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Chapter 2: Out of body experience

Roy Malloy - not quite on Earth

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I dated a hippy chick once. It was a lot of fun while it lasted. Ended when she stabbed me with a fork. I probably deserved it. Not important now. But I do remember her long lectures on astral projecting and power crystals. I wish I had payed more attention. She probably wouldn't have stabbed me back then. I am fairly certain that was what was happening now. Either that, or I really was floating both inside and outside of every location within a mile of my body completely naked. I’m hoping this is taking place in my head. I'm flashing a lot of squirrels if it isn't. Its not too bad in the meantime. Everything is grooOoovy.

I can feel the crystal before me. It's a lot bigger than me, mentally I mean. Its trying to connect to my mind. That doesn’t seem like a scary thing at the moment. Merging with an alien rock, seems like a grade a plan. The stone thinks so. Am I on drugs? Nah.

Let’s do it.

“Accept merge” I attempt to say. The lack of a functional mouth makes it hard, but the crystal gets the idea.

And we did. All at once back into a single location, just above my own body. Whiplash doesn't even begin to cover it. If my eyes were real they'd be orbiting my head right now.

I got a chance to look down at regular me. I had face planted into the dirt next to Buddy. He didn't look too good. He had definitely passed out after... whatever it was that he did. A cloth plug and an armature tourniquet may have slowed the bleed, but it hadn't stopped it.

After the merge I knew what 'it' was. Roughly. It was more of a feeling than true knowledge. Overheard conversations from several years ago kind of knowledge.

It knew me too. It knew how out of my element I was as a non magical being from a non magical world. The emotion I was getting back tasted a lot like pity. And it decided to help. It prompted me that there was a basic interface that could pop up at my request.

“Core information” I thought/spoke again

Dungon Core Type - Nature Affinity Age - Less than 1 year Power Level - Very Weak Abilities - Current - Active Creation Transformation Destruction Energy Creation Energy to Matter Conversion Matter Creation Energy to Energy Conversion

Matter to Matter Conversion

Matter to Energy Conversion Other Skills Empty category Empty category Core Master Mental Communication (You)

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Well that feels like an understatement of abilities. Probably a lot to unpack there. I'm no physicist, but I feel like some laws are being broken. Learning more is gonna be a task for later.

“Core, can you help Buddy, I mean the alien. The thing beside me out there.”

Insufficient Power

“Core, how can you gain more power quickly”

-Converting matter into energy -Killing..... .....

“Enough. I have what I need. Converting matter to energy, how much matter do you need and what kind”

To create *low grade health potion* you will need 14.4 cubic feet of matter local area matter. Material requirements for *low grade health potion* are non specific. Any matter will work as long as it is within 18 feet of the core master and core at current level

Two birds, meet one stone. I almost wish I hadn’t carted away the other two loads. “core, absorb the pile of garbage, make a low grade health potion and let me out.”

There is significantly more information to disseminate to the core master regarding core operation

“Time is passing, this needs to happen now or he’s gonna die”

I get what could be considered a nod of approval from a thing with out a head... or a body

Proceeding with core master's orders

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Roy Malloy – back in the flesh

Coming back into my body was weird. It didn’t feel like I was moving fast in the astral plane, but I must have been. My body flew back a few feet when I went in. The worst was the perspective shift. One second I’m facing one way, towards my face. The next second I am facing the other way, looking out my own eyes. And also flying backwards. Not fun.

Buddy was laying there still, and the crystal was not. I looked over to the garbage pile to see the detritus starting to orbit towards a lightly glowing center. It was going pretty fast too. It should be done with the pile in a minute or two.

I had a minute to burn, so I took it. Get used to having to breath again was not fun, but just like riding a bike I was able to pick the skill back up quickly.

I crawled back over to the alien. I knew he was a ‘he’ now. Couldn’t tell you how I knew, but I was fairly confident.

“Hang in there buddy, I’m working on getting you a health potion. That is the sort of magical bullshit you're used to right? Just another minute or two and it will all be a okay.”

He didn’t respond. Shock or blood loss had taken him out of the game. I hope this works.

A short time later the core floated back over to me when it was done with the trash pile. As it hovered over my hand it dropped a small glass bottle, maybe the size of a 5 hour energy shot, into my outstretched palm. That's a lot of stuff for such a tiny bottle. Buddy’s breathing was slowing down. No time for thinking, just doing.

I pulled the cork, opened his mouth and tilted his head back. When I poured the light green concoction in he choked a little, but got most of it down instead of on his shirt.

Low grade health potions take time to work… I think… but they will keep him alive and healing. For now. And that’s better than where we were a few minutes ago. I can see the bleeding slow as the worst of the wounds close up with ugly scabs.

The worst seems to be over. Now I can take a breath and think about how I am going to get off this mountain.