“The truth behind the arcane?” Emil asked.

“Yes, the way you understand the forces that allow for the casting of magic is incorrect. Intentionally so, as a handicap to limit your proficiency. If your kind understood how it truly worked, I believe your developed skill with magic would be far beyond what it currently is. But as of right now, the potential for what your souls could achieve has been severely limited. Ask yourself, how is it that your kind channels Mana into a spell?”

“Well, the key has always been understanding through visualization.” Alterum nodded for him to continue.

“For example, fire magic. You imagined how fire looked, how its heat felt, and every other aspect that describes a flame. You think of a flame being inside of you, ready to be pulled out at any time. Pyromancy is considered one of the simpler ones to learn, because it’s relatively easy to imagine Mana as its fuel. Once the Mana is spent to activate it, the flames become real. Then of course, there are skill books, which directly give you that understanding. In essence, all magic is the exchange of Mana for making your imagination into reality.”

“That explanation is a half-truth. It is not completely wrong to view it that way, but it is also not the complete picture. Look here, to help you understand what I mean as I explain.” Alterum gestured towards the spheres it had created. It stuck a claw into the outermost layer of the stacked spheres, and carved the shape of a person.

“Imagine these as planes of reality. There are several directly above each other, and there are those that are completely separate from the rest. What you need to know relates to the former. Now, think of this top layer as the physical plane where you mortals reside. It is the ground you walk on, the air you breathe, and the sky you sleep under. For most of your kind, you won’t be aware of the other planes while you are alive. Let us call it the Upper Layer”

Alterum adjusted the shape and position of the spheres. The dragon made it so that Emil could see them from a different angle. There was a large gap between the top layer and the next one.

“Now, notice this space here? This is where ghosts, dungeons, and monsters either originate from or exist in. Think of this space as not set in stone, but the blur between the first and second layers. It is this interaction between the layers that cause dungeons and monsters to appear randomly in your world. It is also why sometimes mortals cannot perceive ghosts at all, while other times they can only partially sense them, and why occasionally they are fully visible. We can refer to this as the Haze. To some extent, it exists between every layer, but is the most pronounced below the Upper Layer.”

Alterum then pointed a claw at Emil.

“Up until now, what I have explained is what you are already familiar with, even if you weren’t aware of it. You have lived your life in the Upper Layer. And now as a ghost, you exist in the Haze. But even before that, the powers I gave you allowed your body and soul to be sensitive to the Haze. When you took that mortal’s soul and compressed it, that action moved it out of the blur and into the solid layer of reality. As for how this relates to the arcane…”

Alterum created a string of energy and used its claws to poke several holes into the representation of the Upper Layer. Then it poked more holes into the layer beneath it. To Emil, the punctures seemed randomly spaced out. After that, it threaded the string and connected the two layers through the holes.

“This is the second layer, known as the Gate. When one has the means, they are able to access this layer. For most, it involves the use of Mana. When your mortal soul touches the Gate to cast a spell, what really happens is that the Mana acts like these threads. But the Gate in of itself is simply a layer that can act as the central point between every other plane of reality.”

With a quick movement, Alterum used its power to create a humanoid figure. It was big enough to fit neatly in the dragon’s grasp, which meant it was much larger than Emil. Alterum let it float freely in the air, before it made some holes in it as well.

It then pulled at one of the strings threaded down to the Gate layer, and attached it to the new object. From there, it grabbed one of the spheres that also floated on its own. It was a bright orange-red in color, and Alterum used the same string from before to connect the human-like object and this sphere.

“Finally, it is through the Gate that an access point is created inside of you. This point allows you to draw from the power of the connected plane. You used pyromancy as an example, so simply imagine this as a mortal wishing to cast a spell with fire magic. They have now connected themselves to the plane of fire to do so. For magical creatures, that created access point becomes a permanent part of their physical bodies. It is something that can be passed on to its descendants, hence the existence of creatures and monsters with crude access to magic. Are you following so far?”

“I believe so,” Emil said with a nod. “What you’re saying is that when one visualizes an element before casting magic, their mind is actually tapping into that corresponding plane, right? But if there is a plane of fire, then what about non-elemental magic? Like when if I use Soul Manipulation, is there a plane of souls, even though souls were made by the gods?”

“Yes. There is a plane for everything both concrete and abstract in nature. There is a plane of souls, a plane of love, and even a plane of undeath. If it can be imagined, then somewhere in all of creation, a corresponding reality exists. I even believe that if somehow one were to imagine a concept completely new and unique, that action would simply result in the creation of a new plane. My servant, here is another question to ask yourself. Now knowing how mortals access arcane power, what do you think it is that your System means when it shows you a level of mastery over a type of magic?”

“Well, before I would have said it’s a mix of understanding and experience. But now I’d say…” Emil squinted as he thought about it.

Considering Alterum’s explanation so far, he tried to think about what made the most sense. The System showed a skill in terms of levels and/or tiers. If it used just levels or both depending on the skill. To see one’s stats, one needed to check them on a Sheet, which defined them with numerical values.

“It wouldn’t be wrong to call the Sheet a snapshot of the soul, at least the part related to magic. So with what you just told me, it would likely relate to these access points you said we create to connect to other planes. Is it how good we are at being able to use these points to cast spells?” Emil guessed.

“Not quite, not quite. As I said, the access point created exists on a physical level for magical creatures. This goes for humans as well, but for your kind, it goes even deeper. This is what grants your kind such high potential, and why I am interested in watching you grow with the powers I’ve granted you.”

The thread of energy disconnected from the humanoid figure. It became cut off from both the central layered sphere and the separate plane of fire sphere. A piece of the cut string spun around inside the miniature person, and then began to extend directly into the sphere of fire. The figure then floated onto the top layer of the larger sphere, and stood on its surface.

“As your soul develops, it forms its own smaller versions of the Gate inside of itself. As you train your arcane skills, what is really happening is those smaller gates are becoming more powerful. When I used my power to alter your System, the mini gates inside you changed to correspond to different planes. With a single expectation, the one that was tied to the plane of spells. But you mortals did have the right idea in that knowledge of something is tied to power. By simply not knowing how your magic truly works, your ability to use it has been severely limited since the first of your kind existed.”

“So now that I know this, does that already guarantee I’ll be stronger than I currently am? But there is one thing. I’ve been aware of my own soul for a good while now, however, I’ve never sensed these miniature gates. Are they simply too deep for me to find, or is it something else?” Emil asked, curious as to how he never noticed them after he grew used to his powers.

“No, even knowing this isn’t enough, you must be able to sense these gates. But you cannot, because the gods are crafty. So in turn, they knew that you mortals would inherit some of their craftiness in your nature. That is why they didn’t stop at simply deceiving you. If that was all they had done, then any curious mortal with enough arcane talent would have eventually stumbled onto the truth. No, when they made your souls, they did so while making it impossible for you to find these gates on your own. It’s part of the very root essence of your being. As such, even with your Soul Manipulation, that block cannot be removed or changed.”

“Oh… but then what should I do? You said that this will help me rebel against my fate, and this trait of our souls will cause the downfall of the gods. How can any of that happen if I can’t fix what’s blocking our true potential?”

A chuckle rang through Emil’s mind. With a small gesture of its claws, Alterum made everything it had just created disappear. Once again, the underground chamber became still and dark.

“Patience my servant, patience. I was about to get to that next. I have been thinking about that problem for a very, very long time. In the many years I’ve been trapped here, my belief has been that it would be your mortals that would be the edge I needed for my revenge. For even insects have their uses if their talents are applied correctly. But first, tell me something. Let us assume that you were brought back to life at this moment, would you seek revenge against the prisca named Flumdea?”

The question was a heavy one. From Altereum’s words, Emil could distinctly feel that what happened next would depend on his answer. The souls of the murdered children had moved on. The man who killed them was now dead. And half of the soul of the person who acted as the accomplice was now held in his hands. But one does not form an entire Order just from a single person.

There were others besides Hadwin, though he didn’t know who they were or how many members were out there. Perhaps they all performed ritual sacrifices, or maybe it had only been Hadwin. However, even if it had just been him, one person could always be replaced by another. Maybe it wouldn’t happen today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point, another innocent life would be sacrificed. Emil knew within his heart, that if he ever heard about a child drowning in that river, he would ask himself… what if it had been them? And could he have prevented it?

“Very well, I understand what your desire is. In your mind, I can see the ideal visions you have made of your potential future. There is nothing wrong with seeing yourself as humanity’s sword and shield against those who could harm it. To protect your kind and assist me in avenging mine are not conflicting interests, so I shall allow it.

“But know this, my servant, it will not be an easy path to walk. When the drums of war are heard, many will wish to flock under the gods they have always worshipped, to go against you, one who would help me overthrow them. Even if one offers the best medicine, it will not be accepted by the other party if they believe it to be poison. Are you prepared for that likelihood?”

“Truthfully? I don’t know. I want to say I’ll be ready for it, but I can’t be certain. Thinking about it now, I can already imagine even my own family believing in the gods no matter what I say or do. I mean… a few decades ago, there was a conflict known as the Ashen War.” Emil closed his eyes as he recalled his old memories.

“My grandfather fought in it, and even though he died when I was pretty young, one of the things I remember was him saying how it was his faith that kept him alive. During his funeral, I remember being assured by a cleric of the High Pantheon that he would receive a hero’s welcome in the afterlife. Heck, there’s even my own faith. To be honest, when I first left this place, I prayed that if I was destined to be a monster, they just kill me instead right there and then.”

“And yet despite that belief, you still agreed to our contract. Now here you are, actively seeking answers to help fulfill your end of our agreement to aid me in my revenge. Perhaps that faith wasn’t as strong as you would have liked to believe, for such a change during a mere few weeks,” Alterum remarked.

“Maybe you have a point there. Here I am, ready and willing to work with you. You, the one who killed the people I came here with for no apparent reason other than boredom. You, the one who gave me an ultimatum of either being dead or becoming inhuman. You, the one I should logically feel nothing but hatred and district toward.” The words poured out of Emil’s mouth like a dam that had been broken. His eyes were back open, and he had stared directly into its glowing sockets as he had spoken.

Alterum could read his soul and tell exactly what he was feeling anyway. It probably even knew what he was about to say before he said it. So if his words would have angered the dragon, it wouldn’t have even given him the chance to speak them. As such, he allowed himself to speak freely without fear of repercussion. But perhaps the lack of such was because Alterum also knew what he was about to say next.

“That’s how I should feel. I don’t know, but I don’t hate you. I should, I want to say that I do, but I just can’t find any rage in me toward you. Instead, I believed what you told me before about the gods and what you told me now. I… I found myself enjoying the time I spent learning what my new powers could do. And when I thought about ways to experiment with how they could be applied, I felt more excited about it than anything had ever made me feel before. Now, standing here before you, all I feel is that drive of curiosity to learn even more. Maybe that already makes me a monster.”

“That is not what makes one a monster, young Emil,” Alterum began. Emil had to blink a few times as he registered the dragon’s words. Had it just referred to him by name for the first time?

“I know what true monsters are like, and they are horrors beyond your comprehension. If you never understand what I really mean by that, then you will have lived a fortunate existence. But in regards to Flumdea, know this: you will not be able to kill her. Even the weakest prisca would be beyond your abilities. And if she has truly been consuming mortal souls, then the gap between you and her will have grown wide for every soul she ate. Even if you were ten times more powerful than you are now, it would still be like a sapling standing against a hurricane.”

“But do not worry, for there is a way. Look at my skull, what features do you notice about it?” The undead dragon asked him.

“If I had to say one thing in particular, it’s the gaps where some of your teeth should be. Every other part of you seems to be complete and fully there. But in your mouth, I can see that quite a few teeth are missing.”

“Indeed. Before I was imprisoned, I fought alone against the gods. With my newly gained powers over undeath, I killed many of them before they worked together to seal me here. The battle shook the entire Upper Layer, and in it, they managed to knock out several of my teeth. I still sense them out there, however, scattered throughout this material world. Most have disappeared as time passed, but a couple are still around. They still have my power from that time imbued within them. So it can be said they are the only parts of me that are free.”

Alterum stared up at the ceiling. It flicked its skeletal tail around, causing a gust of wind throughout the cavern.

“You wish to no longer be a lost ghost, and put an end to Flumdea’s existence? Then here is what you must do. You already have everything you need to restore your physical form. That undead you call Theo, possess its body and take control of it. Before your death, you imbued it with the capability for magic. As such, you will regain access to spells. Go to your own corpse, and make its flesh one with your undead’s. As you do so, consume that half of a soul into yourself. Once that process is complete, seek the lands to the far East of here. There is one tooth in that direction. When you find it, you will understand what to do next. I enjoyed our second meeting. Now let us hope that our third will be equally enjoyable.”

The strings of light that held up the undead dragon’s form then faded away. With that farewell, its skeletal body collapses back onto the ground. The insects scattered as the bones crashed with blooms of dust and dirt. The last time it had left Emil alone in the cavern, he had felt shocked and despair. But this time, as he turned back around for the exit, Emil felt ready for what would come next for him.