Ezekiel sat at the bottom of the hole once more. Legs crossed, eyes closed, and meditating in as deep a trance as he could without cutting off the outside world entirely. Next to him, leaning against the wall of the hole, Shine was doing the same.
While the deal between him and Headren’s remnant was struck, they couldn’t head off right away. They had entered a portion of Eldramir’s Spirit Paths that was too far for them to move to the next in a short time period. Headren’s skeleton did mention that he would be able to direct the false island to their intended destination, in time, but for now, it would be better to develop the [Understandings] needed to survive in their current environment.
“Your [Nothingness] is powerful... It can basically cancel out any magical effects that are placed upon you.” There was a rustling sound from above as the bone substance Headren’s remnant was composed of rubbed against the false earth of the island.
“It would be more helpful if I was more efficient at converting other elements back into the Void. However, I don’t know if that is an option at this point. What with the mana here being directly tied to Eldramir’s [Will]; subconscious though it may be.”
That had been one of the things Ezekiel had nearly attempted not long ago but stopped once his [Dagner Sense] nearly threw him to the ground with how extremely it was blasting at him.
“You have converted other mana types before?”
Ezekiel shrugged. “Not directly. Only after it was turned into Ichor. Turns out that it’s primarily the [Will] of the Broods that causes most of the problems. Though, I can absorb it mostly due to the fact that Void Mages are immune to the effects of Ichor. Unless they give in.”
The skeleton leaned forward. “That is rather interesting... So, it is true that Void Mages becoming Cruor is a choice, not a curse.”
“Unfortunately, yes. But it also means that we’re the Cruor’s worst enemies, since we can literally eat them, same as they eat other element’s mana.” He hoped that the other Void Mages would soon take up this practice, but it seemed that they never got the chance.
To be fair, actively imposing your [Will] into your magic, or influencing others, was something that only really happened when you reached Tier three. Given that he was also a prodigy due to his powerful soul, Ezekiel was just further along than any others with the Void Element.
“Do you think that once you break through, you will be able to defeat them, once and for all?”
The hopefulness in the skeleton’s voice was enough to make Ezekiel pause. He hadn’t thought that the remnant still had such hopes left in him.
“Perhaps...” he held out a fist, opening his eyes and peering inwards at the mana flowing through him. “I have spent some spare time searching for my sixth Chakra, but while you have confirmed its existence during our practice, I have yet to find it. Even if I do, I don’t know what I will need in order to unlock it. Something that will fuse my body with my soul... I think.”
Shine, who had been doing their own meditation nearby, shifted to ‘look’ at Ezekiel.
“You think?” They and the skeleton asked in unison.
“I thought you already had a good idea of it?” Shine continued where the skeleton stopped.
Ezekiel rubbed the back of his head. “I feel, instinctually, that fusing my body and soul is correct... but I don’t know if that happens before, or after, I open my sixth Chakra. Perhaps it happens at the same time? Also, fusing body and soul is how body refiners get to the sixth Tier. We are energy cultivators.”
It was something he hadn’t initially realized, but after reviewing what Drake Cross had said to him, Ezekiel realized that, if body refiners advanced differently than energy cultivators, then wouldn’t there be differences in how they reached Tier six?
“That is a concerning thought process. Why didn’t you think of that before?” The skeleton at the edge of the pit asked, sounding far more concerned than Ezekiel thought that it would. “It makes the possibility of you advancing this way much less likely. At least with the previous Tiers, you had experiences from others to take inspiration from.”
Letting out a sigh, Ezekiel fell onto his back. “I know, but I feel like this is still the right way. I hope it’s just pointless worrying on my part, but I’ve noticed that, as a Void Mage, I’ve been able to refine my body, as well as cultivate my energy. If I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t be able to handle Shine’s mana running through me when we work together to cast spells. I’m basically doubling my mana beyond the technical limits when I do so, after all.”
Shine’s avatar, reflected on the ‘face’ of their blade, shook its head. “I’m not sure that makes sense. You know that your body is more in line with a Cruor’s in its strength. A Mage doesn’t go through nearly as much physical refinement when they break through. Even Riley, who was Mythical alongside Celia, wasn’t nearly as physically powerful as you. I think energy cultivators merely develop enough to handle the energy flowing through them. You know she wasn’t able to match a Broodlord through purely physical means. Mana was entirely necessary to stand a chance.”
“Yes, but the Cruor are also sustained by the blood of an Ancient level being. So it’s possible that their bodies are more powerful than they should be for their Tier. Much like Hunters tend to be stronger than Mages or Spirits of the same Tier.” Ezekiel began to ponder over the possibilities. The researcher in him was taking over, and he scratched his head in thought. “Even so, it still doesn’t tell us how to advance as energy cultivators.”
Silence pervaded the hole as Ezekiel, Headren’s skeleton, and Shine all fell silent, lost in thought as to how best to overcome this dilemma. Headren’s skeleton looked particularly intense to Ezekiel.
“Perhaps it is a fusion of soul and energy? The Ancient Spirits were Tier six, and they were known to have bodies that were entirely composed of their elements. Such a method would also make sense for Spirits, whose bodies are merely an imitation of flesh, created by their mana. Thus, for Spirits, their advancement would be a fusion of their soul and bodies, which would also be the same as them fusing their soul and mana.”
Ezekiel leaned up, Shine tilted on their side, and the skeleton looked at his stomach. The large insectoid Spirit that was, seemingly, bonded to Headren’s remnant, just spoke up.
But, upon seeing everyone looking at it, it ducked back behind the miasma that wafted off the skeleton. Once more hidden from view.
Yet, Ezekiel couldn’t help but ponder over its words, rather than worry about its appearance.
“That is a distinct possibility. One that I hadn’t thought of, since I didn’t realize just how different Spirit bodies are compared to flesh and blood bodies. That was a mistake on my part.” He covered his face with his hand and let out another sigh. “For now, we should work on adapting to the space outside this hole. We’ll also need to help my dad with his own adaptation once he awakens. Hopefully that will be soon.”
Turning to his side, Ezekiel faced the shrunken abominable form of his father. No longer was he a multi meter tall human-lion hybrid monstrosity. Whatever balance that Warren and Theo had achieved, with Ezekiel’s help, was clearly doing wonders for their state of being.
Over the time that they had all been traveling through the Paths, and Ezekiel had been training, he had taken the time to check up on his father and Theo’s souls. They had managed to fully separate their minds by this point, but their Spiritual Pathways were still entangled. With the help of Headren’s remnant, they had managed to at least make their mana flow more smoothly, but it was unlikely that the two would be fully separated without consequences.
They had even managed to talk with Ezekiel for long enough to get a proper explanation regarding their overall situation. To say that his father was shocked would be an understatement, but the man had agreed that the deal that Ezekiel had made was their best option for now. He had also sworn to provide aid for as long as he could, once he managed to adapt to the strange place that they were in.
For now, their semi-fixed souls had reflected on their body, and it was now much more human-like, with only a few Spiritual features. Not unlike Evelyn’s new fused form, but still twice as tall as Ezekiel, and only partly covered in armor.
Warren’s chest was bare, but his body seemed to have regained some parts of armor. Mostly around the waist and stomach area, as well as plates going partially down his legs.
His main protected his neck and parts of his head like a gorget and helmet, so most of the soft vital areas were protected. His claws had also turned a metallic gold, rather the white-ish gold that the rest of his fur was becoming.
“Your father should recover enough to wake up soon,” the skeleton said before standing up. “For now, let us try to test your limits once more. Prepare yourself. I will be creating a stream to see how long you can last once more.”
“Right.” Ezekiel sat up once more, and an aura of [Nothingness] covered him, with something similar covering Shine, who had moved over to Ezekiel, lying across his lap. “Do it.”
A transparent bubble seemed to sink toward the bottom of the hole. It covered Ezekiel and Shine entirely, and within moments, the aura around them began to flicker.
It was worse than when Ezekiel had only stuck a handout previously, but their auras held and they continued to maintain them for several minutes.
“I think we can start trying to move around now.” Ezekiel stood up, slowly, and stretched while Shine floated next to him. “Let’s try Spirit Armor. While you maintain the aura, I’ll be able to handle everything else.”
There was a flash of light, but unlike before, where their Spirit Armor would appear while their blade body would remain in Ezekiel’s hand the sword itself turned into motes of light and formed the armor directly. The moment this happened, the aura stabilized, and no fluctuations could be seen.
“This is certainly an improvement.” Ezekiel examined his body and soul, taking note of the now lack of decrease in his mana. “How are you holding up?”
“No changes. I think that if I focus more on an area, rather than the number of beings, it makes it easier. I only need the one aura to protect myself, and you get protected in turn since I’m covering you.”
Ezekiel nodded in understanding. “That makes sense... Shall we go for a flight?”
The surge of anticipation that flowed through the bond in his soul was a clear response.
“Headren!” Ezekiel slowly rose toward the top of the hole. “I’m coming up. Are we able to fly around up there?”
The skeleton stepped back, his hands rising and the bubble beneath Ezekiel rising with him. “That should be fine. Just make sure you stay within a few hundred meters of the island. If you lose track of it, I’m not sure I’ll be able to find you. We’re entering one of the more rapidly flowing Pathways.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Headren looked down to Warren for a moment, sending a brief pulse of mana toward the meditating entity. Seemingly in concern, but Ezekiel figured that it was just a checkup. He hadn’t sensed anything dangerous. “We’ll be careful. Keep watching over my father for me.”
With that said, Ezekiel disappeared, his flight speed taking him dozens of meters away as he stayed within range of the island. The size of it was quite surprising to him, given just how small the island actually was.
Now that he was out of the hole, he could see that the island was only about a hundred meters wide, with the hold being a dozen or so meters wide, the size changing slightly when Headren’s remnant decided to make it more permanent.
‘I suppose that this is the best he could do given the hazardous nature of the environment.’
Ezekiel couldn’t help but agree with Shine. From what he could see, the edges of the island were, even now, disappearing and then reforming as the [Domain] of the Mythical Death remnant forced its laws onto reality.
‘I wonder what our [Closed Space] would be able to do in this place... Perhaps we could’ve used that as a means of opening a rift instead.’ The possibility was there, but Ezekiel shook his head. It wasn’t a matter of the [Space] that was making things difficult. It was the fact that the world around them was constantly moving, so unless they could anchor themselves and their [Space] the flow of mana in Eldramir’s Spirit Paths would erase any rifts they tried to make. Even in a [Closed Space] since it would still be within the Spirit Pathways.
They needed to find a crack in the Paths. That was their best bet.
‘Let’s head back... How’s your mana?’
He felt Shine examine themself before answering.
‘My mana has dropped by a bit, but not even a full Step so far. We should be able to fight like this for hours, but there’s no guarantee. Especially since you’ll be using mana to fight, and don’t have my blade to help you anymore.’
‘That is a concern,’ Ezekiel said as he and Shine set foot on the island once more. ‘However, the fact of the matter is that any additional matter means more that we need to protect. We’ve already proven that your blade was needless space that your aura needed to cover, in addition to you and me.’
He could feel Shine begrudging acceptance and frustration. It was unfortunate, but this was what they would need to do for the foreseeable future. They were both just lucky that Shine had figured out how to do it so quickly. But it seemed like they were closer to fusing their body and soul than Ezekiel was at this point. Which was fair, since Shine’s body was comparatively simple next to his.
‘I hope your father wakes up soon. It’d be nice to focus on training him to survive rather than just waiting around, now that we’ve confirmed that we don’t have any more problems.’
This time it was Ezekiel’s turn to agree with his partner. He also hoped that his father woke up, but for more reasons than what Shine was looking for.
Just then, as they got within a dozen meters of the hole, a bright light blasted upward, filled with Radiant energy that dissipated and faded away. But not before Headren’s skeleton was knocked backward, and the barrier around the hole shattered.
Ezekiel stopped walking and ran to the edge of the hole before jumping down to figure out what had happened, and why a power that was greater than any he had felt prior to meeting Radiant Chaos within his seal was now present.
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A brief pulse of mana from Headren’s skeleton signaled that it was okay to start. So, two souls began their travel through the Radiant paths of mana that branched out within them.
For Warren, the inside of his mind was as far from the shambles that it previously was that it could be. His Spiritual Pathways were still tied to Theo’s in a manner that was more convoluted and confusing than anything he’d witnessed before, but the tangles that had existed were no longer there.
Instead, it was all streamlined, and the flow of mana was stronger than ever. There were even places that mixed their Spirit Paths together directly, rather than merely where their bond had originally formed. Such a thing had been difficult to achieve, but with Headren’s remnant’s help, they succeeded.
Now, after their long preparations, and keeping certain things from his son a secret, Warren was ready to take the necessary step to ensure that Ezekiel survived and would return to the physical side of Eldramir once more. Though, there were still worries within him.
I hope that this will be enough... Are you certain that this will work? Warren’s consciousness drifted next to Theo’s. Their souls journeyed through the Spiritual Pathways that were most closely mingled together.
Theo nodded. I am certain... In a way, we are lucky to have gone through the trials and tribulations that were forced upon us this past decade. It would’ve taken far longer to reach this point otherwise. The forceful creation of a [Truth] for both of us has been a boon. Even if we could only discover its existence in our souls recently.
Warren winced, the reminder of the [Truth] was annoying, but given that it was ever present in his being, it wasn’t like it was anything new.
Do you think that Radiant Chaos even knew what he had done to us? It had been one of his concerns, since it was clearly a method of advancing that had the potential to bring far more Hunters to the Broods’ side of the war.
Given that his other vessels always collapsed, and he was made at Tier six, I am doubtful. Theo’s words helped Warren calm down, but the tension inside him was still there.
Are you sure you want to do this? I know it won’t be death, for either of us, but we don’t know what the final result will be. He had originally been adamantly against this course of action. It was only after Theo swore up and down that he wasn’t going to die that Warren finally relented. Even then, it had taken Theo pushing him into it that put the final nail in the coffin.
Theo batted at Warren in annoyance. I already told you that I am certain. We have already merged the smallest portion of ourselves together in full. Enough to confirm Ezekiel’s snippets of knowledge regarding Tier six. This will confirm the rest.
True enough... It will also mean that he will have a path forward shown to him, rather than simply told. So long as this works... Warren still had his worries, but his Spirit had already set the process in motion. Now, there was simply the matter of going through with it.
Indeed. The cost, however, might be something that he will be unwilling to pay. Theo went quiet, and Warren frowned. He hadn’t liked the cost, and he knew that his son wouldn’t be willing to take the offer that would be made. It wasn’t the sort of price that he wanted to pay. Yet, the choice between his son’s survival, and Shine’s, was one that he already knew how to make.
Of course, Warren had also been forced into his current situation by his Spirit, so he knew that any spite that would exist because of this would be rightfully placed upon him.
Before he could say anything else, a large circular gate appeared in their vision. The sixth Chakra, and the final step before they made their breakthrough.
... I never expected this... To make it to the realm of the Ancients... I honestly believed that it would be Ezekiel who made it here first. The hope, pride, and shame that Warren felt within himself began to flood outward, the area around them churning as he prepared to make break through. Although, I guess it was only thanks to him that we could get this far, so it’s still his achievement, isn’t.
Perhaps... But, given the [Truths] that we realized, as subconscious as it was, I think we deserve some credit. After all, if we hadn’t formed our [Truths] while under Radiant Chaos’ possession, we would’ve died within moments of him leaving our body. Theo’s words erased some of the shame that Warren felt, and the two stepped forward, placing their hands, and paws, on the massive gate.
[I am the Lord of Light who Endures for his Family]!
[I am the Luminous Guardian who Perseveres for his Lord]!
Warren and Theo spoke as one, and their already intertwining Spirit Paths shifted. They grew closer together, and unlike before, when their minds were bashed against one another, this time their mana flowed in conjunction. Pulsing like a heartbeat and growing faster by the second.
As one, their combined [Wills] pushed their mana together, but without any sort of dissonance or conflict, not unlike what he had learned from Ezekiel and Shine, who had performed such actions in the past. Though to a much greater effect than they had.
Instead, as Warren and Theo’s mana flowed in sync, and their [Truths] thrummed with power, their Spirit Paths fused together, doubling the mana that they had available, and in one great push, destroyed the sixth Chakra. The sheer force was too much for it to withstand.
In an instant, the souls of both Hunter and Spirit were overrun by the energy that was now flowing through them. The difference between soul and mana no longer existed.
Their body, which had been forced into a semi-Spiritual state, a mix of flesh and mana, exploded in power, causing a tower of Radiant Light to shoot upward.
All that remained was Radiance and mana.
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Leaping into the pit once more, Ezekiel was nearly blasted backward from the flow of mana that was coming out from below. His eyes flickered back and forth, looking for any sign of his father’s body, but there was nothing but light pushing up against him.
He tried to go deeper, but something wrapped around his neck and pulled him back. Turning in midair, he punched the skeleton in its skull. The force of the pseudo-bones flying away snapped the tendril of deathly energy that had wrapped around him.
“What the hell is going on!? I told you to look after my dad! Not let him blow up!” For the first time in several years, Ezekiel could feel his rationality fading away. It had gotten to a point that he barely recalled from the time when he fought in the war for Harkem.
“I did this for your father. It was his request that he be alerted when you would leave the hole, just so that he could make his breakthrough in peace.” Headren’s skeleton flew back to its feet. “He knew that you would not approve of his attempt, but this was a practical course of action, so I told him I would keep you occupied, as needed.”
The two peak Mythical beings flared their mana. Ezekiel was at a slight disadvantage, since this was a place where his opponent was literally surrounded by energy that was attuned to them, even if the innate [Will] within it would make absorbing it a difficult process.
“What did he do?” Ezekiel forced down his emotions. He could go back if he didn’t know what had happened. “I didn’t see a body.”
“Simply put, your father and his Spirit’s Spiritual Pathways were too intertwined to ever again become separate. So, rather than try to pull apart, especially when their body was now entirely composed of pseudo-mana flesh, they decided to go the other way. A choice that was made upon learning of what you told them about reaching Tier six.” Headren’s tone was even and steady, but the mana he was channeling didn’t cease, nor did Ezekiel’s.
“He what!? How could he do that?” His mana flickered, and blank tears in space popped in and out of existence. “We have no idea what is needed to fuse a soul and mana together. Only that fusing a soul and body together is a possible route to Tier six. There is no guarantee that this will work. I thought that they were still looking for their [Truths] after we figured out that they had to had discovered it during their time being possessed”
“They figured that out a while ago. Ultimately, the choice was made, and they discovered their sixth Chakra not long ago too.” Headren’s skeleton locked eyes with Ezekiel. Its empty sockets boring holes into Ezekiel’s soul. “A part of this decision was made because they wanted to help you get further along your Path.”
“[I am the Trailblazer]! My Path is for me to discover!” Ezekiel began seeing red. The thought of his father dying for him once more was nearly too much.
Within his soul he could feel Shine aiding him, adding their mana to his, and pushing back Headren’s just a little bit more.
“And he is [The Lord of Light who Endures for his Family]. Ultimately, this choice is more tied to his existence than it is to yours. After all, just because you will have information from his attempt, doesn’t mean that you won’t have to create your Path all the same!”
Headren’s words brough Ezekiel up short. He could hear the magic in the skeleton’s words. The [Truth] that could only be his father’s. For a moment, he thought he could feel the weight of it push down on him.
Then he realized that the pressure was coming from behind him, and with flare from his [Danger Sense] he shot forward, tackling Headren’s skeleton away, and getting as far from the island as he could. Regardless of the risk of getting lost in the Spirit Paths of Eldramir.
They had just gotten a hundred meters out, in less than a second as [Space] was warped to increase their speed, when the light shining out from the pit exponentially grew in intensity.
The shining power that seemed to just brush upon the Ancient realm of power burned at Ezekiel’s back, nearly stripping him of his aura of [Nothingness], before immediately sinking inward.
The blinding light disappeared, but so had the island. Instead, there was a softly glowing figure floating where the island had previously been.
Humanoid in appearance, he looked like he was completely composed of golden light, with white highlights taking the form of plated armor. They were startlingly similar in build to what Warren and Teho’s combined form looked like before this.
The most obvious difference was the fact that his face was entirely human.
Though he was still nearly ten feet tall, with hair that was longer, almost mane-like, and his eyes were closed, Ezekiel recognized his father’s face. Even after over a decade of not seeing him in person.
“Dad...” Ezekiel and Headren’s skeleton drifted closer. The forces of Eldarmir’s Spirit Paths were nullified upon coming into contact with their auras. Yet nothing appeared to be blocking it from affecting Warren. Regardless, he didn’t move from his position relative to their own.
Upon reaching him, Ezekiel held out a hand, placing it on his father’s shoulder.
His eyes snapped open, briefly showing feline irises that were molten gold with dark pupils, and the world was bathed in light once more.
The power emanating from Warren’s figure wasn’t any less than Radiant Chaos’, but Ezekiel felt no fear. Only warmth as his father, for the first time in a decade, reached out his hand under his own free will. Placing it on Ezekiel’s.
“Hello, son. It’s good to see you again.” Ignoring the times they had spoken spiritually, this was truly the first time that Warren had laid his eyes on Ezekiel, physically, at least.
Almost as a second thought, a golden platform of Radiant mana formed beneath them.
Ezekiel knew he would need to ask more questions than ever before, but for now, he simply let himself drift through Eldramir’s soul. Happy to have another piece of his family back.