Another day of pulling out nails, Zack's shoulders slumped at the mere thought of it. The task had left the tips of his fingers bleeding until they calloused over. After losing his secondary body, all he had left was his true body. Which still had the skinny physique of an E-sport athlete, due to the fact that he had never ever gone to the gym or anything. All of the work he had done, was now undone.

Nothing to do about it but get to it. The top of the nail cut into his soft fingers as he pulled. The first day had been the worst the last time, and he had every expectation on it being just as bad now. He made the mistake of twisting his fingers and the thin metal of the nail head cut into his thumb.

Zack held back a nasty curse word and instead yelled "Bugger!"

Akma appeared and said "I think it's time you obtained a new willpower technique." then a blue screen appeared

Enhanced Training While performing an action meant to strengthen one's body, spend willpower energy to increase the results. Willpower cost: 15 per activation. Lasts 3 seconds. Technique rating: Adept Requires: No special body Trait

Several more pages appeared on the blue screen, each giving hints from other practitioners of it on activating the technique, but there was nothing concrete. As usual when it came to willpower techniques.

Zack said after reading through it all "If I'm understanding this correctly, using this technique would give me more gains from working out. It's a body builder's wet dream. But I'm not nearly at the Adept willpower technique ranking as of yet. I can barely form hydrogen out of formless matter."

Akma shrugged "I'm only giving the knowledge of this to you because you did something similar when you were forcibly pulled into the Kulabv dimension."

A flare of anger crept into his voice "Oh, you mean when I found myself falling into a deep pit of infinite darkness. Nearly dying and only managing to survive because I inexplicably unlocked telekinetic powers."

Akma had a sheepish look on his face "Yes that's exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway this is my current theory as to how it happened. Aside from another deity's manipulation."

Another screen appeared

Awaken Delves into the users genetic code to activate dormant gene sequences, of which there are hundreds of thousands Willpower cost: As there are numerous applications, cost varies Technique Rating: Grandmaster Requires: DNA

Zack said "Your best theory is that a low-tierman with an initiate willpower technique ranking was somehow able to do something that only a grandmaster is capable of."

Akma nodded resolutely "Yes"

"Well you might want to keep working on that."

Akma shook his head and looked a little pissed, Zack had never seen the little guy show anger of any kind "Akmadouric has a hive mind consciousness spread throughout many bodies. Myself and all the other innumerable Akmas may be the lowest form of the great deity but we are all a singular being. You can't speak to me condescendingly simply because of what I am."

Zack said "Hey I..."

Akma held up a finger to cut him off "So when I say that this is the best theory as to how it happened. Believe me, it's not something to scoff unless more information presents itself."

Zack waved his hands in the air in mock surrender "Okay, fine. I'm just pissed that I almost died that one time."

Akma shrugged "Don't worry. It takes a lot for me to consider something unforgivable"

He went back to pulling up nails, but this time he managed to partially activate Enhanced Training. His noobish proficiency in the skill drove the cost up to 30 willpower, but activating it at all was still a win. Almost immediately after finishing he felt the tips of his fingers grow more rough. But then he felt mentally exhausted after expending the willpower energy. Shaking his head to partially clear the effects allowed him to attempt the task again.

A person only has so much time to advance themselves before they are needed to perform, every second is precious and cannot be wasted.

With his willpower spent, Zack laid on his back 'Okay. Let's cheat a little. If I can't pull out another nail, then I will do something else for physical training.' He rolled over onto his stomach and began doing push ups.

He received two additional maximum willpower points before deciding to sit with his back to the wall not allowing himself to rest fully "Hey Akma, as long as we are on the topic of willpower techniques. Why don't you tell me what could have saved my life back in the Dirske dimension?" another screen then appeared.

Unmake Destroy a piece of the universe, causing it to cease to exist. Attempting to unmake another being will result in a willpower struggle Willpower cost: 1000 per second plus additional damage desired Damage: 10 unmake plus extra willpower energy expended, minus target's willpower resistance Technique Rating: Master Requires: No special body trait

Zack could only whistle and cringe slightly at that one "Dang, that looks like a nasty one."

"It's the brute force weapon in the interdimensional war. But be aware, everything wants to exist, even inanimate objects."

Zack was wiping the sweat from his brow as he finished up his run when a gruff voice called out from afar "Once you go gray there ain't no other way." he turned around to see Rifleman John Becker jogging up to him.

"Not the first time I've heard that since the Dirske mission, but at least it's a classic." all of the mission details for low-tierman missions that humans participated in was available to the public of Earth, so long as they held a single point of favor.

John Becker shrugged "I'm amazed that that's the least you get for fucking up an entire mission. What pisses me off the most is that you did it just to get laid."

"That just sort of happened, sex wasn't even on my mind when I made the decision to help Bayei."

"So you did it because you had to help the damsel in distress. Listen kid, I've had to choose the lesser evil many times throughout my life. What happened during the mission was one of those times for you and..."

Zack cut him off "That's not the reason either."

"Then what?"

Zack took a deep breath and audibly blew it out "In ancient Rome there was a glassmaker. One day, he found a way to make a glass that was unbreakable. He presented his invention to the Roman Emperor, who then threw the glass ball to the ground as hard as he could. It didn't break, shatter or even crack, a feat that can't even be replicated today. The Romans believed that such an invention would devalue gold and silver. So the Emperor had the glassmaker executed before he could pass on his glassmaking technique."

Becker asked "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Let me finish" Zack held up a finger "Leonardo Da Vinci...Archimedes...Nikola Tesla. All of these people have been shunned by the world." his voice trailed off "Even in the modern day it happens. There is also what happened to Tom Ogle."

Akma appeared and asked "What happened to Tom Ogle?" Becker sat down, his face twisted in thought.

"The short version of the story is that he invented a device that replaced his 1970 Ford Galaxy's carbureter, boosting it's miles per gallon rating from 14.5 to an incredible 100. It injected gasoline vapor directly into the engine's firing chambers. The vapor car, the Oglemobile. Can you imagine what would happen to the incomes of these oil tycoons should everyone start buying a fraction of the gas they did before? Oil companies came in and offered Tom Ogle millions of dollars with the intention of burying his fuel efficient system. The problem was that Tom wanted to save the world."

Suddenly Zack looked a lot more tired "What happened next was the type of scummy tactics that only a white collar is capable of doing. Tom sold the rights of his invention to Advance fuel systems Incorporated. Who then strung him along for years, eventually telling him that the company was developing a more advanced fuel efficient system to his invention. Not that anything like that ever hit the markets. If that wasn't bad enough, they decided to have him assassinated. The first attempt he got shot in an alleyway, but he survived. The second attempt was successful, Tom went to a bar and had half a beer, then was found dead in the morning with liver poisoning."

Zack let out a sigh "To this day, the Americans have banned the use of any car's engine capable of getting 50 mpg or more."

Rifleman Becker's brow scrunched "I'm a bit impressed that you know all that. But you still haven't answered the question."

"Bayei has the mind of an inventor and I simply couldn't allow another one to be forsaken."

Akma bit his bottom lip, his hair turning slightly whiter "The Dirske realm has been taken."

Zack said "So I guess it's time to empty my favor bank to revive her."

"There is a bit of a problem with that. Bayei's soul has been drawn by the Deity Xarkris."

"That doesn't sound good. What does that even mean? I can't revive her? What is this Xarkris doing to her?"

Akma held up a hand to stop his bombardment of questions "Zack just hold up for a minute. Don't worry about her for the time being, okay? The minor Deity Xarkris is not evil, although Akmadouric's relationship with him is officially neutral."

Zack thought for a moment "Can we trade something for her?"

"Quit freaking out for a moment, loverboy. There might a mission in the works here but don't get your hopes up."

Annoyed, Zack said "My relationship with Bayei isn't old enough to be called love."

Becker chuckled off to the side.

Akma laughed maliciously then a smile appeared on his face that went right up to his ears "Hehe. But first you have to do something unpleasent. Kerink put you on shit detail before she became incapacitated and you have yet to pay your dues."