Vincent had always wanted children. He'd just never really been in a stable enough position in life to have them. Of course, he had only been twenty one when the system had inducted him so he was incredibly young. Basically still a kid himself. By all accounts he should have had plenty of time left still.
It was something he hadn't thought about immediately but over the course of the last few years that he had been stranded in this country he had come to the bitter realization that the system may very well have taken that chance away from him for all of eternity. For some reason that was a bitter pill that he found hard to swallow.
If he couldn't pass on his genetics and name, what then would he leave behind as his legacy when he was gone? If he never created life would he be destined only to take it? If it were neither of these things, then was he destined for anything at all?
Many a lovely yet lonely night, he spent crying in the woods beneath the pale moonlight, wondering who he was meant to be.. And where? In truth, ever since seeing his mom's face in that dream a month ago, he had been missing his old life more than usual…
"No.. that's not it.. It wasn't a dream." Vincent mumbled with certainty. His brow furrowed into a frown. "It was a memory.."
The man from Earth could currently be found in his cave sitting deep in meditation. Suddenly a small object impacted his back, forcefully causing him to yelp in fright. He barreled forward, crashing face first into the cave wall where he slowly slid down it in a comical fashion.
In a very un-gentle he was reminded that, even though he never raised a family of his own back on earth, he had become a very important part of his new family here within the Nexus. Currently he was surrounded by 6 very young, very hyper wolf pups that were hard at work tearing apart his home. Some were digging out his garden and others were wildly scratching about, ruining alot of the engravings he had placed around his home.
Oh? And currently the smallest one was… Peeing on the central pillar.. A tick mark formed on his head and he puffed out his chest. He was nearing his wits end.
He imagined taking care of these stress inducing bastards was pretty much the same premise of emotions he could expect to feel when tending for human offspring. Very rarely did a wolf mother give birth in his pack but when they did, he as the Alpha always took the time to get to know them.
Monster birth was spectacularly difficult for most creatures due to the massive influx between the stats of typical newborns and the stats of their parents. It often took several grueling hours of labor and multiple rounds of gouging and healing. Honestly he thought it was a damn wonder how birth could have somehow become even more difficult with the system but it seemed at least that infant and mother mortality was virtually non-existent, despite the grueling process the mother was put through. And the end result of course was as ireplicably as beautiful as ever.
It was a lot easier for humanoid creatures that were often more intelligent and had far more versatile tools than the monsters found in nature, but even that was a painful process as the Orcs were a proud people who didn't use medicine or artificial means of incubation. No matter how he looked at it, the world seemed to have somehow become a much harsher reality than the privileged life he had known before.
This particular litter was special as it belonged to a dear friend of his.. Dawn, the once helpless and hapless Lunar wolf pup he had saved. Vincent would allow no other but himself to guard these… precious angels.
Naturally, the gods hated him for his goodwill and handsome face, so it would be his luck that due to system shenanigans the pups would be capable of running around at 100 miles per hour, getting into any amount of trouble and causing him untold amounts of grief. Some days he swore he'd rather tangle with dragons and gods than have to babysit the hell hounds that were the young of his pack.
He was huffing, pulling out his hair and practically frothing at the mouth while looking frantically left and right for the final of the 6 pups. Naturally, he finally found the pup in question who had been trying to eat his entire years worth of garden produce in one sitting near the back of his home. Vincent sighed and shook his head. At least he was eating his vegetables?
Looking over, the man noticed a few of the pups tugging on Lupus, dragging him towards the mouth of the cave while he scratched the floors and fought back in undignified terror.
Vincent stopped struggling and took in a deep breath before stomping his foot with enough force to crack the solid system enhanced granite beneath his foot.
"Enough!" He bellowed, raising his arm and entangling each of the 6 pups with a thick net of non-thorny vines with Plante. He huffed and puffed, face redder than a stop sign from the old days. "You brats are going home to your damn parents." The man yelled. "Today!" He finished, pointing at the ground before storming off with his messy net of writhing vines dragging the pups behind him. The creatures yipped and hollered with joy as they were dragged along for what they perceived to be a joy ride with their favorite grandfather figure.
Vincent had intended to keep them for a full seven days to give the prince a well deserved vacation after having a litter with his mate but after only five days Vincent could stand it no longer. He really wasn't cut out for this. A few minutes later, still huffing and puffing, he dropped the pups off in a yipping heap of flailing limbs just inside the retrace of their parent's den.
"I believe these are yours." He focused the parents with an accusing glare. The two wolves looked extremely sheepish, but grateful bowing and tucking their ears. They stayed low in respect for a moment, giving thanks to their leader for the much needed week of rest.
Vincent could see the crescent moon shaped scar on the prince's side, the only blemish in an otherwise perfect coat of gleaming fur so blue it nearly seemed black. The pup had changed a great deal since obtaining it's final evolution. So much so, that Vincent barely even recognized him. Truly he was proud.
"Dawn." He called, a small note of seriousness creeping into his voice. The wolf prince stared back at him with an easy expression. The two shared a great deal with one another through their bond. A look passed between them. Meaning was silently exchanged between the two before the wolf nodded and followed its leader with confidence and loyalty.
The two of them met on top of a platform grown from the side of a massive tree somewhere much further down the wall of the jungle. Vincent had a habit of creating add ons to their territory whenever he got bored. Even if they were completely unnecessary, with some being located several dozen yards away from his main structures.
When Vincent and Dawn had finally settled into comfortable positions, the wolf gave him a long meaningful look. Vincent looked a tad bit uncomfortable and squirmed under his adoptive brother's gaze. "Look… I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to put it straight. I can't be the Alpha anymore…"
At this Dawn's eyes encompassed the size of the moon. He made to growl but Vincent interrupted with a pleadingly wave of his hands. "Wait, wait, wait please just hear me out. I'm not.. I'm not leaving, you know?" At this the wolf gave him a look as if to say, "You think that makes things any better?" Vincent for his part gave the wolf a half-hearted smile. "Listen big guy.. I'll always be here to protect the family. But you know I'm.. Different. Meant for something else. I won't be around forever, one way or another. It's just not the natural way. And you.."
He stopped to look the beast in it's eyes. Their eye colors mirrored one another in an eerie manner. If one didn't know any better they would swear they were actually related but for obvious reasons that wasn't exactly possible. "I've watched you.. Since you were just a defenseless little pup fighting for your life that day, all the way up until now. You've become a strong, kind warrior. One that I can be proud of. One father would have been proud of. You are ready. You understand me? You're going to be better than either of us ever were."
The wolf's shining blue eyes glistened and it nodded slowly. It was a bittersweet moment for the creature, and for Vincent of course.
Congratulations! Your title as the Leader of the wolf pack has been transferred to another! All benigits have been lost.
Warning! Due to unusual circumstances an unexpected shift in the quality of your skills occurs.. Error.. Recalculating.
Congratulations! Perk: Benevolent Patreon God of the Wolf pack! Achieved!
Benevolent Patreon; God of the Wolf pack. you are the revered patreon of the most powerful pack in Garkan. Your followers look to you for guidance, shelter and sustenance. The love and well wishes of your supporters urges you to grow strong enough to provide great fortunes and boons to them. All skills level up faster depending on the development of your Network of Souls.
The two spent some time saying their goodbyes. Literally saying them as Dawn was now capable of speech being the appointed Alpha of the pack. For simplicity's sake the pair agreed that the rest of the pack could refer to either of them as Alpha and they would share equal command but ultimately Dawn was given the final say on things and all the subsequent responsibilities that entailed. When the duo arrived back at Dawn's section of the pack's den it seemed his mate was close to reaching her wits end, as Vincent had been an hour prior.
Vincent and Dawn looked at the mess of a den which contained the hellions before looking at one another. Vincent flashed him an exhausted look clearly meaning something along the lines of, 'I absolutely do not envy you.' Brfore the man turned and looked at the pleading wolf mama and smiled apologetically. He then focused his attention on the wolf pups and, in a manner that would have appeared hilarious before the system, he growled.
As it stood because of the way the system had evolved Vincent into a true monster with abilities that subjugated the will of others, it was downright terrifying. The wolf pups yelped in shock and froze before standing at attention, shivering in fear. Their tails were tucked between their legs, ears down and eyes full of anxiousness.
With his Aura and will keeping the pups in line he turned to Dawn and said, "So umm.. They're probably hungry. And then they'll want to play. I umm.. built them a little pond not far from here." He admitted, scratching his head. "Then in the afternoons they cuddle. Smallest to largest when they pile up, except you who has to be on the bottom, no matter what." He said with a hint of annoyance.
"Then its exercise time… umm.. yeah. I'm sure you can take it from here…" As Vincent turned to leave he couldn't help but sigh and say briefly over his shoulder, "They eat snacks at midday and midnight.. the runt is the orneriest.. she always acts like she's hungry even after she just ate but she's just testing you. So.. yeah. Bye." He darted off before he could change his mind.
Perhaps it was just as well that things had turned out the way they did.. He wasn't even sure he would have made a good father as a human.. The man was pathetically weak back on earth, not just in terms of physical capabilities but his emotional and mental maturity had grown by leaps and bounds through these years of constant struggles under the thumb of the system.
Before entering the Nexus his greatest ailments in life were conforming to society.Were people still around, that may have still been a problem even today. However, at least in this new world he now found himself he had the power and resources to live his life on his own terms and protect what was precious to him.
Finally at peace for the first time in days, Vincent sat alone in his quiet cave. His companion was out gathering materials now. Ever since the event nearly a year ago, Lupus had been evolving in small subtle ways. It went beyond simple stats. He had began to act more human and even less childlike as the days progressed. He had started to communicate a lot more, and not just with Vincent.
The man sat cross-legged in his favorite meditative position and placed his palms together, as if to pray. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration. "Kind of lonely now, when it's this quiet.." He muttered. He thought about his companion and how, looking back on it, he had originated as a small piece of Vincent's soul and a bit of energy. He couldn't help but to wonder.. was that the basis of all life?
A small piece of a soul to give shape to something.. A seed. And then a sufficient amount of energy for that seed to grow and evolve into its own significant existence.. If that were the case.. then what did that mean for people? What did that mean for monsters? In a classic case of chicken or the egg, the question became where did it all begin?
Was it possible that the religious nut jobs of the pre-system earth weren't far off? Perhaps everything started all at the behest of some higher power. Perhaps all it did was plant a seed and step away... Vincent had never been the religious type in the old world. He believed in.. something.. an invisible energy that connected each and every living and nonliving life form. He believed one could sense these energies to a degree, hence why there was empathy in humans.
Perhaps all of that was true to some extent, but perhaps it was also true that the energy needed for such a miraculous phenomenon originally came from a benevolent entity, billions of years in the past.. A combination of spirituality and science.
Vincent had met a God. Or rather a Goddess. He had definitive proof that they existed. So maybe it wasn't too far off to say a certain 'God' gave a small piece of his soul and energy with the intent of making life on earth, the evolution of which resulted in humans.
Vincent was certain that the Nexus itself may have encompassed the entire universe long before it had even come for his homeworld. It may have existed since the beginning of the universe and beyond. He wondered if this was what the system called the path to the truth and if so… He had a long way to go. He also figured there were just some things he would never know.
Vincent focused, digging deep within himself until he found the source of his powers, his Soulspace. It had taken him a long time but through blood, sweat and tears the man had become proficient enough to see, manipulate and even traverse his Soulspace. He called this Dreamwalking.
He glanced up absently as the energy above him that clung to the ceiling of the cave pulsed and warped, seemingly reacting to the mounting tension in the air.
Once he had learned about the truth and origins of Nectar from Vita a few months ago, it hadn't taken him very long to put two and two together. The stuff that had been ever present throughout his cave since day 1, was in fact that very same substance. Raw, unrefined fuel of the Nexus, in its most pure form.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
He sighed. What he had planned was probably going to suck really bad honestly. Assuming it didn't just kill him outright, or worse.
Gritting his teeth Vincent gripped his Soul with metaphysical hands manifested from his will. He grunted and hissed as Vincent forcefully ripped a small portion of his Soul away from the rest.
He winced and muffled a roar. As predicted it was an uncomfortably painful process, even for him. It reminded him distinctly of that time the system had basically tried to control-alt-delete his ass after creating System interference.
Warning!
All stats have been reduced by…
Warning!
Error…
Some skill levels have been reduced by…
"Mother fucker.. that sucked." Vincent sighed.
'Doubly so…' He thought with a swrat drop, looking at his reduced stats.
Thankfully, he didn't need much of his soul for what he was trying to accomplish. As was clearly evident, any piece of the Soulsapce lost permanently took with it an amount of proportional power and emotion/significance.
For example, if you lost 50 percent of your soul you could expect to lose at least 50% of your power and capacity to feel things. Of course, in cases that extreme, where such a massive amount of the soul was compromised, the average Soulspace would probably just collapse. That was apparently a fate worse than death.
Someone like Vincent would be especially vulnerable. His abnormally large and mutated Soulsapce housed dozens of skills working in unison to provide him with his functioning mind, body and soul.
If he suddenly lost half of everything he was, the other half would try and fill the remaining space but.. many of his skills and much of what makes him, him, would probably be irreparably damaged or outright destroyed. There was no telling what sort of effect that had on someone. It was a subject best avoided altogether, but for this one instance.. Vincent wanted to see just what exactly he was truly capable of.
He knew that if he wanted, he could take life easily, with a casual flick of his wrist. Especially with his new skills... But could he create something as well..?
Vincent focused as hard as he could on the tiny ball of swirling energies between his palms. It was a piercing, deep blue mixed with a sharp gold color. He was beginning to sweat as the small ball struggled and rebelled against his will. After a few intense minutes the energies reluctantly gave way to his domineering resolution and something 'clicked' into place, making the piece of Soul self-sustaining.
Vincent breathed out a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead.
Congratulations! Soul Seed created! Cultivate this soul seed by infusing it with your energy to guide its evolutionary path!
He smirked and began pushing tiny little fragments of all of his skills into the seed a little at a time. Focusing intently, he relied mainly on his Spirit fusion to imbue the seed with three specific new skills (and all of the repulsive, disgusting thoughts and feelings that comprised them) that he had inadvertently created from devouring the depraved…
Skill: Devour (Edax Animarum) The gluttonous ability of a depraved soul with unrivaled potential. As the user' devours thr souls of others, their own mutates and grows, but so too does their hunger. The denizens of the Nexus detest such grotesque behavior and will try to stop you along your path to the truth. Only true heretics tread this path of loneliness and pain. Due to the '???'...
Error.. Recalculating! Congratulations! Legendary rarity effects have been applied!
…(Legendary) rarity, speed and efficiency of the user's ability to devour energy is increased a massive amount per level. Grants the skill Absolute authority. (Passive skill)
Skill: Progenitor of the Sectum Anima (Mythical) A unique surgical skill created by one who readily controls the inner workings of the Soul. Severs the Soulsapce of the user's victim. Level of effectiveness is determined by the strength of the user vs the victim. As the progenitor of the Sectum Anima meaning; Sever Soul, your ability is automatically maxed. Takes a considerable toll on the user. (Active skill)
Skill: Absolute Authority (Mythical) A uniquely powerful paralysis skill even among the depraved. Created to spite the system by the one who would devour even the Gods. User directly attacks the soul of their targets with the totality of their existence, paralyzing their victims and forcefully taking control of their Soulspace. Due to the 'Mythical' rarity gain an astronomical bonus to Range and strength of paralysis per skill level. All stats grant a considerable boost to this skill. (Active ability)
Vincent frowned. He really didn't like the thought of being labeled as a depraved or a heretic after all the times he had spent studying their handiwork. But in the end he knew that was what he had become. He had tested it soon after unlocking the skills and, as one might expect, absorbing another soul created feelings of intense agony and emotional turmoil. These abilities were dark, dangerous things that often consumed their users.
He figured the bit about devouring 'Gods' may have been because he occasionally tapped into the power of Silva Deus. He highly doubted he actually had any snowballs chance in hell of absorbing a divine deity before they smote his ass.
He shuddered. Even though he said he wouldn't use these powers needlessly, he realized that perhaps he had long past the point of being what one would consider a.. 'good person'.
The system.. and even the world before it, had made him cold and bitter. So if he was a bad guy he wouldn't be surprised. He didn't want to be but if that's what it took to protect himself from the pain of losing others... It's not like he wrnt out of his way to kill, but he didn't go out of his way to avoid it anymore either. If someone threatened him or his family there would be no hesitation.
Moralities aside, the abilities themselves made it seem that even though the system loathed the depraved as a whole, it couldn't help its nature in rewarding what it perceived as incredibly resilient effort and intention. To be pure of heart didn't necessarily mean being 'good' as long as your desire and intent were unwavering and true..
As he continued cultivating the Soul seed he focused carefully on equalizing spirit fusion, Edax Animarum, Progenitor of the Sectum Anima and Absolute Authority. All of his other skills combined only contributed roughly 20 percent of this new soul seed. Meanwhile the primary four made up the entire rest of the remaining 80%.
His Trinity armor, his Anguish of the father and his Mother's Embrace had all gathered massive amounts of experience and Nectar that they had no real way of using, due to being restricted by his own level. He had long since come to realize that even if his equipment and himself could gather Nectar and experience they wouldn't level as they were missing another piece of the puzzle that he hadn't quite figured out yet.
To that end he had been using his equipment more or less as massive batteries to fuel his skills and practice his ability to manipulate the Soulspace.
Whether by sheer luck or coincidence he also felt that since their levels were the same as his own, his efficiency grew faster. Besides it was just experience he granted during combat and killing enemies. He could always get more when he eventually did find out how to level up.
Experience was more or less raw Nectar gathered from slain souls, just like what he saw on the ceiling, only there was a noticeable difference. The Nectar derived from the Souls of others was spelled with red dots and veins, rather than the usual black. He had a strong feeling that was a key difference that he wasn't quite comprehending.
Even though he couldn't figure out how to make use of this new version of Nectar to level up, for someone who was so proficient in understanding and controlling energy, storing it and transferring it from his equipment into his new soul seed was child's play.
It was just as well he did this now, because his poor weapon and armors were beginning to feel extreme amounts of discomfort from being so over gorged on Nectar and skill XP.
"I'm sorry my friends. We don't have to hurt any more. We did great."
Congratulations! Astronomical Synchronization detected! As you learn to more efficiently harness all of your significance in tandem, your skills strengthen one another. Your efficiency has increased by 1 percent!
Warning!
Your soul seed is forcefully evolving! Forced trial activation!
Trial: Insatiable Abominable; Embodiment of Death and Rot, Initiated!
Vincent's eyes widened. "Forced trial!? What the hell? And at a time like this!?" His body seized as the world dissolved around him. His mind raced, heart beating a million times a minute. Trials were something he specifically avoided these days due to how inherently dangerous they were, and the fact that he was waiting for something very specific..
The system, it seemed, had other plans for him. As everything came back into view he was astonished by what he saw. It was as if he were floating throughout the cosmos, innumerable stars of various intensity and sizes were spread infinitely in all directions. Massive streams of energy and matter collided, flowing around him and even through him.
Suspended directly in front of him was.. well.. the Earth. He was watching it evolve and change in a series of five distinct stages. The very first Earth was covered in magma and charred dirt. The 'ocean' that covered roughly 60 percent of the surface at this time was one of pure lava. Vincent knew this was the earth in its infancy, bustling with potential and power.
The second stage was how he would have described the world on which he'd been born. It was luscious and full of life. A variable mix of green, blue and white with sprinkles of brown. This was the Earth at the epitome of its life bearing years. Healthy and strong. Humanity had come together and put aside their differences, and in the span of a hundred years Earth knew true peace. Of course, seventy three percent of the planet was water, but life was found in all manner of spaces…
The third stage was a barren, black/brown wasteland with a cracked surface and spurts of lava shooting upwards now and again. There was a greenish puke yellow atmosphere. Vincent's metaphysical body suppressed a shudder as he could nearly sense the toxicity of it from his position billions of miles away. How he was even able to perceive any of this, he wasn't sure. Probably because it was a trial. This was clearly the earth at the tail end of its life cycle. The beginning of the end.
The fourth stage started out as a slow and silent explosion that seemed to take a painstakingly long time. There was a kaleidoscope of colors followed by a ring of force with an incalculable amount of energy behind it. Simply witnessing the spectacle nearly tore Vincent's psyche to pieces.
When the worst of the explosion had subsided, and the largest chunks of debris had drifted away, it left behind a gray rock a hundredth of the earth's original size. All around the hunk of dead rock was a mist which was presumably composed of atomized particles of mass. The earth in this stage was a dead shell, surrounded by its carcass. From what he could observe the relatively smaller and now dead earth was beginning to flake and crumble, joining the sparkling dust drifting through the cosmos. It looked like it was becoming ash.
The fifth stage was a trillion dead planet's worth of ash just like the earth, conjoing and accumulating into a mass of swirling energy. The end of the universe was just a new beginning... The big bang. As the dust/ash of more and more stars began to merge with the congregating mass, an indescribable explosion rocked the universe, and Vincent to the core. He screamed in unison with universe as if he was the universe.
It was unsettling witnessing the incomprehensible forces at play before him.
And then the cycle began again.
He watched and studied again and again, witnessing the flows of energies in each of the different stages and how they fit together in the greater whole. It occurred to him that, just as he had theorized, the planet was truly alive. He wasn't sure whether it was conscious or not, but it held a soul.
All of its mannerisms and organisms and cycles and behaviors were remarkably similar to humans. In the same way that when humans get sick and their bodies react, so too did the Earth as it caused an ice age or a flood. It was all in an attempt to maintain homeostasis. To follow the primary instinct of survival.
In the beginning.. Vincent saw life and prosperity. The vital energies grew to a singularity point. Then.. death and rot would take hold, feasting on the life that had flourished and grown for so long. Next there would be fire, a combustion, using all of that vital energy and rot as a fuel source which created a powerful flame beyond compare. All of creation turned to ash.. But that wasn't truly the end, was it?
That ash would act as fertilizer, giving birth to a new even more potent cycle in the form of a big bang as this energy too reached a tipping point. An endless loop that continually grew stronger with each successful completion…
"Humans always wondered where it started.." Vincent murmured. It became clearz at least to him, that they existed in a small part of an infinite loop. "But the truth is.. it's a bootstrap paradox.. it's entirely possible there is no beginning or end. Because they are one."
Vincent's eyes widened. It suddenly dawned on him that the trial was resonating in some way with his Soulspace. What was happening with the Earth was being mirrored within himself because of his spectacular array of abilities and how they worked together to simulate the cycle. His Soulspace was going through the constant process of self improvement.
His massive vitality and all of his abilities gathered life within him. All around him vibrant green energy exploded, Silva Deus activated on a metaphysical level, amplifying three effects. Tons of vines and plant matter burst to life rapidly around him.
But then toxicity and poison began to spread through the Vines and flowers, mutating and twisting them into disgusting misshapen blobs of decaying rot. The plant life festered and burst into clouds of toxin before slowly dispersing, turning everything around it to a pile of bone and death. Just as the death and stench of decay started to become suffocating, a spark ignited, turning all of the disgusting rot that was once life into ash in a blazing inferno.
The flames within him burned, more intensely than any he had ever produced before. The fires of his soul raged for hours upon hours. When they were done the ash lay still in its wake for several minutes, gathering vitality before Vines even thicker than before exploded from the ash. He watched as the Soulseed he produced slowly began to take shape into a rather large, mostly humanoid creature.
It had a body much like a minotaur; furry from its chest down, and ridiculously tall and muscular. His upper torso, forearms and upper legs had golden armor with blue engravings that translated roughly into Death and Rot. Its head looked alot like the Egyptian Pharaohs of old. His face was smooth and metallic like, with cloudy white eyes and bluish skin. He exuded power and violence.
Congratulations! New soul-bound companion has been created!
Companion has half of all its progenitors stats and all skills/skill levels.
+
Companions level and evolve separate from creator
Suddenly Lupus appeared within the confines of the trial. The being looked confusedly at its master who returned the confused look in kind. "Vincent.. What is this?" It questioned. The man merely shrugged. "The birth of my newest soul companion I guess. Not sure why you got drug into this though. Time is supposed to eb frozen out there…"
Lupus for his part merely nodded before it studied its newborn brother. Eventually he shuddered. "I must be honest. I do not like what I sense from this being." Vincent for his part merely chuckled in understanding.
He had to admit he felt the same inherently wrong vibes from the ominous creature that Lupus surely did. "You're made from all of my most positive qualities and emotions. The vibrant and tranquil life energy within me. He is your polar opposite. He is my death, misery and rot. I should expect some friction."
It was becoming more and more apparent as Lupus's level grew and he continued to evolve that he embodied all of Vincent's amazing vitalities and positive emotions which explained why his stats grew so fast and he was always in some stupidly happy mood. Vincent's vitality was easily his strongest attribute.
This new being before him however came from the deepest darkest depths of his soul. It hungered for death and power. He could sense that between Lupus, himself and now this new being which he identified as the Insatiable Abomination, the cycle of Life, Rot and Ash was made whole. Furthermore, Vincent's armor and equipment were a trinity as well as he and his companions.
There was significance in this as their souls bonded and strengthen one another even further. Just like with his equipment he was none of them and all of them at the same time…
Lupus was the life-force that provided vital energies. The insatiable Abomination devoured that life adding death and rot affinities. And finally Vincent was the flame that would consume all of the provided energies to fuel the combustion of his powers. The Ash left behind from hid enemies would be the fertilizer from which he would grow even further.
Congratulations! Synchronization achieved! A shift is occurring within your innermost self. Your Soulsapce has begun to evolve and mutate! Synergy detected!
Overflowing synergy detected!
New skills created! New Feat acquired! New perk received! New…
Skill: Incinerate (Mythical) Everything in creation turns to ash. Burn for me. Incinerate! Due to the 'Mythical' rarity user gains a peerless bonus to mastery over the element of flame per level. (Active ability)
Skill: Festering Scarlet Rot (Mythical) Any wound you inflect is automatically infected with scsrlet rot, causing continuous decay damage until the user cancels their attack or opponents succumb to death. Due to the 'Mythical' rarity gain a peerless bonus to the potency of the user's acid and poison based attacks per level. (Passive ability)
Skill: Ameliorate Wound (Mythical) Your cells explode with vitality. None save the most powerful in the Nexus can snuff out your existence. Due to the 'Mythical' rarity gain a peerless bonus in passive regenerations and a massive bonus in your ability(ies) to focus healing per skill level. (Passive ability)
Somewhere deep within the Nexus, the anointed prince stirs…
New feat: Never Ending Cycle of Life, Rot and Ash!
Your Soulspace has forged connections within the Nexus that mimic the very premises of life and death itself. Your soul continually accumulates more significance over time increasing the potency of your Aura. Gather power far faster in areas saturated with Nectar or elements. Grants the perk Soulspace cycle.
Unique Perk: Soulspace cycle Lvl 1. grants a Soul Skill; Soulspace Cycle (Unique) grows stronger with each full cycle completion. Unique perk. SoulSkill Current bonus + 10 all stats.
Vincent grunted and sputtered as he was forcefully ejected from the trial and slammed against the floor of the cave. "That Was… unpleasant." He gasped, holding his ribs.
He sat up and rubbed his head. Just before the end of the trial he had caught a glimpse of the rapidly changing earth. He couldn't help but notice that at the end it was flickering through the stages of the cycle so fast they were an indistinguishable blurry ring. It looked kind of like a singularity stream of energy.
He thought about how Lupus had discovered that moving energies faster increased their potency and he figured he could apply the same principles with his Soulspace cycle as well. But for now that could all wait.
Looking at his two companions, Lupus and the Insatiable abomination he narrowed his eyes as he studied them. The two of them could not have been more different.
Lupus's abilities were primarily derived from his physical capabilities and vital energies. His raw stats and skill levels were nearly double Vincent's own. He was an incredible healer both for himself and allies and his efficiency rose even faster than Vincent's. To put it bluntly, his companion was just a bit stronger than he was, at least physically.
Lupus's strength and skills were currently somewhere between a level 40-50. His evolution through harvested Nectar contributed a lot to his current mental maturity as well. Vincent was sure he would have to start from scratch with his new companion but it seemed his worries were unwarranted as his new soulseed averaged its level out based on Vincent and his plant comanion's current capabilities.
He could tell just by reading the flows of the things energies that while Lupus relied on high stats and energy levels, this thing relied on an incredibly powerful combination of paralysis, toxin and soul devouring skills. He also got the distinct impression that while Lupus's physical capabilities may be superior, this thing's mental capabilities, its techniques and its skills would keep them relatively on par with each other.
The best part about Edax Animarum and Progenitor of the Sectum Anima was that he could use them at long range, but they left him extremely vulnerable. Effectively that meant that if they hunted as a group Lupus could be the tank, Vincent the tactical leader and the Abomination the support/sabotage. Vincent idly wondered what would happen if the Abomination managed to absorb an entire level 100 monster. What percentage of the thing's stats would it receive?
The one time Vincent had used the ability he had barely gotten anything at all for his trouble, he had managed to absorb a level 50 mythical creature that was probably equally as strong as the Fang had been. It was heavily wounded and therefore unable to resist the combination of his paralysis and Sectum Anima as he adjusted to his new skills. Severing the soul wasn't necessary to absorb it but it certainly made things easier and he needed to know how it worked. It did cost quite a chunk of his own health though.
He remembered the pain was ridiculous. He was forced to leave the thing alive for the full effects of devour and he had still barely gotten 5 to each stat. But he supposed his soul seed, a creature that was made partially on the basis of the ability, might not have as rough of a time with it.
In the end he would let his companions grow in their ways and he would stick to what he was good at; improving the overall quality of his Soulspace. Here lately it seemed as if his Soulspace had been taking a very distinctive shape..
"It's almost time." He decided.
With all of their abilities and souls amplifying one another he was sure his power would grow faster than ever now. Each of his companions summoned their versions of their soul bound equipment and the three of them began to train their asses off to get a feel for the dynamic of their teamwork.
End of chapter 36.