Slight Development

The rays of dawn shot through the leaves of the enormous jungle trees embraced by the swirling mist that consumed all the greenery from eyesight. Only some brave fern leaves tried to stand out from the greyness that this mist brought along. The early birds chirping was the password for Taltos to finally woke his Master up, which conveniently matched the time that his Master finally regained his mana using the skill [𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧]. Taltos gently forced his Master to open his phantom eyelids by recreating a similar sound to the well-known device on Earth called an "alarm clock" using his Master's prior memories that it could not retrieve due to its 'archived' features also combined with the instability in the ball's mind.

The Orb was caught off guard by this surprise as it began to float back and forth.

[𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭...] - Taltos only observed his Master with analytical eyes, trying to find a question for this particular behavior as he did not expect this outcome after realizing the situation.

Which again, was quite clear... This orb did not even know what it mean or why it is happening.

[𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐮𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.] - Taltos then turned off the endless ringing, calming down his Master, who seemed to understand Taltos.

"N̵҉̾͟͞͡-N̵҉̾͟͞͡-No Prob̵̸͙̅̽͡ͅz͕͓̼̼̽̃͘... Tal...tos!" - The orb stated with an easy-going attitude while still fighting with the sounds and words to form an understandable sentence. Taltos was relieved hearing this from his Master even in this cute but still frightening way.

Taltos nodded in understanding, knowing that his Master's language processing skills were still a work in progress.

[𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫?] - Taltos asked, hoping to redirect their focus back to their main goal.

The orb floated in place for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Taltos waited patiently, knowing that his Master needed time to process the situation.

Finally, the orb spoke up. "Y̧̬̬͇̖̳̏͌͞-Y̧̬̬͇̖̳̏͌͞ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ees, ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡-ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡-ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊t̴͕͖͓̀'z͕͓̼̼̽̃͘ gooo҉̢̡̲͇̌͗̀͢͝o҉̢̡̲͇̌͗̀͢͝o҉̢̡̲͇̌͗̀͢͝!" - it said out with hardship but also with determination nonetheless. Using the skills that he somewhat learned in yesterday's training with slight flutters the black orb cut its way through the mist of the jungle and tried to navigate somewhere. Somewhere, where they would feel at least safe. They do not wish to encounter the same monster as yesterday, so using [𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧], the black orb concentrates all its attention to feel the sudden changes in its surroundings.

However childish the orb is now, it knows what is dangerous, as it could feel the flow of the mana in the creatures as well, raising red flags already before encountering them 'eye-to-eye.'

They slowly ventured into the jungle. As they made their way through the dense foliage, Taltos and his Master encountered a variety of strange and wondrous creatures. The first was small, brightly colored birds with iridescent feathers that glittered in the dappled sunlight. They flitted from tree to tree, chirping and trilling in a language that Taltos didn't recognize. These sounds were far different than anything on Earth could create. Taltos observed the birds closely, analyzing their movements and behavior using [𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧] skill. They seemed to be quite intelligent, communicating with each other through a complex system of chirps and tweets.

||𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬?

Well, here's the answer:

Taltos found out that when they arrived at the planet as in space they could not possibly figure this out because there was no sound.

His Master can hear sounds because of their combined abilities. The orb has the skill [𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧], which allows it to absorb sound waves. This skill has two phases, passive and active.

Passive absorption is a continuous process that occurs automatically, but it is limited in its capacity to absorb only simple inorganic and organic matter, as well as mana from the air. This process is relatively slow compared to active absorption. But most importantly it can also absorb sound and light waves. However, lightwaves currently cannot be deciphered due to the vessel's limits.

Active absorption, on the other hand, is a more powerful process that can absorb any material that comes into contact with the surface of the orb. However, it has a weight limit of a hundred times the weight of the ball.

Once the sound waves are absorbed, Taltos, who possesses great intellect, is able to quickly analyze and translate these sound waves into actual sounds that the orb can understand.

This process is possible due to the physics of sound waves.

𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧.||

Taltos wondered if they were some kind of sentient creature or perhaps a similar anomaly to yesterday's serpent creature of some sort. Taltos' Master listened carefully to the symphony of chirping which made it slightly giggle.

As they analyzed them, the birds suddenly burst into a flurry of color and light as they saw the black sphere, their feathers shimmering and changing hue. Taltos and his Master did not see this but noticed the sudden change in the air. He realized that they were using the same kind of energy that fueled the [𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞] skill, but for what, it was a mystery.

Taltos felt a wave of caution wash over him as the birds reacted to their presence. They did not radiate any malicious intent, nonetheless, they can't be sure.

[𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.] - He whispered with its robotic tone, breaking the awareness of The little sphere.

It made a noise that sounded like a cross between a hum and a grunt. "Y̵̵̷̡̛̬͖̠̤͍̋ͫ̌ͤ̅́̚̕͞͞-ȳ̸̵̩̜͔͍̯̤̔́͑́́̓́͟͟͢͡-y̯̤͑́́̓́es, c̷̹͖͋́̃-c̷̹͖͋́̃-caution!" - It stuttered in agreement.

Taltos scanned the area for any signs of danger, his analytical mind searching for any clues that might indicate a threat. [𝐈 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠.] - He said, keeping his voice low for some unknown reason, even though they cannot express themselves to the outer world as they lack the organs to do so. Maybe it was stress? Anxiousness?

The orb bobbed up and down in agreement, and they continued on their way, moving quietly through the undergrowth, leaving those beautiful birds alone. As they made their way deeper into the jungle, Taltos's senses were on high alert, scanning their surroundings for any potential threats. Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes ahead. The orb slowly floated toward the sounds coming from the misty bushes.

Before his Master could sense the upcoming with the newly learned skill, Taltos already knew what was ahead. He judged them harmless that is why he let his Master wander closer to them, as they seemed to be really troubled with something else at the moment. He sensed a group of strange small humanoid-like creatures scurrying about on their hind legs. They were small, no bigger than an eight-year-old. They had wiry fur and long, pointed noses and not much mana, in other names 'threats' towards them. Their names were [𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬.]

Wildwood Goblins are small and nimble creatures that inhabit dense jungles. Despite their physical weakness, they are known to be fierce in groups and are often seen attacking unsuspecting travelers who wander into their territory. They share similarities with their Forest Goblin counterparts but are stronger and smarter due to their adaptation to the challenging jungle environment.

These cunning creatures have a deep understanding of the jungle and are able to use its resources to their advantage, often making simple weapons and constructing settlements. They are also skilled at setting traps and ambushes, making them a formidable force to be reckoned with. Some even possess a rudimentary knowledge of magic, using it to augment their attacks and evade danger. Despite their ferocity, Wildwood Goblins are known to be cowardly when faced with a superior force and will retreat at the first sign of danger.

Taltos and his Master watched as the goblins rummaged through the underbrush, searching for something. Maybe one of their companions decided to go alone into this beautiful viny graveyard in which exotic trees would do well for a coffin that will cradle it into an endless sleep? Or perhaps their secret treasure that they obtained from a fool, who decided to enter into the realm of the unknown, and hid somewhere nearby?

We might never know, as suddenly, one of them let out a loud shriek, and the others scattered in all directions.

Taltos thought it was them who caused this sudden change of behavior, but he was quickly proven wrong.

Taltos was acutely aware of the low growl that reverberated through the dense foliage. A powerful and agile black jaguar, known as the [𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫,] emerged from the underbrush. Its penetrating golden eyes fixed on the group of goblins, who were visibly terrified by the beast's snarling and bared fangs. Meanwhile, the orb swiftly retreated, seeking refuge in the safety of a nearby thicket, while the jaguar focused on the goblins. Taltos felt an overwhelming sense of admiration for his Master's astute decision-making abilities. It was a stark contrast to the previous day when everything had seemed futile, but now it was clear that they were making swift progress. Well, kids learn really fast, aren't they?

Suddenly, one of the bolder goblins drew a crude sword from its belt and charged at the jaguar.

The jaguar leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the goblin's clumsy swing. It then lunged forward, its razor-sharp claws extended. The goblin dodged to the side, but the jaguar's claws still managed to leave deep gashes in its flesh.

The other goblins swarmed in, brandishing their own weapons, but the jaguar fought fiercely, using its powerful muscles and sharp claws to fend them off. Meanwhile, Taltos and his Master watched from a safe distance, amazed at the agility and strength of the jungle predator.

As the fight raged on, Taltos noticed something strange happening. The jaguar seemed to be tapping into some sort of primal energy, its fur shimmering with a strange energy. Taltos realized that the jaguar must be using this universal fuel to enhance its natural abilities.

The jaguar stood poised, eyes narrowed as the goblins closed in once more. They attacked with reckless abandon, but the jaguar was a master of the hunt, it was nothing more than a time-killing activity for this territorial beast. With a graceful swipe of its paw, the jaguar sent the goblin's sword flying through the air, leaving the creature vulnerable. Without hesitation, the jaguar pounced, its jaws closing around the goblin's neck in a fatal embrace. A pitiful scream filled the air before all went silent. The other goblins, sensing their defeat, scattered back into the underbrush, their tails between their legs. Taltos watched in awe at the jaguar's innate ability to harness the primal energy of the jungle, a power that he and his Master had yet to fully comprehend.

His Master stood transfixed as the jaguar emerged victorious, its fur still shimmering with the remnants of its magical energy. The predator slowly blended into the darkness, dragging the lifeless body of its prey behind it.

After this incident, the sphere was till for a good fifteen minutes before Taltos reassures it that the danger was gone.

[𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲.]

With the danger of the previous encounter having subsided, Taltos and his Master resumed their meandering through the lush jungle, surrounded by the verdant growth and misty shroud. However, a feeling of unease began to settle in Taltos' phantom chest, as if he were being closely watched by an unseen presence, though it did not yet seem to pose any immediate threat. Despite his growing discomfort, his Master floated through the lush foliage, seeming unperturbed by the dense miasma.

[𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐈 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.]- Taltos stated.

"O̷̵҉̢̭͚̜̠ͫͣ͐͢͟͢͠͞͝-O̷̵҉̢̭͚̜̠ͫͣ͐͢͟͢͠͞͝h̷̶̘̘̬ͭ̏͞͡? Ŗ̴̪̈̄͞-Really?... I҉̡̯̺̜̅́͋̃͢͜-I҉̡̯̺̜̅́͋̃͢͜-I̶̴̗̗̦͍ͨͭ̉͢͟t̴͕͖͓̀ s̩͙͖̋͛͟-should b҉͙̺̻̥̅̎͋̕͜͝͡͞͠-b̵̸͙̅̽͡ͅ-be fine then." - The orb said still struggling with forming sounds even inside their mind.

[𝐒𝐨 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭?]

"Y̵̡̬͖̠̋ͫ̌ͤ̚͞͞-Y̧̬̬͇̖̳̏͌͞es!" - Taltos hesitated for a moment, not fully convinced that ignoring the presence was the best course of action.

[𝐀𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫!]- He calmly made its words echo through the mind of the sphere. He trusted his Master's judgment but decided to keep a keen eye out for any suspicious activity nonetheless.

They continued to move forward, and as they rounded a bend in the jungle path, they saw a figure emerge from the mist. It was a human, with short black hair and a rugged appearance. Taltos tensed up, unsure of the stranger's intentions.

Without any trouble, they made it into a slight clearing.

As Taltos and his Master entered the clearing, the presence of the stranger became even more apparent. Taltos could feel his eyes on them, tracking their every movement. Suddenly, he heard a faint rustling in the bushes to his right, and his instincts kicked in. He scanned the area, searching for any sign of danger. That's when he noticed movement from the shadows.

As the veil of darkness began to part, a mysterious figure emerged, gradually revealing itself with each passing moment while also its presence concealing effect worn off. The man's piercing gaze was fixed upon the orb, his attention unyielding. In his hand, he held a bow, an arrow firmly nocked and at the ready, a potent symbol of the potential danger he posed. Taltos felt his hackles rise, sensing a potential threat from this unknown human.

The orb quickly turned towards him, answering the sudden reference to violence and preparing to act if necessary. Taltos was ready to act as well, his form tensing in preparation to defend his Master, he was about to take control as he thought this would be way challenging for him The stranger's arrow flew through the air, but his Master did not let the wheel to Taltos as it was determined to face the consequences of its choice.

The arrow with a whistle flew out. It was fast as the winds but the sphere was quick to act. Remembering how Taltos used [𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧] skill, the orb absorbed the arrow, pulling it into itself and rendering it harmless. The stranger looked shocked as if he had never seen anything like it before.

An immense celebration erupted within the mind of the orb, orchestrated by the exultant Taltos, whose pride in his Master's impressive display knew no bounds.

[𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬. 𝐈 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐛!] - Confetti flew out from all directions in its mind as it filled its Master with all kinds of emotion.

"T̷̫͉̰͕̒́-Thank you, Tal... tooo҉̢̡̲͇̌͗̀͢͝o҉̢̡̲͇̌͗̀͢͝s҉̝̭̦͚̑ͯ̌͡." - He said with still childishly, but also somewhat proudly. It was refreshing for the orb, however, the threat did not turn into thin air.

He lowered his bow and approached cautiously, his eyes still on the black sphere whose blackish aura danced around it as a sign of bad omen.

"What manner of creature are you?" - The stranger's voice carried a soft, lilting quality, tinged with both wonder and curiosity as if he had stumbled upon a rare and beautiful creature. Taltos, on the other hand, felt his hackles rise, his phantom body tensing with wariness. Yet, despite his caution, his Master floated forward with ethereal grace, seemingly unfazed by the presence of this unknown human. The stranger, in turn, took a slight step back, though his face betrayed no hint of weakness or fear.

As the stranger watched in awe and shock, a momentous event unfolded before them, marking a significant turning point in the nameless Orb's existence. The ethereal creature would henceforth be known as 𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧, a name befitting the radiant dawn of life itself.