Chapter 20: Cloak of Edginess.

Chapter 20: Cloak of Edginess. "Oi, old man. I found my skill." I glared at the weird-ass snail floating mid-air, smug as ever. "Who are you calling an old man, you brat?" he snapped, adjusting his tiny glasses with what I swear was an offended look. I could’ve argued. I really wanted to but I didn’t have the time. Literally. I had no idea how much was left on the clock. "Fine. Whatever. How much time is remaining?" I asked, trying to change the topic. Hong, the snail, paused. "You have thirty seconds," he said, his voice slower than evolution itself. "Once time’s up, you’ll be transported out." ...Fuck. I thought I had at least a couple of minutes left. Panic surged through me. I hadn’t even picked an artifact yet. My eyes darted across the room. It’s not like choosing an artifact was mandatory. I could always buy one later. But still... I didn’t want to leave empty-handed. Then I saw it. A cluster of artifacts floated a few meters away and one in particular caught my eye—a pitch-black cloak, fluttering like it had a mind of its own. It stood out way too much. "That one." I pointed. "I want that cloak." The snail frowned or at least, I think he did. "Whaaat? My old eyes can’t see that far." This bastard. He was definitely doing this on purpose. "The black cloak," I snapped. "Hmm... can’t see it... Maybe if you touch it, I’ll be able to transport it out with you," Hong added, his voice practically vibrating with smugness. I wanted to curse him into the next century, but I didn’t have time. I didn’t ask what it did. I didn’t care. Anything that looked that cool had to be useful. ...Right? So, I rank towards it. Twenty seconds. Fifteen. Ten. Five. Four. Three— "I want this!" I shouted, my hand outstretched. The moment my fingers touched the cloak, everything vanished in a flash of light. _ Fuck. I opened my eyes. I was back in the corridor where the entrance had been. The same old geezer who’d let me in was standing there like he hadn’t moved an inch. The treasury door was now sealed shut behind me. I blinked and looked down at my hands holding two small storage cubes. One held a glowing blue orb—the skill. The other held the black cloak. I grinned. Hell yeah. I got it. "Welcome back, Young Master. I hope you chose a good skill," the elder greeted me. But I wasn’t paying attention. I was too eager to check the cloak and see what it did. Still, I gave a quick nod. "Thanks for the help, elder." With that, I turned around. Time to see what I’d gotten. __ [Hong’s POV] Hong floated in silence, watching the space where the young Ashborn had vanished just moments ago. The air around him shimmered. A faint glow began to radiate from his tiny snail body, pulsing brighter with each passing second. Then, he began to shift. His form stretched and twisted. His bones restructured. The shell cracked and dissolved. In mere moments, standing where the snail had once been was a tall and striking man. His features were sharp, regal and inhumanly perfect. Deep blue hair flowed past his shoulders like silk. He looked no older than twenty. He exhaled slowly. "Finally... my Flaw Time is over." He wasn’t a snail. He was one of the most trusted friends of the previous Ashborn family patriarch—Reylin. His flaw was transformed him into a snail once every week. Hong turned his gaze to where Rael had stood before vanishing. "What cloak was he talking about?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes. He remembered the boy pointing in that direction, demanding some cloak. But he hadn’t seen anything there, not even a flicker of an artifact. A thought struck him. "Was it one of the sentient ones...?" Sentient Artifacts were unlike the rest. Invisible to all but the one they chose until they bonded with their user. Their ranks were often deceptively low but they held the potential to grow alongside their user. Sometimes... far beyond. A smirk appeared on Hong’s lips. "It seems you’ve left behind quite an interesting grandson, Reylin." __ [Rael’s POV] I was finally back in my room. I jumped onto the bed and immediately pulled out the artifact cube. The cloak. And I won’t lie, it looked fucking awesome. Sleek black fabric as if it belonged to some badass assassin. Please let it be stealth-related. Or maybe flight. Or at least mana enhancement... I channeled mana into the cube. The artifact appeared in my hands, soft and cool to the touch. I channeled a bit more mana into it as it’s information appeared in front of me. __ Cloak of Edginess Rank → D Type → Special / Miscellaneous Description: A dark, lightweight cloak that enhances the wearer’s presence. Effects: → Veil of Shadow (Passive): Identity becomes harder to trace through both physical observation and weak detection skills. → Dramatic Flutter (Passive): Occasionally flutters on its own, making the user appear cool and mysterious. __ I scanned the description. Once. Twice. ...But nope. It still didn’t change. What the hell is this garbage? No stealth. No defense. Not even a stat boost. Two useless passives and zero actual utility. I tossed it to the corner of the room. Like hell I was using that thing. Looks like I’ll have to ask my father for something actually useful after all. Next I pulled out the cube holding my new skill, Ember sense. I wanted to assimilate with it immediately but before I could do anything, a knock interrupted him. Knock!! Knock!! Tsk. Stella always had the worst timing. I almost ignored it. But she wouldn’t knock unless it was something important. I muttered, "Come in." The door opened with a soft click and Stella stepped inside with her usual grace. She bowed slightly. "Young Miss Seles is here, Young Master." Oh... so she’s here. She probably brought The Crimson’s Tears. I glanced at the skill cube one last time before setting it down on the table beside my bed. I still had forty-eight hours to assimilate, and honestly? It was going to take time. There was no need to rush it. Besides... How could I make my benefactor wait? An evil smirk curled on my lips at the very thought of getting my hands on The Crimson’s Tears. I got up from the bed and followed Stella through the corridor, heading toward the meeting room— where Seles was waiting. _______ As Rael left the room, he failed to notice the subtle movement behind him. In the corner where the cloak had landed, the fabric shifted silently. Almost curiously. The black cloak floated a few inches off the ground, then began to move... Slowly... Toward the bed. It hovered in the air for a moment, almost as if thinking. Then... it settled itself beside the skill cube with quiet purpose. Like it had already chosen its master. ____ Author’s Note: Fun fact: Sentient artifacts in this world don’t turn into beautiful girls. Or boys. Or anything with a pulse. They’re artifacts. With personalities, yes but not bodies. Not companions. And definitely not love interests. ???? So if you were expecting Rael to suddenly wake up with a mysterious cloak girl calling him "master"—I’m sorry. That’s a different novel. Also! For those who forgot—Reylin Von Ashborn is Rael’s grandfather. Drop a comment, Power Stones or throw in a Golden Ticket if you’re enjoying the chaos. See you in the next Chapter.