You woke up well-rested and ready to go! Your skill [Meditation] leveled up! [Meditation] is now level 7! INT +1 WIS +1 SPI +1 The power of spells cast in meditations spell has been increased Mental Training session completed + 250 [EXP] General Information Name Zariel Level [24/NA] [29 383/50 000 exp] Age 18/NA Race Chimera [Divine] Class Dark Hierophant [Plague Spreader] Job Alchemist Title The one who forges his own fate

Champion slayer

Deadly Arena Champion

The Great Duelist

The Wild Mage

Mad Scientist

Angel Slayer

Oracle of Aira

Health 440/440 Stamina 350/350 Mana 740/740 Attributes Strength 50 Vitality 44 Endurance 36 Constitution 35 Dexterity 57 + 4 Reflex 44 + 3 Intelligence 69 Wisdom 57 Spiritualism 48 Hidden Attributes Luck 15 + 10 Charisma 6 + 20 Charm 14 Unallocated points 45

I opened my eyes to these notifications as well as Giselle's face right above mine.

- "Just so you know, the next time you would decide to sit in the corner of the room for five days like a corpse speaking to us via some fucked up sub-consciou-whatevers without letting us know beforehand, I would whoop yo ass."

She smiled.

- "You are aware that you are not very intimidating while giving me a lap-pillow?"

- "You want me to get more intimidating?"

- "No. At least not in the next five minutes."

I stretched my body and once again collapsed on her legs savoring the blissful sensation.

- "You have been lazing around for five days and then slept the other one, and you still want to keep on laying? What kind of spoiled man are you?"

There was only amusement in her tone.

- "I was working really hard for these five days, you know?!" I pouted

- "I do."

Such a soft tone...

- "Who are you and what did you do to Giselle? There is no way my woman can be this full of compassio..."

Punch in the guts, not the strongest one, but as I was talking I had my muscles unclenched and the blow took my breath away.

- "When you are offered kindness just take it with gratitude, you moron!... I even prepared breakfast for you, seriously, I am having a second thought about it."

- "Gis."

- "What now?"

- "The reason I don't want to get up just yet is that I wish to keep looking on you like this."

- "... if you think that compliment will get you anywhere with me... then you know me far too well - because it will. Honestly, I completely don't get you. You keep on playing with my mood all the time driving me from madness to this weird sensation as if my heart was about to melt. Why are you like this?" she played with my hair

- "Maybe because I want to see all of your expressions? All of them equally beautiful, all of them equally valuable.

- "Zari?"

- "Yes, love?"

Her face slowly started getting closer and closer to my, her eyes shined with playful sparks, I could almost feel the heat emitting from her body...

- "E-them!"

Blanka cleared her throat loudly bringing our attention to two of our friends sitting by the table at the opposite side of the room.

- "It's great to see you are all right, but do you mind continuing once me and Lana would leave you alone?"

- "What are you doing?! You ruined the best part!" Priestess hissed. She was red all over her face that she covered with her palms, still she made a "gaps" with her fingers over her eyes making sure she was able to see everything.

- "That's really not our business, Lana! Seriously, I feel both dirty for partaking in it and frustrated for being the third wheel."

- "Blanka, my friend, what do you think about Zariel?"

- "Repulsive. Annoying. Strong but not dependable person. Even when he does something good it makes me wonder if he is not doing that for his own gains. There is no honor nor nobility in him..."

Hey! That hurt!

- "Exactly!..." Lanele nodded her head

HEY! ET TU BRUTA?! What did I ever do to you to earn such a harsh opinion?!

- "... and now, seeing this gentle side of him, aren't you interested?! THIS Zariel all Lovely-Dovey with sugar and fluff!?"

- "Now as you mention it, you are right, I would never believe Zariel is actually capable of selfless love."

I groaned and got up and looked behind the window. It was early morning, merchant started leaving their houses preparing their stalls.

- "Sorry, Gis, we will spend some quality time in the evening."

- "Heee? Zaaa-ri! Not fair! First, our dance was ruined by this whole slave-deal, then you were away for few days hunting Kim, you came back, ruined inn - which is a normal thing to do, what I can't forgive you is that you ruined it alone! You totally forgot to involve your friends in the inn fights, and that's something equal to betrayal! Then you were unconscious for six more days and want to make me wait even more?! That's something I won't allow! I missed your voice. And your touch... So..."

I put my hand on her head, gently caressing her hair while putting finger of my other hand on her mouth.

- "Shush now, sweetie, I will make it up for you. I still have a thing or two to do - I promise I will try dealing with them in a jiffy, then, I will be all yours, and..."

I embraced her, gently bite on her ear before whispering

- "... and you will be aaaall mineee."

- "Very well. You better make it worth for all the wait."

- "I will. Also, Lanele?"

- "Y-y-y-yes!?" she was still blushing seeing all the affection I shared with dragoness.

- "We neglected our studies. Would you mind if we resumed them from tomorrow?"

- "O-oh, Elvish language studies? Well, of course! To be honest, in the meantime I was gathering all kinds of materials to help to teach your dumb head the basis of the gramma! I just can't wait to experi... I mean, to test out new teaching methods."

- "She wanted to say [experiment]."

- "She totally did."

- "She indeed did."

The rest of us judged priestess in cold tones.

Priestess tried to defend her good name for couple for minutes, explaining that it's just a normal completely safe and not-dirty method before she noticed we were just teasing her.

I washed my face, dressed up and entered a training room in the guild's basement, took a training wooden sword in hands and sat on the floor, focusing.

When I was sleeping Kim learned the situation he got himself into. I thought he would be confused or maybe even angry for becoming a "slave" inside of my mind.

The reality was quite the opposite - he was joyful.

~ "I am finally one with brother!" the voice in my mind echoed "... All this time I knew that I was born to help you, to partake in your mission... my life, even though short one, caused you only troubles, brother... from now on, I will do my best to make up for it! I will make you proud!"

Cute kid, isn't he?

The thing is that I learned that, unlike Sins, Kim could affect my body. I decided to give it a try right away.

I took off clothes from belt up. My collar bones started shaking, twisting, cracking and joining again. The flesh on my shoulder expanded as an additional pair of limbs grew. The mantis's sickles - the modification I have been using quite a lot and was used to it. Now, the next stage.

- "Kim, are you ready?" I asked the empty room.

You are trying to perform [Two Souls One Body]

I felt as my new limbs were changing once again. Unnecessary neural connections were established. Each of the grew three eyes - at the base, near my shoulders - right in the middle and close to the razors. Addiotanlly, I felt something appearing directly at the back of my neck.

- "What a weird sensation..."

It wasn't me saying that. The thing at the back of my neck was actually a new mouth that formed.

The Two in One which were separated by fate so cruel and malice unshaken. Once again together stronger than ever. Shall shake the world unrivaled and even. [Two Souls One Body] performed successfully

My limbs moved without my will. As if gentle strings were attached - I felt I could easily rip myself off, yet for now I let Kim play a little.

- "So weird. It feels... sleepy. As if these aren't mine, as if I am moving in slumber."

- "It's quite uncomfortable for me as well, pup." I calmed him down "... apparently, we have to get used to sharing a body."

- "It's still tiresome, brother... so tiresome."

- "Well, what will you say about playing a little?"

- "I will do my best!"

I grabbed a light ball made of animal skin filled with sand.

- "Try cutting it." I threw it vertically above my head."

The ball reached the highest possible level, stopped in the mid-air and was about to start falling, but then, the sickles moved.

They cut the ball in two, then four and eight. Sand started falling to all the sides, yet even then my new limb didn't stop cutting it all the time until it fell on the ground.

- "What do you think about your reaction time, Kim?"

- "It's bad. I have eyes on limbs I am using to attack. When I cut, for a split of a second I am going blind, also, each of my eyes has a different vision! My head spins! I also take too much time to react! I wanted to attack the ball as it was rising too, but it took me too long to decide how to move..."

- "We will be working on it... next thing is... how do you think, can you use magic now? You should be connected with my mana veins, reach into my brain, find what dwells in it. Look for magic. For fire and tree. For light in shadow and shadow in the light."

My additional limbs were sucked back into my body. I also felt as the skin covered the mouth on my neck which shortly after "dissolved" in the tissue of my body.

Then, another crack - at the base of my spine. It twitched and broken vertically in half. I felt as my chest started expanding growing additional torso. Very soon, I was standing there looking at my "Siamese Twin".

- "H-hello!" Kim smiled to me awkwardly not knowing how to behave

- "Focus on our task, pup." I smiled back "... no need to make it more awkward than it already is!"

Kim breath in, and out, then he started singing with his beautiful voice

- "Bow to my will, oh darkest of nights,

Here I stand as your liege so hear my command.

Pierce and cut, crush and destroy,

Make this world crumble, bringing me joy!"

Bolt made of darkness flew across the room exploding over one of training dummies

I could cast three spells simultaneously... with the help of Kim, could I cast six?

- "Kim, try doing the same thing I will at the same time...

... Before you, I stand, oh comet of light,

Your twin tails shine cleansing the night..."

Light javelin shined on my side

At same time my thoughts accelerated singing another chant with yet another humming in my soul

Explosive bolt and shadow binding started forming shortly after. All three songs ended at the same time as I unleashed them. And Kim did the same. Six spells exploded shaking the whole room.

It was...

... insanity.

When two mages of the same power and elements fight, the one who can utilize their power better shall be victorious - the one that cast more spells at the same time will push his enemy to defense and overpower him very quickly! Bah! That's bullshit! It's a cheat! Decent mages can dual cast! Great mages triple cast! casting four spells means reaching the peak of understanding magic and five is said to be a divine level!...

And here... Six. Six spells.

...

It's ridiculous.

- "Brother, did I do well? I am sorry, I missed almost everything..." his sad tone once disturbs my chain of thoughts.

- "It doesn't matter Kim. It was the first time you were using magic, it was bound to happen! We will train some more, but for now, you did a really good job! Kim!" I started petting his head.

Now, the last skill I can test right now...

Kim once again merged with me vanishing is mass of my flesh.

I focused on the wooden sword.

Wooden Training Sword Damage 2-10 [Blunt] Skill experience gathered with this tool: +10% [One Soul Two Bodies] is being executed

Vessel - Changeable

Weakness - Erasable

Limits - Breakable

Not even the flesh of a single Vessel shall be your Weakness. Push over the Limits of your mortality and you shall ascend into godhood.

It was as if my body started leaking. Mass of crawling blood and veins started enveloping the sword joining us together.

Wooden Training Sword [Possessed] Damage 2-10 [Blunt] Skill experience gathered with this tool: +10% New skill granted: Lifesteal New skill granted: Essence-steal New skill granted: Parasyte-Hijacking New skill granted: Fluid-reversed transfusion

- "Kim?"

The sword once again grew eyes and mouth

- "Yes. brother?"

- "You are magnificent."

I said that reading new skill description. Lifesteal was obvious - each time Kim would have a contact with blood source he could absorb them to heal me. Essence steal meant that at the same time I was absorbing my enemy DNA - he was like my second pair of jaws!

Parasyte Hijacked meant that I could extend the effect of [Possession] on everything that I would touch with Kim - I could change this whole room into flesh-covered stomach outside of my body.

And fluid reverse transfusion...

I had toxins in my body. Of spider, of a snake and so on. Up until now if I wanted to use them I had to transform my body part into needed organ - fangs stinger and so on.

But with Kim I could transfer every toxin right away whenever I wanted.

Everything I would touch could be turned into venom spreading weapon of mythic rank! This is.. this is...

I can imagine so many possibilities! So many avatars that I deemed worthless become so much more useful! My battle potential was raised at least ten folds! This is... This is...

~ Kim doesn't understand, but as long as brother is happy...

One last experiment,

- "D'iabel. Bow!"

- "I live to serve!"

- "One Soul, Two Bodies! Kim, Hijack!"

~ On my way!

I raised my bow and made a gesture as if pulling an arrow. My mana was burned but indeed required projectile materialized in my hand. Then I released it.

A single vein was attached to it, when it dug into training doomy I felt that I could indeed suck the essence from the distance if it had any.

Can it be used with needles? Can it be used with traps?

I could literally suck everyone dry on distance! This is... No, calling a cheat won't even be enough to describe it!

I turned myself into a long-range vampire!

I transferred acid-spitters venom across the vain and watched as the dummy started melting.

That's the power of only two skills I gained after consuming Kim. Replication, Bestow, Drone and Dopplenganger - I can't wait to test those as well!

But not just yet. First thing first - Kim is a powerful asset to my powers, but I need both of us to get used to new sensations. We still can be faster, we need to better combine our thoughts, our reflexes, learn to utilize our powers.

Then, I will go clean a dungeon or two. Maybe two more levels? In the meantime, I will work on my body before I would allocate all of my skill points.

One thing is sure - I am no longer creature with "ability to turn into one of the most dangerous creatures in the world in the nearest future".

And damn, this actually put a smile on my face.