental energy that flowed through everything. What could it be?
'Why couldn't these damn runes just tell me exactly what I need to know!'
Looking below to analyse the rest of the runes, he began getting clues as to what his ability was in earnest.
Attribute: [Energy sense]
Attribute description: [As the lord over the essence of all things, you perceive every strand of its existence.]
Attribute: [Shock absorption]
Attribute description: [Be it a pin prick, or a boulder landing on the crown of your head, all force directed towards you becomes your strength and is bent to your will.]
According to this line of runes, he had the ability to not only sense exactly what kind of energy it was he lorded over, but the next line of text revealed a clue as to what that energy was. Shocks, and the ability to absorb the energy it produced. In fact, after reading that line, he realized something. He had already been using that ability.
Theo cast his memories back to just before he began his trial, when he sensed the flow of that mysterious man's blood, the beating of his heart, and his, that massive sea spawns movements, the signs all pointed him to one source of power. Kinetic energy.
Stood in the same spot for god knows how long, the very concept of this ability swirled and festered in Theo's mind. The grandeur of it quickly faded, replaced by an ever increasing catalogue of the possibilities it possessed. The idea that he could manipulate kinetic energy, the fundamental force that allows motion itself to exist was fascinating.
And the possibly endless applications of this base ability alone were more than enough for him to be excited for the ways it could evolve.
But that was far, far down the line, that is, if it was even possible to evolve such an ability.
Well, thinking about how he could possibly evolve this power was not his most pressing issue. What was his main priority right now, was living long enough to be able to think of developing the power.
'But how do I... 'activate' it?'
He thought back to how it felt when he first activated the ability. The few time he had done it, he was without fail instantly capable of feeling the rushing blood flowing not only through his, but through the veins of anything. At least anything alive.
The thing he wasn't sure about, was if he had somehow unknowingly manipulated that kinetic energy before. Soon, he realized something. At the start of his second round, when he desperately swam for his life, he felt a wave of heat in his veins, and in that instance, the increase of speed he felt in his perception, and the responsiveness of his muscles.
It was more than he had felt even after the first time he got drunk. And for Theo, that was saying something. Bit by bit, Theo was quickly understanding the basics of his ability. But there was still something important he had yet to figure out.
But how did I absorb enough energy to be able to escape that beast? How could he reach that point again? In this place, the only source of kinetic energy, was the hot air, the flowing winds, his flowing blood, and his beating heart. Theo didn't know how he was going to do it, but he needed the chance to absorb more energy.
Sadly, in this vast expanse that cared little for the struggles of a single soul he had only one option if he was going to do this right. Theo turned towards the black ever-present, and ever-still sea.
'Is that really the only way?'
Repeating the same actions that granted him a great amount of energy before was the best thing he could do right now. At least that he could think to do.
Theo took a tentative step towards the shore, then another, ad another, and another till he was stood at the border of the gray beach and black sea. He looked either side of him and saw nothing for dozens and dozens of miles in either direction, not even a rock.
''If there was one, I could just hit that instead of trying this damned suicide mission.
Theo took a deep breath.
'But, I have to do this. At least with this method I can confirm my power and test the limits of this 'respawn'.'
Theo raised his foot, ready to step into the stagnant sea, but just as he was step in, something just behind him made a sound. He quickly turned back and readied himself, but saw nothing.
'The hell!'
Refusing to believe he was hallucinating that sound, he looked over every grain of sand in front of him, searching desperately for whatever it was but found nothing. Seconds passed quickly turning to minutes and still, he saw nothing. His eyes, and ears picked up no movement, nor sound. and every passing moment only made him feel even more stupid than the last.
'Was there actually nothing there?'
He shook his head, trying to clear the doubts clouding his mind.
"Get a grip, Theo. You're just on edge. It's the trial messing with your head. Maybe it was just... the wind. Yeah, it was just the wind. You've walked across this desert for an entire day and saw nothing. So just... calm down damn it!"
He ignored whatever it was and turned back toward the sea, but still, the feeling of being watched crept back into his mind. It was as if the very air around him now had an unseen, disturbing presence.
He hesitated, his foot hovering just above the surface of the water when suddenly, the sound echoed again. He quickly swivelled once again, this time glimpsing at a disturbance in the sand. Squinting his eyes to get a clearer view, his eyes began subtly glowing and in the sand, the flowing of blood, and a beating heart emerged. Around them, the silhouette of a humanoid was too clear to be missed or mistaken for anything else.
'A person? Wait, how am I seeing this? Is this part of my power?'
From where he stood, he could make out the shape of a head, shoulders, arms, and legs. If he wasn't hallucinating right now, he was sure that there was another person buried beneath the sand.
'But, what is a person doing buried beneath... oh no... don't tell me...'
As if to confirm his fears, whatever it was below that sand stirred. And in the next few moments, it emerged from the sand.