《Spirit Legends》


 Chapter 1 Legend

    SL Chapter 1 Legend


    The stillness within the room was broken when the surface of the small table beside the bed lit up, and a dot of blue light appeared within its centre. After a mere second, it elongated into a thin line, then, defying normal conventions, the line rose from within the table to appear above it, floating within the space vertically. For a moment, that was all it did before it started pulsing, with small blue ripples radiating outwards, but not surpassing 10sqcm away from the 3D line.


    When the pulsing reached a crescendo, the vertical line split in the middle, opening itself up like a vertical eye, or portal to another dimension, with the space within it, pitch black.


    A light blue beak was the first to poke out before an entire head. Then the whole body, squeezed out, with the portal vanishing behind it. It''s small talons, gripped the surface of the table as it took in the lay of the room. It''s eyes, made of multiple pupils layered against each other first gazed at the figure curled up within the sheets of the bed before taking in the clutter of the room. Clothes, both clean and unclean, lay strewn about the room, except for the high surfaces, which were comprised of the table it was on, and a sink at the side. Snack crumbs, coupled with the packets themselves were also among the clutter of the room, making anyone wonder whether the person within the sheets truly cared about cleanliness.


    A gentle breeze from outside fluttered the sheet serving as the curtains, exposing a small window, through which lights from the surrounding buildings penetrated into the dark room.


    Then, with a flutter of its wings, the blue bird took flight, circling the room, while it''s blue light exposed the walls whose paint was showing signs of flaking off, a testament to the advanced age of the building.


    Moans from the wrapped up bundle within the bed attracted the bird''s attention for a moment, but ultimately, it continued its circling flight around the room. After all, that had been a daily occurrence since its installation years ago.


    Then, after a few minutes later, the table lit up once again, this time with digits denoting the time, which was now, 6:00AM, which caused the bird''s beak to open before a sonorous chirp escaped from the table''s speakers, blasting into the room.


    The sound caused the figure buried within the sheets to abruptly sit up, which automatically turned on the light fixture above him. And the bird, dispersed into motes of light in the next instant, as if it had been an illusion all along.


    Beads of sweat were dispersed along his forehead, and his chest was rising and falling with an abnormal pace, as if his heart was beating unusually fast, which it was.


    His hand, the right one, moved towards his chest, like it had always done every morning, and caressed the glaring scar there, that ran down to his navel. It was vertical, and it''s shape was reminiscent of burns inflicted by flames, or something hot. After calming himself down with that activity, his alertness due to the nightmare, that was also a constant in his life, dimmed, with sleep once again threatening to take him over. But, with a groan of annoyance, he slipped from the covers and let his feet touch the floor, yet what they fell upon attracted his gaze. It was a polythene bag, one whose logo denoted that it had at once, been filled with potato chips, yet now, it lay discarded on his floor, empty of its contents.


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    That allowed him to finally take in the mess that was the room. How long had he gone without cleaning up? Two? Three days? He couldn''t remember as overtime had been eating away at him. Maybe Cassandra knew. But it was better he didn''t bring it up for now.


    He hated this room. At first, with a goal to look forward to, it had been exciting. Fresh off graduation, he had been naive. Now, life had taught him far too many lessons, that the excitement had died. Not the excitement of his goal, but of going to work. He dreaded it immensely. There was the problem of minimum wage, coupled with the lack of true vacation time. Right now, if someone likened him to a zombie, he wouldn''t refute them.


    As he sat there, he waited for his mind to wake up, yet he knew, that wasn''t going to happen unless he hit the shower. The bed was so tantalizing that all he wanted was to return to it, but ultimately, he had to endure another day at work. So, he stood up navigated the mess within his room, and entered the bathroom, a small cramped room with only a shower and toilet. Even though it was the cheapest apartment, it was still straining his wallet just to live within it. Most of his earned funds were being saved for his goal, a reason that made him subsist on snacks and workplace cafeteria meals.


    Dropping his pants, and taking a good long look in the mirror, he winced at his thin frame. The thought that even a gust of wind might blow him away arose within his mind before being pushed away. He turned the knob of the shower and started to partake in his morning routine.


    After the shower, he looked through his strewn clothes, and found an attire which still looked relatively clean, and donned it. It was a black suit that matched well with his dark skin and black sinewy hair, less than an inch long. It was an attire that elicited a grumble out of him every time he wore it, as it was simply too uncomfortable. But unless he became the boss, he would have to stick with it.


    "Cassandra, open compartment Ryan." he ordered.


    Then, on the side of his bed, originally seamless, a drawer rolled out, within which, laid a single book. He moved to take a sit upon his unmade bed, before gently lifting the large volume out of the compartment with extreme attention and care.


    His hand traced the rough cover of the yellow book, tracing out the etchings of the words by feeling each letter, just as he had always done. After the words came the image, the etching of the reddish orange sun that took up a large part of the book''s centre.


    Legend of Musana.


    Those were the words the letters spelled out. Just by thinking of the title, his heart rate sped up, while his mind went to the wondrous adventures he had read within it. Musana, the first Spirit Lord. That was a title only a single man could possess.


    Getting this physical copy hadn''t been easy. All the digital copies had been scraped off by the World governments because the secrets within weren''t for the public to know. He had had to search extensively and thoroughly among many channels just to acquire it. It wasn''t rare by any means, but just somewhat hard to acquire.


    He closed his eyes and conjured the image of the man. Dark skin, a somewhat square jawline face, coupled with reddish yellow eyes and and hair of the same color, long, yet curling at the ends. The man was majestic. A legend many people looked up to.


    Eric looked up to the man. He was a role model everyone, including himself, aspired to become.


    He opened his eyes after getting his heart back under control and opened the book to the first page, where a small passage had been written.


    Legends aren''t born. They are forged from the fires of struggle. By Musana.


    He read and reread the small number of words, etching them within his mind and repeating them like a mantra. Those two sentences were the things that stood out to him when the going got tough. From horrible bosses to unwanted assignments. He had endured all those things because of those two lines.


    "Today is the last day of work, Eric." a voice came through from the speakers embedded within the desk. And when he heard those words, it was as if he had been injected by chicken blood. The previous lethargy was swept away and a smile, one handsome enough to attract a small number of ladies made its way to his lips.


    How could he have forgotten what today was? He exclaimed within his mind even as the large book was carefully lowered back into its compartment, which slid back into the bed.


    "Cassandra! Hologram please."


    With that, a replica of himself appeared right before his eyes. Just like his reflection would appear in a mirror, the hologram was a lifelike representation of the current him. He gave it a once over to make certain that there were no glaring flaws within his attire. He could still remember the day when his shirt had been left untucked within his pants behind himself. That had been an embarrassing situation he didn''t want a repeat of.


    After making certain that everything was in order, he made his way towards the exit of his apartment, mentally making a note to take care of the messy situation within his room the next day.

 Chapter 2 Work

    SL Chapter 2 Work


    The moment Eric made it down the flight of stairs and into the dark street, he gazed upwards into the sky and sighed. How he wished he could lay eyes upon the sky of his world. This was the problem with progress. Only those who were well off had the privilege of owning a piece of land that allowed view of the sky, unless of course you lived in those desolate regions, where you could see the sky all you wanted.


    He wanted to one day also be able to see the clear skies instead of always having to look at the lights at the bottom of the floating construct above.


    After a sigh, he turned his attention back towards the street before him only to pause as his eyes fell upon a dog, one which had raised its leg in manner where it was about to pee upon the foundations of his apartment complex.


    The lights from the street lamps highlighted its gaudy coloring, a result of its owner having been extatic to jump upon the fad of genetic editing. There were spots of orange and blue on an otherwise white coat. His eyes narrowed down at the mutt, with it too having paused to gaze up at him.


    "It looks like this isn''t your lucky day, huh, Mismatch." he said before taking a single leap towards it only for it to scurry away with its tail between its legs. He didn''t chase after it, yet he felt satisfaction in the knowledge that this time, he had come out on top, preventing it from performing its duties this morning. It didn''t matter whether it returned when he was at work. All that mattered was the fact that he had stopped it this morning. There were mornings were it beat him to the punch, but today, he had come out the winner. This, was one of the few ways he could entertain himself.


    After that small Interlude, he started his trek towards work, feeling his feet sinking minutely with each step he took. Each step added a single credit to his account. Someone had proposed that the citizens be paid more, but that had been vetoed. Eric was happy that they were even paid at all. The tiles beneath his feet captured the mechanical energy created upon stepping on them, converting it into electrical energy that powered the critical areas of the city. There were many such contraptions that made it so no one could truly fail to survive in the city.


    He winced as an autonomous vehicle passed by him, one with an arm that was picking up any piece of trash upon the road. It''s sound was horrendous, a reason it was only used in this part of the city. It was one of the glaring signs that there was no true equality in the world. Those who lived in well off areas were the ones who got access to the newer models, while these old things were dumped here. Even though they were all under the purview of the city''s AI system, someone had still found a way to embezzle the funds of the people. Eric gave it one last glance before continuing on his journey. There was no point in deeply delving down that rabbit hole.


    After a few minutes of walking, Eric arrived at his workplace, right before the building itself. It was a dark thing that glinted in the multitude of lights from other things in the vicinity. Like trees in a forest, the skyscrapers were close together, making it so that his workplace was also squeezed in the middle of two others on the street. Upon a pedestal in the middle of the main entrance stood a hologram. One in the likeness of his boss. A man with a large face, chiseled jawline, chocolate colored skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. It was a gaudy look that lacked charm. Everyone knew that, and he had heard one of the managers had even insulted the man to his face only to vanish the next day, which prompted everyone to avoid bringing up that particular topic anywhere, since you could never know when you were being spied on.


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    But, it was still weird that the man, in order to satisfy his vanity, had opted to place his Visage right infront of the building, as if wanting to declare to the world that he was rich.


    Before he could enter through the energy fields that doubled as security measures, a hover car, one sleek in nature and of a vibrant red color, stopped just outside the building. Through the grapevine, Eric had heard that it was the newest iteration of the vehicle, meaning that it''s pricing had to be exorbitant enough that he couldn''t even dream of owning it in his current financial state.


    The door floated upwards and a figure stepped out, one who almost caused Eric to grind his teeth with his expression turning ugly, yet, he reigned it in. After those dark feelings were curbed, puzzlement was birthed within him.


    Senney wasn''t a person of this hour. You could even say that he was a man of noon, when the day was already in its later half. He was a spoilt rich kid who only got a cushy position within the company because of his father, the CEO.


    He had the same exact features as his father except that he was thin and lean. Jewel studded earpins were within his ears, coupled with a glittering chain around his neck. A wine red suit was loosely draped around his shoulders, exposing the white shirt beneath, which wasn''t buttoned at the collar.


    Eric wasn''t the only one who was staring at the man, as many other worker bees like him, who were in the middle of arriving, had stopped, or were walking while gazing at him.


    A grin, one which radiated smug satisfaction lit up his features before he lazily sauntered over to the main entrance.


    When he passed by him, Eric felt a faint shift, as if there was something strange and dangerous about him, causing his skin to break out in goosebumps, a sensation that only abated when the man vanished into the building.


    -----


    Arriving within the huge room that served as his workplace, coupled with another thousand worker drones like him, he hurried over to his station. The room was a uniform white that was glowing, eliminating the need for lighting fixtures of any sort. Though, that light wasn''t glaring to the eye, but gentle.


    Thousands of personal cubicles filled this entire floor of the building, with the conference and meeting rooms taking up another floor. The department heads, middle managers and others like team leaders, were mostly located in another floor entirely to themselves, using AIs as their proxies if they wanted anything done, or sent to them.


    After reaching his own cubicle, he hung his coat on the back of his seat before sitting down and gazing at the holographic screen that had materialized before him.


    What was his job? Programming. AI could do many tasks. It was simply that convenient. Yet, there was something missing within it, something only a human could possess, and it couldn''t. The human touch was one that could imbue emotions into things. Take games as an example. Any AI could program characters, the map, the terrain, but there were always some things that couldn''t resonate with humans. Like character speeches in cinematic scenes, character reactions to some things they could see, well, mostly the NPCs. For the avatars, they were made to mimic every facial expression a character could think of.


    It was grueling work that required social and empathic skills to pull off. Sometimes you could submit an animation with the reaction you think to be suitable, only for your superior to ask you to redo the whole thing, and most of the times, it wasn''t in a nice, smiley way.


    A few hours into his work, familiar humming entered his ears, getting louder with each second. The person was surely coming his way, but Eric had gotten to a part where he didn''t want any distractions, so he continued working his floating keyboard. These were one of those times he wished these people could provide a neural interface, yet this company, as he had come to learn, loved to skim everything off their budgets.


    "Eric, breakfast time has arrived. Why are you still glued to your damn chair?" a man''s voice entered his ears.


    "Can''t you be any quieter, Jerry? I am trying to finish this."


    "Come on! I have something juicy that''s burning a hole within my throat! If I don''t reveal it to you, I might go nuclear!"


    "Well... I am pretty sure you can survive for a few more seconds then, considering you are up and jumping around." commented Eric, eyes still glued to his screen.


    "Man! You are a hard person to befriend."


    "I wouldn''t call us friends at this point in time. More like... You are a service provider to me. One who delivers news to me." chuckled Eric at his own joke.

 Chapter 3 Jerry

    SL Chapter 3 Jerry


    Eric entered the cafeteria with Jerry beside him. As always the place was the same. This workplace had stripped all of its worker drones with the ability to socially interact. The multiple deadlines that needed to be rushed, the piled up tasks that didn''t get any smaller the more you worked through them, coupled with the lack of any true vacation, had led to this current situation where the place was quiet, with most gobbling down their meager servings at a fast speed such that they could go back to their terminals. Of course there were still the outliers to this atmosphere, like Jerry beside him.


    This was why Eric was happy about the fact that he would be leaving this place. It was grey, one of the gloomy kind, lacking any burst of color. And he hadn''t even told anyone about his resignation that would be handed in the moment his end of month salary, scheduled to be deposited today, entered his account. Not even his superiors. If he did, they might hold back in delivering it, citing multiple excuses.


    After getting his black coffee, which was strong enough to get him through the day, and a couple of donuts, he stared at Jerry opposite him, waiting for the man to start his reveal, one which had been burning within his throat.


    One light blue pupil, and another red one, stared back at him with amusement flickering within. Jerry wasn''t hetero chromatic, just that he had spent a lot of his meager earnings to get himself a bionic implant, thereby replacing his original natural eye. The abilities that it provided were certainly tantalizing, but Eric had never been tempted to try such a procedure. There were even those that had replaced their limbs, and most of all, those left with only a head, with the rest having been transformed into machine.


    The reason he didn''t fancy such implants was the simple fact that they were too restrictive. Unless you were some rich person, being capable of affording an implant made through programmable matter, allowing for just a simple upgrade through downloading, those like Jerry''s eye, would require going through surgery, for something newer and better to be installed, meaning that unless you were content with the prior abilities, you would have to fork out a massive amount of money to keep up with the trends.


    "Tell me, Eric, my guy. What have you been up to these days? You have been quiet a lot. And now, you actually decided to humor me? There must be something I am missing." spoke Jerry as he took a bite out of his donut, exposing his white teeth. Jerry had a body that was somewhat enviable, since he had a gym membership. Though, Eric had always wondered when the man even got the time to head to such a place as the workload was simply too brutal.


    Jerry''s words made his heart skip a beat, yet, through his lengthy experience with the company, he had learned the art of the poker face. It was the most efficient way to deal with higher ups who expected to gauge your thoughts from your facial expression.


    "I have always humored you." he answered neutrally.


    "Nah! It has always been a battle. Surely you must know how much I have had to do in order to get you to lend me your ear, right?" his gaze was somewhat piercing.


    You had to know that Jerry and himself were not friends. Jerry simply liked to act like he cared about the little guys in the company to attract the attention of the women within the company, hoping to get under their skirts. It also served to enhance his handsomeness when he walked next to a plain guy like Eric. These and more, were psychological tricks he loved to play in order to make himself appear more attractive to the opposite sex. They were all a suggestion of the AI embedded within his bionic eye, no doubt about that.


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    "So... What kind of juicy news are you dangling this time?" Eric decided to move on from the topic as he was absolutely certain, that should he divulge about his intent at resignation, this man would notify the higher-ups at the fastest speed he could. Starting out, he had naively believed that coworkers could be friends, comrades. But betrayals, and the nonchalance with how they had been dished out, had taught him that no one was a friend here. Each one was striving to either, rise up, or survive like a cockroach.


    "Remember that time when our vacation money vanished, with us finding out that it had been embezzled by Senney, the boss'' son?"


    "What about it?" asked Eric, almost breaking out into goosebumps at the memory of this morning. He took a sip of his coffee to hide his other bodily signs, while also pretending to have a particular interest in the topic.


    Of course, there was no one who didn''t have a memory of that debacle. Even now, there were still many that were gnashing their teeth in secret, wishing they could tear the man limb from limb. That had been the company''s promise at the beginning of last year, with many people excited, and having even made plans to travel, maybe even go to another country entirely, yet, everything was derailed with a single executive coming down from the top floors and declaring that the money had vanished, which had led to a kerfuffle that had eventually exposed its whereabouts, which had made even the most angriest of them, swallow down their anger. Why? Because you couldn''t just come out and fight the president''s son. That was tantamount to getting booted out the door of the company, without even a single benefit to your name.


    He leaned in, "Apparently, Senney has used all that money to buy himself an awakening potion. And judging by the fact that he arrived early today, it seems that his awakening was a success. Meaning..."


    "... He has joined the ranks of the Spirit Lords." completed Eric, now worked up. He felt a yearning that brought upon a certain impulse. An impulse to simply get up from his chair, walk out the company building, and go search for an awakening elixir.


    This was the first time he had gotten information that someone close to his circle, even though not within it, had awakened. All that he had heard about awakenings had been mostly on various news outlets, which hadn''t elicited as much excitement as right now, in this moment.


    "There is something that I don''t understand though, why the vacation money. Surely that dandy young master could have asked his daddy for money, right?" whispered Eric.


    "Well... There are rumors that daddy, had imposed a restriction after a certain incident, which triggered the young master''s rebellious streak. Rich kids sure have it good. He didn''t even get reprimanded when that fact came out." Jerry spoke in lament.


    Eric took another sip from his coffee mug, struggling to hold back the frown that was threatening to manifest upon his facial features. Was this how every rich household acted, or was it limited to Senney''s family. Honestly, it was enraging. But, the background of the man was something that couldn''t easily be overcome. And his awakening to enter the ranks of superhumans had also turned the already difficult task of asking for justice into the impossible.


    "...this is the tragedy of the little guy." sighed Jerry.


    "You don''t seem that angry." pointed out Eric.


    "Why should I be? Whether I go on vacation or not, I still get to enjoy my life. Besides, what would be the point of storing such negativity within myself when I don''t have the power to do anything about it? Eric, my guy, it would be better if you let go."


    The vacation money would have allowed him to resign even sooner. How could he simply let it go? Right now, he couldn''t do anything, but as someone once said, the future is in constant flux. Maybe when he advances to become a Spirit lord, a chance to get vengeance might present itself in the future.


    "Hasn''t he always refused to become a Spirit Lord?" asked Eric, moving on.


    "You haven''t explored the virtual world recently, right? Cause you wouldn''t be asking such a dumb question. What year are we in?" Jerry asked.


    "2071."


    "When did his Excellency, Musana become a Spirit Lord?"


    "2021." answered Eric with confidence.


    "That''s right. 50 years have passed. And Mr. Musana has finally decided to host an anniversary event after all these years."


    "What?!?!?" shouted out Eric, attracting the gazes of the other people within the massive cafeteria, before he felt embarrassment creeping into him, prompting him to lower his gaze for a moment.


    But his heart hadn''t settled down even though his face was a mask of stoicism. Musana! His idol, was about to celebrate something, and he hadn''t known about it?!


    Though, he could only blame himself for that. His subscription to the virtual world, coupled with updates had expired about a week ago. And since he had been looking forward to turning in his resignation, he hadn''t opted to renew it right away, holding it off for when he finally got the free time to browse the virtual web.

 Chapter 4 Finally Free

    SL Chapter 4 Finally Free


    Senney had awakened. That piece of news stuck within his mind even as he made his way home. Upon reaching his home, it was still echoing within the depths of his mind. According to what he had heard, the potions that allowed people to awaken were hard to produce, in turn leading to a hike in price due to their scarcity. But, those rich enough, and with the right connections could get one of their own.


    Upon opening the door, he first ignored the mess in his room to subscribe to the virtual world, coupled with the rest of the privileges, like the web. That was when he noticed a message, one delivered from his personal bank account that his salary had been deposited.


    His heart fluttered at the sum he had finally managed to accumulate across his nine years after leaving university. He was now 29 years, a grown man. Yet, he hadn''t done anything yet that could make him feel a sense of accomplishment. He pitied people like Jerry. They were the kinds that rotted within the corporate machine. He would have been like them if he had lacked a goal, one driven by not just vengeance, but also the need to solve a mystery.


    The accumulated sum was enough to purchase a potion, while also facilitating his needs for a solid month. If the awakening failed or something happened that prevented him from getting a potion... Those were thoughts that he banished from his mind. Failure was not an option.


    He closed the holoscreen floating above his palm before taking a look at the messy room. But now wasn''t the time to solve it. The night wasn''t young by any means. Even today, the beast that was work had been breathing down his neck, prompting him to work overtime. But first, he mentally composed a resignation letter after wearing an external neural link, one which resembled a tiara. Brain implanted ones weren''t his cup of tea. There were many issues that could happen, turning him into an idiot. No matter how much they had expounded upon their safety, he had never been sold on them.


    The one page document was as brief as he could make it. There were many things he wanted to add, like profanities, but ultimately, he got himself together and erased such things. They could be used against him in court, making him lose not just his last salary, but even forking out compensation. After scanning the written page almost three times, having made certain that there were no troublesome words, he mentally commanded it to be sent, right before he started undressing from his clothes. A smile lit up his features as he gazed at his attire, which he was finally going to ditch. A suit was the visual mark of a gentleman, yet it was also so restrictive, like a prison.


    Finally, he laid down within the covers, with the light automatically turning off, allowing him to sink within his sleep.


    -----


    1/04/2071.


    Once again, he found himself before a house, one with red tiles and a brick wall that had been plastered and painted with a white color. He had been young, maybe about 10 years, but he was watching the building burning with an unnatural flame.


    "Flame spreads like a plague."


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    That phrase had stuck within his mind like glue. Screams had been too loud at the time, yet that phrase was something he would never forget, not to mention the man with the dark crow shaped mask that had been standing right before him, holding a stick with that same colored flame, bringing it down upon himself, only for the nightmare to end there, with him abruptly awakening. He had lost, or sealed away the memory after that. He couldn''t dredge it no matter how much he tried. All he could remember after that was his appearance infront of a massive and tall building, which he had now come to know as something called a skyscraper.


    He passed his hand over his eyes, feeling the sweat that had accumulated upon his face, even that which was drenching his sheets. If someone were to visit, they might be turned off by the stench he was certain loomed within the room. Such a stray thought served to remind him that today, he didn''t have to go back to his previous job, causing his heart to leap in excitement. If you discounted the nightmare, he felt refreshed, having slept without the worry of having to wake up early, though, that was short lived when he gazed down at his side table, showing, 6:14AM.


    It looked like it was gonna take a while before his body registered the fact that he was now not required to wake early. A sigh escaped his lips when his attempt at getting sleepy failed. He was wide awake, courtesy of the nightmare.


    Flames that could burn even unflammable materials... That was the power of a Spirit Lord. He had only arrived at that conclusion after years of research. It would have been easy, if the governments weren''t actively working to hide any information about such supernatural existences.


    But, his search had then hit a dead end when he had tried to narrow down the culprit. Though, he had been certain that there must have been others. After all, how could he not have noticed the bizarre abilities his father had used trying to coax him into something. How could one lone Spirit Lord take down a clan filled with them? That would have been absurd!


    Information about Spirit Lords, especially their powers was a closely guarded secret unless you became one yourself. That was what he had come to learn. Except his idol, Mr. Musana, who had chosen to publicize his, all the others were enigmas.


    After mulling over those things, he pushed them to the side in favor of dealing with the mess that was his room. First, he picked up all the discarded snack packets, moving them into a bin right next to his door. Then, the clothes were all neatly piled into a bundle atop his bed, whether clean or unclean, before he picked up a rod, which he mentally activated, causing a blue light to be released, which started disintegrating every single microbe within the room when the light passed over.


    After that, he picked up a broom and started sweeping. Brooms were still a thing here since there were still plenty of poor people like himself in the world, those that couldn''t afford better cleaning technologies. Of course, the blame didn''t solely rest upon him alone, but even the landlord. Should the city council ever choose to crack down on subpar buildings, the man would most definitely go to jail.


    Finishing that, he picked up the bundle on his bed, taking even the sheets themselves, and moved towards a corner, where a compartment opened and he chugged in the entire bundle, with credits being deducted from his account automatically.


    Hours had passed by the time he finished his chores. He was by the window holding an empty cup of coffee, looking out into the dark streets, lit up by holographic signs and advertisements. Above this side of the city loomed a structure high above them, with its lights akin to stars in the night sky. He had always wondered why the people didn''t build these floating buildings away from the city. There were plenty of wild lands to go around, not to mention the fact that transportation had developed to the point of facilitating easier travel.


    A sigh escaped his lips before he ducked back into his room and sat by the bed, with a compartment sliding out of his side desk that held the brain for his artificial intelligence. The cup had already need discarded into a slide out dish-washer in the wall.


    The tiara-like neural link was placed atop his head before he laid down upon his bare bed. His laundry bundle still hadn''t been returned, a fact that made him inwardly grumble, but he couldn''t do anything about it. Too many people lived in the building, with just a single automated laundromat to support everyone. Even with a bundle being finished in 30 minutes, which involved washing, rinsing and drying, there were still far too many tenants.


    He closed his eyes and a familiar notification entered his mind, one which denoted the sum needed to be deducted from his account per hour of usage.


    His vision flickered for a moment before he regained himself. He was standing within a room, on solid soil, with green shoots and grass with wandering stems obscuring a small portion of the floor. How long had he not logged in for his residence to look like this? Weeks? Though he couldn''t honestly remember well, he knew that it wouldn''t have surpassed a month.


    Even some vines had started to try and creep into his little abode through the open window and door. This room he had spawned within was his residence in the virtual world, lacking even a meager table and chair. This was how most abodes looked like for those that were poor, like himself.

 Chapter 5 The Different World

    SL Chapter 5 The Different World


    He first scrutinized his attire, a plain white linen shirt, and a pair of brown pants, coupled with brown woven sandals whose strings had been wound around his legs within his pants until the knee, such that they wouldn''t fall off during intense movement.


    Then, from the sheath around his waist, he drew his most prized possession, a black dagger with a serrated edge. It was inexpensive to those that could afford to splurge, but for him who had to ration every single credit, it had been a monumental purchase, yet it had been needed. The virtual world wasn''t a safe place unless your virtual avatar was powerful enough, had a huge background, or an important bigshot in the real world. He had heard that this world was a result of a Spirit Lord''s ability, the reason why this world was so realistic. That translated into being charged for basically everything within this world. And upon dying, your previously paid session would be terminated, requiring you to pay once gain in order to log in, not to mention the fact that it bred chaotic individuals. After all, a tenth of your paid session would go to the person who killed you.


    First, Eric peeked out into the outside world through the window, which was letting in a health dose of sunlight, with the sensation eerily similar to basking in the real Sun. From the temperature, to the brightness, everything was impeccably mimicked. Of course, that was just his conjecture as it had been some time since he had last felt the true Sun''s rays on his skin.


    Similar rows of houses were lined up on the opposite street, with some appearing to be well maintained while others had become ensnared by nature.


    Though, after failing to catch a glimpse of even a soul, Eric proceeded to clear out the undergrowth and the vines that had threatened to take over his place, before exiting through the door and doing the same outside, though, this time with his senses heightened in case an ambush was sprung, not to mention an assassination. This was the life of the bottom dwellers like himself, unlike those that lived in the far off monolithic stone structures in the distance. But, he was certain that upon his awakening, he would join them. Spirit Lords, no matter the task, were paid a lot of money. Becoming a millionaire after a month would be way too easy.


    After clearing everything, he backed off into the dirt road and nodded in satisfaction before directing his gaze towards the monolithic stone structures in the distance, which were being parasitised by a manner of vegetation, including trees.


    A deep breath was taken, and his caution rose to the highest it has ever been before he broke off into a jog.


    His goal was that city in the distance. This place, where he lived, was a slum area. The only relatively safe time this place could be traversed was during the early nights, when many denizens had logged in, making the streets relatively safe. But now that they were off to their day time jobs, it became a hazard.


    Hjs heart tensed as a reflection entered his eyes, almost blinding him for a moment. But he wasn''t slow, ducking into the middle of two small rooms in an instant, with something, a projectile, making impact into the soil of the road just a moment later. His heart raced as he had just escaped such a near death experience. Though death was an illusion here, the pain was real. Even a splinter hurt like in the real world. Even now, he could feel a dull pain in his ankles after the stress he had just put them through. No matter how powerful you became, pain was your closest companion here.


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    How long had it been since his heart had last pounded this hard? That was something he didn''t remember very much as it had been a long time since he had been attacked. He had always chosen the safe times to head towards the monolithic structures in the distance, in his previous visits.


    Even as he thought, his steps didn''t pause for even a moment as he used the alleyways to his advantage, still moving towards the tall stone and plant towers in the distance. Any other direction would prove to checkmate him unless he was confident of his strength. His eyes scanned everything with scrutiny as he raced ahead. He had fallen into an ambush. If he were his assailant, surely, there would be another trap laid down, right?


    And that was when his sensitive ears picked up a faint sound, causing him to lean backwords, with his back just a few inches off the ground, even as his momentum still pulled him to the front, with glinting throwing stars passing right above him. Even though it had been a long time, his mind hadn''t forgotten battle. His earlier days had been ones filled with skirmishes, before he had graduated.


    After righting himself, he kicked off, continuing with his sprint. If he slowed down for even a moment, the chances of being surrounded were high. Though, before he could breathe out a sigh of relief, a glint, caused by reflection of light entered his eyes, as a figure appeared a few meters in front of him, atop one of the roofs of the small abodes. His entire being was encased in armor with only his purple pupils visible. He was wielding a spear, one he was certain had been the cause of the initiation attack. Though this time it seemed that whoever was in the armor wasn''t going to hurl it, instead, they were preparing to leap down and engage him.


    ''How rich? Why would they choose to target poor old me?!'' such a stray thought appeared even as one of his hands moved to the hilt of his sheathed dagger.


    He drew his dagger in one smooth motion before drawing patterns in the air with its tip, and with the addition of his intent, his speed tripled, with the surroundings blurring, which lasted approximately a second, after which, he found himself face to face with armored guy, whose form had been in the midst of dropping down, with his eyes starting to widen in fear. A smirk started making it onto Eric''s lips at the expression. That meant that this was an amateur, not a professional.


    This time, he lacked the time to draw a rune, so, with finesse, his dagger slid into one of the eye holes of the armor, and was plunged into the armored person''s brain, with him side stepping the armored figure afterwards, without staying around to see the outcome. After all, he was supremely confident in his skill. Though he had gotten rusty, it hadn''t gotten to the point that an amateur would survive his attack.


    A few minutes later, when he felt that his lungs could no longer hold on, he found a relatively shaded and dark shadow of an alley and hid within. His body was hot. And in this sweltering heat, it was unbearable. The silver lining though, was the fact that there were no pursuers. It appeared that the death of whoever owned that armor had made an impact.


    After regathering himself, he continued towards his destination. Today was going to mark the start of his endeavors to becoming one of Spirit Lords. That was something that couldn''t be delayed.


    This time, he was even more cautious. Professionals, people with skill equal, or even exceeding himself could strike at any moment. Amateurs were those that couldn''t form runes fast enough. But professionals, were like him, people who had learned to form a group of runes so fast that it had practically become an instinct. Then, there were those monsters that were even faster, having reached the point of skill turning into reflex. They were the hardest to deal with. Even with money and power, this virtual world held skill in high esteem.


    After almost half an hour of walking he finally reached the boundary. It wasn''t a physical demarcation of any sort, just a transition. Well, some argued that the boundary was the wide road right before him, while others were of the thought that it was the transition of architecture. Behind him, the sea of slum houses stopped, while opposite him, the monoliths loomed, intimidating anyone who laid eyes upon them.


    Tension slipped out of him the moment he stepped away from the slums. Here, there was a semblance of order as targeting anyone might lead to consequences down the line that you couldn''t hope to deal with. Tigers and snakes, dressed in sheep''s skin were everywhere. You might even stumble upon one of those monsters, earning yourself an unworthy death.


    All manner of carriages, being pulled by beasts, from fantasy versions of tigers and dragons, to mere common ostriches, crowded the road. And there was no end to them. This world didn''t just contain humans from the real world, but even NPCs. Though, no one had ever managed to really find any obvious signs that blatantly gave them away. They acted and and moved like real people. It was as if someone had taken souls from the real world and added them into this world. And what''s more bizarre, Eric, and the other player characters, could even give birth to an NPC in this world upon having sex and getting pregnant!

 Chapter 6 Darkside

    SL Chapter 6 Darkside


    Eric hadn''t come to this place without a goal, or a plan. Before his subscription had expired, he had researched ways in which he could awaken without having his freedom being taken away by having to subjugate himself to a faction, or bankrupting himself.


    And that research had paid off, because he was now standing right infront of the monolith that acted as the location for his goal. Just like every other before it, it was grey, with multiple green plant matter colonizing its stony outer surface. Windows, or you could even call them, holes, whether rectangular, square, circular, or any other manner of abstract shapes, littered its surface, from the ground, all the way to its summit. People could be glimpsed through them wherever his eye sight could reach. The entrance before him, through which a somewhat small crowd was gathered, was massive, and dark inside, not giving a glimpse to the interior, akin to the maw of a beast.


    With a thought, a dark hooded robe materialized over his form, reaching all the way to his feet, before he made his way into the maw.


    Upon entering, everything shifted, not just subtly, but blatantly. The inside was a hubbub of technology, from the lights, to the holograms, to every single piece of technology that existed publicly outside. This didn''t surprise him, though, it made him wonder why the Spirit Lord rumored to be the true owner of this virtual space, had left the slums in such a state.


    Even the clothing had changed, except for his hood. Within, his modest linen shirt and pants had undergone a transition into a full body dark suit with white bands at the neck and the ankles, ones which were luminescent.


    The dagger''s hilt remained the same, but he knew that it''s blade had turned into a solid light construct.


    He kept moving. His dark robe didn''t stand out in this place as there were many who had opted for the same configuration as him. After all, this monolith housed something within its depths, a place that any righteous citizen wouldn''t deign to step within in their lifetime.


    He took an elevator, one that was especially catered to people that were heading towards the same destination as him, because he could see that almost everyone within had taken measure to mask their physical appearances. And unless you took the initiative to divulge your identity, no one could link it on the outside world. That was one of the things that made this world so desirable. So far, ever since its appearance, he had never heard of anyone succeeding in any endeavor to hack it.


    When the doors of the elevator next opened, Eric''s eyes fell upon something that astonished him immensely. This was the first time he had come to this kind of place, but his surprise didn''t last long, less than two seconds. This wasn''t the place to lose his faculties.


    He walked away from the elevator terminal, taking in the sight before his eyes. It was a massive cavern, with stalactites, growing out of the ceiling. And they weren''t normal ones, instead, each and every single one was glowing with a green color, acting as the light provider for this massive place.


    His attraction didn''t last long though, before something drew his attention, a fighting ring, one which was crowded with people, preventing him from viewing the battle within. But what made him wince was the massive hologram floating above it, explaining the rules.


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    First of all, no weapons were allowed, yet the opponent was a beast, a native creature. And it appeared that you could only fight something at your level. There was even a disclaimer that said that the battle was at your own risk. Plus the fact that the challenge didn''t end until the death of one of the participants, with any suicidal actions and thoughts entirely prohibited, meaning that unless, you gave it your all, you couldn''t even choose your death!


    He passed by it, finding even other unsavory establishments, with some even engaged in slave trade. At a point, he even developed rage upon seeing a young child being treated as merchandise, yet he couldn''t even do anything to stop it. And her price had even surpassed what he had saved in his 9 years of work!


    He huffed and puffed before ultimately walking away, feeling a sense of shame within him. If he had been stronger, or maybe richer, he would have done something! It took all his willpower and the gritting of his teeth to stop himself from turning back and doing something he was certain he would regret, if he didn''t die first.


    Finally, he reached his destination. Yet, he felt as if his soul had been sucked out. Noveltly had worn off, instead replaced by disgust and repulsiveness. This was a place that shouldn''t have existed. But what power did he have? There was nothing he could do at the moment to change anything. He was too weak, too poor.


    He pushed open the wooden door. It appeared this place wasn''t one that embraced technology as his outfit reverted back to when he had been outside the monolith. Yellow light from the crude oil lamps hanging off the walls lit up the place, which was composed of a dance floor, a seating area, and a bar, which appeared to be fully stocked with all manner of beverage. Behind the counter stood a woman, one who had a mole right below her right eye, with crimson pupils, a red dress that advertised the valley of her bosom, with dark hair that cascaded all the way below her back. She was in the middle of mixing an unknown beverage. But the moment they made eye contact, he paused before walking over and taking over one of the high stools. Thankfully, the rest of the stools on the counter were empty, meaning that they could atleast have some privacy. This woman was his target.


    "For a moment, I had thought you a vampire." She spoke while Eric wallowed within his emotions, though the words partially jolted him.


    "I have never heard of anyone who could see through disguises." he tried to make his voice calm. Could she really see through this hood''s features?


    "Of course I can''t. Your posture indicates that you have just suffered a major emotional blow. Just by extrapolating the fact that this place isn''t exactly palatable to newcomers, I deduced that your face must have turned pale. And I have seen plenty like you." She nonchalantly revealed.


    "It looks like you have plenty of free time if you can pay attention to such things." he almost winced at his comeback. Antagonising the woman he was about to ask for something wasn''t exactly something someone in their right mind would do.


    "Heh! Young man... It seems like this place has rattled you more than I expected!" There was no amusement within her eyes even as she said that. Instead, she turned around and started browsing the wine and beer collection behind her.


    Eric on the other hand, was lamenting his poor handling of the situation. He should have restrained himself. A sigh escaped his lips even as a tune entered his ears, one that was soothing and ethereal. He swiveled upon his stool and gazed towards the dance floor, specifically towards the stage upon it, where a woman with long blonde hair, long ears, and a pair of the most beautiful emerald eyes, was holding a peculiar instrument, stringing it, while her mouth was releasing a tune that had managed to captivate his heart.


    For a moment, he was drawn in, just like the sparse occupants of the bar, falling into its soothing embrace all the way to its end, whereupon he joined the revelers in unleashing applause.


    "Merier is a talent, even among fellow elves." spoke a voice behind him, reminding him of what he had temporarily forgotten.


    "An elf?! How can she be here?!" He asked in bewilderment. He had of course entertained the idea, but it''s absurdity had led him to think that maybe, she was a half elf. Elves prized elegance to an unnatural degree. Not to mention the fact that they didn''t exactly love to interact with the ''brutish races''.


    "Oh! She is a slave." As if commenting about the weather, the crimson eyed woman answered. Then, a glass, half filled with a crimson liquid slid his way.


    "How did that happen?!"


    "Trade secret."


    A sigh escaped his lips, even as he raised the glass to his lips, first taking a whiff, before taking a sip.


    "So, I heard you are the one to speak to, if I wanted to awaken." Eric said with a lowered voice. He had decided to kick everything about the elf to the curb in favor of his business. He had already delayed it long enough. Plus, if he delved any deeper, he was certain that he would lose his chance at awakening.

 Chapter 7 An Invitation

    SL Chapter 7 An Invitation


    The woman didn''t answer right away, but first tidied up the place, placing back the bottle that she had drawn the wine from into the cabinet behind the counter.


    "There are many methods through which an awakening potion can be obtained. Each has its merits, difficulties and problems. What manner of difficulty do you want to choose?"


    "Methods?" parroted a puzzled Eric.


    "For example that boxing ring right at the edge of this cavern... If you manage to win five successive matches, you can request for an awakening potion, which will be handed to you promptly. And there are many methods akin to that, mostly of the unsavory means."


    Fighting in a ring, with a creature at your level, with no weapons?! Just the thought turned Eric''s face beneath the hood pale.


    "Isn''t there something safer?" He hedged.


    "Safer. Unless you have money and connections, this is the best you are going to get. Spirit Lords lay down their very lives in every single altercation with one another. Don''t tell me that just because you become one, you won''t enter conflict, right?" Her crimson pupils bore into Eric.


    Risking his life wasn''t out of the question. But it depended on circumstances. Fighting five battles, experiencing pain in every single fight just to get a potion. Maybe, that could happen if he got desperate enough. But for now, that wasn''t something he could entertain.


    "I have a way that''s considerably easier, with the risk of death somewhere in between." After a few minutes of silence, she spoke.


    "What is it?" He perked up.


    "There is someone who is in need of bodyguards, with the duration lasting until after his Excellence Musana''s celebration. If chosen, the awakening potion will be provided, free of charge."


    Eric became somewhat flabbergasted at that. The potion cost upwards of a million credits, yet someone was just going to be giving it away! There must have been something deeper to it.


    "Things like this are somewhat common. Though, it also almost always entails that there will be some danger to the task. Perhaps the chance to forfeit your life." cautioned the woman.


    "Any more information on the task?" He asked.


    "Any more, requires my fee. Whether you are chosen among the multitude or not, I have to get paid."


    "That''s unfair." Eric threw out the statement even as he took another sip from the glass.


    "What? You want me to recommend that you be chosen? That''s not how it works. Besides, I have zero connections to the big shot. All I have is an invitation." She shook her head.


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    "How much?"


    "Half a million credits!" Eric almost leaped off the stool a that, only to control himself.


    "That''s mighty expensive for just a trace of a chance!" He hissed.


    "That''s how it is." She shrugged.


    "Isn''t there something more guaranteed?" He asked after a few minutes in silence.


    "There is. But the price or the ordeals you will have to go through in order to earn that potion aren''t things you can handle. Trust me on this. They are either on the same level as that battle cage, or worse."


    Eric mulled over all that. Though he had been prepared to fork out an entire million credits, that had hinged upon a concrete chance! Parting with half of that for a trace of a chance would set him back if he wasn''t chosen! He had already resigned from his job! Not to mention the fact that he wasn''t eager at the idea of toiling more years away!


    "Okay, you can give me the invitation." he relented, even though inwardly it pained him to choose this option.


    -----


    11/4/2071


    Eric was pacing about in his tiny room, wandering about his clothing choices. An envelope, one in a purple color with golden etchings lay upon his bed. Apparently, the invitation had been written in ink, as if the person was old fashioned. But Eric was certain that that wasn''t the case. He had mulled over the thought that went through writing it, coming to the conclusion that the writer was somewhat untrusting of digital means. Could it mean that their enemy, or enemies for that matter, were capable of intersecting digital means?


    Ultimately, he gave up on that problem, exchanging it with another. The venue where the invitation led was something that was also causing his current dilemma. Once again, he was going to have to wear the suit. It wasn''t because he lacked the means to buy better clothes. It was because of the inherent thought that anything less than the suit might be seen as an insult to the other party. After all, the venue was set to be in one of the floating structures above, a testament to the person''s elevated status.


    With a sigh, the suit was once again donned upon his form before he made it out the door. A communication device was wrapped around his left wrist, one a step higher than the previous one, even giving him the capability of linking with every piece of technology possessed by Cassandra''s brain. He breathed in the noon breeze on reaching the street, though not without immediately wincing at the amalgam of scents, from food, to mechanical. Instead of choosing a direction, this time, he waited. He had already booked a transport to take him within the vicinity of his destination.


    A craft descended from the skies, one which attracted the attention of every single person upon the street at this moment on time. Eric felt his face flush with heat, which made him feel like a deer in headlights, causing him to hurriedly duck into the craft the moment it landed, breathing in a sigh of relief when the entrance stitched itself back together. It was small, one of a single seater variety. It was autonomous, one of those used by those that could afford life on the structure above him.


    "Greetings, Mr. Bosingwa Eric. I am your onboard navigational AI 421, also serving as your assistant. Would you like a cold beverage?"


    A small holographic 3D face had just materialised right before him, made up of blue light.


    "What kind of refreshments are we talking about?" He asked even as his eyes lingered upon the white curved seat he was occupying, which was very comfortable. Then, they moved towards the transparent hull surrounding him, which was allowing him to view his ascent. He could see the levels of the skyscrapers around him as the vehicle rose upwards, even passing through the massive advertisement holograms.


    "There is water, wine, and bubbly fruit drinks." The AI answered.


    "Plain water then." He answered. Though he appeared to be relaxed, there were butterflies fluttering within his stomach. Even taking water was pushing it a bit. Going to new places did that to him, not to mention the fact that his destination was one where people of his social and economic class rarely went to.


    A glass of water was raised out of the compartment and Eric took it in his hands, raised it to his mouth, and took a sip before setting it down. Then, he watched through the hull as the vehicle, after rising to a certain height, started to make it out of the shadow of the structure above.


    "Allow sunlight, from the rays to the heat, to reach me." He made a request, which was accepted promptly.


    When the vehicle was finally illuminated by the morning sun, Eric felt as if he was being baptised. How long had he gone without actually feeling the sun upon his skin? He couldn''t really remember. He had always thought that the virtual and the sun simulations in the virtual wood and the ceiling of his workplace had managed to capture the essence of the real thing, but upon basking in this light, he felt that all his previous assumptions had been a massive joke. How could they capture this feeling? The one he was experiencing upon being illuminated by the rays of the real thing?


    It was indescribable. It was as if he had been living in darkness for the past few years! He made an attempt to glimpse upon its glory, but had to avert his eyes due to how penetrative and invasive the light was.


    After getting out of the shadow, the vehicle started rising along the structure, the cuboidal skyscraper. Actually, there were many that believed that the word ''skyscraper'' was apt for this kind of construct instead of those pale imitations that had their base upon the ground.


    He couldn''t take in the entire structure because of how close to it he was, but just what he could see, made him suck in a gasp. This thing within his eyes could house very many buildings down below with room to spare! The edges of the surface he was currently seeing, were very far off to the point that he was certain that moving from one edge to the other in a vehicle would be the same as traveling a quarter of Kampala city!

 Chapter 8 The Old Woman

    SL Chapter 8 The Old Woman


    The craft, after a few minutes of cruising along the height of the building, finally reached its destination, a massive hanger, also serving as a port. Eric was somewhat taken back and also surprised by the scene before him. Flying vehicles, private and public alike were either taking off after being loaded with cargo and passengers, or dropping off those two into the hangar. Eric even managed to spot some luxurious models of private craft that he had only managed to glimpse within videos and the other minor virtual worlds.


    His craft, found an empty landing pad, whose occupant had just vacated, and let him off. For a moment, he simply stood at the edge, taking in everything within this place. There was a vibrancy that was distinctly absent from where he had come from. Children were smiling, the adults had that glow of ambition and looking forward to tomorrow within their eyes. Down below, frowns of worry were more prevalent, yet here, the people had the peace to look forward to the next day. Envy, an emotion he hadn''t been certain he could feel towards those who weren''t Spirit Lords, was born within his heart as he took all that in.


    When young, from the fragmented memories he could remember, he had been like these people, happy, with glowing eyes, coupled with the presence of both his parents...


    A deep breath was forced out of his lips as he cut off that trail of thought before the gloom could settle in. Today was a new day. A day he might awaken. It was better to be optimistic.


    While he was gathering himself, he felt a tap upon his back, prompting him to turn around with such alarm that he almost lost his balance, only managing to stop himself from falling by holding into the railing behind him.


    Then, a pleasant chuckle, one like the twinkling of wind chimes, entered his ears, eliciting a rise of heat to his cheeks.


    In front of him, stood a pair of people. Behind them, was a new craft, one which had clearly already replaced the one that had dropped him off. It seems that his musings had taken a lot of time. He hurriedly checked the time on his device, only breathing a sigh of relief when it read: 11:23AM.


    After that, he took in the sight before him. First, like any normal man who had taken a long time without seeing beauty, or even chatting with any of his female colleagues, his gaze was drawn to the vibrant youth first. A girl that was wearing blue denim shorts that were showing off her spring thighs and tall legs. Her feet were enclosed within flip-flops, and a short sleeved grey blouse with an etching he didn''t recognize adorned her upper half. Her chest was modest. That was something he took notice of.


    And it seems that after the initial laugh, her attention had shifted elsewhere, because, Eric could see certain images flashing within her deep black pupils. Meaning that she was online.


    She had a head full of black short hair, that only fell to the tips of her ears.


    A cough from the girl''s side finally attracted his attention towards the other person beside her. His embarrassment at being caught staring must have been blatantly displayed upon his face, because the old woman who had coughed chuckled.


    "If it had been 20 years before, I would have been giving you an earful right about now, maybe even beating you up." she said in amusement.


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    Looking at her seemingly frail form, Eric wondered how that would have happened. Even though he was weak for his age, there was no way he would have lost to this frail old woman!


    She had white long hair, which had been arranged into a single braid that was swaying behind her back with any small movement by her head. She wasn''t old to the point of needing a walking stick or any help, with the only telltale sign being the wrinkles on her face.


    "Tessa. Your job is completed. You can head out and enjoy yourself."


    "Granny! What are you really going to be doing here?"


    "Am an old woman who is going to finally have a chance at reacquainting myself with my hobby."


    "What hobby? I hope it''s not something dangerous or mom will give me an earful!"


    The teen, Tess, had her eyes narrowed at the old woman, who didn''t flinch back for even a moment, only keeping up her smile. Ultimately, she sighed before stalking off.


    "Will she be safe?" After a few minutes, Eric asked. She was dressed in such a highly provocative outfit. Wasn''t that just inviting those with raging hormones to her?


    "Nah! This place is safe. Besides, she isn''t exactly a flower vase."


    This place was safe?! Really?! Eric had never seen anyone with that kind of clothing walking alone from where he was from! They only wore like that if they were with their boyfriends, parents, or someone with some measure of relation to them. But even then, Eric could count the number of times he had ever seen a woman in a miniskirt on his fingers in his 9 years of work!


    A look around almost caused his heart rate to speed up and his lower half to almost bulge. The women here were too... Tantalizing to a virgin like himself.


    "I have to go, Madam." After regaining himself, he spoke.


    "Lad, do you know the way to this hall?" with that question, a holographic image was displayed before him.


    ''The number is familiar...'' that thought was birthed within his mind before it clicked. Wasn''t this the number of the hall marked upon the invitation?! For real! An old lady was participating?!


    No... That shouldn''t be the case. There should be some other explanation. Was this woman connected to the big shot who had invited everyone? He wondered.


    "I am also heading for the same destination. Let''s go together." He offered with a professionally amiable smile. If the old lady was connected to the bigshot, maybe she could put in a good word for him, increasing his chances of being chosen?


    Through the crowds they walked. Eric gawked at the stores, the people, the atmosphere, the luxurious brands of clothing, and many other things as they walked. Even though he was dressed to the nines in his suit, he still felt small among these people.


    "You should walk with a straight back."


    "Huh?"


    "What I am saying, is that you should project confidence even when you don''t feel it." spoke the old woman. Until now, he hadn''t worked up the courage to ask her name. That would be considered overstepping his bounds if she had any relation to the bigshot.


    "Confidence... Where I come from, that''s a very hard thing to project. These people have that glow in their eyes, just like you, madam. They feel that they can keep chasing after tomorrow with confidence! For me, many problems stand in the way, most of which are related to finance."


    "The world really has changed. Back in my time, there were atleast still those that loved to chase dreams. But now, money is the problem, not to mention the fact that short attention spans brought upon by social media is causing a lack of concrete dreams. Do you have a goal? A dream?"


    ''Should I tell her that I want become a Spirit Lord? Or would that be me kicking myself in the shin?''


    "A Spirit Lord." Ultimately, he answered with the truth. There was no point in lying, or trying to come up with something else.


    "A Spirit Lord..." she mumbled before trailing off.


    After many corridors, elevators and a lot of walking, which had started to make him feel winded, they both found themselves before a sealed door, with two others already there, a burly man in a yellow vest and green pants, plus another thin man, with a cigarette in his mouth.


    Their casual attires made Eric all the more conscious of how formal he had dolled himself up. The granny''s casual attire hadn''t alerted him as he had simply taken it as normal with her connection, but upon seeing these two, he was starting to feel that maybe, he had overdressed.


    "What are you waiting for, lads?" asked the granny. Eric had somewhat been scared of starting a conversation with the two. They looked like delinquents. Grown up delinquents.


    "Well... Apparently, we have to wait until five people gather before being allowed in."


    ''Oh! Why couldn''t each one be allowed in as they arrived? Why is this bigshot so cautious? Are they expecting an attack of some sort?'' wondered Eric, even as he surreptitiously stole glances at the granny.


    ''I wonder, is she also an invitee? Maybe my assumption was wrong? But then why would a woman of her age want to take on such a risk when she has children, plus such a beautiful teenage granddaughter? I remember her mentioning something about a hobby... But isn''t that peculiar?''


    Before his thoughts could go any further, a fifth person arrived, a woman, tall, and also clad in a business suit, with a pair of glasses resting upon the bridge of her nose. She had long black hair that was cascading down her back like a waterfall, coupled with an electric gaze, courtesy of her brown eyes. Her body language was one that was screaming at everyone that she didn''t want to speak with anyone.

 Chapter 9 Exotic

    SL Chapter 9 Exotic


    When the fifth person arrived, the door lit up and a voice, one Eric was certain was from an AI, asked them to present their invitations, which were scanned promptly.


    A glimmer appeared within his eyes when he caught sight of the old woman''s invitation. His speculations from before had been wrong all along. She was the same as them. Of course, he didn''t rule out the possibility of a connection with the big shot, but now, he was certain that that chance was slim.


    That realization also caused a few more questions to spring out into his mind. Why would an old woman want to join this dangerous looking activity when she had such a beautiful grand kid, coupled with her very own kids? That and many others were at the forefront of his mind, but were buried when the doors started sliding away from each other, causing the inner atmosphere to leak out, almost rooting him to the spot.


    There was murderous intent within the leaking atmosphere! And it was potent enough that he felt as if the edge of a blade was lingering close to his neck. Though, what made him feel a little bit better was the fact that he hadn''t been the only one who had been ensnared by the atmosphere. The bespectacled woman was even trembling, with a look of utter horror etched onto her features.


    A chuckle from the old woman dispelled everything, like the Sun melting away the snow, yet, Eric still couldn''t get that existential fear out of his head.


    The bespectacled woman fled the instant the old woman had chuckled. Eric wondered whether he too, would have fled if this opportunity didn''t hold his desire for vengeance.


    "It''s not good to scare away people like that." chastised the old woman.


    "People with such weak wills don''t deserve this chance. Though, I wonder, oldy? How is it that you managed to withstand such potent murderous intent, even dispersing it with a mere chuckle?" asked one of those gathered within the huge room. It was a man dressed in a stripped suit, which alternated between yellow and black vertical stripes. He was holding a wine glass filled with red liquid, while casually leaning against one of the chairs. Though, Eric noted that he was one of the dangerous ones in the room, someone whose gaze elicited goosebumps across his skin.


    "Lad... I have lived for a long time! Such minor parlor tricks are things I have come across more than once in my lengthy life." Answered the old woman with a scoff.


    "Oh! It seems that you aren''t a simple granny. I really do hope that we are chosen together. I want to see what an old coot like yourself can bring to the table." with that statement, the man turned towards another person beside him, ignoring Eric and the other two beside the old woman. It was infuriating that he had been ignored, but ultimately, the blame rested entirely upon no one''s shoulders. He was simply that weak, not by choice, but by circumstance.


    The other two went their separate ways, while Eric made the decision to stick with the granny. She was the only person he knew among everyone here after all. They both sat down, with the relief that flooded him, allowing him to finally take stock of the large room they were all being accommodated within.


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    The room had cream colored walls, a dark marble-like floor, and a white ceiling, fixed with the most glamorous of chandeliers, numbering three, which served to illuminate the entire place with a soft light, akin to the light of a day, when there were sparse clouds in the sky blocking most of the Sun''s wrath.


    A number of chairs, a hundred to be precise, were arranged neatly in rows and columns, facing one direction, where the floor became raised by a factor of a meter. And on that raised floor, stood a woman in a business suit, with a purple blouse with ruffles on its neckline. On her lower torso, a pair of pants matching the dark suit hugged her slender legs, and her feet were securely covered within a pair of dark heels. She had dark hair, and an oval face. Though, her eyes were a bit too glaring for Eric''s taste. It was as if she didn''t trust every single person here, gazing at them with such scrutiny that some poor fellows were scared enough to hide behind others.


    (Would you like a beverage?)


    A holographic message was projected out of his wrist band. He didn''t become alarmed as he knew that it must have been the AI of the building, or room. Whichever it was, he didn''t care. He refused it, but apparently, the granny had other thoughts, because a beverage was delivered to her by a humanoid not, one that was gleaming silver. Eric had thought that it would have had human-like skin and features.


    "Old woman, I have a question." started Eric.


    "''Old woman'' isn''t an appellation that makes me happy. Call me by my name, Selena." She said.


    "Okay... Madam Selena, why are you trying to become a Spirit Lord through this method?"


    "Hmmm... Just for the thrill of it. Pregnancy during my younger days dashed my dreams. I have spent over 120 years looking after those brats. Now, now I want to pick up from where I left off. Besides, now, there is this power of Spirit Lords. I have always been curious about it. Don''t look at me like that brat. Even if I was to die right now I wouldn''t have any regrets. To me, it''s better I die doing what I love instead of passing away peacefully of old age."


    "For real? Wouldn''t you miss anyone? Wouldn''t you wish that you had done more for any of your descendants?" Eric asked, genuinely curious.


    "You feel that I would be disappointing them only because you haven''t lived long enough to see your grandchildren. If you do, you will understand that some things have to be left to others." She sighed. It was heavy, as if there was something deeper.


    The doors, which were located on one side of the room, which was the left from where Eric was seated, once again slid to the side, letting in another five, who were also exposed to the same aura. Though, this time a whole three of them turned tail and ran, making Eric feel something akin to smugness bud within his heart.


    "I believe the time has come. Sirella, don''t let anyone else in." ordered a voice that reached every corner of the room. The woman who had had been standing upon the raised floor, glaring at everyone, had finally deigned to speak.


    "Let''s welcome my lady, your boss, into the room." Those words were the trigger that had every single pair of eyes falling upon the side door upon the raised stage, which slid open an instant later.


    A purple crystal Peep toe heel was the first thing that entered Eric''s eyes, with the nails painted in a dazzling shade of hues that all at once formed a magnificent art piece. The foot that was entrenched within those heels was almost as white as snow, with a purple hem entering his eyes just below the knee. It was a hem with multiple vertical foldings, which originated all the way from the waist of the strapped gown the lady was wearing. Her purple long hair cascaded down her back, having been woven into many small braids that served to add something ethereal to the woman, coupled with her unnatural pupils, which were composed of a purple five petalled etching within the black core.


    Eric had his breath taken away. Never in his life had he laid eyes on such an exotic creature! Comparing this woman to the old lady''s granddaughter was like comparing a goddess to a mortal!


    His heart sped up as he beheld her. She was simply that stunning!


    "Lad! Your jaw is about to hit the floor."


    Madam Selena''s words caused embarrassment to bloom within him. Though, he still stole glances at the woman, without appearing to be blatantly glaring at her.


    She turned to the gathered crowd after reaching the middle of the raised floor, right next to the other woman. She didn''t start off with speaking, instead using her eyes to take in each and every single person gathered in the room.


    "Are you prepared to lay down your lives for me?"


    The question quieted the room. Even those that had been taken in by her beauty awakened, puzzled as to why she would ask such a question.


    "You came here for the flimsy chance at awakening, right? Everything in this world comes at a price. Something must be given, in order for another to be earned. So, tell me, are you prepared to die, in order to protect me?"


    "Miss... What do you mean?" Someone asked a dumb question.


    "It is as you heard. My enemies won''t spare you just because you''re merely temporary guards. Or, were you hoping to simply coast along, thinking that this was going to be easy?"

 Chapter 10 Interlude; Chang Woo

    SL Chapter 10 Interlude; Chang Woo


    11/04/2071


    Rythmic tapping resounded through a small room. It was the kind that was caused when the sole of a foot clad within a shoe hit the floor at regular intervals. The room itself was a marvel of decor, colored purple with golden etchings that were akin to vines, growing along every inch of the walls and floor, even having golden leaves and blooming flowers, whose golden petals glowed with a mesmerizing sheen.


    Within this room, there were black pieces of furniture, from the sofas, to the black shelves lined with scores of books, to a small table that had a transparent jug filled with a yellow liquid and a couple of inverted glasses, all resting upon a stainless steel tray. Though, there was also something that didn''t exactly have the same color as everything within the room, yet fit with everything. You could even say that everything else served to highlight its importance. It was a rectangular transparent table, with smooth curves.


    Behind it, was a man clad in a grey suit with a black tie visible beneath his elbows, which were resting upon its surface, with the fingers of each hand entwined with each other upon meeting, whereupon, his temple was resting, forming creases on his forehead. His eyes were closed, his face had a chiseled jawline, one whose curve was enough to ensnare women across the world. The tint of his skin was enough to certify him as someone of Asian descent.


    He was seated upon a black chair, with his back facing a window, through which small fluffy clouds could be seen just a few meters below it.


    The rythmic tapping was originating from his left foot below the table. But something interrupted that tapping a mere moment later.


    Within the transparent table, specks of pure white light gathered, joining into bands of light which ultimately exited the table, converging right above the floor infront of him, coalescing into a humanoid form.


    "Mr. Chang Woo. You have a visitor." it''s voice reverberated within the room.


    "Didn''t I make myself clear?" He faintly asked, without even opening his eyes.


    "It''s your sister."


    That answer caused his eyelids to open gently, exposing his purple petalled pupils within a dark core to the outside world. A sigh filled with true annoyance made it out of his lips.


    His hands separated, with one rubbing his forehead in circles, preparing himself for the small migraine that was about to develop. There was only one reason she would choose to disturb his peace at this time, her rivalry with that girl, Bora.


    The door at the far end of the room slid open, exposing a woman clad in a dark short dress, no doubt she had been out partying with her useless friends, and heard something unpleasant judging by the scowl upon her features and the sheer hate within her purple petalled pupils.


    "Brother, it looks like you have become too lazy. That woman is out there gathering helpers. She even managed to scrounge up funds from somewhere to afford awakening potions! How could this have passed you by?!" shouted the woman without any qualms about his standing.


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    Chang woo stood up from his chair, and simply moved to stand by the window, silently. How could every single development about that woman have escaped his eyes and ears? That''s why he detested this sister of his. Why couldn''t she have inherited some of the calm and wisdom of their father?


    When his thoughts reached there, a dark and terrified expression crossed over his features for an instant. Thankfully, his face was away from his sister.


    That girl... Bora, had something that might allow him to survive the clutches of that man, a Spiritually manifested treasure, one whose unique abilities could save him. No, not just him. Though his sister was a scatterbrained idiot, not to mention idiotic, he wanted to atleast save her too.


    A monster that raised his children as resources... The memory of how he had found out was enough to even induce chills in him right now even though over a year had passed.


    "So, Brother... How are you going to handle that bitch? Should I do something?"


    "Something... Is being done right now. Though, in a few days, your help might be needed. She has something that I need."


    "Really? Plans! Plans! Plans! Why do you need to waste time when she''s just there?! You are in the Crystal stage while she''s a stage below! What''s the need for all those plans?!"


    Chang Woo massaged his temple. He couldn''t tell her that she could be killed before atleast reaching the Crystal stage, right? That would mean that he knew of the monster''s plans. He couldn''t take that massive of a risk.


    "Trust me sister. When the time comes for you to take action, you will be immensely satisfied."


    "Really?!" this time the skeptical tone had vanished, instead replaced by excitement.


    He stifled a sigh at her simple mindedness. It had always puzzled him why women had the capacity to hate another of their gender without a concrete reason. For men, the reasons were blatant. But for women, he couldn''t really understand. And he was even certain that that girl Bora didn''t take his sister as someone important enough for her to waste attention on.


    "If that''s all you came for, you can leave."


    "No, I came here to escape Calendro." she plopped into the sofa, kicked off her heels and laid down upon it, her face facing upwards.


    "He is still bothering you?" Chang Woo frowned.


    "I hate the way his eyes roam over my body, as if violating me... No, I am 100% certain that that pervert is most likely violating me within his mind!"


    Calendro was also a problem. Though, now that he had learned of his father''s plans, he was certain that the marriage talks were a sham. There is no way that monster would let his sister get away! Chang Woo balled his hands into fists and clenched forcefully. His eyes gained a steely glint as he gazed at his sister, who had her eyes closed. He was determined to make certain that they both survived. He wouldn''t let the monster have his way, even if he had to exhaust his funds to bring in an external player!


    Chang Woo didn''t dally at this thoughts, instead establishing a link with his neural link with just a thought. With another thought, the contact he wanted manifested, before he mentally commanded for a call to be made.


    After a few beeps, an image appeared within his retinas. He was the only one who could see it. Anyone else would just see some light within his eyes, only coming to the conclusion that he was surfing the web.


    "You always have me transmit my video, yet you yourself keep to audio. Is that fair?" asked the man within the rectangular screen. He had spiky dark purple hair, dark eye shadows, and the most vibrant of orange pupils. His mouth was moving, probably because he was chewing something. And judging by the fact that the people behind him appeared to be sitting around a round white table, enjoying their meals, it seems that it was true for the man too.


    "Sente, have you done what was asked?" Chang Woo asked.


    "You hired me because of my professionalism. That''s an idiotic question to ask. Don''t you think so? Though, I did select three targets. That escalates the chances of success. Do remember though, the coins will only last for one month. Any more than that, and you will have to rehire me."


    "How can they be activated?" Chang Woo asked.


    "Your man just needs to say, ''boom!'' Though, he also needs to tap twice upon one of the sides."


    "Okay. I will keep that in mind. Is there anything else?"


    "Yes! Please make it certain that it doesn''t get exposed before use. You don''t need me to tell you how dangerous the Spirit Association is, do you? Bye!" And with that, the communication was terminated.


    ''Three coins. She must carry that artifact on her person. First, I need that to be confirmed before he takes action...'' Thought Chang Woo.


    He had immense confidence in the person he had chosen. He would most definitely pass whatever test that woman was about to throw at them. All that was left was to come up with a plan that would allow him to get what he wanted. And that was a head scratcher. Even with those coins, the chances were slim.


    ''It would be better to execute the plan at the exact moment that the artifact is exposed.''


    Yet, that also posed a conundrum. What if it was exposed within a public space? That would bring about consequences that he wouldn''t want. After all, that would alert his father, the last person he wanted to be exposed to.


    Chang Woo sunk down into his chair while feeling that everything wasn''t going to be easy. Many variables needed to be taken into account before a concrete plan could be formed.

 Chapter 11 Test

    SL Chapter 11 Test


    "Cowards, and those who are prepared to flee at the slightest of disturbances aren''t needed in my guard detail. After all, you might need to face Crystal stage Spirit Lords at any time."


    Eric felt a shift at the words ''Crystal stage.'' Though he knew about the existence of Spirit Lords, there were many things he still had no idea about. But, through those who knew, he could see the fear. Even the man in the stripped suit had shown a reaction at that.


    "It looks like we will have to stake our very lives." Nonchalantly commented Madam Selena.


    "How could you be so casual about that?" Whispered a rattled Eric.


    "I have lived and accomplished most of the things I wanted."


    "Iris! You can start weeding them out." the boss lady''s words brought a palpable tension to the room.


    Then he felt something before even seeing it. A primal fear enveloped him, as if something malevolent had set its sights upon him. Iris, the woman beside the boss lady, had at some unknown point, taken centre stage, and a dark fog was lingering upon her left shoulder. It thickened until something, two points of Crimson appeared within it. They were two pupils with an emotionless gaze. Just a mere glance was enough to enduce chills within him.


    ''Is that a beast!? Did she just summon it? I have always known that Spirit Lords possessed some esoteric abilities, but this, this thing is radiating pure evil!'' he thought.


    Someone stumbled, attracting his gaze. He had fallen onto the ground with his eyes widened in horror. No one was safe from that aura, even the stripped suited guy. Though, his appearance was atleast more composed, with only the knitting of his brows.


    "Whatever you feel, or about to see, don''t take a step back! Stay standing, and keep your back straight! If I am not mistaken, this is going to be the trial! You will be eliminated should you fail!" Exhorted the old lady. Eric could feel her palm upon his back, steadying him.


    He nodded before taking a deep breath to calm his high strung nerves. Then, he stood straight and started conjuring the reasons as to why he needed to pass this test. First of all, he had already spent half his savings, meaning that, should he fail here, he would have to partake in extreme measures. Second, there was the duty of revenge. Though his emotions, like anguish and rage had somewhat dulled, his clansmen still needed to be avenged, most especially his parents!


    His eyes lit up with a glow as he reached that thought. He channeled some of the rage, fear and other emotions into himself, dispersing the terror that had threatened to take hold.


    The black fog around the creature was partially dismissed, giving a glimpse into its form, which was humanoid, akin to a monkey, yet with pitch black fur. Eric likened it to a holographic Projection of a fantasy creature, making it discongruent with reality itself. A vertical scar rested in the middle of its Forehead, right above and between its two crimson pupils. It was most definitely a slit for a third eye. Eric had read and watched too much fantasy to fail in noticing such a tiny detail.


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    "Nkima, Attack!" Iris, the woman upon whom the creature rested, ordered, almost causing Eric to leap out of the room, but with a clenched jaw, he held his ground. But, around him, and the old woman, chaos prevailed, with many people trying to outrun each other towards the only exit of the room. There were also those who became paralyzed with terror, those who peed themselves, and those who fainted outright.


    Eric had never witnessed such a visceral manifestation of fear and terror before. It was like an artist in a higher dimension had decided to portray their understanding of the two emotions and cast them into this dimension of his reality. And Eric, as a spectator saw the ugliness of humanity in full bloom. There were those that stepped onto others while, there were also those that pulled those infront of them behind themselves, trying to use them as a means of slowing down the attack.


    Then, with a seemingly lazy wave, darkness crested towards everyone in the form of a blade, adding to the chaos. Eric saw it slice past the one in front of him, collapsing them as if they were a puppet with their strings severed. His teeth clattered as terror enveloped him, evaporating much of the resolve he had gathered. Yet, when the thought developed of him wanting to run, his body denied him. The feet didn''t move a muscle! It was like they had become glued to the floor! Panic took over him, as he realized that death was right before him!


    Then, everything vanished, and his eyes blurred before he found himself still in the same position, with everyone else still standing, as if everything from before had been an illusion, yet everyone''s faces were painted with terror, with some even slumping into their seats.


    "This was too exhilarating even for an old woman like myself!" Exclaimed madam Selena while plopping down and rubbing her chest. Even though she appeared composed, beads of sweat had accumulated upon her brows. Within what he now termed as an illusion, he had been so caught up that he hadn''t even glanced towards the old woman even once.


    When he directed his eyes to the front, the woman named Iris was still standing within the middle, yet the creature and the darkness were knowhere to be seen, as if they had been mere illusions, yet, Eric had a feeling that the creature had been real.


    "We now have an inkling as to who has the greatest of wills, and those who don''t. When I call out your name, come here close to us." Iris said before mentioning seven names, all in one breath.


    Eric''s heart rate sped up the moment he heard his name. Excitement coursed through him, pushing away all the terror within his system.


    " Thank you, Madam Selena! Thank you!" He said upon turning towards his benefactor, whose name had also been mentioned.


    "Nah! Most of the credit goes to you, young lad. AlI did was give you a reminder."


    A few minutes later, Eric was standing among the other six, feeling as if he was floating. He hadn''t known that being chosen could have been so liberating, so exhilarating, so exciting! His cells were practically bursting with joy. He even had an illusion that he would be dancing on the spot if it weren''t for the fact that he would have been likened to an idiot.


    So, instead, he opted to gaze at those that would be his teammates. The stripped suited man had been chosen too. There was the granny, him, the stripped suited man, and four others, three women and a man. Though, before he could take note of anything more about them, he felt a gaze that caused him to snap to attention.


    That woman, Iris, was looking straight at him, as if she wanted to see through every single cell within his body and every single thought within his mind.  His heart rate sped up, and he felt his palms becoming sweaty. He was even wondering whether he had done anything that made him suspicious in the near past.


    When the gaze moved from him, a breath of relief was released.


    "It will be better if you don''t slight that young woman in the future."


    "Why would I do that, madam Selena? I still value my life, besides..." Eric stole a glance at the boss lady, the exotic creature that could elicit his heart into running a thousand miles a minute. She was simply that beautiful. A goddess among the mundane.


    "The rest of you can leave."


    When she said that, there was some grumbling before a hand was raised up from among the crowd. Eric, who had turned his head, saw that it was a petit woman.


    "What?" Iris asked with irritation thick in her voice. It looked like she didn''t love being interrupted, yet was accommodating enough to allow a question.


    "Can I please have another chance? I really really need this. If- if I don''t become a Spirit Lord, it will be the end of me."


    Eric resonated with her tears. He asked himself whether he would have acted like her should he have been refused.


    "Many people have their own circumstances, but as they say, there is always a single chance. If you fail to grasp it, that''s the end."


    "But I wasn''t prepared! I am certain that I can pass if given another chance!"


    "Right now, you are wasting my time. Death doesn''t give second chances. All of you, leave!"


    A powerful aura weighed upon not just Eric, but everyone in the room after those words. He felt suffocated, as if he had been plunged within the depths of the ocean.

 Chapter 12 The Potion

    SL Chapter 12 The Potion


    "Any type of communication will have to be made in the room. For now, up to when you finish awakening, you will have to stay within the room. If any single one of you violates that maxim, they won''t even know how they died." Threatened Iris.


    Eric was starting to wonder whether this woman even had times when she was relaxed. After all, she had been eyeing everyone with suspicion, as if there was someone among them that was a spy. When Eric reached that trail of thought, he shivered, finally coming to a realization.


    Could it be that the enemies had already infiltrated their ranks? Surreptitiously, Eric eyes the two next to him. The chubby male that had an innocent face and the stripped suited man, who was holding another glass of wine, with the other having fallen to the floor earlier and shattered, spilling its contents. Was there an enemy among these two? He was now starting to feel unsafe.


    "This is your room." Iris'' words cut through his thoughts. She had been the one in the lead. The door automatically slid to the side with her form moving to the side, such that they could file in.


    When Eric''s eyes fell upon the layout, he was taken aback, while the stripped suited man outright whistled. This room... If it could even be called that, was simply magnificent. It far surpassed his one roomed apartment. It had a lush looking red carpet, a trio of sofas, all overlooking a massive transparent glass screen mounted upon a wall. Further away, there was a brown dining table, composed of four chairs, plus a small table and chair at another side, with four doors at different points apart from the entrance, each no doubt leading into a single room and a shared bathroom.


    Behind them, the door closed, and Eric started feeling some fear bubbling up within him. The stripped suited man had radiated an intense aura of murder before. Clearly he was someone who should have murdered before. If he decided to take action, Eric was uncertain about stopping him or even managing an escape.


    Then there was chubby man. Eric didn''t let a book''s cover fool him. The chubby guy was the most suspicious to him. After all, a sheep couldn''t have really survived that terrifying illusion if it wasn''t a lion underneath.


    "Okay, I am taking the one on the left. Decide how to split the others among yourselves." spoke the stripped suited man, before lifting his foot to go, only to be stopped by a statement.


    "We still don''t know each other''s names." Chubby man was the one who had spoken.


    "Allan... That''s my name. Though, I have no interest in knowing you two. You aren''t interesting in any sense of the word, simply mere cockroaches that survived the test by luck."


    Eric was certain that his face was flushed with rage at this point in time, yet he knew that the man was most likely correct in his case. If it hadn''t been for madam Selena, he would have been eliminated.


    "I am Jeffrey." the chubby man introduced himself after Allan vanished within his room. This was the first time that Eric was really taking in the chubby man''s features. He had short one inch hair, pale white skin, and was clad in a plain white shirt, tucked into a pair of dark pants. Eric wondered whether he too, had been like him, a salary man. Though, he didn''t voice that question. It would be better if they didn''t become overly familiar at this point in time.


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    "I am Eric."


    With that he randomly chose one of the rooms to the right and entered inside, plopping down onto the bed, and letting all the exhaustion that had been locked away to flood in.


    As the exhaustion took over, he found his thoughts adrift. He was wondering whether he should feel happy that he had been selected, or fearful for his life. Since the annihilation of his clan, this was the first time he was going to be in any true danger.


    With one hand, he unbuttoned his coat and shirt, taking note of how drenched they were. He must have sweated buckets out there. When his hand finally made contact with his chest, he stroked the scar. It was a mystery unto itself. Technology had advanced to the level of having the capability to vanquish things like this, yet this scar hadn''t gone away no matter what he had tried. And sometimes it even throbbed.


    ''Will I be able to atleast solve this mystery upon awakening?'' He wondered in a daze.


    A few minutes like that weren''t enough to clear away his exhaustion, yet he was also scared of the fact that he was potentially rooming with two spies, or killers. They could at any point in time, break in and end him. So, he decided to distract himself with his future plans.


    For now though, he was going to await the awakening potion. The time when it would be handed over hadn''t been divulged so far.


    To pass the time, he decided to surf the web. He hadn''t yet gotten the chance to get a glimpse of the excitement surrounding the upcoming celebration of Musana''s anniversary.


    Information about Spirit Lords was a closely guarded secret that only trickled down into the public in drops, but even that trickle was enough to endlessly excite everyone. Apart from his Excellency Musana, there were others who had built quite the reputation for themselves. And just the thought of getting a glimpse upon those people was enough to set Eric''s heart racing.


    And when a video on a popular sight entered his eyes, his excitement reached a peak. Within it, was a man, a monster of pure strength. His dark skin gleamed in the Sun as he lumbered forward with heavy steps, yet Eric knew that this Spirit Lord wasn''t someone any of the others could afford to dismiss casually! Even His Excellency had praised his physical prowess extensively!


    -----


    The sound of primitive knocking entered his ears, causing him to wake up slowly, and groggily. It was like the sleep was calling to him, wanting him to fall into its embrace, yet the knocking once again reverberated, this time jolting the sleep out of him, with the memories of the day flooding within him. He first checked the time, which was just about to clock 9:00pm.


    The third time that he heard the knocking, he practically leapt off the bed in haste, making long strides towards the door, which slid open at his proximity, exposing a face he hadn''t thought he would see once again, and in these circumstances. He had thought that one of his roommates was the one at the door, yet, miss Iris was standing before him, her face a mask of irritation, with even the faint scent of ash, metaphorically. Was she going to blow up? That was a wrath he didn''t want to face at this point in time, so he hurriedly got out of the room, finding the other two already standing within the middle. Allan gave him a smile, one that was mildly amused, while Jeffrey gazed back at him with indifference. He couldn''t blame him. After all, he and Allan had blown off his attempts at making a connection.


    Then, he almost stumbled when he caught sight of the other figure in the room. It was the boss lady. Why would she be here?! He wondered in bewilderment, while also birthing a tinge of excitement upon seeing the small case resting upon one of the side tables. It was black, and no doubt securely locked such that only the owner could open it. He didn''t really know anything about it, but he was certain that the security measures upon it were of the highest level.


    The boss lady moved towards one of the seats and lowered herself down with a posture akin to that of a properly raised lady. Then, Iris started moving, her searing gaze roaming every single one of them with suspicion, birthing some small measure of nervousness within Eric.


    She passed by them, and walked towards the case, picking it up and turning towards the three of them. He didn''t know what measure of verification was required, because, not more than 5 seconds later, it opened, exposing ten compartments, with the seven empty, and the rest having a single glass bottle with a yellow liquid inside.


    Goosebumps arose upon his skin as a feverish anticipation rose within him, with his breath coming out fast and hot.


    "Well... Aren''t you impatient, Mr. Bosingwa?"


    The sarcastic question dragged him back to reality, with heat rising upon his cheeks. Peeking at the other two, who were more composed, his embarrassment reached a crescendo.


    "Iris! You are wasting time." spoke the boss lady, faintly, making the other woman to bow in apology.

 Chapter 13 Memory

    SL Chapter 13 Memory


    Eric gazed at the vial that had finally made it into his hands with fervor. The sloshing yellow liquid was as dazzling as the Sun itself to him. It was the only thing that was occupying his vision right now. He had even temporarily forgotten his surroundings. His vision blurred as liquid pooled within.


    How long had he toiled? Memories of absurd deadlines, horrible bosses, annoying coworkers, monotonous and boring work hours. And many other things, no matter how tiny, played within his mind. Yet all that, led to this sense of accomplishment he felt when he held the vial within his hands.


    He was now qualified to pat himself on the back and speak words like, ''Hard work pays off.''


    "The potion is to be taken right now, before us." The boss lady spoke, having made herself comfortable by leaning back against the sofa, with her purple hair spread out behind her. One of her legs was crossed over the other, and her exotic eyes were gazing at all three with no emotion.


    Eric saw the frowns that appeared on both Jeffrey and Allan''s faces with that order. Allan had even already placed the hand holding the vial within his pocket.


    "Is there a problem with that, gentlemen?" No sound was made as Iris walked upon the floor to stand right beside her lady. She was barefooted, a tiny detail Eric noticed.


    "On what grounds do we have to do that?" Jeffrey asked.


    "On the grounds that should any mishap happen, we could save you." answered Iris, her irritation clear for all to see.


    "Those are lies!" called out Allan.


    "Why are you so averse? Do you have any secrets you are hiding from us?" Iris pressed.


    "There is a possibility that you might take the chance to do something to us in our incapacitated states." Allan spoke candidly.


    Though, Eric didn''t feel anything out of place. Why would someone deal with him after taking the potion? Unless of course he was a spy. Which he wasn''t, so he wasn''t worried.


    "Either way, you will have to take the potion right before us, or it will forcefully be repossessed. Do trust me on this gentlemen, you wouldn''t want to get into a scuffle with a Spirit Lord." a glint appeared within Iris'' eyes. Eric had a feeling that the woman was eagerly looking forward to the two men acting out.


    Getting tired of the verbal back and forth, coupled with the growing desire to consume the yellow liquid, he tilted his head back, unscrewed the cap, and dumped the contents of the tiny glass bottle down his throat.


    The moment the liquid hit his taste buds, he felt the desire to regurgitate everything. Though, before such a desire could overpower his rationality, the liquid that had been supposed to reach his stomach vanished before reaching there, almost puzzling him, if it wasn''t for the distraction that appeared, in the form of a throb, originating from the scar running down his chest.


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    His vision blurred before being severed completely. When he regained himself, he was in a dark void, only bright because of the countless white spheres of white within it.


    ''Where am I?'' He wondered, though, the fear and terror that should have manifested with being dragged into an unfamiliar place didn''t manifest itself. Instead, only curiosity existed.


    He spread out his hands to get a glimpse of himself, becoming somewhat shocked when he saw that they had become akin to a soft light. Had he become an energy body? How?


    He maneuvered himself, as if by instinct, appearing right before one of the spheres. He gazed at it, only for the light to become faint, before a blurry image surfaced, then it became clear. He saw a familiar hologragraphic keyboard, one he had gotten used to in the nine years he had worked tirelessly. His hands were moving across it, even as his gaze moved to the screen, where code was being written.


    "Is this a memory?" He asked no one in particular.


    He tried to move towards another sphere in order to confirm his theory only for a powerful tug of force to get a hold of him, dragging him towards the depths of the void. Spheres, uncountable in numbers blurred before him as he tried to fight the force, yet to no avail. He couldn''t resist it, as if a chicken captured by a human.


    Eric didn''t know how long that went on before he appeared right before a sphere. This one was different, radiating a fiery red color and giving him the sensation of burning.


    ''I can feel as if I am in my own skin?!'' He inwardly exclaimed.


    He was pulled towards the sphere, and for some reason, he felt a powerful feeling of rejection. Not from the sphere, but from himself, as if he didn''t want to see whatever it was, that was inside.


    He regained himself after being sucked in, with his first image being the small hands resting at the brown wooden table. They were his, that he was certain of. His other sensations returned to him, yet he couldn''t control this body, as if he were a mere passenger within it.


    ''This table.'' It was familiar. This was his family''s home. This table was the dining table that his parents had loved because of being an authentic hand carved wooden craft. The young him hadn''t known this, but the him that was the passenger, knew, as if every other memory of his childhood could vividly be remembered.


    "Little Eric, what do you want to eat today?" A voice asked from behind and above him, one which cause the old him to tremble in both excitement and sorrow.


    Thankfully, the young him tilted his head, and looked up to the woman''s face above him, whose expression was radiating a warmth unlike any other.


    His heart would have accelerated if he had been the one in the body. The familiar brown hair, woven into many small braids that were cascading down her back, while two or three of them fell down the front, scratching his little face, causing the young him to bat them away in annoyance.


    "I wanna eat biscuit!" The urge to chuckle at the thoughts of the young him were stifled as the woman''s brown eyes moved away from him and gazed towards her side.


    "I didn''t spoil him! It was his father!" She said in exasperation to no one in particular.


    "Who are you talking to, mom?"


    "Your grandmother. If you grow up a little more, you will also be able to see her!"


    ''My grandmother! I don''t think my mom was crazy. What was she talking about? Was someone there? Or was it her ability as Spirit Lord? But, I haven''t heard of any creature or thing that could speak with their Spirit Lord. And she spoke about me having to grow up before being able to see... But I am almost reaching 30 yet I have never been able to see any abnormal things, or spiritual entities... Maybe it''s related to that...?'' pondered Eric.


    "I wanna eat biscuits!" shouted out his young version.


    "Did I just hear that someone wants to eat biscuits? Should I call the tooth devil over?"


    A male voice entered his ears, causing his young self to shiver in fear, while he, the grown up version hitching a ride, became somewhat excited.


    His vision was directed towards the origin of the voice, with the brown wooden door being pushed open to reveal a man garbed in a dark robe with its hood dangling behind his back. He had a clean shaven face, magnetic dark pupils, and his face was currently adopting a menacing expression while gazing at him.


    "Darling, don''t scare my little Eric!" chastised his mother while hugging him even closer to herself.


    ''How I miss this!'' lamented Eric.


    "You are always defending and spoiling him, Stella. How will he survive in the real world?!"


    "I will look after him forever!"


    "It''s not a joke, mother!" shouted my mother after abruptly shifting her eyes towards the empty space.


    "Stella..." sighed my father before moving towards the table and picking a banana, one of the many within the porcelain bowl.


    "...a few people have been sniffing around our borders." spoke my father.


    ''Could they be the ones that annexed my clan?'' wondered Eric.


    "There have always been people like that. But... Judging by that expression on your face, it seems that this is serious."


    "It is serious. The traces indicate that we are dealing with Crystal stage intruders."


    Eric felt his mother''s hands tighten around his small body. The old version of him could feel some fear oozing within her.


    "Have they found out?"


    "Your grand father believes so. But we have no idea who." Charles'' voice was heavy.


    "I believe preparations are already in order, right?"


    "Yes. It seems that we are going to have to fight or flee."

 Chapter 14 A Mothers Resolve

    SL Chapter 14 A Mother''s Resolve


    The memory skipped to a scene of fiery red. Eric felt his skin soaked with sweat as temperatures around him soared. The walls of the dining room were now engulfed in flames. Flames which were even burning the brick walls themselves, as if they were flammable.


    His lungs were burning with every breath, while the breathable air was getting thin. Then there was also the fact that his young self was bawling his eyes out. He had truly been spoiled rotten, though, this might be the normal reaction. That thought passed through his mind as his body kneeled there. There was no path through which he could escape.


    While bawling, the flames upon the entrance of the dining hall parted as if they had met their master, and someone clad entirely in a dark garb, his face covered with a mask resembling a crow''s beak, entered.


    He didn''t speak, nor posture in any way, instead, the burning stick within his hands slashed down towards him. Terror struck Eric at the attack as the searing heat alone burnt away his clothes, only for his body to be pulled backwards by a force, yet the flames from the stick licked his chest, eliciting a howl of agony before  he fell unconscious. Though, he did hear a phrase, as if uttered straight into his mind.


    ''Fire spreads like the plague.''


    -----


    A chill caused his closed eyelids to tremble before fully opening. He moaned as he felt his body bouncing along. Eric felt that he was on someone''s back. Someone who was running through a dark forest.


    "Mo- Mom...?" It was a rhetoric question. The child within him had already recognized the back upon which he was being carried.


    "Shhhh... Little Eric. Mother promises you that you are going to be safe. So, please... Keep quiet, or the bad guys will take you away!" whispered his mother, eliciting a flicker of fear within the young him.


    ''She is running away... Alone. Where is father? Damn! I really want to find out everything!'' curiosity was burning within him, coupled with a bunch of other emotions, with the most prevalent one, the worry for his father, Charles.


    That was when his small nose bumped into his mother''s back and a small moan of pain escaped his lips. He couldn''t get the scenery in front of his mother, but he could sense the tense silence, the small flicker of uncertainty within her. She had stopped abruptly.


    "Come out from wherever you are. I can smell you!" She shouted. Except for the occasional small gust of wind, the surroundings were quiet. No sounds from the critters of the forest could be heard, as if they had all migrated or died.


    No one said anything back, yet Stella leaped away so fast, that the surroundings blurred. And when Eric finally managed to have his eyes catch up to what had happened, his mother was standing upon a thick tree branch.


    ''If I had been powerful...''


    "Little Eric... Mom is going to find a safe place for you. Make sure you don''t make a sound, okay! If you don''t, I will give you all the biscuits in the world!"


    "Really!" a small groggy exclamation came out of his mouth.


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    "Really! That''s a promise, okay!"


    With those words, Eric felt a premonition that this was going to be the last time he saw his mother.


    "Mother! I need you to take him as far away as possible!"


    With those whispered words, Eric felt himself being separated from Stella. A shudder passed through him even as fear threatened to take over. He could feel that something was grabbing him, yet, it was invisible.


    "Little Eric, remember your promise, okay?" Even though Stella didn''t look back, the young him swallowed whatever had been about to come out of his mouth and nodded. She then leapt down into the ground.


    Then his floating body was dragged to the side, where they vanished within a bush.


    -----


    As Eric was still worrying about his mother, Stella, the perspectives switched, with his old self now within the body of his mother.


    ''How could this have happened? This shouldn''t be possible! Unless it''s Spirit Lord shenanigans?! Or maybe, my mother somehow found a way to transfer these memories to me...?"


    Stella''s movements didn''t slow down even with Eric inside of her mind. She forcefully clapped her hands, with the sound traveling far into the dark forest, before separating them, with blue cards, with sizes comparable to playing cards, manifesting as they separated wider. When they reached twelve, they stopped manifesting.


    "Aren''t you going to come out? Or are you going to hide in the dark like a rat. Do you fear me? Well... I would expect that to be the truth." She shouted out, with her body thrumming with power. Eric could feel that this power was beyond mere adrenaline activated by excitement!


    "Why would I fear you? I have never heard of you." A figure floated out of the surrounding bushes, appearing upon the edge of the clearing, facing his mother, Stella.


    ''Is he flying? I have never seen a flying Spirit Lord!'' Though he was taken aback, he was also feeling fear. Why? Because there was this nagging feeling within him that this was most probably his mother''s last memory.


    Not to mention the fact that the man was garbed in the same clothing as the one from before, a dark robe covering every inch of him, and a black crowbeak shaped mask.


    There was a shiver, a tremor within the the ground, a fluctuation of an unknown energy through her feet, causing her to leap to the side, with a long thin rod covered spirituality stabbing upwards. Even through this darkness, through his mother''s eyes, Eric had now gained the ability to see the unknown energy. And it terrified him. There was no moon this night, meaning that they were in the dark. If it had been a normal human in his mother''s place, they would have died without even having had the chance to get a glimpse at the attack!


    When his mother''s eyes scanned around them, Eric was horrified to find that everywhere her eyes could see, there was energy in the form of a string-no, it was energy, being given off by thin strings, having surrounded her like a trap. And it must have been sprung just now, otherwise there is no way the young him would have managed to escape. Ultimately, he calmed down after feeling absolutely no ripples within his mother''s heart beat. That made him wonder whether this was truly the experience of someone who had skirted death many times.


    Abruptly, the ground in a radius of 10 meters around her vanished and she became weightless for an instant, before her feet hit solid ground. Then, she bent down, replacing her feet with her hands, with her feet raised upwards, into the air, making an acrobatic pose.


    "Are you trying to run?"


    The voice that was coming out from beneath the man''s mask was distorted, no doubt an action serving to disguise his identity.


    The darkness had even become more embracing the moment she had sunk into the ground, yet she could see well, as if it were day. At some point, the twelve cards had vanished.


    ''Five minutes... That''s all I have. I have to end this fast and go to little Eric. I wonder... Is Charles really okay?''


    ''I can feel her thoughts?!''


    She waited within the darkness of the hole, masking every single aota of her energy. Within a fraction of a second, just after she had masked her energy, multiple tips of strings plunged down from above. It seems that the man was cautious.


    ''Karmic Link!''


    Another card manifested before her for an instant, before vanishing. When the thin wires pierced her body, starting from the flat soles of her feet and continued deeply through her body, Eric felt her pain. It was something a normal person wouldn''t be able to survive!


    As the wires surpassed her heart, the card rematerialized for a moment, then vanished in a white light...


    ''Karmic ties; Reversal!''


    Then the wires, which had now reached the neck, vanished, with the man, who had been floating above, starting to plummet down. The wires had vanished, with even the wounds, the paths they had gouged through her body vanishing, as if everything from before had been mere illusion!


    ''Thankfully, it all worked out!"


    A sigh of relief made it out of his mother''s lips before the exhaustion started to set in.


    ''No! I can''t afford to show weakness here! Little Eric needs me!''


    Eric could feel the powerful emotion within that thought. And it brought him immense warmth. He hadn''t known that his mother had loved him so much!


    She bent her knees, then with a powerful leap, she was out of the pit and onto level ground. Yet, before she could steady herself, something hot slid into her back, piercing the heart and breaking through her chest to appear within her eyes. She could feel herself weakening.


    ''Wha-'' Eric was shocked as he looked at the flaming blade that had impaled his mother. Then that shock turned into rage, and he roared, yet the words couldn''t reach her. She was dying. Her attention was slipping...


    ''I-can''t LEAVE THIS WORLD WITHOUT HAVING PROTECTED MY SON!'' The inward shout silenced Eric, as with a palm, his mother destroyed the tip of the blade and she moved with such speed, that the surroundings blurred, before she stopped and rotated in place, looking over her assailant.

 Chapter 15 End

    SL Chapter 15 End


    Blood was spat out of his mother''s lips while she heaved. Her vision had become blurry, but she would never mistake those flames on blade, which was now left in half. The man in the crowbeak mask raised the blade, took a glance at it, then discarded it into the pit casually.


    "You''re an interesting woman. That is something I must admit. Even now, with that hole within your chest, you are still standing, even if barely. What is really keeping you on your feet? I really want to know." A distorted voice came out of the mask.


    This time, another card appeared right before her...


    ''This is the last card. I must use it to get to little Eric. I can''t let my boy live without a mother! I promised myself, and him!'' the blood on her lips was wiped away with the back of her hand.


    This time, Eric could see the image upon the card. It was a golden oval ring with darkness in its middle as opposed to the silver of the card''s edges.


    "The driving force behind your actions... Is it that brat, the one who was in the house? Where is the boy, by the way? Did you hide him somewhere? I don''t believe him dead considering the fact that you are still holding on to the dying embers of your life."


    ''How I wish I was in peak form! Just you touching a single hair on my little Eric would have had you dead before my feet in a matter of minutes!'' If she hadn''t felt very weak, then she would have uttered those words instead of thinking them.


    The weakness within her was something Eric could see. His spiritual body was saddened by this, yet couldn''t do anything. It was pure torture.


    ''Portal!''


    With that thought, the card vanished within a bright light and an oval ring, the one which had been just an image upon the card, took its place, though, this time, it was the size of a human''s head.


    ''I! Bosingwa Stella! Sacrifice myself to become the guiding spirit of my son, Bosingwa Eric! Portal, send me to the one with my blood!''


    After the completion of those thoughts, her body lit up with a soft white light, while the man in the mask, tried to race towards her upon noticing her state. Yet, he was still a step too slow.


    An ethereal figure rose out of her body, with Eric speculating it to be her soul. And his awareness was also following it. When it rose, her awareness vision became capable of encompassing 360 degrees around herself, allowing her to see the man heading towards her, plus the golden oval ring before his body.


    With speed far beyond that of any human, her ethereal form plunged into the darkness in the middle of the ring, after which all awareness vanished and Eric''s spiritual body reappeared within the void of space within his mind.


    When he glanced around, he became startled at the mist that had now taken up the void of space. And what even made him surprised was the fact that he had intimate knowledge of where each memory was located, as opposed to before, where most of the useless memories had been forgotten in the deepest recesses of his mind. He was now capable of summoning any specific sphere he wanted.


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    But the sadness that weighed upon him after discovering what his mother had passed through was even more palpable. Where had been his father? Had he been killed earlier? Those questions and many others weighed upon him. He even wondered whether he would even be able to gain the answers he was seeking.


    Then there was the elephant in the room. Had his mother succeeded in whatever she had been about to do? He had now become certain of the special nature of his clan. It was the ability to see and maybe even get the protection of their immediate deceased kin. Though, he still lacked most of the knowledge. There was also the conjecture he had reached, one which made him certain that the only way he could get the ability to see spiritual bodies was when he became a Spirit Lord.


    There were also those crow masked people. Within that memory, he had gotten a glimpse of two, with one already dead, leaving behind the one with the flames. But, he was certain that there was no way the group could have been composed of just two people. After all, the Bosingwa clan had had hundreds of clansmen. He was certain that both his parents had reached the so-called Crystal stage, the same as those two experts. Which meant, that the clan must have had many people at that level, yet, they had still lost. That meant that there had been many assailants, or, it had been a small group of the elite.


    ''I hope you''re still alive, Fire crow! I will get vengeance for my mom!''


    After that declaration within his mind, his vision blurred for a moment before he felt that his eyes were closed. Upon opening them a crack, the strong light caused him to close them back once again.


    Then he felt it. The pain. It was a constant thing, yet dull also, as if the critical moment had passed.


    ''Why is my body transmitting signals of pain?'' He wondered before once again forcing his eyelids open, and taking in the white ceiling, coupled with an unfamiliar group of odors within the room.


    ''If I am not mistaken, this isn''t the same room as the one I had previously slept in.''


    Then, he strained to raise his head and gazed at his body, lying upon the bed. That caused shock and panic for mere moments. His entire upper torso was wrapped up in white bandages!


    What had happened in that moment of awakening?! Had the enemy seized that chance to attack?! He wondered.


    When his eyes surveyed the rest of the tiny room, there was no one in sight. Someone whom he could hurl the questions he had towards.


    When a few minutes had elapsed in relative silence, a door slid open, and a figure clad in an all-white suit entered. His blond short hair appeared as if it had been permed, as it looked like it was lying upon his scalp. One of his hands was in his pockets, and a frivolous smile was adorned across his face, one with a tinge of arrogance.


    "Oya! It seems that our resident troublemaker has opened his eyes."


    "What brings your handsome mug here? I thought you didn''t really care for those below you." Eric quipped back.


    "Oh! You think am handsome? Anyway, you really brought us problems. You became crazy, went completely ballistic, and attacked us. The boss lady and Iris weren''t happy with that."


    "What?" shouted Eric, his heart within his throat. He was shocked that all that had happened. He had actually lost control?! What had happened?! Could it be that the memories had somewhat brought about an abnormal reaction from his body?!


    "It''s true. There was a battle, which ultimately led to you injuring that chubby guy, then that rabid dog of the boss lady had to put you down. That''s how you ended up here."


    Eric had become stupefied by this point. Did he really do that? Shouldn''t he have had a memory of all that?


    "You shouldn''t lie to the lad." spoke the other person who had come in just a step behind Allan. The words caused his blood pressure, which had been on the verge of erupting, to calm down.


    Madan Selena was wearing a white martial arts outfit that accentuated her body lines. For some reason, Eric felt that she had gotten somewhat younger. Was it an illusion?


    "Apparently, you caught fire just a few seconds after drinking the potion. Your entire upper torso erupted into flames, though, they only lasted for a few moments before converging into something, which leapt out of your chest, but vanished just before we could determine what it was, with you slipping into unconsciousness. Though, what was puzzling, was that the boss lady and Iris acted as if all had been expected. It was peculiar."


    "Madam Selena, you are narrating the entire event as if you were personally there." spoke Eric.


    "Let''s just say that someone among us women awakened an ability that allowed us to see everything."


    "For real?!" He exclaimed in shock.


    "My good plebeian, Eric, it seems like you have very little understanding of Spirit Lords, if you can exclaim like that." Commented Allan.


    "How long have I been out?" asked Eric. He couldn''t see the communication device he had bought. It seems like it had already been destroyed by the flames. Just the thought of having to buy a new one was already making him feel the urge to smash something. It would be eating into his remaining funds.


    "Two hours. The boss lady and Iris said that any subsequent developments will have to wait until you healed, which is going to take another two hours."


    "Only four hours? It seems that the boss lady has invested significant funds into my treatment."

 Chapter 16 Spirit Lord

    SL Chapter 16 Spirit Lord


    "I need a moment alone." spoke Eric. Madam Selena gently squeezed his hand through the bandage, giving him a worry filled gaze. She might have sensed something. But she didn''t linger, instead, taking the initiative to drag Allan outside the room.


    She must have been curious to find out what had happened, yet she hadn''t voiced the question. The sadness that had been suppressed by him was finally given free reign, with tears streaming down his face as he thought about the love his mother had given him, her struggles, and most of all, her sacrifice.


    Even when she had been at her limits, she had still been thinking about how to reach his side. What had happened to his father? That was a question he still didn''t have any answers to. Would he find out the truth one day? He wondered.


    -----


    The final two hours passed in that manner as he dealt with his grief. Though, he also managed to take notice of the fact that the pain was disappearing bit by bit, until, it finally went away.


    When it did, he rolled off the bed and placed his feet down. Then, with impatience, he tore off the bandages. He was certain that now, he had awakened, becoming a Spirit Lord. After the task of guarding the boss lady ended, he was going to direct his resources into searching for those people who murdered his mother and annihilated his clan.


    He stretched upon standing up, with his steps taking him to the window, which he scrutinized extensively, before actually touching the damn thing, finally finding out that it was just a screen. He really had to praise the camera and visual technology that had went into it. The visual feast of Kampala city''s skyline was really interesting, complete with real-time movements.


    As he was admiring it, he felt the door sliding to the side, attracting his gaze over, after which, he felt some embarrassment creep up on him when he saw the person who had entered. It was the boss lady herself! And it seems that he wasn''t the only one, as the woman did her best to avert her purple flower pupils away from him. His entire upper torso was bare. And since there was no attire within the room, he couldn''t even hurriedly put on a shirt!


    "I- came to see whether--you had recovered."


    ''Hey! Why are you peeking here?! Shit! Should I run to the bed and drape the sheet over myself? No! That would expose me as a virgin! I should stay in place. It''s better if I act unfazed. Good thing Rabid dog Iris isn''t in the room, or else she would have been glaring at me right about now!''


    "Surely that couldn''t be the only reason, right?" Eric was surprised by his own boldness.


    "There is crucial information that-t must be passed on, about Spirit Lords. The others have already been briefed... You were the last one. Could you please, find something to c-cover your self with?"


    "Mmmmm?! I don''t see any problem, boss lady." teased Eric.


    "Do you want to die?" a powerful killing intent burst out of the woman, bringing a chill to the room, with his face turning pale. He hurriedly went back into the bed and lay within it, covering himself with the sheets.


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    Abruptly, the murderous intent vanished, with an abnormal expression crossing the woman''s face for a moment before she coughed and began expounding upon knowledge that Eric hadn''t known about Spirit Lords before.


    "When you take the Spirit awakening potion, it doesn''t reach the stomach because it instantly transforms into energy of an unknown dimension, though, most people call it the Spirit plane. It''s a metaphysical plane of existence theorized to house the soul of a human, yet also tethered to the body... " she paused here. Her voice was beautiful. Eric would have been mesmerized if the contents of her words hadn''t been even more attractive to him.


    "... The potion''s job is to stimulate the metaphysical space. You should have appeared within that space when you took the potion. It contains your experiences and memories. When a mist-like substance known as Spiritual energy appears, the awakening is deemed to be successful."


    Joy bubbled up within him when she reached here. Though he had been certain that he had awakened, having it confirmed still brought joy within him.


    "After awakening, you are considered to have entered the Gaseous stage."


    "Gaseous stage?" parroted Eric. He remembered that there had been an instance when his father had spoken about Crystal stage Spirit Lords.


    "Yes. There are three levels to a Spirit Lord. First comes the Gaseous stage, then Liquid, and lastly, Crystal. So far, there hasn''t been anyone who has managed to surpass Crystal."


    ''Not even. His Excellency, the Progenitor of Spirit Lords?'' Of course the question was kept to himself.


    "Every Spirit Lord, upon entering the Gaseous stage is required to imagine their object of intent or, maybe a body part, or even the whole body..." Here, Eric started not to comprehend.


    "...Let me give an example. Within your mind, you have to imagine something. And that something will act as the vessel through which your spiritual powers can manifest in the outside world. If you were to imagine, let''s say, a sword. It will appear right in the centre of the void within your mind, acting as the anchor of your powers. And you will even be able to manifest it in reality, even having the capability of using it."


    An exclamation of amazement left his lips.


    "An anchor is something that can never be changed once manifested. So, everyone has to choose very carefully as any imperfections will stay with you for the rest of your life!"


    "When you set an anchor... Let''s still go with the sword. You have a chance to assign an ability to it in the form of a phrase. Like, ''cut through everything, Elongate, sever everything, undodgable... Essentially, the power is limited by the imagination. But, the phrase that can be carried is also just a single one. Meaning, it should be carefully thought about before it is made concrete."


    After finishing that, she went to a certain part of the wall, with a compartment sliding out with no visible input from her. On the tray situated upon it, there was glass filled with water. She lifted it up with both hands, brought it to her lips, took a long drink until it was all finished before loading it back, with the compartment once again vanishing into the wall.


    ''How convenient!'' Thought Eric in envy. If his apartment had had such a contraption, it wouldn''t have been cluttered!


    His mind drifted back to what she had divulged an instant later. According to what she had said, it meant that there could be many different combinations, far surpassing even the number of stars in the Universe. And that scared him. He could still remember the ability his mother had used to reverse her injuries to her opponent. Just the thought of facing a Spirit Lord with an unknown ability was enough to induce chills within him.


    "A Spirit Lord is capable of shaping reality to their whims. It''s the reason why those with no brains are the first to die in a battle between Spirit Lords. Never ever expose the limits of your phrase! There are some people arrogant enough to speak of theirs, but those are a minority... "


    ''Like that masked guy. He said something along the lines of his flames spreading like a plague. That must mean that they don''t need fuel, and they can even spread to other objects upon contact.'' Eric analysed.


    "I won''t say anything about the Liquid and Crystal stages as you will get to learn more about them in the future. The Gaseous stage also gives you sublime control over your body. If you want, you could even slow down your aging, or get rid of some of the old cells, replacing them with new ones. Basically, a Spirit Lord will never catch ordinary sicknesses."


    ''Really?! Wow!''


    "I will send some clothing for you. You should get dressed. The next activity is learning martial arts. Fantasy-like powers aren''t the only tools in a Spirit Lord''s arsenal. I will-l also say this. Among all I have chosen, you are the most trustworthy. So, make sure that you are on guard against the others at all times!" She exhorted while walking to the door.


    "Also... You should reconnect with that metaphysical dimension of yours. I believe your image and phrase should have manifested."


    "Automatically?!"


    "That''s what I believe." And with that, she vanished, leaving behind a puzzled Eric.


    ''According to her explanation, the person has to actively take part in the process. Why would I have both an anchor and phrase ready? There must be something at play!''


    With that thought, Eric closed his eyes and tried to sink into that void filled with memories. When his spiritual self appeared within that void, he was taken aback by how easy it had been.

 Chapter 17 Shock

    SL Chapter 17 Shock


    Once again, Eric found himself within the void. Though now, the word ''void'' couldn''t do justice to the place. It was lacking. The mist, or gas, was everywhere. It was light, allowing him a visual glimpse into some of the nearer spheres of memories, but it was still there nontheless.


    But, something attracted his attention, something related to the spheres. They were moving. Previously, they had been locked in place, yet now, they were moving, as if in orbit of something. With a thought, his spiritual body was propelled upwards, all the way above the myriad spheres until he reached a suitable height, allowing him to take in all that was below him. He hadn''t been able to notice it before, but now he could see that even the mist was moving, rotating around something with the spheres. And what they were rotating around was a sphere of flames. They were bright, yet he didn''t feel any discomfort from the brightness. There was also a warmth, one which was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    So, he decided to get closer. And the warmth was increasing with every inch of space he closed between them, yet it failed to reach the point of scalding even when he came close. It was akin to a mother''s embrace, welcoming him with open arms. When he reached closer to the sphere, he was somewhat taken aback to discover that it was acting as a shell for the figure in a fetal position within it. The figure was in the shape of a humanoid, yet made of flames.


    "Mother! Are you in there?" Eric shouted out, holding a budding hope that she was there. The figure opened its eyes. He couldn''t see any such features upon its face, yet he was certain that it had opened its eyes. It gazed at him from within the sphere before reaching out with an arm, stroking his cheek gently, yet Eric was certain that there was only a small inkling of his mother within.


    In reality, his body, that had been seated upon the bed, had its closed eyelids let out silent tears.


    Back within his spiritual space, the memory of his mother doing the exact same action superimposed itself upon the reality before him. A mixed bag of emotions warred within him before ultimately, a measure of relief was the only one left behind. Atleast some part of her had still managed to survive, right?


    Though, he still couldn''t let go of the small pang of disappointment within his heart. Ultimately, a sigh, one filled with lonesome energy escaped his lips before he willed himself to exit this space.


    Upon appearing back in the real world, he wiped away his tears, and then, mentally prepared himself to call upon his power only for the rudimentary bot in the room to notify him of the arrival of a package. At first he was puzzled, but then he remembered the boss lady''s last words.


    With a verbal acknowledgement, the door slid open and a trolley rolled inside, with another bot pushing it. Atop it, there were some neatly placed items in a bag.


    After it left with the trolley, he opened the bag and retrieved the items within, which were composed of a cream white shirt, a black tie, a black suit, and a pair of black pants, dark glasses, coupled with black shoes and stockings. Another extra item was also discovered. It was a communication bracelet, one which made him thank the boss lady within his mind. It seems that she had paid attention to the details. Now he wasn''t going to have to fork out another amount from his meager savings in order to buy another one of these things.


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    He ran his fingers along the fabric of the suit, finding that it was made of a material that was soft, yet seemed to be resilient.


    ''This has to be expensive, right? Would it be mine even after the job is finished, or will I have to return it?'' such an idle thought crossed his mind even as he started picking up the shirt to get himself dressed.


    Once finished, he booted up the communications device, and urged it to scan his body, presenting him with a hologram of his current appearance.


    ''I look like a damn secret agent. My hair needs some combing... But otherwise, I look perfect. Maybe I could make some attractive girls swoon if I were to walk within my neighborhood dressed like this?'' He smirked even as the hologram copied him exactly, as if he were simply looking into the mirror.


    "Clothes do make a man" he whispered before heading for the door. The directions for his destination were already within.


    As he walked through the narrow hallways, he met very few people, who were obviously not dressed as doctors, or nurses, making him wonder what his room had really been. Had it been a hospital ward, or a hotel room repurposed into a makeshift ward?


    Finally, after some time walking, he finally reached his destination, with the doors sliding open automatically, and his heart jumping into his throat at the multiple gazes that were directed his way. For a moment, he wanted to squirm under such scrutiny, but resolved himself by taking a large breath, and making certain to project an air of calm stoicism.


    Everyone within the room, which was a dull yellow with red velvety sofa sets, was either standing, leaning against the wall, or sitting down. Each was dressed in the same black ensemble as himself, with the women also wearing pants.


    A woman stood up from the sofa, one whose beauty was also exotic, yet lacking the refinement of the boss lady. It was essentially a pale imitation. She was shorter than him, yet not by much. Long orange strands of hair cascaded behind her back, and her same colored pupils were radiating intense worry, as if she truly cared about him.


    "Are you okay?"


    ''What a great actor!'' He exclaimed inwardly even as his vigilance was raised mentally. She arrived just before him, giving him a once over, as if truly searching for any signs of injury. For Eric, this was the most awkward moment of his life as he stood petrified, not knowing how to react. Even though it was all a facade, he had never in his life, had a girl fawn over him as his mother had done during his younger years.


    "I-I am okay." He finally managed to say, almost stumbling upon his words.


    In the quiet room, a scoff sounded from a dark haired woman leaning in the corner, who had a bundle strapped upon her back. Her gaze was radiating a chill as she gazed upon the orange haired woman before him. Her name was Lanaley, while the orange haired woman was called Frida.


    Lanaley was a woman with an icy gaze, one which served to keep everyone away from her. Even the beloved madam Selena had been rebuffed.


    "As they say, a suit maketh a man!" commented Allan even as Frida went back and plopped down onto her previous seat, with her mouth shaped into a pout. It seems like Lanaley''s scoff had rubbed her the wrong way and broken her acting.


    "It depends on the person, arrogant fool. He''s as thin as a bean pole. How can you even insinuate that he looks better?" scoffed Jeffrey. It seemed that the chubby man had started disliking Eric.


    "Lad, you most definitely look more handsome than before."


    "Thank you, madam Selena. It also seems that that outfit makes you look younger." That earned a chuckle out of the woman.


    Before any more conversation could continue though, a clap from Iris put a stop to that and attracted everyone''s attention towards her and the boss lady, who was seated upon one of the single seaters in the room overlooking everyone. Then, she pointed at Eric and said, "He will be your leader starting from today."


    ""What!?!?""


    A collective exclamation by everyone within the room, save for Iris and the boss lady herself, rang within the room. Eric, the chosen one himself was in disbelief, wondering whether the Rabid dog was playing a joke upon him.


    "No way! How could he be the leader?!" shouted out Allan, his face vividly showing signs of cramping due to the ugly expression he was forcing upon it.


    "Surely you must be joking! Do you really believe this greenhorn can lead us? He doesn''t have any quality that would make any of us confident in following him." spoke Jeffrey in a cold voice.


    "Jeffrey! This is the second time that you have blatantly insulted Mr. Bosingwa here. If there is a third time, believe me! The punishment won''t be something you could handle. Also! We need all of you to make a spiritual oath, one related to the mission... And do take note. When I said that he would be the leader, it hadn''t been a suggestion, or something that required your input. He has been chosen, so bear with it."


    That got everyone quiet. Then came the spiritual oath, which essentially entailed swearing upon your anchor to bind each and everyone to the boss lady, with the duration lasting until the end of the anniversary party.

 Chapter 18 Lesson

    SL Chapter 18 Lesson


    "Why was I chosen?" asked Eric towards the boss lady. The others had already entered another room with Iris. Since he had asked for a private chat with the boss lady, they had been left alone. It had been a surprising turn of events because he had thought that Iris, the Rabid dog, was going to refuse. Yet, she had been accommodating.


    "I trust you." she said.


    "Huh?! What do you mean?" he asked in puzzlement.


    "The others... A spy might be among them. Which means that the agent will act some time in the future. Making you the leader means that anyone who disobeys you would be cast with suspicion, especially if their activities become abnormal."


    "How could it be me? How sure are you that I am not a spy?" Eric asked in desperation. He didn''t want to interact with those people. Many of them appeared to be too aloof, hateful of him, or treated him with contempt. Would those people with their overly inflated egos really agree to follow him? That was a question with an obvious answer he didn''t like. Besides, being the leader wouldn''t get him any merit, instead burdening him.


    "All you just have to know is that no one is born to be a leader. You will have to do it because it''s a decision I made. And I won''t take it back. So grit your teeth and do it." with that, she raised her palm, as if to pat him on the shoulder, but stopped just a few inches away and walked past him, leaving him there frozen.


    ''How did I get to be trusted? Was it the abnormality of my awakening? I could feel the shift in attitude when I woke up, but this is taking it to the extreme! How could the boss lady and Iris have such immense confidence in me?''


    Eric scratched his hair. All the pieces were there, yet he couldn''t find what the crucial deciding factor had been. Could it be they wanted him to attract the animosity of the sleeper agent? That was a dangerous game! They were playing with his life!


    Ultimately, he sighed. Then he followed the others into a creamy white room, where many oval shaped white capsules lay. His mouth widened when he figured out what they were. They were virtual pods with the highest synchronization with the virtual world! Apparently, your senses could reach beyond the normal human threshold if you logged in while within one of them!


    "Here, you are going to be learning martial arts." Iris spoke.


    "How exactly are these pods going to help us accomplish that, young lady?" asked madam Selena with a glint within her eyes.


    ''Is she excited?'' wondered Eric.


    "With these pods, you don''t have to go through a grueling number of years honing forms, mustering techniques, and experiencing various injuries, not to mention consuming resources. These things can upload an entire martial art into your head with the added bonus of making it so that it is as if you have trained the martial art your whole life!"


    "Wow!" exclaimed Lanaley, with her eyes glowing intensely.


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    With just some minor preparation, mostly of the mental type, Eric stepped into the pod and laid down, finding it to be even more comfortable than the two beds he had slept upon ever since his arrival here. Then, the lid closed and a thin mist was released, one which made it feel increasingly hard to keep his eyelids open. Though, he didn''t actively fight that, allowing himself to sink into sleep.


    When he next opened his eyes, he was standing upon a grass plain, dressed in a brown linen shirt and pants that appeared to possess no belt, instead tied by a string.


    The grass was short, just ending above his calf. It was soft, and vibrantly green, as if meticulously taken care of, by someone. Yet, with the unending nature of the plain, there was no way that was possible if it had been in the real world, but this was a virtual world, run by lines of code. The Sun was bearing down upon him and the plain, as if unleashing punishment. When he tried to peer into the the far distance, he failed to see any features that could indicate that the grassland ended somewhere. Features like mountains, forests, or even cliffs. It seemed that whoever designed this either lacked imagination, or hadn''t cared about the design enough to add anything else.


    Eric had been starting to wonder how exactly the martial arts were going to be imparted when an old man materialized.


    His bare scalp glistened in the overbearing sun as he stood there, giving him a feeling as if he was staring at a mountain. He had a long white beard which hadn''t been confined to the lower chin, but had even taken up residence just under his nostrils, yet it appeared to have been taken care of well enough not to appear as if it was too much. He too, was dressed in the same clothes as him, with an intense gaze from his brown pupils. He was barefoot, just like him, with his body''s muscles well pronounced.


    "I am Avemar." He spoke, startling Eric. His facial expression had been too vivid. No matter how an AI algorithm tried to mimic human behavior, there was always something lacking, yet this Avemar was too... Humanlike. Though, his name also rang like thunder within his ears. Eric had heard of the man. He had been a well renowned martial artist who had vanished just a few years ago.


    "Are you alive?" Eric just had to ask.


    "This is just a spiritual construct, boy. Instead of dwelling on such useless things, let''s get straight to it."


    "Yes!" Subconsciously, Eric straightened his posture and said, a little bit louder than he had anticipated, causing the heat of embarrassment to creep up his cheeks. But it seems that the man didn''t care about it as he simply continued.


    "What is the goal of combat?" He asked.


    "To win." ''That should be the right answer.'' Eric thought.


    "WRONG!" Shouted the man, eliciting a flinch out of Eric who hadn''t expected the outburst.


    "Winning is the goal of war. The goal of combat is to kill! Ever since time immemorial, the goal of combat has been murder. Your enemy won''t show mercy unless you kill them, or maim them. And even maiming them leaves behind a potential chance for revenge. Do you understand?" Eric nodded like a chicken pecking rice.


    Though inwardly, he was shaken. He hadn''t yet thought about the fact that he was going to have to take lives. It hadn''t sunk in yet that now that he had become a Spirit Lord, there were times when he was going to have to kill people. And it had just started sinking in just now. He wasn''t averse to the fact that he would have to do that. Instead, he wondered what his reaction would be like when he took a life for the first time.


    "When you embark on the path of combat. Taking lives, or having yours taken is inevitable. If I am not mistaken, you have become a Spirit Lord. When you enter this circle of power, there is no such thing as coasting along peacefully. There is a higher than 50% chance that you will be dragged into conflict. You will have to mentally prepare yourself for the fact that you could die, or kill someone. That is the purpose of combat. The ultimate purpose!"


    "There are a few things you must have if you are to kill your opponent, or best them enough to get a chance at killing them. You must have a touch of fear as the first thing. Why? Because overconfidence is the downfall of many a warrior. Fear is what keeps you tethered to reality. It makes you less prone at making mistakes, while also serving to keep you on your feet."


    "A smidgen of confidence is needed. Confidence is what drives everyone, allowing them to dream of the chance to win. That smidgen of confidence could be the difference between death and life..."


    "... And lastly, you must have the resolve to take a risk. The resolve to take a chance. The resolve to push through with an attack even when you know that the slightest misstep could cause your death! I have met many warriors in my life. And many of them loved to observe longer, wasting some chances because they didn''t have the resolve, the will to take a risk. And many of them died with endless regret. Boy! You will have to possess those three aspects if you want to come out on top. Of course, there are many others, but in my life, I have come to truly appreciate those three."


    The words of the man struck a cord within Eric. After all, Avemar had been too passionate, with his words having the capability to tug on heart strings. He vowed to remember this lesson for the rest of his life. And because of that he gave the man a bow of gratitude.


    "Its good that you managed to take my words to heart. I just hope you never forget them. Now it''s time I hand you over to the system such that they can pump your mind with many martial techniques. Though, I will give you one final piece of advice. Killing isn''t an art. It''s brutal. No matter how many martial arts you master, if they can''t ultimately result in the death of an opponent, then they are useless!"

 Chapter 19 Moving Gears.

    SL Chapter 19 Moving Gears


    Through a massive hole, one of the many upon one monolith, a small Cafe could be glimpsed within. It was quiet, small, and most of all, private. The tables and chairs looked like someone had taken a single steel pole and had had it grow, bend, and sprout leaves and flowers, eventually turning into either a chair or a table. It was black, yet gave off a certain beauty that couldn''t be described with simple words.


    Through the hole, which served to let in light, the city could be glimpsed below. Carriages pulled by all manner of beasts were down below, traversing the main roads, while those rare ones pulled by flying beasts could be glimpsed in the skies from time to time.


    Bora gazed at the many monoliths surrounding theirs with a disinterested gaze. Instead, the various sights down below were attracting her eyes more. Being this high up should have impeded her vision, but just a command directed within her cells was enough to cause a shift within her genetic makeup, thereby giving her eyes the power of far vision. It wasn''t anything special by any means since any Spirit Lord, from Liquid upwards, could do it.


    "Bora... I am puzzled as to why you gave that man a leadership position. Shouldn''t it have been more appropriate to give it to me?" Iris asked after taking a sip out of her mug. It contained a drink that was almost the same as coffee, though, anyone who had ever tasted true coffee would be capable of feeling that there was something missing.


    Bora''s eyes finally fell upon her aide, her only friend in the world. Though she was trying to mask it, she could glimpse the shadow of worry within the other woman''s eyes. And she could relate. Because this was related to their eventual fates.


    "He needs to experience what it''s like to hold the reins of power." Bora answered. The Vestige had already hinted at the fact that she might need his help in the future. It was best to nurture him.


    "To me, it feels as if you just threw him to the wolves. Those people, with their egos, not to mention the fact that a traitor, or a group of them, are hiding in their midst, will devour him." Iris sighed. Bora could see that she didn''t understand her intentions. But she herself believed that he would pull through. Her mother''s Vestige wouldn''t give a glimpse into the strings of time and fate lightly.


    "The prophecy already means that he won''t stumble here." Ultimately, Bora said, also picking up her smaller cup of the drink. She had always wondered why Iris loved this virtual beverage. For her, coffee wasn''t something she loved back in the real world. There was no way she could fall in love with something resembling it.


    "Come on, Bora! Take large sips! You lost the bet, so you will have to drink everything. I even took pity on you and gave you a smaller cup!"


    When Iris spoke of that, a grimace couldn''t help but briefly cross her features for a brief instant. She had really thought that the old lady had been the prophesized one.


    "So far, that thing has been right. If you say that he will survive, maybe even thrive... Then it''s possible. After all, if he dies, why would he appear in the future?"


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    "But we shouldn''t be complacent. Not everything is revealed to us. Even if we live through this, we might become disabled or something far worse than death. Fate is a terrifying thing. We should always be humble in front of it."


    "Though, I have always wondered why the madam chose to wield such a power? What was her goal exactly?"


    "My mother was a calculating woman. There are some nights I wonder whether she''s out there in the world, plotting her come back. But a Spiritual Vestige wouldn''t stay with someone else if it''s creator is still alive, right?" Some traces of fear leaked within Bora''s voice.


    "Well! Well! Well... Who do we have here? Isn''t it my dear sister from another mother? What are you doing in such a place? I have never taken you to be someone with a taste for coffee." An annoying voice cut through the atmosphere causing a drastic shift within the expressions of both the women occupying the table.


    A woman had at some point appeared within the Cafe, being followed by two others. She had lustrous dark purple hair cascading down her back and was dressed in a white top with exposed shoulders, coupled with a pair of blue jeans that reached her ankles. Just her exotic eyes, the same as Bora''s, coupled with her beauty, was enough to have almost every male within the small room, turn their heads towards her.


    She sauntered over to their table, with Bora''s gaze having already morphed into calm stoicism.


    "Why are you here, Boram?" She asked calmly even though she knew the reason. This half sister of hers was truly too childish. If it wasn''t for the fact that she had an impressive older brother, then she wouldn''t have managed to survive very well in their cutthroat family.


    "A little bird told me that you''d be here, so I decided to grace you with my magnificent presence." a strand of purple hair was ruthlessly pushed behind her ears. It seems that she wasn''t as calm as she appeared to be. Bora''s calmness was making her irritated, yet she didn''t want her facade to crumble before her friends.


    Before Bora could answer though, she felt a tug at her spiritual energy, causing a sliver of it to escape her body, and merge into the air. Her eyes widened even as her head swiveled over to Iris, whose gaze also mirrored her astonishment. What had just happened? Did this world just take a sliver of their spiritual energy?


    -----


    By the window he stood, looking out into the city, taking in the bustle of humanity. For a moment he fantasized each and every person he could see before him as an awakened, but ultimately, he shook his head. Politics had gotten in the way of his goals, forcing him to take a roundabout way that required a long time to pull off, not to mention resources.


    But ultimately those idiots who had thought that they wielded all the power had simply been stagnating themselves. If they knew what he knew, then they would have most definitely raced to have had every single person awaken. He could have told them in the first place. But that would have meant that the initiative was out of his hands, something he wasn''t keen on seeing.


    The stupid fools were probably out there, celebrating the fact that they had managed to prevent his plans from going through, which would have shifted power away from them and into the hands of the people. Though, he himself couldn''t really lie to himself that he cared about the normal human. He didn''t have time for that. All he wanted was to raise his strength. To take that step forward that would place him above each and everyone of the others. Recently, they had started getting big heads. After all, they could sense that he was at the same level as them. The peak of the Crystal stage. They wanted his secrets. They wanted the invisible authority he held among humankind. Yet, they were also weary of poking the sleeping dragon. Each of them was waiting for some cocky fellow to take the lead.


    A smirk faintly manifested itself across his face while the temperature around him increased by a factor of a few degrees. How he wouldn''t love some fool to attack right this moment. They would serve as an example to the others that they weren''t on the same level. He had knowledge of the next level, allowing him to polish his strength towards it. They lacked such fundamental knowledge. Meaning, they couldn''t really surpass their limits like he could.


    But now that everything had matured. The world was about to change. It was time to take that step and aim for the Spiritual world. It was the true stage for Spirit Lords. Not this mundane realm, clearly lacking in resources.


    Musana''s eyes, whose pupils were akin to two Suns had their glow increase in intensity as the anticipation within him reached a peak.


    Then he felt a change within the room, one which came from the direction of the opening door. But he didn''t turn around, already having known of the person who would arrive.


    "It looks like the gears of fate have been set in motion." The newcomer commented even as he plopped down on the sofa adjacent to his desk. Musana could still remember how fearful the brat had been in his presence. Yet now, he was blatantly showing his disrespect.


    "This is all the result of human effort. Fate is an Illusory concept." Musana commented.


    "Really? I don''t believe so." The man refuted.

 Chapter 20 Drastic Changes

    SL Chapter 20 Drastic Changes


    "You always yap about fate and destiny and what not. This was my plan all along. Maybe if you had the slightest inkling to its entire scope, then I might take your words seriously. Nothing else drove it to this point. It was all because of my will!" Musana said those words with Boundless pride and confidence.


    "What are you doing here, Ssente?" With that question, Musana finally turned away from the window and gazed at the other man, who had raised his shoe clad feet and deposited them onto the small table between the two sofas.


    ''It looks like he'' s still testing my patience. Is he the fool everyone is betting upon? Too bad he doesn''t even know that everything will all be ending today.''


    "Nothing really. I simply came to congratulate you on reaching your plan''s fruition. Though I am wondering, where are the other members? Shouldn''t they be here too, celebrating with you?"


    Musana''s solid spiritual energy shifted, bathing the entire room with a powerful pressure even as his intense gaze rested upon the man.


    "I only allowed you to join simply because you knew too much. I couldn''t afford to take the risk then. But now, nothing you say could hinder my plans. I suggest you think very carefully about the many things you are curious about. Are they worth your very life?" His voice had lowered in cadence by the end, yet had become even more imposing and scary. Though Ssente was pretending to be unfazed, Musana had become too familiar with the young man to know when he had touched a nerve.


    "Go do whatever you want. But do know that I have been keeping tabs on your small plots. I will be forgiving you for them right now. Also, from now on, you are no longer connected to the six of us... You never were."


    Ssente''s face paled at those words. But he still obediently stood up and left the office, with a smirk manifesting across Musana''s face at that. He didn''t particularly love to leave such an unstable element alive, but he couldn''t afford a battle right at this moment. There was a far more important thing to do. The time had already arrived.


    (Musana, the world has managed to accumulate enough.)


    A voice reached his mind from someone whom he considered a true comrade, bringing a true smile to his face.


    It was now time to advance and try to see whether the promised Spiritual realm was as magnificent as the legends had described it. Maybe then, he would be able to meet his mentor.


    ''I, as a fragment of my lord, am offended that you didn''t even consider my feelings with that thought.''


    ''You are a figment of your lord. How could you be offended that I would love to meet him even sooner?'' asked Musana inwardly. He had of course masked his true thoughts. This entity which had hijacked his mind years ago thereby giving him the key to starting this Era filled with Spirit Lords, wasn''t simple. He wasn''t entirely trusting of that Lord''s intentions.


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    ''Anyway, it is a shame that you had to go in such a roundabout way in order to achieve your goal. Shouldn''t it have been easier if you had murdered the dissidents and pushed your plans through? Then we wouldn''t have had to wait for this long.''


    ''Don''t underestimate this planet. There are many secrets even we don''t know about. Those governments might possess things that could end us even with all our power.'' Musana said with humility. Of course, it wasn''t that he believed they had. He had just thought that it had been better to err on the side of caution.


    Musana moved away from behind his desk and the window, making his way towards the door, which slid open to allow his exit. The moment he made it out, he navigated through the hallway until he reached another door, which he opened and exposed the elevator behind it, which led to the lower floors. The entire building was his, with a single floor dedicated entirely to him.


    After a few minutes of descent, the doors opened, exposing a room like no other. It was white, with each of its walls having no less than 100 tubes protruding out, all connected to a single spherical container, which wasn''t reflecting any of the light that fell upon it. It was dark enough to have someone confuse it with the void of space.


    All the silvery pipes had been constructed with the intent of absorbing something from within the sphere. Musana didn''t pause for even a moment, instead having his shoe clad feet create echoes within the room as he walked along the straight designated pathway until he arrived just before the sphere, which was of the diameter of two human heads placed side by side. The moment his steps stopped just before it, a vertical line materialized upon it before it split open, exposing an entirely empty interior.


    Musana raised his palm, conjuring a sphere of white atop it. It was just a manifestation, a replica, yet the temperature within the room had started to rise the moment it had appeared. With a thought, he controlled it into descending into the empty space, with the sphere sealing back up. But it couldn''t isolate his connection to it.


    ''For one second, it becomes a true Sun!''


    The moment he thought of the phrase, the pipes, which had been inert before, shook as massive amounts of energy were channeled through them, with even the temperature in the room instantly rising to dangerous levels. Though, because of the fact that he was the owner of that power, Musana had isolated himself from its effects.


    When that lengthy, yet also short second ended, the tubes had melted. With the dark sphere having turned into a puddle of liquid, leaving behind only the floating white sphere, which had dimmed for a bit.


    ''I believe that amount should be sufficient.'' He thought before turning away.


    -----


    Eric stood right before a door. His back was facing it, as if he were guarding it... Which he was. The circumstances leading up to this had been because of a drastic turn of events, which had put him in this situation he desperately wanted to run away from.


    Behind him, within the room, there were Iris and the boss lady''s bodies, nestled within virtual pods. They, and many others around the world, had become trapped within the virtual world. Just ten minutes had passed, yet every manner of news was about the event. And many people were even asking themselves about who truly was the owner of the virtual world. It had already been discovered that what had been taken as the cooperation running the virtual system had apparently been just a paper company. The servers didn''t even exist within the building, with everyone there having vanished, like a month ago! The empty headquarters were just outside Kampala city, but right now, they were teeming with both authorities and news reporters.


    Though, there was a silver lining to the situation. Which was the fact that those trapped could communicate with the outside world. Not just in audio, but even video. And through such communication had the boss lady passed down orders for him to guard the door while the others surrounded him while a bit further out.


    The boss lady and the others were in the middle of finding a way to extricate themselves. Apparently, Spirit Lords had been allowed to leave. But they had to make their way towards the four gates and make their exit through them in order to log out. Yet, Iris had hinted at the fact that their spiritual energy was being stolen by the world around them. It was a minute amount, almost negligible in the grand scheme of things, but it was happening.


    Eric felt exposed infront of the gazes directed his way. Even the stoic facade he was maintaining was on the verge of crumbling. There were those dissatisfied with the fact that he had been chosen. There were also those like Jeffrey, whose gaze was quite unsettling. It was calm, yet it was as if he was picturing multiple ways through which he could butcher him, which was a disconcerting thought. And they weren''t just glancing at him, but at each other. Each was wary enough to have put some distance between themselves. Even madam Selena, the person who loved to get along with the others was now acting cautious.


    "Lad, I won''t hesitate to attack anyone who tries to approach you." When they made eye contact, she spoke out, managing to attract enough attention to allow Eric a sigh of relief.


    "Who could make a move in this situation? Even if there truly is a traitor, how could they overcome the binding of the Spirit Oath?" Frida, the orange haired actress asked naively. Though Eric was certain that that was probably a schooled facial expression and tone of voice. She wasn''t as naive as she appeared. Anyone who fell for that would probably be convinced to sell themselves while she counted the money.