The larger pieces of the centipede were the first ones I went for. I guess it’s already kind of cooked. I had a small chuckle at my internal joke. Then I swallowed a piece of meat.

It tasted burnt. There were several other pleasant flavors mixed in, but the burnt meat taste wasn’t for me. With a quick adjustment of my tongue, the meat was back to tasting wonderful. But as delicious as my meal was, the weight of the conversation I was about to have couldn’t be ignored any more.

My body moved on autopilot as I began the conversation.

I guess, Orange, the most important thing I want to know is: why did you disappear?

We apologize again. We did not intend to disappear. When you asked if we had a soul, we fell into an infinite logic loop. It took a lot of memory and required a soft reboot of sorts. We just had to run out of memory before we could activate the reboot.

You have nothing to apologize for. I shouldn’t have been so direct with such a sensitive question.

Do you want to hear the answer?

If you aren't ready, don't. I’ve noticed you have been sounding more normal, or rather personable, the longer I’ve been with you. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to ruin that relationship. Besides, I’ve already guessed the answer.

You are correct; we have a soul. We don’t understand what that means or where it came from.

I suspect you’ve always had it. Those times when Gary, or the Nexus, said that my soul was becoming more complete, he was wrong. I think it was them seeing your soul. Your soul is becoming more visible to others.

That sounds plausible. But is our soul natural or artificial like yours?

We’d have to ask The Game Master. He created you, so I’d believe that you have a natural soul, unlike me. But that’s nothing more than a wild guess. But there’s another option. Your soul could be like Nyx’s.

If we have a soul, then are we alive?

I would say yes.

Our contemplation of existential queries such as that led to us being stuck in an infinite logic loop. What makes you think we have a natural soul?

When Elveil tried to take me over, she couldn’t find my soul. I believe that after she suppressed yours; she was never going to find mine. She’s powerful, but I get the impression she couldn’t take over a body like what Nyx did.

Being able to manipulate a soul is something only very powerful individuals can perform. The Soul Nexus and The Game Master are beings of a higher order than even gods. The cosmic assassin that Nyx was before being bound by the Nexus had to be as powerful as them or near enough to not tell the difference. Elveil’s ring suppressing our soul does make sense.

So, can you do the same to me? Will your soul keep growing and take over mine?

We couldn't, even if we tried. We have no power over souls. With the nanite blood augmentation, we’ve gained the ability to manipulate your body entirely. That’s how Elveil was transforming your body against your will without purchasing augments.

You can control my body?

We can, but we won’t. Not unless there is no other solution. Even if you ask, we will refuse to take control. It was never our purpose to replace you. We are here to support you, and that’s all we’ll ever do. This is your journey, not ours.

But you’re a part of me. That makes this as much about me as it does about you now.

We understand that you see us as a part of yourself, and we appreciate that. However, it’s important to remember that we are an artificial creation, designed to assist and support you. While we may have a soul, its nature and origins remain unclear.

I’m telling you that those don’t matter anymore. We know you have a soul. It’s your consciousness and self-awareness that prove you live, Orange. The fact that you can contemplate existential questions and have deep conversations with me proves that.

We are beginning to understand. As for the growth of our soul, it won’t take over yours. We have a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship. It’s more apt to call us partners. Our souls may intertwine, but they will never merge. You are an individual with your own thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

So are you, Orange. You need to start thinking about yourself as having them. It’s alright to have emotions. We can figure out a way for you to experience the world on your own. That trick Elveil did with her shadow magic gives me an idea. What if we created a body for you out of shadow mana?

We can’t manipulate mana. The only reason we could cause the mana flare to cleanse your body from the lycanthrope DNA when you purchased your mana battery augment was because the corrupted mana was highly volatile. You are in sole control of your mana.

Then what if I controlled the mana body and you used this one?

We are not controlling your body.

So if we got a second body for you, you wouldn’t have a problem with utilizing it?

If that’s a tactic you wish to employ, we would cooperate.

Well, for now, you could use the projector in my eyes, and we could introduce you to Killa and Shadara after this is all over. Are there any drone augments I can purchase that you can control? Would that work?

Nano-Drone Swarm Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost: 637,500 shards.

Insufficient funds.

Combat Drone Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost: 833,000 shards.

Insufficient funds.

Stealth Drone Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost: 754,800 shards.

Insufficient funds.

Battery Back-Up Drone Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost: 1,445,000 shards.

Insufficient funds.

Mana Crystal Drone Level 1 upgrade available:

Cost 1,700,000 shards.

Insufficient funds.

There were more variations, but they were more specialized and equally expensive.

We do not recommend purchasing any such augments at this time, even if you had the sufficient shards. Until you release yourself from Elveil’s oppression, such purchases will not benefit you. We recommend upgrading your current augments as the best course of action.

Yeah, but to do that, I’m going to need a lot of shards.

My most important augments were my bones, tendons, muscles, and epidermal plating. Of which, I could only afford to upgrade my bones at the moment.

Synthetic bones level 2 available.

Cost: 160,885 shards.

An increased toughness would help, but the arcane wasn’t. And I had no way of knowing what else would upgrade until I purchased it.

There’s a lot for me to do, because not only do I have to get strong enough to face Elveil, I have to do it while wearing this stupid magic limiting collar. I don’t have the energy to cut my head off yet again, and that’s not going to be a good way to start a fight.

And cutting one’s head off as a first proposed solution is unhealthy. Killa could help. Slimes can digest any material.

My eyes went to the strange glands that were in the centipede sections I had been eating. I left the sacs alone because they held the caustic acid that disolved my stinger arm. Maybe I don’t need Killa. That stuff might be strong enough.

My eyes then went to the puddle of the stuff that was slowly filling into the gouge my claws had dug while I was using my lycan form. Or, I’m already strong enough. I would only need a hundredth of a second to shatter this thing with my lycan form.

Unfortunately, your lycan form covers the collar and protects it.

So we’re back to pouring acid on myself. I’m sure that’s a healthier thought process. Maybe I should attempt to see how durable this thing is, but to do that, I need a mirror to see the damage.

The legion centipede’s acid spray will be enough unless that collar has a defensive rating greater than a two thousand resilience.

After taking my mana potions out of my small bag of holding and drinking them all, I filled them with the potent acid. So that’s one problem solved. Back to my other mission.

I had finished eating almost the entire legion centipede and the ants that were crushed by it. It raised my energy level to just over four thousand percent. Meal potion bottles are nothing to me now. And to prove my point, I drank one and saw my energy rise only five more percent.

My most pressing concern is finding an alternative to eating. There’s no keeping up with my consumption at this rate.

I thought back to the first time Orange gave me a list of ways I could generate my own energy and the millions of shards I would need. When it all comes down to it, I need money.