Chapter 19

Eleonor

Still in the basin, Sanakan was teaching Eleonor.

Now that you’ve made contact with the Sfir, you can learn to control your second sight. The sphere that I have offered you is the main way by which we, the Hetaxearks, perceive the world, it is something that should normally grow with us, that we learn to master gradually but, like many things for you related to the Sfir, you don’t do that. Besides, I luckily managed to artificially reduce the range of your second sight to only about 20 meters, it had already begun to damage your nervous system. No Hetaxearks has ever had such a precise vision in such a large volume. Hum… She stopped to think for a moment, before resuming.

We normally have two different spheres. The first, the one through which you see, is quite reduced my extremely precise, it oscillates between three meters in children and about twenty in the Arbiters . The second is much wider, and my information is more vague to avoid overloading the user’s mind, its range being between fifty to one hundred meters for children and several kilometers for the Arbiters. As you can see, your case is unique, probably linked to your condition as a carrier of a complete Xerox network. This poses its own set of problems, among other things in terms of fine control, but, in the long term, could prove extremely interesting.

Okay. I’ve talked enough, so let’s move on to the part where you learn not to fry your brain by opening your eyes.

Certainly. The young woman replied smiling, happy to hear Sanakan explain things to her. After all, knowledge is power.

You should feel the Sfir flowing through you, coming in and out like a river running through you. Do you feel it ?

...Yes.

All right. Put your hands out, try to keep some of it between your palms.

Eleonor did as requested, stretching out her spiritual hands towards the torrent that roared before her, plunging them in, but when she came out, the Sfir seemed to slip between her fingers, fleeting.

It’s normal not to succeed on the first try. Try again as long as you need. Sanakan said in a soothing tone

The young woman nodded her spectral head and plunged her hands again into the Sfir.

Feel it slide over your mind, understand it, take it. The Sfir is predictable, logical, learn to see his patterns, his reactions, exploit them so you can get a grip on it. She whispered to Eleonor.

The young woman stopped and tried to feel the flow, this energy like a river that was now crossing the valley of her spirit. She let the fingers of her reason and logic sink, trying to understand the fluxes and swirls that were born and would die in this constant influx of clear and pure power. From time to time she discovered something, a constant in the formation of the vortices, a certain logic in the intertwining of the current, a paterne in the form of the flow. Time passed as her body was immersed in Genesis and her mind in the Sfir and, finally, she brought her hands before her in a cup, a little bit of Sfir in her palms which she brought back to her.

A message appeared before her.

|After a long training, you finally managed to accumulate Sfir in you. New unlocked resource: Sfir. Your character sheet has been updated.|

It went faster than I would have expected. Then commented Sanakan, a smile in the voice.

It wasn’t that hard. It just takes time to get used to it, an hour or two. The young woman replied while shrugging her metaphorical shoulders.

... an hour or two... Genesis, how many cycles have passed since you brought your mistress into you ? Then suddenly asked the alien.

FORTY-FOUR CYCLES, FORMATOR SANAKAN. Answered the pool of his neutral voice.

...sorry, what ? I spent almost... thirty-seven days doing that ? Eleonor exclaimed, doing the quick head count.

Um… two-thirds of that time, actually. The first third was used to open you up to the Sfir. Sanakan specified.

A very good performance, in can say. Our young take months, sometimes years to learn what you just did in a little over a month. I mean, you’re an adult in training, something that never happens to us, I expected it to go faster, but not as fast. A good thing in short. Commented the Arbiter, happy.

Now that you have a reserve of Sfir, no matter how small, you will finally be able to interact with the Void. Let’s get out of here. Better to be free of your movements for the next part. said Sanakan.

Of course. Eleonor replied, extricating naturally herself from Genesis, rapidly emerging from the pool, helped by the tentacles of the pond which deposited her on the ground

It had become so natural to her that she did not notice that he kept one of his tentacles wrapped around her throat, not even differentiating it from her own body.

Perfect. Your sphere of perception allows you to feel the objects around you with terrible precision, but you already know that. It does this by allowing you, through your Sfir, to feel the disturbances that different things create in the ether that fills the Void. To begin with, ask your Sfir to stop crossing surfaces.

...Okay ? An unsure Eleonor replied.

Not knowing how to do it, she simply tried to convey her request to the powerful liquid that rested in her hands and, suddenly, she was taken by a fit of claustrophobia when she wasn’t able to see through things anymore, quickly repressed.

I did it !

Indeed, let’s continue. Now ask it to remove any object smaller than one of your nails.

Once again, Eleonor focused and gave an order to her Sfir, who reacted with obedience.

... And finally, ask it to decrease its accuracy by displaying only the faces of the objects that are directly directed towards you.

For the third time, she ordered this energy to do what Sanakan advised her to do, with even more facility.

Now you should be able to open your eyes. Try.

She opened her eyes and, again, the world poured into her, less abruptly this time. She smiles, deeply happy to see so much color.

The next time I see a drawing of Mellite, maybe I can finally appreciate it. She thought on the tone of the joke.

To continu...

Sanakan, wait a bit, I would like to check something before continuing. Interrupted the young woman.

...All right.

Thank you. It won’t take long. She replied while thanking her.

Character sheet. She thought.

[Eleo?nor?]

[Level : 37 (3%) Available Key Points : 0]

[Classes : N/A]

[Ressources :

Health Point : 2050/2050 Stamina: 2050/2050 Sfir : 12/12]

[Body : 41]

[Mind : 1]

[Soul : 1]

[Natural Armor : 22 (20,5 +1,5)]

[Natural weapons :

Fangs: Strength *1 damage (205), armor-piercing 2

Feet and fists : Strength *2 (410) damage , armor-piercing 1]

[Capacity :

Abyss Eyes Black Hook Armoured storage bags Old Soul Pain Conversion Novice Sfir pool (1)]

[Body : 41

Strength Modifier : 5. Overall Strength : 205 Agility Modifier : 4.5. Overall Agility : 184,5 Constitution Modifier : 5. Overall Constitution : 205]

[Mind : 1

Thinking Pace Modifier : 1. Overall Thinking Pace : 1 Memory Modifier : 1. Overall Memory : 1 Magic Affinity Modifier : 12. Overall Magic Affinity : 12]

|Novice Sfir pool (Level 1) : your mana reserve is equal to 1 times your Magical Affinity.|

Eleonor nodded, quickly becoming aware of the changes that her training had brought her before bringing her attention back to Sanakan.

There you go. Thank you for waiting.

It’s nothing, let’s keep going. I will teach you one more basic thing for all Hetaxeark, but I will not go any further today in view of the weak reserve of Sfir that you are able to contain for the moment. She explained to her.

Now look. She said to her, bringing the young woman’s gaze to the corner of the room where Genèse was resting.

Sanakan remained silent, concentrating for a moment before a sphere of tar separated from the surface, floating for a second in the air before falling back into the puddle that had seen it born.

I think you call it telekinesis. Finally said Sanakan with an exhausted voice.

Well, at least from what I saw in your memories. She continued with the same fatigue in her voice.

You have access to my memories ? Eleonor exclaimed.

Of course. We share the same mind. And it’s mutual. You don’t remember seeing scenes that didn’t belong to you ?

...Yes. It’s… weird. In the future, could you ask me before you scan my memories ?

...Yes, sorry. I am not entirely myself, I lose my politeness. Sanakan replied in a contrite tone.

Thank you. Let’s go back to this telekinesis thing.

Sure. You should be able to do the same as me but not much more, considering the Sfir you have right now.

She paused before continuing, gathering her minds.

Now focus. With the Sfir, imagine extending your arm to the pond, and catching some fluid.

Once again, the young woman did as she had been asked and, quickly, a small sphere of liquid detached itself from the black mass, remaining suspended in the air a few seconds before crashing back into it.

Eleonor put her knees to the ground, feeling exhaustion hitting her like a hammer, happy to have the help of one’s of Genèse tentacle to remain stable.

...Wow. It’s... really exhausting.

That’s because you invested all the Sfir you had in that move. As a rule, try to stay above a quarter of your Sfir’s reserve, or you’ll be diminished.

Understood.

Okay. That will be all for now. I’m going to rest for a while, this demonstration has cost me more than I expected. She said with a little sadness in her voice.

...Okay. Tell me if there’s anything I can do.

Sure. Come on, I’ll see you later.

***

She had been watching her Sfir gauge for about ten minutes, but it seemed to be blocked at zero, having not regained a single point since she had tried her newfound telekinesis.

This Sfir, it’s really going to be an investment more than anything at the moment. She could not help thinking while smiling ironically, imagining the small impact that this new power would have in even the least relentless fight.

This reminded her of the pawn who had disguised itself as a rabbit, and she squeezed her wrist where he had attacked her. This was the moment that her stomach chose to start growling, the young woman realizing that she was hungry.

Let’s prioritize. Start by finding something to eat and, in the process, test your new strength. She said to herself, clenching her fist, watching the exit of her lair with fire in her eyes.

***

She was now at the entrance of the Great Cave, where she had recovered enough to make the pockets that now appeared on her sides, at the height of her kidneys. The journey had taken her a long time as she still clearly had trouble controlling her strength. On several occasions, she had even nearly thrown herself into one or the other hole and had only had to her hooks not die of a long and pathetic fall in the big well on which the exit from her base gave. The movement through the tunnel to this place had not been much more glorious, as evidenced by the mark her head had left on the ceiling when a creature had startled her, passing so quickly beside Eleonor that it had even left a blurry image of it on the sphere of the young woman.

At least now I know I can take a wall without being in too much danger. She thought by massaging the top of her head on which a purplish bump was appearing.

Taking advantage of the intermingled pain and pleasure, the young woman sat down and, for the first time, took the time to contemplate the natural wonder this cave was, ecstatic in the face of the beauty of the place, further µ reinforced by her new eyes sensitive to the myriad of colors that painted it. This rainforest seemed to be separated into two types of quite distinct areas that still which mixed a lot.

On one hand, thick masses of trees clung around the many wells of light pouring out their multicolored rays, some red, some orange and some still blue, creating an astonishing but beautiful mix to look at, painting the massive canopies that covered the ceiling of the cave in places like a painter who splashed his painting. These massive trees were covered with bioluminescent lianas, giving a supernatural air to these groves whose dark depths were gently lit with a glaucous and bluish aura.

On the other side, between the groves of trees the mushrooms reigned, far from the sources of light which they did not need anyway, creating paths between the masses taking advantage of the wells of light. The earth was dark and fertile, decomposed piles of various animals hunted and slaughtered in these places, many bones in more or less good visible condition mixed with the earth. Where the soil had been returned by some animal, mycelium was visible. The spacing between the groves seemed to be totally random, sometimes only a few meters away, sometimes tens of meters apart, creating a canvas mixing the vibrant colors of the trees, flowers and lianas with the browns, white and black mushrooms as couterpoint.

She remained there a handful of minutes, unable to get away from this vision as hypnotizing as it was overwhelming. She had already seen documentaries about the Amazonian forest, but living it was a completely different experience, especially if we added all the extraordinary elements that mingled with the place and, to begin with, the fact that it was not even the Earth.

Suddenly her sphere conveyed something to her. Between the leaves, it built her a partial image of a small and probably carnivorous creature.

...It’s looking my way. Did she think as she looked at the creature. It had four clawed legs that it had used to agilely move between the trunks and through vegetation, now at a standstill to better examine its potential prey, unaware that it was in fact already spotted. As far as the young woman could see, its body was angular, covered with barbed serrations, and two scythe-like appendages came out of its mouth, gently splitting the air as if the creature was already imagining itself having its next meal.

It would be very practical to have an identification skill. She thought smiling ironically, thinking about one of the flagship skills of all the isekais she had read.

She hesitated, remaining where she was, not quite sure of wanting to engage the creature. Not that she had anything against fighting and killing, but her previous experiences had made her more cautious and, not knowing what to expect, she didn’t want to risk attacking something too big for her. And, as through a grotesque mirror, the creature also seemed hesitant, giving the impression of not wanting to give up the security of the dense foliage.

This choice was however stolen from Eleonor when the creature, having reached the end of its patience, finally decided to emerge from its hiding place to attack the young woman. Counting on the effect of surprise, the creature came all claws out, full of opening. And this was not arrogance, for, Eleonor could agree, without her sphere, she would not have seen or heard it coming upon her, because it was discreet and silent.

Too bad for him. She said to herself, a sadistic smile spreading over her face and distorting her usually calm , even tender features.

She thrust her left foot into the ground, leaning slightly to the right. She waited for the last moment and gave a powerful impulse, no longer paying attention to her strength, while bringing her elbow back.

"CRAC!" A disgusting crackling reverberated on the nearby trees when the tip of her elbow came into contact with the attacker’s skull, just before being swept away by her own momentum and jumping accidentally, turning three times on herself.

She crashed a little further down, rolling for a few seconds before stopping. A little dizzy, she took one or two more seconds to regain her senses and get up, her eyes and sphere on the lookout. Her elbow was hurting but the sensations were still quite manageable overall and, anyway, she was made far too tense by the search of her opponent. Tension that suddenly faded when a message appeared in front of her.

|Congratulations, you killed a Pawn(Raptor Strain) Level 23.|

She looked at the ethereal blue phrase with a look of incomprehension, before the sphere spotted the poor Pawn who had tried to attack her. Incomprehension gave way to a rictus and then to a complete, sadistic smile.

“Hahaha! HAHAHA!” She began to laugh with an outstretched laugh, feeling deeply happy, feeling her power, her ability to crush a life under her feet, well, her elbow here. She felt her thirst for blood intensifying echoing to her thirst of freedom, as if all of this was only an appetizer for her taste of slaughter. She wanted more. More blood. More death. More freedom. She began to sniff the air, methodically covering the surroundings of her gaze as her sphere sought something else to hunt, something else to kill. However, she strengthened her will, her belly reminding her of the main reason she was here.

Eating first, hunting after. Eleonor said, approaching the corpse of the creature.

The poor beast had its head completely sunk between what must have been its eyes only a few minutes ago. A question then crossed the young woman’s mind.

HP bar ? Did she think timidly, the system answering her question directly.

[Health points: 2003/2050]

Yes ! She said to herself triumphantly, seeing a HP bar appear in the upper right corner of her vision.

It was not particularly prominent but advanced to make herself readable in the foreground whenever Eleonor actively focused on it.

I still lost some health points, but not much compared to my total. Let’s see if I regenerate naturally. She thought then as she began to eat.

Her armoured hands with sharp fingers easily tore the creature’s limbs, placing the first piece in her mouth.

Taste, texture, she felt nothing of that. Only a moderate but indescribable pleasure passed through her as she chewed the piece of meat, accompanied by her pain now omnipresent and even more so nondifferentiable.. She swallowed it, finally stemming the flow of this new sensation.

What THE FUCK was that ? She wondered, then, before remembering.

Genèse. She said, remembering her request to the pool. So far, everything she had eaten was foul and, tired, she asked Genèse if he could make the action more enjoyable.

Which he did, even if not in the way I expected, or even I wanted. She continued to think, slightly upset.

Of course, taste is no longer a problem, I don’t taste anything anymore ! It feels more like an orgasm than anything else !

She tried to put a piece of food in her mouth again, hoping that the sensation would be less strong, in vain, the latter remaining of constant intensity.

She massaged her face, between the eyes, frustrated.

Ok...stop getting upset for nothing dude. That’s the way it is. You just have to get used to it. At least until next time I see Genèse.

And so she continued her meal, more and more conquered by the new pleasure that the act of eating gave birth to in her.

At first, she opened the barbed shell to devour the muscles hiding underneath, almost reminding her of the unpleasant Christmas supper and the inevitable crab she hated skinning. She stopped, however, when she bit without doing so on purpose in a piece of chitin that fell off and chewed like the rest of the beast, realizing that the strength of her jaw was sufficient to crush even the bones and armor of the creature. She ate, again, again and again, gorging herself on the carcass that made half her height, giving herself with closed eyes to the pleasure of eating and the relief of feeding without stopping, keeping just a small part of her mind focused on her sphere to avoid any surprise attack. One or two other creatures passed, pausing for a moment to watch the new predator that invaded their jungle, quickly leaving to take care of their business.

At one moment, caught in her hedonistic trance, she reached out her arm but her hand only met the ground, making her regain all of her mind. She tried to get up but found herself heavier than usual, paradoxically having a little easier time to control her strength.

Wow… I really ate everything ? She then thought, remembering that the creature was very much the size of a big dog.

I even devoured the bones. She said thoughtfully to herself, looking at the traces of blood that were the only remaining marks attesting the existence of the poor Pawn she had just swallowed up.

She ran her hands along her body, feeling her side pockets slightly distended, filled with a kind of dense, viscous liquid.

...I really have to ask Genesis how these bags work, exactly. So she said to herself.

Even if, at first glance, I would say that they are connected to my digestive system. The more I eat, the more they will swell.

She tried to walk a little, feeling the extra weight helping her to adjust her to strength, but that destabilized her a little and, as she made the bitter discovery by crashing against a tree, made it harder for her to brake.

Of course. More mass at the same speed equals more kinetic energy, you dumbass. She rebuffed herself.

She took a few dozen more minutes to get used to her new balance before she stopped smiling again.

Let’s see how far I can fill those bags. She thought, her usual sadistic smile painting her face again.