From all the random insects I had killed, the first small magmaworm, and from my title, I had accumulated a bunch of raw Essence. After I spent around 300 on the regeneration of my body, 100 on [Improved Constitution], 100 on Mana, and roughly 300 to form the wind-oak tree and the rest of my Demesne, I was left with 480 Essence and 18 Shards.

The Skills I had unlocked from my title, [Magmabite], [Stoneskin] and [Whisperer of Worms], looked weird in my overall portfolio. But possibilities were not certainties, and I was sure that the list of unlocked Skills would grow even weirder and stranger still, depending on the monsters I would meet and hunt in the future.

“Now we have something to work with!”, chirped Lily. “Let’s see. Most of the things we do here in your Demesne can be simplified in numbers. Like the layers of weaving on your Core Skills or your Essence. Other things, like the tree, the rock or the lanterns just...are. But you did spend 300 essence creating them. The number doesn’t mean anything. But these things are important nonetheless. So, let me throw some words in your direction and see if you catch my meaning: Unity, stability, wholeness…”

“You mean to say that I must design my Demesne with a purpose and a theme. If everything has a strong connection and fit together, it will be harder to break?”

Lily went silent for a moment there. “Well. Yes. I honestly thought I would have to explain this to you somehow.”

“Well, throw a lot of metaphysical bullshit on a wall, and some will stick.”

“Eww.”

“No, really. I caught your meaning but I have no idea why that would be necessary. I mean besides creating a nice place to rest, I guess.”

“Well how about that, Hannibal: You embellish your Demesne. Make it pretty. Most importantly, create visual representations of your Essence and your Skills, Gifts, and the rest. Make it complete – whole, if you will. Do a good job and I will reward you with some less philosophical nuggets of truth.”

“As you say. How much room do I have for construction?” I scratched my head, squinting my eyes, trying to see in the darkness that surrounded our little island of light.

“How much imagination have you hidden inside that rock of a head of yours?”

I sighed and went to work. At first, I took a good look at what I had. The giant wind-oak tree stood on the grass nestled in a beautiful night sky, its lanterns shining in soothing warm light.

There was not much more. The rock it stood on and a bit of grass. But these things were important to me, I realized.

It was a symbol for my foundation, my history, and my motivation. But I did not want to separate my history and future. I wanted them to merge, to naturally blend into one another. I didn’t want to bury my past, I wanted to remember. But I also didn’t want to hinder my path to the future by chaining me to past regrets and anger.

So, the tree would be a symbol of me, of my strength, my very being. It would grow with me. It stood on the soft grass among the wildflowers.

I left that area untouched as well. since it was my little refuge from the dangers and horrors of the world. But I began imagining the grass growing atop of a rugged cliff of dark grey stone, jutting out into the air. With thick roots here and there breaching the rocks, thereby building a natural-looking comfortable staircase, winding around and down the cliff.

I created a little spring inside the rock, which fed a small, whistling waterfall, that ran over many tiny steps, eventually leading down to a pool of water, which represented my Essence and Mana. New sources of Essence could feed the pool, if I ever got some. Twinkling crystals were dispersed in the shallow of the pool, emitting a cool light. One for every Shard I currently had.

I liked the solitude of my little place under the tree, and that the eye of a visitor would be drawn to the lit branches of the tree above, so I let the horizon be dominated by the night sky, instead of a sun or something else brighter than my tree.

But I created a light fog around the cliff and into the distance as if my little peak of the mountain was the only thing reaching above the clouds. I just yearned for a cool and quiet place of solitude as a contrast to the fiery, dirty, and bloody hellhole that was reality.

I put a little owl into the lower branches of the tree, to represent [Eyes to Pierce the Darkness]. I anchored [Walk the Night Unseen] to little flakes of fogs that here and there stole their way from the ocean of fog to the top of the cliff, in little dancing swirls.

The scenery was hauntingly beautiful to me, but very dark. The only light came from the lanterns in the tree, the stars, and the twinkling lights in the pool. I divided to put out more lanterns, bigger ones this time. They bathed the staircase of roots in a warm light. Additionally, I placed one next to the trunk of the tree. I had the habit of resting my back against the silvery bark and could need some light.

For the finishing touch, I made the moon bigger, impossibly large really. So big that, would I stand a couple of feet away from the cliff in the air, the moon would encompass all of it, the whole scene, like shadows on a round canvas.

When I was finally done, the longing to stay, to simply rest here, tucked at the strings of my heart. I had made myself a true sanctuary, formed by my own imagination and needs. A place to rest not only for me but also for the remnants of my people, who nestled in the branches to be remembered forever. All those who were long gone, but still had not quite left yet.

I had spent some amount of Essence for the changes and would have to in the future for further integrations, but it felt just right. I felt more connected to my spiritual self. And the elements themselves felt more interconnected, as if cogs and wheels were smoothened out and greased. It was hard to describe, but spiritual breathing had become easy and free, so to speak. But there were tangible results as well.

[Demesne unity: 82 %. Essence cost reduction: 32%]

Lily had not interrupted me, but the textbox had anything but sneakily floated in my field of vision. I had spent 57 Essence on the few small changes, leaving me with 423. I would require serious math to gauge whether the change of Essence cost reduction would be a net benefit in the future or not, considering that I would need to spend more and more to hold on to my unity with every addition to my portfolio. But I was not that guy. I did what felt right. I was satisfied with just the atmosphere and the serene feeling in my soul.

I sat down in my spot under the tree and contemplated the Skills I had unlocked. I dismissed [Magmabite] straight away. I just couldn’t see myself biting anything, that would just be wrong. Only madmen went into a fight without a weapon to wield.

[Whisperer of Worms]? What would that even mean? Way too strange. And I couldn’t do worms. I have had enough of them, no thank you. Maybe later, when the shock of my near-death experience was fading…who was I kidding. Hard no.

[Stonehide] though made me think a lot. I had the feeling that should I survive and thrive, this process of thinking about Skills and Gifts would come up a lot more. So I created a weathered and worn tome of dark leather, huge in size, which I placed in a conveniently appearing shelf-like opening in the trunk of the tree. I translated my memories and understanding of the Skills into descriptions and pictures on the parchment pages of this book. It helped me think and focus, softly letting my fingers wander over the pages.

[Stonehide]. I had nothing to my name but a layer of weaving around my organs and Skills to hide and seek, as far as my Twice-Born status was concerned. But my mortal class did not help me either in my situation. I was neither in the mountains nor had I followers to inspire. And I did not know how to use [a Flock of Souls]. I had no movement and no fighting capabilities.

I had ruled out [Magmabite] already because the cost would be too great for a more than inconvenient attack option. But a hide of stone could save my life. Wasn’t that priceless? I frowned, caught in indecision paralysis.

“Lily“, I whispered “can you list a number of reasonable upgrades for me? Curate the list to the best of your judgment, but include a few things I cannot purchase yet, but which are important enough to save up for.”

“Sure thing!”

[(EP = Essence Points)

weaving Core Skills:[Impr. Strength], [Impr. Agility], [Impr. Resilience], [Impr. Speed], [Impr. Constitution] - 100 EP per point

Dogma - 5000 EP per lvl

Manapool - 10 EP per point

Limbo Gate - 500 EP + x

Lily’s Ultra Enhancement - 200 EP + x

Unlocked Skills:

Magmabite - 600 EP

Whisperer of Worms - 1000 EP

Stonehide - 500 EP]

“I should also mention, that if you choose to upgrade your Demesne with a Gate, you should look into ways of defending it from outsiders. Also: With the stuff of creation in your hands to shape reality, there is no actual limit to what your imagination can achieve. It’s not always easy to put a price on things. These are just concrete things you can work on."

She flew around the list, highlighting an item. "I included a Dogma because it is important, if expensive. It is a form of passive income better bought as early as possible. As to the other things it comes down to the question: Do you wish to create a unique race of flying mind-reading dragons, or simple watchdogs touched by the supernatural, for example? You see my difficulty putting a price to things?”

“Yes.” I sighed. “But I have to plan for something, don’t you think?”

“I agree. But you should not split your focus too much. You are a Twice – Born. No demigod, no god. Your Demesne is still barely more than a support for your mortal self at the moment. That will change someday. But until then, focus on the basics. They are basic for a reason.”

“What about that Gate?”

“A Gate is more important than anything you don’t need for immediate survival. Let me explain. You have carved a bubble out of the Limbo itself. A Gate allows you to connect to other such places. And there are a few of special interest. There are places were the godlings can mingle. Imagine that! Trade, socialize, ally…and most importantly: Quest boards! It's where gods get things done they don’t want to or cannot handle alone. And you can buy and sell Skills in a few of those places and I have barely even scratched the surface of the possibilities. They trade in Essence Shards there as easily as in favors. That is just one possible Gate. How about a gate to the Demesne of the Wanderer? Or how about a pantheon of like-minded and linked gods, who can share knowledge, defense, and power? What about a way to infiltrate Demesnes of enemies? Well, I strongly encourage you to get a Gate to a place of barter and trade, like the Nexus of Stars. The rest is a bit out there. Honestly, you should go out more and talk to people, or you will end up as one more horror stalking the Abyss. A Gate can do that for you.”

“It is not without risk, though, is it? I mean, if I can reach them, they can reach me.”

“Once you have a door, others will come knocking. Not everything will be done with ill intentions. But you would need to defend yourself and your nerves, I reckon."

“Well, thank you once more, wise light.” I was in a good mood and I wanted to encourage friendly banter. She was right. I was awfully lonely.

“You are welcome. I like what you did to the place, by the way.”

In the end, I made a simple choice based on necessity. Firstly, enough weavings to survive. [Stoneskin] was just too expensive. It was worth five layers of Core Skills that could help me survive in more than just one way. The next big thing would be the gate. Access to quests, connections to others, and the possibility to buy and sell Skills and information would help me in the long run.

“How much Essence is in a Shard?”

“5.” came the answer which I found to be disappointing. I had expected a lot more. I said as much.

“A Shard is only 5 Essence, but it is valued for its use as a divine currency or even in crafting or its use for greater spells and miracles. Everything you need Essence in a bottle for, so to speak.”

“Well. I am afraid to finally ask, but…’Lily's Ultra Enhancement’?”

“Ok, I need to make a proper sales pitch here. I am wrought of your own divine Essence. As such a being, I am naturally subject to the same rules as anything else. You can spend power to increase my own. And there are tons of reasons to do so! First of all: I could communicate, with limitations, with you in your reality. I could give you live updates on EP gained or titles, quests, and such. I could help you identify things related to the divine for example. That alone is a good deal, but wait, there is more! You can upgrade me even further! You can grant me competences in defense, offense, or espionage in your Demesne and in Limbo. That would require a metaphysical body though. I am now a fragment of your imagination. That would need to be quasi-real, so that I can interact with other entities. And finally, but down the line, I could enter a body in reality. A mystical creature of your design for example.”

I felt some form of barely suppressed excitement thrumming in the wisp in front of me. And it made sense. If she could help me understand things, that would be just as important as having the muscle and skills to survive. Knowledge is power, after all.

“Well. I have 432 EP left. So, I could let you have your first step up and I could still afford two layers of Core Skills. Does that sound good to you?”

She bobbed up and down, twirling through the air around the tree. “Yes, Yes! That sounds amazing. Oh, Hannibal, you don’t understand. That means a lot. I can help you so much! I will even be able to see clearer what you are doing and can stop worrying so much.”

“How do I weave Essence for you?”

“You can just give it to me. I will do the Rest. You start weaving for those Core Skills!”

I concentrated and just willed the essence over to her. I followed the spiraling silver strand of essence rising from the lake below with my eyes until it entered the blob of light. Then I went to work and caught my own strand of Essence, starting to work it between my fingers, weaving the patterns.

I would level up my [Improved Strength] and [Improved Agility]. Because I had a difficult climb to do. Then I slapped the last 30 into three more points of Mana. More time for seeing and sneaking in the darkness.

It felt great. The process of weaving had been smooth and relaxing and I was well-rested, when I opened my eyes in the near-total darkness of the caves under the Abyss.

Only a few cinders still glowed in the distance, where my fall into the maelstrom of fire had taken place. My body was as good as new. No, it was better. In every way. The layer of Essence around my muscles made every movement a joy. So light and purposeful, with a confident strength hidden inside.

I spent some time searching the coal hot carnage in the pit, for the off chance that my backpack had come out unscathed. Well, it was roughed up. One of the straps torn off, the leather itself dark, brittle, and burned, barely holding together.

Most of the inside had burned in the fire. The candles were molten, the parchment only ashes. The only thing surviving were the two waterskins and the sword, which was in a near useless state.

I took a few minutes scraping out the molten wax. Mostly because I still was a bit timid when it came to finally tackling the wall again. But the light of the coals would dim even further with every passing minute, and it was already way too dark to climb that wall without the help of my Skill. I had to move sooner rather than later.

Because the backpack could not be worn in the intended way, I affixed it to my belt. It would just dangle below me. Then I took a deep breath and started on the wall. I could not believe how easy it came to me. The necessary movements were burned in my brain, I still remembered my mistakes and I seldom made mistakes twice, as a general rule. But in climbing, I had few equals, and I knew what I was doing.

And now I was wide awake, rested, and not hurt. And stronger, quicker, and more agile than most mortal men had any right to be, without the help of Skills. The climb still wasn’t trivial. But it felt to me like crossing a busy street in Ravenrock on market day. I had to be aware and focussed but it was almost effortless.

I ended up hanging on one arm under the hole in the ceiling, throwing my backpack through, after swinging it a few times for more momentum. Then I swung up myself and using my leg to gain some hold, finally reaching the top.

I had done it.

Few feelings can be compared to the successful outcome of a desperate struggle for life and death. I grinned like a madman, I snorted in uncontrolled mirth. I just could not sully my moment of triumph with unimportant things like fear, anxiety, or the dire need of food, water, and shelter. I just laughed.