To be fully honest, I have no idea what I am doing. Meditating was not something I had ever done before. Hell, I couldn’t even sit cross-legged since my legs just didn’t bend that way. Because of that, I was sitting with my legs stretched out in front of me. My eyes were closed, and the only thing I could really sense was the wind that gently blew across my face. Luckily, there were no bugs, or else I would have long gotten up and walked away. I might live a shut-in life, but I did keep my place as clean as I possibly could. I hated bugs.

As I sat there lost in my own thoughts unsure of what I should be doing exactly, my mind slowly started to become clear. My senses started to get a little better as the scent of flowers further away began to filter into my nose. Time seemed to pass slowly as I sat there. I could hear the rustling of the leaves and the swaying of the branches as they creaked ever so slightly.

As I concentrated on these sounds with my ears, the darkness of my closed eyes blocked any visual aspect. I suddenly felt as if something was flying towards me. I reflexively tilted my head to the side as I heard a buzzing sound pass my ear and then the sound of something sinking into the stone in front of me. I wanted to open my eyes and check what it was, but before I could, I quickly ducked down as I felt something else flying at me.

I did not know what was going on. Every time I moved my head, I had to move it again. Then, at one point, I had no choice but to jump up and jump back as I felt something huge coming at me. This was not part of the quest from what I remember. This was not what was written in the quest. In no way did the quest say anything about flying objects being thrown at you.

“Well done.” A voice came from my front, causing me to open my eyes. I looked up to see an old man wearing what looked like some kind of Chinese robe standing in front of me. He even had a long white beard. “You have passed my test.”

“Test?” I was quite confused. Since when was there a test here?

“Oh? You didn’t know there was a test?” The old man looked surprised, but he then smiled. “This is quite interesting. You see. Only on the fifth day of the seventh month, when you sit in the exact spot you sat when the sun is high, will you be able to take my test. This shrine is the Shrine of Chronos, the god of time.” 

“The god of time?” Now, I was even more confused. This was beyond anything the forums had said. It only said you could get a unique skill if you sat and meditated. There was no mention of any test or some god of time either.

“Yes. The god of time will give those who are able to comprehend the passage of time the ability to use a skill called Chronos Step. But…. Those who pass the trial will get an even better skill. Chrono Domain.” The old man smiled at me as he replied. It was surprising since I had never heard of any Chrono Domain skill before. But from what it sounds like, the Chrono Step is only a simple skill compared to this Chrono Domain skill. 

“Chrono Domain allows you to slow time in a small area around you. The more you have an understanding of the skill, the bigger the domain. Just now, the test was to see if you could sense the world around you. How time flows. By being able to dodge the objects being sent towards you, you were forced to slow time to move out of the way. This was how you could avoid the rocks I threw just now.” The old man pointed to the small holes in the ground and the larger hole that created a clean-cut hole of the object that had smashed into it. To even do this kind of damage and only make a hole without causing lots of damage, just how fast were those objects thrown?

“So I am confused. The unique skill Chrono Step should have been given for just meditating here, no?” I was very curious now since things were not the same as what I had read on the forums.

    “I guess it has come down to that, yes. But it is also based on whether the person has comprehended time itself or not. You, on the other hand, not only learned it without being taught it but also passed my test without realizing you were taking such a test. You have a talent for time magic and should really look more into it. Sadly, I can not help you more on this, but I can pass down the skill Chrono Domain.” The old man waved his hand, and my body suddenly glowed with a golden light.

[Unique Skill: Chrono Domain Learned…]

“If you wish to learn more about time magic. Make your way to Mage Tower and seek out a mage named Linda Goldwin. She can help you further. My time here is done, so I will take my leave.” Before I could get a word in edgewise, the old man left. I stood there staring at the spot he disappeared from. It was as if a ripple appeared, and his body was wrapped within that ripple before he disappeared from sight.

I opened my stats to take a peek as a bunch of notifications popped up in front of me.

[Name]: Zoe  
[Race]: Demon
[Level]: 15
                              
[Health]: 220/220
[Mana]:     210/210 

[Stats] 
[Strength]:     21
[Dexterity]: 21
[Intelligence]: 21
[Vitality]: 22
[Mind]: 21
[Charisma]: 20

[Skills] 
[Sword Mastery]: 3/99  
[Magic]: 1/99
[Shadow Step]: 1/99 

[Unique Skills]
[Shadow Mimic]: 1/99
[Natures Embrace]: 1/99
[Chrono Step]: 1/99
[Chrono Domain]: 1/99

[Hidden Quest: ‘Temporal Awakening’ Completed!]
[Completion Rate 200%]
[Main quest: 100%]
[Rewards]
[Experience Points Gained!]

[Level up!]
[Level up!]

[Hidden Optional Quest: 100%]
[Hidden Optional Quest: Chrono’s Trial]
[Rewards]
[Experience Points Gained!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]

I not only got four more levels, but I also gained Chrono Step at some point as well as Chrono Domain. But what is really strange is the hidden quest name…. Chrono’s Trial. But Chrono was supposed to be the god of time, so…. I scratched my head. There was no need to overthink things. I got a two-for-one special, so I can not complain. But this does make me wonder. Will someone else be able to gain the Chrono Step skill besides me?