First I turn the pool into a big TV screen and float it in the air to get a better view. I quickly change the image to high definition, while Mericel gawks at it. Then I carefully imagine a howitzer cannon and it appears next to us, I imagine it connected to the TV for aiming and a remote control appears in my hand. I point the remote at the demon on the TV and a red dot appears.


    "You should cover your ears."


    Mericel covers his ears and then I pull the trigger. "KABOOM" I see the explosion secondster on the TV, just for a second I can see pieces of the demon flying, but they disappear as the demon reappears.


    Mericel says, "What a horrible weapon, how did youe up with that?"


    "It''s a weapon that existed in my old world."


    Mericel says, "What kind of monsters would you need a weapon like that for?"


    "Humans."


    Mericel looks confused and asks "What do you mean?"


    "The only monsters in my old world were humans, like your father."


    Mericel looks sad as he realizes what I mean and I feel a little bad for taking away some of his innocence. I look back at the screen and see that the demon is now running downhill, it must have heard the cannon fire and is now heading this way. I use the remote to target it and kill it twice more before it reaches the ins.


    ??-DING-??.


    - Congrattions, the Mind Attack skill has advanced to level 2!


    √ Mind Attack


    √ Level: 2


    - Wisdom +4


    - You know how tounch mental attacks.


    I watch as the demon charges towards us across the in, I wait for it to get closer before hitting it with the next surprise.


    Mericel says, "It''sing, we should run!"


    "Wait, be patient. I''ve got it under control."


    As the demon approaches, I imagine the in around us changing, and as I imagine it, the in begins to glow. At first it resists, but I am stubborn and, before the demon gets halfway across, the entire in, except for an area around me, bes ake. Even at this distance, I can hear the demon scream in anguish, because this is not a normalke, it is ake of holy water.


    Mericel says, "How did you do it, did you change the environment? But that means..."


    "What?"


    Mericel looks at me with wide eyes and says, "It means your willpower is stronger than the demons."


    "Oh, so it''s the demon''s will that keeps this ce the way it is?"


    Mericel says, "Yes, and to change it you have to master its will."


    The demon finallyes out of theke and crawls onto the rocky beach by the mountains. He seems to have shrunk more than a foot from all the times he died in the water. As he stands there looking at theke, I point the remote at him and pull the trigger. The demon hears the cannon fire and tries to run, but to no avail. As I watch the demon die again, I smile at Mericel.


    "You know, I like it here."


    Mericel says, "There''s something seriously wrong with you!"


    "You''ve been watching me all this time and you''re just now realizing it?"


    Mericel looks at me angrily as I kill the demon again with the howitzer. For some reason, every time the demon explodes, I can''t help but smile.


    Mericel says, "You know it wille sooner orter, what''s your n then?"


    I smile at him as I imagine a castle wall growing out of the water around the ind. Seeing the expression on his face when the wall appears is almost as good as watching the demon die.


    ??-DING-??.


    - Congrattions, you have acquired the mental skill Mental Defense!


    √ Mental Defense


    √ Level: 1


    - Wisdom +3.


    - You can protect your mind in some way.


    Mericel says, "What good is a wall against a demon?"


    "A wall made of sacred stone and covered with sacred marble should be quite effective."


    Mericel says, "Are those things real?"


    "It doesn''t matter here, as long as I can imagine it."


    Mericel points to the screen and says, "It looks like theke and the wall won''t matter now."


    I look at the screen and see that the demon has grownrge bat-like wings andunched itself into the air. It is now flying towards the ind and, to Mericel''s surprise, I startughing.


    Mericel says, "What are youughing at?


    "It''s flying!"


    Mericel says: "Exactly, it will fly over theke and over the wall. and then what will you do?"


    "It''s flying over theke of holy water - what will happen if it loses its wings?"


    When an expression of understanding appears on Mericel''s face, I turn to the screen and imagine the demon''s wings disappearing. It doesn''t work, the wings don''t even glow and the demon keeps flying closer.


    I realize I can''t affect the demon directly, so I imagine teleporting to its back. I pull out Blitz and make two quick attacks.


    "CHINK" "CHINK"


    As the demon, now wingless, falls and before it can recover from its surprise, I teleport back to the ind. I sheath Blitz and turn back to the TV in time to see the demon fall into the water. When the demon returns to the far shore, it appears to be about ten feet instead of six.


    The demon now walks back and forth along the shore, I kill it twice more with the howitzer. Then I feel a pressure in my head, I quickly realize that the demon is trying to turn theke into rock again. I concentrate and firmly hold the image of ake of holy water in my head.


    After a minute the pressure disappears, but when I look at the TV the demon has disappeared too!


    ===========


    If we reach 75 power stones there will be 5 extra chapters, we are getting there fast.