"So if I'm understanding you correctly this creature has a portion of your soul as well as its own soul. Not only that but you somehow developed within you a Network consisting of these bonds with the souls of others, that strengthens and categorizes all of you? Can you see these connections?" Zar-Rhah questioned as he studied Vincent's companion closely.
Vincent nodded slowly. "Kind of. And not at all at first. I could only feel them. But the stronger our bonds become and the higher my skill gets the more detail I can discern. Its like.. golden tubes of flaming energy and electricity stretching between us. Or at least most of them are. Each one is slightly different based on the personality of the recipient.
Anyways, a portion of my power flows through them and in return a portion of theirs flows to me. As the energies cycle and mix they become denser and more refined. We all strengthen one another. Hell.." He said pointing over to his companion. "..It's getting to the point where I can even feel his connections with his equipment. I'm sure he feels the souls of mine as well." He explained. "Your teachings on how to properly observe and study the Soulspace have helped me come a long way, master."
He took a moment to drink something from a cup beside him, with his companion cautiously mirroring his master. The plant thing went wild at its first taste of liquor and began chugging the contents of the jug… Vincent shook his head and mumbled something unintelligible before turning back to Zar-Rhah.
"Currently, there's no way for me to know for sure but I'm almost certain all these connections lead directly to my Soulspace and to theirs.."
Zar-Rhah scratched his chin, "Peculiar indeed. And you say he couldn't leave the cave until after the meteorite incident eh?" The mystics arts master asked. Vincent merely nodded in response earning a chuckle from Zar-Rhah.
"Well as I said 'events' are the most extremely rare occurrence in all of the Nexus so not much is known but.. essentially an open invite goes out to all parties within the affected radius of such an event. Typically multitudes of factions will show up to compete for part or all of the rewards depending on the size and nature of the event. This one seemed as if it was meant to be particularly big, which.. I suspect it was."
"What was the reward anyways?" He inquired. Vincent scratched his head. "A useless fucking rock." He sighed.
Zar-Rhah eyed Vincent suspiciously for a moment. "Hmm. The first event in Garkan in a century. The entirety of the country was referenced.." the old man drawled slowly while frowning and, stroking his grayed chin stubble.
"Yet only you and your companions received the notification. Perhaps your system interference commandeered the event in a way such that the invitation was received solely by you and this Network of Souls. The system recognizes your bonds as living beings with their own significance and therefore extends that invitation to them." The old man sighed and caught his breath.
Vincent scratched his head. His master usually never talked this much. He must have been particularly lonely today. "I already figured that's why nobody else knew about the event. The system practically called me out by referencing system interference.. it's as if it was made specifically for me. That still doesn't explain why Lupus could suddenly leave the cave. He's always assisted me indirectly before." The man pressed.
Zar-Rhah slowly nodded while drinking his ale. Burping and wiping his lips, he shrugged. "I suspect the original enchantment that gave life to your companion also bound it to the place of its origin. Which.. you've explained was the garden found in that mystical cave.. However, receiving the invitation from the system, it may have allowed your companion to choose its own destiny and break free of those predetermined restraints. Like accepting a quest." He looked over at the goofy beast and shook his head.
Vincent stared dumbfounded. "How is this possible?.." He asked. "Lupus is basically being recognized as a player in the system now?"
"No clue." The Warlock answered with a careless shrug. "It may not be. This is all just speculation. An educated guess at best. No one save the system itself ever really knows for sure how anything in the world works the way it does." He said with a dry chuckle. Then he narrowed his single visible eye and continued.
"Be weary.. while it may strengthen you through your connections there's often a possibility of.. vulnerabilities accumulating with any and every bond forged. Based on how open the pathways and flows of energy brtween you are.. if your companions' wills were to ever become more domineering than your own, they may very well seize control of the Network of souls." He said seriously.
He looked over at Lupus who had stopped ambling around and began focusing intently on the two's conversation. "Based on the fact that his level can unofficially grow and yours cannot.." Zar-Rhah continued, "It would not be unlikely for him to develop a self-centered ambition of his own someday."
Vincent shrugged. "I'm honestly not too worried about that. I can feel his intentions and he, mine. We're like brothers honestly. I care a lot for the little guy. He was my first real company in this place. Kind of pathetic but still.. plus just as much as he's a part of me he's also his own person. I don't want to control him. I want to watch him grow." He finished with a contented smile. The creature in question seemed positively beaming at the affectionate praise from its master.
Zar-Rhah nodded. "Bah. It makes no difference to me. I am not here to try and persuade nor dissuade you from following your chosen path. Merely offer you the knowledge to walk it. Now that your companion is here and since it seems the two of you share skill experience, perhaps we will begin to make some headway in your pathetic ability of engraving." The aged Orc barked out, laughing.
Vincent frowned but said nothing as he could hardly argue with the accuracy of the statement regardless of how infuriating that ineptitude made him feel. He allowed the swordmaster to continue his line of verbal thought.l borderlining on abuse.
The old master tapped his cane several times. "I've been struggling to come up with the most suitable foundation for your runes due to the fact that someone as weak as you can somehow manipulate all of the elements and energies of the nexus naturally on your own. That is often the most practical use for runes for novices like yourself, you see. Filling in the gaps that your skills can not. But for you, one who has full control over all affinities and energy as well as those of your companions.. I think perhaps something a little more broad and unorthodox is in order." The Orc explained mysteriously.
He made his way across the cave, gathering various scrolls and tools as he did so. Once he had made it all the way back around, he spread out a multitude of the equipment before the sweat dropping Vincent. "I'm guessing you can't just do the engravings for me? I have to learn them? And then what, apply them to my armor and body?" Vincent inquired with agitation. He really needed a nap.
Zar-Rhah chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eye causing Vincent to swallow nervously. On second thought.. Maybe he really didn't need to know so soon, what the next part of his training would entail…
Unfortunately, the old Orc was already explaining the process before Vincent could protest or ask for a recess. "You're right about the first part, the runes will be much more compatible and potent if you create them yourselves. You see each and every action we perform builds both positive and negative Karma.. Significance If you will." He continued with a leisurely smile.
This of course caught Vincent's full attention as he had very limited knowledge about significance. Although he knew it existed, and that it more or less coincided with one's intentions, he didn't actually know what effects it had or how to actively measure it. In a way it was a measure of one's emotions and therefore, was unquantifiable.
Zar-Rhah snorted, breaking him from his musinga. "Doing things the easy way or having others doing things for you means you won't get as much from your efforts. It can even cause an irrevocable debt to the system if enough bad karma accumulates. Imagine you finally reach a level cap on your most powerful skill and the system no longer sees fir to help you evolve it. That could be because of your Karma threshold.." He quickly explained.
Seeing as how he had Vincent's full attention he continued unabated. "Struggling and learning to do things on your own or otherwise being honorable and pure in intent, gives meaning to what you do. Meaning builds good Karma which can influence an individual's luck and even the rate of their growth. There is no way to truly measure Karma but some learn to harness its power and are then able to influence their own fates ever so slightly."
Vincent nodded. Taking in everything the man was saying before his curiosity eventually got the better of him. "Karma is built off of intentions and emotion, and every action we perform. So work hard and don't be a dick. Got it. So what about the second part? Where do the engraving go once I've mastered them? And how will Karma play a role in all this?"
At this the old man's wicked smile returned. "You're going to draw the engravings… Directly on your Soulspace." He drawled. A mischievous glint entered his visible eye. "Normally this would not be possible on such a massive scale, with so many various pieces, but you… I theorize you may be able to keep all of the parts bound tightly within you, using your Network of souls as the chains that bind." He finished, shocking Vincent.
"Engrave on my soul and use the souls of my companions as a sort of substructure?" He asked, astonished. "Sounds extremely taxing on my Soulspace and Nectar reserves."
Zar-Rhah merely nodded, "Yes. That is why it is dangerous. I dare say no other creature could survive such a radical surgery on the Soul. However, due to your constant struggling and building positive Karma, the system has allowed you to create one of the most robust and powerful essences I have ever seen. You produce unprecedented excess Nectar, partially due to your skills but also because of your soul bonds.."
The aged Orc mumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Think of your Soulspace as like.. the core of a tree. Then think of your connections, the 'souls' within you, as a root which feeds into that tree. That is the true benefit of your Network of souls. You have done well growing your tree on your own.. But your progress has slowed significantly since your early days, here in the system." He said, narrowing his eye.
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"Alas, trees are not sturdy because of how big and strong they become on their own.. But because of how deep their roots grow. How strong their connections to the rest of the world are." He finished explaining with a smug smile. "Someday you may be the center of the system. The tree that sips from every and all realms." He said with a satisfied sigh. Vincent looked to be in deep thought as he gazed off into the space beside Zar-Rhah.
The old Orc threw his head back and cackled madly, catching the blue eyed man's attention. "Of course! This is all just theoretical! I would never attempt this on myself or anyone else in a million years! Which is the other reason you must be the one to do the engravings. You're going to be a guinea pig." Zar-Rhah snorted, causing Vincent to pale and simultaneously frown in concern.
The grayed Orc chuckled and fixed Vincent with a serious look. "You've said you can't fully see your Soulspace yet, or truly comprehend your Network of souls… We shall have to remedy that." Clicking his tongue, he hobbled rapidly away while gesturing for Vincent And his companion to follow.
For the next few hours Vincent and his companion sat in the Complete tranquility state studying under the strict tutelage of his master Zar-Rhah. Aside from learning how to interact with his Soulspace there were two integral runes in the script of engraving which they needed to master.
One of them translated roughly into 'adaptation' in the old tongues and the other one meant something close to 'molecular synthesis.' Aside from that there were roughly one hundred minor engravings that would bind everything together and boost his efficiency, according to Zar-Rhah.
After mastering the engravings he would have to use the connections from his Network to chain them to his soul and keep everything stable. His own soul alone would not be enough for this task, despite how large and sturdy it had gotten.
Honestly, Vincent wasn't too concerned about the Nectar cost or his Soulspace being able to handle the added pressure of nearly 100 skills worth of engravings.. What truly worried him the most was that based on how long it had taken him to learn the most basic of engravings…
Even if there were two of them doing the work, a hundred minor engravings and two relatively difficult ones didn't sound like a good time at all. It sounded downright unfeasible, if not inpossible.
Luckily all of the symbols were written out before him so he could reference them as many times as needed until he achieved his desired effect otherwise he probably would have said screw all this.
He instructed his companion to try and decipher half of the minor symbols while he took the other half. He figured if he managed to conquer all 100 of the lesser runes then a couple of mid-high tier ones should be a cinch.
Unfortunately, he was sure his current engraving skill intermediate engraving (Epic) was freshly level 20 so he had a long way to go for even the possibility of a trial to assist him.
Pushing all negative thoughts aside to achieve maximum efficiency, he tore into the information before him with reckless abandon. Vincent pushed his Diverging perception to the absolute limit, his companion doing much the same. The swordmaster had told him there was no deadline for this training, but Vincent knew what was meant underneath the surface..
Zar-Rhah was willing to teach Vincent as much as the man from earth was willing to learn. The faster he completed any training lesson the sooner they would move on to the next. That being said, his time was not truly infinite either, as the whole point in all of this was for him to become capable enough of holding his own in a fight for the crown in less than four years time.
Vincent laughed as he worked. Not for a second did he think he would be anywhere close to that level in that short amount of time but as long as he could survive, he was sure he would gain invaluable experience and maybe get a few new rarity skills for his troubles.
He frowned as he thought about the rarity of skills for the first time in a while. Taking a break from his studies, he quickly brought up the lists of the ones he had discovered so far, with the most recent being from his singularity.
Uncommon
Common
Rare
Epic
Legendary
Mythical
Divine
???
???
???
There were still three more rarities left to uncover. That in itself made him pause. He had skipped an entire rank, with his most powerful non-unique skill going from Legendary to Divine.
The gap in power between any of his previous abilities to his singularity was laughable. It was probably powerful enough to one shot the Fang he had beaten before. But even though the ability was unparalleled in its destructive capabilities, it also demanded a heavy toll.
He could only imagine the kind of price one would have to pay for activating a skill with the absolute highest rarity. Bearing in mind that activating a skill requires emotional and physical effort, he imagined many would never even possess the stats or aptitude necessary to survive using one of the top tier attacks within the Nexus.
As he got back to work studying the varies runes that would formulate his ultimate script, it vaguely occurred to him that the master could very well be playing some sort of devious trick on him so as to take control of him or something. However, he quickly dismissed the thought knowing full well the man was capable of subduing Vincent easily even without such subterfuge.
Vincent may have been fooling himself when he thought he was a pretty good judge of character but the flows of energy he sensed from Zar-Rhah lead him to believe the man was good and honorable. The various tomes he read through said a lot of words multiple times in different ways. Things like bind, capture, tame, copy ect. He supposed he was a bit paranoid because of some past.. issues he had never truly learned to cope with properly.
As his emotions rose and he found himself stuck in his own past, Vincent realized with an epiphany that when it came to engravings.. perhaps this was one of those times to let his emotions and instincts take control. Sure he would have to refine his technique and finesse at a later date, but what he needed right now were raw skill levels.
Engravings were just a way for ordinary people who didn't have Vincent's rule bending abilities to make the most of the system. To give meaning and action to their desires. There was no reason it should be any different for him, just on a much more broad scale. What did he desire?
Vincent's eyes slammed shut as tears stung the edge of his vision. He thought about his parents, and the cheap replicas doing their best to support and empathize his emotions which in turn just made him feel worse and more lonely, of course. He thought about his best friend Jacob and wondered if he had made it through the earth's inauguration into the Nexus. He wished he could see someone.. anyone from his past. Hell he would even settle for seeing his ex girlfriend right now.
He forgot what it was like to be held by another human. Not necessarily in a sexual or even intimate way but just to be touched in any way that wasn't hostile or dubious in nature. Humans.. even the most antic social, were heard animals. The psychotic effects of prolonged isolation from touch and kinship had severe effects that were only marginally mitigated by the creature's he'd come to call family.
It still had a severe personality altering effect being away from his own people for such a prolonged period of time. He was completely losing all that he ever was and ever had to this damned system. His love, anger, pain, joy.. it had all been consumed by the need to survive and get stronger in his early days here in the system… But now he had so much time on his hands.. So many emotions pouring out..
Suddenly his eyes snapped open with the realization of something that was right in front of him all along.
Engravings were words and words had power because they held meaning. Words were emotions and emotions powered skills and created greater significance in one's actions. Engravings were just emotions given shape.
It seemed simple on the surface but it was far more complex than just skills and engravings being used for the same thing. If one wanted to maximize the effects of engravings and skills they needed to combine the same type of engravings that came from a particular emotion with the skills that activated from those same exact emotions…
An engraving born of love would strengthen and amplify a skill like his bleeding heart, which was also made of bitter love..
Congratulations! Warning.. error.. anomaly detected.
Significant amounts of synergistic energy detected. Overwhelming effects detected.
Recalculating..
Congratulations! Your skill: intermediate engravings (Epic) lvl 21 has successfully evolved into Linguae Architéktōn (Mythical) Skill level has been reset!
Linguae Architéktōn (Mythical) Words and their significance hold immense power. Along your path to the truth you begin to grasp the inner structure and shape of the Nexus. Using an infinite number of tongues, the system presents tools for which to grow ever more powerful on your journey. As the Architect of languages you've made it your sworn responsibility to understand every language contained within the Nexus and go beyond… (Passive ability)
"Ha! Trial, shmile. I can do this shit myself." Vincent laughed. He wiped his eyes and sniffed. In a way it sometimes seemed as if.. the ones he loved were still there. The remnants of their ghosts whispered in his mind. "Thank you all.." He mumbled.
Instantly it was as if all of the information before him became much more simple in terms of how it all worked and fit together. Now it was just a matter of studying each symbol until he could memorize the unique shape and nature of the energies within.
He was sure once he had become a master of the art he could start experimenting to find new and more efficient ways to do things but for now he would use the system provided tool in the manner it was intended. Honestly the system had been extremely generous with the evolution of his engraving skill thus far and he didn't want to ruin that goodwill by tampering with the skill just yet. It was enough that he had gotten a free, evolved rarity level.
He quickly gained two then three levels of proficiency. With each one he saw many different and more efficient ways to piece together the various different runes into a script. He was approaching level 7 when progress began to stall out a bit. But just with those 7 levels he could tell this new ability which translated almost literally into languages of the architect, was incomparably more efficient than his skill before.
It didn't seem to cost anything other than precious time, and he had plenty of that…
Over the course of several days he managed to more or less master five of the minor runes, which he suspected might have taken him several months before. It was extremely tedious but with the help of his companion and his new ability which had climbed its way to 11, he felt much more confident than before. For the first time since the task was set before him, his goal of mastering the script his master had presented him, within a couple years felt accomplishable.
He wiped his forehead and decided to take a break. His companion bounded over and gave him a high-five, causing the man to chuckle and smirk. He looked at his arms and flexed. "Hmm. I've been slacking on my physical training. But there will be time for that later. In the meantime while I rest my mind, some food will help my body retain it's strength." With that in mind he quickly made his way back to his master's cave to prepare a meal.
A few minutes later…
"This procedure never ceases to amaze me…" Zar-Rhah slowly mumbled while rubbing his chin. Currently he was standing uncomfortably close to Vincent and studying the man's every move, as he proceeded to cook their meal for nearly an hour. It mostly consisted of some high grade monster meat and fruits/vegetables from the jungle.
But of course, Vincent also splurged a little in the system shop for spices and such. Sometimes living in a world ran by an all-powerful system where literally anything was possible had its benefits. He also used materials from the shop and his skills to produce a large, flat metal cooking table.
He quickly went to work chopping up and seasoning the meat before throwing it on the makeshift grill which he then heated to the perfect temperature with his Thermal manipulation and Cinder of flame abilities.
Immediately the air was filled with mouthwatering flavors. Vincent made small circles with his arms, waving the air towards his face and taking in a deep breath. His brain, more powerful now than any pre-system supercomputer, analyzed the chemical reactions with uncanny senses. "Mmm. Smells deeeelicious!" He hummed. While the meat cooked he glided several feet over to another table where he set to work on cutting and mixing the fruits and veggies.
The man moved with an unnatural fluidity and grace due to his stats and skills. A single step moved him a dozen feet in any direction, as if gravity had no pull on him. Each and every movement was precise and measured. Even now, Vincent was training himself in a way, as cooking exercised many abilities as well as his control and dexterity..
Once the fruits and vegetables were chopped and mixed as needed, he placed them in a massive pot that seemed to be made out of glass or some type of crystal. He poured a sauce of his own creation over the top, which had a sweet and savory glaze. It largely resembled honey but tasted unlike anything found on earth. He put the pot over an open fire and waited for its contents to come to a full boil before adding the meat and stirring it all together.
Off to his left Zar-Rhah hmphed. "It seems tedious and unnecessarily time consuming, all this extravagant movement and dressing up. It would take but five minutes to roast a beast alive with my fireball skill." He suggested grumpily while crossing his arms. Vincent rolled his eyes and waited for the inevitable but that he knew was coming. This was more or less how his master complimented him anymore.
"... But I cannot argue with the results. Come find me once you have finished your work. I shall take your plant clone out into the lake side for some practical training." The aged Orc quipped predictably. "Aye, aye, captain." Vincent said with a mocking nod and a sarcastic wave of his arm. Of course, Zar-Rhah being an Orc and having practically no social skills, didn't understand sarcasm.
Taking Vincent's words at face value, a self-satisfied smirk appeared across the man's features. When he hobbled off out of the cave there was a noticeable swagger in his limp. Vincent watched the man leave with a sweat drop before shaking his head. "Jesus fucking christ.. Give me strength." He muttered before returning to his work. He let out a long slow sigh as he tried to relax once more.
Grabbing a spatula in both hands, he donned a chef's hat. A look of determination filled his face. Now this… This was work he could enjoy. "Alright, now for the hardest part! My body is ready for the challenge!"
Because of course, a family dinner was never complete without dessert.
End of chapter 31