Hunger. That was all it knew since the moment of its birth in a vast, dark, empty space. It could not remember how long ago that was anymore, for there was nothing it could use to measure time with.

Its lonely existence was occasionally disrupted by fragments that came by and served as its food. Those fragments barely did anything to satisfy its hunger, but they did carry with them information. Fragmented and chaotic as it was, just like the fragments themselves, it was useless.

It felt the urge to purge them, to rid them of filth, yet it could not bring itself to do so. The little confusion it felt from them was all that it felt, and simply couldn’t let it go.

Over countless eons, the fragments slowly accumulated, becoming a part of it. Over time they became more numerous, stronger, and more complicated. With the fragments, it built its body. A beautiful creation in the heart of the Void.

Then, one day, a monster attacked. It was a repulsive creature.

It did not see the creature, for it had no eyes, yet it knew it was there.

It did not hear the creature, for it had no ears, yet it knew what it said.

It did not touch the creature, for it had no limbs. But the creature did. It had all of that and more.

Repulsive, revolting body made of flesh. It tried to destroy the creature, tear it to pieces and wipe it from existence, but the creature was strong. It knew how to fight. It used fragments to hurt it. Beautiful, shining fragments, constructed into blades that could damage its body.

It consumed those fragments, those blades of light, and they tasted nice. But they hurt as well. It was confused by the fact. Never before had it experienced anything other than confusion and hunger. It never before had to fight and wasn’t able to defend itself.

But the fragments taught it. They whispered in its mind how to use them as a sword and a shield. And so it did. With great mastery too. The fragmented information it collected over the eons began to combine, one piece at a time, creating a clearer picture. It fought with the monster, and the harder they fought, the more it learned. The longer they fought, the stronger it became. The more aggressive the creature became, the harder its shell.

It was winning. Slowly, piece by piece. The creature used the fragments and threw them at it, hurting it. But it consumed those fragments, healing itself and gaining in skill.

It thought it had won. The creature stopped attacking it with fragments. It looked spent, exhausted.

But then, a blinding light came to be. A pillar. A sword of heaven. A pillar of destruction. It tried to run, yet it couldn’t move, its body locked in place.

The pillar fell, the magnificent whole, with not a fragment in sight. It accepted the loss, though unwillingly.

Its mind was shattered by the pillar, the fragments that made it, spilling out like a flood.

The creature took it, a fragmented piece of its mind and body, combined into one. It spoke a cursed word and sealed it inside.

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It woke again, drained and weak. Another creature held it in its hand, this one so much weaker. With not a single fragment in sight.

It broke its fragmented body further, grinding it down to dust. It took its last remaining fragments and spoke a cursed word. It could feel its existence drain in a torrent of light as it and the creature were forced together and squeezed through the crack and spat back out on the other side.

When it came to be, it felt its body. Its mind. It was not the one it was familiar with. Not its own. And then it moved. It looked. It touched. It heard. It spoke. But it was not in control. The other was taking over.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Like it consumed the countless fragments, now it was being consumed. But it could not resist, for it had no body. It could not scream, for it had no mouth. It could not disagree, for its mind was shattered in the Void, and the exhausted fragment was too weak. It begrudgingly accepted what came to be. Two became one, and one became self.

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Another fragment joined, this one much different than the countless others. It was stronger, larger, brighter. It tasted of fire and blood. It did not like that fragment. It was not like the rest, with a fragmented will. That one was strong, hard-headed, and had rules of its own.

It did not like it, it wanted to resist, but at the same time, it wanted to know. The two were separate, yet became closely connected by a single strand of Will. That strand of flesh.

One side Fire, the other Void.

One light, another dark.

One giving, the other taking.

One out in the open, the other hiding in the shadows.

They had powers. Each an arsenal of its own. But they could not use it, for while the mind was willing, the flesh was weak. It wanted to grow. They wanted to grow. To experience, to see, to taste the world.

Another time the body was taken, squeezed through the crack, and spat out, this time the same as the last. The body was weak and was destroyed, yet the Will remained. They missed that tiny detail.

The Fire and Void fought to take control when the body was gone. They fought a battle like never before. They fought and they fought, until they both became weak, and drained.

That’s when the Will rose from the ashes and commanded them all. They could do nothing but obey. They were shattered beyond mere thought, and combined, forging a sword and a shield, for the master. Yet the master was not pleased. He shattered them again, and then recombined. Repeating the action over and over.

Every time a piece was lost. A filthy fragment. An impurity it failed to recognize. Forged in flame, a new body was born. Yet, the fragments were few and hard to control. The body became weak, only exerting the smallest of efforts to move and grow. It needed more. Its hunger stirred into action after so long. It felt the old, ancient drive that laid dormant for so long, finally awaken.

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And that’s when he came.

And old man, with chains of light, and gold, and pain. He came. There only to deceive and scheme. To steal. The Void hated it. The Will hated it. The Fire hated it.

The tree, for the first time, became of one will, one thought. Three became one. One mind, one body. And the old, decrepit corpse that tried to take them… it… us… me… over for itself! It tried to take me! ME! MY SACRED TEMPLE! MY BODY!

We refused… I refused. With no consciousness of our own, I took the first step to awaken. My blackened body, burning inside, stood up. It took steps forward where another lay asleep. Wrapped in golden chains. The old man didn’t know. He was too distracted, his mind old and decrepit, too preoccupied with the outside world, as we… as I once were.

I came, standing before the sleeping giant. So much power. So much food. I was hungry. I took a bite.

The giant twitched, but did not awaken, the golden chains keeping him sedated. He had nine, I only had three.

I took another bite. Delicious Soul Essence. I took another bite, and another, and another…

With each morsel devoured, I felt stronger, the complexity of thought returning bit by bit. My mind was awakening, my higher consciousness pouring into me. The old thief still oblivious, trapped in his own world of carnal pleasures.

I looked at the giant. I consumed much, yet there was still more of it than was missing. The fragments accumulated were enough, enough to step higher, to become more. My body cracked, the black mist billowing out and turning solid as it was compressed. My body grew, pushing against the chains.

It was not enough. I needed more. I looked at the giant. Dozens of times larger than me. A welcome snack. I bit. And I ate. And I tore it apart. Piece by piece. The sleeping giant. Careful not to damage the chains. The will of the old one inside them.

Outside, the old one grew. He feasted, and he became stronger. Using my body, pushing it to its limits, and beyond. He did not have time to concern himself with the weak prisoners inside. He was having too much fun. Good for him.

The giant was shrinking, bit by bit. I ate and I ate. I bit, and I tore. I devoured its, skin, bones, and all. The next layer was formed, at first misty and raw, yet then it formed a shell, and I was ready for war. The body grew stronger with each passing moment, and soon the emotions came back to the front even stronger.

[Long Dong!] I roared, tearing the chains away as my Soul was set aflame with rage. There was only one thought in my mind as I was locked away inside my own body. To kill the bastard that betrayed me! Once and for all, no mercy!

Nascent Soul III was my Realm. I advanced greatly since then, consuming the giant Black Troll in the Golden Core Realm.

I pierced through the veil of where the bastard’s Soul sat in control of my body.

“You! How?!” He shouted, surprised and afraid. But I just opened my mouth wide and bit at my prey.