9 Spectral Record

"Memento Mori… Remember that you will die," Orion mumbled. "Wait, how can I even read that?"

The last phrase of the letter was written in a language that Orion had never seen before. 

It wasn't English. Instead, it was a series of lines and curves forming a symbol. It was only one instead of a set of… runes? These were runes, right?

Then how come Orion can read a language that he had never seen before?

Master hummed,

"Wraith language. The reason why you can read is because of me. My mind reads it for you, and your brain interprets it."

Orion weakly nodded,

'So, two minds working at once? That's a better way to put it… Wait. Hold on a moment. Does that mean I can read your memories as well?'

"Suit yourself," Master's carefree words took Orion aback. "But I would rather you remain sane for a bit longer. A human reading a Wraith's memories — especially mine — could prove too intense for your mind."

'Can I at least try?'

Master didn't reply. 

Orion took it as a yes anyway. 

It was only a mere peek at those foggy memories inside his mind. Just a bit of focusing and Orion would be able to see them

What was the worst that could have-

*Thud!*

Orion's eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground, his nose bleeding. 

The fainting lasted a second, if not more before Orion regained control of his senses. The only thing that he recalled was a strange four-armed being.

And that was it.

It was a mere image if it could be called that. Just a motionless memory made his brain fall into shock and stop functioning for a split second.

'What th- Agh! Holy fuck! My head! Shit!'

Screaming all the curses Orion knew into his mind, Master broke into uncontrollable laughter, his deep voice mocking the boy.

After calming down, he said,

"I told you. You would not resist a second of my memories even if I guided you. I will not ask for favors, Orion, but please. Do not pry into my life. I will tell you when."

"You even decided to go into my early memories. Even I can not see them without receiving a backlash talk less about a human."

Orion, his forehead pushing into the floor in an attempt to calm the pain, opened his eyes and shouted,

'Couldn't you have told me about it?! How would I know those were your first memories, you damn Phantom!'

Master chuckled it off.

Orion took deep breaths for the next few minutes, trying to calm his headache. 

Realizing it wouldn't disappear any time soon, he just sat up and looked at the box in front of him. Having distractions would be better.

Better to do something useful instead of whining about something that was his fault.

Idiot.

Re-reading the letter again, Orion mumbled,

"Spectral Record… Oh, right. That thing. Now I appreciate all those times I escaped that damned building to read some books about this place. They came in useful."

Sitting on a lotus position, Orion called the Spectral Record inside his mind.

The moment he did, a set of blue runes appeared in front of him. Ones only he could see. Thanks to Master, he could read them easily.

——

Name: Orion

Status: First Unleashed

Attributes: [Strange Bloodline] [Insane Willpower]

——

Orion's eyes stopped at the first Rune that seemed to contain some information itself. 

The Attributes.

Attributes were like Abilities but in a more passive way. They granted the Unleashed certain advantages and, sometimes, disadvantages that they could do nothing about.

From what Orion knew, the most common ones were things like Swift, Strong, Durable, and things like that.

But the moment he read his… let's say that confusion wasn't enough to cut it.

'What the… Strange Bloodline? Insane Willpower? These are the first Attributes I've ever seen with that name.'

"How about you check them out? Do not waste time trying to figure out when you have the answer right in front of you."

Orion remained still for a moment and shrugged, reading the contents of the Attributes.

——

[Strange Bloodline] Description: "Your origin is stranger than others, being formed from an unknown Essence. An unknown force seems to pull you from beyond. You rarely feel its touch."

——

'Damn, talk about being abstract.'

Another way to classify Attributes was based on the type of effect they gave.

If it was something more direct to your body, such as Strong, it would be a general Attribute.

However, if it was something stranger, such as being able to feel some elements near you — things that have nothing to do with your own body — it would be an abstract Attribute.

What Orion had could be considered the extreme of abstraction.

'Unknown force… beyond… rarely feel its touch. Is this some sort of compass? The whole pulling just hints at some sort of guide system. And I think that the unknown Essence refers to you, Master.'

"It should."

Orion snorted,

'It better do. You are the first blue-colored Phantom I've ever seen. Not a single mention of blue Wraiths anywhere.'

"Do humans not have a word for that expression? What if I am of a different color? I am a Wraith… well, Phantom, anyways."

'Relax, I wasn't picking on you. You are unique. That's what I wanted to say.'

Orion moved to the other Attribute and checked it out.

——

[Insane Willpower] Description: "Years of living in a foreign realm have tainted your mind with both strength and paranoia. You can resist a mental attack with your willpower alone, but hallucinations will become your most loyal partner."

"Perhaps a companion could keep your head in reality."

——

Orion blinked twice.

And sighed,

'There's better ways to say I'm out of my mind. And I don't think anyone would want to be near someone like me. I'd scare them away.'

"If I may," Master intervened. "Do you mind a question?"

Orion lifted his eyes, staring at the ceiling, and said,

'Sure, go ahead.'

"Both Wraiths and humans are social creatures. Well, Wraiths were. How come you haven't lost your mind after two years of solitude inside this Realm? How do you even remember how to talk."

Orion pondered about the question since it was one that he often asked himself.

Since Master was right.

A human couldn't simply survive two years inside the Wraith Realm without going utterly insane. 

Orion heard of Unleashed trapped for two months alone and went on a frenzy when they returned. They couldn't see reality from their hallucinations.

Then how come he could function correctly?

He only found an answer to that question.

'You know, Master, I think I went insane long ago. Or maybe I didn't. But eventually, I reached a point where that feeling was the norm, and so I could live with it.'

'I also believe that Essence was a good standing ground for me since the feeling it gave me really put my feet on the Wraith Realm.'

'Stimulation also came into play. Having this entire city to explore gave me some energy as well to avoid becoming dysfunctional.'

'In other words, I may have gone crazy, but I know how to live with it. As for talking… I guess I practiced with myself for some years.'

Master didn't reply.

Instead, he remained silent for some seconds, letting Orion re-check the description for Demented Willpower.

It wasn't until he finished reading it that he said,

"Impressive. Your mental fortitude, I mean. I do believe I have lucked out to have received an Unleashed such as you, Orion."

The boy snorted,

'And I've lucked out to receive a Phantom like you, Master.'

Orion closed the description for the Attributes and checked the rest of the Record.

——

Number: [Two]

Phantom: [Master of Wraiths]

——

Number 'Two' was something straightforward. 

His strength was comparable to that of a 'Two' Wraith, nothing else. The higher the Number, the stronger he would become.

To increase his Number, he had to kill more Wraiths and eventually break through. But how?

It was a weird procedure that he still had to check. What he knew is that to advance from odd Numbers to even Numbers, such as 'Three' to 'Four' he had to undergo a Vow of Hunt.

And from 'Two' to 'Three' just killing Wraiths would do the trick.

'Now, what about you, Master…?'

And there, Orion saw it.

The reason why Master was a special Wraith and Phantom. The reason why he was different.

——

Phantom: [Master of Wraiths]

Phantom Suit: Joker