Relaxing in the tub, Stanley could still feel Caffeine as well as the others in the next room. The pug was still after the fish and the fox seemed to be enjoying the game now.

Stanley decided to try something new that he hadn't had the opportunity to before. He lifted himself and the water up out of the tub. An application of Will set the water spinning around him and a dash of soap turned his flying tub into a bubble bath. He did it all slowly, waiting to see if he felt anything from his Soul or if any notifications would appear. He felt and saw nothing.

Eventually he settled back down in the cooling water and turned on the tap to rinse off the soap. Of course nothing happened… "How did Walter get this bath set up and steaming?" He wondered. "Obviously he has some Class Skills helping him, but what is it?" Stanley hadn't talked to that many people since this started.

There was Eve, she had some kind of tech Class, at least he assumed so. Zeke, he was a Healer or maybe a Purifier, not that Stanley knew the difference. The kid had mentioned something about his Skill or Class but Stanley couldn't remember what. He sighed. "I'm going to have to get to know people… I thought I was done making new friends," he grumbled.

Nate had some kind of fighting Class, lots of punching and kicking… that was all he knew about it. There was that autistic kid also… he had an interesting Skill. "I wonder if I can teleport? Can I just Will myself somewhere else?" It was worth some thought and testing at least, obviously testing on something besides himself. Also the new risk of pushing too hard and damaging his Soul… He sighed again.

"Adaptable…" The Human trait could be incredible or it could be nothing special. Stanley didn’t know what the rest of the… aliens? He didn't know what traits or other things existed out there. But there was a wide variety of Classes and Skills so far and Stanley had barely interacted with any of them. "No restrictions… there is bound to be some interesting possibilities out there," he mused.

By now the water was starting to get cold but Stanley didn't want this to end, didn't want to go back out there again… not yet. "Can I create heat?" He thought about it as he stared at the tepid bath water. "Heat is friction, right?" Stanley thought. "Can I just rub air against itself?" He tried it.

There was a moment where he fumbled while trying to push his power against... his power. But eventually he managed to slide two mental fistfuls of air against each other. It helped when he visualized rubbing his hands together at the same time. There was a humming in the air and he felt heat begin radiating from the moving air. "That worked. Now how do I make the water warmer?" He didn't think rubbing water against itself would work. "Lee would know the physics of it…" He thought, but then he had to wonder, how much of physics still mattered?

Stanley focused on the water, focusing his will on heating it up. Then he stopped and pulled a globe of water out of the tub, holding it above the rest. "Just in case…" He thought. It would be a shame to boil himself by accident. He focused on the idea of heat as he pushed his will into the floating ball of water, gently and slowly since…

"You are hot… boiling hot…" His thoughts were interrupted as almost immediately some of his Energy drained and the water started churning and boiling. "Ha!" He cheered. "That wasn't so hard." He noticed that he had used over a quarter of his Energy to heat the small amount of water. Still nothing from his Soul. "Bit Energy intensive though…" And he expected that trying to burn an actual enemy would be even more expensive. "Maybe there is a way to decrease the cost…"

He carefully let the boiling water rejoin the rest and sighed in satisfaction as the warmth swirled around him. His Energy was regenerating quickly and he heated another floating blob before adding it back. "Awww…" Stanley smiled as fresh warmth arrived. He kept at it until his tub was steaming heavily again.

His Energy Regeneration was very fast and when he thought about it, Stanley realized that even though he drained his power frequently, he was never truly empty anymore. He tried to remember the last time he'd had no power. "The first night… before the Source, before the crack…" He shivered in the hot bath as he contemplated that. "Is the crack leaking too?" He didn't have a Debuff and he wasn't losing Attributes but… "Source-Touched…" Stanley had thought it was an after effect but maybe… maybe that was because he was leaking Source? "But the Leader didn't notice until Caffeine attacked and stopped…" He had another thought. "Is Caffeine hiding it?" The pug had been sitting on the crack every time Stanley had seen into their Soul. Well Caffeine’s Soul or Soul Form had been. He pulled up Caffeine’s status.

Status

Name: Caffeine

Race: [Canine(Pug)](E Rank)

Traits: [Good Boy] [Source-Touched]

Class: [Beast Lord](Initiate VIII)(Legendary)

Class Skills: [Reprimand]

Attributes:

Strength: 20

Vitality: 20

Dexterity: 20

Perception: 20

Intelligence: 20

Willpower: 20

Soul: 198 [Soul Bonded(Stanley Cascade)(Lee Cascade)]

Non Class Skills:

[Big Enough]

[Strong Enough]

[Tough Enough]

[Let's Be Friends]

[Howl of the Beast Lord]

"He is E Rank of course… is that why his stats are all twenty now?" His Soul Attribute was the same as Stanley and he wondered… "Did he lose Soul when we did? I get Twin-Soul being linked but is Soul Bonded the same thing?'' Stanley realized that he could probably just ask Daryl or Adrian. They were probably Soul Bonded to their animals, at least from what Daryl mentioned. Plus he'd said they all unlocked Soul too. But as for the Source and Caffeine… it was all still the same, except…

[Reprimand]

Discipline a subordinate Beast. Effect is dependent on the power difference between the parties.

"That one actually gave a description!" Stanley was surprised but after checking the other Skills and getting nothing, he assumed that it must be because it was a Class Skill.

"Could Caffeine learn that Mana Drain Skill?" Stanley thought suddenly. "Could he have completely wrecked the Leader if I'd given it to him?" He wanted to scream as he thought about it. All that pain and struggle… "It's too late for that." Stanley clenched his fists, his eyes squeezed shut as he fought against the regret and self recrimination. "I didn't know! It doesn't matter anymore! Let it go! We killed it!" His thoughts were spiraling and he knew it but...

"Ahem."

Stanley almost screamed as he violently flinched at the sound. Water sloshed and splashed out of the tub as Stanley sagged and settled back down, heart pounding.

"If sir is finished bathing," Walter spoke calmly. "I would be happy to assist you with your wardrobe." His Soul felt concerned.

Stanley saw Caffeine standing tensely just inside the door, his eyes jumping from Stanley to the sloshing water and back, repeatedly. "Caffeine you're an absolute unit of a beast and you're still afraid of baths…" Stanley laughed weakly. "It's all good, Caff." he reassured the pug. "Go play with Princess."

Caffeine whined faintly, glanced at the water and sprinted for the door. Stanley smiled.

"Walter, do you have some more water for me to rinse off with?" he asked tiredly.

"Of course sir." Walter lifted a bucket of steaming water, his Soul radiating confidence.

Stanley chuckled. "You've got some nice tricks, Walter."

"As you say sir." Walter spoke with no inflection. His Soul on the other hand betrayed his faint yet happy pride.

Stanley levitated the water from the bucket and himself from the bath. He was naked in front of a near stranger but after the last few days… it really wasn't worth worrying about. Plus considering the fact that Daryl and Adrian had a butler, Walter was probably the one who had cleaned and cared for him. And diapered him… Stanley dropped that train of thought. "Literally does not matter."

A moment later he was rinsed and after a moment of concentration, dry, as the water previously covering him sprinkled into the tub below. "That's useful," he thought, somewhat surprised it worked. He dressed himself, until he got to the tie. He glanced at Walter. "I never needed to…"

"If I may sir." Walter stepped up and started quickly and easily manipulating the tie.

"Just call me Stanley." Stanley said awkwardly as the man finished and cinched the tie tight.

"As you say sir." Walter replied. He finished adjusting Stanley’s collar and produced a weird little vest. He held it up until Stanley turned and slid his arms through.

Stanley felt very awkward as the man proceeded to button it up for him, but there was something else. Something coming from Walter's Soul. A hesitant and unsure awkwardness of his own.

Stanley sighed. "Spit it out Walter." The man met his eyes for a moment, surprise flashing on his face and his Soul. "I can feel your Soul." Stanley said as the other man finished with the buttons and turned to pick up the jacket. He hesitated, his Soul fluctuating, until it settled mostly on resolve.

"I must thank you, sir," he said as he held the jacket up. Stanley turned to put his arms through the sleeves. "There was a young man," he continued quietly. "I cared for him, protected him, as if he were my own son." Stanley was quiet as Walter moved around him, adjusting the jacket on his shoulders. "I found myself helpless," he said, despair echoing from his Soul. "Powerless to help him against a monster I did not think possible." He buttoned Stanley’s coat. "I could only watch as that young man and his…" Walter hesitated.

"Boyfriend?" Stanley supplied. "Husband?" Walter blinked, surprise once again coming from his Soul, even as his face remained stoic. "Souls." Stanley reminded him.

"Ah. As you say sir." Walter recovered quickly. "Thank you, sir." He bowed slightly and before Stanley started feeling more awkward, he gently pulled him to stand before the mirror. "Thank you very much for saving that man," Walter spoke with only the tiniest catch in his throat. His Soul radiated gratitude and just a bit of pride as he looked into the mirror.

Stanley couldn't blame him. "I actually look a bit like a distinguished old man now." The trimmed beard did look better, he begrudgingly admitted. He still felt it was all a bit out of place. He looked like a businessman. Not bad but definitely not apocalypse themed.

"Thanks Walter." Stanley smiled. "It's great."

"Yes sir," Walter replied and turned to the door. "Shall we?"

Stanley walked into the other room and Daryl whistled. "Looking good!" he cheered, as Caffeine rushed over to sniff at his new clothes. Adrian smiled briefly at him but his attention was on the egg in his hands.

Stanley looked down at Caffeine and a thought crossed his mind. "Where will Caffeine sleep?" He pulled at the front of the jacket but it didn’t have nearly enough room for a pug to squeeze inside. "He can't cuddle in here…"

Daryl laughed and pointed behind him. Stanley turned and found Walter holding up a long heavy coat. He put his arms through and it settled onto his shoulders, the bottom resting almost to his knees. As it wrapped around him Stanley noticed something happening. The Souls in the room quieted down and the new calm felt like someone had turned down a stereo that he had been ignoring and talking over. The Souls further away dimmed almost completely.

"How did…" Stanley looked at Daryl as the man clapped Walter on the shoulder.

"Fantastic work," Daryl praised. "Look at your Buffs," he said to Stanley, grinning.

Buffs: [Soul Support Tether] [Walter's Gratitude]

Stanley focused on the new Buff.

[Walter's Gratitude]

Passively reflects 50% of Soul Energy from all directions.

Stanley noticed something else when he looked at his Status.

Debuffs: [Deadly Soul Wound(Patched)(Shielded)]

Curious about the Shielded bit, he pulled it up.

-1 Twin-Soul Attributes per 4 days.

It didn't say what it was exactly but it slowed down the leak and Stanley assumed the reflection was responsible. He was brought back to the moment when Walter pulled open one side of the coat. He reached inside and expanded a large pocket that looked almost big enough for Caffeine to crawl into. Before Stanley could say anything, Walter spoke.

"If my Lord would like to take his throne." he looked at Caffeine as he said this and the pug immediately jumped up and into the pocket.

Stanley gaped. "Did he just…" A small pug’s head popped out of the pocket and panted happily up at Stanley. "He shrank!" Stanley was speechless. Caffeine was just… too cute! Stanley floated off the ground as he curled up around the tiny puppy sized Caffeine. He was laughing and making incoherent baby noises when he felt something happening nearby. He looked away from the adorable pug in time to see all the fires spread around the room, suddenly flow between Adrian's hands and into the quivering egg.

There was a moment of quivering anticipation. Then a cracking sound broke the silence and a tiny little voice went, Cheep! Stanley felt the relief and joy that burst from Adrian like a physical wave, even with his new coat. Caffeine immediately jumped out of his pocket and ran to investigate.

Princess flared into a brilliant flaming fox in front of Caffeine. Her whole body was engulfed by the fire and she grew bigger as she growled at the pug. Fear, waring with determination and resolve, screamed from her Soul.

Caffeine stopped abruptly at her reaction and lay down in front of her. His tail wagged as he whined mournfully up at the burning fox.

Stanley watched Daryl and Adrian as they clasped hands and looked happily at the tiny baby bird sitting in Adrian's lap. It was chirping wildly and continuously as Adrian nodded and whispered in response to whatever it was saying. He felt Princess struggling on keeping Caffeine back and longing to greet the bird herself. Stanley decided to be nice.

"Caff," he called. "Come." Stanley held his arms out and Caffeine bounded into his chest. He settled into a cross-legged sitting position in midair and pet Caffeine in his lap while the small family reunited. "One day that will be us with Lee, Caff," he thought as he rubbed something out of his eye. "One day soon…" He remembered something from one of his notifications that he'd forgotten to check.

Trait: [I Made My Choice]

My Will decides my Fate

(Your willingness to sacrifice your Physical Body for Psionic Power has not gone unnoticed.)

Effects:

+20% Effectiveness of All Mind Attributes

+20% Physical Resistance to All Psionic Energy

-20% Effectiveness of All Physical Attributes

"So… more pluses and minuses," he thought. Then he remembered the [Mana Drain] Skill Shard. Stanley floated slowly over to Walter, who was standing apart from the others. The man was watching with rapt attention and his Soul betrayed his happiness much more strongly than his stoic face and glimmering eyes. Stanley stopped next to him and waited for the man to look away, when he turned to Stanley his face was dry and his eyes were clear. "Did you get the Shard out of my pants pocket?" Stanley asked quietly. "You know, before they got accidentally burned?"

"Of course, Sir," Walter said dryly. "I placed your personal effects in your new coat."

Stanley found the pockets and a moment later he was holding the Skill Shard, his keys, some cash and a dead cellphone… "I can't believe I was still carrying that." He assumed that he was just used to feeling it in his pocket and didn't notice… plus other distractions had popped up. "I'll give it to Eve," he thought, as he stowed everything away except for the Shard. "Caff…" He held it up to the pug. "Want to eat this?"

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Caffeine took it and started slowly trying to chew on it. Stanley felt… something… churning in his gut. Caffeine spit out the Shard and whined sadly as he licked at it, before looking up at Stanley again. "Does Caffeine not use Mana?" He couldn’t actually tell but the bats hadn't been drawn to him, at least not like the Undead and Caffeine didn't have the [Adaptable] Trait, so maybe…

Stanley felt… relief. He hadn't been an idiot that almost killed them all. Well… he probably could have… "Nope." He wasn't going down that 'what if' road, he was already fucked up enough without adding more crazy.

"That reminds me!" Daryl said suddenly.

Stanley glanced at him as Daryl pulled another Shard from his pocket. "Here." He tossed it to Stanley and it stopped and hovered in front of him.

"Is this…" Stanley grimaced.

"Yea." Daryl nodded. "The Raid Leader."

Stanley swallowed and reached out with a hesitant finger.

[Skill Shard(Rare)](D Rank)

Effect: Attempt to Learn Skill: [Still Mind of the Dead]

Absorb? Yes/No

Stanley noticed something immediately. "D Rank…" he whispered.

Daryl must have heard because he responded. "Yea… that was upsetting."

"The first one was E…" Stanley murmured.

"Interesting…" Daryl said. "It fits with the speculations."

"What do you mean?" Stanley asked him, curious.

"Some people are speculating that they must have come in at a high E Rank, assuming of course that the Dungeon is supposed to be fair, and then they lay low and ranked up later."

"So the first one…" Stanley thought back to that night. "Did it get greedy?" he wondered aloud. "Or were they that worried about a Purifier…" He didn't know for sure but considering that another Raid Leader had gone after Zeke again…

"Purifier?" Daryl asked.

"Zeke…" Stanley said distractedly as he waved a hand. "Another group, North of here."

"Ah." Daryl nodded. "Considering that they are called Raid Leaders," Daryl said. "We've been assuming there aren't very many, or they spread out a lot."

"They can't go that far," Stanley murmured, before telling Daryl about the Dungeon Barrier and his estimate on the total size of their prison.

"So a limited area, but a large one… how many are left, do you think?" Daryl mused.

"One for sure," Stanley said. "But I don't know otherwise… Do you know what the Threshold is for D Rank?"

"No idea," Daryl said, "but it's not forty." He clarified more when he saw Stanley looking the question at him. "At least one of our fighters got above forty Strength already… assuming he didn't lie." He said and then added, "I believe him. Guy is crazy strong and really there is no reason to lie."

Stanley digested that for a moment, then looked at the creepily named Skill.

Skill: [Still Mind of the Dead(Initiate)](Rare)

The Dead have nothing to fear.

Allows the user to suppress their emotions and focus wholly and completely on a task.

Minimum Requirements:

Race: [Undead](N/A)[Adaptable]

10 Intelligence (N/A)[Adaptable]

10 Willpower (N/A)[Adaptable]

"What the hell?" Stanley thought. "An Undead Skill…" He was a bit intrigued though. "Suppress emotions…" Stanley had a lot of emotions that he didn't want to feel.

"What do you think of this Skill?" Stanley asked, deciding to take a moment before absorbing it.

"Sounds useful," Daryl said while watching Adrian and the baby Phoenix, apparently named Cheesesteak… as they chirped and whispered to each other. Stanley could feel the happy emotions from both of them and it felt a bit voyeuristic to basically eavesdrop. "The Skill will probably change somewhat if you Absorb it," Daryl continued as he looked back at Stanley. "The Adaptable Trait will change the Skill if it's too incompatible. Or so I've heard." He shrugged.

Stanley considered the information as he nodded to Walter and drifted over to hover at the window. "It could be very useful," he thought. "Am I just nervous about that vision of Undead me and Caff?" He couldn’t deny the sick feeling the vision had left and he hesitated to absorb it as he gazed outside into the gray skies, and at the river and city below. "Is that…" Something was moving across a bridge in the distance. "Damn is my vision that good?" He narrowed his eyes and out of instinct moved Energy into them.

A glowing Soul lit up, bounding across the bridge in the distance. "I still have [Soul-Sight]?" Stanley was surprised but after a moment he realized that the evolution to [Soul Awareness] hadn't taken away the knowledge gained before so there was actually no reason he shouldn't have it. "Can it still get stronger? Or is it folded into the new Skill?"

Stanley wondered all that while he watched the Soul getting closer. It looked kinda familiar… Then more Souls appeared, intersecting with the first. One of the newcomers was immediately launched away while the rest stopped and faded away as the first continued across the bridge and disappeared behind some buildings. "That really looked like Nate…" Stanley thought, especially the way one of the attackers appeared to ricochet off him.

He saw the Soul briefly reappear between two buildings, closer now. "Guys." He said to the room. "Someone is coming this way. I think it's Nate…" He was a bit concerned, wondering if something had happened to their base. "Zeke is a target."

Stanley canceled his Soul-Sight and looked at the Shard in his hand. "Whatever it takes. I need power." The Shard dissolved into his hand and knowledge flowed into his mind. It was surprisingly simple once he saw it.

Stanley suddenly felt very calm. He looked back outside, Energy moved into his eyes and he focused on the approaching Soul. "Nate. A useful ally. Strong." He looked closer at the glow. "Hasn't improved much more… wasting time caring for useless baggage," he thought. "Protecting Zeke is potentially a useful effort but better to develop your own strength. Relying on others is a weakness."

"What did you do?" It was Daryl's voice.

Stanley glanced at him. "Potentially useful but still too weak, ignore him and focus on what I need... I need power, too many threats to my survival." Daryl said something else but Stanley ignored it.

"The most Optimal path for power growth is Cores. Could kill the Humans in the building, take their Cores." He focused on his [Soul Awareness]. "Most are too weak for meaningful gains, killing them would anger the strongest and the stronger ones are too few to accomplish much in the way of Cores. More useful as shields for now."

Stanley looked outside again. "Hunting for Cores is risky. Unknown numbers and power levels and I'm too weak to face Raid Leaders alone. I need an army to use as backup and shield, but later. My other current options for improvement? Increase Skill and Class Ranks." He floated up into a cross-legged sitting position in midair. The Humans in the room were all watching him warily. "Irrelevant. They fear me and will not be a threat." The dog stepped closer, staring and whining. "It is unhappy. Very useful Beast. Very strong. It's unhappiness is irrelevant. Loyalty is absolute. It cannot betray me."

"Guard me, Beast," he ordered and closed his eyes. Stanley looked upon his Soul. It was so much clearer now. He could see where every facet of his power was embedded inside it. And the extent of the damage. "Wounded Soul, repair is a priority but will take time. For now I will focus on other improvements. Why did my Skill [Mind Over Matter] not advance after the fight? Likely cause, insufficient comprehension. Must learn new applications? Heat and cold, I already started before, and will continue." Stanley picked a spot in the air and focused his Will on increasing heat and next to it on decreasing the temperature. It was very simple, he used his power to brute force the change and then observed the process. Each switch became a bit easier as he gained a better understanding of the how of it and thereby required less energy to do it the next time.

He felt the Souls growing agitated nearby. They tried to touch him. Stanley blocked them. "My Beast did not defend me. Loyalty is not absolute? No. It is bound to my Soul. It is only confused, emotional. I will educate it later."

The humans and beasts were pounding on his shield now. "Very upset. But irrelevant, they are too weak to threaten me. Blocking their attacks is more beneficial to my training than stopping them." He continued, now also focusing on his shielding, observing the ways their blows impacted against his Will. Stanley practiced deflection. Redirecting attacks away to conserve Energy.

Caffeine was trying to chew through the barrier. It provided Stanley training on keeping a barrier malleable yet impenetrable. Very useful. He kept his eyes closed, using his power to monitor the others. Soul and body. Meanwhile he maintained focus on his own Soul. Stanley could see the Energy coming from the Source now. It was faint, very faint, but coming from such a strong power, even that faint radiation was impactful. Most of it was absorbed by his own body and converted into Regeneration, both physical and Psionic. While some was absorbed by Caffeine.

Stanley realized that he was wasting the Regeneration and started flexing all his muscles over and over. It was awkward and painful but he could feel his muscles begin pulling in Energy from both the air and his Soul as they were damaged repeatedly.

"Regeneration is still greater than the damage." He had another solution. He would start damaging himself. Not enough to endanger his life, just enough to get the most from his Regeneration.

+1 Strength

"Very good." The fire and ice that now sparked in the air, were moved into his flesh. He condensed the power to avoid excessive damage but retain the training potential.

[Regeneration] Activated. +2% HP per 60 seconds

The Souls around him grew more agitated and Stanley welcomed the extra effort they put in.

Class [Soul Psionic] Level Up.

Stanley carefully watched the wound in his Soul. It was flexing the patch but holding. "Perfect. Right to the limit."

+1 Vitality

You have gained Passive [Heat Resistance I]

You have gained Passive [Cold Resistance I]

He upped the intensity of the temperature attacks on himself, to overcome the extra resistance. Plus it was getting easier to create the effects.

Class [Soul Psionic] Level Up.

+1 Willpower

Stanley moved to a wall and started jabbing his fingers into the wall, aiming for precise points in an attempt to increase his Dexterity. His Beast was growing increasingly agitated, while the two Humans had given up trying to break his shield. "Could provoke them to continue. Soul Awareness suggests that minimal provocation would yield results but may also have detrimental repercussions. They are more useful as allies for the moment."

Skill [Mind Over Matter] Level Up.

No Evolutions Available.

Upgrade to Apprentice Available. Proceed? Yes/No

"Proceed."

Skill [Mind Over Matter(Apprentice I)](Epic)

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

A deceptively simple, yet powerful Psionic Skill that allows the user to impose their Will onto the world around them.

Effects dependent on Willpower, Psionic Energy, and Understanding of imposed Effects.

"As I figured," Stanley thought. He remembered that he'd had trouble with magic but from the description of the Skill he shouldn't have. "More testing required." Stanley sent some of his focus to the fire encircling the room. "This will work." He started playing with the fire. Studying it. Manipulating it. The Energy was harder to detect and he assumed that was because he never used Mana and so had no instinctive grasp the way he did with his Psionic or Soul Energy. "Nothing practice can't fix."

+1 Willpower

+1 Vitality

He moved it around. Opening holes in the curtain and bunching up other areas. He started pulling it from the wall and the Humans put up more. "Magic holds its own will or the will of the caster. Makes it more resistant." He continued his experiments until they gave up on replenishing the fire and retreated out the door and downstairs. "They used the fire to protect the weak from my Soul."

Skill [Mind Over Matter] Level Up.

Class [Soul Psionic] Level Up.

His Soul was holding up too well anyway, so Stanley removed the coat that was blocking it. "That's better." The men below stopped running and put up more fire. "Excellent. As predicted." He didn't pursue them, there was no need. Walls were not an impediment to his power and he continued training. He calculated that while he was pushing them towards hostility with his actions, they wouldn't turn if he didn't push too far. Not that they were a threat, but no need to waste potentially strong future allies for an insignificant gain now.

+1 Strength

+1 Dexterity

Stanley could feel everyone in the building, despite the fire that muted them slightly and his Soul was shaking under the barrage but still holding. The dog was very upset now but Stanley didn't need to bother. The Beast wouldn't turn, it was stupidly loyal and too simple to betray him.

Stanley felt Nate approaching and entering the building below. "He might be provoked into assisting…" Unfortunately the man had a solid and analytical Soul. It was unlikely to work. He settled into the training. With Nate and the others nearby, Stanley was relatively safe. He was leaving himself somewhat vulnerable but if anything too strong for him attacked, he could retreat behind the others. Even if they didn't want to help they would have to in order to save the other weaklings.

Stanley split off another bit of focus to analyze his [Soul Awareness]. It should be able to strengthen his Soul from the description and he intended to figure it out. "Solidify…" He latched onto that word and tried to enact it. There was pain as he pushed his Will into the effort.

He sat inside his inner Soul, a trembling dog sat on the glowing white crack and watched him. Stanley 'pulled' against his Soul, condensing the Energy tighter. The dog howled at him and Stanley ignored it. "It's a small pain, Beast. Endure it." Energy swirled and Stanley directed the minor excess of Source radiation towards his Soul, trying to increase its strength. The Source radiation was almost impossible to effect, but not completely.

+1 Twin-Soul

"I knew it." His Soul was trembling rather violently but the patch was still holding. "Continue."

+1 Intelligence

"I must be doing something right." He kept at it. There was excruciating pain everywhere but Stanley didn't care. "I need power to survive. Pain is a small price."

+1 Strength

+1 Vitality

+1 Dexterity

+1 Perception

+1 Willpower

+1 Intelligence

Nate was in the room with him now. He didn't attack or attempt to interfere, only observed intently. From the doorway.

+1 Twin-Soul

This time Stanley noticed something. The blinding white crack shrank. Not much, just an infinitesimal amount, but he noticed. "My Soul is keeping the Source contained?" He had assumed as much but this was proof. It also meant that if he lost too much Soul, the crack could widen or break open completely. "I would die. An unacceptable outcome. Training is more necessary than ever."

Debuff Upgraded [Deadly Soul Wound(Mostly Patched)(Shielded)] -1 Twin-Soul Attributes per 48 Hours.

"The patch is not holding. A suboptimal result, increasing my Soul will not help if the patch fails and I can't guarantee Lee will be able to fix it again." Stanley could feel the strain on his Soul, something was causing unforeseen stress. "Unknown cause. Analysis? Will need to delay advancement an indeterminate amount of time until Soul Wound heals. Or use Cores." He considered hunting again. Harvesting this Dungeon for every Core it held. He wouldn't have to go himself. He could order the other Humans to go. They couldn't fight him. Some would resist but most would comply after suitable examples were demonstrated.

Caffeine's Soul stood up from where he sat on the brilliant crack in Stanley's Soul. "Stay." The Soul pug stepped forward."Is he trying to defy me?" Stanley thought. "Impossible." The crack shivered and spasmed behind him. "What is he doing…" Stanley strained to direct the massive increase in Source radiation but it was too strong. It raged through him. It Burned.

Caffeine’s Soul stopped in front of Stanley and stepped on him with one massive paw. "You can't!" Stanley insisted.

Warning (Twin-Soul)[Source] is burning your body and mind! -1 All Attributes every 1 second

The jaws descended as Stanley pulled all of his power away from the training and tried to stop his mad Beast. It was useless. Teeth sank into him and Stanley screamed.

You have demonstrated Skill [Still Mind of the Dead(Initiate I)](Rare)

He stopped screaming when he choked and started sobbing instead.

Skill [Still Mind of the Dead] has been forcefully Evolved by Bonded Beast(Caffeine). Skill [Still Mind of the Psionic Beast(Initiate I)](Rare)

The Psionic and his Beast have nothing to fear.

Allows the user to suppress their emotions and focus wholly and completely on a task. The Psionic or his Bonded Beast may both activate or deactivate this Skill at will.

Stanley was horrified. He had been so cold, so uncaring about anything or anyone else. Planning to… but the worst part… "Caff?" Stanley whispered, and then a tongue attacked his face, dancing feet stepped on his lap and onto his crotch. Stanley didn’t mind, he squeezed his arms around the happy pug and held on. Caffeine didn't care about what Stanley had thought or said, he was nothing but pure happiness. Stanley could feel it. It poured from the pug in a tsunami of unwavering affection. Caffeine was happy that his 'Dearest Human' was himself again and nothing else mattered.

Stanley wasn't so easily able to move on and he couldn't stop the tears that Caffeine kept licking away. He felt his new jacket settle over his shoulders and Nate sat down next to him, his back leaning against the wall Stanley had been hitting. Stanley also felt Daryl and Adrian approaching and then fire spread underneath him and up the wall. Nate yelped and started to get up but settled down and started running his hands through the red flames.

"Forgot about that," Nate said cheerfully. "Good to see you're okay, Stanley. Heard you got a new Skill."

Stanley laughed bitterly. "Sure fucking did." He sighed and turned to lean on the wall as well, Caffeine sitting in his lap. He felt Walter suddenly appear just outside the room.

Stanley slowly told them what had happened as his lingering aches regenerated. He thought about not mentioning his worst ideas but decided it would be better to just go full disclosure. They listened quietly.

When he was finished, Nate jumped in. "That was amazing!" Nate exclaimed. "Were you training every Attribute at once?"

"What?" Stanley stared at him. "That's your take away?"

"Amazing Skill!" Nate laughed. "Besides, you said that Caffeine can turn it off now right?"

Stanley opened and closed his mouth a few times. "I didn't care about anyone, not even Caffeine! Everybody was just a tool to be used or discarded!"

"Bah, you were focused! A bit too much, sure but could you have fought against the Raid Leader any better with that ability?" Nate asked seriously.

Stanley thought about it. "Probably, I also think I would have used someone or everyone as a human shield and run away."

"Yea… that's not ideal," Nate mused, "maybe if you pick a task first? That was in the Skill description, right?"

Stanley blinked at Nate. He had been thinking about how he needed power… wait. "It wasn't working anyway… Something was hurting my Soul," he explained. "I was thinking of… umm… Nate, why are you here?" he asked as concern rose up. "Did something happen?"

Nate smiled and waved his hands. "No, no, nothing like that. Zeke was just worried about you."

"Did you feel it too?" Stanley asked, hesitantly and somewhat embarrassed.

"Yep." Nate nodded. "You scared that thing away and we all felt it." He shivered. "Was a bit unsettling but very welcome. Then you went quiet and never came back." He looked around the room. "Didn't know you found another place to rest."

"They actually found me." Stanley nodded to the still silent duo.

"Thanks. Good looking out," Nate said to them. "we were getting attached to this guy… and his human." He winked at Stanley. Both Adrian and Daryl as well as their Beasts were staring at Stanley nervously. He could feel their unease.

"You guys okay?" Stanley asked them. "How bad was it?"

"It… it was actually better at first." Daryl said. "But then the pain started coming through…" Stanley winced.

"You were eerily calm," Adrian added. "I don't know if it was the difference between earlier and now but… I don't know, it was like being judged by a machine." Daryl nodded along with that. Adrian looked down at the bird when it suddenly chirped. "It's fine." He told it. "Go ahead." To the others he said, "Don't worry, he's just growing up." The bird burst into flames and everyone jumped. There was a loud screech and the flames danced higher before settling back down and revealing a full grown hawk. It was covered in red and gold feathers that shimmered and undulated like the air above a hot road. It's head twitched and moved as it examined each of them with piercing golden eyes.

"That's a neat trick." Nate grinned.

Caffeine jumped out of Stanley’s lap and tried to approach the Phoenix but once again Princess blocked him. Before anyone could do anything, the bird hopped over her and onto Caffeine’s back. The pug spun around a few times as he tried to sniff the bird but eventually gave up and lay down with a whine. The bird scree'd at Caffeine and walked over to hop down near his head. Caffeine sniffed at Cheesesteak while the bird examined him.

Princess made a small yip and the Phoenix moved away from the pug, walked to her and nuzzled his head against hers.

"Sooo." Nate said to the duo. "Want me to take him away?" He jerked a thumb at Stanley.

Stanley smiled weakly as Adrian nodded and Daryl shook his head. "It's fine guys," Stanley said. "I wanted to get back and check on them anyway." He looked at their haggard faces. "I'm sure you guys and everyone else here would like a break from me, right?"

Stanley floated upright, pulling his coat on as he went. "You saved me. I won't forget it." He held up a hand when Daryl opened his mouth. "We helped each other and I appreciate it. Please thank everyone for enduring my… uh, Soul." He smiled as much as he could. "And thank you, Walter," Stanley said through the door and mentally patted the old man on the other side of the wall on his shoulder and saw him jump. "Sorry," he thought, "couldn't resist."

"I can fly pretty fast so I'll be able to check up on you guys and bring Caffeine for play times." He smiled at the fox who was ignoring the pug sniffing at her swishing tails.

"Let's get flying!" Nate cheered.

Stanley looked at Nate. "Did you want me to go back just so you didn't have to run?"

Nate put on a shocked expression that didn't match his Soul. "I would never… It was really far." He laughed and Stanley smiled just a bit more.