Anyone ever felt like they were lost even while knowing where you are going?  How about being overwhelmed by the sheer length of the journey? Or threatened to be overrun by the vast crowds of people you run into on the way?

Yeah, that’s exactly what’s happening to me.  Two hours of walking through Helen City, and I’ve yet to actually get to where I’m going.  The city is just that damned huge. And now packed with people as well.

That started about an hour ago, when the Sol Light reached its brightest point.  Pretty sure that shows that it is noon, but I’m not absolutely sure. But it was like a dam had been burst, because suddenly the streets were absolutely crowded with all sorts of people.

Not just people either, because there are also carts and carriages out on the streets as well.  Ranging from simple pull-carts made of bleached white or silver bones to great extended length carriages of paneled wood, gilded in gold and silver.  The beasts of burden are also as mixed and varied as the vehicles they pull too.

Giant hump-backed lizards with dull claws and triangular scales.  Large skeletal horses with ghostly green or purple flames in their eye sockets and spectral flames around their hooves.  A two-headed ogre, collared and chained to a carriage, pulling it even while arguing with itself in loud booming voices that made no sense.  Or at least not to my ears. The coachman for that one just looked rather bored, to be honest.

The weirdest one I came across was most definitely the work of a necromancer however.  Instead of a carriage, it was a large sarcophagus so big that it required twenty armored and armed zombies to carry.  Except these zombies were not like me, awakened. Instead they were dead, blunt things; moaning in groans of instinctive effort as they marched straight and true without even looking around.

The sight had definitely given me the creeps, and I wasn’t the only one to turn aside to let it pass.  Many people in the crowd had fearful, but also somewhat disgusted looks on their faces as that sarcophagus passed by.  But no one said anything aloud about it.

It was definitely an interesting thing for me, but after it was gone I was still jostled and pushed forward along with the crowds.  And I swear, I’m all but certain that I’ve seen more people here than the entire bloody time I was alive previously. It was just the absolute feeling of being harried and the building up of anxiety in my guts that told me so.

Which is why I was really really happy to finally escape the crowd by ducking down the side street that’d lead me right to where I’m going.  Perhaps the distance off the main roads wouldn’t inspire confidence in this Society, but I for one am happy for the peace and quiet a secluded location would provide.  Which isn’t to say that there isn’t traffic on this side street, it just wasn’t as crazy as the main roads.

At least finding the Silver Key Magic Society was easy.  It was probably a medium-sized compound of several buildings built around a 8 or 9 story tall tower all enclosed inside of a tall black stone wall.  With a real, honest to the pits gatehouse. The sort with towers, solid gates, grates and portcullises. And a big ass piece of heraldry in the form of a giant silver eye with a black key where the pupil should have been hanging amongst the stonework.

All of which matches the information Tresk had given me, so I know it’s the right place.  I still take my time in approaching though, taking in as many details as I can. Like, the surroundings are strangely quiet, as everyone seems rather intimidated by the massive edifice.  Also that the gates are guarded, both in what I’d assume are warriors wearing silver uniforms as well as magic users in silver robes. Many of them are holding staves or wands, as well.

More than that though, the closer I get to the gate the more of a buzzing, fuzzy feeling I get.  Like the entire gate and the walls are charged with a whole lot of magical energy. Probably enchanted, although I cannot tell.  And I’m not about to risk burning my eyes using my magical sight either. All told I’m not sure if I should be impressed or dejected by the sight of it all.

Steeling myself, I make my way toward the gate.  Yet once I get within a range of about a hundred feet I start to slow down, each step becoming more laborious than the last.  Twenty feet closer, and I start to pant for breath with each step I take. Yet looking around, there isn’t anything out of the ordinary.  No one else walking the street, as sparse as it is, seems to be affected. Or even mindful that I’m struggling.

All of which just ticks things off the ‘Weird as Hell’ list for me.  Yet there isn’t anything to do but continue on, even as I feel as if my body is being bound in chains.  Not really though. It was like the gravity had increased just in the area around me, making everything harder to move.

Each step makes it even harder, and once I reach the fifty feet mark I feel as if my limbs are screaming at me, muscles and bones taxed to the max.  It makes me pause and grit my teeth. I’d never be able to make it to the gate just relaying on this body. Which is probably the point, although I definitely miss that bit of information at the moment.

So instead I reach for my soul energy, which likewise has become sluggish inside of my body.  Like someone had applied a layer of soap or grease to it, making it hard to grasp and hard to move.  I have to literally grunt out in concentration to grab it and move it the way I desire, even stoking up the faint feeling of anger at this ridiculous crap to keep my mind on the task.

That said, I really didn’t have a good thought in mind for what I was intending outside of forcing my soul energy to reinforce my body.  I had to get to that big gate, I had to move, but my body is too weak to resist the pressure. Not just my body though. I could feel the pressure messing with my energy, and my control.  It was like it was affecting all of my stats.

The thought just made me even more angry though.  I know, in a sort of disjointed way, that I wasn’t thinking straight or anything.  But I also couldn’t do anything about it. Even though my emotions are suppressed as a newly awakened undead, I just didn’t have any real control over my mental or emotional state.  My stats themselves can attest to this, cause I have about as many points as an ant would in the living world. Only the weird Voice makes it so that I’m a thinking being in this state.  Or a moving one, for that matter.

Thus it’s no real surprise that my first attempt at forcing my soul energy through my body doesn’t do much.  It simply dissipates outside of my body in a rather showy bit of silver-grey light and waste. The second and third time does the same, making me grit my teeth even more in frustration.

I was missing something.  An idea, or a concept that’d keep my soul energy either trapped or bound to my body.  As a complete novice in magic in general, I simply have no idea what it could be. But I did have a starting point, I only realized after wasting another five points of my soul energy.  That left me with 8 points of soul energy to use.

 

[Abilities: Charge - Rank II. (3/50)]

 

I’d gained that ability during my terror-driven flight against the Scourge only the day before.  It was like an automated action, created when I’d forced soul energy wildly into my legs while running.  Yet unlike these failed tries of mine, the soul energy had stuck within my body and worked.

Thus there had to be at trick to it.  Which left me only to try to figure it out the hard way.  I don’t have the time, concentration, or energy to test things in a controlled manner.  Or the patience, with how clouded my mind has become.

So I simply dump a whole soul point into activating the ability and use my body to feel what changes it causes.  And while the effect is really weak, I still end up being moved several feet forward as the ability kicks in automatically just like it’s namesake.  Which only serves to put me even more into a bind, because pressure only gets stronger and stronger the closer I get to the gates.

If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my struggles I might have realized that the Silver Key guys guarding the gates are pointing and staring at me as if I were some kind of freak.  I might have even realized that this was some sort of test or the like. Or that it was simply a misunderstanding on my part. But I miss it completely.

All of that, to simply find that a weak sort of barrier forms just inside my skin to keep the soul energy contained.  It likewise was made of soul energy, but of a sort that reflects the ‘used’ soul energy back into the body. It was easy to feel once you started looking for it.

And it gave me just what I needed, an idea to grasp onto in my nearly wild state.  Pulling on my soul energy again, this time I try to mimic that barrier, starting with my chest and working through the rest of my body in as slow and methodical manner as possible.  It costs me another point of soul energy when I accidently loosen my grip on it, but overall it just takes some five minutes of me standing there on the street looking like an idiot to get it right.  Or so I’d assume.

Thankfully using soul energy like this doesn’t seem to have a cost to it.  It isn’t actively making an effect or causing a change to the world. Inside my body, the soul energy was simply being held under my will.  And stretching my concentration to the limit. Hells, I could barely see the gates now through my clouded eyes.

But one step closer was one step closer, and I wasn’t about to stop now.  Which is why I drain myself dry by forcing the last of my stored energy into my body, focusing it to reinforce my body and keep me upright.  In comparison to holding that barrier, getting the soul energy to work as intended was a piece of cake.

And the effect was definitely immediate.  The pressure just seemed to weaken upon me all of a sudden, and I could walk again.  Not that it wasn’t still an act of labor, but in that disjointed and quiet place in my mind I could all but see myself moving robotically forward.  I wasn’t focusing on anything but what I had to do. And leaving sweat-sodden footsteps in my wake.

And then I make it, stepping within just ten feet of the gate.  The pressure just came to a sudden end, and without that external stimuli I lose all concentration.  This causes all the soul energy I’d been holding, the barrier and that inside my body, to explode outward all at once.  This expulsion of silver-grey light startles the gate guards, and the passersby, but I really wasn’t paying attention. I was too damned exhausted to do so.

In fact I end up on the ground, having collapsed in a heap right there in front of the gates.  My body feels like an empty sack of meat, and my mind was ringing. I barely keep myself conscious, but I do end up with some foolish goofy grin on my face.

“I… hah.. Made it.”  Yeah, real smooth me.  Trying to talk through my panted breathing was a bit much though.  Don’t even know why I’m panting, given I’m supposed to be dead anyway.

“Heh heh hehe.  It seems you did indeed.”  A loud and somewhat arrogant voice suddenly calls even before the guards could get to me, and for a moment it was like the entire world went still.  One of the gate guards, a mage in a silver robe with the black key symbol on it had suddenly stiffened up before jerking around in a salute, right fist to chest and bowing in the direction of the gate.  I can only assume the others had done the same, but I’m just too tired to look.

“It seems that an interesting one had been sent my way.  You are the newly awakened one our Kriti friend warned me about, yes?  Hmm, indeed, I can tell that you are just as crazy as he said. Hmm hmm hmm…”  The voice hums to himself, but all I can do is roll my eyes a bit. Just listening to the guy made me seem like I was some crazy bastard or something.

“Well, this is the second time you’ve done something impressive without blowing yourself or others up, so I guess that’s a good thing.  No matter. You, go pick the newbie up and take him to one of the cultivation chambers. He should regain himself quickly there.” Yeah, I couldn’t see who the guy had pointed out, but I could definitely feel being hefted up like a sack of grain or potatoes though.  Not entirely nice, and already becoming way too common for my taste.

“Right away, Sir Silver Lord.”  Male, deep voice, strong guy.  Those were the thoughts in my head after the guard had picked me up.  I sort of just zoned out after that though, even though my eyes were still open.  That, and a vague thought of ‘Wasn’t this the guy I was supposed to meet?’. Yeah, brain on a frying pan doesn’t really work well in keeping your thoughts in proper order.

The trip into the Silver Key Society was just a blur to my senses then, at least until we got to where we are going.  If only because the sudden onrush of soul energy had me groaning in some sense of satisfaction. It was so thick and so pure that I didn’t even have to start cultivating for me to feel it start filling me up.

“You new guys are always like that here in the cultivation chambers.  Hah.” The guard laughs to himself as he sets me down on the ground on my back.  This gives me the first chance to actually see the fellow, which doesn’t lead to any big surprise or anything.

Obviously a zombie, the guy was taller and way more buff than I am.  His skin tone is also traced with a bit of metallic silver coloring instead of just dead grey as well.  Wearing a uniform of a tunic and matching trousers, it comes off as kind of dashing. Except for the big sword hanging from his back, which is no doubt very real and very dangerous.

“Cultivation… chamber?”  I manage to ask, although my voice is still really croaked.  At this point I’m just going to have to get used to being really wore out all the time.  Even with a max of 18 points of soul energy, it seems that it is only a pittance of what others can use.  I cannot even imagine the cost of what that pressure field outside the gate takes just to going like that.

“Hm?  Oh, a cultivation chamber is a room specifically enchanted to help gather and purify soul energy.  These are for Silver Key members only, but we’d already gotten word that a surprising newbie was supposed to stop by.  Haha.” Okay, so that explained a bit, although the way the guy was laughing was starting to tick me off a little.

“I’m Holdt, by the way.  And no, the suppression enchantment on the gate wasn’t targeting you.  It’s a general defensive enchantment against those targeting the Silver Key in general.  If you had been just walking down the street, nothing would have happened. Or if you had been wanting to come to one of us guards.  The enchantment is very specific.”

Oh well, shit.  That bit of news just makes me grunt in frustration, and I cannot help but glare up at the fellow whom is grinning like it was a good joke or something.  Which I suppose it was, and my own misunderstanding.

“That said, it does work as a good test all the same.  Never thought I’d see a new guy work out a physical enhancement ability like that.  So good work! Hahaha. I’ll leave you to rest up here now. I’ll be outside the door when you are done.  You still have to see the Silver Lord.”

The big guy just waves merrily and walks out, causing the big stone door to slide shut behind him.  That left me and my frustrations all alone, but I can already feel the emotions fading fast. It was like I couldn’t hold onto the anger or anything for very long.

Just as well, because I had more important things to do.  Like actually cultivate and regain my lost energy. Oh, and check my messages, given the flashing V icon flickering in my vision again.

 

[-Message Log-]

[You have been Suppressed!  Resist failed! (x200+)]

[Concentration has leveled up! (x3)]

[Soul Energy Manipulation has leveled up! (x2)]

[Body Reinforcement ability learned!]

[Body Reinforcement has leveled up!]

[You are exhausted! (x8)]

[Exhaustion Resistance has leveled up!]

[+1 maximum Soul Energy for repeated exhaustion. (x2)]

[Feat performed: Under Pressure!]

[+1 maximum Body, Mind, and Soul stats.]

[New Title gained: Unpressured, Rank I.]

[You are recuperating.]

 

[Unpressured, Rank I. - Title]

[10% reduction in stresses caused by outside influences.]

[10% increase in Concentration while under outside influences.]

[10% increase in Manipulation skills while under outside influences.]

[5% increase in learning Abilities and Skills while under outside influences.]

[+5 maximum Soul Energy.]

[This Title can be evolved.]

 

… and I stare.  And stare. And stare some more.  For a moment it was like my brain had froze up, because I really couldn’t understand what I was seeing.  It was like my expectations had been turned upside down, then body-slammed into the ground. Then out from the resulting crater crawled some sort of abomination that shined in some ho… Oh, can’t go saying that word.  Ugh.

Anyway, you get the gist.  I just simply couldn’t understand it for what felt like hours and hours, but was closer to only a few minutes.  Especially that title, which is just freakin’ weird.

Then I laugh, because why not?  I laugh and laugh myself ragged, curling up while clutching my sides.  And the subject of my laugh wasn’t even the title, which while cool, was totally put against the fact that I’d somehow managed to raise the MAXIMUM limit of my stats.  Which may not seem like much in the long run, until you realize that I’ve yet to start leveling up my rank or evolving.

Going from 3 points of stats to 4 points may not seem like much, but it was the same as paying at least 100 Soul Energy points to level up to Rank D.  If I was understanding the conversion properly, because I could be wrong there. My guide Tod never did get into the math of what the actual cost was, only that I had to cultivate and increase my maximum energy to level up.

I suppose I could have asked at the Guide’s Guild while I was there, thinking on it now.  I never did take advantage of any of their free services, either. Hmm~ Something I’ll have to try and keep in mind for later.

Still, I work myself down from my nearly insane, even to my own ears, laughter before I reach out to the purified Soul Energy in this cultivation chamber.  It was far more dense than what I’d played with at the Guide’s Guild, and it responded easily to my pull. And again I’m left sighing out in pleasure as the energy soaks into my body, just not able to stop myself.  It really was like soaking in a warm bath.

At the same time I feel that my ‘Newly Dead’ perk doesn’t have to kick in so strongly here either, as there is already a great filter keeping out all the other forms of energy I cannot use.  Yet. This allows me to split my focus on checking on my status while cultivating.

 

[-Personal Statistics-]

[Name: -Locked-][Titles: Unpressured, Rank I.][Status: Civilian]

[Racial Type: Dead | Zombie][Rank: F | Level: 1]

[Soul Energy (SE): 3/25 (+)][Soul Points (SP): 5 (-Locked-)]

[Body: 1/4 | +1 (10 SE)][Mind: 1/4 | +1 (10 SE)][Soul: 1/4 | +1 (10 SE)]

[Feats: Over-Sight - Rank III. (14/40); Terror Resistance - Rank I. (23/25); Exhaustion Resistance - Rank VI. (9/150)(UP!)]

[Abilities: Energy Sight - Rank VI. (63/150); Inspect - Rank II. (5/50); Charge - Rank II. (3/50); Body Reinforcement - Rank II. (35/100)(NEW!)]

[Skills: Soul Energy Manipulation - Rank V. (12/125)(UP!); Energy Manipulation - Rank II. (4/50); Concentration - Rank V. (78/125)(UP!); Cultivation - Rank I. (52/100)]

[Perks: Newly Dead][Detriments: Newly Dead]

 

Everything looks good on that side of things for the moment, although the new abilities and rank ups are a nice bonus.  Especially the increase in my stat and soul energy limits. Which are probably not being done in the proper way, but whatever.  This is working for me, although I feel like I’m stumbling onto shit rather than doing it in a good way. Eh, I blame my insect-like stats.  And probably more than a little luck, although I cannot count myself lucky.

After dismissing my blue status screen I focus myself on really recouping my energy, reaching out for more and more of the soul energy around me.  Things pick up there, and I even close my eyes while concentrating, just allowing everything else to go so I can luxuriate in this great feeling. Hmmm, I really wanna stay this way for a while.

But eventually I start to feel bloated and full, but unlike before I don’t lose concentration just because of the jarring feeling.  Instead I slowly let go of the surrounding free soul energy, and it quickly relaxes back into its natural state before I open my eyes and stand up.  Aaah, I really do feel much better now.

 

[Concentration has leveled up!]

[Cultivation has leveled up!]

 

I have things to do though and people to see, happy with my efforts here.  Not to mention that bit of a bone to pick for making an ass of myself out in front of the gates.  Yeah, okay, so I’m still a bit annoyed at that. A little forewarning from anyone would have been nice, ya know?

Making my way to the thick stone door to the cultivation chamber, it takes me a moment to find the slightly raised switch to open it up.  When I do I’m left standing nearly face to face with Holdt, who clearly has a surprised look. Which instantly makes me suspicious.

“Done so soon?  Some of the newbies can take hours to fill up.”  Okay, so that explains that, allowing me to relax a bit before shrugging at him.

“Soul Energy Manipulation, Concentration, and Cultivating skills.”  My own reply is rather telling, because Holdt’s eyes go really wide before he grins and then starts to laugh.

“Oh boy, okay, so I can tell why you were sent this way.  Haha! It isn’t enough for you to perform those skills or abilities just once or twice in order to be granted them, you have to be able to figure out the trick and keep doing it to gain ranks!  And you’ve only been awakened what, two or three days? Shit man, that’s really impressive!”

Holdt laughs and grins and then looks me up and down as if he’d found a treasure or something.  Far more intrusive than I am used to, I have to fight down the urge to cross my arms in front of my stomach for some odd reason.  Eeeh.

Still, I do feel myself arching an eyebrow at the big grinning guard, unable to keep the somewhat-scowl off my face.  It really did feel like I was a child at this point, wandering around without understanding what I’m doing or why. All while everyone else watches on in apt amusement and a sort of cat-like curiosity.  Like playing with their food or something.

“Holdt, two days.  I’ve been awake two days, and most of that was spent unconscious due to the Scourge attack.  I’ve gotten almost no explanations of what is going on, what I’m supposed to do, or even if these strange skills and abilities I’ve been getting actually mean anything.

“I’ve been tossed around this place, here in Limbo, since the start.  And everyone seems highly amused at the fact. I’m a dead guy in a dead body that just happens to be thinking and walking around under his own power, with the stats that even a human baby couldn’t survive with.  So. I. Would. Really. Like. It. If. You. Could. Stop. Laughing. In. My. FACE!”

Whaoh, it just all came out all at once.  I didn’t mean to rant or yell at the guy, but it did give me some real satisfaction to see that grin come off his face really quickly.  That and the look of fear that came into his eyes for a moment as he steps back two spaces or so.

Then it was over, and I felt a lot better.  Holdt, on the other hand, actually looks somewhat sheepish as a hand comes up to rub the back of his head.  It seems my outburst had gone further than I’d expected.

“Yeah, okay.  Sorry about that.”  Holdt says after a moment, holding up his hands.  Which was probably as much as a direct apology as I could expect to get out of the zombie.  “Look, everything is odd here in Limbo to begin with. I’m only a couple years awakened myself, and all of us go through the hazing period.  Newly awakened deaders don’t really have the intelligence or wisdom to be counted as ‘alive’.

“It’s the ‘Newly Dead’ perk that’s keeping you going.  It suppresses your emotions in order to make sure you don’t go crazy due to your instincts.  Because of this newbies only have a few things they have to do before their 30 days are up. They have to cultivate, rank up, and invest in their stat points.  At least until they have 8 points in order to be counted as real thinking beings. Any less than that and they degrade to become frenzied undead, relegated to being corralled and controlled by necromancers.”

Okay, so that really did explain a few things.  Which I’m thankful for. That and the fact that I now have a very real time limits.  It really doesn’t feel so good, now that I’ve really been told about it. At least I have some concrete answers to my questions now.

“Thank you for explaining it to me.  So I really should be focusing on upping my stats right?”  I thank Holdt, who starts smiling again before nodding his head.

“Exactly.  Or more specifically upping your stats at as low a rank as possible.  Preferably to the max of 10 points, not one higher or lower.” Holdt says then, although that leaves me scratching my head as to why.  Thankfully I’m not stuck waiting for long.

“Anything below 10 points gives you a serious detriment depending upon the stat.  ‘Feeble’ for Body, ‘Dumb’ for Mind, and ‘Deadened’ for Soul. All three of which are really nasty to deal with and overcome.  And that’s only if you have 9 points. The ones for 8 points are even worse, and can take a really long time to get over. That’s because without the boosting nature of cultivating with the ‘Newly Dead’ perk, it takes far more effort to cultivate at those lowered levels.  Or doing much of anything really.”

Holdt stops there, and starts mumbling to himself for a moment.  I don’t get what he’s saying, but he is also suddenly staring off into space above my head for some reason.  Ugh, is the guy crazy or something? Then he snaps back to me and lets out a big sigh all of a sudden.

“It seems I’ll have to cut our conversation short here.  The Silver Lord is still waiting to meet you and made it abundantly clear that he’ll finish up the explanations.”  Holdt is now seeming much more serious, and I cannot help but feel that I got him into some trouble. I had no idea that Silver Lord had been watching us from wherever he was though.

“Okay, thank you, Holdt.”  I say simply, shrugging my shoulders at the man.  Nothing to do about it for the moment. “Lead on.”

Leading on Holdt does, and this time I’m actually able to take a good look about the place.  The building we are currently in is still made of black stone, which seems to be the local speciality.  Only this time the surfaces have been smoothed into a mirror shine, and every now and again I can vaguely make out flashes of light flowing along the stonework.

This specifically seems to draw my attention, so while we are walking I activate my Energy Sight ability, letting me get a far better look.  And a look it is indeed, because my vision is suddenly shrouded in otherwise imperceptible light. Every stone is smooth and sleek on the outside, but their insides are all engraved and filled in with a something that is highly conductive to the soul energy running through them.  Even the mortar is speckled with that conductive substance, allowing the soul energy the ability to freely flow from one stone to all of its neighbors without hardly any resistance.

Then moving my gaze, I can see the same sorts of engraved patterns everywhere.  It’s in the floors, the walls, and the ceiling. Even the windows, which have what seems to be normal glass, is marked in the same way.  The glass itself is conductive all its own, making me think that it might actually be the same sort of soul glass Tod had yesterday.

The patterns though, that flow of soul energy… I’ve never seen anything like it.  It brought to mind descriptions of wiring and ‘electricity’, but I’m missing any sort of context on those faint memories.  All I know is that this building houses a colossal amount of power, and it is all being used for something or another.

“Hells’ man, Energy Sight too?”  Holdt’s voice suddenly brings me back to the here and now, and I turn my gaze to the older zombie.  Doing so shows that his entire body is shrouded in soul energy, far more dense than I’d seen before.  Only it’s spread out evenly across his body, instead of being clumped up like the other zombies I’d seen at the Guide’s Guild.

“How can you tell?”  I ask curiously, even as I scan him with my gaze.  It must have been a common enough thing though, because Holdt doesn’t even blink while looking over his shoulder at me.

“Your eyes start glowing when you use the ability.  All of you magic types do, actually. As a rule of thumb, if you encounter someone with glowing eyes then it means they are using an ability that has to do with their eyes.”  Holdt says then, to which I nod and try to memorize. It is without doubt another piece of information that’s good to know.

“Now I know why Silver Lord is so impatient to actually meet you.  Four abilities or skills, in not even two full days of awakening. That’s some insane learning speed there.”  Holdt sounds a bit dejected at that, and his broad shoulders actually fall. All I can do is laugh dryly though.

“All I’ve been doing since awakening is trying things, Holdt.  Trying to move my soul energy around, trying to see the odd things I’ve been feeling.  Trying to grasp onto the energy all around me. Trying to run for my life or trying to reach the gates outside… I really try at everything.”

There’s no easy way for me to describe it, but that’s really all I’ve been doing here for myself.  I’ve either been following directions of others or trying things out for myself. Two full days of doing just those two things really.  Yet I also feel that I want to try more. To do more things. I just don’t know why I feel that way.

“Hmm.  Well, something to keep in mind.”  Holdt says after a moment of what I’d assume was thought on his part.  That just makes me chuckle, drawing his gaze back at me again.

“Sorry, it’s just seems a little funny.  Here I am, the newbie, and yet you are asking about how or why I’ve been doing these things.  Tod, my awakening Guide, told me that sorcery is a type of magic based upon feeling and desire.  Yet I feel that all of my skills and abilities are the same. I want to go forward with them, using them, and desire an outcome with them…

“It was like outside the gates, while being pressured.  I wasn’t really thinking, because I couldn’t. But I used what I had to do what I could to just take another step forward.  I’d actually used my ‘Charge’ ability while being suppressed to get an idea of what to do, and just went with it. Gained the ‘Body Reinforcement’ ability for my efforts, as well as bunch of other stuff.”

I still do try to explain myself to Holdt, if only to actually explain it to myself.  In truth I still don’t know what Soul Energy is, or how or why it works the way it does.  Or this system the Voice has set up for everyone. Just too many questions and not nearly enough answers.  The feeling I have though is that it will all make sense later, and that there is more to it than what I’m seeing.

“I just feel that the desire of wanting to do something counts very much toward actually being able to accomplish it.  Or maybe it’s just me.” I end with a bit of self-depreciation there, because who am I talking to? I’m just a newbie here in Limbo.

But while we were talking I didn’t realize that we’d entered what appears to be a central hall.  Tall pillars reach toward the arched and domed ceiling high above, while the previous black stone has been replaced with colors of grey and red and purple, all in swirling patterns that draw the eye.  Even those colors are accented with gold and silver, the actual metals, which glint in the grey light produced by sconces mounted on the walls. I’d missed those on the walk earlier.

The hall itself is just as engraved and coursing with power as the rest of the building seems to be.  To my Energy Sight, it was like the brightest and most colorful day a person could ever have. Almost too bright, to be honest.

“Ho ho, it really seems that I’ve been given a gift this time.”  The sudden loud voice breaks me out of both the sightseeing and the conversation I was having with Holdt, both for two totally different reasons.

First off, Holdt himself has dropped to one knee, bowing his head to the old man who’d just appeared.  Secondly because just a glance at the man was more than enough to make my eyes snap shut in pain, making me grimace and all but stumble back a step or two in recoil.  It was like a handful of needles had just been shoved into my damned eyeballs! Or they’d been ripped out of my skull and doused in acid while still connected to my brain.  Something painful like that.

Just that single glance though answered my lingering questions though, because the old man was very much the Silver Lord of the Silver Key Magic Society.  If only because even as a zombie, the man was entire silver in color. Like he’d dipped his entire body in liquid silver metal and then let it soak all the way into his bones.

Except it wasn’t metal.  It was Soul Energy, so highly refined and compressed that it’s very nearly a solid substance inside of his body.  And it all radiates power like a damned sun in my Energy Sight. Far too much, in fact. That makes the backlash from my Energy Sight none too pleasant at all.

 

[Over-Sight has leveled up!]

[Energy Sight has leveled up!]

 

I honestly can’t even see the floating text messages that hang in front of my eyes when I finally do open them again a few moments later, as everything in my vision is just too blurry.  What I can make out though is a silver colored old man who is suddenly way too close for comfort. Staring at me like I was some sort of exotic critter, to boot. Not creepy at all, right?  Especially with those glowing eyes, that really stand out as my vision starts to clear.

“Hmm hmm… Yes indeed.  Energy Sight, Soul Energy and Energy Manipulation, Concentration, and Exhaustion Resistance.  Good. Really good!” The old man starts talking again, although rather it is to himself or to others I can’t tell.  He seems way too excited though, especially because it seems like he is reading my own damned status!

When I take another step back though he takes one forward, still staring and leaving me getting gradually less creeped out and more freaked out instead.  So much so that I hold up my hands to try to widen the distance. Yet I’d barely even opened my mouth as well when his eyes suddenly widden and I could swear that I saw a flicker of blue in his otherwise silver gaze.

“Unpressured?!  A Title!” Glad I’m not the only one who had to pick their jaw almost literally off the ground, because Holdt had about fallen over himself as he jerked around at the Silver Lord’s yell.  Which means I now have two guys staring at me in amazement.

“Cut that out already!  Hell, if you wanted to know my status I could have just told you!”  I end up yelling at the old man, snapping a bit. Eccentricities are something I am definitely not able or willing to deal with right now, damn it all.

My yell does the trick though, because the Silver Lord jerks back and Holdt has a slightly forlorn look on his face while watching the two of us.  Shit, it’s like everyone is a spectator to this damned sport here. Ugh.

“Ah, my apologies.  It isn’t often that I get to Gaze at such a promising newbie.”  The old man says then, straightening himself up and reaching up as if to stroke a beard that isn’t there.  In fact his fingers are already spread and in the motion before he suddenly stops, chagrin at the fact. Heh.  Seems I’m not the only one with embarrassing issues. I just manage to hide my snicker though.

“I’ve been getting that a lot apparently.  Doing things others are either told not to do or just fumbling my way around.  And yes, I got the title after walking through that enchantment on the front gate.”  My voice comes out a bit colder than I would have wanted, but I’m rather already tired of all of this.  Maybe it’s time for a nap, even though I don’t feel physically tired at all.

Still, the old man, this Silver Lord just laughs it off and waves the issue away.  At the same time he turns to Holdt and motions for the man to get up. No use in standing on ceremony or the like at this point, I guess.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.  You could say that hazing the newbies is the national pastime of Limbo in general.  You are rather close of having a frenzie though, so I’ll spread the word to let the others know to back off.”  Silver Lord says then, as if utterly unperturbed.

Except I’m not, especially when he mentions ‘having a frenzie’, which doesn’t sound good.  It showed too, because my glance to Holdt is intercepted rather quickly by the old man. It was probably written all over my face or something at this point.

“Don’t worry too much about it.  A frenzie happens when your emotional limit is reached while under the effect of the ‘Newly Dead’ perk.  Suppressing your emotional state isn’t the same as getting rid of it, after all. You’d just go crazy for a little while.  Happens to most newbies.”

Okay, that’s a bit of a relief.  Like, I really don’t want to go feral or anything.  I’d much rather be thinking and dead emotionally than otherwise, you know?  Becoming a shambler zombie simply because I couldn’t stay in control would suck quite badly.

“Thank you, Silver Lord.”  I finally say, giving a rather sloppy bow to the man whom is once more trying to stroke a beard that isn’t there.  This time he doesn’t catch the action though.

“I also performed a feat, ‘Under Pressure’, which boosted my maximum stat point limit from 3 to 4 to go along with that title.  I currently have a maximum of 25 soul energy points as well. None of them bought with cultivation.” That last bit comes out a little bitter on my end, given the sheer exhaustion I’ve had to go through to gain those points.

“Oooh?  That’s something I cannot see with my Gaze.  Much like your Energy Sight, it only shows what’s on the surface, as it were.  Abilities and Skills are fairly easy, as are Titles; but Feats and stat details are not.  We need a Person Scrying Stone to get your full status recorded.” Silver Lord says then.

“Alright.  First though, do we have some place where we can sit and speak?  I’ve either been bedridden, carried around, or on my feet since I was awakened yesterday.  I’d really like to be able to sit down and go over what I should have been told before.” Okay, so maybe that came out more of a plea than anything, but I don’t really care.  Today has just been crazy from the get-go.

“Sure, sure.  You come along too, Holdt.  I’m assigning you as this one's’ proctor for now.”  The old man says then, before turning and all but gliding away across the great halls’ floor.  I have to hurry to catch up with the evolved Silver Zombie, and Holdt himself is only a step or two behind me.  I have no idea what a proctor is, but Holdt is all but grinning ear to ear when I glance back at him.

Still, it seems we are in for another bit of a walk, and I take the time to quiet my thoughts and emotions.  This rollercoaster ride was really starting to get to me. Although I have no idea what a rollercoaster is. Ugh.  Just another thing to add to my list of annoyances.

Starting from the beginning, I died.  No clue how, or why. No clue of what sort of life I lived before, except it was a mortal one and that of a human.  Limbo seems to be a place solely for the human dead, after all.

I awakened as a zombie, which is the most balanced of the options possible.  With a real meat-and-bone body, I have a balanced set of stats in comparison to the others.  Both Skeletons and Ghost types have a harder time reaching their max. Which is a good thing for me.  On the other hand nothing has gone the way it was supposed to.

Running into the Scourge really seemed to throw everything off.  Tod and George, the devils’ from the Guide’s Guild were taking us to Helen City in order to talk and explain more before it all went to shit.  In fact I really should have asked Tresk, the Kriti I’d met, where I could find one of the two. But thoughts like that are fleeting for me right now, no doubt a side effect of my low stats.

Then there was all this trouble here at the Silver Key.  That suppression enchantment was a nasty piece of work, although I get the feeling it only felt that way because of how weak I am.  It’s probably meant more as a deterrent than a solid defense itself. Against what, I have no idea though.

At least Holdt seems like a good enough guy.  Silver Lord though… I’m really not sure. He’s way too eccentric for me right now.  Tresk seemed to trust him, so I’ll just have to deal with it for now. So long as I can keep myself in check, in any case.

All the same, the growing sense of frustration and stagnation is really starting to grind on me.  It was like I really wanted more. To do more and explore more and go out and experience more. Yet I don’t know why.  Why the feeling is slowly building up or why it is so important to me.

Just thinking about it brings on one of those nasty memory headaches, which I grimace through silently.  It isn’t hard, as Silver Lord himself is quite happy to hum as he walks along and Holdt doesn’t seem the sort to be overly talkative in higher company.

Thus with my thoughts swirling around in this manner we are finally brought to a room closed off by a pair of double doors.  Made of some sort of ebony wood, they almost match the surrounding black stone. Except for the intricate carvings etched into them.  Circles and geodesic patterns that feel strong to the point of being overbearing, obviously enchanted. I don’t even need to use my sight to figure out that much.

Silver Lord simply waves his hand in front of the doors to cause them to open though, revealing a room that is lavishly decorated and arranged as a sitting room for guests or company.  All the furniture is craft of rich woods and stuffed leather, while the light comes from a sparkling crystal chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The light is soft and golden, in comparison to the usual silver I’ve seen thus far.

“Here we go.  This is my personal sitting room, so take a seat.”  Silver Lord says then even as he moves into the room, walking over to a large cabinet placed against the back wall.  Glancing at it, I find that it’s filled with bottles. Wine or other sorts of alcohol, perhaps.

I do move to take a seat though, a bit gingerly as I test the cushions.  They are soft and surprisingly comfortable, and I almost sigh as I sink into the damned things.  Holdt on the other hand barely contains himself and bounces onto the cushion beside me, causing the sofa to shift a bit.

“Hmm, where to start…”  Silver Lord says then as he returns with a bottle and a set of glasses.  He isn’t holding them though, as they just sort of float around in front of him as he moves to take a seat across from us.

“How about where Holdt left off earlier?  He was telling me about the detriments of not having my stat points up to 10 before my 30 days of ‘Newly Dead’ are up.”  I ask, pointing out the first of the things I really wanted to know about.

“Yes, Holdt was doing a good job with that.”  The old man agrees with a nod. “Okay, so getting stats below 10 are bad, but getting stats above 10 can be just as frustrating.  Us scholars call the issue ‘Soul Flux’. Soul Flux happens during the true awakening because most deaders were humans of average ability and intellect.  Their stats while alive were only 10 points or so, and suddenly being empowered beyond that limit can cause a variety of issues once those memories are unlocked in your current form.

“It is like a child suddenly gaining the strength of an adult.  Only it isn’t just limited to physical strength. Magical prowess is directly tied to the mind and soul, after all, and is something most living humans have never experienced before.  It can be toxicating, frightening, and any number of other emotions all at once.

“There is all of that.  Then there’s the issue that your current body is not YOUR body.  In fact, all the random bodies, skeletons, and gore you’ll find out in Limbo aren’t and never were living bodies to begin with.  They are manifestations of Soul Energy given form by Limbo itself. And your soul has spent its entire existence being inside just your own body.  That shapes your soul just as much as your memories do. So there is a disjoint at that point. All of which lead to Soul Flux.”

Wow, so the old man really knows how to talk and explain such things.  I can see why he’s a magical researcher. Or at least tries to. If I remember correctly, Tresk said the Silver Lord was more apt at administration though.  So maybe he’s just good at talking.

“So the issue isn’t that being stronger is bad when the memories are unsealed, but that going from average and alive to being stronger and very much dead has a strong effect on the soul.”  I try to boil it down, and get a nod and a smile for my efforts. That’s good then.

“Just about, yes.  Every undead alive in Limbo has to deal with some form of Soul Flux after their 30 days are up.  Crying uncontrollably tends to be a rather common occurrence.” Silver Lord says then, giving a sly look to Holdt beside me.  Holdt, for all his previous excitement, suddenly flushes in obvious embarrassment, making both myself and Silver Lord laugh a bit at his expense.

“Still, the reactions get progressively worse the more powerful your stats are when it happens.  Mental breakdowns are rather common, as are hysterics. No one wants to believe they have died, after all, even if they were granted this new form of living.  The worse case however is that the soul rejects their body outright, which can cast them out as a ghost.” That last part sounds bad, and Holdt is solemnly nodding his own head at that.

“I saw a newbie do just that just this past year.  Training here in the Silver Key as a magic user, just like you.  When his 30 days were up, his Soul and Mind stats had already surpassed 10.5, spawning several new attributes.  He didn’t just become a ghost though, but a Banshee. We had to put him down before he, -she-, caused too much harm.”  Holdt breaks in there, which causes Silver Lord to grimace a bit at the memory.

Oh, damn.  That sounds bad.  But what really gets my attention is the ‘she’ part in Holdt’s words.  That makes me blink at the guy.

“Wait, that newbie was a woman?”  Okay, so maybe it could have been put more delicately, but both Holdt and Silver Lord just break out laughing at the surprise in my voice.

“Haha.  Yes. You see, only Ghost have a definitive gender when they are newly awakened.  Mostly because it reflects their true soul form. Zombies and Skeletons are both considered without gender until your ‘Newly Dead’ perk ends.”  Silver Lord explains then, a bit of mirth still etched on his lips.

“You see, this is part of the process.  Your body right now is generic, in every sense of the word.  You look like a man, but without any striking features or muscle definition.  I’m not sure if your Guide’s ever mentioned it, but your body right now is rather mutable.  You could become a skeleton or a ghost, or even regain another zombie body should things go that direction.  

“That mutability changes into a fixed form when the perk ends, and your soul is seated properly into your body.  You are responding well as a male though, so I assume that you were a guy in your previous life.” Silver Lord says then, actually grinning a bit.

All I could do is shrink my neck, because that really explained a few things.  Like why all the newbie zombies I’d seen at the Guide’s Guild all looked the same.  Not exactly the same, but every one of them was grey skinned and without any striking or definitive features.  In comparison both Silver Lord and Holdt had much more individuality.

“So being too strong at that point can be a bad thing, just as much as being too weak.”  Silver Lord brings the conversation back around, and I just shake my head to get my thoughts back into order while listening to him.

“On the other hand, Holdt also mentioned the fact that you want to be as low Ranked as possible when you do hit those limits.  The reason for that is mainly two fold. The first is that your body will change with each rank up, becoming more and more different from this base generic form.  This just makes it harder for your soul to seat properly, thus causing Soul Flux. The second is because you will be missing out on a whole lot of evolution options that unlock at lower Ranks.”

Now that is something I really want to know more about.  Tod had mentioned evolutions and the like before, but there is a very real lack of detail in his description.  Which is why I sit up straighter on the sofa and wait somewhat expectantly, bringing even more amusement to Silver Lord.

“Yes yes, an exciting topic without a doubt.”  He starts slowly, then laughs out loud when I actually flip him the finger.  “Okay, I’ll get on with it, hold your galva lizards.” Silver Lord clears his throat then.  No clue what galva lizards are, either.

“Evolutions are a natural progression that happens when a person fulfills specific requirements.  Those of us native to Limbo all start on the same level, as a part of a dead race and Rank F. Starting at Rank D, you get the option to evolve, assuming you meet the requirements.  The most basic example for you would be going from a regular Zombie to an Elite Zombie.

“Elite Zombies require 4 points in your three starting stats, and a defining skill or ability you excel in.  A skill or ability at least Rank V, as the case may be. Which is pretty easy to achieve, given that you don’t have to evolve as soon as you Rank up.  You can put it off until any point before you Rank up again. Evolving in that case resets both your Race and your Rank to their base. You’d become an Elite Zombie, of Rank F level 1.”

Silver Lord stops there, and I start bobbing my head in a nod showing that I’ve been listening.  I really can’t say anything about it though, because I simply don’t know what to think about the whole thing.  Ranking up and evolving seems simple, but I know for a fact that it is anything but. Still, my studious listening seems to please Silver Lord, who smiles and continues on.

“By evolving into an Elite Zombie, your maximum stat limit is increased by two points and you’ll gain a one time boost to your defining skill or ability.  So from 4 points to 6. At the same time though you will have to spend twice the cost to level up your rank, and you will be unable to evolve again at Rank D.  Your next step will only be available at Rank C, including its much more harsh requirements. That, and besides being a bit stronger, there are no other perks to evolving into an Elite Zombie.”

Once more Silver Lord stops there, only because he’s suddenly interrupted.  When he’d sat down, he’d seemingly forgotten about the bottle and glasses he’d brought along, which had been floating around his seat this entire time.  Until now, that is, because the bottle had bumped into the back of his head with enough force to cause a slightly metallic ‘dong’ sound. Which catches Holdt totally off guard, making him burst out laughing at the scowling expression Silver Lord shoots the misbehaving bottle.

It really did seem as whatever magic he was using has its own sense of humor though, cause when Silver Lord tried to grab the bottle, it flew away from him and was bobbing up and down as if laughing itself.  It was just so unexpected and amusing that even I chuckle at the sight.

“Blasted spirit magic…”  Silver Lord spits out as he shakes his head and motions to the coffee table set between our seats, seeming to force the offending bottle and glasses to float over and sit themselves down.  “Really convenient, but with a Hell’s mind of its own.” Oooh, it does seem that Silver Lord can grumble with the best of them!

“Here, have a drink.  Just a sip at a time though, this stuff is potent.”  Silver Lord says then, bringing us around to the drink he deftly pours into the glasses.  Only about a quarter full for each of us though. The liquid itself is such a deep red that it is very nearly black, but I can’t smell anything about it even when I take the glass offered.

In fact the glass is much more interesting to me at this point, because just touching it allows me to feel the gentle currents of soul energy inside of it.  Thus the drinking glass itself is made of a single piece of Soul Glass, and probably very very expensive all its own. Which leaves me to wonder just how much it really costs.  A small vial seemed to be quite the expense for Tod yesterday after all.

Still, there is little point in dallying.  Raising the glass to my lips, I gently sip the contents.  And am instantly reminded that my sense of taste has been dulled this entire time since my awakening, because what hits my tongue suddenly sets a damned fire to the whole of my mouth.  Almost literally, because what I’m forced to swallow isn’t liquid by the time it reaches the back of my throat. Instead it is a very rich and pure form of distilled Soul Energy that wastes no time at all in drilling into my stomach and then through the rest of my body.

Thankfully Holdt sitting beside me is just the same, cause his face goes as red as mine feels it is.  That and the smoke leaking from between his lips and out his nose and ears. I have little doubt it’s the same for me too.  Silver Lord by comparison simply seems to be enjoying his glassful as it were some fine wine or something.

 

[Distilled Soul Energy ingested!]

[+1 maximum Soul Energy.]

 

Wooooooo!  That’s really a rush, as that fiery feeling just runs right through my body, agitating my own reserves of Soul Energy until they all but boil over inside of my body.  Then there’s a sort of feeling of ‘expansion’, and my maximum goes up. That leaves me a bit wild eyed, while Holdt seems a little chest fallen. Silver Lord on the other hand is amused and chuckling to himself, still holding his glass and drinking it far more easily than either of us in front of him.

“This drink is called Red Soul, and it is a liquor produced from Demon Grain that’s distilled by a high ranked alchemist using energy from soul stones.  Highly refined, it can actually be taken as a tonic or potion to quickly replenish your soul energy reserves. Or enjoyed as a good liquor that it is.”

Yeah, probably more information than I needed right now.  But it doesn’t stop me from taking another sip. This makes me endure the burning sensation all over again.

 

[Distilled Soul Energy ingested!]

[+1 maximum Soul Energy.]

 

Shit, at this point I’m wondering where I can get some of my own.  Red Soul is all but spoiling me at this point, even though I am worried a bit about the cost.  Just about everything in Silver Key screams of wealth and resources. Far more than the Guide’s Guild did, at any rate.

“Ah, good stuff.” Silver Lord finally finishes up his glass, but I cannot even take another sip just yet.  My insides are still burning at this point.

“Now then, back onto the topic at hand.  You want to reach 10 points in your stats, as low a Rank as possible.  Without evolving. Most newbies never get that far, due to limits of time or resources.  The Guide’s Guild does good work for what it does, but they are rather limited all the same.

“But you, my dear newbie, have already learned the real secret of reaching that point.  Through training and performing feats recognized by the Voice, you can gain increases in your maximum stat limits without ever ranking up at all.”  At that point Silver Lord is actually pointing at me with his free hand, a wide grin on his face and a somewhat crazed look in his eyes.

“Pushing your limits is the only way to do it.  And this works not just with physical feats either.  Intellectual feats or feats of skill work just as well.  Until you reach the 10 point limit and your stats start spawning, any feat you perform will give you a maximum boost in all three!  This is a secret revealed only to the smartest, most skilled, or luckiest of newbies!

“It is also why the Silver Key Magic Society is still so small compared to others, because it costs real resources and money to be trained in this manner.  Yet I do not recruit anyone but those who can do what you did very much by accident. Holdt, tell him.”

Silver Lord’s sudden aggressive words really shock me there, as well as the secret itself.  That was huge information all its own, and for a moment I feel kind of rueful and pitying to everyone who never learned of it until later.  If only for a moment. I have too much focus and perhaps even ambition in my soul to regale others so highly for long.

“Yes, Silver Lord.”  Holdt joins the conversation at that point, turning to look at me.  “I was newly awakened three years ago, and like you I was brought to Helen City by a Guide from the Guide’s Guild.  Their introduction was proper, but I was hot blooded and didn’t like the crowds that constantly swarm inside the Guild itself.  So after learning a few fighting skills with the great sword I left the Guide’s Guild to explore Helen City itself.

“I wandered the whole of the city for days, cultivating in dark alleys and meeting all sorts of people.  I eventually made my way to the neighborhood here outside of the Silver Key. At the same time though I’d angered several of the small criminal groups around the city, stepping into messes I had nothing to do with, trying to help or settle disputes, things like that.”

At this point Holdt stops and takes a breath, before looking toward Silver Lord who in turn nods in approval.  It seems that something was more than what was being said, but I get the gist of it thus far anyway. It isn’t my place to pry, one way or another.

“The Silver Key has always been a small to medium Society here in the city.  It has almost no reputation in the city at large outside of a few magical circles.  Even the Wizard’s Tower ignores the Silver Key, if only because Sir Silver Lord himself is rather powerful.”  Okay, that’s all good to know, and I nod in understanding toward Holdt.

“Anyway, I’d wandered down the street here outside the front gate pretty much by accident.  About two hundred feet away from the gate though I was ambushed by several of the groups I’d angered during my days of roaming.  They proceeded to beat me, right out there in the open.”

At this point Holdt has a somewhat distant, slightly sad, and frustrated look on his face.  The emotions mix back and forth, before he shrugs his shoulders and sets them aside. What replaces them is a somewhat happy smile of fondness or the like.  I cannot tell.

“A random passerby tried to break up the fight, and was knocked down and hurt in the attempt.  I ended up standing over her prone form and fought back. I’d yet to reach Rank D, but I’d maxed out all of my stats and had a decent enough skill in the great sword to hold most of them at bay for a while.  Until one of the goons shot me with a crossbow bolt center mass.”

Holdt stops there, and instead pulls up his tunic, revealing a rather ghastly wound nearly centered in his chest.  Only instead of scar tissue, the wound had been filled in with the nearly same silver metal that appears to make up Lord Silver’s body.  And the expanded veins of silver that run into Holdt’s own body.

“The shot almost threw me to the ground, but I held my stance and kept fighting.  Eventually all the yelling and skulduggery attracted attention, and the Silver Key guards arrived and put down the fight in short order.  The woman who I’d been defending spoke up for me, given that she lives just down the street so the Silver Key guys brought me in to treat my wounds.

“It was at that point that Sir Silver Lord himself showed up to ask what all the fuss was about.  He used his Gaze ability to check my condition and realized that I’d performed two different feats very much by accident.  ‘Defender’ and ‘Last Stand’, which netted me two more stat points. I was recruited into the Silver Key after they patched me up, and have remained here ever since my true awakening.”

Oh boy, it really seems that Holdt had gone through quite a bit himself.  Still, those two feats sound interesting. Silver Lord on the other hand has a smile that’s like a kid having a favorite toy in his grasp.  A bit unnerving, truth be told. Which is why I promptly ignore it.

“Yep.  That’s basically how I recruit everyone for the Silver Key.  The kids either bring themselves to my attention or they get sent my way by those who are in the know.  Tresk himself promised that you were quite promising, and that praise seems rather apt.” Silver Lord himself takes over again here, giving Holdt a grin before turning back to me.

“But Tresk had originally said that he suspected you had already performed such a feat.  That’s why he sent you this way to begin with. Yet you’d only gained ‘Under Pressure’ at the gate.”  Silver Lord points this out, and I blink before a light bulb goes off in my head.

“Ah!  Yeah, before I left the Guide’s Guild, still in the medical ward.  I was cultivating for the first time and started kind of playing around with the energies the ‘Newly Dead’ perk was keeping away from me.  The Voice said I’d performed a ‘Partial Feat: Accidental Purification’.” I explain to Silver Lord, who perks up and listens before nodding his head.  At the same time his hand comes up to stroke that imaginary beard, and I cannot help but wonder if he’d once had a long beard in his past life or something.  Or if he had just recently gotten rid of the thing.

“That explains it then.  Partial Feats are simply incomplete.  Either by not having enough knowledge or were brought out of the state before it was accomplished.  It’s held in reserve though, so you can complete it at any time afterwards. ‘Accidental Purification’ though, huh?  Already looking into cultivating without the ‘Newly Dead’ perk then?” Heh, it was like Silver Lord could see right through what was on my mind at the time.  Or rather, what the result would be.

I had just been playing with the power during that time, after all.  I had wanted more Soul Energy, and thus stripped it from all the other energies already being held outside of my body.  Explosive, and dangerous, to be sure. It was effective though.

“Ah, well, we can deal with that later then.”  Silver Lord says then, and for a moment I’m all but petrified by the grin he’s suddenly showing.  Part maniacal, part cruel, and part very much sadistic. Even Holdt scoots back in the seat beside me at the sight of it.

“Now you should go ahead and finish your drink, my boy.  Afterwards we will discuss the training I’m going to put you through.  And you already have a very good basis, with that Exhaustion Resistance and the fact that you’ve yet to buy a single point in Soul Energy capacity yourself.  Hahaha, hehehe…” Okay, that laugh is really, really creepy and a quick glance at Holdt tells me that it is only going to get worse. The guy is basically pale as a ghost and is actually sweating while watching Silver Lord.

“Hehe… You even have the Title of Unpressured.  That just makes it more exciting! I’ll jack up the gravity and energy suppression enchantments and see how far you can go… Yes, that’ll work just perfectly.  Hmm… Need something for Energy Sight too, and Concentration of course… Oh, all the options!”

Oh shit.  Did I really just come to the home of a crazy guy?  Tresk, I swear, I may just strangle you if these fears prove true!  And I don’t think I’ll ever get that crazy laughter out of my head.  Damn it all.