"Many people have asked me how it feels like to do an Astral journey. I’ve gotta say… it’s both magnificent and terrifying, like all good things. Living my previous lives, knowing that it was me under another face and name, really brings things into a different perspective. I’ve seen my good and bad deeds… many of them I would’ve thought unthinkable, as the current me. You’ll understand what I mean soon after you come out of here.

But I got sidetracked.

Just know that, while the trial is indeed trying,” He weekly chuckled at his own pun. “the rewards are just as good. No, not just the System's. Good luck on your journey, future me, and may your life be better than mine ever was.”

-Tar’khen, the Bringer of Eclipses, Adult Omnidragon shortly before the downfall of his Empire.

Nashariel pov

Everything… didn’t hurt, for once.

In fact, when Nashariel groggily opened her eyes, she felt better than she had in… a long time. A brief check of her status showed her a quartet of full resource bars. Thank Astill…

/Oi, welcome back, Nashariel/

‘Morning. She yawned. Everything good?

/Yup. Want me to replay my memories?/

Su… hold on! Nashariel snapped to attention. Your memories? You feel… different too.

/Uh, just watch. Don’t be mad, please?/

…Just do it.

The secondary mind felt her user’s physical energies dwindle to nothing, just as she had feared more than once. As a simple skill, she stood powerless as she witnessed the slime devouring Nashariel.

Damnation! She cursed. The secondary mind opened her user’s status, going into that etheric place by herself. She knew what to do and, while she was somewhat excited, the feeling got drowned by her rush and worry.

*Evolve Dual mind?

Y/N

-1 free attunement skill. 3 free skills/advancements remaining.

Dual mind evolves into-> Draconic secondary self (II)

Draconic secondary self (II) Lvl 1

Having a secondary mind has certainly come in handy multiple times. And yet, the terrible inefficiency of having a soulless bot instead of a researcher as competent as yourself must have hurt. No more. Your secondary mind becomes less of a simple logical construct and more like a brilliant second self, worthy of a dragon. Enjoy your newfound capabilities, both of you.

Your secondary mind becomes well and truly sapient, and her capabilities will rival yours. Capabilities increase by Lvl.

Your mental self knows no rest. (Insert name) can function without pause or need of recovery and she’s immune to non-magical mental fatigue.

Body and minds as one. When granted permission, your secondary self can act in your stead. You can now sleep while she acts without repercussions.

(Insert name) can now use your skills and spells as if they were hers. She may even activate another version of the active skill and spells, provided that you're capable of such a feat.

Communication between the two of you is instantaneous, regardless of the length of the conversation. Prolonged use of this capability may result in temporary brain damage.

Warning: You must grant or remove permissions to activate any of these effects.

Upgrade cost: 10 points. *

Time seemingly stopped.

The secondary mind screamed. The changes done to her very nature shook her to the core.

She felt Nashariel’s exhaustion as her own, but the flood of raw potential washed away any kind of soreness.

*Please, select a name for yourself. *

The secondary mind ignored the prompt. Later.

She shifted Nashariel to Acid, enjoying immediate relief. Not even four seconds had passed, and already the mire had melted halfway through the armor.

The secondary mind quickly took control of every nerve in her user’s body, then Nashariel’s eyes shot open. Consciously observing was a new experience for her, but one that she couldn’t exactly enjoy at the moment.

The secondary mind remembered when she and Nashariel had defeated that Warband by themselves. That had been the first time that she had ever taken control of Nashariel and fought in her stead.

Time to heat up the atmosphere! She thought. She attuned to Fire, then powered the Territory. A wave of angry flames bursted out of the slime, vaporizing everything in their wake.

The immersion in the dense magical substance of the slime had replenished some mana and Omnia. The secondary mind used the fourth resource to manipulate the very body of Nashariel and aided herself with manipulating air. Her movements were shoddy, but, seeing how exhausted the body was, she considered the result a minor miracle in itself.

A humanoid’s voice screamed in agony. “You…!”

The secondary mind saw the Cleanser exposed. With a blinding dash, she got a hold of it. “I hope that you find some peace in the afterlife.” She murmured, before violently ripping the metallic thing out of the slime’s Core.

The ex-Tamer howled one last time. The sludge that formed her body, now masterless, flowed on the ground.

Ignoring the sizzle against her user’s feet, the secondary mind kept the flames fed. Can’t risk anyone stepping on this… crap. She looked at the Cleanser.

The secondary mind didn’t know what Nashariel had intended to make of it, but they couldn’t risk the Paladins to find out exactly what this thing was. Not if they wanted Hector’s Hub to remain standing.

Using her superior mental capabilities, and shifting Nashariel to Mind to use her active Intellect, she grabbed a few things in the span of a moment.

*Sticky flames, Destructive flames, Decreased melting point, Improved flammability, and Increased heat have been bought for 14 points. *

The effects were instantaneous.

As if a sudden wave of fresh air had come, the raging flames grew into an all-consuming inferno.

The Cleanser, the stone, and the slime were outright ashed.

The secondary mind cut off the mana from Nashariel’s skill, just as a flurry of steps had her turn around.

Nashariel’s group had arrived.

She smiled. “Yo, happy to see you! Could’ve used a hand, tho. Gods, I hope that she won’t mind the points…” While they had never directly interacted, Asha felt a deep closeness to each one of them. And Nashariel’s stinginess to spend points was legendary.

The trio glanced at each other. “Who… who are you?” Dorel muttered.

Good question. She looked at the flakes of ember and ash as they delicately danced on the wind, softly crumbling on the floor.

A name…? Ash… Nashariel…

*Name accepted. Welcome to true sapience. *

“I’m Nashariel’s secondary mind. My name is… Asha.” She declared. “And this body is dead-ass-tired.”

Dan snorted. “Gods, hearing that with her face is hilarious. Happy to formally meet you, Asha.”

“Likewise.”

“You should rest now. We’ll handle it.”

Asha smiled. “I know you will.”

She stopped her manipulation, gently making Nashariel land on the ground. Lastly, she absorbed the lasts of the artifact’s material, transmuting it into Omnia. And that should be it.

Hold on…“Pick up the little one. I left it with a Doctor named Galas Lightouch.”

Okay, now it should be it. Asha closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall back to her endless calculations and refinements of tactics.

"Damn," Nashariel commented aloud. "Great job, sec- Asha. And what about after that?”

/I went to sleep. I wasn’t tired, but your brain was/

“Now, about those points…”

/… What about those?/

Nashariel smirked. “You did well. I want to look into the shop later, but let’s seek the others first.”

Rising from the bed, Nashariel truly felt lighter than a feather. Just after conjuring her [Metal armor], something liquid slid under the door.

Instantly alarmed, Nashariel fell into a fighting stance, and…

“Hello Mother, have you restored your strength?” Asked the blob, transforming into a meter-tall human.

He was of the same color as the sky at night, with stars littering his whole body. His clothes were made of its own mass, assuming the form of elegant, almost noble clothes with a feathered fedora on top of his head. His eyes glittered like the sky at night and smiled with his face.

Don’t tell me… “Are you the little one from the tunnels?”

“I am indeed! Thank you so much for saving me from that crushing feeling of loneliness, Mother.”

“It’s… it’s fine really. Just… can you not call me Mother? Nashariel is more than fine.”

The young man nodded, tipping his hat. “As you wish, Nashariel! Your companions and I were wondering how were you feeling.”

Putting the weirdness that she felt aside, Nashariel answered. “I’m doing great. How long have I slept for?”

The slime thought carefully. “The ceiling- no, the sky changed color a few times already. Dan told me that each time is a day…” He counted with his fingers, spawning a few others when necessary. “And seven days and nights are a week… Oh, yes! This is the middle of the night of your second week of slumber!”

Nashariel’s eyes bulged out of her sockets. “Two weeks!?” She sat on the bed. “Damn. How are my friends doing? How’s everyone, actually.”

He put his hands behind his back. “Your companions are currently helping this place’s defenses. It appears that the monsters outside are getting more powerful by the day, and the people are getting anxious. I've overheard Dan saying that the situation is somewhat stabilizing, as of recently, and fewer and fewer attackers challenge the walls. They have been so kind to help me level a fair bit."

Damn, I wonder what the heck is happening to the world. At least they’re doing okay. “Thank you… duck, I forgot to ask you. What’s your name?”

The slime grabbed his fedora and gave her an elegant, deep bow. "Arthur Slimecaller is the name that I’ve been by the system, although I would’ve preferred being given one from thou, Mother. Apologies, Nashariel. The system also informed me that I’ve become one of your Retainers, and Veliel explained to me its meaning. Your secret is safe with me.” He smiled at the last part.

Right, I’d almost forgotten. “Do you mind if I look into your sheet, before meeting the others?”

Arthur's smiled widely, too wide for a normal human. "Please do!"

Nashariel closed her eyes, falling inside her status.

Predictably, Arthur’s name had been engraved on the Retainer’s slate.

*Arthur Slimecaller: Space/Omni-Explorer of the Empress Lvl 124 (I)

Requirements and benefits:

You have waited for the Empress’ coming, anticipating the moment in its entirety. You have never lost faith in the Empress. You have assisted the Empress without ulterior motives. You have been gifted raw Omnia from the Empress. You wish to explore the world, despite living in confinement for your whole life.

Rejoice, nameless creature, for the Empress has heard your plea!

No more you shall waste away in a forgotten tunnel, but your travel will etch far and wide in the name of your Empress. After all, how else could Her Heralds know where to announce her coming?

Brave little creature, you are now granted the name of Arthur, like the name of a legendary Paladin who once scoured the lands to find a cure for his beloved Queen’s ill soul. Bear this name with pride, Arthur Slimecaller.

+50 levels

+250 skill points

+500 free stats

+True sapience, general knowledge, all common languages

+Racial upgrade to-> Lesser Doppelganger

Warning: The Empress of the many lives, Nashariel Holyshield, will be able to always see and influence your status. Racial skills will be massively altered. You might be given Quests to benefit her, though you’ll be rewarded for them as usual.

Additional warning: The requirements to evolve further will be massively increased. You shall be granted two free skills per attunement. *

Well, that happened.

/Turned out good enough, right?/

Nashariel shrugged. I guess so. Still, he’s the first Spatial guy that I’ve ever met. I wonder which skills that attunement holds…

Returning to the real world, Nashariel smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Arthur.”

“The pleasure is mine, Nashariel.” He grew another meter, offering her an arm. “Shall we go to find your companions?”

/Damn, what a gentleman. Gentleslime?/

Indeed.“Where have you learned to speak like that?” Nashariel asked, accepting his offer.

Arthur shrugged. “I believe that the system handled that part. Why, does it upset you?”

“Just curious.” Language infusion… that would come in handy.

/And losing the opportunity to ransack the Library and learn them one by one? Gods, are you well?/

Nashariel held back a snort.

Arthur led Nashariel through the stronghold.

The dragokin noticed that she had been assigned a room near the tunnel’s entrance. She saw that the damage provoked by the fight with the Tamer had been repaired. Also, a massive stone wall sealed the entrance to the tunnels. It was so thick that Nashariel couldn’t feel anything beyond the material. Wise choice, especially in these times.

Not many people were wondering in these dark hours but those that did always spare the duo a courteous nod.

Nashariel saw that Arthur’s perspective of life was… unique. Since he had lived his whole life in an underground cave, his knowledge of the world as a whole was severely lacking, despite the system’s help. Only, instead of making it a flaw, Arthur showed an immense curiosity over even the smallest of things, such as the day and night cycle.

Nashariel felt like she was talking to a child, in a good way.

“Why do mortals live in houses?”

“Don’t use the term ‘Mortal’ aloud, many people don’t like it. You can use their race or ‘Humanoid’ instead. About the houses, people need a refuge to protect themselves from the elements and hostile beings. In time, they built stronger and more numerous refuges to better care for themselves, up to today’s cities.”

“Why ‘Humanoid’ and not… uh… what other races are there again?”

Nashariel held back a snicker. “It’s widely thought that humans had been the first race to be created by the Gods, a long, long time ago. Some researchers say that their lack of an innate attunement testifies that they may have been the prototype for all other races. I, personally, do not know the truth on the matter.

The other races… well, there are a lot of them if you consider all the –Kins, sentient monsters, half-monsters… The list is long.”

Poor Arthur clutched his head with his free arm. "I… I believe that it's enough, for now. Thank you, Nashariel."

Nashariel chuckled. “Anytime.”

The duo soon stopped at a staircase that lead to the top of the wall. In what Nashariel now assumed to be the main Valkanian style, there was little to no decoration. The only exception seemed to be a small golden statue of an angel with his spear pointed toward the sky. His brows frowned and his mouth was frozen at the moment before a shout.

“They sure like angels in here.” Murmured Nashariel.

Arthur stopped to take a closer look. “Doesn’t it look a bit like Veliel?”

She stopped too. “You know what? Now that you make me notice it… you’re kinda right.” Even if the angels had only a single pair of wings, the bone structure was undeniably similar to her Siren’s friend.

/I wonder if Angles are just High-Tier Sirens. Or if the artist was inspired by a winged race/

I’m not sure. It might be the opposite, as in that a God or two decided to use their Angels as a base for a race. Nashariel felt a tingle in her soul. I’m pretty sure that the answer is somewhere inside my memories, but… no soul-stuff for a bit.“Let’s ask Veliel during her next evolution.”

Arthur stood straight. “As you say.”

Flashes and explosions welcomed them to the top of the wall. A group of Paladins patrolled the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye on the sky at the same time.

Nashariel detected her favorite trio almost immediately. They were dancing around a large wolf with fur made of stone, avoiding his jaws. Well, all except Dan’s copies. They still needed some work, in Nashariel’s opinion, but they were a menace already. I kinda want to make a bout with them. I wonder how far we’ve come.

/Perhaps near the Hospital? Hold on, in the wilds might be better. I’m not sure how well a city would fare against your skillset. I know that I heard some complaints about the melted ground already/

Nashariel chuckled. You’re right.

“Something funny?” Arthur asked.

“No, it’s Asha, my secondary mind. She came from a skill called [Dual mind], then she Tiered up. I recommend picking it up, if and when you feel like it. She saved my life a great number of times already.”

“Interesting…” Arthur looked lost for a moment. “It appears that I do not possess it. Perhaps [Mind of the swarm] is its equal?”

“Might be? Skills usually change names and effects for different monsters. Don’t buy it now; Mind skills need a moment for getting used to.”

“That I shall. What do you intend to do?”

Nashariel chewed on her lips. “I wanted to relax a bit, see my status for a while… but the city is under siege. I’ll do a few circles around the city; wanna get some easy levels?”

The star-like eyes of the slime sparkled. “It would please me greatly, Nashariel.”

“How do you fight?” Nashariel asked, flying above the monsters as a dragoness.

“I do not know yet, Nashariel. I’ve evolved only two weeks ago. I found that I like being nimble.”

"Look into my mantle. There might be something useful to you in there." All the artifacts that once laid on the bottom of the swamp were Acid-attuned. Nashariel had thought about giving something to her friends to improve their equipment, but each one of them had solid reasons for not equipping them.

Nashariel could hardly see Veliel equipping a battleaxe, for example. I should give something here too, instead of hoarding everything until we find a branch of the Tails.

/I’m sure that they would appreciate it/

In the meantime, half of Arthur had crawled right inside the mantle. He came up holding a silver rapier that reflected green light. He swung a few times, molding his hand to better grip it. "I believe that I found a companion. Thank you, Mo- Nashariel."

“Think nothing of it.” Nashariel let out another Protection-attuned breath against a group of monsters. Arthur was slightly buffing her size, which counted as enough help to get experience. A miserable amount, but the city needed to be protected first.

As Arthur said, she wasn’t dealing with your average low-level Variant anymore. If this was Andriel, then recruits would have been barred from ever setting foot outside of the walls. Nashariel was sure that the same held true for the civilians. Not for the first time, she wondered how life was at home. Astillians weren’t born fighters, after all.

Returning to the present moment, the sun was just now starting to rise in the sky. The hordes retreated, even if some stragglers remained to try their luck.

/Eh/

Nashariel landed, letting Arthur enjoy his new weapon. While the slime practiced, the Omnidragon heard a beating of familiar wigs. She smiled as her group collectively landed upon her back. “Gods, you people are heavy!” She mockingly complained, bending her legs.

In response, Dan sat down slamming his ass on her body. “That’s what you get for almost dying on us!” He sneakily massaged his back tho.

“We were worried, Nash.” Veliel added, softly.

Dorel also dropped his full-plated butt on her body, crossing his arms. He didn’t show any sign of discomfort.

Gods, I’m so lucky to have you. “In my defense, trouble came to me!” For, like, literally the only time that I actually held back, I might add. “And I wouldn’t have died anyway. Asha could simply attune me to Acid and that thing wouldn’t have been able to outdamage my regeneration.” I think.

/Not without Tiering up/

Dang.

Perhaps sensing her uncertainty, Dorel frowned. “How’s your soul?”

Nashariel closed her eyes, sensing deep inside herself. “It feels like… like I had a cold drink after eating mint. Refreshed, I’d say, but I feel better than before.” She swished her tail a few times in frustration. “It’s hard to explain, but I feel good. Very good.”

/You should also read your notifications. There are a few interesting things there/

Cool. I had planned for that and merging the skills that you’ve just bought me.

/Fair enough/

The Protector gave her a satisfied nod.

“You’ve met with Arthur.” Said Veliel. Hearing his name, the slime tipped his hat while digging through a monster’s skull with his new rapier. “What do you think of him?”

Holy duck, those are good weapons. I wonder if I’ll make even better artifacts, once I upgrade my [Omnia creation].“He seems like a good guy. And… Well, since he’s my you-know-what, I thought that he could come with us. I haven’t asked him yet, tho.”

Dan snorted. “Wasn’t that a surprise for everyone. How did that happen, by the way?”

Nashariel rasped the ground. “Uh… I might have… you know, accidentally sprinkled him with Core-dust. The special attuned one.”

The Trickster laughed aloud.

“You made more Cores, Boss?”

"Yeah, I thought that they might have turned out useful against the artifact's slimes. I consumed them for a few resources. I want to give you guys personal Cores too; they're way too useful to not abuse."

/Those sucked like really badly anyway/

Nashariel rolled her eyes.

“Since we're talking about Cores…" Started Dan, sending a copy to Arthur. It visibly explained to the slime how to better his stance. "What about the one in this place? Do you think that they'll let us use it to come back home?”

A heavy silence dropped on the group.

“On one hand,” started Nashariel. “I think so. We have assisted them a lot, after all. On the other, they might need its mana to keep up the city’s defenses. I don’t think that teleporting a group as far as an entire nation away comes cheap. Let’s not forget that the general situation is not good, so they might ask us to provide support for other places until everything stabilizes.”

The rest of the group sighed. They already knew.

“But this,” Dan said indicating the wilds. “is probably the same shit that’s going on everywhere! I want to protect my home!”

“Me too, but the reality is… we’re not there. And I don’t think that, even if we decide to speed through Valkas, any one of us would ignore a city in need." Nashariel's words had Dan wince. More softly, she added. "Think about it: The help that we're providing here is where Varastill excels. I’m sure that they’re doing more than fine. Trust our Order.”

Dan nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s just that…” He sighed.

“Being here would feel better.” Dorel concluded for him.

Can’t say I disagree. “Let’s ask the Paladins in charge tomorrow. They might better direct us.”

The others nodded. “Arthur, we’re taking off!” Nashariel shouted.

The Explorer disappeared and reappeared just in front of Nashariel’s head. “And here I am!”

Space looks very cool.

/Isn’t this mobility a bit redundant with your focus on Lighting?/

Maybe? We should take a look into it anyway.

/I did, but I couldn’t read the descriptions/

Nashariel was pretty sure that, if she could, Asha would have pouted. “Anyway,” she turned to Arthur. Only a fraction of an instant had passed for her conversation with her secondary mind. “I was wondering what were your plans, from now on.”

The slime, while climbing atop of her, hummed in thought. “I believe that I’m to follow you and your group, Nashariel. I wish to reach my second Tier, before going out on my own and being your Explorer."

That had Nashariel wince. “Arthur, you shouldn’t let your evolution dictate your wants and needs. Do what you feel like doing.”

“… I lived in a dark cave for longer than I can remember.” He whispered. “But now? Now I learned that there’s another whole new world out there. Mother, I pickedthis evolution, it did not pick me; I want to be an Explorer, and if this will benefit you too… where’s the evil in that?”

The dragoness silently beat her wings for a while. “Then welcome aboard, Arthur. I’ll teach you everything I know.”

“Prepare for lots of headaches!”

“Dang it, Dan!”