System: Ghastly Possession detected. Do you want to deconstruct the skill?
Aiden's frown deepened as he charged at the swordsman, Chang, coming for him with an egoistic face. His footsteps were calm and confident and he seemed sure to cut through Aiden's heart in one stroke.
Unconcerned, Aiden spun effortlessly around his opponent's weapon, assessing the scene. The blade whistled by his head, slicing the air with a sharp hiss that echoed in his ears. The rusty scent of dried blood wafted from the blade, but Aiden paid it no mind.
The iron tang stirred a distant recollection from Aiden's past life. He'd once shared a cell with an old Korean man who spouted bullshit half the time. The old man claimed that a blade which had not yet soaked in the blood of enemies, absorbing the desire to kill, was not a weapon worth having. When a weapon drew blood, it absorbed the intent along with it, and a weapon bathed hundreds of times in blood was much more powerful than a newly forged one.
Aiden didn't believe him, nor did he pay any attention to him, but he felt it to be true right at this moment. Why - he couldn't put a finger on it, but he knew the old man was right.
Aiden selected yes and a few rows appeared in front of his vision.
Deconstructed Skills (You can learn any two of these):
Spectral Sight: An ability to scan the target for mental strength and cultivation. Works best when the target has a lower cultivation level. Less chance of success if the target has a higher cultivation level.
Essence Drain: A skill to siphon small amount of life force and mental strength over the time. At a higher level, it will allow to siphon soul energy from the target.
Soul Possession: A skill to possess a target soul completely. May ignore the target's mental defense if the cultivation level difference is very high.
Memory Echo: An ability to scan target's memories after possession. Only works when you have full control over target's soul, mind and body.
Soul Teether: A skill to establish a bond with the target which can be used to strengthen and weaken the target's mental and soul defense.
Like a lightning struck him, Aiden shivered, almost losing his balance in the fight.
Fuck! Aiden's heart raced as he realized the truth. Mi Tha had been cheating on him. The names and descriptions of the deconstructed skills left no doubt - they pointed to complete possession. She was going to fucking control Lan Yueya.
If she lied to him about one thing, what was stopping him from lying to him entirely about this? And if she performed a complete possession, and run away, Aiden would be in trouble, a big-big trouble.
No, he couldn't let that happen.
"You can't be distracted while fighting with me, moron." Chang sliced at him, his sword shimmering with blue light as it descended at him like a lightning bolt.
Snorting, Aiden side-stepped, avoiding the attack. He was sure it wouldn't touch it, but it cut through his cloth, leaving his biceps exposed.
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He side-stepped and avoided the incoming sword attack.
System: Sword Strike detected. Do you want to deconstruct it?
Aiden ignored the prompt and kicked the Chang in his gut, sending him staggering back. Aiden could have spun on his foot and punched him on his shoulder, putting everything he had behind the attack, but his mind was racing through the options he had. Mi Tha had tricked him, and he couldn't let her completely possess Lan Yueya. There was something wrong with this entire quest, and the difficulty of the quest kept bothering him.
"Learn Spectral Sight and Soul Teether," Aiden shouted inside his mind.
"Soul Teether, why do you know that name? What are you doing, Aiden?" Mi Tha asked, her voice shaking. "Don't do anything stupid, Aiden. I'm initiating my possession skill."
A strange information flowed into his mind, and the skills appeared. The arcane knowledge of the soul and dark qi spread through his mind. These skills belonged to a forgotten art, and he shouldn't be knowing them, and yet he had learned those.
Spectral Sight
Grade: High Tier Bronze Grade
Rarity: Rare
"To gaze beyond the veil is to risk one's sanity, yet to master it is to glimpse the very fabric of existence."
Soul arts are strange and unfathomable, and one can only delve so much before losing themselves. This arcane art allows the user to perceive the unseen energies that flow through all living beings.
100% chance to judge cultivation level, mental defense and soul strength of the target lower in cultivation level.
10% chance to judge cultivation level, mental defense and soul strength of the target lower in cultivation level.
Cost: 400 mana/200 qi.
Soul Teether
Grade: High Tier Gold Grade
Rarity: Rare
"In the dance of souls, one may lead or follow. Choose wisely, for each step echoes through eternity."
This forbidden technique forges an ethereal bond between souls, allowing the caster to either drain or fortify the essence of another being.
10% chance to add a random effect based on the choice performed.
Cost: 400 mana/200 qi
Warning: The consequences of tampering with souls are vast and unpredictable. Use with extreme caution.
"Motherfucker, don't you dare be distracted? You are courting death," Swordsman Chang shouted at him, slicing horizontally at him.
System: Sword Slice detected. Do you want to deconstruct the skill?
Aiden chose no.
Sword cut through the air, and he dodged to the right by spinning on his right feet. The blade cut past his cloth and drew a trickle of blood, but his eyes were on Lan Yueya, who had fallen on the edge, and her face was twitching in pain.
"Soul Teether." He pushed all his mana into the skill and targeted Lan Yueya. Lan Yueya's body lit up and an invisible line formed between them, his mana flowing through the line, however before it entered her body, he felt something powerful resisting him from within Lan Yueya. Something very powerful.
"Aiden, stop this bullshit. You can't use that skill when I'm trying to possess her."
"Why are you panicked, Mi Tha? I'm just making sure you don't go back on your words." He pushed more mana into the invisible thread, overpowering the resistance.
"Stop it, Aiden. Can't you trust me?" Her voice shook as he pushed more mana into the bond.
"I don't trust you, and I have every right to ensure you won't break your promise."
"And even if I did, how would that concern you, moron?" Mi Tha's voice dripped with menace, a tone Aiden had never heard from her before. The woman with the meek, desperate voice had vanished, replaced by a malicious presence that couldn't hide its motives.
Just listening to her gave him goosebumps as if dipping his hands into a disgusting stench and then unable to get it out.
"Fuck you, Aiden. You are ruining my plan. I'm not going to show any favoritism for our friendship," Mi Tha cursed and the resistance to his skill increased, but Aiden continued pushing his mana into the bond and suddenly he cut through the resistance like a paper breaking after reaching the threshold.
He appeared in a small room; the atmosphere was heavy with dread, fear and disgust, and he spotted a frail, doll-like form curled up in the corner. It was Lan Yueya - a small version of her.
When his gaze darted to the other side of the room he froze.
Fuck! What was he seeing here?