Elder Elies led Thalvyr and me into the training grounds.
She stopped, turning to face us.
"2 out of 7 presented."
She paused, letting her words hung in the air. But she quickly straightened, her sharp gaze locking onto us.
"Before we begin, you need to understand the foundation of what makes a Tricrown. There are three primary categories of power that each of us is born into."
She held up a finger.
"First is Command. This is the ability to control or influence things. Like you, Thalvyr, with your power to manipulate water droplets, shaping and guiding them as you see fit."
Thalvyr nodded.
Elder Elies raised a second finger,
"Next is Amplification. This allows a Tricrown to drastically enhance their physical or sensory capabilities. My own ability falls here—my Bird's View Eyes enable me to extend my vision far beyond the normal range, providing me with a tactical advantage."
She raised a third finger.
"And finally, Creation. The rarest of the three, it's the power to manifest objects or substances into existence. Few are born with it, and even fewer master it."
"But being born into one category doesn't mean you're bound to it forever. "
She took a step back, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
"For example, this is my Command."
Without warning, Elies vanished, only to reappear a short distance away.
"I can command my body to teleport within the range of my Bird's View Eyes."
"And now, my Creation."
Elies extended her arm, her palm open.
Within moments, two small but intricately designed blades materialized out of thin air. Theirs edges gleamed faintly under the fungi light.
"The ability to forge tools, weapons tailored precisely to my intent and the situation at hand."
She explained, handing one blade to me and the other to Thalvyr.
The moment we held them, the blades began to disintegrate. Not into dust, but into nothingness—vanishing as if they'd never existed.
"As you've seen, I can create these blades and wield it myself. But the moment I hand it to someone else, it disintegrates. That's one of the challenges of Creation. Mastery isn't just about what you can create—it's about how long it can endure and whether it can be used by others."
She continued, watching our reactions.
"Futhermore, creation is limited by the creator's understanding. For example, I can craft tools, blades, axes, polearms. But a firearm?"
She shook her head.
"I can't create one because I don't understand the complex chemistry or engineering behind how it functions."
I stared at her, eyebrows raised.
"Wait. So you're telling me you can teleport across a battlefield, but you can't figure out how a gun works?"
Elies smirked faintly, crossing her arms.
"Teleportation isn't chemistry. It's Command. I'm directing my cells to relocate within the range of my vision, not assembling molecules into a combustible reaction."
"That still sounds way more complicated than making a gun."
I said, unable to hide my incredulity.
"Not if you've spent decades perfecting it."
"But that's the point I'm making—Tricrowns are only as versatile as their knowledge and experience allow. It's about expanding your mind, your mental, understanding the limits of your abilities, and learning when to push beyond them."
Thalvyr gave a thoughtful nod, while I glanced down at where the blade had vanished from my hand. I couldn't decide if her explanation made me feel more impressed or more confused.
"Well. Now that you understand the theory, it's time to see what you two can actually do."
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**[WARNING: PROCEEDING TO USE SOUL TRANSFER DURING COOL DOWN IS NOT RECOMMENDED]**
**[DO YOU STILL WISH TO CONTINUE?]**
> YES
> NO
"I already told Elder Elies I couldn't use my ability right now."
And does she have lie detection or something? She won't let me half-ass my way out it.
I muttered under my breath. But her insistence leaving no room for refusal.
I put my hand on the massive worm and use **Soul Transfer**.
I opened my eyes and found myself on a winding road.
To my right, children played by the riverbank, their laughter carrying through the air as they fished with makeshift rods.
"Don't you have to go home?"
One of them asked, their faces obscured by shadows that seemed to dance with the sunlight.
I glance to my left. A towering villa looms in the distance, its high walls and imposing gate casting long shadows over the road.
------------------------------------------
"Fashinating."
The humanoid cavecrawler applying healing glop, on my body. Its arms slowly and steady caress my body.
"You have a remarkably similar structure to us—or, well, to what we once were."
Its compound eyes glinting with interest.
"The driller's secretion interacts with your body in a way that mimics our own regenerative processes. Remarkable, really."
its fingers tracing near the base of my horns with a feather-light touch.
"And these... are they connected directly to your brain? They must be, given how they react."
It chuckled softly, a sound more like the hum of vibrating chitin.
"You're a walking mystery. Gosh, I'd love to dissect you. But I won't. No, I couldn't. But oh, I _want_ to."
The creature leaned closer, tilting its head as though expecting a response.
"You know, it's a little rude to leave me talking to myself like this. I understand you've been through something traumatic, but don't you think it's time to say something? Break the silence?"
Slowly, I spoke.
"My mother used to say... being careless is a privilege of the strong. How could I be so careless when all I have is the borrowed strength of a useless Tricrown?"
The creature paused its work, tilting its head curiously.
"So that's what a mother does—they teach. Fascinating. Mothers in my species die right after giving birth. Never get a chance to say a word."
"I hate this."
I continued, my voice shaking.
"I hate being so powerless."
"And fathers? They just pass the newborns to wet nurse robots. Can you imagine?"
"It's not fair! I didn't ask to be born a weirdo. Even that dumbass Vorrin is treated better than me?"
The creature chuckled softly, a strange, chittering sound.
"Maybe I've been away from sane people for too long, but this doesn't feel like much of a conversation, miss."
It leaned closer, compound eyes glinting.
"But I don't mind. Carry on."
I swallowed hard.
"Can you teach me how to become powerful?"
The creature froze for a moment before its mandibles twitched, emitting a sound that I could only interpret as laughter—sharp and unsettling, yet strangely genuine.
"Exceptional, Truly exceptional. Those eyes.... That's.... That's the eyes."
It leaned closer, its gaze locking onto mine.
"Yes, those are the eyes."
------------------------------------------
The creature rested its head on its folded arms
"So, in your society, the one-horned are the workers. The two-horned handle scholarly pursuits and tasks requiring extensive memorization. And the three-horned... well, they bridge the gap, capable of both, while wielding unique abilities like controlling worms or manipulating water droplets."
It paused, the silence stretching as it seemed to contemplate.
"This is only my hypothesis."
It continued finally.
"But perhaps the horns weren't meant to be there in the first place. Maybe your kind used genetic manipulation to augment brain capacity."
"To do what ?"
The creature's mandibles twitched in what could have been a smile.
"To speak to the arcane. Quite crude but I suppose it worked. Considering you guys are still doing fine and dandy with all the space faring and conquering."
"How about we head back to my place? There might be something useful there."
There was pain in my thighs.
I am doing it again.
"Oh, where are my manners?"
The creature handed me a device.
"Here, wear this. When the light changes, it means I'm near. Just meet me here."
Before I could ask questions, it darted away, disappearing into the shadows.