After coming back to his room he opened the box he just purchased. He took out the mirror from the dimensional box. This mirror looked like a fragment of a bigger mirror. It seems they took the fragment and encased it, to make it look like a standard mirror. There is an instruction note telling him how to use it. He just has to stare at it and his inner nature will be revealed.
He started staring at it. At the beginning nothing happened.
But he did not stop staring at it. Time went by and he did not stop staring at it.
Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. Slowly he started feeling drowsy, unknowingly he went into sleep.
When he opened his eyes again he is standing on a plain field. The entire sky is covered in thick white clouds.
A torrent of white substance is constantly falling from the sky. It is falling so much, that the entire field is covered in it.
When he saw this white substance he thought it is snow. But the colour is off.
He took some of it in his hand and stared at it for few seconds and then he realized what it is.
These are ASHES.
There is nothing here, no living creatures, no trees nothing........nothing except for him and the endless falling ashes.
He did not understand what this endless torrent of ashes meant.
As he was looking around trying to find clues, he heard a sonorous female voice, come south.
Pragna jerked his head to the direction he heard the voice from!
But he saw nothing. As he was staring in that direction he again heard, come south.
He started walking in that direction. As he got close to the source of the voice he saw a silhouette of something standing on a mound of piled up ashes.
When he came close enough, he realized that the person standing on the mound is a female and she is completely red!
She is not wearing red clothes but her body is bright red in colour!
If any other being her, they could only use one word to describe her, beautiful!
If any other creature saw her they would be dumbstruck with unbelievable euphoria!
Her entire skin tone is bright red in colour. Her eyes looked like two bright suns that can melt away any distraction from her!
She has gorgeous flowing black hair up to her waist.
In one hand she is holding an extremely ornated staff, while in other hand a flaying blade with hilt attached in the middle of blade.
Her clothes seem to be made of fire itself. She has such a voluptuous body that she is the definition of peerless beauty!
On left side of her face there is a wild boar mask.
If anyone saw her, they would do anything to make her theirs!
But oddly Pragna did not feel any of those emotions when he looked at this enchanting beauty. She looked at him with a smile on her face.
He looked at her for few minutes while trying to understand the current situation.
After staring at her for some time, realization dawned on him.
With a confused expression he said in a low voice, ” You are me?!”
The beautiful woman who is waiting for Pragna to come to that conclusion laughed out loud when she heard that and said, “Bingo! Also for future reference I want you to remember this statement, I won the bet.”
As she said those words, the land she is standing on started trembling and the ashes covering her feet completely scattered away. The mound of ashes she is standing on cleared up and he could see on what is under all those ashes.
She is standing on two gigantic coffins with one foot on each!
One coffin is constantly changing, one second it looked quite old, ready to crumble to dust and next second it looked extremely new. The entire coffin is constantly changing.
The other coffin is pitch-black in colour. In fact it is so black in colour that light itself is bending around that coffin.
The moment Pragna laid his eyes on them they started thrumming as a reaction to his presence.
Both of the coffins are desperately trying to open up. But they are unable to, because of the woman who is standing on them.
The red woman looked at the coffins and said, “Not yet.”
Immediately both coffins stopped vibrating.
Pragna stared at the woman and coffins in utter shock and confusion!
Unable to contain his shock he asked in a shaky voice, “What are they?”
The red woman said while pointing at the ever changing coffin, “This is our form/mind/time.”
Pragna felt like he heard three different voices when she described the coffin.
Not caring whether Pragna understood her answer or not, she pointed at the second coffin and said, “This is our illusions/destiny/calamity.”
Again Pragna heard three voices!
Then he looked at her and asked, “Then who are you?”
The red woman laughed and said, ” Me? I am the eternal clarity.”
Pragna looked at her in confusion and asked, ” Clarity?”
Red woman said while smiling, “I know right?, for a guy whose past is a complete enigma we sure have quite the mind.”
Pragna is quite annoyed. His own mind is messing with him.
He took a breath and said, “Enough, tell me about my.... no, our past.”
Red woman looked at him and, “I don’t think I can do that.”
Pragna had a hunch she is going to say something like that, but the idea that his own mind is trying to take him on the proverbial ride is making him lose all his control.
Pragna controlling himself asked, “Why is that?”
Red woman laughed and said, “I know what you are thinking, I am you Pragna. I am not trying to be enigmatic; it’s just that you yourself have to realize it. You need external Stimulus.”
Pragna asked, “External Stimulus?”
Red woman said, “Because due to our situation, I sealed a part of our memories. But unfortunately I cannot unseal them without you remembering. For that you need outside help.”
Pragna finally lost it and started shouting, “Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?!! YOU ARE ME! YOU TELLING ME IS SAME AS ME REALIZING IT! SO WHY THE HELL DO I NEED OUTSIDE HELP.”
Red woman calmly looked at Pragna and said, “Sorry, but you have to cross that line by yourself.”
Pragna is furious with rage!
“CROSS WHAT LINE?!!! REMEMBER WHAT??”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He has no intention of leaving this place without any clear cut answers. But as he was about ask more questions, the entire world started trembling!
Pragna bewildered shouted, “What is that?”
The red woman said, “The fate between us and the mirror is disappearing.”
He knew that he has very limited time, so he is about ask more questions but the red woman stopped him and said, “No matter how many questions you ask, I will not be able to give you clear cut answers, till you remember” she gesticulated her hand between Pragna, herself and the coffins “Who we are.”
Pragna did not know what do! When he saw her, he felt he finally had some answers. But now he is more lost than ever! All along he had the answers, yet his own mind is fucking around with him.
Red woman charmingly looked Pragna and said, “Well how about this?”
She pointed her staff at Pragna and three things flew from the woman and coffins and merged into Pragna before he could react. As they merged into his body Pragna started waking up from this dream like state.
Even as he was coming out of that dream like state he heard her voice, “This should accelerate the process. Come on, Pragna we are waiting. Let’s find our Veritas, True freedom.”
When Pragna woke up, he found that the mirror disappeared and he is lying on the ground.
He remembered something flying from the red woman and the coffins into him. He checked himself to see if anything is new. He found nothing different or any new notifications.
When the manager of crystal cauldron said the mirror would show quite the unexpected they were not kidding!
His mind is a complete mess with so many doubts!
Who is that red woman?
And what the hell are those coffins?! The moment he laid eyes upon them he felt string of emotions he could not even describe!
Instead of finding answers he is more confused.
Sighing Pragna decided to re-organize his mind to get some clarity. He started meditating.
After many hours he regained his composure. Though it may seem like he is at square one, he actually found one clue to his past, red woman and the coffins. Though he knows that she is a part of his inner nature, if he can find as to what she is exactly then he will definitely figure out what happened to him in the past.
First thing he has to do is confirm whether this is something uniquely happening to him or it happens to lot of people. So he started searching to find if anyone have this specific kind of inner nature. So he started searching for information over inner nature.
After searching for one week he did not find any valid information.
After one week of searching he found nothing! In a library that is so vast beyond belief, he found little to nothing! Even the little information he found has no relevance to his situation.
Pragna had a miserable week. It was not just because of this lacking of information, but his main source of misery came from Biazib. For the last one week he has been haunting Pragna to take him to the martial arts section. Every time Pragna came out of the realms, Biazib would follow him like a faithful dog!
Every day he would wait at Pragna’s office in hope that he will be taken to Martial art section. Every time Pragna would tell him, “not today” hoping that it might deter his motivation little bit. But instead, Biazib would return with even more gusto!
Though Pragna felt pity for him, right now he is busy with his own agendas and he is still not sure whether he should entertain Biazib or not.
As he was having such a crappy week he got a parcel.
When he returned back to his house he found a large metallic chest in the main hall. When he opened it, he found a smaller box and letter alongside it.
The letter is from Toshiro. It read as follows,
As per agreement I am sending you a life attribute spirit weapon. Inside the box is the weapon you wanted. It is refined by taking a direct seed of world tree. It’s up to you how it will evolve.
Pragna opened the smaller box, inside it is a round black bead laid on a velvet cloth.
He took the bead into his hand and inserted a fragment of his soul into it. He got a notification,
You made contract with life attribute spirit weapon.
Not enough soul points to completely waken the weapon. Going into dormancy.
After that notification the bead disappeared and appeared as tattoo on his arm right under the sword tattoo.
Pragna took out the pills he bought from the crystal cauldron. If he went by standard procedures it may take him long time to increase his soul strength.
But with his constitution he can increase his lvl without any backlash.
He started taking both kinds of pills. Instead of taking one at a time he started taking fistful into his mouth. His levels started increasing and so his soul points.
But he did not stop taking the pills. If anyone saw how he is gobbling down such precious medicines like a bunch of cheap candy they may actually get a heart-attack.
He started getting a non-stop notifications. But he ignored all of it and simply concentrated on swallowing all the pills.
lvl 12. Int +1
soul points
195
lvl 13. Wis+1
soul point 205
lvl 14. Str+1
soul point 213
lvl 15. Agillity+1
soul point 227
After taking them non stop the pills effect started decreasing. But Pragna did not stop He stopped only after swallowing all the pills.
He felt a great increase in power. Even his soul felt powerful.
He checked his status and the notifications he ignored till now.
Name Pragna Titles Flame itself, fire pit, young fire lord, harmony expert,Sainthood,Owner of spirit weapons Level 22 Health 33,455 High mana 4,445 Soul points 415 Physical stats Strength 202 Agility 117 Intelligence 218 Dexterity 152 Wisdom 247 Speed 83 Vitality 351 Skills Blessing of venakaya ----- absolute temperature control lvl 10 Flame radar Proportionate to host level fire body proportionate to host level Fire soul domination proportionate to host level meditation lvl 5 Regeneration lvl1 Novice engineer lvl 1 Novice cook lvl 2 Poly linguistic lvl 1 skill reader lvl 1 Rock molding lvl 1 Poison fumes lvl 1 Healing flames lvl 1 lava manipulation proportionate to host level nether realm black flames lvl 1 Fire spirit creation proportionate to host level lava dwarfs low chance of evolving Attributes Fire Maximum Death lvl 1 Life lvl 1 Minions fire spirits 100 nether flame spirits 12 lava golems 60
Abrupt increase in soul strength increased your mediation skill. Mediation lvl 9.
Body and soul integration increased to 25%. You are getting close to becoming a fire lord.
YOU have acquired life attribute lvl 1.
Harmony expert hidden functions revealed. Usually having opposing is a deterrent for further progress. But for a harmony expert it greatly increases your strength.
You have fulfilled one of the conditions to enter the fire realm as a ruling faction member. Once you reach the immortal stage you will qualify.
Your spirit weapons are changing.
James acquired Life attribute.
Seed acquired death attribute.
Both of your weapons are extremely resistant to fire.
Both of your weapons are acquiring your unique appetite. Depending upon their perception they can devour anything.
Your soul is strong enough to summon your spirit weapons.
Pragna has been waiting for a long time to summon his weapons.
He wanted to see what they will look like.
He looked inside his soul. Unlike his fire spirits there were two, different looking spirits.
He willed it and both of his spirit weapons appeared in-front of him.