Chapter 41 Training the girls.
-Tenka's p.o.v. -
The first thing Ari did after Sam left was get us naked. Well, I mean, she took us to the Royal baths. But I have to admit, these baths are amazing.
We got there and undressed, only for me to get stared at. I straightened my chest and crossed my arms over it.
"Like what you see?"
The reason for the staring was simple: I was wearing my strap-on from the start. Sam is the one that told me to do it as a tease, but I took him seriously. (I have to chuckle remembering it.) The ride here was both Heaven and Hell. I almost fell a few times while he was looking back at me riding...
I wasn't going to bathe with it on, though, so I removed it, finally making my legs stop shaking...
We relaxed in the bath and shared stories about the village and Sam with Ari. Of course, after a few life-and-death tales, we inevitably spoke about sex.
Ari, despite being super old—well, compared to us anyway—seemed to become red when we spoke about sex and Sam too curiously. (I wonder if she is a virgin, despite her age...)
"Did you ever?"
She became beet red and shouted.
"Nooooo! I never did anything like this!"
She started flying around, looking guilty and shaking her head.
"Hahaha! Come on, we told you our stories, just tell us one of yours."
She stopped her flying around and fidgeted, her skin turning red all over.
"But I only have one experience..." she said almost inaudibly.
I started to connect the dots!
"Is it Sam!? What did he do? Or wait! He can't do anything to you, right? What did you dooo~?" I giggled.
Ari shouted and tried to fly away, but even if I am just an ant in front of her, I am a fast ant. I blinked in front of Ari and caught her before falling into the bath with a splash.
By the way, the lewd statue from last time was not there, since she had used that to tease Sam...
"Bblgbl... Cough. Ok! FINE! Let me go and I will tell you."
She told us how she was straddling his nose when she woke up. She was already excited from his high-level hormones and her lack of experience, so she kept going until Sam woke up. She played dead, or asleep. But when she saw his disturbed face through her slit eye and heard his powerful heartbeat, she got very hot. She watched him masturbate in the baths, using the statue to make sure he could not just cool down on his own, while doing her own... thing.
"Fairies are so innocent! Sigh. Maybe mom would still be alive if..."
I stopped myself and realized this was the first time I had shared something personal with my... friends. Sal couldn't resist hugging me, almost crying for me. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't suppress my feelings; the warmth crept into my heart.
"Don't cry. I'm sure Sam will make things better, at least in this part of the world!" Sal said.
I touched my cheeks; there was wetness there, and it wasn't from the bath. I couldn't remember the last time I cried. (I know I cried a lot in my early years, but it has been a long time since tears of grief regarding my mother fell from my eyes.) I guess it also connected to Salalab, Mily, Izuka, and Katriel, who all became real close to me. The last one won me over by her complete dedication to Sam.
I get a sudden headache, but I also feel my heart is in harmony with my brain for once. This is what Sam said about the heart, mind, and soul needing to be on the same wavelength. I feel the seven main gates connecting with my body, mind, and soul.
"Ho! Tenka just had a minor breakthrough!" Ari announced.
Damn Ari! I can feel the fleeting, jealous stares from everybody. Nobody has evolved yet like me, and I had a breakthrough again. Well, Katriel is closer than the other three because her mindscape is already built, thanks to her high education and Sam's guidance.
(Mine now looks like our village, surrounded by the five states of matter and elements, using a very complex pattern that Sam made for me... The houses in the village contain my memories, easily and well filed.)
"It's all thanks to Salaba's love! And please, girls, rein in your damn greed! I can read people and it's annoying! Don't worry, you will all have your moment, all of you."
Now I can read real shame in their eyes; they forgot about my observation powers and my past, which was as shitty as theirs... I move in for the kill!
"I'm his first woman! And I will remain that way forever!"
My aura claims the room; sternness and pride exude from my being. Ari just lets it brush past her because it doesn't concern her anyway.
Suddenly, an aura like a shield bashes against mine. After stabilizing, I still win, my new energy being more powerful. Kat rises, lifting her naked body up from the bath.
"I apologize, First Mate Tenka, but I can't go down without a fight. It would disgrace my master!" Katriel declared.
We stare at each other. A spiky and illusory aura clash and wrap around us, creating a domain.
"I can dance!" Izuka blurted out.
"Wrraaaaarg!" Mily roared.
A heavy aura crashes down on us all. It is Sal, joining in with her immense heavy strength. Her power makes the other girls have a hard time breathing, but not me.
"This is a bath, girls, not the place for a fight!" Sal scolded.
The water waves and splashes about until I sigh and retract my aura first. The rest follow suit, except for the clueless Mily. We ignore her and go back to a silent bath.
"Then, it's decided!" Ari announced.
We look at her since she broke the annoying silence.
"We will do a tournament!!!"
We all look at each other, knowing pretty much everyone's strength levels.
"Come on, I'll make it something fun! Did Sam tell you about his trial?"
Our eyes light up at the mention of it.
"I will take that as a yes! Then it's decided! I will set up a trial for you girls~!"
Arianna's p.o.v -
(Hihihi! This is going to be fun! Not like the grumpy Sam! Ho! I will make it special for them!)
We get out of the bath and they equip themselves. Then, I teleport us to the main hall where Sam has already come back from his trip.
"Hi girls, you all look pumped. What's up?" Sam asked.
"I'm setting a trial for them!"
His eye goes wide for a brief instant, but it is quickly replaced by a cunning grin.
An hour later, Sam and I managed to make a fair and challenging trial for all of them. I could not believe it when Sam made a blue square of energy pop up in front of me with all the information on the girls! To top it off, he even had a plan prepared for them.
I tell him the extent of the castle's capacity (minus the dangerous stuff and the ones that cost too much). In the end, he prepared the trial himself while I was building his ideas, which are awesome, hihihi! He even made me a golem body by spitting it out, piece by piece! I only have to enchant it myself later.
The girls are transported to individual trials.
My voice travels through space and says:
"This is a personalized trial made by your mate! The first to make it wins the matriarch position!"
"Wtf! You didn't tell me that!?" Sam yelled.
"What? This is a healthy competition!"
Here is the corrected version of the next part of your story. I have smoothed out the comma usage, corrected the spelling errors (like "trough" and "Milly/Mily" consistency), and ensured the dialogue follows your requested format.
"No, it's not! If they start working against each other, this will bring endless trouble! On top of that, I made the damned thing. I can't say that I was impartial; I made it so they can grow and fight against their own limits, but now they might resent me for making things too hard on them."
I realize that he is right, but I don't want to stop now! Sam sees right through me...
"Just say: 'No matter who wins, I need them all.' One woman alone won't be able to fill the role, so the five of them, plus the other generals, already fill this purpose. Besides, Tenka is my first in every way, and nothing can change that."
"Don't worry, you just did," I giggle. "They hear everything we say right now."
3rd p.o.v -
Tenka's heart flutters at the revelation. The others, not so much, but they know they still hold value to him. It is just that they put pressure on him because of this, which doesn't feel right, but their woman's heart... If they could see each other right now, they would probably bore a hole in Tenka while she acts a bit smug and proud. Sam cuts through their thoughts.
"Girls! I love all of you, ok! But you have to understand that without Tenka, none of you would have what you do now. If I could not share her pain, if she was strong like you girls were from the start, I would never have tried to share my energy with her, and in turn, not with you girls. What I'm saying is, Fate works that way and brought us together. Be happy, we are a family, and work together to make it even more beautiful. I can't do it alone. I need your help! Don't fight each other unless it's to make each other stronger."
They all look ashamed, even Tenka. She did poke them... Mily, though, doesn't seem too troubled.... Ignorance is bliss.
"Are you ready!" Sam shouted.
"Hai!" x5
"Start!"
Tenka's p.o.v -
I get transported into a giant cave with a view full of glowing, green herbs. It is very hot. So hot, my breath is parched by the dryness. He picked my weakness from the start. I evolved inside a waterfall covered by roots, so dryness hits me hard. I hold my breath in, using a circulation method he showed me.
After his scolding, I think he did this on purpose to hinder me and make me work harder. No matter, I will win this!
I am cut by his words, still fresh in my mind. He is right. I should be nicer to my sisters.
(Sigh.)
"Start!"
I launch myself forward, but I have to swerve and avoid small fireballs coming my way. Once they hit the glowing herbs, they burn like fuel, cutting off any path in their vicinity. I have to anticipate the path forward and run at full speed so I don't lose a way forward.
The things firing the fireballs at me are black lizards. They are the same size as me, with black octagonal scales, red eyes, and short tails. Their scales look tough enough to resist my normal dagger strikes easily.
The only thing that I can do is evade and run. I need to see the future to make sure the fire will not cut my path forward, as the lizards also try to trap me. I push my brain to the max. My body is the warmest it has ever been, with sweat dripping from my eyebrows.
I can tell the fireballs either create a path of fire or aim directly at me. The further I go, the tougher it gets, but the more I adapt. My body contorts in all possible manners, like dance and yoga moves performed at super speed.
In the path ahead, I realize fake routes begin to appear. This multiplies the degree of brain power required, making me want to stop and catch my breath.
When a fireball grazes my mask and shuts one of my eyes, a bit of panic creeps in. However, the adrenaline that Sam showed me how to control takes over, and I avoid any pain for now. My eye snaps back open, and time slows down a bit more thanks to the hormonal drug.
I am close to the end, so I pounce forward, my power divided perfectly between my brain and muscles, pushing just above my usual limit. I blink three times and stumble for breath at the end of the room. I dive into the next cave before their last gift hits me in the back.
"You're ruthless with them!?" Ari asked.
"Technically, not me. I'm as stressed as you are right now," Sam replied.
"Hmm?"
"One of my split minds. I involuntarily gave them personas of their own, ripped from my own personality. Less efficient at first, but I became the man I wanted to be in the end. I can say I know myself more than most do. Amy is the one in control of the trial. A female version of me that is the avatar of my subconscious... Well, there is more to it... Just like Ammit is the avatar of hunger, but she is more than that! They started as such, but evolve along with me."
Ari: "You're giving me a headache!"
"Think of it like elnora's insects, but not exactly like here either... Pfff... Pffahahaha!"
Salaba's p.o.v -
I get transported to a dark, creepy cave filled with grey stalactites and stalagmites. They look slimy... There is a path of small platforms high over a chasm, going into the distant darkness. I'm supposed to jump from one to the other, getting higher and higher, making sure I don't slip on the slime!? This is the worst match for my power. I make things heavy when I focus my power in them, including my body... (Sigh.)
Once they give the signal, I'm already falling off. (Sigh.) I'm reckless. I did not realize the surface of the platform is slippery and rounded enough to be unstable, not letting you relax. I could not gain any footing.
I tumble in between a bunch of slimy stalagmites, contorted into a pretzel. Luckily, the slime prevented any of them from puncturing my skin. Otherwise, I might be dead, but now I am only bruised a bit. The fall was only two meters, but ouch!
I climb a slimy set of stairs, barely holding on. I already almost want to cry, but I steady myself. Sam said to use my brain and imagination more. I breathe and think. I can grasp a feeling that Sam told me about. He called it brain overclock. It is like if your clock goes faster than the real one.
I usually do things on instinct, which he said is not bad, but I need more analysis power.
I focus power in my hands and make claws that could hold me in place. I jump at the platform and clamp down. It's still slippery, but better; I can hold on. I almost jump to the next one before stopping myself.
(Reckless! How can I be so reckless...?)
I stay there and analyze again. I feel my hands and toes almost digging into the rock.
I think and give my hands more gravity, but direct it to the rock, charging the rock and my hands so they stick together. It is like they get sucked onto the rock, like octopus suckers.
I can even release my hands grip and stand. I practice a bit, using my power with my feet. Once I feel confident, I jump at the next platform. I make it easily and feel a bit proud, but I don't let it get to my head and focus.
I make my way into the darkness, the floor disappearing from my view. The jumps become stretched, and I have to divide my power between my feet and my brain. My mind is close to the limit.
I do my next jump, but the platform under my feet collapses. My butthole clenches, my heart flutters, and my pupils dilate.
Time slows down a lot.
(Ho! This is what he meant, by seven primary glands, and a blast of hormones?)
Those thoughts pass through my brain in a blink.
I know that I won't make it to the next platform. I look into the darkness below and spot a tall stalagmite. I use all my strength and power to catch myself and prevent falling to my death.
I grind my shoulder and cheek, holding on the slimy stalactite to slow my descent.
I finally make it to the ground. My cheek, arms, and legs are scraped by the irregular rock. I shake a bit, not from fear, but from the adrenaline. It's really useful, but now I'm hungry and need to pee... (Sigh.)
After resting and thinking, I start to climb the next platform. I learned my lesson. I should analyze even more. Now that I think about it, I remember seeing the thin pole holding the platform, which was hidden among other platforms; I just did not analyze enough.
Climbing along, I realize another lesson about my power. If I can make things heavy, I should be able to make them light, right? Like myself.
I almost slap my forehead from tnot thinking enough again...
After a few minutes of awkwardness, I manage to stand horizontally on the pillar. How far ahead is Sam, to make me realize all this, with just this strange exercise and say nothing... Not that I would understand the words, until I put them in practice like now.
I calmly make my way up the middle, skipping the walk back, until the wall I stand on becomes a ceiling.
The ending of the platform, makes me have to stand upside down.
I carefully switch the direction of my power and pathetically slide my way across, not looking down as much as I can.
I focus as I don't want to fall now... I make it to the ledge and crawl my way on top of the platform. My face is red, from the pressure my power had to exert to stick on the slimy surface, upside down nonetheless, but I managed to learn something new, making me smile, dispite the pain and slime on me...
After a while, it grows tiring, vulgar, and annoying. It makes me slimy and sticky, leaving me almost naked, but I get why he does it. It should only have been an hour, yet my control over my power is incredibly higher than before. Day and night level...
After a few more platforms, the setting changes. The next one is far away, behind a giant dark chasm. Powerful air currents flow upward. I can see where he wants to go with that. I saw Sam walk on air, as if he was kicking it, while his power made the air stiff for a fraction of a second. I should be able to do the same, or something similar.
I focus on making my body as light as possible while leaving my feet anchored on the ground for now. Just like I did before, "inverting" my power all around and inside me.
Once I feel light enough, I launch myself forward.
The feeling of the wind pushing me upward is fantastic. I even have to lower my power output to avoid getting too high, and hitting the ceiling. I safely land on the next platform and burst out laughing from the experience. It was so fun after the hell I just went through.
Next is a mix of both things I just went through. Some places I float, some I fall or have to scale walls.
I finish, I guess, once he sees I'm good enough, leaving me panting on the floor.
This was just the first part...
...
- Izuka's p.o.v -
I get transported to the fortress where Sam and I went to get the sword. It is Beno's late home base, which we left strewn with bodies lying around. Except, in this version, the place is exactly the same as when we first went there.
It is not hard to guess what he wants me to do. The ability I naturally have is illusion-related. The only one I am okay at using in this situation is camouflage. The most basic illusion consists of either distracting or fooling someone's perception.
I just move the light around me. I put the emphasis on where the light hits and make myself disappear in the dark. I follow along a shadow, caused by the clouds in front of the stars.
Since I don't have my pet to distract the guards, I have to rely on my power entirely. It's not as tough as when Sam did it. I don't have as much pressure to save the captives. I just run from one guard to the other, slicing them up as I go.
They did not even realize what happened before being dead. Well, I just retraced Sam's steps. In fact, it was the optimal route, but since I saw him do it, it is way easier for me. Now to go inside...
I have never been inside the building. This should be fun. I open the door.
When Sam entered, in my memories, he did not encounter any enemies here, but he put some here for me. Three men are sitting at a table in the center of a large stone room. They snap in my direction. I barely have time to dive into the first shadow I can find, before they can see me. I curse my carelessness and his cunning mind; he knew I would rely on my memories of the event.
While two approach the open door, one remains seated. He must have seen a blur when I dashed in. No matter, I target him first since his attention is on me, even if he can't see me at all.
Everything is grey and dull in this place. I send my power out like a string into the guy's eyes, then I twist the world in front of him through the link. He hallucinates for a second, losing his bearings. The world turns all the same grey for a split second, before he shakes his head. I'm already behind him.
I stab him in the heart, through the back, holding his mouth shut. Then, I use his weapon to hold him on his chair.
I pull two knives, before the two guys realize something is wrong and throw them straight at the hearts of the two others, who still have their backs toward me. They don't wear armor inside, so they die without a sound, even if their mouths open wide, there is only a thud, when they fall on the floor.
I don't bother checking for anything except traps and the layout. Sam said he had to kill 200 men. My hands become a little wet at the thought. I take a breath. The first floor is filled with sleeping, low-level trash.
My illusions are particularly powerful on sleeping people. Sam said I could kill people in their sleep if they fall in too deep and die from a heart attack, or become crazy from a powerful emotional trigger, but I don't have that power yet. People have 3 to 5 dreams in 15 minutes, but the time is extended in them, while I don't have the speed to read and rewrite the signals yet.
To others, illusions might seem complex. To me, it is simpler.
Sam noticed and crammed a bunch of knowledge, that he speculated on, about illusions into my brain. There are even strange illustrations, books and "movies" about it. They call it magic, but it's science from Sam's old world, involving people called illusionists. Things like Optics, acoustics, sensory, brain signals and other subjects...
Now, my thoughts get translated into waves, through my inner power, and dive into the opponent's brain, creating the same image, scent, sound, and so on, that I think of. I can send a packed dream, into a person's mind, though it is only one, of the many experiences in a night, but the person can remember it, if they are unlucky.
A sleeping person has no defense at all against this. A person that is awake will tend to feel like they are daydreaming. They will snap out of it; how fast depends on their WIT and intuition. Also, if a person has more power than me, it simply won't work unless, they want me to.
I'm lucky Sam censored what happened in here. There are no prisoners to rescue and the cages are all empty. But judging by the appearance of some of them, I can guess what kind of torture some of the women in our care suffered...
Nobody even sees me, as I kill my way up, until I come across a few awakened men, ready to fight.
I use all my tools and power to my advantage. They become dead bodies before even injuring me.
Then comes the last room. I am facing 25 men with bows, swords, skills, and so on. This is the toughest battle I have faced yet.
Once the battle start, I create mirror images of myself, but they quickly find me because I deflect the projectiles, when the clones don't. I also have a mass and scent; that is something I have to inject into a person's brain, unlike light illusions.
Too late, though; I am already behind the first dead man. The others don't seem to mind and send their abilities toward both of us.
My clones disperse, making the enemies look at the only remaining Izuka with great focus.
Time for my strongest skill.
Their attacks themselves, disappears from their sights, as soon as they fire it, but the truth is; that they fired it at their comrades, thinking they were slashing at me. I did this by using the power I left in the air, with my mirror clones, all over the room. Then the light was bend, like a mirror house, making them see me at the worng place.
I appear in the smoke and shouting chaos, blood spashed, limbs fell from the clash of attacks, but I'm uninjured. Instead, I appear behind a man and he is dead, but the truth is; I'm now into each of their minds, as they lost focus entirely.
A few mirror images converge in the center of the room and merge back into one Izuka. Only a few men remain, unsure if they should attack. I grin at the sight. They must be three times my size, but I am terrorizing them.
I am actually kneeling on one knee, in the center of the room, focused, my ten fingers acting like strings are attached to them, controlling the mirrors.
I split into the same number of enemies and start walking slowly and strangely toward them. They feel dizzy just looking at me swaying like water or a desert mirage. Once close enough, they all bend to dash to the enemies, stabbing at their hearts.
Some try to attack, some shit their pants, and others try to find the real me. But in the end, a throwing knife lodges itself in the spot where the illusions meet them. The clones disperse like smoke, and when they blink, I am still at the same spot, in the center of the room, my arms still in a throwing position, a drop of sweat on my forehead.
They all fall to the ground and also vinish to smoke, thanks to Ari's censoring, and give me access to the next room. I see the man called Beno. I only saw him once, beaten up by Sam, but he is damned strong. Stronger than me, I can tell from where I stand.
"Little girls like you shouldn't wander around like this. Might get yourself hurt, or worse. Chuckle."
He says this while licking his ugly, cracked lips. I am a bit out of imagination for this one. I make a few clones to distract him while I think about my next move. I can't influence him directly. He also seems to feel my presence even when I shroud myself in illusions.
He can tell the clones are illusions, but I keep him on his toes, throwing knives along with the clones' attacks and using [Blink] to exchange positions with other clones. Sam's technique are so simple, if you have the QI to understand the physics behind them.
We keep this stalemate for a few minutes before he gets pissed and starts mixing air slashes into his attack pattern. He is stronger than when We fought him before, sending air slashes like they are normal attacks, making this a complex dance, as I cannot [Blink] through an attack.
The pressure climbs to a level where my brain is tapped out. My real body starts appearing here and there, but he cannot tell which one is real, for now. Still, he might get lucky, making me panic a little.
The danger that he solves my pattern is high. I push more energy to my brain, but since I am constantly chain-creating afterimages, my overloaded brain suffers great pain. It feels like a piece of it has been poked with a hot needle.
I wake up from my lapse in concentration just in time to try avoiding his close-quarters attack, but my body responds strangely, before I can heven register what I did, goosbumps on my skin, as he slices me in half.
I wake up again, from a daydream, but this time I realize, I saw myself get chopped in half before it happened, but I was clearly sliced in half, to the point I felt the sword kill me.
My skill just evolved somehow. I don't know how much, and I feel destabilized. I still don't miss my chance and throw a knife at his left lung, then restart my illusion pattern.
I can feel a second "me" inside my head, trying to control half of the clones. It is hard to let go of control, but Sam told me he has five of them and this should be the natural evolution of my own skill.
I calm down... Things become easier since I wounded him. Even awakened, if he doesn't heal his wound, he will die....
I can almost double my WIT (thinking speed) now. Not literally yet, since my head hurts like a bitch wolf right now, but it should be even more than that later, hahaha!
I have to let my brain heal naturally, since sending power there just accelerates the activity. It would counterproductive to overload it.
I need sleep. One of the "me's" falls asleep, but the other still fights Beno, making it hard again to fight, but a third "me" pops out, just like the other, tho a slight less powerful, letting me feel death again, before wounding Beno a second time, this time his arm.
Now I feel very sleepy. I wobble on my feets, as Benos is also geeting white from bloodloss and coughing blood.
I focus on finishing the asshole.
I create a bunch of copies, tho not as real as the last two, and turn him into a hedgehog with my throwing knives. I have to admire the amount of knives that I managed to put in him before he fell flat...
I spot a bed in the corner of the room. It has been cut and torn a bit, but it will do. I slump down and let my brain relax. The pain and buzzing recede, but then I get attacked and die, without even knowing how...
I wake up beside Sam and Arianna.
"Good job! Sorry about the last guy; he almost got me too. Now sleep. I believe you are evolving. In this castle, it should be perfect for you!" Sam said.
Sam speaks to Lady Arianna secretly before she nods.
"She will put you in a special place, where you will see an infinity of yourselves, just like the clones you created. When you evolve, try to create your mindscape based on this principle. Add a little of yourself in it, of course. Wink. Don't forget the golden ratio too."
("Izuka needs soul power to evolve because of her newborn, split minds. We do not have any data on how to acquire soul power safely at the moment.") Amy projected.
"Ari, do you know how to acquire soul power safely?" Sam asked.
"Simple. Just like you bathe in natural spirit power for years, or through prayers," Arianna replied.
Sam and I tilt our heads.
"Prayer means to concentrate your mental energy, in a positive way, the same way a devil curses people, by bearing strong ill will toward somebody. They can even channel this energy into spells or cultivation. You technically could too. It would help you bring your body to the same level as your soul and mind power. Just create an energy system like the ones you already have."
"Sounds simple, but I don't have a reference and perception of the power. Would you have a rune or pattern that could help? Otherwise, I can use people and animal souls, but I don't like it."
She shows us a rune that can channel the power and one that can store it. Then Sam turns to me.
"I need to do something to you..."
I just nod. I trust him. He smiles, lays me on the floor, and closes his eyes.
"Amy, you're up!"
A small, white translucent arm shoots out of his forehead and starts writing from the tips of my fingers to my heart without connecting the limbs just yet. After the arms and legs, comes the head. It enters my head and burns the runes into my flesh. Lucky for me, it is very small, so it is only uncomfortable but not unbearable. The arm is cold, while the burn is warm... At the end of all the web of connected runes, running all over my body now, he inputs the last one, bigger than the others.
Here is the corrected version of the next part of your story. I have corrected the spelling (such as "beleif" to "belief" and "breating" to "breathing"), fixed the grammar and tense consistency, and removed the excessive commas. I also ensured no em-dashes were used.
Once it is complete, nothing happens. I kind of expected something, you know! Sam must have read my expression. He says:
"That's normal. It is a pattern to condense belief and spiritual power. You are the first to ever have this type of system! I will have to make one for myself."
"Belief?"
"Yes, Mental Energy (ME) dedicated to you in a positive manner. View it as you are going to use our mental energy as fuel to evolve for now. Later, you will use it to create powerful illusions that can alter reality. Not just using light and your own power, but bending reality using belief. We will need to create a worship center and have people empty their mental power on us every day before bed, just like our Power Units (PU). In exchange, they gain a bigger vessel, as it is like a muscle."
"How do I use it?"
He was already kneeling beside me, so he closes his eyes and focuses on me hard. I can feel the burn from the pathways that he created in me. I hiss from the pain.
"Focus on gathering it in your heart, then move it to the top of your head."
The burn recedes when I succeed. I feel like my body has ants crawling all over it, but it is not my real body; it is more like my second mind. We, in fact, both become itchy but also ticklish. I can tell my soul is eating the power he sends to me, but it is slow and a bit annoying. (Sigh.) The one from the air is even thinner, as we all absorb it. Arianna sucks up the most.
I hear a bunch of whispers around, so I open one of my eyelids to see hundreds of fairies gathering around Sam.
The burn intensifies, so I close my eyes back and focus. I have to regulate my breathing; otherwise, I would just stop breathing. It hurts. Sam puts his hand on my body, over my heart. I feel my power channels fill up.
"Keep your eyes open!" Sam commanded.
I open my eyes, and even if I feel his hand on my chest, all I see is myself stretching to infinity in a spiral. I saw this once in Sam's thoughts that he shared with me. The strange thing is that the one in front of me doesn't reflect my actions. She raises her hand and waves at me.
I wave back and realize this is the piece of my mind that split. I can't help but feel a bit uneasy at the sight.
("Don't worry, I'm you, so I know what you must feel, but would I hurt myself?") Izuka projected.
Nah... I would not hurt myself. I shake my head and relax.
("Good. I need you to focus on healing me, then we will split again!")
I wince at the thought; it hurts very much.
("Tsk. Do you think the others have it easy? Imagine Sam; he invented the way we evolve, us Izuka do, from one of the thousands of pieces of his knowledge.")
("Yes, I heard all about the way people almost died to save him and how he was super weak after that stunt.")
("Let's just get to work, will you then!?")
Ok. We both sit in the lotus position and focus on the (BEL) and (SPI) systems. We heal, then split, then heal and split again. Each time consumes a little less power but makes me feel much stronger. My mind and soul both split each time, so the power doesn't double, but I certainly gain a lot of (ME) and (WIT). Meanwhile, I can tell my cells are multiplying, like they form more bodies in a dream world, that can interact with reality.
(The seed of Sam multi mind and wood parasitic insects powers, remade for a pure human, using her mindscape as a mirror room, having infinite potential. The illusion art, is her own intelligence and tallent, above Sam's he admited..)
Each time we split, one image behind me and one behind the clone activate and become alive too, each perciving reality a little differently.
They join us in the cycle, until I feel my limit, which is just temporary. It feels like I would suffocate if I created more, but I know I can create more eventually. There is just not enough (BEL) and (SPI) intake right now. The way I understand it, spirit can develop with a certain type of energy gathered in something or place...
I stop and consolidate my mindscape.
I create a wall around myself like Sam asked me to do to, prevent mind attacks, but I also make a layer where somebody can lose themselves, if they dare to come in. The rest is a snail shell of mirrors...
I open my eyes and see Sam sweating, his skin is literally wet.
"Are you ok!?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. I just kept the trial going while you evolved. I also used what I could from the men, without letting you absorb their karma, which demands even more control," Sam explained.
"H-How strong are you!? I know you have the same ability that I just gained!"
"It's different," Sam replied. "Mine is weaker in a sense, and stronger in the other. The clones are not Me; they are a split part of me. As for you, it's a mirror of yourself. In your case, you can have unlimited clones, but not me. And certainly not illusions at the level that you will be able to make once you settle all that power that you just gained. The mindscape is like a cloud of information, and each one of the 'yous' is a piece of your soul. So I imagine you can relate the number of clones by quality, quantity, (ME), and (PU). I suggest creating a clone with equal power and leaving it at home to train in secret..."
A blue square appears in front of me, this is Sam illusion capacity, showing me my status.
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Izuka
Race - (High Human 100%) (A)
Profession - Assassin/Illusionist/Scout
Physique - (F)
STR - 20/80
END - 20/90
AGI - 40/120
DEX - 50/160
CHA - 15/100 (Short Hair, male cut -10)
VIT - 600 Years
Mental - (B)
Alignment - Loyal/Good
INT - 40/1000
WIT - 60/1000
ME - 40/400 (Currently too tired for an accurate reading.)
Soul - (C)
SPI - 100/500
WIL - 40/100
BEL - 1/5000 (Beta, 1st system)
Others - (F)
REP - 1003
POP - +1000/-3
INF - 0
KAR - +5
Skills -
Mirror Mind 1%* - Advanced Physique 1% - Power Manipulation 50% - Light and Darkness Law 1% - Real Clone 0%** - Illusion Clone 20% - Switch Blink 1% - Blink 10% - Air Walk 0.5% -
Mirror Mind - Create as many copies of yourself as your power permits you. Send them into your clones if needed, or use them as mental power for multitasking.
** - Real Clone - Flesh and blood clone. Divides VIT/WIT/ME/SPI by 2. May cause physical pain and mental trauma. Mental preparation required.
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"Send one of your clones into my mindscape."
He says this with a grin on his face. I admit, this is a very ticklish idea, so we proceed. I close my eyes and open them inside a bamboo forest, just outside a nicely designed house.
"Hey! Welcome! Sorry you lost because of the evolution, but you are lucky to be able to come here! Besides, I say it again, you don't fight to win against them, but yourself, and you won!"
I smile and lay down on the bed, finally.
Katriel's p.o.v. -
I am transported to the center of a colosseum. Erk... I already feel like the filth they send down there. (Sigh.)
What am I saying? I spent ten years serving as a slave... At least the seats are empty.
Yes, this is a challenge, not a show. Bring it on, my liege!
I feel the power that my savior bestowed me with, boiling inside my veins. He said I look like an Amazon or gladiator. I don't know what that means, but he gifted me with a unique combat style and equipment.
It is defensive at close range, and offensive at medium and long range, if needed.
It is a spear and buckler style. I always hold the spear in the center, hand on top, except for throwing. He said; never to bring the spear overhead, that would create an opening.
I must use either the tip of the spear to deflect, or the buckler to defend. The butt of the spear covers my back. My legs are spread, to lower my center of gravity, with the tip of the spear pointing to the ground at my right. The butt is in the middle of my back and my buckler raised in front of my left shoulder, leaving my vision clear. My left foot is ready to kick, and the right acts as support unless the stance changes.
I carry a small bundle of 5 throwing spears on my back. They are only 3 feet in length, and have a feathered butt. They have to be thrown with a simple device on my forearm. (Like the stick used to throw a ball for your dog, making it easier and ensuring you do not touch a slimy ball.)
The prison doors open and golden metal golems enter the ring. They quickly fill the whole place by the thousands. This is impossible for me to fight them all.
(What in the great God's name S..Sam.. my lord is thinking?)
Four of them advance toward me and start to attack. This, I can manage. I step forward, but they imediately keep me pinned in the center, like a machine. They attack in a methodical way; I remember Sam calling this "a formation."
They layer their swings of different weapons, from head to calf. I deflect a mace and sword with one swing front and back of the spear, block a greatsword on the left with the buckler, and knock a spear off course on the right with my arm guard.
My right arm is ready to strike in this position, so I launch two [Spear Thrust] in front and back. Then I execute a wide swing from the spear, into the face of the left one, the butt wiping out the one on the right at the same time. They all are sent tumbling back as scrap metal, making a nice effect, four golems down in one attack. Huff.
This was not too bad, but I look around and curse. I wonder how long this is going to last. There seem to be different units in the back too, like tanks, mages, and archers.
(Sigh.) What wouldn't I do for my Lord?
- Mily's p.o.v. -
Images. Lots and lots of images. Too many. I close my eyes. Scents. Too many scents. Sounds too. Too many things! I want to kill.
"Shhhht... Breathe. Open your eyes. Just let it flow like the water in the river. You can't stop it, even if you try," Sam whispered.
Sam is good, kind, soft, strong, and smart. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. I open my eyes.
Just dead. Just let go, like water. Not moving. So many things. Breathe...
Hours later, Mily wakes up from a daydream -
"Sam!"
I-I jump at Sam a-and hug him.
"Izuka i-is done too!?"
"5x12?" Sam asked.
"60!?"
Sam "Hahahaha!"
Mily: "I r-responded before I k-knew what I was saying!"
"It will feel strange at first, but you will get used to it. I could not send you to school, obviously, because of your bond with Crraa, so this was the best alternative. In my old world, it was called mental conditioning and was criticized a lot..."
"Thank you!"
I snuggle on his lap, like I always do.
(Phew... I did not screw her up more...) Sam thought.