[You have survived: 07 days in Limbo! Have a nice day!]

A week. I’ve been alive and in Limbo for an entire week. A week that has gone from crazy to very much insane. And not always in the good way either.

You see, the craziness all started after I was sent to the Silver Key Magic Society by a merchant and information broker by the name of Tresk. A Kriti, the humanoid evolution form of the species of rat monsters living in Helen City, Tresk was very helpful and friendly when I showed no disgust for his being. I personally don’t think talking anthropomorphic rats are all that strange anyway.

Now, you might ask how things have gone insane when I was sent to this place in order to learn and grow stronger, right? The answer to that is in the reception and the ‘training’ I’ve received since joining the Silver Key. For nearly an entire week that’s all I’ve been doing. Training and training and more Hell’s damned training!

I’ve been crushed, burned, electrocuted, frozen, bashed, speared, slashed, melted, and very much blown up. I’ve been blinded, suffered hearing loss, and had my nose blown off. Even my limbs were not spared, forcing me to crawl around for a while like the zombies my race is named after. All while being forced to study from texts transcribed into plates of iron in order to withstand all the cruel shit I’ve been put through.

‘Myaker’s Geography of Limbo’, ‘A Beginner’s History of Limbo’, ‘Sorcery for Dummies’, ‘Bee-Pi’s Guide to Monsterology’, ‘Limbo, Hell, and the other Dark Planes; a Testimony’, ‘Thaumaturgy 101’; and a whole bunch of other books, scrolls, and studies. All of them crammed into my head in one form or another. And none of them by simply sitting and reading.

All under the direct supervision of Silver Lord, the leader of the Silver Key Magic Society. A seemingly old man, he’s several centuries awakened and is a rather advanced evolution of zombie called a Silver Zombie. I’d come to find out that ‘metallic’ evolutions are both hard to get and rather rare as well.

Yet this old man is utterly sadistic. Not in the pure abusive sense, but in the fact that his own magical research focuses upon newly awakened undead, their development, and their potential to amass power and reach rare evolutions early in their ranks. So Silver Lord takes great enjoyment in designing training programs for the specially selected recruits in the Silver Key.

And here I am, his favorite new test subject. Which is an apt description, even if it really doesn’t do what I’ve been subjected to proper justice. It really is too damned bad, because otherwise I’d be shouting it out at the rooftops just to get over my own pain and frustrations.

All of which leads to my latest bit of craziness, as I’ve once more gone into a frenzy on account of all the stress I’d been dealing with. Thankfully after the first time the ones after it don’t really come off in a bad way. To compare it with a situation for the living, it would be like going out and getting drunk after a long day of work. Or bad week, as the case may be.

For us newly awakened though, a frenzy occurs when our emotional limits are surpassed. Usually the ever-helpful perk ‘Newly Dead’ suppresses our emotions to a great extent, but the perk itself doesn’t remove the emotions that build up. And build up, and build up even more while under stress and pressure. Thus a frenzy happens, in which case the emotions all come boiling out and there’s quite a bit of punching and crying and yelling at the top of our lungs involved.

Then it’s over with and we go on with our day. Or in this case, my day. Which are 24 hours, 7 days a week. Not having to sleep is really great from a time management standpoint, you know.

For all of that and my own infernal complaining, I really can’t argue against the results. Even Silver Lord, this old bastard, is very happy with my progress. In fact he’d just spent the last night digging through the Silver Key records to find if any new recruit has done so much in so short a time. He suspects that I am breaking records in all sorts of ways.

I for one am not interested in all of that though. All I care about is getting stronger and learning more. And not just in the fields of magical study, either. Which thankfully the Silver Key can provide, because while they are classified as a Magic Society, they don’t reject martial or craft skills training either. Silver Lord will use anything and everything to advance his own studies, after all. Well, I really should be saying ‘we’, because I am a part of Silver Key now.

Finally calming down from my latest frenzy, I drop gasping to the floor of my own personal cultivation chamber. I’d received it two days after I’d joined the Silver Key as a welcome gift from Silver Lord himself. He’d specifically enchanted it too, reinforcing it for some of my more crazy experiments and my frenzies. And allowing its use as a true training room, to boot.

Especially with a really strong version of what is known as a ‘Suppression Field’ enchantment. A combination of gravity manipulation and a soul energy field magics, the Suppression Field has been in constant usage since I’d been dropped in here. In fact Silver Lord has had to come and increase the enchantments strength twice since I began training in here, much to his own chagrin. Not even he expected to have to do so much in so short a time.

It leaves me weak and gasping for breath though, because just moving around takes a whole lot of effort and energy on my part. The frenzy state doesn’t help that any, because it will use up all of my strength and resources during the rampage. So not only am I physically wore out, my soul energy reserves are depleted as well. The state of exhaustion has become so regular though that I barely feel it anymore.

I really don’t feel it when I relax my body and then start yanking myself from it. A ghostly double of my head, chest, and arms starts to emerge from my physical body, and I cannot help but breath a sigh of relief as the physical exhaustion and pressure falls away. It feels rather liberating, truth be told, although it would no doubt freak quite a few people out if they really saw me this way.

In fact only Silver Lord and Holdt, my assigned Proctor, have ever seen this ability of mine. I’d discovered it quite by accident while studying the all but unhealable damage the Scourge had caused me during one of my self-training segments a couple of days ago. The Scourge had ended up ripping several fingers off of my left hand, leaving me otherwise whole. But I’d been noticing an odd feeling from those fingers, thus leading to this discovery.

That odd feeling, it turns out, was actually my soul form not being able to recognize the fact that I no longer had those fingers. It would have stayed that way too until my true awakening in three weeks time if I hadn’t started playing around with the feeling. And eventually ended up pulling myself from my own body.

Normally counted as an extreme case of disjunction between the soul form and the body that causes a reject to take place, I was willingly able to pull myself out and exist in that state until I go back. The first time was really freaky actually, and it is still a little disconcerting.

Like now, I’m sitting ‘half out’ while my zombie body rests on the floor. Yet because I’m still connected to my body I can see, feel, hear and everything from my physical body. Yet I can also see and feel through my ghostly soul form at the same time. I can still feel the constant pressure of the Suppression Field too, although it is much less pronounced than before. It’s like the senses from my physical body have taken a back seat to the senses received in my soul form.

Yet for all of the separation, both of my forms carry the same limits of stats, resources, and abilities or skills. Their application is different depending upon which state I’m in, but everything else works just the same. It’s crazy and weird and all sorts of awesome at the same time.

Silver Lord himself has never seen anyone do what I’ve been doing. To his knowledge no one in the whole of Limbo has willingly separated their spirit from their body before, and yet still be able to go right back in as if nothing had happened at all. I can though, which is just great.

If only because my current zombie body isn’t my original. In fact it’s my third, and I’m already about ready for my fourth. Switching out bodies that have become too damaged to heal has become the greatest boon ever when paired with Silver Lord’s crazy training schemes. And he has taken complete and utter advantage of that fact. Which probably makes him the happiest man in all of Helen City at this point. So when I said earlier that I’d been blown up and have taken all sorts of damage, I mean it literally.

Now, the perks of having gained this ability are great, but the downsides are just as bad. First, because this spirit/soul form is not my natural state in Limbo, using it requires the use of Soul Energy when I’m completely separated from my physical body. This means there is a very real time limit, and it restricts what abilities and skills I can use. The first and only time I ever tested running out of Soul Energy was not a pleasant experience. Even Silver Lord was frightened by my nearly broken soul that made its way screaming back into my zombie body. He’d had to use his own power to help stabilize my condition before I was out of danger. So no pushing the clock, EVER.

Secondly, I have to have a designated anchor. A body as it were. It doesn’t matter rather that body be a zombie, a skeleton, or a ghost form. It has to be a form I’ve inhabited at least for three hours, in order to ‘brand it’ with my soul energy. This allows me to come and go as I please, otherwise I cannot disconnect myself completely from the body. We’ve yet to start experimenting with living bodies though, and even the ghost form is a little weird.

A ghost form is naturally the body of a ghost type of dead beings here in Limbo. Spectral and all of that, they have the weakest physical manifestation of any of the types commonly available. In my spirit form, yeah, I think I’ll stick to calling it my spirit form from now on, I can naturally generate a Ghost form all by myself. It basically just congeals around my spirit and allows it to stabilize. That said it leaves me weakened, costing both Soul Energy to make and to maintain. Which is a very rapid drain.

At this point though I’m simply using this ability to rest a bit. And to check on my pending messages and status. I haven’t done so in several days, so there’s no doubt a long backlog waiting for my attention.

[-Message Log-]
[Study ability learned!]
[Study has leveled up! (x6)]
[Scholar skill learned! -Locked-]
[Sorcery skill learned!]
[Sorcery has leveled up! (x8)]
[Thaumaturgy skill learned! -Locked-]
[Rituals skill learned! -Locked-]
[Magic Chanting skill learned!]
[Magic Chanting has leveled up! (x4)]
[Chantless Casting skill learned! -Locked-]
[Dismantling skill learned!]
[Dismantling has leveled up! (x10)]
[Dismantling has evolved into Material Processing skill!]
[Material Processing has leveled up! (x2)]
[Herbalogy skill learned! -Locked-]
[Alchemy skill learned! -Locked-]
[Soul Energy Manipulation has leveled up! (x6)]
[Energy Manipulation has leveled up! (x9)]
[Soul Energy Manipulation has been subsumed by Energy Manipulation.]
[Energy Manipulation has evolved into Energy Manipulation II!]
[Concentration has leveled up! (x6)]
[Concentration has evolved into Concentration II.]
[Active Meditation ability learned! -Locked-]
[Inspect has leveled up! (x9)]
[Energy Sight, Demon Sight, Spirit Sight, and Inspect have been subsumed by Over-Sight!]
[Over-Sight has evolved into All-Seeing Gaze!]
[Cultivation has leveled up! (x4)]
[You have been exhausted! (900+)]
[Exhaustion Resistance has leveled up! (x5)]
[Exhaustion Resistance has evolved into Exhaustion Resistance II!]

[Feat performed: Under Pressure II -> IV!]
[+3 maximum Body, Mind, and Soul stats.]
[Feat performed: (Extreme) Magic Training!]
[+1 maximum Body, Mind, and Soul stats.]
[Feat performed: (Partial) Accidental Purification -> Energy Purification!]
[+1 maximum Body, Mind, and Soul stats.]
[Feat performed: Spirit Separation!]
[+1 maximum Body, Mind, and Soul stats.]
[Feat limit reached! Please evolve for more.]

[New Title gained: Magus, Rank I. -Locked-]
[New Title gained: Purifier, Rank I.]
[New Title gained: Maximizer, Rank I.]
[New Title gained: Separated, Rank I. -Unique-]
[Unpressured Title has leveled up! (x2)]

[Unpressured, Rank III. - Title]
[13% reduction in stresses caused by outside influences.]
[13% increase in Concentration while under outside influences.]
[13% increase in Manipulation skills while under outside influences.]
[8% increase in learning Abilities and Skills while under outside influences.]
[+15 maximum Soul Energy.]
[This Title can be evolved.]

[Magus, Rank I. (-Locked-) - Title]
[5% increase in learning magic based Abilities and Skills.]
[5% increase in spell power.]
[5% increase in spell control.]
[+5 maximum Soul Energy.]
[This Title can be evolved.]
[Advanced Title locked.]

[Purifier, Rank I. - Title]
[5% increase in energy purification speed during cultivation.]
[5% increase in energy perception during cultivation.]
[+5 maximum Soul Energy.]
[This Title can be evolved.]

[Maximizer, Rank I. - Title]
[+1 maximum Stat limit per Rank up.]
[+1 maximum Stat limit per evolution.]
[This Title can be evolved.]

[Separated, Rank I. (Unique) - Title]
[Able to separate their spirit form from the physical body.]
[Gain the Spirit Separation Ability.]
[Gain the Soul Study Skill.]
[10% increase in Spirit Separation duration.]
[Only one of this Title may exist.]
[This Title can be evolved.]

[Spirit Separation Ability learned!]
[Spirit Separation has leveled up! (x2)]
[Soul Study Skill learned! -Locked-]
[+120 maximum Soul Energy for repeated Exhaustion!]
[You are recuperating.]

There you have it, an absolutely massive list that scrolls before my eyes. I find it a bit crazy that I could gain so many levels and skills and whatnot, but Silver Lord had said it was actually pretty normal for the newly awakened. Starting out is way easier than trying to move forward down the road, according to him.

I’d spent less than a week earning what it could have taken others the whole month to achieve. That in itself was a sobering thing, yet for everything I was really having a blast. Especially now, because I’ve finally achieved my starting objective and can finally reap the rewards.

As in finally putting some damned points into my stats. This entire week has pushed me past all sorts of limits in order to build up feats as recognized by the ever mysterious Voice, simply to up the limits to a standard of 10 points. Until then, Silver Lord wouldn’t let me put a single point anywhere, because then the difficulty would be raised for the training.

Now that is no longer an issue, and I can finally go from being the weakest of the weakest to being average for a human adult. A great boost from a bug-like existence, without a doubt. Heh.

There’s that, and also the fact that I can finally get into combat training once my stats are properly up to snuff. It is something that is not done for anyone that hasn’t raised their stats, period, due to the dangers involved. Unlike studying magic, which is primarily a mental exercise, combat is far more physically demanding and brutal.

Even if I can jump from one body to another, it’s still a non-starter. The risks are just too high that I could ‘die’ before ever being able to do so. Part of the reason, as described by Silver Lord and later collaborated by Holdt, is that the various combat Abilities and Skills affect not just the physical body, but also the soul of the target.

It’s a quirk of how things work here in Limbo, and in the Realms of Hell as well, because otherwise no one would truly be able to die. The soul damaging aspect is also reflected in magical attacks as well, but only against the target and not the user unless they are doing something very stupid or desperate. So I haven’t so much as touched a weapon since awakening a week ago.

In fact my only ‘combat’ ability is Charge, and I gained it through utter accident while running for my life. It isn’t an attack ability though, but is instead considered a support ability. One I haven’t really used all that much, either.

Now, let me check my status here real quick before I start cultivating in order to actually start doing the real stuff. Hehe. I’m just so excited now!

[-Personal Statistics-]
[Name: -Locked-][Status: Civilian]
[Titles: Unpressured, Rank III; Magus, Rank I. (Locked); Purifier, Rank I; Maximizer, Rank I; Separated, Rank I. (Unique).]
[Racial Type: Dead | Zombie][Rank: F | Level: 1]
[Soul Energy (SE): 1/200 (+)][Soul Points (SP): 5 (-Locked-)]
[Body: 1/10 | +1 (10 SE)][Mind: 1/10 | +1 (10 SE)][Soul: 1/10 | +1 (10 SE)]
[Feats: All-Seeing Gaze - Rank I. (3/250)(UP!); Terror Resistance - Rank I. (23/25); Exhaustion Resistance II - Rank I. (90/100)(UP!)]
[Abilities: Charge - Rank II. (3/50); Body Reinforcement - Rank II. (35/100); Study - Rank VII. (78/175)(NEW!); Active Meditation - (Locked)(NEW!); Spirit Separation - Rank II. (45/100)(NEW!)]
[Skills: Energy Manipulation II - Rank I (40/100)(UP!); Concentration II - Rank I. (8/50)(UP!); Cultivation - Rank V. (273/500)(UP!); Scholar - (Locked)(NEW!); Sorcery - Rank IX. (377/450)(NEW!); Thaumaturgy - (Locked)(NEW!); Magic Chanting - Rank V. (12/125)(NEW!); Chantless Casting - (Locked)(NEW!); Material Processing - Rank III. (34/150)(NEW!); Herbalogy - (Locked)(NEW!); Alchemy - (Locked)(NEW!); Soul Study - (Locked)(NEW!)]
[Perks: Newly Dead][Detriments: Newly Dead]

Oh yeah, my status is starting to look good even if I say so myself. Getting a bit cramped though, but whatever. That said, even I cannot help but start fretting while looking at my stats. With a limit of 10 points, I not only have to spend 450 soul energy points to get them maxed, I actually have to raise my rank level to 10 in order to do so.

That’s also something I’ve yet to really understand, as well. Why do I have to raise my rank level in order to actually be able to purchase stat points? No one I’ve asked really knows, it’s just the way it is. On the other hand, I did learn that I can pay for just about anything in increments too, which is handy. That means I don’t have to have the total cost in soul energy all in one lump sum.

Especially since I actually have a rather small reserve of soul energy. I hadn’t been spending any of my points on expanding my maximum limit, so I’ve only gotten what I’ve gained from being constantly exhausted and the bonuses from my titles or the like. Holdt even admitted that he’d had over 500 points himself when he finally maxed out his stat points to 10.

That’s a little frustrating, but I’ll deal with it later. Now that things have gotten to this point, I’ll have much more time to really work on it. And hopefully stay out of Silver Lord’s clutches for a while yet. Ugh. I know the man means well, but his own desire for new ‘data’ as he puts it is just as crazy as crazy can get.

Now though I need to set my thoughts and emotions aside and start concentrating on cultivating. Which is way easier than it used to be in my spirit form. My spirit form is just way more attuned to soul energy than any physical body could be.

“Brrkashi.” I say, speaking both through my spirit form and my body. It’s the key word to shutting off the Suppression Field enchantment, and I could almost hear the dense and engraved stone of my cultivation chamber sighing in relief as the pressure finally goes away. For that matter I do too a bit, allowing myself to really relax now without feeling like I’m being crushed.

“Atti.” Another word, and this time the true Soul Energy Gathering Array activates. This complex enchantment, set out in a series of array patterns, is the true heart of any real cultivation chamber. Thus I can instantly feel the influx of soul energy being drawn in and purified inside the room, boosting the levels up to very high levels.

High enough that I could see dense clouds of soul energy starting to form. It is a much higher amount than the previous cultivation chamber I’d used before. Which is just to be expected, because I’ve been cultivating like a madman while training. Even if that cultivation hasn’t gone to actually increasing my power.

Reaching out to that soul energy however is like drinking water now, and the pleasurable feeling it causes is just as great as any time before. Actually that feeling of pleasure has only intensified as my sensitivity has increased. Thankfully I can’t become addicted to it. Heh. That’d likely be bad.

Setting myself into concentrating, I start pulling all of that soul energy into myself and let it wash away all of my exhaustion and weariness. Aaah! A hot shower really has nothing on this…

Less than ten minutes later and I’m already topped up to my maximum of 200 soul energy points. It feels great having so much energy at my literal and figurative fingertips. Sadly I’m just going to have to spend it all as quickly as I gain it now however.

[Spend 150 Soul Energy Points for Rank Level Up?]

This time a totally new type of message enters my gaze once I make a mental query, and I only have to think ‘yes’ before I feel a sudden rush of soul energy leaving my body. Where it is going, I cannot tell, because it seemingly vanishes into empty space once it leaves my skin. The feeling is not entirely comfortable, and I cannot help but groan a little.

[You are now Rank F - Level 6!]
[You may now purchase 5 stat points per attribute.]
[Rank F - Level 7 will cost you 60 Soul Energy Points.]

I quickly check my status to confirm what the Voice has said, and don’t see any difference from what I’d been told. That’s great. As they say, ‘trust but verify’, right? Haha.

Now then, I’m down to 50 soul energy points, so I have to go back to cultivating in order to get this over with quickly. Thankfully these first levels don’t cost too much, although I’ve heard that each Rank up costs double the previous amount. And that itself doubles again if you’ve already evolved.

For the next few hours I repeat the process, filling up my Soul Energy points then depleting them as quickly as possible. My rank level skyrockets, until I finally reach a complete level 10. Adding another level would immediately jump me to Rank E, which I do not want to do.

Yet what comes next is going to take even longer. Body, Mind, and Soul; these three stats have been nearly the sole focus of my efforts and my own damned bane this entire time. Finally getting out from under them is going to be great for me. Even if gathering all the required points is going to take three times as long as it took me to raise my rank level. The costs are all the same, but there are three times as many. Heh.

Thus just like that I spend most of the day cultivating and spending points, jerking my body, mind, and spirit up to the standard. Even though I’m adding the points, I don’t feel any different until the very end because it requires an integration period. This was something that Silver Lord informed me of just yesterday in fact.

Living beings achieve their upgraded statuses after having boosted their attribute stats while they sleep. Well, us dead peeps don’t sleep. Instead we end up unconscious for a time period that is roughly counted as fifteen minutes for every attribute point added. Which for me will be roughly 405 minutes of unconsciousness.

Almost seven hours of being unconscious. Ugh. Thank the Pits that today was set aside just for me to do this, because otherwise I’d be dreading ‘sleeping’ for so long. The waste of time itself was bad enough, although it seems that most here in Limbo don’t really feel that way.

Intellectually I know that I am already dead, and this body of mine doesn’t have a lifespan or time limit. I could exist practically forever here in Limbo. Yet my instincts are telling me that hurrying up is still the best option. That taking time off would be a detriment. I just don’t know why. Hmm.

Well, no matter. I cannot continue that line of thought without suffering another damned headache anyway. Just another reason why I’ll be happy to have the next three weeks come and go quickly. The time is useful, but not having my memories really grates on me every time I’m reminded of something seemingly important.

[Attribute Integration available. Please lay down in a restive and secure environment.]

And with that message I slip my spirit form back into my zombie body and stretch out as comfortably as I can. Silver Lord never did say how the process works, but Holdt had let slip that it wasn’t entirely a comfortable thing. At least when I wake up. But I’ll just cross that point when I get there.

For now it’s time to sleep. Or as close as I can come to it now.

~{+}~ | ~{+}~ | ~{+}~

Oh shit oh shit oh shit.

Waking up was just as if a switch had been flipped and my eyes snapped open. Yet it wasn’t just my eyes that opened. All four limbs of mine are jerking around uncontrollably. Actually, make that eight limbs. Even my spirit form is having spasms, jerking in and out of my physical body at random.

At the same time it’s like all the pain and pleasure receptors in my body are going haywire at the same time. Burning, stabbing, pulsing… the pain and everything else I’m feeling just arcs through my body in totally uncontrollable ways. Yet at the same time my mind is racing with thoughts and feelings and ideas and too much other shit to keep track of.

Then there’s the sensation that the world around me is completely different from before too. Like I could see more, sense more, feel more. Colors are different, more vibrant, and even the taste of the air is a far cry different from before.

“Aaargh!” I cry out, utterly unable to control my tongue into making my thoughts make intelligible sounds. That’s along with the thumping of my limbs on the stone floor, acting like some mad drummer having the time of his life in with some crazy music only he understands.

My yell does however bring other attention to my plight, because my cultivation chambers’ door opens up and Holdt rushes in. Followed soon after by the old bastard, Silver Lord himself. He’s even grinning, damn it.

Holdt though just rolls his eyes and gives me a shrug. It seems that both of them knew that this was going to happen to me, but kept quiet about it all. Perhaps another part of their hazing, or just for a personal laugh or something. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just want it to stop!

“Gaaahraa!” I yell out again, even as I try to force my eyes into glaring at the other two men. It doesn’t work very well, because Silver Lord just starts laughing while Holdt’s shoulders slump as he lets out a sigh.

“Sorry man, orders.” Holdt says in way of apology, motioning to his boss. “It’ll pass soon though.”

“Indeed it will, lad. The integration process strengthens your stats, but you still have to suffer through actually being able to use them. Haha.” Silver Lord steps forward then and talks while leaning down to get a good look at me. Sadly he’s still too far away to get hit by my flailing limbs though. I really want to punch him right now.

Ugh. I feel like a damned flopping fish stuck out of water. Of all the sadistic torture and training shit I’ve done, this really takes the cake. If only because of the absolute lack of sense of control. Like, who doesn’t have control of their own body? The sudden loss of it…

‘~Feeling nothing, empty and hollow. A deep coldness from the neck down, where even the act of breathing cannot be felt. Endless bitterness and anger and despair, staring at a large hologram projected against the wall. A man in a white coat, talking about great damage to the body and the practical miracle of being alive at all. And the cost, that absolutely massive cost for any sort of relief or treatment…~’

“AAAH!” This yell rips out of me much more powerfully than any of the others. The sudden pain in my head, and my current lack of control conspiring to push me into a frenzy where all I can do is lash out.

Lash out I do, if not with my body, than with my magic. Two hundred Soul Energy points spent in a single moment, igniting the surrounding free soul energy and the very air itself around my flailing body. All while I watch in some distant way, as apathetic as some distant spectator.

The explosion of magic and power catches both Holdt and Silver Lord by surprise. Holdt, who thankfully is further away, is only slammed backwards by the blast wave and is banged against the black stone wall beside the open doorway. Silver Lord though takes the brunt of the attack nearly point blank in his face.

Yet as the explosion washes over Silver Lord a force field of his own silver-grey tinted magic springs into being around his body. It still forces him a few steps back, but there isn’t anything worse for wear that I can tell. Well, besides the surprise on his face and the shine in his eyes.

Then it is all over, and I’m back to being utterly exhausted and this time physically tired too. There’s no good feeling at this point, and I simply allow my eyes to drift up to the ceiling of the room while I pant for breath. Yet my mind is an utter painful mess, causing my face to scrunch up in pain and fear.

“Snap out of it, lad!” Silver Lord yells at me then, his booming voice jerking my thoughts out of spiral they were in. That… memory, it just hurt so damned much. Yet I didn’t want to let it go. It was important, and I knew it.

But my eyes do finally turn to focus back on Silver Lord, who seems to have a somewhat exasperated look on his face. That’s when I knew that he knew what was going on with me. I knew it the same way I knew the back of my own hand. That his every movement and even his habitual grasping at a beard that’s no longer there was a tick that expressed his own inner thoughts.

That sudden understanding was the first sign that I had that things really were different for me now. Because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to pick up such unconscious cues. Things I’d been missing before, or forgetting, actually start to come back to me and I simply understood them. It was like the difference between an animal reacting to the world compared to a person who can actually think things through.

“Well, it seems we’ve found your bane.” Silver Lord drily speaks then, dismissing his barrier. Holdt behind him is just now picking himself off the floor, although the cracks in the stone wall behind him attest to just how strongly he’d been slammed into it.

“Not sure if it was how you died or just a really strong emotion from when you were alive, but you really do not want to lose control of your body again.” The old man is now talking to himself, his gaze a little distance. “Hmmm, I’ll have to take some things off the training schedule now. Can’t risk you blowing up because of more memory fragments. Although… yes, yes, that might work quite nicely…”

Oh great, there he goes again. His crazy ideas for more training are no doubt going to be quite rueful for me later. I just tune him out though and change my gaze to Holdt.

“You okay there?” I croak out, again reminded that I’m utterly empty of energy again. The feeling of exhaustion is already fading though, as my resistance to the effects kick in. Exhaustion Resistance isn’t rare, as far as abilities go, but it is hard to achieve good results in it even for magic users. No one wants to be helpless and defenseless after all.

“I’m fine. Think a rib snapped though.” Holdt sounds fine to me, although he’s poking at his side as if it were just an odd thing instead of a very real injury. At least until he closes his eyes and his body starts to glow silver for a moment. I can feel the soul energy running through his body from here, even without using my Gaze to actually see it.

“There, fixed up nicely.” Holdt smiles once the light fades and he opens his eyes again. That was a neat trick of self-healing there, which I haven’t gotten around to learning yet. And done without a chant or formula, so it was probably some sort of sorcery spell, as well.

“Ah! Sorry, my thoughts were wandering again.” Silver Lord finally stops mumbling to himself and brings his focus back to the present. He’s still grinning though, so I can only fret for what he has in store now. He doesn’t say, and instead pulls out a large white crystal. It’s jagged and looks like it was mined out in one single piece, like quartz.

“This here is the Person Scrying Stone. It has the unique ability to show a person's status information to others. At least to a degree. This one is very basic and unrefined, so it’ll just show your core stats and some other things.” He explains, before stepping over me only to drop the stone onto my chest.

It comes to rest with a ‘thump’ that I barely feel, given how oddly light the stone itself is. That said, I can feel it drawing on my meagerly restored soul energy points. It takes about a minute for it to gather enough, before it lights up and projects a big blue screen above my prone body.

[-Personal Statistics-]
[Name: -Locked-][Status: Civilian]
[Titles: Unpressured, Rank III; Magus, Rank I. (Locked); Purifier, Rank I; Maximizer, Rank I; Separated, Rank I. (Unique).]
[Racial Type: Dead | Zombie][Rank: F | Level: 10 (MAX/UP)]
[Soul Energy (SE): 1/200 (+)][Soul Points (SP): 5 (-Locked-)]
[Body: 10/10 | (MAX)][Mind: 10/10 | (MAX)][Soul: 10/10 | (MAX)]

And there it is, the entire reason I went through all this trouble. Three sets of maxed out stats. It’s been a veritable grind to get to this point, but I know it is only the beginning. I’ve graduated from being as weak as a bug to simply being ‘living’ average.

That said, everything is still weird. My senses have blossomed in a way that’s hard to explain. Like I’m picking up on more information from my environment, causing everything to seem really crisp and clean to my eyes, ears, and nose.

Then there are my magical senses. Or rather the nebulous sense of the energies hanging around doing jack all. Previously I’d had to concentrate and reach out for the soul energy, for instance, and yet now it’s right there just on the edges of my regular senses. A feeling that it is so much closer than before. It’s really odd, and I doubt I’m explaining it properly. That’s just how it seems to me.

Not just the energy in the atmosphere either. I can more clearly feel it coursing through the stonework underneath and around me too. All of those lines of power, guided by the engravings inside the reflective black stone blocks that make up the vast majority of the central tower of the Silver Key Society… It really isn’t natural, yet at the same time it feels as if it is. And there’s a whole lot of power I can feel even without gazing at it.

More than that though I can feel my mind becoming more and more clear as things settle down. Like a haze has been lifted from my brain. Or that disjointed feeling when you’ve gotten drunk or inebriated from medication. I’m already able to focus more easily and remember small details that I’d totally missed before.

I also have no doubt that my body itself has gone through a fundamental change as well. Even exhausted, I feel stronger and more limber than ever before. There’s also no doubt that I’m also not quite so clumsy as I used to be either, although I don’t know what the difference is at this point. Strength, flexibility, endurance, manual dexterity… Yeah, really going to need to test those. And see if it carries over when I switch out this body for a new one.

“Well, it’s all looking good there, lad.” Silver Lord says while smiling happily, staring at my limited status that is still being projected into the air above me. I give a grunt of agreement before reaching up to take hold of the crystal, holding it out to the old man.

“Yeah, feels weird though. And I’m exhausted again.” I cannot help but let slip a bit of a complaint while looking up at the far older zombie. “Care to explain what a bane is? I really don’t like the idea of having any weaknesses, and that… memory fragment was bad.”

“Banes are weaknesses that manifest as a Detriment during the true awakening. They are totally random, but are based upon your previous life. Or death, as the case may be.” He explains while taking back the Person Scrying Stone.

“They can be anything as well. Taking extra damage from fire or fire-based magics. Or water. Or being unable to generate lightning based magics. The loss of functionality in a limb. Or a frenzy condition like you just experienced. It is entirely dependant upon the person, and very rarely is there someone without a bane.”

Even while explaining it to me, that smile on his face just gets wider and wider until it’s turned into a full blown grin. The sort of shit-eating grin that is common enough whenever Silver Lord has gotten another ‘crazy idea’. Ugh. I have a bad feeling, again.

“It’s very rare that we get a look at a possible bane before the true awakening, you know. That said, there is in fact two different ways of getting rid of the bane. The first is to spend your five Soul Points to erase it from your Detriment list.” Oh yeah, Silver Lord really does have something in mind because his hand has come up to stroke his imaginary beard again.

“The second is to learn abilities or skills that directly oppose it. Which is hard when the bane is in effect, as you can imagine. Who wants to be doused in fire or be held under water when they take extra damage from it, right? Hahaha. But this is a chance to exploit the ‘Newly Dead’ perk!

“Your bane won’t take effect until your true awakening, and I already have a good idea what it is. You don’t want to be ‘Constricted’ or ‘Trapped’! To have no control over your body! Hehehe. So I’m going to teach you both mundane and magical means of escaping confinement. Hahaha!”

Okay, so maybe that won’t be so bad. Just listening to Silver Lord leads me to thinking of things like lockpicking and escape artist tricks. Slipping handcuffs and ropes and the like. Magic just means there are more options there, which could come in handy.

Actually, thinking more about it leaves me to believe that such skills could really be useful. Clearly the first thing that comes to mind are criminal enterprises, where being able to slip away in all manner of ways would be useful. But there’s also things like magically binding contracts and magic-diffusing enchantments that are used to secure cooperation too. Being able to bypass those would be a good option to have.

All of which are advanced skills, but I’ve already gotten several of those anyway. They are all locked to me right now, but that doesn't mean I cannot use them. I just have to do it all manually, without any assistance from the Voice. The experience will still carry over though, so it isn’t as if I’m losing anything.

“Okay, that doesn’t sound bad at all.” I definitely agree at this point, although I just know that Silver Lord is going to go crazy with it anyway. He always does.

“Yes, but more than that! Your weird Spirit Separation thing brings it to a whole new level! Why just slip physical bonds when you can slip magical or spiritual bonds as well?! Just imagine it! Hehehe…

“Shadelings, an evolution of Ghosts, have the ability to slip into shadows and traverse through the Shadow Realm for short distances. It appears as if they are teleporting. Could you do something similar with your loose form? Or how about piggybacking in the bodies of others without their knowing?! Oooh, the ideas! I swear, you are the most surprising pupil I ever could have wished for!”

Damn, the old man really has gone nuts, and even Holdt is backing up slowly. He’s smart enough to want nothing to do with Silver Lord’s current madness. Neither do I, for that matter. But I’m barely able to leverage myself into a sitting position while the old zombie continues to rant.

“Banshees, another evolution of Ghosts, at least for females, also have the ability to possess others weaker than themselves. It’s a dangerous ability that can cause damage both to the possessed and to the soul of the banshee herself though… Yes, we can test that right now! Holdt, get over here!”

Shit, there it goes. These spontaneous experiments are probably the worst Silver Lord ever does. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who blanches, because Holdt has gone white as a sheet of paper while shaking his head almost to the point of cracking his own neck.

“Wait, hold on! I’m still exhausted here. I need to cultivate before I can separate. It takes a constant upkeep of Soul Energy to maintain. And I don’t want to fragment again.” I yell out at the old bastard, which brings him back to the present, thankfully.

The first and only time we tested that Silver Lord himself had to intervene to keep me from practically dying. Again anyway. Unsupported by my soul energy reserves, my spirit form literally started breaking apart into little pieces while I was rushing back into my body.

Thankfully the old coot has some skill in necromancy and studying souls, so he was able to trap and gather my ‘broken bits’ and put them back in when it was all said and done. The experience still gives me nightmares. Or would, if I slept and actually dreamed. Feeling myself break apart and all that pain is something I never, EVER, want to go through again. EVER.

“Aargh, fine. You cultivate then and test your current limits. Come on Holdt. While he’s doing that, we’re going to go grab another body for him to play with while I arrange for the proper trainers to come around.” Silver Lord starts to grumble, but I really dodged that one. Holdt did too, even though he gives me a wane smile.

“Yes, Sir Silver Lord.” My Proctor says, falling in behind the old man as they make their way out of my cultivation chamber. Hell, Silver Lord didn’t even bother to look at me once he made up his mind. Same as always there.

Left alone once the thick stone door is closed, I let out a sigh. I’d gotten what I felt is a stay of execution, but I know Silver Lord will want to test it as soon as possible. Well, it is a curious idea all the same. What if I could do those things? Or something different? Just the thought is extremely exciting.

Still, there’s little point of thinking about it right now. Instead i need to focus on the here and now and recoup my strength. I’m so tired of being bloody exhausted all the time.

Thus I reach out to the surrounding soul energy, intent on getting on with my cultivation. Except that it responds way too quickly and fiercely. The sudden onrush, an absolute deluge, rushes into my body like a sledgehammer!

I groan and end up collapsing backwards onto the floor again, stunned by the force and ferocity I’d just experienced. Always before I had to reach out and grasp hold of the soul energy as tightly as possible to draw it to me. The effort and concentration required me to focus everything I had on it.

Yet this… this was totally not the same. It was like I almost crushed my damned fool self with the weight of all the soul energy I’d grabbed onto. And it responded far more quickly and smoothly than before. Ugh.

It seems that my boosted Soul stat is the culprit. I already knew that upping my soul stat would give me increased sensitivity to magic in general, and help provide a boost in cultivating. I just didn’t know that it would force me to learn how to control it too. Thankfully I already have the fundamentals in controlling soul energy down. Both Energy Manipulation and Sorcery skills depend upon minute control, after all.

So this time I change my tactic after sitting up again. Instead of grabbing all the soul energy in my chamber, I instead spread my senses out to fill the whole of the room. Then instead of pulling on the free soul energy, I focus my will on gently guiding it to me.

Aaaaahhhh. Much better! It’s only a trickle of soul energy at this point, but it still feels far better than being hammered by it. And it gives me a good baseline to start increasing my pulling speed.

Except I’m not able to increase the strength by much. Instead, I end up capping out to my maximum after only a few minutes instead of the ten or so it used to take me. That’s some insane cultivation speed! Damn.

Shit. It just goes to show how limited my maximum really is at this point. Two hundred points may sound like a lot, but it’s barely a drop in the bucket for others. Holdt probably has a couple thousand himself. Silver Lord then could have upwards to a hundred thousand points! Which probably is even smaller than what others who are far older have.

Hmmm… I’m really tempted to start buying more for my maximum, but at the same time I’m a little resistant to the idea. Like it’s a cheap way out. Useful, no doubt, but I’m not entirely sure that it doesn’t have any drawbacks of its own. Gah. I’ll have to ask Silver Lord about it later. He probably knows. I just don’t want to end up exhausted all the damned time anymore.

Anyway, since I’m done with cultivating at the moment, I stand up and check out my body. Without feeling like my body is being tied down with lead weights, I’m finally able to experience the truth growth of my strength. I feel light, can move easily, and am able to bend in all sorts of ways I could only struggle to do before.

Clenching my fists in front of me, I can finally really feel the strength of my hands. The change really is like night and day, and leaves me feeling exhilarated. It’s great. Hahaha! Thus I spend more time than I probably should have doing jumps, tumbles, handstands and all sorts of gymnastic flips. Things I doubt I ever did while alive, and definitely haven’t done since awakening here in Limbo.

Like all things though, these fast and precise movements start to tire me out. It takes me only a moment to realize that these advanced movements are draining me of my soul energy points slowly but surely. It’s like instead of stamina every motion above a certain limit requires the use of soul energy. Which sucks, damn it all. I really want to keep playing.

That said, the drain is slow and costs per motion seems to be somewhat predictable. An all-out run around my circular cultivation chamber costs roughly a point for twenty feet, for example. Three rapid backflips cost a point as well. Doing a drop and roll, regardless of direction costs a point as well.

Suddenly stopping in the middle of an action ends up not costing anything, too. Yet changing from a forward roll to a handstand then a backflip ends up costing three whole points instead. It really does seem that the more complex the motion, or having several chained together ends up costing more. I end up testing this theory, by switching from backflips to rolls to handstands and a number of other movements I’d never done or even seen before.

Some, like a one-legged jump off the wall, don’t have a cost. Yet if I build up speed to a run then jump off the wall with both feet the cost increases. The same for a a two-legged jump from a dead stop on the floor. All of which seems just really weird to me.

It gets even weirder when I start using my few physical abilities. Charge and Body Reinforcement. Both of them have both a set ‘start-up’ cost in soul energy and also a sustained cost to continue using them. But these costs are controllable. I could use up as little as a single soul energy point, or dump my entire soul energy reserves into them.

And they work, for the most part, with any other motion I desire. Charge, for instance, works just as well as doing front flips as it does just flat out running. So long as I’m moving in a mostly straight line, Charge works.

Body Reinforcement is much more involved though. It’s an all around enhancement to my physical body. It enhances my bodies durability, strength, and flexibility. This in turn increases my speed and motor control, allowing me to perform angled dives and even a limited bit of wall-running. Hehe. That part was cool, and totally unexpected.

Yet the costs involved start getting just as crazy as my actions. Not even a minutes’ worth of constant motion drain my reserves dry, leaving me once more sitting on the ground while I cultivate to recoup my lost energy. But I didn’t do all of that for nothing!

[Athletics skill learned!]
[Athletics has leveled up!]
[Overdrive feat learned!]

Hahahaha. I cannot help but laugh as I check out my two new abilities. Athletics, as it turns out, is an overall skill reflecting my ability to use my body. It provides a minor boost in all aspects of my body, while also slightly lowering the costs of complex physical actions. Which is yummy, right?

Overdrive though… Yeah, that’s just as crazy as everything else I’ve been doing. Overdrive is a body enhancement feat in the same vein as Body Reinforcement, and yet the boost it provides is massive in comparison. And so are the costs. It costs an entire 50 Soul Energy points to activate, and for every minute of usage it costs another 10 points.

After Overdrive is done with though, it lowers my Body stat points by 1 for every minute I’d used it. Not permanently, but as a cool down cost. I regain the usage of those points at a rate of 1 point per 10 minutes of rest. So Overdrive is very much a weapon of last resort. I actually hope I never have to actually use it outside of training.

That said, I do test it for about two minutes. Running, jumping, all the good stuff leaves me bouncing off the walls. Almost literally. The boost Overdrive provides is ridiculous. I can actually touch the 12-foot high ceilings from a dead jump in the middle of the chamber with it activated. The loss of those two stat points really sucks though. I could literally feel myself weaken, which is not a fun experience at all.

Thankfully I didn’t have to experience it for too long, because I cheated a bit. I pulled my spirit form partially out of my resting body and was very much glad to see that the stat drain didn’t seem to affect my spirit body. That and the sensation of weakness didn’t follow me out either. So double plus.

On the other hand, my spirit form was very much weaker than my physical body even with the same amount of stat points. It wasn’t something I’d had to deal with before, when all of my stats were so low, but I can instant tell the difference now. In a way it’s similar to how ghost type undead work, so it isn’t too odd. Just different.

On the other hand, my spirit form is very compatible with my Mind and Soul stats. Insanely so. Previously it had been easier to cultivate and use magic in my spirit form, but now it is even more. Just a thought brings the soul energy right to me for cultivating, without expanding my senses at all.

Another thought, although with more focus and concentration, is all that is required to ignite the soul energy into a fireball. Which I promptly throw at the wall furthest from me because it grew way too big for me to control! Damn! I really have to learn how to control myself like this now.

On the other hand the cost to cast that magic also went up, so while there are plusses there are also negatives to this newfound ability. Which seems to be the constant for everything I’ve been experimenting with. Everything has a downside in one way or another. Still freaking cool though. Haha.

Done wasting time at this point, I work to refill my soul energy points before standing up again. Moving to open the door, I find Holdt and Silver Lord waiting outside already, leaving me feeling a bit sheepish for leaving them waiting for so long. Silver Lord doesn’t seem to mind though, staring at me in that ravenous manner of his.

“That was a big explosion we heard even out here. You testing out your new limits?” Holdt was the one to actually speak up here, more curious than crazy thankfully.

“Yeah. Casting magic in my spirit form is way easier, and harder to control.” I explain, barely glancing at the limp zombie body that he’s holding. “And I learned the Athletics skill while testing out my body… also got the ‘Overdrive’ feat.”

“Both of those are fairly common, although Overdrive is very expensive. It’s higher ranks are very powerful though.” Silver Lord cuts in at that point, before walking in past me. I can tell from his face that he’s way too impatient to wait any longer.

That just makes me roll my eyes and motion for Holdt to enter as well. He lets out only a slight sigh and a smile before once more all three of us are closed off from the outside world. Along with a new body for me.

These bodies are all unawakened zombie bodies from the Plains of Corpses, which are treated like a common resource here in Helen City. They are cheap and plentiful, but also useful in various ways. Necromancers use them to practice their magics, while alchemists can use them to render out various materials. Others, like the small population of Ghouls in the city, actually eat them as their primary food stock.

I’d gotten the full run-down the first time I’d had to switch to a new body. It had been a rushed job, because Silver Lord had literally blown my original zombie body to bits while experimenting with my then newly discovered ability. He wanted to see if I could control my body remotely while in my spirit form. That didn’t work so well, sadly. That said, no harm done. Heh.

“Alright, I’ve waited long enough now! Holdt, put that body down and stand in the center. I’m going to set up a warding just in case anything goes wrong… this time.” Yeah, so even the old man can learn a thing or two when dealing with newly discovered abilities.

As for me, I simply move to sit down and wait. Watching Silver Lord use different types of magic is probably the best time I’ve ever had while here in Silver Key. And goes to show just how much of a magical scholar the old zombie is.

Based on his current evolved race, you’d think that Silver Lord specializes in magic focused on metals. Silver, mithril, and the like. He does, but that isn’t all he is skilled in. Instead he’s skilled in a wide range of Thaumaturgy, Sorcery, Necromancy and other more specialized fields. I’ve seen him use elemental sorcery, wards, barriers, and engraving enchantments. And Alchemy, too. Even some things I still don’t have names for.

Those skills though are what almost single handedly raised up the Silver Key Magic Society to what it is today. Even now his works are still what bring in the most profit to the Silver Key as well. From what Holdt has said, Silver Lord is one of the top enchanters in Helen City, but he only charges half of what the Wizard’s Tower does for the same work. It makes him very popular in those circles.

This time I get to watch him set up a series of wards around the chamber. Compared to enchanting, wards have a time limit to their effects. They also don’t have the same cost in material or energy, thus making them useful in situations where permanency isn’t required. All the same, I still stare in a bit of wonder as I watch the old zombie draw the runic words in thin air in long chains or sentences. Each rune represents a concept of magic, and chained together they create an effect that’ll last as long as their supplied energy holds out or it is canceled by their creator.

In this case I can make out the runes for ‘soul’, ‘retain’, ‘field’ and ‘shield’. The rest I have no clue about, given my limited knowledge on the subject. But the runes are being repeated several times, which means this ward will be quite strong in these aspects.

“This is a soul cage ward, a bit of advanced necromancy. It’s used to both capture and hold raw souls for later use or to safeguard them against damage. Healers often train to use this ward just in case their patient cannot be healed in time, while necromancers tend to use it to house souls for later use as raw materials.”

Okay, that explains a lot. Not sure how I feel about the way the magic is used though. Not that I can say anything. Bodies and souls tend to be material components with a great number of uses here in Limbo. And souls are a form of currency in the Realms of Hell, as well.

For all of his stoicism, Holdt is looking decidedly nervous at this point. He’d been subjected to such experiments before, as have I, but I cannot fault my zombie senior for this one. No one likes the idea of being possessed or controlled after all.

“Okay boys. This ward is set up to contain both of your souls, and should be powerful enough to resist just about anything you two can throw at it. Now get to it, we don’t have all day! Hahaha!” There goes Silver Lord with that damned laughter of his.

“I’m ready.” Holdt finally says, although he looks far less confident than he probably should. His stats are way beyond mind, after all.

As for myself, slipping out of my body was simple and easy. My spirit form responded to my thoughts far more smoothly than I’d ever experienced, although the feeling of constantly sucking up my soul energy reserves is more than a little annoying. As is passing through the wards, because they actually resist my entrance for a short moment and then felt as if I were being squeezed on when I finally did.

“My spirit form doesn’t seem to be my soul in raw form, Silver Lord. The ward resisted my entry.” I point out as I ghost myself toward Holdt.

“It’s your soul energy, I believe. Raw souls do not have any soul energy points, although some are strong willed enough to use the ambient soul energy around them to create magical effects, but not spells… Hmmm. Definitely interesting.” Listening to Silver Lord put forward his thoughts actually manages to relax me, while Holdt just shrugs.

Holdt for his part is generally quiet and stoic in a way that made me appreciate the big man. Since our first meeting days ago I’ve gotten quite close to him, but he isn’t one for frivolous talk. He still holds to his own training daily as well, and unlike us ‘magic types’ his focus is on fighting skills. In fact his current race is a ‘Stalwart Zombie (Silver)’, which is surprisingly fitting.

“Let’s get this over with.” Holdt finally says, giving me a wane smile before closing his eyes.

“Yes yes, just try not to resist, Holdt. I highly doubt this possession will be the same as others, but at the same time it might have other effects. So easy does it, lads. Just be quick about it.” Talk about getting in the last word there, Silver Lord.

Still, there’s no reason to dally anyway. So I simply rush up to Holdt’s body and reach out to touch him with one of my ghostly hands. The instant I do I can feel his resistance to my entrance, although it is weak.

That in itself just feels weird though. All of the bodies I’ve taken control of thus far have had no resistance at all. They readily accepted my spirit form, allowing me to brand them easily. But they were also all empty vessels, without souls or egos of their own.

Holdt on the other hand has both, and is stronger than I am. I could feel his unconscious repulsion, thus I simply hold on hand on his arm until my presence becomes more comfortable to the older zombie. Then I slip inside as his resistance decreases.

“Oh wow…” My voice and Holdt’s voice comes out of his mouth comes out at the same time, and he snaps his eyes open while I sit inside of him and watch. Yet at the same time I can ‘hear’ his thoughts, and he can hear mine too. Or at least those on the surface, which is more than enough to know that he feels just as funky as I do.

“This is weird. We are both in here.” Holdt says then, still in the primary position before smoothly switching with me.

“We are. Holdt has to resist resisting me though. He naturally wants to push me out.” I say then, before lifting his left arm and clenching the fist. The feeling of strength isn’t any higher than my own though, which is the first clue to realizing that my stats are affecting his body.

“My own stats take precedence when in control as well.” I say then, before checking the rest of the details quickly. Being inside Holdt’s body is just weird as fuck, and not just because we are sharing his head together.

Surprisingly Holdt is actually having fun with this whole thing, although he never shows or says it on the outside. Training with and watching me train has been a joy for him, which he equates to having a younger sibling. Something of a fondness he’d had as a living human, it turns out.

Those thoughts come quickly and leave just as quickly, as Holdt flexes his own mental muscles to hide more such bits of information from me. On the other hand I feel that I have nothing to hide, which is why I share a memory of me flipping off Silver Lord behind his back. The mental amusement is well worth the discomfort of sharing Holdt’s body for the moment.

“Okay, this possession is also sucking up my soul energy points. And it fluctuates. I think that the more Holdt resists or doesn’t has a direct correlation to the costs involved. That and moving his body…” Even as I’m speaking I start taking more direct control of Holdt’s body.

I walk around the interior of the ward, jump a bit, and even do a frontflip then a backflip. Both cost more than doing them in my own body, and way more than if Holdt himself were doing them. His higher skills result in far more efficiency.

“Good, good! Hehe. Now test using your magic, lad. Then I want you to do that partial separation trick and try to cultivate.” Silver Lord instructs then, rubbing his hands together while watching everything with that keen Gaze of his. No doubt he’s receiving far more information than my own experiences can provide. Silver Lord’s Gaze is way more advanced than mine is.

Magic, as it turns out, was a bit harder to accomplish. Which is a direct response to the difference in wills between myself and Holdt. Holdt knows all the theory for various types of magic, but he’s never had the patience to really train up those skills. Or to be a bookworm.

Thus we have to do a bit of back-and-forth with our thoughts to sort out how this would work. Being on a time limit doesn’t help, so we decide on something simple. A single flame cupped in the hand. At least sharing the mental image is far easier this way than trying to explain it. Plus we are talking to Silver Lord about what is going on all at the same time.

Finally though we get the magic to go, but what surprises all three of us is that it turns out to be a raging inferno that causes us to drop the magic rather quickly. The spell had taken soul energy from both myself and Holdt, thus doubling or even tripling the resulting power. Which is all sorts of cool, but rather distressing for me. Holdt has way more soul energy than I do.

“Amazing! Joint Casting is often used in Ritualistic magic, but the effeciency is rather bad regardless. It basically adds a percentage of the casters power to the joint effort. Yet this possession directly added the two parts together, resulting in far more power!” Of course the old man had to basically dance in his place outside the warding, very much pleased with this discovery.

“I’m starting to run low on soul energy here. Let’s me try to cultivate and get this over with. I don’t think I like being a roommate in Holdt’s head. Great guy and all, but hearing his thoughts is starting to grind already.” I speak up then, ready to get this done and over with.

Which is why I let Holdt take back control of his body so he can sit down. You can cultivate standing up, but any lapse in concentration would end up with you on your ass and the cultivation session broken. So people either sit down or lay down to do so.

Pulling myself partially out of Holdt’s body then proves to be an interesting exercise all its own. His body didn’t like having just part of me inside of it, and that sudden resistance pushed me out all at once a couple of times before Holdt was able to suppress it. Silver Lord actually laughs at that, because the direction I get flung out of us totally random. Having my head come out of Holdt’s crotch was not very amusing to me. Bah.

Once settled I gently reach out to the soul energy still condensed inside my cultivation chamber. I rarely turn off the gathering array, leaving the room constant full with a much higher density than the outside. Thus just a gentle nudge of my intentions is enough to start the process.

Then my world turns into blinding pain and screaming for just an instant before I black out.