"This fucking hurts" Trace grumbled as he drank from the pond. Blood seeping down his chest with every move he made. It had been an hour since we arrived at the pond. The Rattlers hadn't followed us to the water making it a good chance for us to catch our bearings. Eugene still lay at the pond side where Trace left him exhausted from our fight with the beasts.

"How are we going to make it back to the camp, we escaped from the forest by the skin of our teeth."

Thinking back to our escape I would have died If Trace hadn't thrown his spear. I was weak and it was weighing the group down. But now wasn't the time to sulk he had wandered into the woods expecting to find his hometown only to get lost. Now that he was safe he would use this time.

"I'll be back I want to check something out." Standing up Shin walks to the other side of the lake, it was familiar yet different. It felt like it had been years since I had seen the area. There were no craters from the meteors and no burn marks from the fires. I could see where I had been shot only a few days ago. The image still played in my head as I headed for where Azel's house had stood before the wipe.

"Hey, wait up. I want to come with you. I haven't left the camp for awhile and Eugene's still out of it. You don't mind, do you? Where are we headed anyway?"

Glancing to the side Trace followed close behind his chest bear exposing the designs that hugged his body. "A friend of mine used to have a house around here before the wipe, in his basement he made a bunker. I want to see if it's still there."

"You think he could have survived down there all this time. Or there are still some supplies that haven't been used yet." Nodding his head he seemed content with the story.

"By the way what was that light that you used back in the forest? I've never seen anything like it before." 

"Ah that, it was something the system gave me when I woke up here. By the way, thanks for saving me back in the forest I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." The words felt heavy as they fell from my mouth, "had it been that long since I thanked someone?" 

"Don't worry about it man, you can pay me back with whatever we find in that bunker." The sun gleaming off his head as he grinned. "Where is this bunker supposed to be, there's nothing but trees here."

He was standing right on the land the house used to be. There was no sign of a house has ever been here. "This is it, it was right here."

"You said it's a bunker, how are we supposed to dig it up?

"You start with the spear I'll use... that rock over there." Grabbing a head sized stone he begins to drive it into the earth.

Trace watches with an amused look. " You said it was a bunker, it'll take us days to find it if we use a rock and a stick. Most bunkers are at least 6-10 feet deep and that's if we know exactly where it is."

"Then how are we suppose to get down there?" Throwing the stone, he gasps, sweat dripping down his face.

"I don't know, but we're not leaving this pond anytime soon so we have some time." Walking away he shouts over his shoulder. "I'll go back and talk with Eugene to let him know what's going on."

Chuckling, Shin opens his User.

Shin A.Venge Health Spirit Energy Stamina Maturity 220/220 Regeneration (3.5/ min) 250/250 Regeneration (5/min) 240/240 Regeneration (2/ min) 16 Vitality Strength Agility Intelligence 24 11 22 19 Wisdom Fortitude Will Luck 17 30 28 3 Title: (B) Eradicator of Dungeons (Active) Titles: Inactive Water Mutant, One who Denies Death Discoveries Purify IV, Clairvoyant II, Ray of Light II, Protection I, Spirit Armor I Passives Chemical Resistance, Soul Rearrangement, Perseverance Specialties  

If he was going to dig he thought of using Ray of light but knew it wouldn't be strong enough to cut through the earth, no matter how many times he used it. "Maybe...." Closing his eyes he focuses on his SE, the supernatural aura resonated in his body as he concentrated on its pulse. "If I could make spirit armor then making spirit weapons is possible too,"  If the system was truly developed by your beliefs.

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The familiar coolness of his spirit washed over him, "let's start with something small." Raising his hand he began to picture the knife Takashi wielded as he carved the bows, It was small and simple. Focusing the energy towards his palm he held the energy instead of releasing it, his hand chilled from the aura as it enveloped his hand.

First, he pictured the hilt, bending his spirit, nausea sat in his stomach as the fatigue began to overwhelm him. "Not yet...now the blade,"  he grunted as a wave of exhaustion rammed into his mind, his intestines twisted with every ripple he made as he formed the blade, his mind clinging to consciousness before the rings vibrated in his head breaking all concentration.

"Ding!"

[You have Discovered the Skill - Spirit Materialization I]

Skill - Spirit Materialization I Mastery: 22% Description: Materializing your spirit into solid objects. Speed: Dependent upon the user. Consumption Rate: Small objects 20 SE, Medium objects 40 SE, Large objects 75 SE. The object will disappear when user disassembles it or upon the depletion of Spirit Energy.

[You have Discovered the Skill - Spiritual Tool I]

Skill - Spiritual Tool I Mastery: 9% Description: Bending your spirit into a tool. Speed: Dependent upon the user. Consumption Rate: 5 SE/ min. 

The messages now fading from his eyes, the faint white glow shined in his hand. It was small, the size of your average knife, the light hiding any detail it might have had. The warm knife sat comfortably in his hands as he continued to examine his creation.

Spirit Fragment of Shin A. Venge Durability: 250/250   Abilities: Capable of cutting, slicing and stabbing solid and spiritual material. Description: A spirit fragment weaved into a small knife. *Warning* Improper destruction of this item will have permanent effects to the creator.

Rereading the last warning message he closes the window, "Using my soul as a tool has some risks involved, I need to be careful when using this." Squeezing the blade a warm heartbeat vibrated through his arm. "Now how am I supposed to disassemble it?" he didn't want to try stabbing himself even if it was his own spirit shard.

Focusing on the pulse of the weapon Shin closed his eyes as he pictured the weapon crumbling, it was his spirit so he tried absorbing the fragments as the weapon began to quiver. Looking at the weapon it began to merge with his hand before disappearing completely.

"That was easier than making it, destroying is always easier than building it."

"Eugene saw some fish in the pond so I gave him the spear, any luck on digging out the bunker?" Startled, Shin turns around to Trace smiling as he walks towards him. 

"I might have a way to start digging but it's going to take awhile, I don't even know if it's still down there. If you and Eugene want to head back I won't blame you." 

Scratching his bald head he lets out a grin, "Well actually we decided that it was too dangerous to go back through the forest with the Rippers prowling around. And we lost a lot of sunlight so we decided to stay around here for the night until it's safer to head back to camp."

In the distance, Eugene was in the water, ankle deep stabbing into the water. "The rest of the group won't come looking for you?"

"That group, most of them only care about themselves, I wouldn't worry about that. You said you found a way to get to the bunker right? It's not another rock is it?" Chuckling to himself he glances at the rock and looks back in my direction.

"No, it's not another rock!" I bark, my face turning hot. "Just sit back and watch." Grumbling, I turn my back to him as energy begins to focus in my palms. It wasn't as hard as before, and my mind only throbbed briefly before completing the shovel.

Turning around in triumph, I display my work, "With this, we should be able to find the bunker easily."

With a confused look, he stares at my hands while scratching his beard, "You gonna dig with your hands, personally I think you'd have better luck with the rock."

"Not my hands! With this shovel, it'll be much easier!" Pushing the shovel into the ground I start to dig, Trace watching from the sides not saying a word, simply observing. 

After a few minutes of digging my arms began to burn, looking at Trace I hand him the shovel, "Hey switch with me, I need a break."

"Yeah sure, but how are you doing that? Moving the dirt? I've been watching for awhile now and still don't get how you're doing it."

"He can't see the shovel?" Wait so you can't see the shovel in my hand right now?

"Nope, honestly you looked like a very convincing mime."

"Is it because he doesn't have Clairvoyant? He can't see spiritual objects either?" 

"Try to touch it at least."

Hesitantly Trace reaches for my hand, "Yeah I can feel it, how did you make this?" Taking the shovel Trace jumps into the small hole and begins to dig, stumbling as he pushed the object into the dirt. 

Sitting down beside the hole I watch Trace as he throws heaps of dirt beside me the pile quickly growing, " It's one of the skills the system gave me when I woke up, opening your mind to different ways of thinking helps you make discoveries faster I think."

Grunting Trace throws another pile full of dirt overhead, "So you're saying this system is based on your personal point of view of the world?" Crawling out of the hole he hands the shovel to me, "Your turn."

"This is gonna take all day," Grabbing the shovel I hope back into the hole.

"I hope I'm not wasting my time digging this fucking hole.