Once again, Faust found himself seated in the middle of a magic circle. Only this one was thirty meters in radius. The same blood and some weird black substance were used to make this one as well.
Outside the circle, dozens of people had gathered.
His parents, the granny Archon, several armored knights, a dozen people in robes laden with metallic accessories like his stepmother, and his two older siblings, whom he saw for the first time since that first day.
The large garden was chosen as the location.
It wasn’t the first time they’d tried to check his runes. Normally, a person just had to spill a drop of blood on a simple magical device, the size of a coin, and it would show up. But in his case, nothing showed up. So they were forced to use this more ancient method.
A person’s runes could only be seen by their owner. They had no choice but to trust that he would tell the truth. Of course, the Archon had him drink some suspicious liquid before the ritual to make sure he spoke the truth and only the truth.
But afterward, when the Archon asked him if he was really Faust, he easily replied yes without any consequences. The weird truth potion did not work on him. Since he spoke the truth most of the time, they had no idea whether the potion worked.
"We will start now," his stepmother shouted from outside. "Tell us if you see anything."
Faust nodded.
The dozen people in robes, including the scary grandma and his stepmother, knelt down near the outer layer of the magic circle and placed their left hand on it. Then collectively raised their right arm.
"Begin!" The High Archon ordered.
In a moment, the right arms of all people in robes started glowing a little. Thick, bright-white veins appeared on their arms, starting from the right hand’s fingernails to the left hand’s palm. The strange energy was transmitted directly into the magic circle, using them as mediums.
That’s what the books described Channelers were able to do.
They channeled the essence of the natural world, using their bodies as mediums to filter and transform it into suitable energy for their individual use. It was heavily used in making magical items, brewing potions, performing several magical rituals, etc. Their main use, however, was in performing spells.
As in all things magical, there was a heavy cost attached to it. Essence was not a warm and timid source of power; the destructiveness it filtered slowly eroded their bodies from within. If a certain limit was crossed, a Channeler could be severely burned, losing their arms, or, in serious cases, their whole body could disintegrate.
The long-sleeve robes and gloves all Channelers around him wore were not simply for fashion. Even a powerful Channeler like the High Archon was not spared from this cost.
What he had was most likely a spirit. Three categories of magical powers existed in this world. Channelers, Infusers, and Spirit Users.
Unlike Channelers, Infusers like his father could only infuse their bodies with natural essence to increase their own physical abilities. They also had strict limitation; theirs was actually the most dire.
The Spirit Users, on the other hand, were blessed with a unique spirit who granted their hosts a boon. It was a unique magical ability related to their spirits. They too had limitations, unique to each individual, just like their boons.
Faust looked at his stepmother’s strained features, not sure how to feel about all of this. But then the massive magic circle around him started burning with bright green flames, and a wall of strange words filled his vision.
The flames died down; the Channelers pulled back, breathing hard, but the wall of text remained.
When Faust focused on it, his head started hurting a little, but eventually the weird language was translated into simple English.
°°°
Name: Faust
Rank: Fledgling
Soul Core: Latent (0/100)
Relics: —
Attribute: Natural
Ability: Spirit of Absence
Boon: [Ryan of Earth]
Limitation: Absence of mind and soul.
Ability Description: Being the sole inheritor of the distant world that rejected all essence, you are the prince of absence. Rejoice, for before you, a Fledgling, an Overlord, an Eternal, or a Primordial are all equals.
°°°
"Huh?"
What the hell? There were hundreds of questions in his head, but his eyes were glued to just one line stating his boon.
Ryan of Earth.
He was not a host to the spirit of absence... he was the spirit of absence, literally.
What deranged shortcut did that lecherous god use to give him a new life? Is this his way of not breaking any rules and also having an excuse for his unnatural existence?
Fausr’s Attribute was Natural. Which meant he was a host to a spirit tied to beasts, plants, elements, places, and phenomena. Excluding the obvious, only two make sense. A place or a phenomenon.
But the ability description clearly states he belongs to a place, not a natural law of the world. Earth. The place where no magic exists. He was a spirit of goddamn Earth. His power was to render all power useless around him.
Aka ultimate buzzkill.
Faust frowned, looking at his Limitation. Absence of mind and soul. That’s... what happened to old Faust at the age of five. The time at which a child receives their runes.
So is this how the boy’s life was always supposed to be, or did it get messed up because of that geezer god?
’Guess I will never know. I.. should not feel bad for something I had no control over.’
"Faust, can you see it? Did it work?" His father shouted.
He nodded.
Once the flames were completely gone, they all approached him. Koren, his maid, was among them. She was holding a pad; in her other hand were ink and a quill.
"Read it line by line." The High Archon ordered.
His parents exchanged a look; then his father glanced at the Archon but said nothing.
"Name—Faust..."