《Overreach》 Chapter 1: So… I am… you? "So¡­ I am now you?" Kain''s voice was barely a whisper, each word a monumental struggle. He lay on the cold stone floor of a cavern, his mana reserves utterly depleted, his body on the verge of collapse due to exhaustion. The air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint coppery smell of blood. Before him, shimmering like a heat mirage, flickered a translucent figure, the echo of the young man whose body he now occupied. Conveniently also named Kain. Who nodded to his question. "Yeah¡­ thought so," Kain said, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of awe. "I died over there, and you died over here. Are we exchanging places?" ¡°No. I am done.¡± The spirit replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take your place even if I wanted to, my mana channels would prevent me from crossing over to a manaless world. No matter how weird that world is.¡± ¡°I supposed from a magical medieval fantasy world perspective my world would sure look strange. But the same can be said about this world of yours from my point of view, alright?¡± Kain said. "Medieval fantasy?" The spirit managed a weak smile, a flicker of memory crossing his fading features. "It doesn¡¯t really matter. But your world is a strange place. I saw¡­ flashes. Your memories, or parts of them. Flying metal contraptions, talking boxes and lights that moved on their own. Quite the strange sight for a manaless world." "Yeah, I suppose." Kain chuckled. "So, I died and you somehow pulled my soul here, or my mind, or both, or whatever¡­ and then this." He tried to gesture to the body that seemed to be failing him, but he didn¡¯t manage to lift a single finger. He sighed, resigned. "What is this place, anyway?" "The Trial Grounds," the spirit rasped, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "Everyone looking for power to accomplish their ambitions finds themselves here. To prove their worth and earn the abilities they chose¡­ or die trying." "And you¡­ you failed?" Kain¡¯s brow furrowed. "Unfortunately," the spirit said, a flicker of defiance, a spark of the warrior spirit that had defined his life, briefly illuminating his eyes. "I chose my path. A different path. A path less traveled. But I''m now too weak¡­ to see it through. I was too eager." "What path?" Kain¡¯s voice was soft, curious. "The Conqueror''s Trial," he whispered, the name itself carrying a weight of significance. "The hardest and the most rewarding. They say those who survive might emerge touched by the very essence of the world. But it requires¡­ strength. Strength I no longer have." "And¡­ you want me to¡­?" Kain trailed off, the unspoken question hanging in the air. "Carry on," the spirit said, his gaze fixed on the other, a strange intensity in his eyes. "My legacy¡­ my ambitions¡­ my fate¡­ you¡­ you inherit it all. That was the whole point of using the one ability I should have never needed. But, that¡¯s also fate, isn''t it?" A surge of something¡­ more than just understanding flowed through Kain. It wasn''t just memories; it felt like a lifetime of experiences, years of training, a burning ambition to restore his family''s honor, a deep, ingrained knowledge of the world¡­ and a profound sense of disappointment. But it was like watching a very, very long movie. He certainly couldn¡¯t fight like the one who had this body could. He wasn¡¯t a warrior all of a sudden. Because no matter how many movies about gladiators or ninjas he watched, that wouldn¡¯t change. He saw flashes of a crumbling manor perched precariously on a cliff overlooking a hostile border, a family struggling to maintain their dwindling influence, a legacy of warriors slowly fading into obscurity. He felt the weight of expectation, the pressure to live up to his name, the sting of being the one who almost made it. "So, I don''t know if I can pull this off," Kain stammered, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information and emotion. "I''m sort of an ordinary guy. And I sold insurance, you know?" The vanishing Kain let out a dry, rattling cough. "Strategy¡­ is¡­ all that matters. Here¡­ or¡­ there. You¡­ you understand¡­ strategy, yes?" "I¡­ I think so¡­" Kain replied, his mind racing, trying to reconcile the mundane reality of his previous life with the epic fantasy unfolding before him. And failing to do so. "Good," he said, his grip on life weakening. "Then you will¡­ understand." He closed his eyes, his breathing becoming ragged. "We¡­ The Ledgheims¡­ we were protectors. Of the border¡­ of the realm. But times have¡­ changed." "What do you mean?" Kain asked. "The main family in the capital¡­ they seek influence. Power. They care nothing¡­ for the protection of the border¡­ for our¡­ traditions." He coughed again, a wet, rattling sound. "They see us¡­ as a burden. Just a reminder of a time¡­ they wish to forget. Barbarians, that¡¯s how they call us." "And you think I can¡­ change that?" Kain asked. "You¡­ must," he whispered. "You have the potential. I saw it in the¡­ flashes. You understand it, the way to control it all. That¡¯s why I chose you." "But I don''t even know how to use magic," Kain protested, feeling a wave of panic rising within him. He remembered the brief, terrifying glimpse of the mana channels within his new body, now dormant, useless. He somehow ends up in a fantastical magic world and he still can¡¯t use magic. "Magic¡­", the spirit said, his voice fading. "Is not everything. It''s a tool. Like any other. You should look into something¡­ more. Something¡­ different. Another¡­ tool." "Like what?" Kain couldn¡¯t help but ask. "Rifts¡­" he whispered, his eyes fluttering open one last time. "Use them wisely¡­ They can be your eyes¡­ your ears¡­ perhaps even your¡­ weapons¡­ you can do it¡­ I saw it¡­ You, looking at the world from above¡­ You¡­ in control of it all¡­" His eyes closed, his breathing ceased, and the flickering light in his eyes extinguished, then he turned into motes of light and vanished for good, leaving Kain alone in the echoing chamber with the weight of a dying man''s legacy resting on his shoulders. And a rather weakened, although somewhat in shape, body. ¡°Was he talking about strategy games?¡± Kain murmured while panicking a little. Kain took a deep breath, trying to process everything he had just learned. His name is now Kain Ledgheim, inheritor of a decaying legacy, tasked with¡­ what, exactly? He knew nothing about this world, nothing about magic, nothing about the trials¡­ except what he had just gleaned from the dying man''s fragmented memories. The Conqueror''s Trial¡­ the rift¡­ He focused his mind, trying to access the memories, to understand the abilities that had been passed on to him. He felt a faint¡­ connection¡­ somewhere deep within him. It was like a whisper, a promise of power waiting to be unleashed. But it felt empty¡­ or maybe¡­ mismatched. Either way, it felt wrong. And then, he remembered one thing. Everyone got an awakening. It was a requirement to be here, on the trial grounds. To choose the powers that will accompany them. To prove themselves worthy of said powers. And this means¡­ "Do I also get to choose my power? Do I get an¡­ Awakening?"A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And as soon as he thought of that, his eyes seemed to close on their own, but light greeted him instead of darkness. His own voice echoed within his mind, but he wasn¡¯t the one saying, ¡°That¡¯s a good start. Just, remember¡­ keep grafter¡­ 2¡­ 5¡­ rift¡­ rift¡­ rift¡­ graft¡­¡± And Kain realized that it might have been the former Kain, the rightful owner of the body he now inhabits, already gone. And it sounded like he was smiling. The feeling of wrongness faded, but emptiness remained. But Kain was quite sure that this would be fixed real soon. Because there was a big ass message window occupying most of his view. ¡°Hello, system?¡± [Warning. Anomaly Detected.] [You, a previously awakened individual that was granted access to the trials still has abilities that failed to attune to a mana core on your records.] [These are the current state of your abilities.] [1. Mana manipulation: unattuned to a mana core. Warning: no viable mana core found. This ability should be replaced.] [2. Spellblade: unattuned to a mana core. Warning: no viable mana core found. This ability should be replaced.] [3. Grafter: currently in use. Warning: losing or deactivating this ability will result in a series of errors that will inevitably result in your death. This ability should not be replaced.] [4. Dying Magic Wish: inactive. Spent. Cost paid in full (your mana core is no more). Unattuned to a mana core. Warning: no viable mana core found. This ability should be replaced.] Kain realized in full what ''dying wish'' meant now. And why it was called ¡®dying magic¡¯, the magic was the one who died for the wish to be fulfilled. No more mana core, whatever that meant, besides the most obvious fact that he ended up in a magical fantastical world and there will be no magic for him. [Warning. The current configuration is not acceptable. Choose your fate.] [1. Be immediately expelled from the trial grounds. If successful, you will no longer be granted entry to the trial grounds and will be stripped of any and all abilities on your records.] [2. Be allowed to try reattuning to your abilities or pick new ones and restart your challenge. In case of failure you will be bestowed the option below as your fate.] [3. Be assimilated by the trial grounds to provide better opportunities to your peers by becoming the energy that powers their fate. A most noble sacrifice.] ¡°2¡±, Kain whispered. Unsure if he actually needed to say it out loud, but he felt like it. That was sort of an easy choice. Option one means you become an ordinary human and fail to live up to the expectations of the guy who granted you a second chance in life. And three is suicide. [You chose: 2, reattune or replace.] [Select your abilities. The abilities are sorted in categories to make them easier to browse.] [1. Martial Abilities. Mostly focused on direct combat and physical prowess. They usually consume stamina to be activated.] [2. Magical Abilities. Mostly focused on mana manipulation and magical affinities. They usually need mana to be activated.] [3. Mystical Abilities. Mostly a combination or an exception of the previous two categories. There¡¯s no set cost for their acquisition or activation.] [4. Innate Abilities. Particular powers that are an intrinsic part of you. Unlike regular abilities, these ones might have completely different costs, or no cost at all, for both acquisition and activation.] [5. Weird Innate Abilities. The ones that were not meant for you kind, but still attainable as long as you have the blessing of their original holders. Might have extra conditions or costs to activate, ones that you might not be able to fulfill.] [Warning. If you don¡¯t fulfill the acquisition conditions from an ability by the end of your trial period, said ability will be erased from your records.] Kain focused on his choice, without speaking this time. ¡°5¡± Kain didn¡¯t even bother reading everything, he would give his ¡®partner in crime¡¯ a chance and follow his dying instructions. He could always pick something else that fitted him better if needed be. [You are browsing: 5, weird innate abilities. Proceed with extra care.] There were a dozen pages of abilities. And after a quick browse Kain came up with four options that fitted the ¡®tip¡¯ he got from his now deceased benefactor. ¡°Rift¡­ Rift¡­ Rift¡­¡± [Abjuration Rift: you might breach magical defenses as if they weren¡¯t there. Martial. Passive. The chance of breaching magical defenses increases with proficiency. Reserves one fifth of stamina. You will need the blessing of a ¡®troll thrasher¡¯ to keep this ability.] [Arcane Rift: you might reduce the mana cost of abilities. Magical. Passive. The chance of reducing the mana cost and the amount reduced increases with proficiency. Reserves one tenth of mana. You will need the ¡®blessing¡¯ of an ¡®ogre shaman¡¯ to keep this ability.] [Astral Rift: you might step into the astral realm without a need to focus or meditate. Mystical (astral). Active. You will be afflicted by a great spiritual burden that requires you to meditate for two hours in order to recover before returning to the trial grounds. You will need the ¡®blessing¡¯ of a ¡®phasing gecko¡¯ to keep this ability.] [Bogey Rift: you might be there, even if you are not there. Mystical (psionic). Utility. Set effect. No cost for activation. You will need the ¡®blessing¡¯ of an ¡®elder bogey¡¯ to keep this ability.] Ok, the third one was immediately discarded. ¡°Can a gecko even give you his ¡®blessing¡¯ to let you keep it? Does the lizard talk?¡± The first two seem interesting, but Kain would be dead before even having the chance to talk with the guys who could grant him the blessing. He knew from his newfound memories that both ogres and trolls were found in dangerous zones of the trial grounds. Places he wasn¡¯t supposed to go. ¡°Alright, that leaves me with only one option. A weird one¡­ weird innate ability indeed.¡± Kain said while staring at the four options before focusing on the fourth to get as much information he could about this particular ability. [Bogey Rift: by no longer being able to concentrate on any other abilities to develop a deep connection to your rifts, you control them exquisitely. With one rift always within one meter of you and the other at most ten meters from the first, you grasp for that which should not be in your reach. And you succeed. All it takes is a frame for you to project your rift into, be it a ring, a window, a door or even a frame you make using your body parts. It¡¯s all good as long as they aren¡¯t over one and a half meters wide in any direction. Warning: bogeys are naturally attuned to spatial magic. Humans aren¡¯t. This ability will become much weaker if you decide to choose it, this means the frames will be much smaller. At most fifteen centimeters wide. And the distance it can cover is also reduced to five meters.] Kain read it. Over and over. It does sound good. But fifteen centimeters would be just enough for him to stick his hand through the rift. Bogeys can jump through them and be gone, ending up ten meters away whenever they see fit. Which means his rift wouldn¡¯t be even close to being that awesome. Then, Kain murmured. ¡°Rift¡­¡±, and keep going ¡°Rift¡­ Rift¡­ Rift¡­ Graft?¡±, and his eyes widened with a sudden realization. One that could be awesome, but somewhat risky. To see if he was really onto something he inspected ¡®grafter¡¯. [Grafter: Mystical (exotic). You create a symbiotic merger between innate traits you possess as long as they are compatible. You have to permanently sacrifice stats to nurture the graft and allow it to succeed. Beware of biting more than you can chew.] Kain frowned. That didn¡¯t just sound good¡­. It sounded awesome. But also dangerous. And that brought him back to one very important aspect. ¡°Status?¡± [] [Kain Ledgheim] [Human 6, Spellblade 2] [Health: 16/180] [Stamina: 6/90] [Mana: N/A] [] [Strength: 7] [Dexterity: 6] [Nimbleness: 8] [Resilience: 6] [Vitality: 6] [Endurance: 6] [Focus : 4] [Intellect: 8] [Wisdom: 4] [Magic: 0] [] ¡°Yeah, it makes sense.¡± The former Kain clearly sacrificed their mana core to bring Kain¡¯s soul over and then sacrificed their magic to graft Kain¡¯s soul into his former body. No need for magic when you don¡¯t have a mana core, Kain assumed. Also, Kain is kind of screwed. Too low health and stamina. All tired and wounded. No wonder he felt like shit. ¡°Does that guy really consider this as a fitting option for me?¡± Kain was amused. It sort of made sense. That ¡®bogey rift¡¯ could really shake things up. But, why didn''t he pick that option for himself? It should have been awesome for him. A brief message of the system answered his question. [Warning. Some innate abilities available in the trial grounds, especially ¡®weird¡¯ ones, are not found or even compatible with the outside world. Be extra careful if you are considering picking one of those.] ¡°I see. He couldn¡¯t. He picked his ability in the awakening chamber, not the trial grounds, no ¡®bogey rift¡¯ over there.¡± Kain murmured. He remembered the third ¡®rift¡¯ ability, the astral gecko thing. It does say that you return to the trial grounds, but what happens if you finish your trials? Kain shivered a little. It does sound rather risky. Deathly risky. Thankfully, his rift, ¡®bogey rift¡¯, had no such problem. As far as he can tell, that is. Only one way to be sure. And to test if the spellblade wannabe Kain was right. Kain focused and mentally called for it. ¡°Bogey rift¡±. [Warning. Bogey Rift is a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ and that means that it might be incompatible with activation outside the trial grounds. Repercussions of trying to do so might be severe. Are you sure you want to proceed?] Kain smiled and couldn¡¯t help but think ¡°Dude, I am triple sure.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 2: Like a bogey The system messages came, as expected. [You selected Bogey Rift, aptly renamed ¡®Rift¡¯ since you are no Bogey. A psionic ability used by Bogeys to fold space around themselves and make their pranks much more effective and interesting, not to mention allowing them to escape if spotted. Rift is still considered a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ and that means that it might be incompatible with activation outside the trial grounds. Repercussions of trying to do so might be severe. Beware.] [Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [Rift: you got rifts, two of them, yes, linked to each other, yes. One near one far. Watch and reach the near to watch and reach from the one that is far. Fun. Be smart. One breath to make, one breath to take, one breath to be safe, yes, important. And Fun. Yes?] ¡°Er¡­ an innate ability from bogeys, is described by a bogey?¡­ It sure looks like it since it has no tags, specs or data for me to work with¡­ will I have to test it over and over to get a grip of what it can actually do?¡± Kain''s smile is crooked as he tries to make sense of the ability. [These are the current state of your abilities.] [1. Spellblade: unattuned to a mana core. Warning: no viable mana core found. Warning: requirements (mana manipulation) not met. This ability should be replaced.] [2. Grafter: currently in use. Warning: losing or deactivating this ability will result in a series of errors that will inevitably result in your death. This ability should not be replaced.] [3. Dying Magic Wish: inactive. Spent. Cost paid in full (your mana core is no more). Unattuned to a mana core. Warning: no viable mana core found. Warning: requirements (mana manipulation) not met. This ability should be replaced.] [4. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] Kain dismisses the window and focuses on his newfound ability. It comes to him surprisingly easy, it makes sense to call it innate, it feels like he had always had it. ¡°It sort of works like intended. Like the system described them previously, not the bogeys, their description kind of sucks.¡± Kain muttered while looking at himself lying on the floor of the cavern. Kain is looking from above, as if he was floating near the ceiling, because that¡¯s where the rift is. And he can see everything it sees by looking at the rift at his side, manifested in the circle made by his thumb and index fingers as he made an incomplete ¡®ok¡¯ gesture. Shifting the rift and experimenting, he sighs. ¡°Three seconds. It takes three seconds to shift the rift to another position. The rift can¡¯t move, it can just be there and then appear elsewhere.¡± With some effort he undo his belt and rolls to the side. Using the belt he ties it as a makeshift frame and confirms that he can make rifts with at most fifteen centimeters of diameter. ¡°Now, for the true test¡±, Kain positions the rift near a pebble he can see and now he watches the pebble with both his eyes and using the rift. Then, he stretches his hand through the rift. The hand appeared out of nowhere near the pebble. It feels weird. But not painful or anything like that. He also doesn¡¯t feel drained or anything. It just gets sort of uncomfortable. A little nauseating, perhaps. But certainly manageable. Kain smiles. He noted the fact that he only got the actual description of the ability, even if it seems it was written by a bogey, after selecting it and confirming its ¡®purchase¡¯. This explains why the former Kain already had his choices picked much earlier than his actual awakening. The concepts of ¡®builds¡¯ and ¡®synergistic ability combinations¡¯ were widespread. The details, however, weren¡¯t shared between families, clans, sects and, sometimes, even individuals. A few more radical groups even considered somewhat of a taboo to ask about others abilities and the reasons for their choices. It sort of makes sense. These choices were like a recipe to power. Thankfully, this means that Kain could keep his actual choices to himself. He wouldn¡¯t need to explain anything to anyone, ever. And this will make things easier in the long run. Because he is about to do something rather unconventional. [Warning. Bogey Rift is a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ and that means that it might be incompatible with activation outside the trial grounds. Repercussions of trying to do so might be severe. Are you sure you want to proceed?] Kain smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± He got the same two system messages again regarding the ability he acquired and its uses. But this time it did come with an extra warning. [Severe Warning. You have chosen a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ for the second time. The risks associated with these abilities are substantial and may lead to permanent impairment or even death. Beware.] Once again, crucial information is delivered after he already has the ability. Not that it would make him change his mind. Kain smiles did get a little crooked after reading that, but he just sighs and shakes his head. Going forward with his plan. He summoned his rifts. Four of them. Two pairs. And, while a little nervous, he did his best to focus on the task at hand. He sent one rift as far as he could. Five meters away. ¡°Time to see if there¡¯s a glitch here¡­¡± And then sent the second rift. As far as he could¡­ Ten meters away. ¡°So far, so good¡­¡± Kain holds his breath. The first rift vanishes and reappears¡­ Fifteen meters away. ¡°And there it is, ladies and gentlemen. It¡¯s broken.¡± Kain smiles from ear to ear. The rift folds space. A rift five meters away from him means that the entry of the other rift is also there, allowing him to move a rift five meters further, and that one also counts as a point of access to the other entry, allowing him to move the rift five meters further¡­ over and over¡­ to infinity. The only thing he isn¡¯t happy about is the fact that it takes three seconds to reposition the rifts five meters further. This means he can only cross one hundred and fifty meters a minute. And this might not be enough to be used in combat, or defense, and maybe some ¡®fun¡¯ stuff. That, and the fact that if he sends his rifts away, he is left sort of exposed with any rift near him, and this means¡­ [Warning. Bogey Rift is a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ and that means that it might be incompatible with activation outside the trial grounds. Repercussions of trying to do so might be severe. Are you sure you want to proceed?] Kain was no longer smiling. He was grinning. ¡°Yes, damn it.¡± And, as expected, the same two messages followed by the warning. [Serious Warning. You have chosen a ¡®weird innate ability¡¯ for the third time. The risks associated with these abilities are substantial and may lead to permanent impairment or even death. Beware.] And his abilities were indeed a little ridiculous¡­ [These are the current state of your abilities.]If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [1. Grafter: currently in use. Warning: losing or deactivating this ability will result in a series of errors that will inevitably result in your death. This ability should not be replaced.] [2. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [3. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [4. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] ¡­ but very, very interesting. Kain was using one rift to watch himself on the floor while the two others took turns advancing to scout the cavern. Maybe the bogeys were right, because he was already having fun. And, in retrospect, it did feel sort of like a strategy game. He was looking at three ¡®screens¡¯ in front of him, two circles made with his fingers from both hands and one circle made with the belt, and sharing whatever the rifts could perceive, as if he was there. It felt awesome. And confusing. But¡­ it could get even better. His benefactor did say ¡°rift¡­ rift¡­ rift¡­ graft¡­¡± This means there¡¯s some grafting left to follow his instructions properly. It¡¯s obvious that ¡®grafter¡¯ comes with its own nuances. So, it was time to see what it was all about. [Grafter: Mystical (exotic). You create a symbiotic merger between innate traits you possess as long as they are compatible. You have to permanently sacrifice stats to nurture the graft and allow it to succeed. Beware of biting more than you can chew.] Kain frowns. Well, his body, mind and soul alongside his stats and all that were innate. But so were the rifts. Right? Now, how should he proceed? Kain starts thinking out loud. ¡°Option one. Grafting a rift into another rift.¡± What would that achieve? Allow him to call forth two rifts at the same time, perhaps doubling his speed? Or just summon two in the same position and never be able to split them apart again and ruin his whole setup? Risky. ¡°Option two. Grafting a rift into himself.¡± Would that allow him to call forth the rift faster? Allow him to understand it deeply? To make it his for good and avoid the need for the ¡®blessing¡¯? Well, all these outcomes are rather fine. ¡°Option three. Grafting a rift into ¡®grafter¡¯ to hopefully make ¡®grafter¡¯ innate as well and then grafting ¡®grafter¡¯ into myself?¡± Ok, that one is way too risky as a starting point. I might end up with nothing. Or maybe even dead, since even the system told me I need graft to ¡®keep working¡¯. ¡°Option two it is.¡± And Kain got the pair of rifts still next to him, the one he was using to observe his own body from a top down look as the rift was positioned near the ceiling of the cavern, and focused on ¡®grafter¡¯. He also focused on his resilience. The one stat he was sort of willing to part with, for now, because he could forgo defense for the foreseeable future and everyone knows you should never mess with mental stats. The results were instantaneous. One hell of a headache, either from his collapsing wisdom or from the rift merging with him, he can¡¯t be sure, he is too busy trying to clench his head as hard as he can. ¡°Shit, that hurts.¡± But, a dozen seconds later and the pain was gone. And he knew. He knew ¡®rift¡¯ like he was born with it. Perhaps, like a bogey. [These are the current state of your abilities.] [1. Grafter: currently in use. Warning: losing or deactivating this ability will result in a series of errors that will inevitably result in your death. This ability should not be replaced.] [2. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Soulbound. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [3. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [4. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] Ok, so he still needed the ¡®blessing¡¯, but the ability changed from innate to soulbound. And, as if the system could guess what he was thinking, and it probably did, Kain read the message in the new floating window in front of him. [Soulbound abilities are intrinsically connected to you very concept of ¡®self¡¯ and loosing them might have serious consequences, including, but not limited to, the permanent loss of stats, the permanent loss of levels, the permanent loss of hp, the permanent loss of stamina, the permanent loss of mana and the permanent loss of associated proficiencies. Death might be an acceptable fate as well. Beware.] And this means that he just ditched his wisdom for the chance of losing much more if he doesn¡¯t get that ¡®blessing¡¯. ¡°I better find some ¡®elder bogeys¡¯ to make friends with. Three if possible.¡± But, this wasn`t the end. It was the beginning. The first rift was no longer just an external tool. It was an extension of himself. He no longer needed a pair. He was the rift as well. The origin. And whatever he wanted to cross through it, would. No need for a frame, the rift appeared and he was already aware of it all. Anything within five meters of him was up for grabs. And the rift only took a single second to shift into its new position. The test was fast and rewarding. Kain looked at a pebble to his side, roughly three meters away. The rift was there as soon as he focused on it, no orders given, his intent was enough. And then the pebble was in his hand. No need for mana or stamina. It just felt¡­ natural. As if it was always meant to be as such. [2. Rift. Soulbound. You have a rift that folds space between you and it under your control. This rift can¡¯t be dismissed or dispelled while you remain conscious. With a ¡®mental flick of your wrist¡¯ you can reposition the rift anywhere within five meters of you. This rift allows you to see, hear and interact with the rift¡¯s surroundings as if you were there without ever revealing yourself. Warning: damage dealt to the object or area you are interacting with, while you are interacting with it, might leak through the folded space and cause damage to you.] ¡°Even the description changed. It doesn¡¯t sound ¡®bogey¡¯ anymore. Did it also adapt to my intent to keep me in the loop?¡± Kain smiled, amused, and then his eyebrows raised as he had a weird yet potentially awesome idea. To make the description of his ability, that he could show others, be either completely scary or completely screwed, perhaps both. Half a dozen pebbles later and Kain was still smiling. It didn¡¯t take half a second for the rift to be there, whatever there is supposed to be, and then he could reach by stretching his arm through it and reach for what he wanted. And then the rift was above him, facing the side, and he made a throwing motion with his hands as he released a pebble, which disappeared from his hand and flew, not from his hand, but from the rift near the ceiling. Only to be catched again from the rift that reappeared on its path and ended up back into Kain¡¯s hand. ¡°Awesome.¡± It was addicting. The control. The power. So, Kain did what felt natural. He grafted the other two rifts into one another. Because now he knew what to expect due to his newfound deep understanding of his ability. ¡°Goodbye endurance¡­¡± [These are the current state of your abilities.] [1. Grafter: currently in use. Warning: losing or deactivating this ability will result in a series of errors that will inevitably result in your death. This ability should not be replaced.] [2. Rift. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Soulbound. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] [3. Rift Chain. Utility. Mystical (psionic). Innate. Pending ¡®blessing¡¯ from an ¡®elder bogey¡¯.] As expected, both rifts collapsed into a single ¡®new¡¯ ability. A compound rift of sorts. And then came a rather unexpected message from the system. [By having three abilities you are assigned for the survival trial. Find the command tent in the trial grounds encampment to pick up your survival package.] Kain frowns, ¡°wait¡­ what?¡± Does that mean that he lost his right to participate in the conqueror¡¯s trial? Did he fail by default? Does this change everything? Anything? He couldn¡¯t think straight thanks to his pounding head. He even felt a little dizzy this time. Thankfully he was lying down, so no chance of falling. The system intervened before he could drive himself crazy thinking of the possibilities. [By selecting four abilities you were already assigned for the conqueror¡¯s trial. Seek Gladius, the trial commander, in the command tent in the trial grounds encampment to pick up your conquest package.] Kain frowns, harder. ¡°So, I got to do both now?¡± The system promptly answers. [Once assigned to a trial, the trial taker must complete the trial in order to be considered worthy of the abilities he chose. Failure to do so will incur the loss of said abilities and their purge from your records on a permanent basis.] Kain sighs. ¡°Well, shit.¡± And then he remembers the circumstances of his family and himself, and he grins with a rather interesting idea. He tried to focus on properly planning his next step. And fails. He simply couldn¡¯t stop, now. He will plan after he is done with more pressing matters. He turned his attention back to his ¡®new¡¯ ability. ¡°So, it does work.¡± Kain smiles while reading a much longer system message describing the way this new ability works. A much bulkier description for a much bulkier ability. The speed has doubled. Because he could manipulate two rifts at once. When he made a single rift soulbound, it got three times faster. One second instead of three. And now, compounding rifts to graft made them twice as fast. Two rifts instead of one. But these two rifts still need the external frames to manifest themselves, unlike the soulbound one, which is kind of a bummer. But they did keep the feature that allows them to extend the range of each other to infinity, which is awesome. But since Kain only truly needs one for defense, he should be happy with what he got. ¡°I¡¯m already in the clear. It worked. I can use two rifts for scouting rather effectively and keep one, the soulbound that requires no actual commands, for my personal defense.¡± Kain said as if convincing himself of his achievements. ¡°This is already good enough.¡± And he obviously failed. ¡°But man, who am I trying to fool? It¡¯s pretty much obvious that I will graft the rift chain into grafter to try to make it innate as well and then graft everything into the soulbound rift.¡±