Deciding to combine business with pleasure, I resumed my usual collection of necrotic energy. My cell was almost empty of it after a few thorough cleanups—I always worked diligently. However, I wasn’t alone in these catacombs, and my neighbors were clearly in no better condition. Even within a ten-meter radius, there was still plenty of room to maneuver.
Of course, not every cell currently housed a person. This wasn’t a prison, after all, but more of a torture chamber, and prisoners didn’t stay here for long. Dima was a local anomaly, having survived for over a week, partly with my help. For a typical human, especially a mage, sustaining the energy demands of the "crystals" was far more debilitating. It's one thing to live with empty mana cores as a weakling, but it's entirely different to suffer complete magical exhaustion with a developed mana channel system. The body instinctively tries to replenish its energy deficit—primarily from external sources, but also by consuming its own life force, which does nothing good for one’s health.
Flying through the accessible area, encompassing five nearby cells, I spotted only one man who seemed to be at death's door. Activating magical sight, I noted with some amusement that he had seven large but dimmed cores, now draining the last dregs of vitality from him. He had been on par with—or perhaps even stronger than—Markus, yet he would perish in this hole, kicked to death by weakling guards. The irony was almost poetic.
Still, who knows? Maybe he would survive. After all, I wasn’t planning to linger here much longer, and the number of guards in this place was bound to decrease soon.
Hmm, that man’s cores were an interesting sight. Not only were all seven imbued with Gifts, but he clearly wasn’t from a “demonic” bloodline. Moreover, most of the Gifts were unrecognizable to me, even from relatively close range. Such a mixed bag of abilities—I've never seen anything like it before. And I’ve seen plenty!
Look at what the world’s come to: humans walking around with natural-born Gifts! Back in my time, they’d need to be either a deity’s follower, a demon’s debtor, or at least the scion of a demigod. Still, this development was intriguing.
It seemed that most gods hadn’t survived past my time, and now humanity didn’t seem to need them much anymore. Why bother, when there’s a chance to get Gifts for free? This, however, was a mystery I’d have to study more closely.
With these thoughts in mind, I floated past the remaining four empty cells, vacuuming out the air and compressing it into several heavy spheres the size of watermelons. Each necrotic-laden "melon" took me about an hour to form, and my cursed energy reserves were running dry again. But this time, I’d stocked up well.
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Over the course of several hours of self-improvement, Dima had regained consciousness and, like an enthusiastic schoolboy discovering a new computer, was exploring his magic. He didn’t have much experience, of course, but I didn’t hold back in sharing cursed energy, passing him the basics of what to do and how to do it. While this didn’t make him an experienced mage, it did elevate him to the rank of an actual Apprentice, which was impressive considering his starting point.
I understood his enthusiasm and wholeheartedly encouraged his dedication to self-improvement. After all, we were practically the same person now, and we had become surprisingly similar.
If you compared it to human experience, we were like roommates who’d lived together for a long time. Each unique in our own way, but having picked up plenty of traits from each other. Naturally, given my significantly stronger soul, Dima had changed more than I had, but even I had adapted slightly to my temporary companion.
Now, I hovered on the other side of the door, holding dark spheres of energy in my spectral hands, contemplating how best to get them inside. Dima watched me through the narrow barred window, waiting for instructions. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Step back, I’m going in,” I nodded to him. He quickly leapt aside.
Shaking my head, I decided not to overcomplicate things. I simply seized control of the matter, temporarily compressing the door lock into a small metal sphere. With a swift kick, I swung the door open and stumbled in, dropping the air-filled spheres near the seal.
While I restored the door and reshaped the lock, the “melons” of concentrated necrotic energy visibly dimmed. My focus was evolving too, now absorbing far more energy in a single draw than before.
“Well, this should do for now,” I said, cracking my spectral neck. “We’re ready for our guests!”
I had already shared my memories of the explosion with Dima, so he knew what had happened as well as I did. Despite my influence, he still lacked a bit of confidence.
“Are you sure this will work?” Dima asked, conjuring the most powerful flame column he could manage—a solid meter of blazing chaos. Not bad.
“I know their tricks, and they’ve got nothing like this. But don’t worry about using magic; it’s not for combat—it’s for cleanup,” I said with a smirk. His skeptical gaze didn’t faze me. “Besides, when you play your cards right, it won’t be two-on-one against you; it’ll be us, two-on-one against them.”
“Well, I guess…” Dima shrugged, though he still looked unsure. “But I don’t really know what to do.”
“That’s why we’re training you to be an interceptor,” I chuckled. “Anyway, it’s my turn to take over the body now!”
Before Dima could protest, I quickly slipped back into the body, forcing him into the “passenger seat” and boosting him with a dose of cursed energy. With a loud curse, my companion found himself flung into spectral form, wide-eyed as if he’d just seen a demon.
“Wow,” he finally muttered, glancing around. “That was easier than I thought.”
“It's all about mindset,” I replied. “Now you know you can step out of your body. It’s not hard—it’s a skill like any other. Same goes for possession! The principle is essentially the same, just a bit more complicated.”
“So, what do I do now?” Dima asked as he floated back and forth, acclimating to movement in this form.
“Fly around and get comfortable,” I said with a shrug. “When you’re ready, try getting back into the body, then stepping out again. Keep repeating it until it feels natural, no resistance. That’s your next assignment!”