Stanley sat on his bed while he gave Caffeine a few more belly scratches and ignored the riot of color spreading across the sky outside as the sun settled below the horizon. "Ready Caff?" The pug cracked open one eye, briefly, and looked at him but didn't move from his sprawl on the bed. Stanley reluctantly stopped petting and lay back on the bed.

"Time to end this." He activated [Soul Meditation] and the world went away, leaving him in the void with his Soul. Stanley pushed his mind out to his immediate surroundings, and 'saw' Caffeine roll over and get to his feet. The pug had a stretch, a shake, and then circled a few times between Stanley's legs before plopping down with a sigh. Stanley couldn't actually hear the sigh, but he assumed it was there. "Sorry, Caff… I'll give you more belly rubs later."

Stanley focused on the wound in his… their Soul. It was so much better now, so close to being healed, and it 'Would' be healed tonight. He brought his Skill to bear on the problem. [Mind Over Matter] was technically working with very non-matter material here, but he had long since assumed that the name itself wasn't a hard line on what it could and couldn't do. Stanley had used it against Magic more then a few times now, to mixed results, and that was probably similar to his Soul. Besides, wasn't matter just slow energy? And Soul was… well that was harder to say. The real question was whether or not this Soul he had now was in place before the Apocalypse. And he had to assume it was, because of the Source. The Source was and had been, inside their Soul after that day in the mountains.

Seal

Heal

Repair

Stitch

Strengthen

Regardless of all his speculation, it worked. That was all that mattered in the end. Stanley forced the tiny bits of his Soul back together and then threw everything he could think of at it. The words he used to focus his power didn't seem to matter so much as his intent. What he wanted or expected to happen, or really, what he Demanded to happen. "My Will be done." It was thrilling, and amazing. The fact that he could impose his will on reality and have reality bend to his desire. It was also terrifying.

Stanley still remembered the message he'd had after waking up that first morning. The 'Reviewer' had said that he 'did what he could to see him rewarded', and Stanley was more and more confident that his Skill Evolving into what it was now, had been a big part of that. A Skill that helped him alter reality to his Will and probably was only earned 'while' he was using the Source. Stanley had a strong feeling that something like his original telekinesis wouldn't have been enough to carry him this far. He also had a feeling that getting the Evolution let him skip a long learning process that he'd never had time for. "I owe him… her? It? I owe whoever that was, a thanks."

Stanley kept at the slow and draining process. While it did take incredible focus, most of his time was spent regenerating his Psionic Energy and that let him ruminate on far too many topics. Luckily, he could do this while Meditating and that helped immensely whenever his mind dredged up something particularly bad.

Debuff Removed. [Soul Wound]

Trait Upgraded. [Ruthless Soul] has become [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul]

Stanley stopped meditating in surprise. "I did it!?" He was afraid to believe it after all this time and quickly pulled up his Status.

Status

Name: Stanley Cascade

Race: [Psionic Source-Touched Human](E Rank)

Traits:

[Adaptable] [Source-Touched] [I Made My Choice] [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul]

Titles:

[Solo Hunter]

Class:

[Soul Psionic(Apprentice IX)](Rare)

Class Skills:

[Mind Over Matter(Apprentice IX)](Epic)

[Soul Meditation(Initiate IX)](Rare) [Psionic Soul Shield(Apprentice V)](Rare)

Attributes:

Strength: 100

Vitality: 100(+10)

Dexterity 100

Perception 99

Intelligence 100(+10)

Willpower 100(+90)

Twin-Soul 215

Non Class Skills:

[Still Mind of the Psionic Beast(Initiate V)](Rare)

[Soul Awareness(Apprentice VI)](Rare)

[Source Regeneration]

[Heat Resistance I(Passive)]

[Cold Resistance I(Passive)]

Buffs:

[Soul Support Tether] [Walter's Gratitude]

Debuffs:

[Hungry]

[Thirsty]

[Fatigued]

"It's gone!" Stanley exclaimed as he sat up abruptly. Caffeine startled awake and sprang to his feet. Before he could do anything though, Stanley swept him up in a hug. "It's gone, Caff!" He wasn't sure if Caffeine knew what all the excitement was about, but the pug still wagged his tail and tried to lick his face.

Stanley toppled back down onto the bed, Caffeine still in his arms, and sighed in relief. "I did it! We won and survived! We will survive this!" He squeezed Caffeine tighter as he whispered. "We will get home, Caff."

The only annoying issue in his Status now was that his Class and Class Skill had both stopped leveling. Stanley assumed that it was like the Initiate threshold, where he needed to use it in some new way that he hadn't thought of yet. Same with his meditation… That was a problem for later though.

Stanley's stomach growled and he let Caffeine roll off him. A glance to the window and he saw that it was fully dark outside. "I was at it for awhile… I think." He couldn't feel the Souls in the building thanks to whatever Walter did to his room and wasn't sure how late it was. "I can just eat in the morning." Thanks to his [Soul Meditation], Stanley could get by with less sleep, but it was hard to tell how much, given that he tended to spend everyday fighting and killing monsters. He did prefer to hunt in the daylight and sleep at night, but considering how many Lair's he had cleared with his eyes closed, that was probably some primitive hindbrain type thing. Something about choosing the dark, rather than having it forced on you…

Nevertheless he was tired now, Stanley pulled a blanket up and Caffeine crawled under to curl up again between his legs. "Goodnight Caff." Stanley sighed along with the pug and closed his eyes. "Let's get some… my trait!" He looked at the updated trait.

Trait: [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul]

You are willing to do whatever it takes to win, including destroying your own Soul.

After Inflicting a Deadly Wound on your own Soul, you Did Not Die and instead Repaired the Damage.

Effects:

Twin-Soul is +25% more Resistant to Any Damage

+25% of Twin-Soul Attribute added to Effectiveness of All Mind Attributes

(Risk of damaging or destroying your Soul increases with the power used. -25% Damage from Unbreaking.)

"We Earned that." Stanley relaxed and let the fatigue drag him down into sleep, a warm ball of fur on his legs reassuring him that he was safe.

What seemed like only moments later, Stanley woke up feeling fantastic. He didn't know if he had ever slept that…

Mana Saturation of (Earth) has surpassed (E Rank) Threshold. Rank Up.

[Dungeon(Earth)](D Rank)

Prepare to Defend the Dungeon! Fight!

"Not cool, Earth…" Light was coming in the windows now so Stanley got up and had a quick shower while Caffeine watched nervously from the doorway. Stanley found his clothes, all cleaned and laid out on the now made up bed. "Very, very, sneaky." Walter definitely had some skills. He stopped before putting on the jacket. "I don't need the buff anymore!" He left it there and headed for the door with a smile.

Stanley was feeling very good this morning and didn't let the Earth Rank Up bother him. Besides, he was going to Rank Up as well today, he'd only been waiting on his Soul Wound at this point. Turns out that going on almost constant murder sprees in every Lair he could find, really paid off in Cores and he had way more than he needed. So many that he'd started trading them two to one, for specific attribute Cores that he planned to Fortify before the Rank Up.

Stanley looked at the pug. "Ready for breakfast?" He had barely finished talking when Caffeine vanished with a rush of wind. Stanley had expected as much and had already opened the bedroom door. Walter must have been watching as well because all of the doors were open and Caffeine was nowhere to be found as Stanley followed the pug downstairs to the ballroom turned mess hall. Now that he was outside the room, he could feel all the Souls in the area. "Are there more people in here?" It sure felt like it.

Apparently the answer was yes. Or it was in fact breakfast time, as hundreds of people were spread around the room, all packed in and eating at the tables or in many cases, standing. Stanley flew over the crowds, the ceiling high enough in the former ballroom. To find Caffeine he only had to follow the shouting through a pair of double doors and into the kitchen. "Where else would Caff go?"

"Out you mangy beast!" The large woman was shouting and waving a cleaver at Caffeine. "No, don't eat that!" Caffeine dodged around her and snatched a whole fish from a table. A fish so big that it barely fit through the double doors when Caffeine dragged it out of the kitchen with a crash.

"Sorry about that." Stanley said, over the sudden screams in the other room, though oddly enough, he felt no animosity from the woman. Her Soul bubbled with laughter as she chased the pug to the doors.

She turned back after Caffeine made his daring escape and laughed. "Ah don't worry about it. He knows that I adore him." The screams outside quieted and went out.

"But what about all the…"

"Hah! He loves the chase of it!" She laughed again. "Everyone knows food tastes better if ya have to fight for it! Here." She handed him a plate piled high with fish, covered in some kind of sauce and plants of some sort… It was food. Stanley didn't know or even necessarily want to know exactly 'what' it was. It almost always tasted good and that was enough.

He thanked her and went back out to find a table. "That might be a problem…" He thought as his gaze fell on the throngs of people, a few of the nearby crowds staring warily in his direction. Caffeine was waiting for him outside the door, having probably swallowed the fish whole in a heartbeat, and he stared at Stanley with sad, starving eyes. Stanley smiled and invited Caffeine into his lap as he floated back up and above the crowds. He started eating as he surveyed the room, with small bites for Caffeine, of course.

While he ate, Stanley watched the people all around him. Some ate seemingly alone but most sat at the round tables with at least a few others who all seemed to be interacting in mostly pleasant ways. "I wonder if they are grouped up? Is there a party system?" Like players in a game, running five man dungeons together. Though the group sizes varied from a few tables with only two people, to most of the tables with almost ten people crowded around them. The few tables that weren't crowded drew his attention. "Are they the cool kids or the scary freaks that no one wants to sit with? Oh God… I bet it's high-school all over again."

Stanley decided to ignore the tables and simply picked a wall to hover next to while he ate. He also put his [Soul Shield] back up, not to block the leak, but to muffle the cacophony of Souls around him. He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face just thinking about his Soul. "We did it!"

Stanley watched the people talking and laughing in their little groups, their words and Souls being lost in the hubbub, but all of the smiles and good cheer, at least where it wasn't all gloomy brooding, made Stanley feel like he may have missed out, just a bit. "To have a group around me, watching my back…"

Of course, they could just be eating and not hanging out with their group… but it made sense to Stanley. It was probably better to find people you meshed with and stick with them. Learn how each member fights and learn to fight within the team. Something, that for Stanley, had so far not been necessary.

Caffeine whined while staring at his plate and Stanley smiled at the pug while handing him some fish. "I'm losing it, Caff. Why would I want to hang out with a bunch of annoying humans when I have you?" Caffeine glanced up briefly, wagged his tail, and then stared at the plate again. "Dogs are the best people." Stanley agreed with the pug.

Another group walked into the room and one of them caught Stanley's eye. It was a woman carrying a blood red spear. "Samantha…" Stanley shook his head. "I saved them, Samantha. And I'll save whoever is left when I kill the Raid Leaders." But for now he would let… "I don't even know her name…" He wasn't sure if he'd actually heard it before, but still…

Debuff Removed. [Hungry]

Stanley finished his food, with a little help from Caffeine, and went over to the table that her group all sat down at. Apparently they didn't care about whatever was going on with the two glowering people already sitting there. All of them were alert though and one saw Stanley approaching. He said something to the woman who was sitting facing away from him. She turned, saw him, and stood up quickly with her hands tight on the spear as she faced Stanley.

"Hi…" Stanley trailed off under her nervous glare while Caffeine sniffed at her feet.

"You said I could keep it!" She declared and the spear in her hand pulsed with red light.

"Yep!" Stanley spoke up quickly. "It's yours. I just…" He glanced at the others around the table, all of them staring at him. "I just never learned your name… I'm Stanley." He finished lamely.

"Oh." Stanley could see her visibly relax and the spear stopped glowing. "I'm Kira."

"Hi, Kira. Is the spear working out?"

"She kicks ass with it!" Someone else exclaimed behind her and Stanley saw the young man who'd pointed him out, grinning at Kira.

"Yea! You should see her fight!" Another girl at the table chimed in. She made thrusting and stabbing motions with her hands. "Stab! Stab! Die! Die!"

Kira blushed slightly. "Shut up!" She looked back at Stanley. "Yes. It's great." She held it up as if to throw and it glowed bright red, then she hesitated and lowered it back down. "Walter says 'No destructive Skills in the Mess', otherwise I would show you."

"Don't worry about it." Stanley said. "I'm glad it's helping." He glanced at the people around the table again. "Is this your party? Is there a party system?"

"I wish there was…" One of the other young men said wistfully. "If I could see a row of boxes with Health and Mana bars, status effects and timers… that would be soo much easier!"

"Great you got him started again." Kira sighed. "And yes, this is my team." Kira nodded. "And if there is a 'party system', we haven't found it. That's Sven." She pointed at the young man. "Our Healer, who never shuts up about his games."

"I keep telling you." Sven said. "I'm not a healer! I'm closer to a protection priest than a holy priest."

"Here we go again." Kira sighed and waved at the table. "Wanna sit down?" She took her own seat again and Stanley took an empty chair, dropping out of the air and into the seat next to Sven.

"I think I remember that game…" Stanley said to the man. "You cast shields then?" Caffeine had finished his rounds by then and jumped into Stanley's lap to stare mournfully at the plates on the table.

"Kinda… here." Sven waved a hand and light flashed around Stanley.

Buff Gained. [Health Shield] Duration(29:59)

[Health Shield] Absorbs 5% of your Health in Damage. When Shield Duration Expires you will Receive Debuff [Health Bleed] All Damage previously Absorbed will be dealt over the reversed duration.

"Don't waste your cooldowns!" Kira snapped at Sven.

"Relax, it was only the lame thirty minute one. Well be eating that long anyway." He looked back at Stanley. "See? I have bigger and better ones but much longer cooldowns on those."

"I do see… so you take less or no damage in the fight but if you don't get healed after…" Stanley could imagine ending a fight and then just dying all of a sudden. It wasn't a pretty image.

"I have some Regeneration boosting Skills as well but there is also a doctor in here that can heal us up when we need it." Sven added. "For the small shields like that though, just Resting and eating is usually enough."

"How's the Core hunt going?" Stanley asked, changing the subject. "Almost to D yet?"

"Kira is close! We decided to pump her up first!" Sven said. "We made a killing by trading Willpower Cores with Walter and his 'two for one' deal." He paused, glancing between Stanley and Caffeine. "Wait, are you the old man Walter warned us about?"

Stanley smiled a bit. "Nope, not me."

"He is." Kira cut in. She glanced at Stanley. "It's nothing bad, just 'don't pick a fight with the crazy old guy that flies around in his underwear' type stuff." She glanced at Caffeine. "Oh and he said, if anyone attacks your dog then he'll be 'most displeased'."

"That was you!?" The other girl exclaimed and then shrank back when everyone looked at her. "Sorry, you just look different with…" She blushed and found something on the table that was much more interesting to look at.

"With clothes on?" Sven laughed and Stanley 'saw' her try to kick him under the table. Sven looked back to Stanley. "So you must be the one trading Cores? I can't think of anyone else here that could have so many to spare."

Stanley sighed and nodded. "I am." They all stared at him. "I figured that the weaker Cores would be almost useless once I rank up, might as well use em. Besides, this way at least, they are going to people who are actually fighting back."

"But how do you get so many?" A man who had been quiet the whole time spoke up.

"Lairs." Stanley said. "Lots and lots of Lairs."

"What about your team? Don't they get some?"

Stanley scratched Caffeine's ears. "This is my team and he eats all of the Cores that he wants."

"You're giving Cores to a dog!"

"Shut up, Arnold!" Another of the quiet people at the table hissed and glanced nervously at Stanley.

"What?" Arnold glared. "We are fighting for our lives and he is wasting Cores on his pug!" Kira groaned and reached over with a piece of fish for Caffeine who happily gobbled it up and then scrambled over to paw at her legs for more. "You're all acting weird just because Walter said to leave the old man and his dog alone." Arnold said. "What makes him so special?"

Kira ignored Arnold and fed another piece of fish to Caffeine. "Stanley, he wasn't there when you killed the…" She stopped talking and paled when the table shuddered. "Please don't hurt him, he is a good fighter." She handed another piece of fish to Caffeine. "Who's a good boy that kills lots of zombies? You are!"

"It's fine." Stanley said curtly as he watched the little curly tail dance while Kira fed the starving pug. He let the memories go. Today was a good day after all. A triumphant and Victorious ending to that terrible day in the past.

"He is new to the Tower." Sven leaned in conspiratorially, though he had to almost shout over the noise in the large room. "We have gotten a Lot more people lately."

Stanley smiled. "I thought it was extra crowded." Unpleasant memories aside, he was still feeling good today and didn't mind someone underestimating Caffeine. "And relax, I'm not that crazy." He didn't think he was… was he? "Should I give him a demonstration?" Okay that might be too much.

Kira shuddered and then looked apologetic. "Sorry that wasn't about you, just… bad memories. And please don't. We are on the rotation in a few and I'd appreciate it if he can still contribute."

"I get that." Stanley suppressed his own shudder and smiled in what he hoped was a non threatening manner. "I'll leave you kids to it then." He said, embracing his 'old man' appearance and stood up to leave. He looked at Kira and Caffeine with his feet on her leg. "Thanks for the food."

"But…" Arnold tried to say something and Stanley 'saw' the girl next to him drive a foot into his shin. "...He doesn't look that strong." Stanley heard the man mutter as he flew away.

Caffeine didn't follow him as he left, still staring at Kira in the hopes of more snacks. Stanley left him to it, he would catch up in time and Stanley wasn't planning on going anywhere until he… Stanley changed course and dropped into the crowds near another table. "Marie! Are you… are you okay?"

His therapist looked… terrible. Like she'd been pulling all nighters for a week or more. She also jumped in surprise when she turned and saw him. "Stanley! Hi… How are you doing?" She smiled but her Soul felt nervous and weary.

"I feel great!" Stanley smiled and floated down to sit in the air next to her. "I fixed my Soul last night!"

Marie smiled and her Soul matched it with genuine happiness for him. "That's wonderful news. You must be feeling much better without that hanging over your head?"

"I do. Plus I slept great last night! In fact, I've been sleeping a lot better since I talked to you, so thanks for that!"

"I…" Her Soul flared with alarm for some reason but immediately went calm afterwards.

Stanley ignored it, he was used to people's Souls not making sense. Either simple confusion or the little white lies that civilization was built on, he didn't need to pull at that thread, but he did want to thank her for helping him and pressed on. "I don't know if I just needed to talk it out, or if one of your Skills is helping, but thank you! I really appreciate it." He looked her over again. "Are you okay though? You look a bit worn down… Do you need Cores? I gave Walter a bunch, I'm sure he'll give you some."

Marie smiled and reached out to pat his knee. "I'm fine Stanley, just tired, and don't worry, Walter is giving me all the Cores I need." She sat back. "Will I see you later? Or is today another Hunting day?"

"Actually, I'm going to Rank Up today, so… we'll see? I think I'll be alright though."

"I will get some rest after this but remember Stanley, you can talk to me even when you are feeling good, you don't need to be in crisis before you come back." She smiled gently at him. "And don't forget to keep practicing the techniques we worked on."

"Stupid positive thinking…" Stanley thought but didn't voice his feelings, she was only trying to help. Plus he was feeling too good today to get upset! "I will. Get some rest!"

Stanley left her and went back upstairs to his wonderfully peaceful, Soulless room. It was time. "Walter?" He asked the empty room.

"How may I assist you, Sir." Walter said from behind him, his Soul appearing abruptly.

"I'm going to Rank Up." Stanley waved at the piles of Cores on the table. "You can take whatever I don't manage to use."

"Very good, Sir." Walter said. "I shall watch over you with the utmost of care."

"Are you up to D Rank yet?" Stanley had a hard time getting a read on Walter's Soul, even with the man standing in front of him. It felt like only a small part of the whole.

"I am not, Sir." Walter replied. "But I expect that I shall be ready to… Rank Up, by the time Master Daryl and Master Adrian return this afternoon."

"They aren't here?" Stanley frowned. "I can wait til they come back."

"I am sure that is not necessary, Sir." Walter bowed slightly and held a hand towards the Cores. "I know that you have been held back, please do as you will. I shall protect our home until such a time that you are able to return the favor."

Stanley didn't need anymore prompting, if Walter was confident… He scooped up the Cores, dropped himself onto the bed, the Cores in large piles within easy reach and shoved a hand into the mass. "Yes."

Willpower +0.5

Willpower +0.2

Willpower Fortifying +1

Stanley continued like that, wincing at the headache that increased with every point, all the way to the max. Then he shoved his hand into the other pile.

Vitality +0.3

Vitality Fortifying +1

He had spent some of his downtime thinking about which attributes to focus on. He'd been torn between Vitality and Intelligence. Vitality because duh. And Intelligence because he thought it might help with his Psionic power. He did use his mind to fight after all… but mostly, he thought it might help with his [Still Mind of the Psionic Beast], more specifically, the mental acceleration that came with it. Something like that was a massive advantage, if he could use it for more than a few seconds at a time…

In the end though, Stanley went with Vitality. All of his Class Skills, as well as his Class itself, all mentioned Willpower. None mentioned Intelligence. He didn't actually know how Vitality worked or if it counted as a physical Attribute in regards to his traits, but either way, being harder to kill was worth more at this point.

Stanley stopped absorbing the Cores when he hit (+50) in Vitality. The pain was getting to him… Caffeine licked his face and Stanley opened his eyes. "It's okay Caff." His voice wavered and sweat dripped from the end of his nose. "It is making me stronger." Caffeine whined and licked his face again. Stanley reached a shaking hand into his pocket and pulled out a few Cores that he'd kept separate. The pain of that simple motion almost made him scream. "I should have done this before the Vitality…" It didn't matter now.

+0.3 Dexterity

+0.4 Dexterity

You have Reached E Rank Threshold. Evolution Available. Begin? Y/N

Stanley selected No. He knew that the Evolution wouldn't be forced this time. This time he wasn't going in blind. Thanks to the delay from his Soul repair, at least a few others had managed to reach D Rank ahead of Stanley. Nate, in particular, had given Stanley pointers from his own experience.

Thanks to Stanley's killing sprees and desire for Cores other than, say, Strength or Dexterity, Nate had taken the opportunity to push his own Fortification as high as possible before ranking up. In the process he'd discovered that you couldn't Fortify everything. Every point, in whichever of the Attributes, increased the pressure that drove the Evolution process. That increase in pressure meant pain.

Nate had also advised Stanley to get his base past the threshold before pushing too hard. Nate had learned the hard way that it wasn't forced… The description he'd shared, of an agonizing eternity spent trying to reach the Core that he had set aside…

Stanley grit his teeth and shoved his hand back into the pile, each core that touched his hand felt like jagged broken glass digging through his flesh, the air moving over his skin from the motion felt like sandpaper scrubbing his skin clear off. His bones felt as if they had shattered inside him and the pieces were grinding him down into paste. His head felt like it had a few dozen icepicks driven into it and someone was wiggling them around in there.

+0.5 Vitality

Stanley didn't let the pain stop him. There were no Notifications about potential damage, no warnings that he was pushing past a Threshold. This was a test. A test to see if he had what it takes to claim more Power and Stanley had the Will to see it through. Pain hadn't stopped him before, and he wouldn't let it stop him here and now.

+0.4 Vitality

He wanted to absorb the whole pile in one go, but it wouldn't let him. Each Core took specific mental focus, to resist the increase in pain as well as the ever increasing pressure that his pending Evolution drove down on him with crushing force.

+0.5 Vitality

+1 Vitality Fortification

One after another, Core after Core. Stanley lost track of the numbers but didn't stop. "I Can Resist!" He didn't know if using his power on himself helped. He didn't know if it was a good or bad idea. He didn't know if he even could do that. But Stanley kept absorbing. Right up until a Notification flashed into his already overtaxed mind and he lost his focus.

Evolution to D Rank has Begun.

Stanley was too rung out to fight on and the void pulled him down.

Evolution Options are Available.

D Rank is Your First True Step into the Multiverse. Your decision here may drastically alter the options Available in Future Evolutions.

Ranking up is a period of personal Evolution and growth. As a [Human] you are [Adaptable] and you now have the chance to alter your destiny. The Traits that define you may still be changed…

Choose Your Destiny.

Once again he floated in the darkness, seven glowing paths led away from him and each one ended in what looked like only a couple steps, at a glowing ball. Stanley looked into the first one, the light looking almost familiar. "Choices…"

[My Way]

Sacrifice nothing. Change nothing. Gain nothing.

Continue on the path you are on. If Satisfied with your choices so far, then carry on.

Traits: [Adaptable] [Source-Touched] [I Made My Choice] [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul]

"Sounds kind of… lame? And borderline condescending." He could see an almost holographic image of himself, complete with Violet Core in his chest and Psionic Channels running throughout the body. It looked somewhat familiar, especially compared to when he used his meditation. Most notably the ones between his head and chest, the same channels that he moved energy through for the Skill. As for the Channels spreading everywhere else, he couldn't remember those. "I really need to look into that…" But he wasn't about to choose this, at least not without checking the rest.

He turned to the next option, a glowing black orb…

[Eternal Death]

Embrace Death. Become Death. Bring Death.

You have directly brought Death to another through desire alone. Deliver Death unto the Rest.

You have Threatened others with Death to force compliance. Kill them and then Force Compliance.

You have Killed Thousands calmly and without remorse. Reap the Lives of All who Oppose you.

You have the Trait [Adaptable]. Adapt and Rise Again.

Walk the Path of Eternal Death and Gain the Aspect of Death in your Psionic Energy. Living beings Slain by your Power will have a chance of Rising Up into Unwaveringly loyal Eternal Undead. Every Living thing Slain will Increase your Aspect of Death.

Traits: [Eternal Undead] [Source-Touched] [Death Aspected] [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul]

It was almost the same as the first time he was offered undead as a Race, but this one didn't mention the offer from the Raid Leader… "Is it because I killed another one and now they don't want me to join? No… He… It said, 'even if you kill my brothers'... Maybe it knows that I won't join their side?" It also seemed to be much more narrowly focused than before. This one also directly referenced his Class. It also didn't give him visions of a future Stanley with a boney skull and a glowing eye. All he saw instead, was the outline of what he guessed would be his body and mind if he chose the Evolution.

It looked different, he could see his Core and the Psi channels that ran from it, up to his brain. One difference was that his Psi Energy looked black, rather than violet. Including the Core. "Death Aspect?" There also seemed to be far more Channels between Core and Brain. His body sported far fewer Channels and looked just a bit skeletal… "Maybe I don't need them if my body is dead?"

Regardless, he wasn't taking it. "Fuck you Undead!"

The next ball of light was a bright Red.

[Berserker Beast]

Let your Rage Reign. Release the Beast within and it will Rage until none stand against you.

You have Killed Hundreds in a Blind Rage. Rage! Rage!

You have Fought Tooth and Claw against your Foes. Rip and Tear Until it is Done!

You have Consumed the Flesh of your Enemies. Feast on the Meat!

You have Fortified your Vitality to the Threshold. You Can't Kill Me!

You have the Trait [Adaptable]. Adapt and become Something Else.

Walk the Path of the Berserker Beast and never know Fear or Pain again. Forgo the Power of the Mind and Reason. Empower your Body with Psionic Energy and Rage to become an Unstoppable Weapon.

Traits: [Beast-Kin Human] [Source-Touched] [Battle Rage] [Ruthless Unbreaking Soul] [Semi-Adaptable]

Another one similar to before but now it was all about Rage and berserking… "Hah! I did get Vitality all the way up! Nate's gonna be jealous." The vision of his potential body was interesting though. Instead of the Psi Channels from his Core to his brain, it now showed the Channels running mostly from his Core and out across his body, with only a few tiny threads running up to his brain. The body shape was also slightly off… His head, no, his mouth looked too big…"What large teeth you have…" His arms were also longer and each finger ended in sharp claws. "I am tired of being angry…" Maybe if there was an option to turn into a lazy house cat in a nice home… "I could go for that."

[Hungry Soul]

The Soul is All. The Soul Hungers to be More.

You have used your Soul to Kill another. Make your Soul into a true Weapon.

You have Survived a Deadly Wound to your Soul. Make your Soul into real Armor.

You did not notice when your Soul was Fed upon. Turn the tables and Devour the Souls of any who would Dare.

You have the Class [Soul Psionic]. Reach Further.

You Acquired and Upgraded the Trait [Ruthless Soul] into [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul]. Whatever it Takes.

You have the Trait [Adaptable]. Adapt and Grow.

You have Tethered Others to your Soul. Tether and Bind The World.

Walk the Path of the Hungry Soul and Claim Every Soul that Dares to Challenge you. Instead of fighting merely in the physical world, attack the Soul of your opponents. Crush, Bind, and Dominate your Enemies or simply Devour their Souls to Empower your own.

Traits: [Soul Devourer] [Source-Touched] [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul] [Semi-Adaptable]

"That's… disturbing. When did someone 'feed' on my Soul? Right… I didn't notice." He didn't like that… Also, the thought of using his Soul as a weapon still filled him with dread and memories… of pain. He already knew he didn't want this one, but what was interesting, was the image of him. This one, similarly to the Beast option, had only a few small Channels to the brain. The rest of them ran in what looked like an even spread in all directions, and they left his body… "I didn't know they could do that."

There was a sort of cloud of something around his form and the Channels all ended in varying points all throughout that cloud. "Is that my Soul? Or what my Soul's shape looks like? Or only what it would look like if I took this choice?" He took some time to study the image but the pressure was still nudging at him to move it along. Not quite in the crushing way it was before, but Stanley had a feeling that it would grow if he lingered too long.

The next ball of light was a brilliant Violet.

[Completely Mental]

My Will is Reality. Reality bends to my Will.

You have imposed your Desires upon the World around you and the World bent to your Will. My Will be done.

You have Killed thousands by Destroying them with your Will. I Decide who Lives.

You Acquired and have Upgraded the Trait [I Made My Choice]. I Will Choose.

You have Fortified your Willpower to the Threshold. I am Will.

You have Fortified your Vitality to the Threshold. I Will Live.

You have spent Hundreds of Hours wholly focused on strengthening your Mind. I think therefore I am my Mind.

Walk the Path of the Completely Mental and Cast Aside all that is not of the Mind. Your Body is merely a Vessel for your Mind. Now you will use it Fully, as a literal Extension of your Mind. Rather than Fortifying your body, Fortify your Mind by Creating Additional redundant Brain Matter and Minimize your greatest Weak Point.

Traits: [Mental] [Source-Touched] [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul] [Semi-Adaptable]

That one, aside from the name, was the most tempting so far and also weird as fuck. The image of his form was Very interesting. It showed his Violet Core and the Channels similarly to the first option, only visibly larger and more numerous, but this one… He had been worried by the mention of 'additional brain matter' and if that meant a bigger head. But apparently it meant creating more brains spread throughout his body? "Is that how it eliminates my greatest weak point? Which I guess is my head?"

There were massive Psi Channels running from the Core to his head, but also similarly massive Channels running to his stomach, thighs, and upper arms.At each point was a cluster of glowing… something. "More brains? Does this mean I could survive without a head?" Probably not. It was weird to imagine such a change, even the Trait changed. "Semi-Adaptable… so still somewhat Human, but less so." Despite the obvious creep factor, it was still a good option, an obvious upgrade from the first choice. "Whatever it takes…" But he checked the next one anyway.

[A Mental Soul]

Our Soul is My Will. My Will is Our Soul. We Are.

You have the Unique Attribute Twin-Soul. We Are Not Alone.

You have Acquired the Skill [Soul Awareness] and Used it to Strengthen your Twin-Soul. We Will Be More.

You have used your Twin-Soul to Kill an Enemy. We Will Survive.

You have Survived a Deadly Wound to your Twin-Soul. We Will Not Stop.

You Acquired and Upgraded the Trait [Ruthless Soul] into [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul]. We Will Do What We Must.

You have Imposed your Will upon your Twin-Soul to Heal and Empower. We Will.

You have Fortified your Willpower to the Threshold. I Will.

You have Fortified your Vitality to the Threshold. I Will Not Die.

You have Destroyed Thousands of enemies with your Will. I Will Win.

You Acquired and have Upgraded the Trait [I Made My Choice]. I Will Decide.

You have Acquired the Class [Psionic] and Evolved it into [Soul Psionic]. I Will Be Me.

You have the Trait [Adaptable]. I Will Adapt.

Traits: [Mental Soul] [Source-Touched] [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul] [Semi-Adaptable]

Walk the Path of A Mental Soul and double down on what has brought you to this point. You are not merely your Body. As a Being of Mind and Soul, Reduce your Dependency on the Flesh you carry around like a Puppet. Fortify the Vitality of your Twin-Soul and Fortify your Mind by Sheltering Enough of It Apart from the Flesh and Within your Twin-Soul to Reduce your Vulnerability. You are still Bound to the Flesh but will Become Less Dependent upon it over time, using it instead as an Additional Reservoir of Psionic Energy. The Close Bonding of Mind and Soul will Increase the Influence your Soul has on All Psionic Effects.

"That is… I like it!" The image of his body was similar to the previous option, with bigger Core and Psi Channels. Except on this one, instead of running to extra brains, the larger Channels ran from his Core to his Soul. That same cloud was around his figure but this time without all the mentions of Devouring Souls. "Much better!" Sheltering his Mind inside his Soul… Stanley knew that his Soul was strong, even stronger now that he'd finished repairing it and gained the Trait upgrade. "Is that really safer? That thing cut our Soul open without too much trouble… but I used our Soul to Kill it when nothing else worked, so…" He didn't know what most people's Soul Attributes would look like but suspected that his and Lee's Twin-Soul had to be a cut above the rest.

His body looked different too, with more of the violet channels throughout and a large number of… "I'm guessing those are the 'Additional Reservoir' it mentioned?" It looked a lot like his body would be full of smaller Cores, he couldn't even count how many. Each one connected to the lines inside his body, and also out to his Soul. They were spread all across his body and some even looked like they would be inside the bones… "My body will most likely be even weaker." He thought as he looked at all of it.

"But does that matter if it works the way it sounds? If I had this when Nate broke my shield… would I still have been incapacitated or with some of my Mind inside my Soul could I ignore a hit like that?" He couldn't tell if this would let him fight without his head. He doubted it would be that strong, not at first, but if it let him continue fighting with head injuries at least… "Still bound to the flesh… but less dependent." That combined with his Regeneration… "I think this is it. Nothing too weird or creepy… but I should check the last one."

The last ball of light was a blinding White and Stanley had a feeling…

[Source of Power]

Burn Bright. Obliterate All who Stand in your way. Burn All to Nothing.

You have Bound to a Source.

Take up the Power trapped inside you and Become a God as you Burn. Do as you Wish. Unstoppable to the End.

Traits: [Source] [Ruthless Unbreakable Soul]

"Just what I expected." He wasn't about to fall for it. "Burn Bright… to the End." This option would make him powerful, no doubt, but all those mentions of Burning… "I'd be a God. For a little while…" The only good thing about seeing this option was that Stanley was pretty sure this meant he had gotten strong enough to wield the Source, if only briefly. It was an option he might have considered if he was already doomed and wanted to take his enemies down with him… But he still had hope. He Would get home. "Maybe it'll be an option at the next Rank up." He thought. Maybe then it wouldn't be a death sentence.

Stanley turned away from the offer of God-Like Power. He made his choice. "I wonder if this will…"

You Do Not Hold Full Dominion over your Twin-Soul. All Involved Parties must Agree.

"Figured… but at least I'll get to…"

All Parties Agreed. Evolution to D Rank [A Mental Soul] Commencing.

"Aww, I wanted to say hi… Ow, Ow!" Power flooded out of his Core and into his body, mind, and Soul. As expected, it hurt. "Bring it on!" An eternity later, blissful darkness dragged him down and away.

~~~~~~

Walter

~~~~~~

Walter watched Stanley in his room, even as he watched everyone within his Domain. He watched him sweat and tremble as the pile of Cores in front of him dwindled. Watched the pug lick the sweat and tears from the man's face. Until finally, Stanley collapsed back onto the bed and went still. "Gods speed, young man. May you find…"

Lair Warfare has Begun!

The Leader of the Bordering Lair has decided to Claim Your Lair and add it to Their Own. Fight for Your Lair or Flee and Abandon Everything! The Choice is Yours.