You must understand that most Echoes won't even have enough power for me to gain Attributes with Ghastly Banquet, correct?

“Yeah, so? It's not like I'd get anything out of them anyways. This way, if we find something that's strong, we'll get something out of it. Plus, what about when this Skill gets to a super high level?” I explained my thought process.

I believe I already mentioned that Skills only go to level ten, and even that will take a lot of effort.

“Nice argument. Unfortunately–” I mentally selected Ghastly Banquet.

Instantly, I felt all of my Echoes, including Karl, change.

An image of the aforementioned dragon popped into my eyes, his mouth replaced with long, sharp fangs.

Agh, that was strange.

I popped my point into Mana and started digging. “So, about changing our deal? I’m thinking it’s you and me, forever. Makes it a lot less awkward. You’re sometimes a bit more hostile than I’d like, but you’re a known entity and intelligent enough to actually negotiate with. All the monster Echoes that I’ve peeked at so far have been insane.”

…True.

“So, do we have a deal?”

We do.

“Good. Now let’s finish with these bodies and then go eat some Spicy Chips.”

We both were contemplatively silent for the rest of the night. At least, until I started snacking. Then Karl was hungrily silent.

----------------------------------------

The next morning, I got up a bit early, rising with the sun.

“Four percent today. That’s two more goblins,” I joked.

And no more Attributes. For either of us.

“True, we’re going to start having to look for larger prey.” I took a quick, cold shower before donning a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “Though, to be honest, goblins probably weren’t that scary for us since the second I slotted you into Eidolon’s Embrace. We haven’t even gotten hit to make use of Shielding Clutch.”

I am a dragon, Karl stated as though it were a clear and obvious answer to my comment. Still, saying something like that out loud invites misfortune.

“Oh well.” I strapped on my katars and deagle, using a holster that the gun shop owner– whose name I probably should have gotten– had put in the ammo bag for the latter.

I loaded it, but made sure the safety was on before slipping it on over my leg.

While I made myself breakfast– eggs and toast– I questioned in a low tone, “Alright, Karl, where are we headed today? My schedule is wide open.”

It appears that most prey are drawn to the suburbs.

“True, and those are the ones that need to be killed the most.”

In agreement, I finished up my meal and headed out.

My aunt’s home was near the suburbs but not technically a part of it, and she had a lot more yard space because of it. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to bury so many bodies without worrying about the neighbors.

We started driving around aimlessly, on the lookout for things to kill. Karl assured me that monsters would be drawn to the sounds of the car, but I drove carefully and kept an eye out anyways.

It was a good thing I did, too, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed the light pouring out of an open door.

“I'm gonna check on this. Could be nothing, but I might need you for this.”

Prepared to rend flesh and snap bone.

“Gotcha.”

I crept careful through the open door, listening carefully for any disturbances. I shouldn't have bothered, though, since the sound of shattering glass, followed by a child's muffled scream, felt deafening in the otherwise silent environment.

I rushed towards the sounds, stomped up a set of stairs, and was met with a bloodbath.

Karl instantly possessed me and began combat as my brain failed to grasp the scene.

It was goblins, as it always seemed to be. With my hugely inflated stats, they weren't a problem for me, even if there were eight of them now.

The same couldn't be said for the two children that had been left unattended.

If I'd been in control of my own body, I would have vomited.

The walls were painted in blood, and their bodies themselves were too desecrated to describe.

I did my best to purge my mind of the image and focus instead on the battle, where Karl was assaulting the goblins with even more sadistic rage than was normal for him.

So engulfed in the assault was he that a few of the goblins landed hits against my skin, which reflected off my Shielding Clutch skill but drained a significant chunk of my Mana.

My head pounding, I gave Karl a slight mental nudge to remind him that he should hurry it up.

It only took a few moments for the draconic Echo to shred the rest of the monsters to pieces, after which he stood over his bloody handiwork, panting not from exertion, but from fury.

Are you okay?

I heard my own voice speak in a scratchy, raw tone. “I informed you that dragons reincarnate, yes? The number of dragon souls in existence is a constant, but there is a way for dragons to face a true death. It is extremely rare, but should a dragon be reduced to a single point of Mana and die, their soul dissipates, and the universe coalesces another elsewhere in the form of an egg.

“Dragon eggs are highly sought after by all races, but especially by our own kind. The first dragon to come across an egg is the fated parent of it, and no dragon would ever dare contest that right. For this reason, few dragons ever receive the honor of parenthood, even the Ancients. But it does happen. And to kill a drakeling? That is an offense for which there is no worthy punishment other than utter planetary annihilation.”

With that, my body was returned to me.

“But these aren't drakelings?”

And I am not in a dragon's body. I am stored within your mind. My thoughts are influenced by your own perception.

I stared down at the goblins' bodies, refusing to turn around and look at the massacre behind me. I did, however, glance at the window.

“Can you use Ghastly Banquet on these? I want to see if you get anything out of it.”

Gladly.

I felt a wave of weakness pass over me, and a ghostly maw opened above the corpses, sucking purple energy from them before zipping back into me, returning the stats from Karl.

Ghastly Banquet (Lv. 3) → (Lv. 4)

+2 Mana

+1 Attribute Point (Human Versatility)

“It gives good experience, at least.”

I feel different, perhaps a slightly more metaphysically dense than before, but I see no alteration in my Attributes.

I checked my own status to see if things were the same on my end, dropping my extra point into Mana while I was at it.

Name: Kenny Bert

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Race: Human (Earth)

Role: Speaker for the Dead

Strength: 5 (+13)

Mana: 13 (+16)

Dexterity: 5 (+5)

Mana Recovery: 9 (+9)

Passives: Human Versatility, Echo Garden

Skills: Ghastly Banquet (Lv. 4), Shielding Clutch (Lv. 4)

Quests: Reintegration (4%)

“Yup, no unexpected changed to my stats yet. Any clue why that level came so fast?”

Skills will typically level faster as you make use of their new capabilities, akin to how they grew when you first obtained them.

I thought of that for a second. “Yeah, that checks out. Immortal Questions leveled straight away when I used it on you, and while I doubt that these guys were even remotely that potent, there were also a bunch of them.”

Of course using your Skill on me would cause it to level. I am a dragon.

“Of course. You are the great, the grand, the mighty,” I paused to let his self-satisfied excitement build, “Karl!”

His mood died instantly. I give up. Just throw those goblin corpses out the window.

I did as he asked, but commented as I was working, “Should we do something about… you know.” I tried not to ignore the overpowering scent of rot, from the goblins, and iron, from the human blood soaking the carpets and walls.

Karl thought for a moment. It wouldn't be right to deprive the family of the chance to mourn in their own way, but it would also be wrong to let this be the first thing the family saw of their children.

I grimaced. “I don't know if I can handle looking at them again, much less make them look presentable.”

Karl was quiet until I finished moving the goblins out the window.

Lend me control.

I almost questioned him, but let him take over.

He turned towards the slain children, and I immediately tried to shut my eyes. My body wasn't currently under my own control, but luckily it seemed that I shut off my senses while Karl did his work.

Time passed as though in a void, with only faint impressions of what was happening in the real world reaching me.

Then, suddenly, like a light had switched on, I was gripping my steering wheel.

I handled it. If the family returns home, they will find them sleeping peacefully in bed, with no clear signs of a skirmish at first glance.

I stayed silent for a moment. Even thinking of what had happened in that home caused my stomach to riot.

“Thank you, Karl.”

Don't mention it.

Looking to the sky, I found that a few hours had passed, speaking to Karl's meticulous efforts at making the disturbing scene presentable.

I shook my head in irritation. “Why is it always goblins?”

Spontaneous manifestation is rare outside of integration events, which may break the rules a bit, but normally monsters spawn according to a theme. Giant rats in basements, mimics in abandoned dungeons, kobolds near dragon lairs, and goblins in forests, especially near villages such as your own.

“So basically we're getting screwed over by the terrain.” I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. “Any chance we can just burn the forest down?”

That would solve the goblins problem, but would also force dozens if not hundreds of monsters out of the forest all at once. Then a different type of monster would be one dominant, likely something with an attunement to fire due to the large amounts of fire, ash, and smoke in the area.

“Ugh, nevermind.” I put my foot on the gas and started driving back home. “Let's go dump these bodies and see if we have time to go scavenger for food or something.”

More Spicy Triangles?

“Sure, buddy.”

----------------------------------------

“You know, I really think I'm getting better at this. That was a lot quicker than I was when I'd just started.” I admired my handiwork idly, looking out at my growing Echo Garden.

By now, the Mana Regen buffing effects spread into my front lawn, and it was noticeably tidier. The grass had even clipped itself, though I hadn't been able to see it happening for myself.

Of course you are, more of my stats are passed off to you every day. Just wait until you have to bury a giant, or something of my size. Karl chuckled in my mind and a self-deprecating smile spread across my face.

“I'm definitely not looking forward to that. For now, though, we should go see if there's anything at the grocery store. It's probably all been cleared out, but it's a good place to start. If there's nothing, we can always go to the food bank later.”

I felt Karl give the mental equivalent of a shrug. You're the one with mortal needs. As long as you grab some more capsaicin I'll be satisfied.

With that I grabbed a quick glass of water, internally appreciating that the power was still running and the water was still clean– allowing me to enjoy modern conveniences such as warm showers and microwaves food– and drove off in the direction of the nearest BarrierStand.

Both Karl and I kept a careful eye out for any disturbances in the streets. Luckily, nothing really popped out.

The streets were eerily quiet. I was aware that a lot of people probably stopped going to work, schools had shut down, and folks had probably skipped town to go find family, but it was still unsettling.

On the bright side, traffic was practically non-existent, and I arrived at my destination sooner than expected.

Cars were parked outside the grocery store haphazardly, most right at the front rather than in the parking lot. Being capable of self governance, I parked in the middle of the lot, where cars were sparse and I'd be able to quickly find my own ride.

As I approached, I realized that there were actually far fewer vehicles than I'd expected, and many were outright abandoned. I approached one of the ones that was properly parked had a passenger inside, and I quickly tapped on the window.

In response, I got a paranoid look, and the scruffy-looking man slowly reversed away from me, pulling into a different spot a few rows away.

What a weirdo, I mentioned to Karl.

His response didn't seem that strange to me, he replied.

I shrugged and kept moving towards the front door.

When I got to the automatic doors, though, they didn't open. Reading the instructions that every self-opening door seemed to have, I popped it open manually and stepped inside.

I was immediately faced with a wave of body odor.

Sprawled out inside the welcoming area of the store was a small camp city full of dirty and paranoid-looking people. One older man even gripped a rifle that was by his side when he saw me enter.

“If you're looking for food, you won't have much luck here,” a woman who would've gone in the Guinness World Record for the worst bedhead commented from across the room.

I frowned. “Then why are you here?”

The armed man spoke up. “Nowhere else to go, for some, and others are willing to take their chances in here with us rather than out there.”

“So, you lost your homes? To monsters, I assume?” If that was the case, then things were worse than I'd thought. “That still doesn't really explain why here, though. Of all the places to set up camp, this seems a bit odd. Why not further into the store? It would certainly be warmer.”

The woman from before laughed– almost cackled– at the suggestion. “In there? If we wanted to end things quick, then sure.”

That doesn't sound good, Karl noted.

Agreed.

“What do you mean?”

The old man slapped his thigh, drawing my attention to his leg. It was torn off at the knee and bandaged at the bottom half. I'd previously assumed it had been hidden in the suitcase he sat stop, but that had clearly been incorrect. “Big old green thing in there. Like those little ones that a lot of people lost their homes to, except bigger, lankier, and a whole heck of a lot dumber. Plus half the food in there's trying to eat you right back! I'd reccomend you turn around before you end up like me, kiddo. Maybe they've got those fancy witchy doctors now, but there ain't no something like this.”

Karl? A bit of help here?

My Eidolon provided the intel I was looking for. The big one is probably a troll. It could be a Goblin Lord, by there's almost no chance one of those would show up at this Mana Density, and they're very intelligent. The food is probably mimics, which I mentioned earlier. The name should make it obvious, but they're effectively chunks of living flesh with shapeshifting abilities. The ones inside are almost certainly very small, and of little threat to us.

Thanks, man. “Are you looking for someone to kill the… green thing? Couldn't it just open up the doors and massacre all of you?”

A few tired chuckles sounded from around me, but other gazes met me lifelessly.

“There's no killing something like that, boy,” the old man deadpanned bitterly, “Even a round straight through the head did nothin but put it down for a few moments. Best we can do is sneak in for supplies and hope we make it back whole. As for the doors, it's too stupid to figure out that it needs to pull, not push, and it was only able to put a few cracks in it before it got bored and went back to stuffing its face with everything in the store.”

Trolls have a strong natural physical regen, Karl helpfully informed, to eliminate one, you need to destroy its heart, where its Mana is stored. They're strong and tough, though, which makes actually getting to the heart a challenging endeavor.

“I can do it,” I claimed, folding my arms. “Just watch.”

I strode straight through the broken automatic doors, ignoring the old guy's muttered comments.

…That was foolish.

“What? We were just talking about looking for bigger prey, and here we are,” I whispered back. I could mentally project my voice to him, but talking out loud always felt more stable, like my thoughts were more real.

Yes, and it's likely that we'll be able to handle this, but you didn't know that.

“You're saying I should've asked you? You're probably right, my bad. I just got caught up in the moment.”

It is fine. We will make this work. Be quiet for now, and I'll guide you.

Sir yes sir, I shot back.

Just try not to make any sound, and stay away from the shelves. With luck, we'll be able to get the jump on the troll. They're not very smart, so there's some room for error, but if you get caught by one of the mimics it'll almost certainly come running. Don't screw this up.

I bent slightly to reduce my profile and carefully stepped forwards, watching my feet to make sure I didn't create too much sound as I walked.

How am I meant to find it? I didn't exactly have much in the way of tracking experience.

You don't have much trouble. Trolls are tall, loud, and more pungent than a goblin’s unspeakables. When you're near it, you'll know.

Taking his word for it, I slowly crept my way through the labyrinth of shelves, eyeing each and every cereal box and soap bottle, just waiting for something to jump out at me.