Chapter 51 : Testing!
Excited to explore the capabilities of the Void Orb, Val made his way back to his room, the quiet solitude providing the perfect setting to test out his new acquisition.
He could feel the unique connection between him and the orb pulse to life as he focused his mind on it. Focusing on this connection, he was able to communicate with the Void Orb and make it heed his command.
He demanded to see its true potential.
As a result, a tiny black hole manifested right before his eyes.
The sight was nothing short of breathtaking; it was as though a fragment of the night sky had materialized in his room, completely devoid of light and radiating a sense of enigmatic allure
"Can it store living beings?"
Intrigued by the capabilities of the Void Orb, Val found himself wondering whether it was possible for the orb to store living beings. With the curiosity of a cat, he reached out to experiment, his fingers stretched out towards the mesmerizing black hole.
His heart pounded in his chest with anticipation. He was on the brink of discovering something unknown, something spectacular. The sensation of his skin brushing against the boundary of the black hole sent a tingling sensation up his arm, but to his surprise, instead of accepting his hand, the black hole repelled it. It was as if an invisible force field was preventing him from entering.
An inquisitive frown creased his brows. It seemed the Void Orb, in its enigmatic ways, didn't allow living matter to pass through its dimensional portal. An interesting limitation, Val pondered, but it raised the question - did this rule extend to inanimate objects?
Driven by his insatiable curiosity, Val decided to test his theory.
His eyes flickered over to the gleaming Aquarius Sword, resting on the bed nearby. Immediately, he picked it up.
With his eyes locked onto the black hole, Val carefully moved the sword towards it. The tip of the sword made contact with the black hole, and to Val's fascination, it disappeared effortlessly, swallowed by the ominous darkness of the Void Orb's pocket dimension.
A sense of awe filled him. The sword, in all its physicality and presence, had vanished as though it never existed.
But Val knew better.
He could still sense its presence, not physically, but rather, through a unique link established between him and the sword through the Void Orb.
The thrill of the moment prompted him to go further. Focusing on the sword, he willed for it to return. Just as he had hoped, the sword reappeared in his hand as if summoned from thin air.
Despite his Emotional Impairment Trait, a pulse of exhilaration coursed through Val, lighting up his eyes with an almost inhuman glow.
He was no stranger to the surreal and the fantastic, but this? This was different!
'This is akin to the instant equip skill!'
The instant equip skill was a bloodline ability. Though it wasn't the most powerful, it was far from weak.
With the Void Orb, Val could mimic this skill flawlessly!
'This rank-4 cursed artifact is more special than I initially thought. It's even better than Aquarius."
The most tantalizing aspect of the Void Orb was actually its foolproof security system, a trait that would undoubtedly intrigue any bloodline user.
Any item stashed within its pocket dimension was safely ensconced, untouchable, and absolutely shielded from any attempted theft.
This was an assurance that would put the most security-conscious individual like Val at ease.
But, what if someone was audacious enough to steal the Void Orb itself? That thought might have sent shivers down the spine of its previous owners, the Kendricks, who, despite holding on to it for years, had never managed to overcome its dreadful corruptive force and subdue it, but Val had done it in mere moments.
For Val, the idea of his Void Orb getting stolen was simply an amusing, absurd hypothesis.
After all, he was its owner, not holder, and, as Val knew well, cursed artifacts carried a peculiar characteristic. They were fiercely loyal to their rightful owners, refusing to cooperate with anyone else, a fact that would make them worthless to anyone else, essentially rendering them 'unstealable'. 𝚋𝚎d𝚗ov𝚎𝚕.co𝚖
Since Val was the recognized owner of the Void Orb, he was the only one who could interact with it, or command its formidable power.
Therefore, any attempt to steal it would end in abject failure.
The thief would be left holding a hollow, useless sphere, no more remarkable than a simple paperweight. It was an irony that brought a smirk to Val's face.
But that wasn't all. The bond between Val and the Void Orb was deeper and more profound than mere ownership.
This bond came into existence when he subdued it and fed it his blood, and it was akin to an invisible tether that connected him to the artifact, serving as a beacon, a tracking device of sorts.
By merely focusing on this bond, he could determine the exact location of the Void Orb, irrespective of its geographical location.
Basically, it was a magical GPS that transcended space and time!
"It is like a portable vault that offers absolute security and can be tracked down easily even if lost. This is exactly what a man like me needs."
Val decided to entrust all his valuables to the Void Orb.
After all, his possessions would be safer there than anywhere else in the world.
Val ambled towards his antique wooden cupboard, each footfall causing the worn-out boards of his room to croak in response.
Playing before his cupboard, his hand dove into the pocket of his casual trousers, fishing out a small key.
It was a nondescript object, humble in its appearance, its brass body gleaming dully under the room's light birthed by the steam-powered lamp.
Despite the key's ordinary looks, it was of utmost importance to Val - the guardian of his cherished treasures, and hence, always kept in close proximity.
As he pulled open the wooden doors of the cupboard, it seemed like a portal to a different world.
Nestled within were his treasured possessions - the mystical heart of the Green Devil, the potent Blood Purifying herb, the invaluable Body Strengthening Manual, and a variety of other personal belongings. These included clothes spun from the finest silk and warmest wool, each meticulously placed within the confines of the cupboard.
One by one, he started moving each item into the pocket dimension.
After transferring all his items, he withdrew his focus from the Void Orb. Subsequently, the black hole started to shrink, eventually dissipating into nothingness, leaving no trace of its existence.
Val couldn't help but marvel, 'It's still not full.'
Despite filling it with all of his possessions, he could sense that the Void Orb was barely a tenth full!
The space inside it was almost as big as his room!