Alice was not sure how to feel about the whole situation. She knew that they needed to get back to Lucadon without being followed. But killing the person without asking any questions seemed like a little much.
Lua had explained that if they were to get close or reveal that they knew they were being followed, that it could cause real problems regardless of who the person worked for. She knew this was their only option right now, but seeing Lua kill someone without a real change in expression worried her.
Death was a normal part of this world, The System made sure of that. But The System can’t touch Lua. Mental manipulation just doesn’t work on her.
What worries Alice is that the Title the Universe gave Lua. Can it be affecting her mind? What about having her soul merged with another by that god? So many powers have been pushing Lua towards something and Alice is scared what that may turn her into.
“Hey, I know you want to wait for me to ascend to Class 3 together. But it will take me a lot longer than you so what do you think about going ahead of me?”
Lua turns her head to look over at Alice who is contemplating things on her shoulder with an innocent look on her young face.
The girl’s face has Alice relaxing her thoughts, certain that she is over thinking things.
“I would prefer to ascend together. I don’t mind waiting.”
Lua smiles and knocks her head to the side to press it against the fairy girl’s body.
“Of course you would, my favorite little tsundere.”
“Oh shut up!”
Alice can’t help but turn her head and blush grumpily.
This girl really knows how to push my buttons.
Ignoring the laughter coming from beside her, Alice can’t help but drift to one final thought about Lua’s attitude.
What if nothing is affecting her? What if she just doesn’t value life the same way everyone else does?
Alice does not know what she would do if that were the case.
----------------------------------------
Alice is really cute, wanting to ascend together. I wish she were a lot bigger so I could hug her and make her blush even harder.
I let my laughing calm down as I examine the core my demons have presented me. It is from a Class 3 high-human as they are often called. The most common evolution for those reaching Class 3.
Moving the small golden core around in my hand I recall the thousands of cores flowing through the pipes of that temple Alice and I found. I wonder where they got the cores to power that machine, whether it was from monsters or not.
Shaking off such thoughts I gather up my other cores and organize them in the pouches I have around my waist and get ready to call Lucadon.
The demon had provided us with a magic tool that could send our location so it could bring us back through a portal. Making sure that we are alone, I reach into my bag and pull out the small conch shell. The thought of two idiots surviving in a forest with a magic conch shell makes me chuckle for a moment before I pour my mana into it.
Before I can even blink I find myself appearing back in the same cabin Lucadon had set up in the fourth ring.
“My, my, my. You sure didn’t last long out there. Was there an issue?”
With the same creepy grin as usual, Lucadon looms over my small figure like a parent interrogating their child who came home from school early.
I am not sure how to phrase it so before I can get my words out, Alice takes over.
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“She saw the discrimination against the other races and didn’t want to be around people like that. We can’t do anything to change what she saw while we are still weak...”
Nodding its head the archdemon shockingly sympathises with my feelings.
“Yes, I see. You want to change the world, huh? Treating others as lesser just because they are different is a rather disgusting trait that many of the mortal races share. You are just like him…”
Whispering that last part to itself the Demon does not linger long enough for either of us to question who it was talking about.
“Well then! I think we should get right back to training. Your magics are excellent, but if you want to get the most out of your evolutions then you will need to fully understand them and expand upon your spells.”
“Oh great, another fetch quest…”
Ignoring my comment the demon prattles on.
“First things first you should both learn to fight better, Alice especially. You rely too much on Lua for combat-”
“Actually, I had a thought on that. People who can’t use magic turn towards Qi for fighting, but I have never seen anyone use both. Is it possible to even do that?”
Now that comment has Lucadon pausing. However the smile on its shadowy face gets even deeper which worries me greatly.
“Now that is an interesting idea. Normally I would say it is impossible to house multiple energies in one's body like that, but your soul is unique. We may be able to make it work. heh heh heh.”
I move to back away at the terrifying laugh, angling for the door. Even if it is the fourth ring it might be preferable to being a science experiment for Lucadon.
“Might I get a peek at your soul thread? It will help me determine if such a thing is possible.”
The door is locked, because of course a house made of plant materials can be remotely controlled by the plant mage who made it.
Sliding down the door I resign myself to nightmare training that I never should have suggested.
…
..
.
“Fascinating, how very fascinating. This could really work!”
Wincing from the excited shout of the demon peering at my neck I examined my soul thread in the way it had explained. I had never taken a close look at it but the thread is actually made up of two closely knit white strings of soul in a double helix shape.
I marvel at the flowing wisp of soul that is both in this world and not at the same time. It is similar to how the demons I made flicker in and out of existence when not possessing a golem.
“Yes, I do believe we can empower your soul threads with Qi. The center of this shape can be filled with it quite nicely. A gift from that god of yours no doubt.”
Moving the thread back into its place within my mana core I try and get the archdemon to get to the point from my position on the floor.
“So, it is possible. But the question is how do I do it? I was never trained to use Qi by my family because it was said to conflict with magic.”
Lucadon finally focused on what I was saying instead of the shape of my soul threads. The demon went on to explain that Qi is based around absorbing energy from the world itself and making it your own. This is different from the way mana cores work. Mana cores connect you to the mana plane or as Lucadon calls it, the spirit plane. From there you can connect to your soul and use the mana it generates to power your magic.
Qi on the other hand is something connected to both your soul and your body. Opening a pathway to your soul through sheer force of will, and merging it with your body as well as the energy of nature generated by the world.
Elves can’t use magic and instead cultivate Qi, using strange things called “techniques” instead of skills to control nature. This cultivation is also one of the reasons all elves live for much longer than humans or dwarves. Something neither race has been able to replicate.
“Will Alice be able to train in using Qi as well?” I can’t help but ask as her presence is an integral part of my life, not sharing something with her now would suck.
However it seems life is not so sweet as to allow us to take the same path.
“No, while she is unique in her body and soul for many reasons. She only has room for mana in her body.”
I can see Alice looking rather down from her seat in my lap. I really wanted to share everything I could with her.
Lucadon, seeing our turned faces does its best to cheer us up.
“However, that is not to say there is not a path for her to get stronger. Life magic is in itself a very rare form of magic. Train it enough and you can empower your body using the life of those around you, or even strengthen others. I do believe that would work well with Lua’s future in golemancy.”
It seems Lucadon understands us quite well considering how easily it was able to find the right words to cheer us up. I can see a fire burning in the small jade eyes of my best friend. Her desire to walk beside me just makes me want to hug her more.
“So, how do we start?”
The archdemon grins wider than I have ever seen before.
“While I know much about Qi, I am no expert. But I am sure an old friend of mine would be happy to lend you both a hand. Time for a field trip.”