A new and intrusive thought entered my head while I was standing on my beautiful, great, awesome 50x50m square that serves as my provisional home at the moment. To be truthful this is my area, my world in a sense. Doesn’t come with any perks unfortunately.

What would happen if I died again and whether I should try it. That’s the idea that came up while thinking of my future. It is something I was actually wondering after all. I want to try it.

It’s like when you’re standing next to an edge, don’t you feel like jumping off it? Or when you look down stairs and get a sudden urge to drop someone's phone into the void. The same was happening right now.

What would even happen then? Would I just die? Disappear like those nameless spirits I killed for my benefit? Would I be arrogant in thinking myself worthy of reincarnation again? A miracle occurring once is… well, a miracle, but two? Already happened.

Is reincarnation not that rare then? Perhaps, who knows?. I’ll need to ask someone when I get out of this boring place. Seriously the only “entertainment” are the occasional screams of horror from dying comrades. Who’d want to live here?

Anyways, back to me again.

After the evolution many things changed. For starters is the obvious change in appearance. Before I looked… poor? Probably. The clothes were shabby, with only a single cloak covering my entire 50cm tall body.

Not only that, but I was also very annoyed that arms weren’t a thing for some reason. I’m surprised I managed to kill all those spirits like that.

In contrast to my poorly thought out look before evolving, the results of said evolution shone bright for all to see! Not that there is much to even see.

Same as before I had the standard cloak covering my entire body, just that this time it was a shade of grey instead of the darker, almost black from before.

My body grew a lot, with my height going from close to half a meter to a stunning a meter and a half. Arms sprouted from my shoulders and dark colored cloth covered them along with my legs.

The transparent silhouette that was my body also seemed to become a bit more solid and now white strands of what I can only assume to be hair came out of my head.

As far as unseen changes go, there were a few worthy of note. A not so important one being my now new control over fire, which is weird since I’m not even a fire spirit.

The reason it’s insignificant though is because the most I can do is maybe a small flame, that maybe and just maybe can light a fire if need be.

After that there is the somewhat strange pull? I guess something like that. It’s weird, like esp weird. The feeling is that with much concentration and effort I will, at some point, be able to project my will in some way or another.

It is quite exciting thinking of all the cool things I’ll be able to pull off in my now immortal life.

Speaking of immortality, it is more complicated than I thought to be honest. I mean when you think of eternal life you think that it’s just some magic or whatever keeping your body at its optimal state for all eternity.

In some religions immortality is even treated as an illness where you continuously age until you decide to kill yourself, if you can of course. The truth though is different from the myth in most cases, this being no different. It isn’t some magical fruit or a list of death that decides if you die or not, you just do, and immortality in this world is a mutation that occurs for every spirit after they evolve to the low rank (normal).

In all honesty, it’s beyond me how it works. I mean sure I know what causes it since it is a racial trait that every spirit and demon has, it’s even explained in the “starter guide” that gets forced into your head.

One more thing to research at some point.

Finally there is the most important change that I observed during the whole process that occurred,

the replacement of {Curse}, my most powerful skill. I am inclined to believe that the important thing I thought I’d lose is that ability, though somehow, someway, I didn’t just lose it… it changed.

Like me, my skill symbolising an important part of what makes me… ME, changed, morphed and in the end, it transformed into something that resembled its past form but better in almost every way it could.

{Curse} became something different. It became {Seal}, an ability I’ve yet to understand.

It’s been a few days now since my long awaited evolution and nothing’s really happened. I have just spent those days either experimenting or just lazing around and doing nothing to benefit a non existent society.

Some spirits have come and gone, but considering that I’m above them on the ranks, getting avoided is common. In fact some brave ones did try to get closer to me, they died shortly after the fact from reasons unknown to the others.

I once heard some lower ranking ones talk about something interesting, summoning they called it. Apparently some higher ranked spirit told them about it, he said that if they evolved they too could participate in a summoning ritual to the mortal plane. Said that they could get stronger faster from it. It sounded like a pyramid scheme so I ignored most of the conversation but now I want to try it. I can’t lose anything just by trying it, right?

‘Huff’ With the promise of strength I stood up and stood still, ‘how do I even do it?’ I Hadn't thought about it, like always. I could try to track them down to ask… but that would take too long and I’ve wasted enough time already, they do say time is money after all.

With that encouraging speech in my mind, off I went to the nearest pillar to start drawing a magic circle for summoning.

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‘I must say, if Picasso was a short, white colored cloaked figure with a talent for not knowing what to do, I’d be him. That's how good my art piece is.’ As always those just flow out of my mouth, whatever could I possibly do? No one knows.

Well I say that, but the truth is that despite my genius in drawing, it turns out you can’t draw something that you haven’t seen expecting results. I probably should have seen that coming.

Truth be told, it doesn't matter that much whether I actually go to the mortal plane. I mean it’s a place where I won’t be able to get along with anyone, after all they’ll die at some point even if I don’t want them to. That is one of the undeniable truths of the world, a dogma that is inscribed into the essence of any and all residents of the world. Therefore spending time with them would not benefit me in my journey. Yes, it isn’t that I’m just frustrated that I can’t draw the damn circle or something.

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Yes I wasn't frustrated at this point in time

So why was I not able to see the bountiful mana of the spirit plane converging on a single point that coincidentally happened to be underneath me until it was too late to do anything about it? Not that it matters now anyway, look, I’m being sucked into the hole that appeared at the place the circle was just moments ago. Well I’ll just have to accept my fate! is one of the things that passed through my mind yet, by some really bad planning and lack of self control, I tried to fight the unknown power ‘As if!’ I yelled and resisted it.

It was futile though, I learned that when my left arm came undone and pain spread throughout my body which shouldn’t be possible, I mean I don’t have nerves to begin with. The only other time this has happened was with that lioness when she used what I can only assume to be a skill. Is this a skill too? Doesn’t feel like it. I me- ‘wahh!’ I forgot I was being pulled.

Well can’t do much now. I’ll just hope to survive somehow. I have always had good luck after all. This is it’s time to shine.

…

It didn’t.

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A familiar scenery, an imaginary friend and the emptiness of the dark void I spent so long inside off is what greeted my arrival into the hole. Like the vacuum of space this place lacked anything that would resemble any kind of material or immaterial life. “Nothing feels like home” sure is a phrase that is true on every level of understanding.

For a moment while passing through the endless void, I thought I saw my best friend, Fred waving at me from the other side of an imaginary river as if begging me to cross it. Not that I could even if I wanted but I appreciate the thought, thanks Fred.

It didn’t take long for the pull to increase and another hole to appear in the middle of the nothingness that is the void.

We (the force and I) passed through it and I yet again became victim of an unprovoked attack on my mind. This time it was lights akin to those you see when you hit your head. They appeared anywhere and everywhere within my field of vision. Dizziness was the first thing I experienced in this most likely unknown realm though soon, I felt weaker, my power drained somewhat and my mood worsened a bit.

Not long after passing the hole I dropped about five or so meters from the sky all the way to the crudely paved floor that laid underneath me. Thankfully, thanks to my encounter with the egg on a wall equivalent of a spirit and its massive arms, I learned how to land carefully just to be safe. You don’t know when you’d have to rely on it after all.

It is really noisy here where the mortal races live isn’t it? The spirit plane was so quiet you could hear a pin drop but now it’s like a late night party all around me. Seeing everyone running around while screaming reminds me of New Year’s back home on Earth, how nostalgic.

I was summoned, right? Where is my summoner then?

A grunt came from behind me as I stood in the middle of the party, so I turned around looking for it’s source. Surprisingly there wasn’t one. Atleast not until I heard another one from below me.

‘You are the summoner?’ I couldn’t help but ask the boy that laid before me. He didn’t look that strong though, to my disappointment. Was he injured? He could always just heal himself, does he not know how?

‘Yes, now do my bidding and destroy my enemies!’... Is what he said. Is this kid alright in the head? Excluding the demand he has before I even know his name, he even asked me to kill enemies that don’t exist. I mean looking around there’s only people partying everywhere. Surely nothing is out of place.

As always everything went wrong, and in what can only be described as a cliche situation, an explosion was heard, along with the sound of metal banging and screams similar to the dying spirits. The source of the explosion was even made clear when a group of stereotypical looking thugs invaded the plaza we were currently occupying.

Soon after someone stepped forward, a coat hanging from his shoulders and an unamused look on his face. He went on the stage that was at the center of the venue and, as if he would much rather be sleeping, started speaking.

‘Alright, I don't have all day so listen to me,’ the “leader” of the grunts started making demands. ‘The only thing we need are the adult men,’ he stated loudly, ‘if any of you try to be someone, we will attack everyone here. Don’t try anything stupid!’

He made a fair argument, that guy, but alas the brat of a summoner wants them dead for some reason. Can’t do much about it, I want to get stronger after all. Hesitating is pointless.

‘Are you sure you want me to do this? That guy is not lying, he will kill everyone here.’ I asked the kid and soon to be companion. I had to make sure he understood everything. ‘Even if I go around killing them a lot of innocents will die, are you sure?’

‘Just do it,’ he yelled at me, catching the attention of the others, ‘everyone will die in the upcoming winter without the adults!’ …

I hadn’t thought about that.

‘You two quiet down! Do you want to die?’ A sizable thug started saying. He was making a scene, he had to go first.

‘Understood? Now stop shouting you two… two?’ He suddenly stopped as if realising something.

He found out, I have to act fast. ‘BOSS, THERE’S A SPI-’ his loud voice echoed within the almost absolute silence that had settled after the revelation, though soon, he was no more. His head rolling. I had beheaded him.

I don’t know what their actual names are, apart from a vague guess, but the effects of two of my newly obtained skills were shown in that kill. One was used for the faster than eye speed that I used to get behind him in a few steps at most, despite the twenty or so meters distance between us.

The second one being the skill I took advantage of to cleanly cut off his head. I didn’t even have to use weapons to use it.

Both of them are skills that utilise my body’s unlimited stamina to manifest the desired phenomenon.

By now the leader of the thugs was aware of my existence, utilising his quick thinking -no doubt sharpened from experience- he gave commands to his subordinates to attack. Unfortunately I can’t have him do that right now.

‘It will get a bit shaky but please hang on, summoner.’

With those words I picked him up and made a beeline for the nearest two-story house and gently placed the kid in my arms to the roof. ‘It won’t take long but I recommend staying up here for now’ with only a muddled response I trekked back to the bandit look-alikes.

The first one to see me was the leader, as expected.

‘Wait…’ Indeed, it was just now that I realised that I didn’t possess a weapon to fight them. Looking around, the only things useful were a stick, a bow with no arrows and a metal spike. Naturally, I chose the spike. You can’t go wrong with a spike.

Soon two of the lackeys stepped near me. By using my spirit eyes and looking at the wind, there were a total of ten bandits including the one I killed.

One of the pair came from the front swinging his battle axe, which I was quick to side step and counter with a kick to the shin. Immediately using my “weapon” I paired the second’s sword that striked from my right side.

‘You two seem to know some coordination don’t you?’ was what I said, yet, they only got confused by my comment. Did they not understand me? If that is so, how did I communicate with the kid?

‘Die you demon!’ Is what he probably said.

As always I got distracted by useless thoughts and got hit by the sword guy, effectively losing half of my palm and having my weapon flung into the air. In retaliation I drove my spike all the way inside his head with my control of air, which I immediately followed with a dexterous thrust on the axe thug.

With his attempt at dodging he lost an arm. My attack dislocated his shoulder. After that a quick kick to the head was all it took to finish him, he was panicking after all.

‘Anybody else?’ I asked. Though when I looked towards the boss he was nowhere to be seen. His lackeys too. In fact when I started looking for him, one of the hostages spoke up ‘their leader left a while ago’ he timidly informed me.

Why had he left? They still had the numerical advantage. Why had he given it up?

The answer to the question came in the form of a loud whistle and multiple soldiers(?) came rushing. ‘It’d better leave’

So without wasting any time, I rushed back to my summoner to report the success of my endeavor.

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