When Hector entered his room he started to inspect his new weapon.

Hammer's head was golden in color while its hilt was wooden in core and wrapped in black leather for better grip.

Hector swung the hammer a few times to feel its potential and thanks to its lightness he could swing the hammer effortlessly.

When he was satisfied he put the hammer on the desk and started to read the books he bought.

The books spoke of the spirit body and its outside Astral Projection. And how it means for the Spirit Body to communicate with the spirit world and with stellar space. And how it is considered an external manifestation of the Spirit Body.

And how the Spirit Body is directly linked to your ambitions and your prevailing emotions. "That can be dangerous as those who can see your spirit body may glean your intentions. I should learn it after reading some more."

Then it spoke about the Spirit world. When your Astral Projection sees the spirit world you can see that world does not obey the laws of the physical world. Because it involves exceeding the concept of 'I', the limitless 'I', and the Universe's 'I.' The past, present, and future might be stacked upon one another and that is the source of divination.

Pity that I can't use divination. They would be usefull in tracing and ferreting the secrets. But The Abyss pathway can interfere with divination later so it's not all bad.

One of the dangers of the Spirit World is what you see is just imagery, a symbol. You have to interpret it to understand its actual meaning. And many magic spells are cast through the Astral Projection. He also read to not mistake its relationship and differences with a Spirit Body.

Further out will be the Body of Heart and Mind. From here it will combine with the physical body. It involves one's brain and is an overall manifestation of inferential abilities, analytical abilities, observational abilities, and identification abilities. Some potions will mainly raise this. Quite a number of magic spells target it as well. Yes in sequence 8 I should get some magical powers.

The outermost layer is the Ether Body and it is a manifestation of your vital energies and physical form.

Then he read about aura color and it external phenomenon of Ether Body. He also read about ghosts, specters, and some more about spiritual bodies. And that he can see the Ether Bodies of others or their auras and for their thickness, brightness, and color, he can determine their health and emotional state.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Hector decided that he should learn spirit vision and that it was stupid to not learn until now.

He followed instructions in the books. Then he raised his hands and placed them in front of his eyes. His index fingers faced each other, but they did not touch.

Then he opened his eyes and kept them open until his eyes get accustomed to the darkness.

He focused his gaze on a spot behind his hands. Then he slowly moved his fingers and maintained the same pose without touching them. And also he did not pull them out of his sight.

Hector did as it was written slowly to not make any mistakes.

Then he started to see color and he knew that he achieved the initial step to Spirit Vision. What he saw was his aura.

He then repeated the process a few more times to stabilize the process and then he would look elsewhere.

Then he stopped and returned to the books and looked for meaning behind the colors.

He found that your limbs and parts that are required in motion will appear red. Your head and brain's surface will appear purple. Spots that create waste will appear orange. The digestion system will appear as yellow. The heart and other regulatory systems will appear green. Your throat and other parts of the nervous system will appear blue. An entirely balanced body will make a body cloaked in white as that is a symbol of health.

And if it turns dark or the thickness thins the color will change indicating that the corresponding spot has turned problematic. It means that it is in a state of exhaustion or illness.

And the inner layer of the Astral Projection represents prevailing emotions. Red means passion and excitement. Orange means warmth and satisfaction. Yellow means happiness and extroversion. Green means calm and peace. Blue means coldness and stillness when one is in thought. White means brightness, an eagerness to improve. Dark colors mean worry, sorrow, and silence. Purple means that spirituality is taking control of the lead, coldness, and estrangement.

Hector tried to remember all of it but he knew that he will need to go through it a few more times.

Then he started to look at objects around him. His new hammer was excluded aura. When he saw it he thought about his ring. So he put it on the table and looked at it with the Spirit Vision but he saw nothing.

When he touched it he saw a red gem transformed into an eye and looked at him. But the next moment it turned normal.

Hector got spooked but decided to look at it one more time but now he was still touching it.

When he activated his Spirit Vision he saw that ring changed itself into a rusted iron ring with a red goat eye looking at him.

After a few seconds, he started to hear whispers.

"devour us... absorb us... devour us... absorb us..."

"to advance you must... then we shall give you us..."

"Blessed be our master... blessed be you... may you be one"

Hector got a splitting headache but then he saw the world with no hills covered in black sludge. There was no light but also no darkness. From the lakes of black liquid, he could see hands rising but then dispersing into the mist. And in the middle of it, he saw an obsidian throne with a figure sitting on top of it.

That being had hooved legs with scales running up to his stomach. His skin was deathly pale and his hands were covered with the same black sludge that covered the world. His fingers ended in claws.

On his chest, he saw mouths with jagged teeth. Two pairs on the left and right whisper words of foulness.

On his back, he could see pair of bat wings. His head adorned two wicked goat horns. His mouth was filled with jagged teeth, his goat eyes were glowing red with yellow whites.

But when he saw the face of the being he realized that it was his face. Not Hector's but one belonging to Vilkar. It was changed but still, he could recognize it.

Then the image was forcefully broken and his Spirit Vision was canceled.

Hector looked around himself in fright and calmed his breaths.

"What are you?" He spoke as he looked at the ring that transformed back to its original form.

On the other side of the villa, Albert woke up and was looking in direction of the master's room.

"Good work master. They shall pay for casting us out from Andariel's family." Albert said as he started to laugh maniacally and scratched his chest where his heart was.

"How long has it been my lord? Your grandson may yet achieve your dream." He spoke wistfully.