"Wow... What a scene this is," I mumbled, finally arriving at the destination I had sought with such determination. The sight before me was simultaneously breathtaking and awe-inspiring yet also tinged with a sense of foreboding. It was as though the very essence of the world's elements had converged at this point, creating a landscape that defied imagination and defied the boundaries of nature itself.
The ground beneath my feet was a swirling mosaic of shifting sands, bubbling magma, and rugged outcrops that seemed to pulse with the raw energy of the earth. Erupting mountains belched forth torrents of molten lava, carving fiery rivers through the landscape. Above, the air crackled with electricity, and storms raged with a fury that sent bolts of lightning dancing across the sky.
The crashing waves of a tumultuous sea met the shores with a ferocity matched only by the unrestrained power of the wind that swept through the landscape. Chaos reigned here, where the elements clashed and collided in an eternal struggle for dominance. It was a place of both beauty and danger, a testament to the primal forces that shaped the very fabric of existence.
"This is the definition of Chaos," I spoke aloud, my voice carried away by the howling winds. "This is where the elements themselves wage their own war, creating a harmonious discord that is both captivating and terrifying."
Indeed, this place was a convergence of chaos, where the elements vied for supremacy in a dance of destruction and creation.
As I stood at the crossroads of this elemental turmoil, I couldn't help but feel both small and significant—a solitary observer amidst the grand symphony of the universe.
From this moment on, I knew that the path I needed to tread lay directly before me. In the heart of this elemental maelstrom, amidst the clash of forces that defied human comprehension, my destination awaited.
As I looked around, a sense of introspection washed over me. Was this a test of my will, a trial of my determination, or a reflection of my own consciousness? Each step I had taken, each sacrifice I had made, had led me to this point—a place that represented not only my journey in this magical world but also the journey within myself.
Test of Convergence.
There is a reason why I sought this place with such enthusiasm all the time. Stepping onto the lands where gods said to step on once. To come here while fighting with all those annoying monsters.
Chronicles of Aeris was truly a random game. It was a game that gave people the choices to get stronger and the chance to make themselves known in the game world.
It was a game where you could make yourself get stronger and stronger with each passing second and confront the enemies of different difficulties.
However, it was also a game where later parts, you would only indulge carnal desires as a player.
It was truly a weird game.
However, there was also another thing that was weird when it came to the game.
It was the random way of putting very important things onto the corner of little places.
For instance, this place, where one would face their inner way of encrypting the word, their own way of interpreting what kind of person they were.
This was a place where the player would start forming their own domain.
This was such an important place for the game, and a lot of details were also put there. The amount of budget going for all those animations and monsters could even surpass the heroine's random scene CGIs.
But even though they put in such an effort, they still hid this place in the corner of the road. Unless one had thoroughly examined the lore of the world, meaning they were simply nerds, there was no way for someone to find this place.
It was such a contradiction that it became a meme in the community for the later parts.
In any case, to explain how the test worked, the moment one stepped into that small cliff, the test would actually start.
First, their combat prowess would be tested by the Draconians. Those monsters would be the first enemy of the player, as they would be tested.
However, that wouldn't be the end. As time passed on, when the player finished that narrow cliff road, the second stage would start.
'Inner Mirror.'
There, the place would take the form of one's own interpretation of themselves. According to how one understood themselves, they would be subjected to such a test.
For instance, that guy, Arthur, would simply get seduced by demons on the way, and the player would constantly need to be on alert to pull the correct time to kill those succubi.
However, different from Arthur, every heroine would have different types of roads. For Emma, things would be fiery. A battlefield would be before her, and the leading figure would be Austin.
For Celia, she would be fighting with her own self, who had perfected her own nature of magic and would try to overcome her 'perfect' self. She would realize that this 'perfect' her wouldn't have any emotions and would act solely on logic, and this is where she would start to form her personalized magic.
But the weird thing is that Alicia's fight was not shown either as a cutscene or as a dialogue.
There was no mention of Alicia's cutscene.
'And this is where things are getting suspicious around Alicia. But now is not the time for such thoughts.'
In simple ways, this place was the place where everyone fought with themselves in a different way.
And the scene before me was the thing that basically described me.
'Chaos.'
As I gazed at the elemental spectacle before me, I knew that this was not just a test of strength but a test of the mind and spirit.I think you should take a look at
The convergence of chaos around me symbolized the boundless power of creation and destruction, the ebb and flow of existence itself. And here I stood, ready to navigate this chaotic crossroad, to merge with the elements and emerge transformed.
'Then, I guess we shall start.'
With that mumble, I looked at my belongings and grabbed the potion I had made. A potion that made one's own body temper as the damage taken would be spread to one's whole body.
It was a special method one could use for the sake of achieving growth in their knighthood, pushing their bodies to their limits.
'Elixir of Agony-Forging.'
GULP
As I gulped the elixir, I could feel my body started getting more and more sensitive. But it was not only that.
'Geneley Essence.'
'Storm Leaf.'
'Lava Seed.'
'Clover of Balance.'
Then I started consuming the herbs one by one, I started feeling my body gradually heating up as well as being filled with mana of all types.
<Ding! Elixir of Agony-Forging is consumed. The host's body is entering the tempering state.>
It was a feeling of my body getting ready to be beaten, like I was ready to test myself.
<Ding! Geneley Essence is consumed. The Raw attributed mana is running rampant on the host's core.>
Then, following that, I felt my core was being filled. It was the raw mana attribute that I would convert to any type.
<Ding! Storm Leaf is consumed. The Wind and Water attributed mana is running rampant on the host's core.>
After, it was the Stormy mana of Wind and the Balancing mana of Water, yet the chaos was still going rampant. I could feel my core getting squeezed inside.
<Ding! Lava Seed is consumed. The Fire and Earth-attributed mana is running rampant on the host's core.>
Following that, the destructive nature of fire and the sturdy nature of Earthen mana entered the equation forming a contrasting balance of traits.
<Ding! Clover of Balance is consumed. The rampant running mana on the host's core is getting stabilized.>
And it was the last touch, making everything fall into harmony from the name alone.
<Ding! The Host's mana core is being filled to its maximum. The rampant mana is escaping.>
Yet, sometimes, the thing we call the balance was the thing that would result in the destruction itself.
"Kurgh-" As I let out a groan filled with pain, I could feel every cell in my body screaming inside. The rampant chaotic mana of the herbs was now causing me immense pain.
'Yet this is only the start.'
<Ding! The elixir of Agony-Forging is responding to the inner destruction of the host. The body tempering process is started.'
'It has been a while, huh? My old friend.'
It reminded me of the time when I could feel every bit of my mana veins around my body. The time when I forced myself to awaken without relying on no one, without relying on gods blessing.
'I wonder what Miss Nyx is doing now.' I thought to myself, looking at the sky where the erupting chaos was nowhere to be seen; only the stars remained.
'I guess we will find it later.'
After I finally confirmed that the elixir was spread and its effects were showing, it was now time to step up into the test.
"Huff....."
Just like that, with a resolute breath, I began to tread the path that wound through the swirling chaos while in the midst of tempering my own, attempting the craziest thing in the world.
'Double Breakthrough.'
