"Yes, that's right. I need help possessing a human," Manduka repeated.

"I've been chipping away at this human’s confidence for a while now. They keep saying they’re still on the fence about it. I think I’ve got them right where I want them, but I could use your help to be sure."

Ged's forehead wrinkled. Ethically, he knew it was wrong. Yet he was a complete outsider in this realm. Turning down a potential ally when he still had so many unanswered questions felt like a mistake.

There were too many variables. Now that he knew returning to reality was possible, he needed to start planning his next steps.

I wonder what the current status of my real body is. Do I even have one left? For all I know, Gore already got to it.

Ged gritted his teeth at the gloomy thought.

I should lay low and bide my time. For there are too many variables to balance on my own.

Ged exhaled sharply. He didn’t want to do this. But he had no choice. "...Fine. I’ll come," he finally muttered. "I know a thing or two about humans... I guess I can be of some help."

Manduka practically vibrated with excitement, his eyes shining like stars.

"Thank you, great sir. You have no idea how much this means to me," he said.

"All those other haughty, human-shaped demons keep harping on about how we should work our way up. Step by step, they say. Start with grass, then move up from there. They want us to possess every lesser being before even thinking about possessing a human. But those guys are just greedy assholes. Their words are all deception. They want to limit the experiences we receive, so they may control all the humans for themselves."

Ged stayed silent. Control all the humans? He wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he nodded anyway.

"Let's go check out the Possession Obelisk. Do you happen to have any extra Instant Travel Sensations on hand?" Manduka asked.

Ged shook his head.

Manduka rolled his eyes. "I’m running low myself, but I should have enough for both of us to reach the obelisk and return."

Storing away his Tree of Mystery and his golden scimitar, he spoke. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go."

Ged put away the nature concepts that floated around him, hiding them away in his own Tree of Mystery.

Manduka's jaw unhinged, and two bubbles crackling with green lightning appeared. The orbs floated toward them.

Ged stiffened at the sight, lingering fear gripping him from his previous experience with Manduka’s sensations. He instinctively took a few steps back.

"What? Not a fan of traveling?" Manduka chuckled.

Ged didn't have time to frown before the orb descended upon him. His entire body tensed, bracing himself.

An intense dizziness and vertigo overtook him. His vision blurred into a green thunderstorm as he was transported an unfathomable distance in an instant.

As his vision steadied again, a giant black obelisk loomed before him. Red demonic glyphs pulsed and moved irregularly across its surface.

Around the obelisk stood a variety of lesser demons. As soon as he arrived they eyed Ged with sideways glances.

Ged felt the need to vomit, yet his body wasn't capable of it. His vision still spun, and all he could muster were dry heaves.

Manduka barely stumbled. He ignored his dizziness and was already taking steps toward the Possession Obelisk.

Ged was alone, his senses sluggishly returning. Lifting his head, he met the gazes of the demons around him.

Something’s off.

Forcing himself to straighten, he took wobbly steps after Manduka, wary of the attention he was receiving.

Manduka stopped and waited for him. "Must be nice to be famous," he muttered, rolling his eyes at the glances Ged was getting.

Ged frowned, about to ask why they were staring when a voice cut through the air.

"Human-shaped brat, what do you think you’re doing strutting around the Possession Obelisk?"

Sprouting from a floating piece of dirt, a grass demon spoke with undisguised hatred.

The demon continued. "Don't you have enough? Why must you always look to learn more? We lower demons can barely hold concepts together, yet you’re full to the brim with understanding. Can't you leave some for the rest of us?"

Ged raised an eyebrow. He glanced at the piece of grass, then at Manduka with a pleading look, who had an unhelpful expression.

God damn it. Why must everyone in this place be so unreadable?

More demons gathered around the grass demon.

"Turn back. Save some of the possessions for the rest of us!" a demonic ceramic bowl spoke.

"I bet you traveled far and wide throughout reality. Must be nice... strutting around... flaunting your wealth of experience to us commoners," a demon mosquito sneered.

"Oppressor!" a demon mouse squeaked.

What started as a small complaint escalated into a jeering crowd.

Ged felt completely helpless. He was used to people hating him or disagreeing with his outlook. Yet, with the demons in front of him, he was at a complete loss. Their logic was alien, their resentment incomprehensible.

He was at the mercy of the mob.

"Stop it you fiends!"

A wall of flame erupted, encircling Ged.

Yet, instead of heat, the fire attacked his very understanding of himself. When he moved his hand closer, his fingers warped, their shape shifting unnaturally. It was as if they wanted to displace themselves from his body.

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

Ged yanked his hand back.

Luckily, the attack wasn’t meant for him.

Above him, the air unfolded like paper, revealing a statuesque human-shaped demon with wispy white hair.

A stream of thoughts emerged from his forehead, merging into orbs that floated in the spaces above his head.

The orbs flickered with flames as he refined their intensity, then sent them crashing down, roasting the lesser demons alive.

Their shapes could no longer hold their forms. Collapsing inwards, their bodies disintegrated into floating orbs of experience.

Reduced to tiny wisps of light, they wandered around like blind ghosts.

The flames died down. Those demons lucky enough to have avoided the attack stood trembling at the edges of the scene, not daring to approach.

"Don't mind the jealous cries of these peasants," the statuesque demon said, lowering himself to the ground. "They will never understand the hard work and effort we human-shaped demons endure to gain the experiences we have."

Ged nodded. "Thanks for your help."

He didn’t fully understand what had just happened, but his survival instincts told him to play along. For all he knew, asking too many questions would get him burned alive too.

"My name is Pidaka." The floating demon smiled mysteriously. "We human-shaped demons have to look out for each other. The Green is vast and ever-growing. Without what binds us all together, our world would be nothing but crumbling dust."

He turned his gaze to the remaining lesser demons.

"You all want to become real. I get it. I am no different." He clasped his hands behind his back as if giving a lecture. "But being 'real' can only be achieved one torturous step at a time. Tearing someone down for having more experience won’t let you skip steps in your own progress." His eyes darkened. "Do you understand?"

The commoner demons clenched their teeth and were forced to swallow their anger.

Pidaka turned back to Ged.

"My prolific friend, are you alright? It is truly shameful that those scum blocked your path, just for the simple pursuit of more knowledge. Come, I will escort you to the Possession Obelisk. Don’t let those jealous glares ever slow your steps."

Pidaka began to lead the way, signaling Ged to follow.

Manduka looked on with trepidation, as if fearing he had just been abandoned.

Ged narrowed his eyes. Something about this man made him wary.

What is his motive?

Pidaka had killed so many demons without hesitation. And all for what reason?

To help him?

It didn't make any sense.

"No thanks, I have arrangements with that demon over there," Ged replied, declining Pidaka’s offer and pointing to Manduka.

Manduka’s expression instantly brightened.

Pidaka remained expressionless, his gaze locking onto Manduka with unsettling intensity.

"What interest do you have in such a worthless creature?" Pidaka asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ged frowned. He didn’t really know himself. "I have only just returned from a human possession. That beaver has something I need... I won’t explain anything further."

Pidaka frowned. "I see. You seem to have your own secrets. I won’t pry."

Reaching into his mind, a stream of inky thoughts poured out, forming a parchment-like container. The ink flowed inside, coalescing into a message that floated toward Ged.

"This is my calling card. The next time you reach the Ninety-Sixth Outpost, contact me. I would gladly share some of my most prized experiences."

His voice was cold.

"Perhaps if there is time we could stare out at the ocean."

"I don’t give my card to just anyone. I do hope you prove to be serious about broadening your horizons."

Ged remained expressionless. "I will keep your words in mind, thank you for today's kindness," he said as he moved to rejoin Manduka.

As he walked, the Peak Concept inside his Tree of Mystery began to shake wildly. At the same time, the orbs of experience from the lesser demons rose from the ground and surged toward him.

Ged froze.

He could barely tolerate one sensation. Now, with nearly thirty crashing into him, he could only brace himself for the worst.

"You actually intend to absorb those lesser demons' experiences?" Pidaka asked.

Ged didn’t have time to respond. The orbs were already bursting inside him, bombarding his mind with foreign sensations.

For a moment, he felt himself as a blade of grass, gently swaying in the wind.

Then he heard the rhythmic laps of a dormouse drinking from a puddle.

Finally came the searing agony of burning alive.

All at once, the sensations overwhelmed him. Ged rocked unsteadily, as if caught in a violent storm. He struggled to steady his awareness, his mind a chaotic swirl of alien experiences.

He wanted to scream, but he forced himself silent.

"Yes..." Ged finally managed through gritted teeth. "I hope you don’t mind."

Pidaka’s eyes gleamed with a strange light.

"I don’t mind at all."

Rising from the ground with a malevolent smirk, he floated into the air.

"I look forward to the next time we meet. Do take care of yourself."

The space around Pidaka folded in on itself, and in an instant, he disappeared.

Ged staggered forward.

The remaining lesser demons scattered as he moved.

"Demon Cannibal..." one muttered under their breath.

"H-he consumed a demon’s experiences... how malicious." A second stammered in fear.

Others watched him in fear. Even Manduka looked at Ged with some horror in his eyes.

Ged’s face grew solemn.

It seemed his goal of remaining unnoticed had failed.

Why did this happen? Does this have something to do with the Peak Concept?

At the time, plenty of other demons had been closer to the scattered orbs. Yet they had rushed to him alone.

It was strange. Too strange.

And worse, it had stirred fear in the crowd. That was the last kind of attention he wanted.

Ged made his way to Manduka.

Seeing Ged’s expression, Manduka gulped before letting out an awkward chuckle.

"Good job making connections with that guy." He sighed. "Such is the life of a famous person. Once I possess this human, we can go around networking with all the top brass."

He forced a calm expression.

"As for your... cannibalistic nature..." Manduka hesitated, then winked. "Don’t worry. I don't mind."

Ged barely acknowledged him, his focus locked onto the Possession Obelisk.

Its surface flickered with primitive carvings of animals and plants, giving it an eerie, ancient look.

"How does this thing work?" he asked, stepping forward and pressing his hand against the obelisk.

"Just think about entering it," Manduka instructed.

From within his forehead, a stream of thoughts flowed like an ethereal river. His eyes dulled as the stream entered the obelisk, and in an instant, his consciousness was pulled inside.

Ged cursed under his breath.

Explain in detail you useless bastard.

Feeling like an idiot, he stared intently at the obelisk, focusing as hard as he could on entering.

Yet nothing happened.

Just thinking of entering like Manduka said did nothing. There was no stream of thoughts that exited his head, he was completely stuck.

He tried everything.

For a long time, he stood there, staring.

His eyes grew bloodshot, his head bobbing back and forth, as if trying to force out the stream of thoughts from his forehead.

But nothing worked.

The lesser demons watching him began to murmur amongst themselves.

Their fear of him twisted further his appearance causing a legend to form.

Rumors spread.

The "Crazy Demon Cannibal" had arrived at the Possession Obelisk.

His mad, vacant stare only cemented the legend.

Ged shut his eyes, frustration boiling inside him.

Yet, with nowhere to direct it, he could only simmer in silence.

Manduka finally emerged from the obelisk.

Seeing Ged standing still with his eyes closed, he had no idea that Ged had never even entered it.

"Did you find any good possession targets?" Manduka asked, smiling. "I found quite a few we can check out."

Ged’s eyes snapped open like a gunshot.

His intense frown made Manduka take a nervous step back.

"No. Nothing good," Ged muttered, swallowing his frustration. "We can just use yours."

He refused to admit his failure.

Especially not to Manduka.

Manduka, oblivious, nodded along without question.

"Do you have any Mountain Portal passes? That would make things a whole lot easier," Manduka asked curiously.

"No. I don’t even know what that is."

Ged had given up on asking questions. He had resigned himself to being in the dark.

Manduka’s expression turned wry.

Did I befriend the wrong bigshot...?

Sighing, he muttered, "I guess we’ll have to pay for the Mountain Gondola, then."

His excitement drained, he lowered his head and led the way from the obelisk, Ged following behind.

The journey to the Mountain Gondola was long and uneventful. They traveled through the endless green expanse for what felt like an eternity until, at last, they spotted a long line of lesser demons waiting to board an eerie-looking gondola ride.

"The Mountain Gondola," Manduka murmured in awe. "I can’t wait. Finally... my first human possession."

He turned to Ged, his eyes glowing with excitement.

"With your help, I am certain to achieve it."

Ged remained expressionless.

Weary from the dull journey with his annoying companion, he let out a single thought:

I hate this place.