Crownblood: Novel's Untold Story-Chapter 29: Whisper of Lost

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Name: Cale Tennebris

Age: 16

Essence: Whisper of Lost

Affinity: [Spirit]

Spirit Core: [781]

Bond: [???], [King of Nightmares], [Chalice of Life]

Combat level: Expert

Battle arts: Tennebris sword art [★★☆]

Skills: [stealth(C)], [Feather steps(D)], [Mana runes(D)]

Subspace: [Obsidian sword (D)], [Ouroboros (?)]

Traits: [The Anomaly], [The twin curse], [Mist Heart], [Who am I?]

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Essence, as the name suggests, was the source of all power.

Its true nature, however, remained a mystery.

One day, the primordial race awakened a mysterious power known as Essence, allowing them to walk the path of Ascension.

There are five known primordial essences: Aether, Nether, Void, Fate, and Heart.

From each primordial essence, countless branches of power emerge.

Light, water, wind, and other elements essential for life stem from Aether.

Darkness and shadowy forces belong to the Nether.

Void governs the strange powers of void creatures.

Fate and Heart were rare, with little known about their full potential.

Oracles and diviners channel Fate, while emotions and souls reflect Heart.

Although all essences share a common origin, each person’s essence manifests uniquely, shaped by their personality.

Because of this essence’s primordial race mutated into different races.

An essence can evolve continuously, advancing alongside its bearer, until one day, it ceases to exist within the primordial essence itself.

Scholars say this is the final step of Ascension, yet no one has ever reached that pinnacle.

The heart was considered the weakest of all.

There had never been a single Apotheon of Heart.

And, not all who bore it possessed the elusive Spirit Affinity.

Those who did... were often far from sane.

For in this world, if some things were hidden, they were hidden for a reason.

But there were things in this status screen that were more upsetting.

There was no mana core.

’I already knew it, but seeing it myself is just another kind of feeling.’

I lean my head back on the marble floor as I sink my body deeper into the pool.

’Ahh! This is heaven.’

Sunlight filtered through a tall arched window with delicate lace curtains.

Walls tiled with smooth marble were etched with faint, glowing runes pulsing softly, like a heartbeat.

Steam curled lazily above a pool scented faintly with herbs, lavender, mint, and something metallic, almost like ozone.

Small orbs floated above the water, bathing the space in a tranquil glow.

’And they call this bathroom!’

It’s more like a private chamber than a mere washing room.

I relaxed my body as all the tension from earlier was released from it.

’This is the reward for my hard work.’

It was almost wonderful.

Almost.

I looked beside me, little away from me was Rin... her body completely submerged,

Only her head was leaning against the marble floor, eyes closed.

For any commoner, this situation might be too much.

But for a prince like Cale, it was a daily occurrence.

Normally, I would have enjoyed it but...

"What are you looking at?" Rin asked, with her eyes closed.

’What is there to look at?’

She was as slender as a woman could be.

"Nothing," I kept my thoughts to myself.

’I want to live.’

I looked at my finger, which was healed by the duo brothers, Varn and Leto.

They were one of the best minds in the whole demon continent.

’With only a few screw loose...’

That was why they were working under Cale.

’Well, they have their uses.’

"I was wondering if I could get some privacy," I spoke, looking forward.

"After the stunt you pulled, this is as much privacy as you can get," Rin answered.

"Don’t expect for more."

"Haa..."

I sighed.

After the ’warm welcome’, I get straight to the bath to wash all the dirt and hope for some alone time.

But I got a company unexpectedly.

’Well, this isn’t bad either.’

I focused back on the status screen.

So, there was no mana core.

Instead, there was a spirit core.

This was a trait unique to those with spirit affinity.

Which meant that they couldn’t get strong physically.

And there was very little known about how to get strong spiritually.

Which meant the spirit users were the most useless bunch of all.

Even contracting a spirit required a sacrifice.

’But Cale in the novel managed to become a saint with this.’

So the situation was not as despairing as I thought.

’And there are mana runes too.’

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[Mana Runes]

Rank: D

Category: Utility

Description: Allow User to store mana corresponding to their rank.

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The effect of the disguise potion Cale had taken had worn off, revealing his true appearance.

I looked at my reflection on the surface of the water.

Pure white hair, red calm eyes with slit pupil, the little pointy ears,

and snow white skin with red runic pattern stretched across the whole body, extended to his lower left jaw, making a helix pattern.

’What a cutie...’

He got a face that made me want to punch it.

The Cale from the novel was just straight up badass but this... this was a look of lost puppy.

’Well, he is still a kid.’

Which meant he had not walked down the path of destruction yet.

But even as a kid, he engraved runes on his body, which was supposed to be a dangerous and painful task.

Something only a few survived.

That showed the level of his desperation,

Next, I focused on the traits, and a different window appeared before me.

This was something unique to this world.

Other than this, all of the status windows were the same as Earth.

".."

Thinking about the Earth made me a little sad.

’I wonder if I can go back.’

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[The Anomaly]

Description: A stray soul, world’s quiet mistake, or perhaps a hidden mercy.

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’I see.’

I didn’t understand a single thing from this.

Hat off to the system for being a professor who left hard questions for the kids.

Truly useless.

’Anyway, let’s see what’s next.’

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[The Twin curse]

Description: That which should have been one is two now; is this also a trickery of fate? One is Heart of Nothing, the other is Nothing without heart.

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’Now this is somewhat understandable.’

The Heart of Nothing would be referring to Cale, and Nothing without Heart would be his twin sister.

These twins were actually bonded to each other.

’Next is.’

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[Mist Heart]

Description: The Seamstress of Fate said: [Bring me a heart neither dead nor alive.]

The Stray said: [I obey.]

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’What am I supposed to understand from this, truly useless?’

Mist Heart? Was it the same as Heart of Nothing?

Then why is it in a different category?

’How confusing. Now for the last one.’

I was actually for something useful, something that can help me get stronger.

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[Who am I?]

Description: Who are you? [synchronization: 70%]

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".."

Suddenly, the reflection in the water caught my eye.

It was staring at me and... smiled. It smiled.

Slowly, his lips moved.

’Who are you?’

I quietly looked up.

’Nothing seems useful here.’

Let’s take a look at the essence. I finally focused on the essence.

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[Whisper of lost]

Origin: Heart

Description: You hear them, but they shouldn’t hear you. And once called, the desire must be fulfilled. Or the Heart might shatter beneath its weight.

Next evolution: Keeper of Desires [progress: 07%]

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".."

Looking at the description, I only had one thought.

’Which part of this is romance fantasy?’