“Alright. That’s the plan, after all. Besides… I noticed that the strange coincidences and events mimic certain events in the games I played. I just got here and found myself in the same plotline of Star Ocean. And now, with this event, I basically managed to read a book!”

“You mean you managed to learn the book like in Star Ocean 2! Happy that it increased your skills?"

“Yes. But isn't that something I can't do again and again?”

“Slime God. Please help us. Is there a way for him to do that like in the game?” Strafe pleaded.

“To help him in his insanity?” The Slime God smirked.

“Yes. You’ve seen how powerful he is.”

“I’m more impressed in his off-game mode. Now THAT was impressive. Killing a Stone Serpent is a task for heroes! And he was severely under-leveled, yet he won!”

“Yes. But it’s better that he plays. He’s more passionate and will try to learn new skills just to acquire similar powers in the game.”

“Well...That might work! All he needs is Time and Dark Magic. I’ve seen Jedo and that Yami. I’m guessing it’s the prisoners Starfall and the minor god, the Stopper?”

“Yes. Jedo’s soul uses those prisoners.” Strafe confirmed.

“Those brats were arrogant with their skill! Having Dyne as their master is more agonizing punishment!” The Slime God laughed.

“Starfall and the Stopper?”

“The best way to make neutral souls was to use gods who were imprisoned in the Imaginarium Bond. Stopper is the real Jedo while Starfall is the Dark Conjurer which has become the soul of Yami.” Strafe explained.

“Exactly. These two were a pair of brats who liked to cause trouble wherever they went! Now that they are one as your Ra-Seru. You can use that magic to emulate it! This wouldn’t have been possible before, but with you… your freakish potential makes me want to follow Strafe’s plan. Let freak do what freaky does!”

“So what exactly can I do if I awaken Jedo?”

“It will depend on your ability to wield the power of Jedo. I’m betting that you can do it. You were already able to easily learn how to produce Lightning in a few seconds upon trying it! I’m sure that while Time/Space and Dark is not your Element, the problem would only be generating it! But your control over it should shock us!” The Slime God answered.

Strafe nodded.

“The biggest reason as to why I am confident is because you’ve already performed Soul Search and Soul Steal! So I will bestow on you a technique. Giving you powerful weapons and stuff that you call in your world as OP would make your gameplay too boring. Strafe may not understand, but I too could be said to be a gamer!” The Slime God declared.

“You're a Gamer?” Dyne wondered.

“The Slime God is not some Slime that cultivated to become a god. The reason why he is good in Time/Space is that he is a multi-dimensional being. He has incarnations that transcend our reality.”

“That is correct. I live in different times and different places. One of my incarnations exists in your world.”

“Oh? Are you someone I know?”

“It’s not that simple. I know that I have an existence there, but my cultivation in this world has grown too strong and too far out that I cannot sense or understand my other incarnations anymore. But as for my incarnation there, I only know that it is attached to the word, Gaben.”

“Who? That sounds familiar. That's like some famous guy in my world.” Dyne frowned. He had heard of that name but couldn’t understand where he heard it.

“I noticed in your memory that name seemed familiar but were kept out of the loop from searching any video-game-related items. But my point is... that incarnation of mine in that world seemed to have affected me. So I understand your Way of a Gamer.”

“Really?”

“You want cheats but only those that improve the quality of life you have in-game. Those that aren’t game-breaking. For example, in Star Ocean 2, you wouldn’t chase the early Aeterna!”

“Why do you say that, Slime God? He got Jedo! He fought against fate to have that Ra-Seru!”

“Yes. But he didn't ask for it! He fought to get it! It's like a gamer going through a hard mission to gain a powerful reward! Besides, what’s so OP about Jedo? It’s just getting a Ra-Seru. While Jedo has some apparently OP powers, it’s still a Ra-Seru! He didn’t acquire two Ra-Seru or even cheat to get the Evil Talisman! Now that’s cheating! Any of the other Ra-Seru’s can give Dyne the same boosts. He wants the fun of playing and the thrill of trying something new. That’s why his items were designed to get Jedo. After that, I doubt he’d use the trick of the Chicken King again. Well, of course, he’d use it here.” The Slime God laughed.

“Wow. He’s good! He understands me!” Dyne smiled.

“Strafe has always been a strict person! It’s his alignment. He has the holiest of Light, so he’s very strict on doing what’s good. As such, he tends to pass it along with his other traits.” The Slime God laughed.

“And the Slime God is the total opposite. He tends to play around and toy with mortal’s lives by governing their fate.”

“Wait… He can play Sims?” Dyne asked. He had seen people playing in the computer shops he used to hang out with when he was a young soldier. Sadly, the government strictly prohibited him from playing those games.

“Now that you mentioned it…” Strafe realized what the Slime God could do.

“Become a god, and you could do that!”

“Slime God! Toying with the fates of others is unethical!"

“And that’s why I toy with the lives of people who are scum.” The Slime God countered.

“Great! I’ll try playing Sims when I become a god!” Dyne bellowed excitedly.

Strafe shook his head. The Slime God was just a bad influence.

“I will give you an interesting ability. Not too overpowered, but just enough to make your life easier. It will practically lower the need to grind.”

“Oh?”

“Of course, the trick is you still have to work for it! I will give you the ability to do what you just did. You can absorb a portion of the knowledge and memory of the author of a book! Just as reading a book in Star Ocean allows them to learn and increase their skills, so can you!”

“How?”

“Through Time/Space and Dark magic, it's possible to draw it out! You see, books that are written personally by the author may contain their passion in them! Just as a painting can instill the soul of the painter, so can a book! Through time magic, you may awaken the memories of this soul, and through dark magic, you can awaken its desires.” The Slime God explained.

“There is such a mystery behind Dark? It awakens emotions?”

“It’s part of the whole Yin Yang thing about Life/Light and Dark/Death element. Life and Light give or pours out emotions. While Dark and Death magic desires and takes for itself. I never really thought you that and wanted you to discover it on your own.” Strafe added as he glared at the Slime God.

“Haha! Same old strict Strafe. You should learn to give him a bit more!”

“Yeah, Strafe!” Dyne seconded.

“I have my style in training him, Slime God. Give him that benefit, and let’s end this least you ruin his training.”

“My dear, Strafe. As stoic as always! A cultivator's path must not follow your ascension!”

“That’s not why I’m doing this! He is a genius! He must forge his path! If we limit his understanding according to our own, we will hinder him!” Strafe argued.

The Slime God fell into contemplation.

“I guess you’re right. Alright, Dyne. Let me rephrase what I said. Dark and Light represent two different extremes. Giving and Taking. The Light is Empty, while the Dark is full. But as Strafe said, it's not wise to limit your understanding of these concepts' two elements. You are a genius sent by Basileus Basileon, and I am not surprised you will understand the meaning of the other elements. But through Dark, you can take. Unlike what happened before where I intentionally allowed Calamitus Slime to leave a Soul that linked with me and made it easy for you to devour it, the future books will require quite a bit of effort on your part.”

“As long as I can read them, I’m good!” Dyne laughed.

“Good! Then I will bestow on you the secret art! If you can comprehend this, and awaken Jedo, then some books that an author has personally written will have a small chance of allowing you to absorb it.”

“Does it have to be handwritten by the author? How is this soul passed to the book?”

“We don’t have a printing press in this world. Cultivators can find numerous ways and become their own printing press through various means. What you need is to find a book which the author personally created.”

“That sounds difficult! I mean, I have to look for the first book authors make?”

“Not really. Because cultivators can become their own printing press, authors tend to create hundreds, and the richer ones would create thousands immediately. This is because they sell it to merchants who reprint it and pass it along. The planets here are larger than earth and harder to move from town to town. Any high-tiered city would have a copy of these books. Some cultivators even use Mind Recorders to store their knowledge. But the place that you are at is too poor and lonely to have those.”

“Mind Recorders? I take it. I would absorb more with those things?”

“Yes. Mind Recorders are small jade stones that immediately record the thoughts of the author. Those who have it can mentally read the contents simply by touching it as it will automatically release Mind magic which links it to those holding it. Of course, they have to charge it through external means or use their own Mind magic if the energy of these jade stones run out.”

“Interesting. But what if I find Mind Recorders that aren’t the original copies?”

“It won’t work. While Mind Recorders can perfectly let you learn all of it, they are much rarer than books. After all, a single Mind Recorder in this desolate land would cost an entire city! It's basically booked for the elite.”

“But why do I need Time and Dark magic?”

“Unlike the process of you using Soul Steal on my lingering soul, these books have a very faint and almost dead soul in them. And that is why you need Time/Space and Dark magic to gather the passion and life energy bestowed on these books.”

“So do I learn the contents of the book immediately?”

“Yes and no. You won’t memorize the book itself. But you will gain a portion of their knowledge. Reading the book would be helpful if you have the time. But then again, this will allow you to grow drastically.”

“Oh… So it’s like I get a portion of their knowledge. Sounds cool! It’s a good thing I learned the basics of compounding. I can make some very interesting items!” Dyne smiled.

“Alchemy should teach you two skills in Star Ocean. In this world, Alchemy refers to both the ‘Alchemy’ skill of changing the properties of stones and the ‘Compounding’ skill. This alone will help you greatly in your world! And even in Legaia!”