The beaver stood before him, its majestic form blocking Ged's path.

Its fur warped in strange ways, oscillating between real and unreal. Ged narrowed his eyes.

What the hell is that?

Ged had never seen a beaver before. It looked like something a child might draw.

The beaver spat out the gleaming scimitar it was holding. The weapon seemed to defy logic, floating upright in the air as if suspended by invisible strings. Then, it spoke.

“Hello there, my demonic brother. I had to stop you when I saw your beautifully crafted human shape. My name is Manduka. I am a humble, beaver-shaped demon from the younger generation.”

Ged stiffened at the words demonic brother, but the sheer strangeness of the scene left him speechless.

“I noticed you were on your way to Mount Existence and hoped you might help me with something.”

“You see, I have reached a standstill in the growth of my perspective. I have yet to achieve a human possession and am sorely lacking in insights and pontifications.”

“I hope you would be so kind as to exchange sensations and help out this lost but seeking beaver.”

Ged furrowed his brow. “Exchange… sensations?”

Manduka’s expression twisted at Ged’s question, his whiskers twitching.

“Fine,” he said, his face pained. “If my sensations don’t interest you... I can trade in shapes or concepts instead. I have possessed quite a few plants and animals. I promise you, I can get you a good deal for whatever it is that you’re after. Just let me take a glimpse at some of your experiences.”

Ged blinked. “Excuse me, what?”

Manduka rolled his eyes. “Still not convinced?” He scoffed. “Damn, stingy bastard. Just because you have a human shape, does that make you so much better than me? Why not give us young, sprouting demons a chance for once?”

Ged was speechless.

Manduka grinned, his whiskers twitching with anticipation. “I can see you don’t believe me. Must be one of those typical haughty demon types.” He leaned in, his voice lowering. “Here, how about this? Have a taste of my best stuff. If it’s not to your liking, we won’t trade. But once you experience it... I hope you’ll reconsider your stance.” He winked.

Before Ged could decline, Manduka's mouth unhinged open. From the depths of his throat, a bubble began to form. Inside its clear spherical walls a dark mist swirled like a contained storm.

Ged instinctively stepped back, every nerve screaming at him to avoid whatever this was.

Manduka exhaled, giving a smile as the bubble drifted slowly toward Ged.

Manduka straightened his back proudly, “this is the sensation of limb ripping. The most painful thing that can ever be experienced.” His tone was almost reverent. “I once believed the agony of a thousand stabbings would never be topped, but a rather convincing giant frog insisted otherwise. I tested it myself, and well…” He smirked. “It's definitely some good shit.”

Ged’s stomach dropped.

He didn’t know what was inside that bubble, but every instinct screamed that it held something incredibly painful.

His eyes widened. "Fuck no! Get that thing away from me!" Fear marred his face as he desperately tried to get out of the bubble’s path.

But the bubble wouldn't let him go.

It latched onto him like a magnet to iron.

It crashed into his body, bursting with a loud pop.

A raw, unholy agony surged through him.

Ged's vision blurred from the ungodly pain.

AHH!

For an instant, the only sensation he felt was that of limb ripping. His limbs were torn apart, each joint unraveling with maddening precision, as if unseen hands were meticulously ripping him apart, turning his body into confetti.

Then it was over.

Gasping, Ged stared at his hands and feet. They were still there.

It hadn’t been real.

But the trauma of what he experienced lingered.

His breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as he clutched his trembling limbs.

Manduka saw his twitching form with giddy excitement. "Isn't it incredible?" His eyes burned with fervor. "I was once like you. I didn't believe pain was worth my time experiencing but then I felt it for myself."

He closed his eyes for a moment, reminiscing, as Ged shakily tried to get up. "Hard to put into words, right? Fucking incredible. Some of the best pain you could experience."

He sighed.

"It’s good. I know. Now help me out, and maybe I’ll even share more profound experiences. Give me anything you have related to human experiences, I want as much as you’re willing to give."

Ged’s fingers twitched as he slowly regained motor function. His skin was slick with cold sweat.

His body crept into a crawl.

Match the offer?

Ged let out a cold chuckle. If I knew how to do that, I would. Rage flared beneath the surface of his lingering pain.

Ged wiped sweat from his brow, his glare sharpening. "I don’t know how to send it over. But I have a lot of good sensations I want to send to you." He chuckled coldly. "Tell me how, and I’ll gladly match your offer."

Manduka frowned. "You don’t know how to send over a sensation? What the hell does that even mean?" He studied Ged's form, his whiskers twitching in curiosity.

Ged gritted his teeth.

"Has your mind turned to mud from an elongated possession? What is wrong with you?" Manduka raised an eyebrow.

Ged’s glare sharpened. "You’re wrong. I haven’t possessed anyone," he said, his voice firm. "I am not from this place."

He took a breath, his voice colder. "You may call me a human-shaped demon, but I am just a human."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"A human?" Manduka’s eyes widened. "Holy shit! A demon who thinks he’s human... Reality Sickness has hit you hard. I’ve heard stories about this happening, but this is the first time I’m seeing it for myself."

Ged felt a chill of horror. Why does this beaver not listen to a word I’m saying?

Manduka studied his expression and shook his head. "A bad case of it, too."

"Wait... if you are experiencing Reality Sickness."

Manduka sucked in a deep breath.

"That must mean you just returned from your last possession."

Ged stiffened, frustration boiling inside him.

Manduka’s grin stretched wider. "You have? Haven't you?"

"I can see it now, you haven't unpacked all your experiences in reality. You have to let me at least have a peek."

Ged’s frustration flared into anger. "Start speaking with some sense. Shapes? Concepts? Sensations? Possession? I have no clue what the hell you’re talking about!"

Manduka’s grin turned sharp. "Hold that thought."

Gripping his scimitar between his teeth, he stepped forward.

Ged instinctively took a step back. "What are you doing?"

Manduka’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. "We can both learn together. The answer lies inside you."

The blade in his mouth shimmered. "The building blocks of existence," he whispered, his voice turning sinister.

Ged backpedaled helplessly. "Stay back."

But Manduka didn’t let him escape.

The scimitar swung with stabbing precision, slicing through Ged and carving viciously at his form.

Ged flinched, expecting the worst, but felt no pain. Instead, an overwhelming clarity washed over him, as if he gained a deeper understanding of things in his life.

A wave of euphoria washed over him as his recent life experiences materialized outside his body, floating in clear orbs

"Wow!" Manduka exclaimed, his whiskers twitching with excitement. "You’ve got some good stuff in here. You’ve really been around the block. Huh? How many plants and trees did you possess to develop such a deep understanding of nature?"

Ged’s gaze drifted over the floating spheres encircling him. Inside each, he saw the plants and trees he had consumed in this strange realm.

Looking at each sphere, he felt as if a fog was lifted from his mind, and he could now understand the deeper intricacies of the concept of natural growth.

Manduka, grinning, began to explain.

"Those are concepts. They represent your understanding of things. For us demons, they are essential to becoming 'real.'" He cleaved into Ged’s body once more.

"Shapes are merely containers for concepts and sensations. Just as your human shape is best suited for human experiences, certain shapes are better at holding specific experiences than others. Your nature-based experiences became cluttered in your human form, as they were not meant to be held in such a shape. That’s why, when they were removed, you gained a clearer understanding of their concepts. If you had a more natural, plant-based shape, your insights would be even greater."

Ged nodded in understanding as Manduka resumed chopping away at his body.

"Lastly, sensations define how we interact with the world around us…"

Manduka's blade stopped mid-swing. His eyes widened and his hands trembled.

"Why… why is this among your experiences?" He stared at Ged with terror in his eyes.

From within Ged’s form floated a green, grassy hill that pulsed with a blinding green light.

Manduka dropped his scimitar.

"Peak Concept." He shuddered. "I’ve only heard whispers. Where and how did you come to understand something so terrifying?"

He took a few slow, careful steps back.

Ged frowned. Why is he so afraid of this thing?

He gazed at the floating hill. A warm, almost tranquil sensation radiated from it, filling him with an odd sense of comfort and familiarity.

It felt harmless.

"Please, put it away!" Manduka shouted, still backpedaling. "That concept is too dangerous to leave out. Even in its infancy, it’s not something a regular demon should be able to handle in his body..."

Manduka’s heart pounded as the realization sank in. His breath hitched.

"You… you must be an Archdemon." His voice wavered. "I'm so sorry. I—I didn’t realize. I cut into your body so rudely, without even thinking. I am unworthy."

Manduka averted his gaze, as if standing before a divine figure.

Ged raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I am neither an Archdemon nor a demon. As for this Peak Concept... even if I wanted to put it away, I wouldn’t know where to start."

Manduka's face brightened. "Oh great one. Are you saying you need my assistance?"

Ged hesitated, then gave a slow nod.

Manduka gingerly picked up his fallen scimitar, still avoiding Ged’s gaze, then rushed toward the distant fractal tree.

Periodically, he glanced over his shoulder, making sure Ged hadn’t changed his mind.

Ged felt something was terribly wrong.

Upon reaching the tree, he hopped up and sliced through one of its infinite branches with his scimitar.

But instead of severing, the branch expanded outward, twisting and unfurling into a second, equally massive fractal tree.

Manduka’s eyes glazed over as he stared into the copy of the tree. Then, sprinting back toward Ged, he fixed his gaze on a nearby empty space. From the ground appeared the copy of the fractal tree, its incredible form taking up the entirety of Ged's peripheral.

"This is called the Tree of Mysteries." Manduka’s voice was hushed. "Quickly, young prince. Go on and make a contract with it."

Ged’s brow furrowed at Manduka's new title for his name. Not worth the fight, he looked up at the fractal tree. "Contract? How do I do that?"

"Stare into its branches and think about the concept of mystery." Manduka offered the instruction without explaining anything.

Ged's eyes narrowed. Following Manduka's directions, he stared into the Tree of Mysteries.

Nothing happened.

Damn cryptic beaver. What the hell does "the concept of mystery" even mean?

Manduka noticed Ged struggling and elaborated further. "Think about the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'mystery.'"

Ged squinted. Mystery.

An image of Manduka appeared in his mind. His eye twitched in irritation. Why the hell is that the first thing I think of?

But whatever he did seemed to work. The tree’s branches trembled, and the world around him began to swirl.

Ged suddenly found himself inside a cage, suspended in a vast void.

At its center stood a pedestal, atop which rested a disembodied human hand.

Ged slowly circled the cage, his gaze locked on the strange sight.

"That damn beaver didn’t explain anything once I got here. What the hell am I even looking at?"

He eyed the hand warily. It was the only thing in the room he could interact with.

"Do I really have to touch that?" He grimaced. The hand looked disturbingly realistic, like a mummified relic, embalmed and left untouched for centuries.

With great reluctance, he extended his hand as if to shake it.

The cold, dead fingers met his palm.

But nothing happened.

Ged frowned and withdrew his hand in disgust.

Are you serious? His frustration flared. "Am I trapped here? Is this some kind of puzzle? What the hell is this?"

He stomped around the cage, his anger growing. "Damn beaver! He set me up. Tree of Mystery? This is clearly some kind of trap!"

The image of Manduka flashed in his mind, as if mocking him, worsening his mood even further.

Apparently, just the thought of the beaver was enough to complete the contract with the Tree of Mystery.

The world swirled around him, and he suddenly found himself back in front of Manduka. Inside his body, embedded within his being, was the image of the Tree of Mystery.

His expression darkened at the beaver in front of him.

Manduka, having no idea what had transpired inside the contract space, saw Ged’s sour mood and took a cautious step back. Though confused, he felt a twinge of fear. The contract was clearly successful... so why is he so angry?

"Congratulations on your successful contract with the Tree of Mysteries, great one," Manduka said, trying to shake off his unease.

Ged only scowled deeper.

Manduka’s breath hitched.

"Can you... please put away the Peak Concept? You’re scaring me."

Ged’s narrowed eyes flicked back to normal.

"How do I do that?"

Manduka exhaled. "Look at the concept and guide it beneath the tree’s branches."

Ged grumbled. This damn beaver’s instructions are too vague.

Reluctantly, he focused on the Peak Concept. He fully expected nothing to happen.

But then... something did.

A strange connection formed between him and the concept. It was like guiding a floating ball in water with a thin stick.

Carefully, he maneuvered it beneath the fractal tree inside him.

The moment it was shaded beneath the branches, it vanished from sight.

Manduka let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He was about to resume stabbing Ged to uncover more concepts when Ged’s voice stopped him.

"Manduka."

The beaver froze mid-step.

"If this place isn’t part of reality, what is this realm called? And where is reality in relation to it?"

Manduka squinted at him. "Reality? That would be right there." He gestured to the enormous red mountain looming behind them. "All reality exists on the slopes of Mount Existence."

Ged’s gaze followed Manduka’s gesture.

Mount Existence. Manduka had mentioned it before, but only now did Ged fully grasp its significance.

"We’re in the Realm of Green, also known as the bottom of the Peak," Manduka explained.

Ged’s eyes widened.

"So if I reach that red mountain... I can return to reality?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

Manduka tilted his head in thought before giving a small nod. "You want to reach the slopes of Mount Existence?" His expression shifted, as if an idea had just come to him. "I don’t mind guiding you there... but I have something I’d like in return."

Ged’s eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

Manduka’s whiskers twitched. "I have a human I’m trying to possess, but he’s been rather difficult. Since you’re a great demon with plenty of experience in human possession, I was hoping you’d help me out."

Ged’s face tensed.

"...You want my help... possessing a human?"

He had no idea how to respond.