Chapter 92 - Soul Integration
On the beach, a small entrance with a grated gate could be seen, leading down a set of stairs into what appeared to be a dungeon. Climbing atop the structure and looking from above, they saw what looked like an abandoned fort in the distance.
"I think this entrance might be connected to that fort up ahead," Alice was the first to comment.
"I'll go check it out inside."
The two girls looked at Luke.
"Could you? If it seems dangerous..."
"It'll be quick."
Passing through the bars, he began to descend. The stairs weren't very long, but there was sand everywhere. Much of the room was buried under sand, and a small opening led to what seemed to be a door.
"This is no problem for me."
Sinking into the ground, he emerged through the sandy wall that led to the door. Looking back, he noticed the room was completely filled with sand, spilling into the corridor. Luke started to walk through the place.
The area had dark corners and a few lit torches, but he saw many wooden tables and what looked like study areas. Walking a bit further, he found a room filled with tables covered in manuscripts written in other languages. Luke saw a room filled with books, a place so dirty it was covered in cobwebs. As he wandered, he noticed the place was somewhat damaged.
Returning to a room, he closed a door as a precaution and sat on a piece of broken concrete, pulling out his scarf.
"This whole time, there's something I've always wanted to try," he said, staring at the scarf.
Luke placed his hand on the scarf and concentrated.
"I want to see your ethereal screen..." he said, keeping his hand on the scarf.
He stayed like that for a while, but nothing happened.
"Alice did this with her fragment; you must have an ethereal screen too. I just don't know how to activate it yet."
Luke kept his hand on it, but still, nothing happened.
"Wait... It took me a while to summon cards without touching my soul connection. Could that be it?"
With one hand on the scarf, he raised the other and touched the back of his neck.
"Nothing happened..."
Luke sighed.
"What a waste of time..."
He put the scarf back around his neck, but as he did, an idea struck him.
Luke grabbed one end of the scarf and pressed it against his soul connection on the back of his neck.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Golden letters appeared in front of him.
[Fragment of the Inner God: Scarf of the Void
Description: A (???) pulled a black thread from his heart, creating a son.
Enchantments: (Fabric Hands), (???), (Mental Connection), (???)
Level: 1]
Luke stared in disbelief at the screen.
"I did it! I managed to do the same thing Alice did with her sword."
[Do you wish to awaken the Skill Tree of the Inner God Fragment?]
He paused for a moment, trying to contain his excitement.
"Of course!" Luke answered the question.
[Soul Vestiges option has been added to your profile]
[The Skill Tree has been awakened]
"Soul Vestiges?"
The ethereal screen of the Scarf of the Void began to shift, and suddenly, the information changed.
[Fragment of the Inner God: Scarf of the Void
Main Abilities:
(Fabric Hands): The scarf can transform its ends into hands that will assist you.
(???): Discover on your own.
(Mental Connection): Your fabric friend synchronizes with your mind, allowing you to control it as if it were part of your body.
(???): Discover on your own.
Soul Vestiges: (135/50)
Level: 1
Skill Tree: (Integration Required)]
Luke carefully read through the information, realizing that everything was beginning to make sense.
"That's why you can help me in combat; it's an ability similar to what I have with my 'Intangibility,'" he reasoned.
"What's a Soul Vestige?"
Luke focused as he examined that option.
[Soul Vestiges (135/50)
Description: By defeating an enemy, you consume parts of their soul. As you level up, your Fragment's damage increases, and you may earn a Soul Point. If you offer the Soul Point to your Inner God's Fragment, you can acquire more powers.]
"Holy crap... now I understand what Alice meant that day during the storm. She can't gain more powers because her fragment didn't recognize her as its owner."
Luke pondered over the options.
"I have 135 Soul Vestiges. So, when I kill a monster, they give me this stuff? How much does a monster give in vestiges? When did I even start earning these?"
"I assume that to gain more powers, I need to access this 'Skill Tree,'" he muttered to himself.
Luke stretched out his finger and touched the option.
[Do you wish to integrate your soul to unlock the Skill Tree?]
"What the hell is this? This is kinda creepy," Luke murmured.
Luke stared at the option floating in front of him.
"What is Integration?" he asked.
[Soul Integration:
Your soul is merged with your Inner God. The more steps you take toward it, the closer you become to the power of your Inner God.
Benefits:
Your Inner God's Fragment gains a Skill Tree, and through Soul Points, you can grant it additional powers.]
"This is way too sinister. Why would you show me something like this and then immediately present the 'benefits'? I'm not an idiot... what's the catch?"
[Drawbacks:
There's no turning back once you make this choice; both souls become one.]
Devour or be devoured... that's what appeared when I was inside the Inner Self.
"This sounds more like a deal with the devil. I refuse Soul Integration."
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
"What!?" Luke stumbled back as the yellow letters flashed repeatedly in front of him.
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
"What's happening?" The entire room began to shake.
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[DENIED!]
[Rejected! Your soul has already been integrated]
"Impossible! I would never do something so stupid!"
[You and your Inner God were integrated when your soul was corrupted]
"This is madness!"
[Skill Tree Unlocked: Path of the Corrupted Divine]
The golden letters made of sand began to tremble and turned black.
[BLACK GHOST]
[BLACK GHOST]
[BLACK GHOST]
"Corruption taints the living being, and to reach their Inner God, the living becomes a monstrous distortion… I stopped the process midway and prevented it. Which means… a path between me and my God was created..." he murmured.
[Congratulations on realizing it]
"The Master of Puppets skill is a corrupted ability…" That's how I got this thing. It's been right in front of me all this time, and I didn't see it.
The words of the innkeeper echoed in Luke's mind.
"Defective offspring..."
[Black, White, Water, Darkness, Void]
A strange sensation filled the air, as if those words were forbidden to be read or spoken. The atmosphere grew heavy.
"I'm getting out of this damned place… enough…" The letters and the option screen disappeared, and Luke, sweating cold, left the room.