Outside the dojo, Ray's swords start tingling in his hip, almost like asking for something out of the owner, realizing this he moves towards the back of the house further north from it.

'Yes, yes, take it easy, I can feel it too, a curious gaze of someone strong,' placing himself on a drawing stance after reaching a far enough distance from the house and the dojo a low old voice is then heard," unique skill sense," a blue mana aura expands around and ends up allowing Ray to notice a presence.

'Seems like the kid wasn't lying, to think there truly was someone rather talented spying on us, or rather protecting her... it seems my instincts have grown rather dull.'

A dark hooded man appears in front of Ray staring at him silently, 'I see, he really does have a good pressure to him, but nothing that I can't slice in half if necessary.'

The swords start shaking making the old man excited," so you're the Omar kid, why are you following my student around?"

"I was tasked to keep her alive no matter what, fallen noble Ray, I believe our interests align in that sense," he focuses on Ray swords who look are acting weird for mere weapons, reminding him of when the red book teeth shook,' a bad omen is it? I suppose this ain't a man I'm meant to fight either, first that girl Aurora and now this old man, this world truly is filled with talented humans,' a faint smile crossed his face which remained hidden beneath the shadow of the black hood.

With a cold tone Ray imposed on Omar, "as much as what you say is true, I would still be rather happier if I didn't have a pair of eyes permanently looking at us, plus I'm more than enough to keep that girl safe."

"That doesn't compete for you to decide, I will end my mission when I'm ordered to do so," the man clicks the tongue then vanishes into stealth.

"Running away, are we? Unique skill seven sword arts, fourth move, the thunder," upon unsheathing the sword a bolt of lightning projected from the sword falls where Omar had just been before going into stealth, after waiting a bit for some sort of response, Ray sheathes it back again after spitting on the floor,' the guy's quite fast at running away and hiding, this is why I don't like assassins, freaking cheap assholes.'

Omar who had escaped barely in time having the robe sleeve on the right arm burnt to charcoal looked at the old man from afar,' what a scary human, it seems like the one has found quite the teacher,' he smiled happily keeping himself in silence to not hint his location at Ray.

Upon returning close to the dojo as he didn't want anything to do with Ray, Omar ended up realizing that the girl was once again missing, this would happen from time to time which would let him dumbfounded every time, but due to the existence of the old man, entering the dojo was without a doubt off-limits, as setting foot in a training area constantly used by a master, wouldn't allow his life to be spared even with stealth, the tiniest creak the wooden floor or wall could do, the motion of the door or window opening, and of course the unique skill sense which allowed to find prey, were all deadly signs to stay away.

'These disappearances by the one should be the reason why it took a while to find her with the item, is she perhaps able to make her body vanish? Even as a stealth user I know for sure that's not the case, at least not one hundred percent, while this skill can in ways be found cheap, it has plenty of weaknesses, whatever she uses, feels to be on another level, almost like a higher plane of existence... wait a minute, the prophecy says the one will lead us into a new world, does she have something like that? No, that would be impossible, no human would have a realm of their own, at best they could own a dimensional space due to the item bag, and that doesn't allow living species to be inside unless they're already dead. That place she's meant to take us is already being paved by the war, soon we'll control the territories of the goblins and get a place for our allies to live in. It'll be a bit hard to protect Iris if I keep losing track of the child this way...'

A few moments earlier when Iris noticed Ray leaving.

I take the chance to get up and enter the mirror, once on the other side I bury my hands in the snow.

"Ah... this feels truly pleasant, can almost feel my hands recovering from the swollen and calluses," I make an aroused expression at the pleasure this sensation proportionate my mind getting my cheeks slightly blushed.

'The space around me looks really small with all these void walls enclosing the space due to my soul being small, status soul.'

Soul: 1754

'Should be around a kilometer per thousand soul quantity, at least from what I can tell, it's hard to calculate by eye alone.'

I lay on the ground burying my face in the fluff of the snow cooling down from all my thoughts.

'Just from doing this alone every time I come around, my cold and ice resistance skills tend to increase some levels, even if they're getting kind of slower nowadays, and my shorts and short sleeve shirts not being good for cold. It's very strange how there are only piles of snow everywhere, I'd expect some trees or even stones... but there's truly nothing else.'

"Iris?"

"Anastasia?" I take my face off the snow looking at her with a red face from the cold.

"What do you think your doing!? You'll catch a cold like that!" She shouts at me while forcing me to dress her black robe with a white enneagram star on the back.

'Not that long ago I bought 10 of them for myself, the 8 witches, and Aurora to wear, it was their idea to make us all feel part of something.'

'Even though we're already part of this circle,' I look at it, and then above it.

'A white enneagram star with a circle around it on top of the snow, or rather, the drawings of doesn't have any of the white fluff, that emptiness is what composes the symbol.'

'A light blue aura extends all-around glued itself to the void walls, the bigger my soul the more this aura expands, with the continuous mana being provided by Anastasia, speaking of which,' I push some of the snow off my body and get up, then my eyes gaze upon her," any notice of the other witches?" Without intending to I end up voicing myself with a tone of authority, and due to that the adorable witch bows lightly with a serious expression in front of me, replying in a calm tone," I've only spoken to them about random subjects, as they all anticipate your great awakening, babel witch, master Iris," she stares at me unfazed,' is Iris okay? Master feels a little conflicted today...'

Feeling a bit flustered from my own tone and words, I walk towards the circle sitting on the spot that was decided to be mine, the one furthest to the left, and then I signal with a kind smile for Anastasia to sit next to me which she quickly does, plus once she's closeby we hold hands.

"If I'm not mistaken, it was something like cursed skill profane connection?" I question myself in doubt and then a screen appears in front of me.

Profane Connection level 2:

Connect to the witches?

Connect to the system?

'Connect to the witches please,' suddenly I feel my mind connecting to the soul stones around me on top of each perfectly spot around the entire circle.

The tones start resounding in my mind and then it becomes clear finding a balance on its own.

'Hello? Can you all hear me?'

Familiar tones start resounding on my mind such as demonic, evil, charming, sleepy, and adorable ones, 'master Iris! It's been so long!'

'I hope you girls have been doing well, I apologize for taking so long to awaken, but it seems it'll take a lot more, currently mastering swordsmanship and magic, it'll still take a while to master both.'

An energetic tone then resounds in my mind,' No matter how long it takes we'll wait, do your best master Iris at a speed of 2000% the normal, we're here to support you!'

I giggle, 'that does sound full of energy alright,' the different tones fill the connection with laughter.

System: The title Connection has been received.

System: The title Connected Series has been received.

The system voice resonates on our call causing all sorts of static noise which causes an evil tone to complain,' tell the system to go kindly fuck himself, damn it.'

I start laughing loudly and then gaze upon the soul stone that belongs to such a being imagining the way my body would act, and somehow actually perceiving the image and taking it as reality,' I can see you!'

System: The title Demented has been received.

Due to the title name, I realize it was only an illusion and the image disappears almost like it was never there in the first place.

'That was... quite unusual..' I cackle in a saddened tone.

A warm tone then resonates on my mind through the connection,' cheer up Iris, you are you no matter what happens to your mind, we'll always be there to keep you safe.'

"Am I going crazy...?" I ask with some curiosity and a touch of sorrow letting my voice echo through the white plane.

An innocent tone almost as cute as the adorable one starts a little explanation,' In a way, you are kind of in the middle of nowhere, under a snowstorm, filled with nothing but white, in a world overwhelming for the body you currently possess, and the worst is probably that you're talking to no one.

I start cackling madly, and then when I get a hold of my sanity back I remind myself of something,' wasn't my brainwash resistance maxed? Then how is this world or whatever affecting my mental health?'

'Perhaps the cursed class, or the use of the cursed skill? Not to forget you're speaking with fellow cursed existences... You might've not noticed dear Iris, but you've stopped being yourself ever since the day you choose the witch class among many possibilities.'

'Hum? What do you mean? There was only that class!' I shout losing the sense of reality and fabrication feeling that a piece of me has shattered through this conversation alone.

'No, no, not at all master Iris, was it not you who chose that class before all others? No one but you, solely you, exclusively you, ultimately you, you tied your path the moment you gave up on searching for other options, and this is the price, we are the price, your sister class is the price, everything is a consequence of your acts,' a graceful sound of a giggle from an innocent tone echoes in my mind.

'Ah...' my body and voice react on their own by laughing wickedly and shaking slightly, and then without the voices expecting it,' yes, that was the path I choose, and I don't regret it, it may have not been the best decision, however, it was the one who gave my sister Aurora something she desired from the bottom of her heart, and it also allowed me to have a bigger family, you girls, as such, I welcome all the curses this life may inflict upon all of me, and I'll beat every single one of them.'

Clapping sounds echoed through my mind together with crying and laughter.