He tried to move, but his body barely responded. Every motion felt sluggish, heavy—like he was dragging himself through deep water.
It was as if he stood at the bottom of the ocean, crushed beneath its endless weight.
He couldn’t see. Could hardly move.
The pressure didn’t ease. It only pressed harder.
Tyrius had no idea what was happening or what he was supposed to do.
Helplessness tightened in his chest, panic rising with it.
Then the Ethereal Words appeared before him.
Soul infusion successful!
Beginning Soul Well Ceremony…
Tyrius’ eyes widened, but he forced himself to calm down. This was likely just part of the process.
He glanced around at the darkness again, and a strange sense of familiarity settled over him. Then it clicked.
This is the same space I was floating in when I advanced my skill.
Is this place somehow connected to me? And why does it feel like I’m underwater now?
Questions stacked up in his mind.
He wanted to study it further, but the space shifted before he could.
A wispy white flame burst into life several feet in front of him.
It hung motionless in the air, almost as if it were watching him.
Then more flames ignited one after another, forming a perfect circle around him. Each was the same size, yet every one burned a different color.
As the last of the fires ignited he realized it looked identical to the ritual circle he had been standing in moments ago.
Their soft glow pushed back the darkness, casting faint light across the strange world he stood in.
Tyrius looked down at his hands, slowly turning them over.
This was the first time he had been able to see anything in this space.
Relief washed through him when he realized he was still in his own body.
Tier 1 ascension process initiating…
Mana selection process initiating…
Assessing mana affinities…
Each flame shot a tether toward Tyrius.
He tried to dodge—tried to block—but it didn’t matter. The beams passed straight through his raised arms and sank into his chest.
He felt the strands latch onto something deep within him.
Then something answered.
A pulse erupted from his core, rolling through his body and racing down the luminous threads connecting him to the flames.
Moments later, the fires all shifted.
Some swelled into roaring infernos.
Others dimmed to smoldering embers.
A few winked out entirely, their tethers snapping as they vanished into the dark.
Mana affinities determined.
Perfect Affinities: None.
True Affinities: Mist, Blood.
Greater Affinities: Water.
Major Affinities: Dark.
Moderate Affinities: Life, Earth, Plant.
Minor Affinities: Light, Fire, Lightning.
Please select desired mana affinities and begin your path.
Tyrius couldn't help but feel confused. He had anticipated many scenarios for how this ceremony might go, but this was unlike anything he’d imagined.
He looked around at the glowing flames in wonder. The wispy white flame that had first appeared to him was now a roaring inferno. He glanced over his shoulder at a deep crimson fire that burned with the same intensity.
As his gaze landed on each of the flames, a different sensation stirred in his chest.
“These flames must represent the different affinities,” Tyrius said to himself, still turning slowly as he took them in.
He moved through the space, associating the different colors of the flames with the affinities from the list the Words had provided, focusing only on the ones he had the highest affinity for.
The deep crimson one behind him he ruled as Blood, based on the subtle pulse he felt along his veins whenever he looked at it. The misty white before him was Mist, its edges shifting and thinning like vapor caught in a breeze. And the calm blue flame was Water, accompanied by a feeling of serenity—but also depth, as though something vast waited beneath its surface. A few flames shared similar tones, but each was distinct, and he had to differentiate them by their hues and intensities.
As he organized them mentally, the flames before him began to shift and arrange themselves in response. Soon, only Water, Mist, Blood, and Dark remained before him. The Dark flame was noticeably smaller than the towering Blood and Mist.
Tyrius reached toward the line connecting him to the white fire and tried to pluck it. But his hand passed through without resistance—almost as if it wasn’t truly there. He frowned at the sensation. He could feel the connection, and it felt as though he should be able to touch it… but he couldn’t.
Still, Tyrius wanted to test the energy. He had just reorganized the flames—clearly he had some influence over them. He thought about Mist, and the pale fire responded and slowly drifted toward him.
Curious, he moved his hands through the translucent white haze. It didn’t feel hot or dangerous. When he carefully pushed a finger into the flames, instead of burning, it felt like dense fog pressing back against him. With a thought, he guided it into place beside the others and reviewed his choices again.
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He would have to choose.
He knew there was no clear limit to how many mana affinities he could select.
But he also knew that choosing too many would likely slow his growth in the long run.
Tyrius wanted variety, yes—but not chaos. So he carefully reviewed his options.
As he studied his affinities, Tyrius finally understood why Arlac had designed the training room the way he did—and then called it a gift.
Arlac must have known what my affinities were. That’s why the room had always been saturated with water and mist.
That meant Tyrius had been absorbing mana subtly influenced by those elements for years. Arlac had mentioned that ambient mana would shift with its environment, so even though it remained technically non-attuned, the mana in that room would carry a bias.
The only affinities that stood apart were Blood and Dark.
At a thought, he drew them forward. They felt… ominous, each in their own way. But where the Dark affinity felt fleeting and obscure, Blood felt deeper. He could sense hints of life energy coiled within it—which made sense. Blood was bound to life itself.
It didn’t take him long to dismiss the Dark. Tyrius wanted power. But he hesitated at Blood—not because it felt evil, but because it felt unnatural. Arlac had once told him a story about a famous warrior who wielded blood mana and had become nearly unstoppable. That man had healed, attacked, and enhanced his body with it to terrifying effect. Blood mana wasn’t taboo in this world—it was simply another form of magic.
Tyrius already knew he was choosing Mist and Water. He had chosen them for their utility. But on their own, they didn’t feel as versatile as he wanted. Blood, on the other hand, could change that.
He studied the ominous crimson flame. He needed strength if he ever wanted to stand on his own. As he considered the possibilities, the affinity began to feel… alluring.
Water. Mist. Blood. All of them bound by fluidity. And every living creature carried blood.
Wouldn’t that be a powerful combination?
If they synergize through their shared nature, it would only strengthen me.
Tyrius didn’t hesitate.
Water. Blood. Mist.
That would be his path.
As the selection finalized, all the mystical fires around him extinguished—
—all except the three he had chosen.
They shrank to the size of marbles, glowing with blinding intensity. Then, without warning, all three shot down their tethers and slammed into his chest.
He gasped, clutching at his sternum—but there was no pain. No wound.
The dark ocean around him began to churn, its color bleeding into red, blue, and white.
As the hues solidified, the waters parted—and the crushing pressure vanished.
Three equal sections formed around him.
They boiled and twisted, their colors shifting violently before finally stabilizing to match the flames he had chosen.
Each pool glowed brightly, and Tyrius felt a direct connection to all three.
Only then did he understand that what he had absorbed from the orb was what he had been standing in this entire time.
“These pools…” he murmured, staring at the divided sea. “They mut be my mana reserves.”
Mana Selection Complete.
Skill Selection Initializing…
Analyzing Soul…
Upgrading Innate Ability…
Calculating…
[Spiritual Awareness (T1)] → [Spiritual Perception (T1*)]
Calculating Skills…
Available Skills:
- [Danger Sense (T1)]
- [Mana Sense (T1)]
- [Aura Sense (T1)]
- [Soul Sense (T1)]
- [Man-
Synergy Detected.
[Spiritual Perception (T1*)] has identified compatible structures within:
- [Danger Sense (T1)]
- [Mana Sense (T1)]
- [Aura Sense (T1)]
- [Soul Sense (T1)]
Merge Opportunity Available.
Proceed? Y / N
Tyrius selected Yes without hesitation.
Skill [Spiritual Perception (T1*)] commencing merge with:
- [Danger Sense (T1)]
- [Mana Sense (T1)]
- [Aura Sense (T1)]
- [Soul Sense (T1)]
Merge Complete.
[Spiritual Perception (T1*)] → [Spirit Perception (T2*)]
Resuming Skill Selection…
Available Skills:
- [Mana Manipulation (T1)]
- [Mist Empowerment (T1)]
- [Water Blade (T1)]
- [Sword Mastery (T1)]
- [Form of Flowing Rivers (T1*)]
- [Unarmed Combat (T1)]
Select Three Skills.
Tyrius was surprised to see that his innate ability had already advanced into a Tier 2 skill.
But when he noticed that nearly all the abilities he had been offered were perception-based—and that they had merged into one—it made sense.
[Mana Manipulation] was something Tyrius had already planned to take, and he selected it immediately.
He knew he would rely heavily on this skill in the future, especially with all the testing he intended to do.
This was unfolding exactly as he had hoped.
[Mist Empowerment] was still a mystery. But as Tyrius considered it, memories surfaced—how the mist in the training chamber had clung to him, how it had seemed to strengthen him in subtle ways.
Perhaps it was a form of bodily enhancement. The possibility intrigued him.
[Water Blade] and [Sword Mastery] both caught his attention. He was a sword-user, after all—thanks to Arlac’s brutal training.
But… they felt obvious. Predictable.
What truly held his focus was the next skill:
[Form of Flowing Rivers]
The name alone stirred something within him. It sounded calm. Serene. Yet powerful.
It was marked as an elite ability—and more than that, it felt as though it was calling to him. He couldn’t explain why. He simply knew.
He barely spared [Unarmed Combat] more than a glance. Tyrius understood there would be more times in life when a sword would be unnecessary than when it would be. But that didn’t matter. He was already proficient in hand-to-hand combat. And if things escalated beyond that—he would draw steel without hesitation.
After a final review of his options, Tyrius made his choices.
Acquired: [Mana Manipulation (T1)]
Acquired: [Mist Empowerment (T1)]
Acquired: Foundation Skill — [Form of the Flowing River (T1*)]
Skill Selection Complete.
Soul Well Ceremony Complete.
Tyrius’ vision slowly returned, and he found himself breathing heavily. His limbs felt weighted, his skin crawling as though something beneath it was shifting.
Before he could gather his thoughts, two hands gripped his shoulders and steered him away from the altar and through a side door hidden behind a line of pillars.
“You are going to want to be in here when it happens.”
The door slammed shut behind him.
“When what happens?” He complained trying to catch his balance as he leaned against the wall.
Then he felt it.
A black ooze began to seep from his pores. At first it gathered in thin streaks along his arms and neck—then it poured freely from him.
Arlac had mentioned this was common when advancing a path. The body cleansing impurities. So Tyrius didn’t panic. He simply stood there and let it happen.
What he hadn’t been prepared for was the stench.
It hit him like a wall. Rot and iron and something worse. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to breathe shallowly as the filth continued to spill from him.
When it finally slowed, he realized he was standing in a bathing chamber. He washed himself thoroughly, scrubbing away the dark residue until the water ran clear.
As he leaned over the basin and looked into the polished surface above it, he paused.
He looked… clearer. Healthier. There was a faint vitality to him now—almost a subtle glow.
Perhaps it was [Spiritual Body].
Tyrius allowed himself a small smirk. Tier 1.
He had heard from both his mother and George that once someone reached Tier 1, they could review their skills with a thought alone.
So he did.
And smiled as a status sheet appeared before him.
Name: Tyrius Von Creedmore - Soul Tier 1
Body Modifications: [Spiritual Body (T1)]
Intrinsic Skill: [Spirit Perception (T2*)] (0)
Foundation Skill: [Form of the Flowing River (T1*)] (0)
Aura Skill:
General Skills (2/8):
[Mana Manipulation (T1)] (0)
[Mist Empowerment (T1)] (0)
He frowned slightly at the zeros, then remembered the level ups and realized that was likely what they were tracking.
After cleaning up the shower area as best he could, Tyrius took a steady breath.
He had been waiting this whole time.
But now he knew he had to ask Arlac again how he was connected to his mother.
Tyrius didn’t just want to know anymore—he needed to.
The portrait of his mother hanging in the hall had weighed on him ever since he first laid eyes on it.
How was Arlac connected to his mother?