Xavier sped back to the grove where he knew Liana would be waiting. The further removed he was from the battle he’d just been in, the more doubt crept into him. That was not how one such as him fought. He reaped souls. Used spells. He did not tear and rip and claw.

It made him wonder what would happen when he reached D Grade and was given his next class choice. What kind of options would he unlock if he continued down this path?

He had contemplated returning to Hunter’s Home and slipping back into the Staging Room to purchase a new scythe-staff, but he had been hoping that his next weapon would be a soul bound one—and with his newly acquired unarmed combat skill… he was confused about what path to walk.

On his return to the grove, Xavier had slain several beasts, ensuring that his soulkeeping reserve was at its fullest after having used those five souls in Soul Block. He returned to the clearing to find Liana sitting on her favourite armchair, flipping over to the next page in the book she was reading, with a scattering of different beast corpses around her.

“Ah, you’ve returned.” Liana snapped the book shut. “I thought you would be a bit faster than—” The time mage stopped her words short as she got a look at him. “What the hell did you do?”

Xavier cast Time Alteration. There was something comforting about being inside of that spell, inside of one of his time bubbles. He felt better having long conversations in one of them too. A time dilation field now around them, Xavier stepped over to the middle of the grove and summoned a chair of his own to sit on. He sunk into it and let out a sigh.

He only considered for a moment whether he should lie about what he’d been doing, or simply hold back from saying anything about it at all. But he had no reason to keep this from Liana. Besides, she knew far more about, well, everything, in the Greater Universe than he did.

So Xavier explained to the woman exactly what he had done, and exactly what predicament he had found himself in.

“Is this a dangerous path to walk?” he said, once he’d gotten to the end.

Liana had been peering at him was a blank face for the time that he had spoken. Considering the nature of the way that Xavier trained within the time dilation field, he’d actually spend more time with this woman that anyone else since he had been integrated into the Greater Universe by the System—an odd thing to contemplate.

It was rare the woman remained so quiet—rare she looked so serious.

She did not respond right away. She took her time. Their conversations went like this, on occasion. Time was not an issue here, and so sometimes their responses stretched. As they were both practiced in the art of patience—Liana far more so than Xavier—it hadn’t bothered him.

Until now.

When she finally responded, Xavier felt as though hours had passed, though he knew it been a scant few minutes.

“I have heard of Racial Shifts before, but this… this is an unusual way to activate one. And the skill is an epic skill… Those are more rare than you might think. The more I get to know you, the more layers I peel pack and find something even stranger lying beneath.”

“Uh, thanks,” Xavier replied.

Liana shook her head. “There is nothing wrong with being strange.” She lowered her head. “I wish I knew what advice to give you. I don’t have any experience with what you’re doing, and I have no idea how it will affect you or your class choices in the future.”

Xavier nodded. If he were honest with himself—and he always tried to be-he hadn’t expected the woman to magically come up with an answer for him. This was outside of the realm of normal, even when “normal” had an incredibly broad definition.

There was someone—or rather, something—he could ask insight from, however.

Otherwordly Communion was not in cooldown. He could easily summon a spirit to speak his questions to.

He lowered his head in contemplation, wondering how he would even phrase his question. “Is this a good idea?” sounded like too vague a way of doing it.

He imagined asking a spirit from the Otherworld for insight was much like getting a wish from a genie—if he wasn’t specific enough, what he got in return might not be what he was after at all.

Xavier clasped his hands together, looking at the claws. He had been out of combat for a little while now, and still they remained the same. He ran his tongue over his teeth.

Shifted his feet, his claws clacking on the floor of the grove.

Xavier had several paths that he was walking. He considered his main path to be that of a reaper. He took souls from the dead and he used them in battle—even if that hadn’t been his primary means of attack since coming to this floor.

He also had the ability of mind control with Willpower Infusion, with that path came the spell Core Burn. This had allowed him to deal tremendous blows against enemies, rendering them helpless against him, or even briefly turning them into his allies.

He also had the path of melee fighting, which had recently become more powerful with the addition of Telekinetic Enhanced Strike. Though this path had grown stronger, he still considered it to be his weakest asset.

Finally, there was the path he was walking the most on this floor—that of a time mage. He now had two spells for this path—Time Alteration and Time Prison.

Xavier was sure that it was unusual for a single Denizen to be able to walk so many different path toward power. Liana had spoken to him of this already, saying what an oddity he was, even before he’d told her about Assimilate Properties and how it was currently changing him.

Could I walk down yet another path? Or would this path simply be the path of melee fighting, enhanced and changed dramatically?

He had wanted to find a soul bound weapon. Something that could grow in power with him, so that he would not have to keep finding new weapons what felt like every single week. He outgrew every single piece of gear that he attained.

Xavier remembered looking at the Stave of the Otherworldly Reaper in the System Shop, staring at the price of the thing, wondering if one day that could be a weapon that he wielded.

Scythe-staff weapons had become a part of his identity, and yet…

Could this be the solution to me outgrowing gear? Instead of finding gear that grows with me, could I not simply grow myself?

He looked down at the Dark Steel Bracers about his forearms, and thought of the imbued abilities that items could offer him. It wasn’t that he didn’t think gear would help him, just that… this could be a way to circumvent his need to always gain more items.

But it wasn’t just the practical aspects of this path that he needed to consider. He also had to consider the fact that during that fight, the battle lust had taken over him to such a degree that he had almost lost his own will. He had stared down at the blood on the ground and a part of him had wanted to… lap it up.

He only now wondered at what would have happened if he’d given into that urge. What if drinking the Alpha Rhinoceros Monkey’s blood had activated his Assimilate Properties skill?

He shook his head. That would not have been good—but that didn’t happen. He hadn’t let the bestial part of him that was growing take over. He had used it to his advantage.

His Time Alteration spell was incredibly powerful, but it had its drawbacks. One of those drawbacks was that he couldn’t reliably use spells within the time dilation field.

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He could use spells within it—but only a single time, unless he had some way of cooling down his spells, like gaining a level, or the imbued ability that he’d lost when his scythe-staff had been taken from his grasp then split in two. Or even slowing time in the bubble down so time outside of it moved faster like he had with the Stone Bear.

But the way he had fought the pack-hard of Rhinoceros Monkeys, he hadn’t needed any spells—his physical fighting abilities had won out.

He pondered different situations in which he could use that to his advantage. He could trap mages, whose power was in their spells, within a time dilation field. That way, there would be a hard limit on what they could do inside the time bubble.

And he could tear them apart with claw and tooth.

He found himself grinning at that and noticed that his teeth stabbed into his bottom lip.

“Well, that looks sinister,” Liana remarked. She opened her book back up and began reading. “I can tell you’re deep in thought. Let me know when you wish to continue your training.”

Xavier remained silent. The woman didn’t need for him to respond to know that he had heard her.

Contemplating walking down this path of power made Xavier aware just how many paths he was walking. He had never really stopped to think about how versatile his spellset was, even if he had been told that in the past. He had simply been gathering spells and skills as he went along, embracing that which he found useful and building upon them, like he imagined any other Denizen in the Greater Universe would.

But Xavier was clearly unlike other Denizens in several respects—one of those being that he had been visited by the Voice of the System.

Could the System have something to do with why I’m able to walk so many paths? Could it have changed me, somehow? Or is this all me?

He didn’t really like the idea of the System giving him an edge like that, and he didn’t really think that was what was going on here, either. The older version of himself had said that the System didn’t give people levels and titles—that it just facilitated them.

That was still something Xavier didn’t understand.

The System could put him into difficult situations that forced his growth—like how it threw him into the hundredth floor—and it could reward him for his actions, but it couldn’t force him to walk down any particular path.

Every single choice that he had made had been his own—even if he was wrong about that, he didn’t want to think otherwise.

He turned away from that train of thought. He tapped his clawed foot on the ground as he contemplated his next move. He could call upon a spirit from the Otherworld to ask them advice on this, but a part of him worried about what answer he would receive to his question.

He sighed.

It was a question that needed to be asked.

And so, Xavier cast Otherworldly Communion.

Once more the world bled its colour. Once more time froze for him and him alone.

You have successfully connected to the Otherworld.

What kind of insight do you wish to receive?

1. Strategic insight

2. Personal insight

3. Sector insight

The cooldown for this spell varies depending on the level of insight you receive. If you have a specific question you wish to gain insight on, hold it in your mind as you choose your option.

Xavier chose Personal Insight and, as instructed, held the question he had for the spirit in his mind.

A bright light blossomed in his vision, one that quickly dissipated to reveal the spirit he had summoned to answer his question. He’d half-expected to see the spirit he’d seen the last time that he’d used this spell—the one that had been, well, a hamster.

But this was something altogether different.

It was humanoid, that much was clear, but it had the head of a tiger, the tusks of a boar, the legs of a goat, and the wings of… well, he wasn’t quite sure what creature—other than this one—might possess wings like that. Perhaps they were that of an eagle?

Xavier blinked at the sight of the strange creature.

Why have you summoned me here, Denizen?

The voice was a deep rumble, though not near as deep as the Spirit of Vengeance.

I wish to ask a question. Xavier detailed his Assimilate Properties skill, what it had been doing to him and how it had influenced his mind, along with the Racial Shift notification that he’d received. I wish to know if walking down this path will cause the beast to take over. Above all, I wish to remain myself.

The strange creature stared at him. It stood tall at eight feet in height and looked down at him through snake-like eyes.

It was a long moment before the beast replied to Xavier’s question. The moment stretched so long that Xavier almost asked the question a second time, and was starting to wonder if this odd-looking creature could understand him at all.

You are mistaken, the creature finally said, its voice a deep rumble in Xavier’s mind.

Mistaken? Xavier frowned. What do you mean?

The creature tilted its head to one side. You speak as though there are two entities within you. He motioned toward Xavier’s chest, pointing with two clawed fingers. The claws looked far sharper than Xavier’s own. But that is simply not the case. Whether you embrace this path or not, the parts of you that you have assimilated are not other—it is not you and the beast. You are you, and you are the beast. By adapting your body in this way, you are altering not just your mind, but your very soul.

Xavier blinked, contemplating what the creature had just said. He looked at the ground, his forehead creasing in thought. I think my question remains.

You must be careful what you do. That is all the advice that I can give you on this matter. Walk the path you choose—do not let the path choose you. If this is what you are going to do, always ensure you are taking in things that do not change you in ways you do not wish to be changed. As you grow, you will better learn how to harness and influence these changes within yourself. He put a hand to his chest. Just as I eventually learnt the same my own journey.

Xavier stared at the creature with the odd amalgamation of body parts. He had thought, the moment he had seen this spirit from the Otherworld, that perhaps it had done similar things to what Xavier was doing now. Looking at the beast—or, he supposed it wasn’t a beast, but a Denizen—made him worry about his own future.

I can’t ask any more questions, can I?

Not until the next time you summon me.

The creature disappeared. The conversation ending before Xavier was ready for it to end. Apparently whatever controlled this spell—perhaps the creature he had just spoken to—had deemed his conversation over.

The world shifted, time began to move forward again. Though that wasn’t strictly true, as he was still within the time dilation field.

Liana was staring at him intently. “What is it you just did?”

Xavier looked over at the time mage. “What do you mean? What do you think just happened?”

The woman shook her head, a slight look of doubt on her face. Her gaze turned downward. “I thought I had sensed… a shift in time, as though something powerful was exerting its influence upon it in this area.”

Xavier leant forward. “You sensed that?”

“That?” Liana asked. “What do you mean by that? What exactly is it that you did?”

Xavier explained his Otherwordly Communion spell to the woman, telling her the question he’d just asked.

“You are the beast…” Liana trailed off. Blinked. Then stared at Xavier. “I wish I could offer some kind of insight on this. Honestly, that’s a dumb way to answer your question.”

“Right?” Xavier sighed. “I don’t feel like I’ve learnt anything. It was a waste of the spell.” And, as with every other time he had used an Otherworldly spell, he knew that it would have hidden effects—knew that it could cause damage to his soul.

Though Xavier had been honest to Liana about many things, that was one thing that he had decided to keep to himself.

“So, what are you going to do?” Liana asked. “From what I hear, this is a powerful skill you’ve got.”

Xavier looked down at his claws. “It is. Though I’m not sure about how it’s changing me.”

The woman shrugged. “Every skill and spell that you gain, every experience you have or person you meet, will change you in some way. This is just something that will change you in a different way.”

Xavier scoffed. “That’s not helpful.”

Liana shrugged again. “I did say I couldn’t offer any insight.”

Xavier took a moment to think. Liana turned back to her book. She could tell when he needed some silence, which was something Xavier was grateful for. He wasn’t good at asking for such a thing—he never knew what the right words to make sure the other person he was with wasn’t offended was.

He stood up and paced around the inside of the time bubble that he’d created. His claws clacked against the ground. That was something he was already getting used to, even if the sensation was a strange one. He wondered if there was a difference in his gait, in the way that he walked, to before he had taken in all of these different properties.

I am the beast.

It sounded like the spirit thought that realisation would be some mighty revelation. To Xavier, it felt… flat.

I am the beast…

The way he had ripped into the Alpha Rhinoceros Monkey… if he was to believe the words of the Otherworldly spirit, and he didn’t doubt the spirit’s truthfulness, it would mean that what he’d done back there… it had all been him.

He’d been the one to rip out its throat, one strike with his mighty claws at a time.

He’d acted like… an animal, the way that he had lost control. Or, well, that wasn’t strictly true. He hadn’t entirely lost control. He had performed the exact task that he had set out to do—kill the Alpha Rhinoceros Monkey.

He’d just done it more viscerally than he’d expected.

If I am the beast, then I can control it.

He stopped pacing and looked down at his claws. He tilted his head to one side and truly examined them.

Patience. Order your thoughts. I am the beast—I am in control.

Xavier wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring down at his claws. It didn’t truly matter how much time passed, something far more important was passing in his mind. An understanding of himself that he hadn’t had before was developing the deeper he delved into his unconscious.

Eventually, something clicked. Xavier discovered the mechanism he was after. It existed within him, and he exerted his will upon it.

The claws retracted.

The beast could not take over, for Xavier was the beast.