There would be other ways for him to get control over mirrors, and that included literally just killing Glint to take the monster's powers. He was already only a step away from throwing mirror shards around whenever Glint died.
When the monster got stronger, his own powers would too. It wasn't unrealistic for Glint to get some sort of mirror control skill himself.
Actually, do monsters get skills? I have no idea. I suppose I'll find out. They definitely get something. Either way, choosing Monster Medley gets me the most strength and potential in every stage.
"I choose Monster Medley," Alex said.
The other skill options flickered and vanished, and new words scrawled out.
Alex Vaya [Human]
Class: Evoker [Mirrorlands]
Stage: Novice 2
Title Fragments:
[Mirrorlander]
Active Titles:
[Anomaly]
[1/5]
Soul Manifestation:
[Spatial Mirrors] (Novice 1)
Auxiliary Skills:
[Requiem to the King] (Novice 1)
[Monster Medley] (Novice 1)
Alex blew out a breath and waved the floating words away. He felt a little odd. It was difficult to place exactly what it was, but his motions felt smoother and his body more defined. The change was subtle enough to be nearly unnoticeable but present enough to keep him from dismissing it as mere confusion.
Now that I think about it, this makes sense. If the soul and the body are linked, then improving the soul would logically improve the body as well. But if that's true… the inverse applies as well. I guess it's time to start working out more seriously. I'm just glad that my head feels the same as it did before.
That was definitely for the best. Alex wasn't sure how he felt about the skills he took actually changing how he saw the world or filling his mind with information about how they worked. If it had stuffed a bunch of knowledge into his head, it would have made him question how much of himself was actually him.
That line of thought had fortunately been avoided. For better or for worse, he'd reached Novice 2 and had a new skill to show for it. There was only one last thing left to do. He didn't know if he could summon his cards inside his soul, but —
Glint's card snapped into his hands like it had always been there. Alex nearly dropped it in surprise.
"Well, I suppose that answers that question," he said with a chuckle. There were currently three different forms of energy stored within the card — two Low Grades and one Low-Mid Grade.
"Now, how do I combine you with Glint?" Alex muttered to himself. He focused his attention on the new skill, trying to draw its powers out. In response, a tingling sensation erupted along the fingertips of his right hand and he felt them sink slightly into the card.
He hurriedly swapped the mirror over to his left hand before his arm could sink into it completely. When nothing happened, he brushed his tingling fingers across its surface. Ripples passed through the card's silver surface and the prickling sensation grew stronger.
"Glint, can you come out in here?"
Glass shattered and claws raked through the darkness beside Alex as Glint took form inside his mind. Alex gave his mute companion an impressed glance. He'd been a bit optimistic hoping the monster would be able to enter his literal soul, but evidently that was fair game.
"Which one of these energy flames do you want?" Alex asked, turning the card toward Glint. "Is there one that suits you better?"
Glint studied the mirror but made no move to do anything.
"Is that too complex of a request?" A frown crossed Alex's face. "Can you point out which one would work with you, regardless of desire?"
Still, Glint was still. Alex blew out a huff and turned the mirror back to himself. It didn't look like his monsters were going to be able to give him much help with his decisions. If that was the case, then all he could do was experiment.
Alex pressed his fingertips into the mirror. It rippled, then gave way. His arm sank into what felt like a freezing cold pool. Alex focused his thoughts on the Low-Grade Novice belonging to the Shaded Hauntling and his hand wrapped around a mote of warm energy. He pulled it free, revealing a dark ball of fire as he unfurled his fingers.
"Well, that worked."
He held the mote of flame up before his face. Rather than warmth, it gave off a faint pressure.
I wonder which aspect Glint will take on if I give him this. It's not like you can boil a monster down to a single thing. Will he just consume the energy and get stronger?
Alex studied the heatless fire, but he wasn't getting any answers by looking at it. The only way to learn was to do. He crouched down before Glint and held the flame out.
"Here. Merge with this," Alex said.
Glint extended his clawed hands, taking the flame from Alex. He lifted it to his mouth and swallowed the fire whole. Alex's fingers tingled, but the sensation soon passed. Glint stared at him expectantly.
Not enough, huh?
Alex took out the second Low-Grade Novice flame and fed it to Glint, achieving the same result as the first. His eyes narrowed and he pulled out the Low-Mid-Grade flame, nearly stumbling over the length of the thought, and extended his hand for the third time.
Glint plucked it from his fingers and devoured it whole.
This time, the tingling sensation running down Alex's fingers intensified as something pulled at his chest. His stomach clenched and his breath caught in his throat as energy rushed out of his body, leaving behind a sudden wave of weariness.
It passed as quickly as it had come. He shook his head off and squinted through his disorientation. A dozen cracks rang out and Alex drew in a surprised breath. A tremor shook the shards of glass along Glint's back. The Shardwalker hunched over with a hiss and ripples passed over his grey skin.
Glint was changing.
///Author's Note///
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