He used his Eyes of Insight on the two items, the red stone was called: Deadman's Remnant.
He had seen one like it before, when he first entered into this nightmare town he met an old madman who stabbed him in the heart with five red crystals and before he left he made Aldrich crush a similar looking stone, only that stone was purple in color and this was red.
That was how he gained the Eyes of Insight. If his guess was not wrong then this should be an identical item. What kind of ability will he get if he crushed this one?
The ominous heart was called: Proof of Devotion.
Aldrich elected to avoid the unknown but strange and out-of-place Proof of Devotion for the time being. It just didn't look as inviting as the Deadman's Remnant.
Aldrich held the red stone in his hand it had a strange symbol drawn on it with an extremely dark ink. It felt too smooth like an egg and although it seemed like breaking it would be hard, it certainly wasn't.
Even with Aldrich's current weak grip it crumbled with a little push and turned to red dust particles that dissolved shortly there after.
Aldrich felt an electric shock graze through him, he was used to it or so he thought, his broken down body certainly wasn't. In fact he was already on the verge of death, any normal man would have long since succumbed to the horrific wounds.
But Aldrich was far from normal, his endurance and vitality were both at level four which kept his body alive until now. But not anymore. The sudden shock was enough to push him over the edge.
****
When Aldrich was back in the real world he wasn't that bothered. In truth he had to die either way, that body was already wrecked beyond repair he couldn't crawl back to the seal of Tindalor even if he wanted to.
More importantly he looked at the attributes panel and grinned.
Abilities: Eyes of Insight Lv.1+, Deadman's Remnant (?)
Aldrich didn't know what ability this Deadman's Remnant was, no—it didn't feel like an ability at all.
Inexplicably Aldrich understood this at a glance, he had to use his Eyes of Insight on it. And he did, once he did that, unbeknownst to him his eyes shined with a red and black light before he fell unconscious.
Aldrich felt something from deep within him call to him, pulling him inward, and instinctively Aldrich knew it was the Deadman's Remnant, the red stone that he had crushed was somehow inside him.
Aldrich didn't resist that pull but indulged it and soon felt a darkness consume him. He traveled in the darkness for a long time, no a short time, no, no he was there for eternity. Perhaps not.
****
When he was a young man in the spring of his youth, he attended the Bestowal ceremony with his parents in hopes of being blessed with a divine core.
The adherents of the Lord of Clairvoyant Moon performed the ceremony every three years, when the blessings of the Lord of Clairvoyant Moon descended on the world several chosen ones will rise.
They will be bestowed with professions and from then on they were destined to soar to the sky.
Out of the tens of millions in their city, hundreds were chosen every cycle. Sometimes when new planner wars were approaching thousands could be chosen.
The young man would be happy with any profession, but if he had to choose then he wanted to become a Knight.
If he did good enough he was guaranteed to become a Moonlit Knight in the future. Then he could earn glory in the planner wars for both the Great One and his lord.
But just being a regular chosen was already good enough then his parents wouldn't have to work in the golem factory and they could move to a different ward, a safer one.
By then he could attend the gatherings of professionals and see Lisa again. That girl, she was very pretty. After he glimpsed her once in a parade he couldn't forget her.
But, ultimately that year he wasn't chosen, it's fine, the young man wasn't discouraged, he'll just have to try next time. Unfortunately even after that he was never chosen.
It's been many years since then, he found work in the same factory as his father with that connection. The work was hard and the coin was barely enough but the young man had no other choice.
One day his father was involved in an accident in the factory, a magical agent spilled and infected his arm, the only way to save him was to amputate his arm.
But even after he was saved he still couldn't work anymore, he became increasingly weaker and a month later he couldn't get out of bed. Thus he had to be let go.
Around the same time, one day he woke up and his mother was gone. He had no idea where she went, she just left.
His father's sickness got progressively worse, their savings could hardly pay for the cheapest medicine. After a year, his father had shriveled up. Looking like a shadow of his former self.
"Son, please, just let me die. I'm sorry."
His father was sorry and he could barely talk properly. His pleas broke the young man's heart and he had no idea what to do.
Only a miracle could save him now. But he had already prayed to the Great One and The Lord of Clairvoyant Moon many times but there was no answer. Again and again he pleaded and prayed until his tongue was dry.
There was no answer.
Until there was, one day someone knocked on his door. It was an amicable looking middle aged man, he was dressed elegantly in clothes that the young man could never have.
He held a magical staff and the young man recognized him as a wizard. A chosen.
The wizard asked to take a look a his bedridden father and the young man obliged. The wizard took a single look and said that he could cure his father and even restore him to health once again.
The young man wasn't excited he knew his father could be saved but he didn't have any money for the treatment. Even if he sold this run-down house it wouldn't even be close.
However the wizard told him that he didn't want money, he just needed him to renounce the Great One and the Lord of Clairvoyant Moon, he also had to join their organization, the Unseen Hand.
"What do you think of this world? Isn't it wrong? Is it not twisted and unfair?! The Great One does not see us as his people, no matter how much we try we will never become Ethereals, he does not love us! He does not care for our suffering!
The Lord of Clairvoyant Moon is even worse he is a traitor who sold our world to the Divine Land for lordship and dominion!
We have the guidance of a truly great being with us, we seek to right the wrongs of this world and help people like you. Join us, true devotees! Help us shatter this sham of a world!"
The young man was enthralled, that's right this world was wrong and he was the biggest proof. How could he not be chosen? How could he live his life in mediocrity?! Did that make any sense?
No!
No, obviously not. He deserved more, he needed more. The wizard told him that he would need to take a slave seal to become one of them.
In exchange for that his father would be cured and he just had to work for them as a guard.
The young man didn't need much persuasion he agreed to join the Unseen Hand and his life took a turn immediately after that. Especially after he heard that the Unseen Hand was working on creating artificial Divine Cores.
When they succeeded in the future he would have priority in taking whichever profession he wanted.
The young man and his cured father moved to a different city and they lived in relative wealth, even his father's arm was restored. They were not living in luxury but compared to the past their lives were worlds apart.
The young man's job was to work as a low rank guard in the city. It was a safe and easy job that payed well enough too. He was just asked to let some people enter and leave the city without notice.
They were fellow members of the Unseen Hand, the young man was happy to help them. He even went out of his way to make sure everything was right days before any operation.
Several years later he was promoted and finally knew what the order was doing in the city. They were kidnapping people and using them as experimental subjects.
The man was fine with that, ever since he had taken the slave mark and sworn his oath of allegiance to the Unseen Hand he felt that it was only right that things happened in this way.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m