Tbate: Kal-El

Part 13: Kryptonian Abilities

*5 months later*

Arthur Leywin POV:

I have lost track of everything. How many lightroots I've activated, whether it's day or night, how long it's been. 

Activating the lightroots are easy enough, I just have to reach up and touch this green panel with a hand symbol on it. But I've definitely activated dozens, maybe around 50 now? But there is still no end in sight...this place is just too big, and too dark!

Not only do I have to look for lightroots in places that are hard to find and reach, but I also have to deal with beast attacks. Some of them even wield weapons! There's one with four legs and 2 arms, that wields a gigantic bow, sword, shield, and shoot fire out of its mouth. (A/n: Lynel)

I have stored some of the better weapons that these beasts dropped, inside my dimension ring. Some of them were also wielding spears with raw meat attached on the end. Not sure why, but at least I can get a bit of meat this way, wherever this meat is even from...

I can cook the raw meat using fire from the torches used by some of the beasts, as they mine greenish rocks. Not sure what they need that for. 

I had to conserve my mana for these battles, since there is no ambient mana to absorb. Maybe if I have my 2nd phase active, I could see through everything and track down all the lightroots at once, but that drains my mana too much, and I did not practice this ability enough times. 

After all this struggling, all these days...I have run out of mana. What do I do now?

Colgera POV: 

(A/N: A Colgera is one of the boss monsters that are found roaming the Depths in TOTK)

I fly high, near the rocky ceiling. 

Prey has been less abundant recently...how? Something has been hunting my food.

I catch a whiff of the smell of meat. Smoke! Flames! Some creature is cooking meat that should be mine!

I dive towards the smell. It's...a tiny one! How did this four-limbed creature kill so many of my prey? I shall kill it and eat it!

I snap my fangs toward at as I near the ground. The tiny creature jumps out of the way somehow, but it matters not. I spin my tail, and launch my icy spikes at it, pounding the tiny creature into a cliffside. 

I salivate as I approach the cliffside, ready to pull out my fresh kill from the rocks and feast upon it. 

Wait, what's that red glow?

A red beam of light pierces me between my eyes. I feel it cover the length of my body, splitting it in two. As my body starts to disintegrate, I wonder how that tiny creature is capable of such power...

Arthur Leywin POV:

I burst out of the rubble, hovering into the air, and see the giant flying beast fading to dust. Part of its jawbone remains, and clatters onto the ground. I float over, and store it in my ring. 

So...what just happened?

I am completely out of mana now. And yet, my body can still augment, and I can use heat vision. 

At least I can fight my way out of here, however long that takes. 

Wait, what if I can use other abilities too?

I close my eyes, and slow my breath for a few seconds. Then, I let my eyes burst open, and focus on my sight and hearing. 

Everything around me suddenly lights up and becomes clear to me, and I can hear noises coming from beasts from multiple directions. 

Great! Now, can I find lightroots? 

I look towards areas that are not lit up by the lightroots I already activated. My vision flashes, and all the remaining lightroots become visible to me. Looks like I am just in some kind of giant cave. I can't see past the edges of this giant cave, but now I know exactly where all the lightroots are. 

Alright! I'll just start floating towards the nearest lightroot. 

...

Can I...go any faster?

I start willing myself forward more. I speed up. My upper body tilts foward, and my legs move back. My arms reach forward, as I will myself to go faster and faster. Soon, I am zooming towards the nearest lightroot. 

I fly right past the green panel that activates the lightroot, and brush it with my hand. I slow down outside the lightroot and hover. Sure enough, the light root lights up. I guess I'll just fly to every lightroot as fast as I can and activate them without stop!

*5 mins later*

Is it because I've been stuck down here for so long, that I'm motivated to fly so fast? I never knew I could fly like this, and fly so fast and precisely!

I skid to a stop after activating the last lightroot. In front of me, a bright while light appears, and slowly forms the shape of a door. 

So, it turns out my beast will isn't needed to use these abilities. I can just fly, see through walls, hear far away sounds, and use heat vision without using any mana. Maybe I never would have realized this, without running out of mana like in this situation. 

I step into the portal, and I instantly find myself in an enclosed room, with white-coloured walls, floor, and ceiling. 

Oh, come on! Do I have to spend months in this new area!

Before I can continue my thoughts, new words materialize inside my mind.

[You have done well to discover your true power.]

[You are now able to train your abilities at your own pace.]

Two portals open in front of me. 

[Step through the left portal to return home. Step through the right portal to access 5 trials for refining your abilities.]

[You can leave any of the trials anytime. You can return here anytime to access any of the trials.]

I'm going home! I need a break!

I step through the left portal, and I finally find myself back in the ancient ruins, where Elder Rinia saw me off. 

"Elder Rinia? Are you here?"

After a few seconds, I hear her coming over from another part of the ruins.

"Good to see you, Arthur. I'm sorry, I am unable to foresee when you step out of the portal, but I can tell once you're out. I'm surprised, it's only been a week since you left!"

"What? It's definitely been months for me, look, these are all the supplies I have left!" I say as I bring out the remaining rations in my dimension ring.

"Hmm, my vision only showed my this view of your remaining supplies...looks like time flows differently, where you were. Anyways, how'd it go? You seem stronger now!"

"Yeah, I figured out that I have some abilities that don't need mana to use!"

"Good, good! Want to tell me about it while we eat? I'm cooking something right now!"

"Ok!"

===================================

I incorporated some TOTK depths stuff, didnt include zonai tech

This Arthur is strong physically, he won't feel nausea when going through any portals lol

I don't want to spend too long on the rest of the trials, most of which are about Superman's main abilities