“Shove a cactus up his ass.”

“WHAT?!”

“What?” asked a voice echoing inside the room.

Luke recognized that high-pitched, scratchy voice. He started looking around the room. After a moment reality in front of his nose started twisting. Going crossed-eyed, he focused on a point in space that started stretching and distorting with the sound of groaning metal.

His eyes squinted under the influx of reality bending in front of his face. Out of nothing, a small tendril of darkness popped out. Then, another one, two small arms started stretching a hole in the fabric of space. With a POP and a tumble, a small thing tumbled out, rejoining our hero in his room.

A smile bloomed on his face, trying not to raise his voice, he greeted his friend.

“My Boy, you’re back! I thought you left after the sewers. Good to see you”

Shaking off dimensional dust the little thing looked at Luke, holding back mean comments he just shook his head, smiled, and answered.

“Nah, couldn’t leave your dumbass alone. What would you do without me? I just hid in the backspace. I wasn’t sure how that shellfish would react to me and later I needed to rest so I stuck myself to you and came out when I decided it was safe.”

“It is actually nice to see you again buddy. Welcome to my home, mi casa es su casa”

“mhm, yeah, sure, back to the big question. What about that German poster boy? You know he will not let you alone if he sees you again.”

A moment of consternation passed between them.

“What can I do? Monsoon said not to fuck with established families, and while he may not be that strong by his standard, he said that he is incomparable to the flesh puppet. That thing wasn’t even a battle construct, it was a recycling machine, without any powers. He said the fact that I even scratched him was a miracle in of itself, and yes, I know, he will want to kill me on sight for that horn. I was told how prideful those pricks can be.”

“Do you really think that’s all the danger you are facing?” The shadowy figure asked in a hushed tone.

Visions came to Luke’s mind, freezing his blood in his veins. That bastard was a sadist, one that thrived on making those weaker than him suffer. How could he have not thought about it earlier? Even if he died in the sewers there is no telling his close ones wouldn’t get the spillover hate for what he has done.

All the constructs he maintained subconsciously collapsed at the same time, books and random items fell from the air.

Telekinetic backlash whipped against his mind, unnoticed by Luke.

Reality thickened, air suffusing with magical density. Rippling with every violent thought that entered his mind. He clenched his fist until his knuckles went white and blood dripped from his bit lip.

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“LUKE!” The shadow screamed.

Without control, his powers manifested his intent and concern. Walls cracked when a pulse of Power was released, bringing his mind back to the current moment. The carpet was shredded into strips, and in the air, swirls of bloody crimson were disappearing.

His small friend was panting, apparently crushed by the suffused atmosphere he created.

Bending over to pick him up he babbled apologies, panicking.

The little fella cursed him up and down but didn’t hold any grudges.

A wordless agreement was made at that moment.

“He may not live” A vow was made, bounding his heart and mind to a goal. Igniting his inner flame and giving him purpose.

Things had to be planned. First thing first he contacted his close ones. Told them he had an accident and that he would meet them in a month. Counting up all the money he had saved after selling the motorcycle and saving up he could live by this month without working. He called the different bars he works in and explained that his arms were broken and he would need a month to recuperate.

Now he had a timeframe. To extend it he will visit the sewers once he is prepared. There, he will try to get in as much done as possible before searching out the Nazi fuck for a confrontation. Things had to be planned and prepared.

Determined, he lifted the tome with renewed focus. Mind sharp as the fangs that ripped his arm not so long ago.

He stirred his inner Power. Both Powers. For now, he needs to strengthen his base. He released the hold on the Void, allowing it to feast on his flesh, to rip chunks of his mind.

When pain became unbearable he used the talisman of growth to guide his Mana to heal him. Starting a cycle of destruction and rebirth.

Bordering on agony and focus like walking on a tightrope his innards churned. Skin bleed and bones split, then mended under the guiding force. Tried to absorb as much info as he could while his eyes watered and his body clenched like a fist in spasms as he memorized the Forms the spell forced on him to make him grow and heal quicker.

Time passed, day turned to night. Finally, his body, barren and fatigued lost all ability to continue the cycle without going haywire.

What he has started, was what the magic world called Body Refining. A stupid and dangerous but quick version of it. The Void was not usually recommended as a stress inducer but it worked well enough. He will worry about the contamination after things will settle.

The Little Fella observed him for some time, later, after he got bored he asked to use the computer.

Jumping like a bee from flower to flower he used the keyboard and started absorbing the knowledge of a world he lacked memories of.

“You have a lot of P*rn in here, quite fucked up at that, what's with all the clowns? ”

Jumping like a bird of prey he hid his nasty treasures from the dark sprite.

“Eh… let’s go for a walk. I need to get some food. Magic may help to sustain me but I still need some base nutrients. And protein gotta flex them guns little fella. All my food has gone bad in my absence so shopping time it is.”

“You really think I will drop that topic?”

“You will. Wanna try some energy drinks? A can and a cigarette is what I call the breakfast of champions, the gastronomy special.”

“…eh, sure, let's go.”

Barely managing to do his shopping before the shop closed at 11 PM, he walked back to his house talking to the thing on his shoulder. The city being empty of people at that hour was quite peaceful. Walking alongside the river next to his house, he stopped on the bridge. Taking a moment to smoke a cigarette and share a can of an energy drink with his tiny buddy he took a breather.

In this quiet moment, he allowed his eye to activate, flooding it with both energies it easily pierced the Veil and revealed even more than most could see.

Two images superimposed on each other caused a migraine, but considering the torture he put himself through it was more than bearable.

The dark water filled with only trash and frothing foam in our reality hid a neon biome full of colorful sun-orange fish and scarlet red moss beyond the veil. A treat for the eyes, creatures of beauty beyond what Luke could put in words swam lazily in the current below. An asphalt-like black water snake nabbed a thrashing sun-kissed fish with 3 eyes, one of them popping like a pearl from the skull under the crushing force of a snake bite.

Finishing the cigarette he returned home, talked a bit with his close friend who just returned from work while he cooked food, and closed himself in his room after the meal.

He yearned to grab a drink, relax and go to sleep, get some rest.

He could not.

“There is no glory without suffering” The motto echoed in his head, getting louder with every impulse to grab a drink.

He sat down, on the floor in the lotus position, letting his back rest against the wooden bed frame.

Taking a deep breath he clenched his fists and rapidly flooded his muscles and sinews with void while using mana to coat his skin and force the energy to clash against itself. Shaving skin like sandpaper down to blood vessels. Once that became unbearable he allowed Mana to flood his system, rebuilding his vessel into a stronger one. He vented the Void infection as well as he could, using it to consume any excess energy within his core and forcing it to fight off the foreign influence.

The pain was beyond anything he had ever experienced. Even scaling it to be somewhat bearable, he often couldn’t balance the influx of powers and in some moments the excess drowned him in blinding agony until he regained control.

His gums bleed, his bones cracked, and his eyes were rolling back when his body fell into spasm.

He needed to use a rag so that his teeth wouldn't break from clenching his jaw, trying to suppress the pain consuming his whole body.

So went by next few days of self-inflicted torture.