"The consciousness of Umbrasol’s magical power..."
Arlo mused aloud, his eyes widening in realization before his back rose upright, as both hands came to fold respectfully against his chest.
"It is an honor for me, Arlo Eclipsion, third prince of the Eclipsion Dynasty, to meet you..." he greeted with deep respect.
The consciousness of Umbrasol’s magical power itself?
It was practically the source of the ancestral powers that had shaped Umbrasol, including the Black Sun Shards.
Meeting such an entity was perhaps the greatest honor anyone from Umbrasol could ever receive.
[Sheesh, you’re too modest for a prince.]
[That said, I have no idea what happened during all the time I spent in slumber, so forgive me if I’m not familiar with the Eclipsion Dynasty or the other dynasties.]
The System’s words rang through Arlo’s mind, continuing,
[My powers were divided into four pieces, and each one must have crashed somewhere within Umbrasol.]
[Those things are quite powerful, so I’m sure they must have caused quite a few changes to your world.]
Arlo nodded.
"It really did. According to the history books, Umbrasol once had no magical power at all. There was no mana or magic, only a modest civilization."
"Until four fragments appeared in the sky and crashed into four different regions."
"The first became the Eclipsion Dynasty, blessed with the power of the Black Sun Shard."
"The second is the Oraevor Dynasty, blessed the Fading Shadow Shard."
"And lastly, there is Denyro Dynasty. Not much is known about them, as they have always acted mysteriously..."
Arlo mused the last part quietly.
Even as the prince of the Eclipsion Dynasty, he did not know much, neither was he allowed to read up the text about the Denyro Dynasty.
[Denyro Dynasty, huh?]
The panel flashed,
[Denyro itself means falling king, and since you said they act so mysterious. Then that must have been my AzaiFuerza Power.]
[It’s a very mysterious power, though not necessarily the strongest. I guess my power even changed the way your world developed?]
"Yes. After Umbrasol changed, each region was no longer comfortable with the others, so we remained divided from one another."
"There have even been wars between us, and each dynasty has stayed as far away from the others as possible."
"Only once a year do the leaders of each dynasty meet to discuss the state of the world."
"After that, it is nothing but silence or the sound of swords clashing until the next year..."
[Those are some truly adverse changes. Almost makes me look like a sinister being since they were altered by me.]
The System’s voice echoed through Arlo’s mind as he shook his head.
"My father used to say that everything has a price, and the price for Umbrasol’s magical power was its division," Arlo quoted.
Umbrasol had once been a primeval world without boundaries between its people.
Now, it had become a world divided into distinct regions, each shaped by the powers that had descended upon it.
It truly was a drastic change, but it was one that everyone had been willing to accept for the sake of their world’s evolution.
[Your father sounds like a wise man.]
The System’s voice rang out once more, and Arlo suddenly stood rigid.
Memories of his father flashed through his mind, followed by the memory of his father’s death at the hands of his own son.
"Yes. He was very wise, and strong too. Perhaps the strongest human in Umbrasol. The world used to refer to him as the War God of Umbrasol."
"But he had one weakness..."
Arlo’s expression slowly turned furious.
"He trusted his own blood..."
[Doesn’t sound like a weakness to me.]
Arlo’s fiery expression remained for about 7 seconds before finally returning to normal.
"By the way, I think I’ve fully opened my first Gate. Is that true?"
It was a question that had been bothering him ever since he woke up.
[You have indeed undergone some changes.]
[Will it, or rather call out System Interface, to find out...]
The System’s voice echoed in his mind, and Arlo immediately whispered,
"System Interface..."
The moment he spoke, a golden notification panel appeared before him.
[Host Attributes] [Arcane Masteries] [Quests] [Shop] [Arcane Bloodlines]
Arlo concentrated his will on the first option, and the panel immediately expanded.
[System Interface]
[Name: Arlo Eclipsion]
[Title: None]
[Race: Lesser Arcane Human]
[Level: 1]
[EXP: 0/100]
[HP: 100/100]
[Energy: 30]
[Attributes]
[Strength: 7]
[Agility: 7]
[Perception: 7]
[Intelligence: 10]
[Charm: 3]
"Hmm. According to the golden panel in front of me, it says I’m a Lesser Arcane Human. I thought I was just a human..."
Arlo stared at the information with confusion.
[The people you have encountered, such as that captain are humans, and I believe all the natives of this world are humans as well.]
[They would be better classified as Null Humans because they lack the ability to use magic.]
[You, however, are from Umbrasol, a world that was once filled with Null Humans before being changed by my powers.]
[Those powers allowed your people to develop the ability to use magic, even if only at a basic level.]
[Those people are called Arcane Humans, and right now to your current power, you’re a Lesser Arcane Humans.]
The System explained, and Arlo nodded in understanding.
Arlo stared at the numbers with curiosity. He had no previous standard to compare them against, so he had no idea what they actually meant.
"Are my attributes normal for this world or for my previous world, Umbrasol?"
[Lesser Arcane Humans are slightly stronger than ordinary humans because of their ability to naturally absorb magical essence.]
[A basic human from this world should have an average attribute of five.]
[You’re currently at seven, which means your physical attributes are already slightly higher than theirs.]
"I see..."
Arlo looked at the panel thoughtfully.
"Then I’m guessing my intelligence is far above average, probably because of my background..."
Being the third prince meant he had spent much of his life studying.
His older brothers had already taken many of the more important roles within the dynasty, leaving him with little choice but to become a scholar.
All those long nights spent reading history books and studying Arcane knowledge must have helped shape his mind.
"And does the Charm stat mean what I think it does?"
[Yes, it does.]
[Your Charm could also be described as your princely charm. It represents your ability to make people want to follow you or respect you. Yours is surprising low.]
The System paused for a moment.
[You don’t seem particularly suited for a princely role based on your Charm stat.]