I need to check on Amia and see if anything has changed with this new ability becoming unlocked.

The ability itself still has me puzzled. Involcrus means Burden in old tongue, though how do I know that?

I materialize inside my soul space, floating above the blue and green ball that is Amia. Only now, large Gray clouds cover vast swathes of the land, flashes of lightning visible even from here.

I can feel the Gray katra from here, purified down to its base form. It's the katra I converted.

There is so much that it has condensed outside my core, and its raw energy is soaking into everything, destroying and changing it.

Mountains become consumed, tsunamis form and decimate beaches. Earthquakes crack open the earth, dormant volcanoes rise from the ground, spewing molten rock and choking ash into the air. Hurricanes form off of coasts and tear up trees and animals alike, hurling them miles. Lightning strikes crack down onto the ground, starting wildfires and scorching earth.

Amia is being destroyed.

Why is this happening?

I will myself to hover over Amia, and I inspect it, using my sense of the katra.

The Gray katra is converting other types of katra into pure Gray katra, then that katra is being consumed by other imprinted types. This is wrecking havoc upon the carefully balanced cycle of katra conversion, and if I don’t stop it, the pressure may completely tear the world apart.

There’s too much katra, it’s overloading the system.

I can feel panic starting to creep up on me, and I feel like falling to my knees and crying. But I push it away, this is no time to break down. Amia needs me.

How do I fix this?

There was a massive influx of katra from my Siphon ability, so much that I couldn’t contain it all in my core, so it relieved the pressure by releasing the excess Gray katra.

And that Gray katra must have started to convert the katra around it, while also being absorbed into the cycle.

I wrack my mind for some solution, but it comes up blank. I look at Amia as it’s lush forests burn, the arctic wastes melting and aquatic life dying.

My eyes wander over the surface, tears starting to well up in the corners of my eyes. My eyes settle on a familiar part of the world.

It is the corner of a continent that is slowly being torn in half, where I know the valley containing the humans is. Several thousand miles away from that valley is the giant tree the asren call home.

My expression twists into anger. I won’t let this happen. I can stop this.

I can feel several large “vents” where the katra escape my core, and hundreds of smaller ones that even now, are leaking katra into the atmosphere.

I need to relieve the pressure. But how? Where do I put all the Gray katra?

If I can get rid of the katre, I should be able to stabilize the natural cycling balance. I hope.

How do I get rid of all the excess Gray katra, without causing harm to my core or Amia?

Then the spark of a crazy idea starts to form in my mind. I need somewhere to store it. Like…

My eyes settle on the two round moons that slowly circle my world.

An extra core.

It’s insane, but might just be doable.

There are known to be Paths that require two cores, or even three, and they all have their own methods of getting another core. Some split their cores into two, others use secret methods to form another core before Bronze. Some even have the techniques and power to condense new ones.

But I don’t know how to do that. So where can I get another core to store all the excess katra?

I pull a long strand of Gray katra from the surface of Amia, feeling the pressure of time. The candle is melting quickly, and I need to move fast.

Can I come up with my own technique to form a second core?

I will the katra to condense itself, to compact and harden, to become solid. To form a core.

Opening my eyes, I watch as the long strand of katra starts coming up on itself, forming tight knots. It contained to ball itself up, scrunching and knotting, but that is all.

This isn’t working. It doesn’t have the capacity to hold any katra.

Sweat droplets cover my brow, dripping down into my eyes. I wipe them away with the back of my hand, taking a deep breath.

I take a mental step back. I need to look at this from another angle.

I need a place to store all of the katra before it destroys Amia. While I might be able to use up some it by creating creatures, it would not be fast enough. The only option is to make something to store it all in, something that can contain it so that it doesn’t float back out and destabilize the conversion cycle again.

So I need another core, that’s the only thing that is known to store katra indefinitely. While runes can contain katra, they are not air tight, so it eventually bleeds out and dissipates into the surroundings.

I have no way to contain the katra though. I need a core, but I have no way to make another one. Even if I knew how, splitting my core when it is the foundation of a world, doesn’t seem like a good idea.

So how am I to get another core?!

Frustration bubbles up from inside me, mixing with my hopelessness and fear.

The back of my neck starts to tingle, electricity running up and down my spine. A idea occurs to me.

The umber hulk. It has a core.

It’s even more insane. How would I even get it into my soul space, much less incorporate it into something I could use to store Gray katra?

The tingling at the base of my skull intensifies, and a horrible idea comes to my mind. Simple, shove it into my body.

It is a horrible idea, but it might just work. I know for a fact that my soul space is just a widened hole in my body on the spiritual level, not really in my body, but still part of it. If I could widen that hole even more, to say encompass a core, I could bring it into my soul space. I probably also won’t be able to stretch it far.

But I doubt I can force the soul space to leave the area of my body. So I need the core inside me to bring it into my soul space with my other core.

I close my astral eyes, and shift my mind back to the real world.

Opening my eyes, I find myself back on the stone steps. Blinking, my eyes adjust to the light. Kamar is sprawled on the stairs. Staring warily at the golden circle.

I stand up immediately, bouncing to me feet.

“Kardin? What's wrong?”

I look at the fractured chitin shell that encases the corpse of the umber hulk, which still lays near the center of the circle. The runes now are glowing a brilliant gold-white color.

“I need the umber hulk’s core, now.” I say with a tone of urgency, giving Kamar a pleading glance.

The asper stands up quickly, lumbering over to the corpse. He worms his large fingers between the plates of chitin, using his smaller pair of hands to help rip the plates off.

He glances over his shoulder and asks as he works quickly, “Why do you need it?”

I shake my head, I can feel the pressure of time pressing down, “There's no time to explain right now. I just need it.”

Kamar grumbles, “There never seems to be enough time.” He turns back to the umber hulk’s corpse.

In his smaller left hand, a long dagger of iron katra forms, and he starts cutting into the flesh. Ripping chunks out, he is soon elbow deep into the hulk’s chest, blood staining his pepper fur.

There is sickening squelching and blood splatters Kamar’s face, but he is undeterred. With a yank, and the sound of flesh ripping, he tears out the monster’s heart.

Holding the still and cold heart in his hand, Kamar slices it open quickly, pulling out the core in blood slick fingers. The core is smooth, and about the size of my palm, it is colored a deep amber, glowing with katra. Dark blood covers its surface, dribbling off.

Kamar is grimcing, but he holds the core out to me.

I grab it up in my right hand, not even caring about the blood. My mind is too panicked and scared.

Every second out here is hours back in my soul space, so no time can be wasted.

How am I going to get it into my soul space now?

The only solution I have to the problem is not one I want to carry out, but it’s the only thing I can think of.

I grit my teeth, steeling my will.

I look Kamar in the eyes, “I’m going to need you to stem the blood flow with this.”

Hurriedly, I start taking off my scorched, bloody and torn shirt. The cold air causes goose bumps to bubble up on my skin, and my tail is lashing at the air in agitation.

Kamar walks up to me, staring at me with concerned eyes, “Wow, what are you doing? Calm down! Just talk to me.”

He probably thinks I’ve gone insane.

That thoughts causes me to stop for a second. Maybe I have.

I toss my shirt to him, not looking to see if he caught it.

I lay down on the cold, stone floor. I look kamar in the eyes. “I’ll explain everything when there is time. But right now, many people are dying because of me. And I have to save them. Don’t try to stop me.”

With that, I close my eyes, drawing from my core to form the bone gauntlet, pulling in as much of the extra Gray katra in that I can. But it is a negligible change.

The bone gauntlet bubbles up from the black wrappings on my hand, solidifying.

I take a deep breath, staring at the clawed finger tips of my hand. This is going to hurt.

I clamp my teeth together, and force my hand ot descend. Everything in my mind is telling me not to, but I puncture my skin like the skin of a ripe tomato.

Blood starts leaking out, but I cut a long slice next to my heart. Then I cut a diagonal over the first slice, forming a cross.

The pain is negligible currently.

Taking a deep breath, I start to use my now bloody claws to slice open a hole in my chest.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Kamar is saying something, standing over me. I ignore him, not caring as long as he doesn’t try to stop me.

The umber hulk’s core is clutched in my left hand, my knuckles white form squeezing it so hard.

I can feel my jaw muscles tightening, aching from the strain. I grit my teeth through the pain as I widen the hole in my chest, creating space.

My right hand feel weak, and I can feel my body screaming in protest.

With a shaky hand, I slid the bloody core over my stomach and toward the hole in my chest.

Then my left hand, with the amber core clutched in it, reaches over my heart, at to the bloody hole. With trembling hands, I start pushing the core into my body.

A scream rips itself from my throat as my body fights against the foreign object. I can feel my katra also reacting, trying to devour the foreign katra that is seeping into my body.

I bite down a scream, pushing my Gray katra to the side and stopping it from devouring the core.

Almost… there!

Pushing, I worm the core deep into my chest, near my heart. I can hear blood rushing, my heart pounding.

With a scream, I rip my hands out of my own chest, closing my eyes. I clap a hand over the hole in my chest, and I can feel Kamar’s rough hands pry it back, holding something to it.

That was… the easy part.

Now I have to expand the influence of my soul space a few inches so that it is encompassing the core.

I focus almost all of my attention on the boundaries of my soul space, also focusing on keeping my own katra at bay. Stopping it from attacking the core.

I can tell now that the core is in the Silver Realm, but I don’t bother trying to understand anything more. I don’t need its power, I just need its storage capacity.

An idle thought flashes through my mind. This would be a good core to bond with to boost me into the diamond ranks.

But I don’t what it for that, so I ignore the thought.

Focusing on the edge of my soul space, I pull with all my will.

It feels like I am trying to move an entire mountain, and my mind already feels strained. I need a better angle.

I move my mind to the inside of my soul space, materializing on the fringes of it.

Turning to look at the edge, I can see a impenetrable wall of pitch black, rolling clouds.

I focus my whole will on the wall, and will it to move. I can feel something happening, but I can also tell it isn’t enough.

I fly over to the massive black cloud wall, shoving my hands into it. They meet resistance when I am elbow deep in the black clouds, it puffs up around me.

I push.

I can feel the boundary moving an inch, then another. A scream rips itself from my throat as I shove the fringes of my soul wider, moving it towards the umber hulk’s core.

A searing pain forms in my chest, not from the self inflicted wound, but form my soul. It is on the spiritual level, and it feels like I am tearing my very being in half.

Not entirely inaccurate.

The soul space moves agonizingly slow, every centimeter a bolt of searing, unimaginable pain.

I shove will all my will and might, my scream turning to a roar of fury.

I can tell it isn’t enough. I need more power.

No, this has to work!

I continue to hopelessly shove, the edge of my soul space now stretch as far as I can make it. It is right at the edge of the amber core, but I need it to fully encompass the thing.

I… can’t do this… alone.

My will is straining, but I am unable to budge the boundary any further. I grit my teeth in frustration, glancing over my spectral shoulder at the ravaged surface of Amia.

I… need… help.

The tingling at the base of my skull flares up, far stronger than I have ever felt it. My entire skull vibrates with the power.

I hear a giggle in my mind, and a very familiar voice that I can’t exactly place. ‘All you had to do was ask.’

From the corner of my eye, I can see tanned hands lay themselves on the cloud a few feet away from where I am pushing. Black cloud billows out from around the hands, obscuring the person my view.

Then I can feel the strain from pushing lessen, and the boundary continues to move forward. I continue to strain my will as I push, my spectral elbows shaking.

The boundary soon is over the entirety of the amber core. I can feel it sitting there, ready to be pulled into my soul space.

Bolts of pain shoot through me, radiating out from my heart, but I force my mind through them, focusing on the task at hand.

I grab it with my will, pulling the object from the material realm into the spiritual, immaterial realm. Then I pull it even more, dragging it with all my will into my soul space.

The space in front of me, in the dark cloud, crackles with energy, the space seeming to fold in on itself.

A amber glow deep from within the black cloud starts to slowly emerge, like a flame breaking through fog.

I pull, dragging the core through the wall and into my soul space with a massive heave of my will.

I watch as the amber orb slowly rises up between me and the other person, breaking through the dark cloud wall, trailing black wisps.

The figure is obscured completely, and I shove the orb out of the way, revealing the spot where they had been pushing.

I slowly relax my arms, letting the cloud wall slide back. I look over to the spot, but am unable to find anyone.

Did I imagine that?

I shake my head, turning back to Amia and the amber core. No time to think about it now.

My body aches, from my bones to my very soul. I feel incredibly wary, but I push through it. Looking at the ravaged surface of Amia shoots pain through my heart.

Using my will, I form a mental net, snatching the now massive orb up in it. Flying towards the moons that orbit Amia, I drag the umber hulk’s core behind me.

I quickly make it to the larger of the two moons, it’s white, rocky surface arrayed before me with a gentle curve.

Turning, I look at the smaller moon and its blue surface, a visible, blue atmosphere cling to its surface, enveloping it. A large tree is the only feature other than craggy rock on it.

Now, I need to encase it inside.

I think I might be able to leave the core outside, but from my experience with my own core, and the fact that the crust let it store more katra, I think I need to surround it.

So, I got to drill a really big hole into the center of the moon. I push away my amusement at the absurdity of the thought, there is no time to dwell it.

How do I make a hole?

I know I can shift around the earth by using the Earth imprinted Gray katra it is made of, but I am not sure if I can make it move out of the way. There’s only one way to find out.

I focus my will, touching the earth katra that makes up the very ground of the blue moon. I will it to move.

It feels like my mind is slogging through mud, but I persist. I hone my will into a drill, pushing it into the surface of the moon.

Massive amounts of rock and earth shoot up into the air, and I unconsciously move it out of the atmosphere to float up into space. Massive boulders go tumbling past me into the void of my soul space, debris trailing behind them.

I ignore it all, just gritting my teeth and pushing into the rock. Massive amounts of dust and rock fly from the hole I am drilling, a cloud billowing out around it.

I watch from the corner of my eye as that blue tinged cloud sweeps across the surface of the moon, engulfing the tree and moving on. I don’t have enough attention to worry about the plant though, focusing on my task.

Soon, I can feel myself getting closer to the center of the moon. Breaking that last few inches, I release my will and stop drilling into the earth. Now, I’ve got to hollow it out.

My breaths come in ragged gasps, and sweat rolls down from my forehead and into my eyes, stinging them. Wiping my brow, I take a shaky breath.

Every strand of muscles aches, my bones throb and my heart pounds, the sound of blood rushing in my ears. I feel on the verge of collapse, but I know I am only getting started.

Taking another deep breath, I steel myself.

My gaze refocuses on the giant hole that now leads into the center of the blue moon, massive fissures running around it through the earth. The moon is barely holding itself together, close to tearing apart.

An idle thought floats through my mind, I really need to name these things.

I shift my attention to the moon, there the hole stops in the direct center of the moon in a cone. I need to widen it and make it big enough to neatly slot the giant amber core inside.

I close my eyes, gathering up my battered will. I imagine it compressing together to form a blade sharp enough to cut through stone. It takes me what feels like an eternity, but I soon am able to sharpen my tired mind into what I feel a blade is.

Sharp.

I push my will into the hole, and down to the center of the earth. There, I start carving up large pieces of the stone, drawing a large circle with my will. Then I grab it with my mind, breaking it off and launching it up the hole and into space.

Then I start carving more chunks, hollowing the center of the moon out. I carve large chunks of rock from the earth, hurtling them up the hole and past my spectral body into space. I don’t flinch as the large fragments go flying past me, my eyes focus on the task at hand.

Sweat drips into my right eye, stinging it, but I ignore it. The pain is nothing compared to what I have gone through, to bending your very soul.

Soon, I have hollowed out the center of the blue moon, leaving a jagged and obtuse cave in the center. Releasing my from its form of a blade, I reform the net, snatching the giant amber core up.

Then I start dragging it into the center of the moon. It passes through the atmosphere, flames licking at it as it burns like a comet as it hurtles into the hole.

I shove it down into the center, and it moves with uncanny speed. I start slowing its descent, till it eventually rests in the exact center of the cave.

No time to make it look pretty.

I gather up all the blue rock around me, and shove it into the hole, filling it up. I have to reach further and further to grab more pieces, but eventually, I have blocked up the hole into the center of the world. I patch up holes with Gray Earth, solidifying it.

It’s not a pretty patch job, but it will hold.

I move my focus through the crust, feeling my way to the core. It still glows amber, with whatever aspect the umber hulk used. I touch the katra inside the core, and get the impression of though, mind and control.

Some kind of mental katra?

I would like to study it further, but I need this vessel to contain Gray katra, not the umber hulk’s aspect. How do I go about making it hold Gray aspected katra then?

The tingling at the base of my skull flares up, running down and up my spine, crackling.

I’ll have to convert the already existing katra to Gray katra, then carefully turn the outer shell of the core into solid Gray katra. I can tell this is going to be hard.

I start funneling the Gray katra from the massive storms that cover my world towards the moon, pushing it through the earth and down into the core that floats at the center.

I watch as the twist spiral of Gray katra strands stretches from the surface of my world. I continue to funnel it into the core, feeling the Gray katra slowly converting the mental katra inside it.

I focus my attention on the outside of the core, willing Gray katra to merge with the hard shell. It is slow going, but I can feel it slowly spreading through the crystalline structure of the core, converting it to a hard shell of Gray katra.

I have to focus to make sure it doesn’t lose substance and become regular Gray katra.

Soon, then entire core has been completely converted. I start expanding it, using the crystal Gray katra to build onto pof it, funneling more and more Gray katra from Amia into it.

I can feel a large amount of it burning up in the process. The more gone, the better.

The crystal grows in spurts, forming lumps and ragged rocks off the core, till it eventually meets the walls of the cave. I keep funneling more katra from the atmosphere of my world, and the spikes from the new core drive themselves into the stone, burrowing deep.

The core slowly expands, branches of Gray katra shooting out of it and running through the ground like roots, splitting off big ones into smaller ones. After what I think must be eternity, I can feel that the vast majority of the katra that was ravaging the surface of Amia is gone.

There is still a large amount of it in the cycle, but now it should be able to stabilize.

I let out a breath, floating to my knees in empty space, astral beads of sweat dripping from my face and floating away as little balls of water.

I… I did it.

I feel incredibly weary, but I force myself to stay awake. Taking a few more breaths, I close my eyes and calm myself.

After a few minutes, my body has relaxed and all the tension has melted away. I take one last deep breath, then open my eyes.

I am greeted by a message from the system.

Due to exposure to vast amounts of [Gray Katra] the denizens of your [Soul World: Amia] have been altered! The fauna and flora has mutated and changed. The landscape has also absorbed large amounts of [Gray Katra] and [Gray Katra Well]s have formed, connected by [Leyline]s of raw [Gray Katra].

3 new races have been born from exposure to raw [Gray Katra]!

[Greyling]s: These sapient beings have been changed to better contain [Katra]. Now, their skin is tinged gray, and their bodies have grown lithe. They tower over every other race at an average of 7 feet tall, with enhanced hearing and pointed ears. These beings have gained control of [Gray Katra], forming small [Well]s inside themselves and using it to manipulate the world around them.

[Brev]: The sapient beings have been changed, becoming better in tune with the world around them and the [Gray Katra] that flows through it. They stand at an average of 4 feet tall, and have gained enhanced strength. They can tap into the [Gray Katra] flowing through the world around them, communicating with it. Their bones have grown dense to help them use their incredible innate strength, and they have become stocky.

[Kal]s: These sapient beings have developed wings and horns, becoming able to live in high altitudes. Their lungs have expanded and become more efficient at filtering oxygen from the air. With age and techniques, these beings can strengthen themselves by pulling [Gray Katra] from the air and use it to reinforce their bodies in desired ways. These beings grow more powerful and stronger with age and how much [Gray Katra] they absorb.

I wipe my forehead, watching as the message dissolves away.

Well, dang. This was unexpected.

I look at the surface of Amia. the three supercontinents have more or less been shattered. Large parts of them have sunk into the ocean, and underwater volcanoes have started to form islands.

It has all settled now, but I can feel the fractures that divide all of the tectonic plates, and I can tell they are still slowly moving. Parts of continents have crashed into each other, forming mountains and lakes. Swamps have come into existence, and beaches have formed. Large trenches run along the seabed, sulfur and molten stone bubbling out of them, heating parts of the ocean.

I can also feel the wells of Gray katra, and tell that they are extensions from my core. Lines of Gray katra run from them, twisting around through the earth to other ones, connecting them all together. It is a vast network, and I can see that some of the exposed ley lines have started to bleed Gray katra into the environment, changing the flora and fauna even more.

A sigh escapes my lips, and I fall to my butt, just staring in a daze at what has become of Amia.

Things are definitely going to change even more now. I wonder what will happen?