'This kid's concentration is absurd.' The figure mused as he watched Gin behind a tree, 'In the first place, I couldn't believe he listened to the words of Horror even though I just saved him. But for the same reason, I guess he implied that I could've just left him there…'
The figure watched Gin in amazement.
He was only here if Gin was able to make a mistake that could result in an accident or that 'incident' that happened to him once.
'If he continues with this, he might be able to pull it off without any hiccups,'
It's been a month since Gin embarked on his journey to mend his undeveloped soul, and he's already mastered the fundamental principles he needs to follow.
Occasionally, Gin sought guidance on matters that diverged from the figure's initial expectations, but he responded honestly, drawing from his growing understanding of the process.
At times, Gin found himself muddled in confusion, while on other occasions, when his thoughts aligned correctly, a smile would grace his lips as he reflected on his progress before returning to complete his tasks.
With each return to his tasks, Gin showcased noticeable improvement, often surprising the figure with the progress he made.
For the figure, this achievement alone was enough to break through the first stage.
Given the current pace of progress, the figure could estimate that Gin will require about a year to sufficiently delve into his subconsciousness and accomplish the tasks necessary for its opening.
Even normal Horror wouldn't achieve such a feat. Well, as if anyone managed to pull it off aside from his ancestor.
Of course, there might be other methods the figure didn't know regarding the undeveloped soul but he knew this was the best course of action
Binding Soul Chains secured one hundred percent certainty on making an undeveloped soul complete.
With one user to accomplish it of course.
'But it's better than zero,' The figure nodded thoughtfully as he watched Gin depart from his makeshift camp.
"Sir Figure, I know you are there. I have something to say."
"!"
Eyes widening in surprise, the figure momentarily startled before stepping out from the tree where he had been observing.
"Yes, pupil?"
Gin approached the figure before looking at him.
"I'm ready."
"Ah, I see. We proceed to the next stage then?"
"No, I'm ready."
Tilting his head, the figure mused, 'If not for going through the second stage, what he's ready then?'
>After pinpointing the shattered souls, the next step is to make a sturdy chain to maintain the holding when Gin starts connecting them.
>The third stage will be directing his essence towards the shattered souls.
>The fourth stage would be maintaining the chains while you connect them with other shattered souls, which is the longest part.
>And lastly, maintaining the chains for a minute for the subconsciousness to open up.
What ready?
'He's ready—'
For a fleeting instant, the figure's hand moved towards his hood as he instinctively recoiled, taking a sizable step backward.
"You can't be serious…"
"I'm serious. But I had to prepare a few things. May I ask where to get essence crystal in this area? Or I can hunt some animals like fish, birds, or turtles, and I just wanted to ask where they are?"
Initially assuming Gin's demeanor to be lighthearted, the figure soon realized the gravity of Gin's determination, sensing an underlying purpose driving his inquiries.
Hence, he had no choice but to comply and trust him.
"Are you confident?"
"Absolutely… theoretically confident."
"You paused! And theoretical? This is the real deal, you idiot!"
Gin could only bow his head, "I know this is risky since I'm going to apply it for the first time but I don't have the luxury of spending my life here just to achieve this. It's better to try it than to regret it later on when it might've worked."
'He really does have a plan in mind…'
The figure hesitated, wary of potential mishaps from rushing, yet couldn't ignore Gin's unwavering confidence.
"You understand the consequences if you fail, don't you?"
"I'm aware."
"And you still want to continue?"
"Yes, sir."
The figure shook his head defeatedly as he replied, "I can get the crystals for you but only this time. If you fail, that's it. And if something happens, I will use these crystals to save you. Got it?"
Gin remained his head bowed as he gave his gratitude, "Thank you, sir."
…
Meditation is the top method if one needs to replenish their soul but that doesn't mean there aren't other methods to apply.
One of those methods is through eating food. However, there would be only half, or less, minimal amount and didn't have the same impact as meditation. After all, the soul embodies life itself; if it lacks vitality, the benefits derived from food would be significantly reduced.
It was only natural.
The same as Horror did to humans. It didn't matter if the human was dead already, as long as they had a soul left on their body, they would continue to devour them.
Another method that holds relevance is absorbing the essence through what is known in the Horror language as essence crystals, though humans have dubbed them soul crystals.
On this table alone, there's a feast and an assortment of medium to low-grade essence crystals, with only a scant supply of the high-grade variety.
'T-this…'
I looked up towards the figure.
"Say thanks after you're done."
With a single nod, I commenced the consumption of the diverse array of dishes laid out before me. Over two entire days, the cloaked figure diligently arranged and replenished these delicacies, ensuring my sustained indulgence.
Despite my embarrassment, the cloaked figure reassured me to simply focus on enjoying myself, promising a smooth and uninterrupted experience for the day.
In just half an hour, I devoured the delicacies, my abdomen protruding from the intake of food. Without delay, I swiftly retrieved the pack of crystals from below and settled onto the floor, assuming the meditation pose with purpose.
As I closed my eyes, signaling the commencement of the arrangement, it took mere minutes to delve into the vast black expanse. I landed upon one of the shattered souls I had been tracking since my position didn't change even when I went back outside every time.
If I base the body structure, this shattered soul is located in the middle of my body, just below my diaphragm.
'No time to waste…'
Seated upon the shattered soul, I concentrated all the essence that flowed within me, forging a connection with the very ground upon which I sat.
Upon the completion of the essence transfer, the fragmented soul radiated a brilliant hue. Tiny strings emerged, extending from every fragment and stretching across the dark expanse, illuminating the void with their ethereal glow.
In a swift motion, Gin connected one string to another, uniting the fractured souls.
Instantly, the soul bathed in a radiant white hue, emitting strings that intertwined with other fragmented souls. This interconnected web of light began to weave together the scattered essence, bridging the gaps between the souls that remained incomplete.
In just a minute, he managed to cover half of his body with the chained strings as Gin led them in many ways, not letting a second slip by from his grasp.
Within a mere minute, Gin orchestrated the weaving of the chained strings, covering half of his look-alike body.
With precision, he guided them along various paths, ensuring not a single second slipped from his grasp as he masterfully orchestrated the integration of the fragmented souls.
Yet the food that contained essence, which also amount of things stored in those delicacies, was consumed right in that instant, clearly removing all the ones that were left.
But he remained focused, less he danger not only himself but also the figure who was only helping him here.
That's why even a moment of hesitation and loss of concentration might shake up his building foundation which could result in a fatal mistake.
'Sir!'
…
Observing Gin's struggling expression and recognizing the need for assistance, the cloaked figure moved swiftly, slipping the crystals into Gin's hand with a silent understanding conveyed through the subtle act.
First, two medium-grade crystals were used in Gin, who felt refreshed as he seeped through the essence inside them.
However, the white hue emanating from the crystals was swiftly concealed within just half a minute, once again leaving Gin to grapple with the challenges presented before him.
'This… child is really something else…!'
The image of strands of essence that still look like chains outside, stretching out to various processes, interconnecting to every shattered soul scattered around at a fast rate, was his first time seeing something magnificent.
The probable success of this method lay in Gin's unwavering concentration, as he executed the process flawlessly, making no room for mistakes.
The process repeated for some time as the figure removed and inserted essence crystals into Gin's hands until the figure saw two high-grade crystals left in the basket with a frown.
It wasn't even ten minutes, Gin found himself confronted with a significant number of shattered souls left to connect. His fingertips, toes, and head remained untouched by the interwoven chains, presenting a formidable challenge to overcome.
The figure's heart pounded as he watched the situation with nervousness. Once half a minute passed, Gin would receive the last crystals he could use.
And that time came.
The figure inserted the last two crystals in Gin's hand and started preparing on his own in case an accident came.
'If his soul became broken with this, a deficit of soul might come, and different symptoms like nausea, vomiting of blood, and pain inside the body might come. If that happens, I'll move no matter what.'
The figure paused, 'So you better finish it before it happens.'
…
'Done!'
With a brief moment of elation, Gin celebrated the successful connection of the shattered souls on his fingers and toes. Now, he shifted his focus to the final task at hand: linking the fragmented chains that was placed in the part of his head.
'There are at least five there. I have to be fast. If I'm correct, there are approximately twenty crystals or twenty-one crystals from the baskets… I'll lose them in just mere seconds if I wanted to speed things up.'
Gin rushed the strands as he connected two fragmented souls in one go, leaving three more. Up next, he used those two fragmented souls to connect to the two others more and used those four to connect to the very last one which is located at the very top.
'Reach it!'
In that crucial moment, Gin lost connection to the external source of essence. Undeterred, he pressed on with unwavering determination to pursue and unite the last fragmented soul within his head.
'Faster!'
After a few tense seconds, one of the strands finally reached the last fragmented soul within Gin's head.
'Now!'
With a resolute expression, he began to secure them in place, determined to complete the intricate web of connections despite the temporary setback.
'I just have to endure a minute!'
With each passing second, Gin's struggle became more apparent, his efforts to maintain the stability of the strands becoming increasingly strenuous.
'Just a minute…'
As fifteen seconds elapsed, Gin sensed the strands trembling, a sign of instability that threatened to unravel his painstaking work.
'Just have to endure…'
As half a minute slipped away, the trembling of the shattered soul intensified, signaling the weakening of the connection Gin maintained with his essence chains.
'Fuck! Don't you fucking give up! You endured worse than this!'
With forty-five seconds elapsed, each passing moment felt like an eternity to Gin, the remaining fifteen seconds stretching out before him like centuries in the face of his struggle.
And finally, those seconds turned into one digit.
'5…'
The strings are on the verge of plucking themselves out.
'4…'
The light hue emanating from these fragmented souls is wavering.
'3…'
Gin felt he was on the verge of collapse.
'2…'
Just as the cloaked figure was about to move in response to Gin's coughing fit, a sudden sensation stirred within their body, causing him to pause and take notice.
'1…'
Within the dark expanse, Gin persisted in tracking the elusive timer, ultimately achieving his goal.
However, the triumph was short-lived as he collapsed forward, landing on an indistinct 'something' within the void.
Thankfully, it was something good that he received from doing all this.
Fortunately, what Gin encountered was a reward for his arduous efforts and perseverance throughout the challenging ordeal.
He entered his subconsciousness.