Godly Grey Sky

Aether and Terra walked out of Zach's shop into the streets of the Socrat shopping, making their way back to their guild.

As they were walking, Aether felt pretty calm for the first time since waking up from being unconscious.

Maybe it was the stress of owning barely anything, waking up in a random bed, almost dying, or the beautiful girl walking besides him, but Aether was at peace.

Then Aether felt something. 

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, actually, it felt quite good, as if his body was gaining strength.

It wasn't something physical or mental, it was something in his soul, as if something was combining with it.

Atlas, Status please.

*Of course Aether Torn*

————————-

System: Atlas

Name: Aether Torn

Position: Outcast

Ethereal: [6/20]

Abilities: [Spark] [Windbound] [Six Sense]

Tools: [Small Knife] [ID Card] [Starborn] 

[Shadow's Curse]

Rules: [Godless] 

————————-

Ah I see I gain some Ethereal, hold on, didn't Terra say it only took an hour to gain? Why did I gain six just now?

Maybe Ethereal is more different from Divinity then I first thought.

Shortly after they left Zach's Forge, they had arrived back at the guild.

"You can have any room you'd like in the guild Aeth, and I don't mind what you do with it" Terra said.

"Well thanks, also thank you for buying all that for me"

Even if it's just a loan, then again, it was fifty silvers, you're an incredibly kind person Terra.

"It's no issue, you can pay me back whenever"

"You're incredibly kind, I'll pay you back soon" Aether said full heartedly.

"I appreciate it" She said smiling, as she walked into the guild building, going to her room.

Aether went back into the room he originally woke up in.

He put his newly bought clothes in a dresser on the side of the wall, then laid down on his bed.

In just one day of being a Position, I've gotten six sets of clothes, a magnificent sword and armor, joined a newly founded guild, met a very nice and beautiful lady, and I'm in debt by fifty silvers.

Sadly though, he still had no idea how his Abilities acted or worked.

Hmm, [Spark] most likely has to do with Ethereal, given nothing else mentions Ethereal.

[Six Sense] is probably that weird feeling I get. I'm not really sure what the conditions are for using it though.

I only felt it when I thought about someone coming into my room, also when I was picking out a sword.

The only thing these two have in common is that I was thinking, or making a decision about something.

Maybe my [Six Sense] is quite literally a new sense, one where I can think clearer or make better decisions.

That would explain how I knew to look at the door, or that I knew which sword would fit best with me!

I should test this theory before doing a mission tomorrow.

[Windbound] is an active ability, I have no clue what the trigger for it is, or what it does in the first place. I wish I could just ask Atlas, that'd make things easier.

A voice then rang in his ear.

*You wished for assistance Aether Torn*

Huh? The hell?

What do you mean Atlas?, your assistance

*Yes, as a gift from [REDACTED] you are allowed to ask questions from me, in exchange for a amount of Ethereal, be aware though, some questions are not within your Rank, as explained when you first woke up*

Gift? Redacted? The hell? Is this what she meant as 'ask for assistance', damnit Atlas, don't be so vague. What did I even do to get this gift?

*Answer, question is not within Rank, please ask a different question*

This isn't normal, Systems are only supposed to give you information about your stats and abilities, not give you full answers to questions.

Well I do have a lot of questions, and I do have some Ethereal, so I guess I'll try.

Atlas, what is Ethereal?

*Answer, question is not within Rank, please ask a different question*

Huh ok, maybe if I try dumbing it down

Atlas, how do I gain Ethereal.

*Answer, Ethereal is gained through taking it from the world*

*Removing two Ethereal*

*Remaining, 4/20*

What type of vague ass answer is that, the hell. And it cost two, for that shitty answer?

Fine, I'll try something different.

Atlas, how can I gain Ethereal from the world.

*Answer, from breathing*

*Removing one Ethereal*

*Remaining, 3/20*

Breathing? No, it can't be that simple, there has to be more to it than that.

Altas, why did I get a total of six Ethereal, after a total of three hours*

*Answer, your soul where Ethereal was stored, couldn't get in until that moment, I recommend you open your soul more*

*Removing three Ethereal*

*Remaining, 0/20*

So, I need to open my soul? How would I do that?

I can't ask any more questions from Atlas without more Ethereal, even so I doubt she could answer most of my questions.

Damn the Gods, this Rule is proving to be a pain in the ass.

So how did I get my Ethereal in the first place?

I was walking with Terra, then I felt a sense of calm, then I felt my soul being flooded with Ethereal.

Aether thought for a few minutes, trying to figure out how he had opened his soul.

Maybe my heart rate was too high? No, that can't be it, my heart isn't beating hard right now.

Maybe it had to do with my emotions? How was I feeling at the time? Calm? Happy? Maybe if I meditate a bit it'll work? It's similar to praying.

Aether then sat on the floor in a Burmese position, then tried to focus on his soul.

After a few minutes of doing this, he felt something.

It wasn't too big of a change, not as big as before, but it was still there.

Atlas open my status

*Of course Aether Torn*

————————-

System: Atlas

Name: Aether Torn

Position: Outcast

Ethereal: [0/20]

Abilities: [Spark] [Windbound] [Six Sense]

Tools: [Small Knife] [ID Card] [Starborn] 

[Shadow's Curse]

Rules: [Godless] 

————————-

Nothing changed? Hm, maybe if I meditate some more.

Aether continued meditation, after about forty minutes of meditation, he suddenly felt his stamina depleted, then felt the same feeling he did while walking.

Then a voice echoed through his head.

*Ethereal gained: 4*

Only four huh, that took a lot out of me just for four.

Aether thought for a moment, before deciding on the best question to ask.

Atlas, how do I increase Ethereal gain.

*Answer, to increase Ethereal gain, one must kill Grey Creatures of high power, or meditate or use meditation abilities*

*Removing one Ethereal*

*Remaining, 3/20*

I doubt I could meditate again, I need to rest before I try that, and killing Greys of high power is way too vague. It could be talking about the highest Rank for all I know.

My main priority is working around my Rule that prevents me from praying. Then I should ask what [Windbound] does and how it works. Atlas can't seem to go too in-depth with answers, at least at this Rank, so I have to be very general with my questions.

Aether thought for a few minutes.

Atlas how do I obtain a meditation ability

*Answer, question is not within Rank, please ask a different question*

To specify, maybe this

Atlas, can I get a meditation ability

*Answer, Aether Torn can obtain the requirements for a mediation ability*

*Removing three Ethereal*

*Remaining, 0/20*

This information was insurmountable.

Abilities could be gained two ways.

One, was Ranking up.

And the second was meeting very special and specific requirements that were unique to a person.

So not everyone could unlock a certain ability, or even know if they could.

But with the right questions, Aeth could learn any secret abilities he possessed, he just needed the right Rank and Ethereal to do it.

This is incredibly valuable information, I should change my plans on going to the Outer World and instead train for a few days.

There was no point in Aether risking his life in the Outer World, when he had a rare opportunity to grow in strength without completing a Task, especially one as daunting as killing ten thousand Grey Creatures.

This is a golden opportunity, I should train for a couple of days, in meditation and swordsmanship.

And what are the requirements for this meditation ability, maybe gaining enough Ethereal from meditation? Or doing it for a certain amount of time?

I doubt I could ask Atlas, I'm probably too low Rank, not that I have Ethereal anyways.

As Aether thought about what to do in the morning, he started exploring the guild building.

Most of the rooms were the same, with red carpet, white, marble walls, and an intricate ceiling design. There was a big dining room, a sort of lounge area, and a set of bathhouses for men and women.

He was surprised how clean the place was, considering how big the building was.

Terra must have hired maids, or maybe the rugs and walls are enchanted?

Walking past a mirror, he noticed how messy and dirty his hair was, he then decided to go to the men's bathhouse to freshen up.

He walked into the white, tiled floor room, there were a couple showers on the side, with a big tub in the middle, that looked more like a pool.

Aether put his newly bought clothes in a hamper and got in the huge tube.

The water was decently hot, as it was powered by a fire enchantment at the bottom, but not so much so as to cause discomfort.

Damn this feels nice, I might take one every day from now on.

Aether washed his body and hair with some soap he had found, then after laying in the tub for a few minutes, he got out and changed into his nightwear.

He walked over to Terra's room and wished her goodnight, then walked to his room and laid in his bed.

Next two or four days I'll train in swordsmanship and meditate, maybe I'll unlock the meditation ability faster than that.

Aether's eyes got heavy, as he drifted off to sleep.