Chapter 12: Not Just a Dream

Day 121 since System Integration

Trint woke near the inside exit of the instance. He knew where he was because he was on the ground in the soft glow of the rewards globe on the dais. Rewards were the last thing he was concerned with. He was acutely aware of what had recently happened, even though Pneuma’s attempts to numb the trauma and calm Trint’s heart had helped take the edge off.

‘So that wasn’t just a dream,’ Trint’s whole body spasmed as a chill ran down his spine. ‘Pneuma, are they all dead?’ Looking around, Trint saw only the corpses he last saw die before he passed out.

‘Yes, Trint. They are all dead. I dispatched the last of them in the woods and returned here to let you wake up with light from the rewards stand to see by.’ Pneuma explained. ‘I had hoped you would be calm when you awoke and begin to accept what we did.’

‘What do you mean “what we did?’ How was that me? Am I a system monster now?’ Trint’s fear grew as he started to feel some panic creep past the assurance Pneuma was providing. ‘I thought maybe it was a dream, and I was seeing through your eyes.’

‘No, we can not separate at this time.’ Pneuma told Trint through their link. ‘I thought you might struggle with understanding and try to fight my control. That would have cut into the time we needed to kill them. So I forced my control and muted your awareness of the transformation and what was happening. I have been numbing your emotions since we joined. Just as the system does for new integrations, if I hadn’t, you would be experiencing the full weight of the transition, separation from your family, and processing the emotion of everything happening.’

‘After you passed out, I kept you asleep and killed the last two,’ Pneuma continued. ‘We have been in the instance since then. I can more easily maintain control once consent is given. There is much more we can do, but that was about the extent of the power we can use for any length of time at this Mana density and with your Mind and Body stats and pool.’

‘How is this even possible?’ Trint was shocked but now understood how to process his previous experiences. ‘So, that was a form you…or we can take. And I can control it too? How is it so powerful? What do you mean by other forms? Can you just like…possess me whenever you want? Can you give me back my emotions?’ Trint’s questions grew in number, but he paused to let Pneuma give some answers.

‘Trint, you had never experienced a transformation.’ Pneuma began, ‘And with minimal training, you will be the one to determine when or if we change. I can force it unless you resist. If you are unconscious or under the influence of poison or some other influence, I can take control to protect us. I am not affected by such things and could take over if you needed me to. This also protects you from Mind magic and Spiritual and eventually Soul attacks. They are increasingly more powerful when you go from Mind to Spirit to Soul. But you are not alone anymore, and we are not weak.’

‘As far as power…yes, we are much more powerful in a form other than your human form. That is because I pull power from your Spirit and eventually your Soul. Those are currently weak. And yet we easily killed those at your level. When you grow in Spirit, we will be able to do much more.’ Pneuma finished with a laughing growl, like a sound a beast might make laughing as it ate its prey. ’They won’t be able to run away from us. Unless we let them.’

The images Trint picked up from Pneuma’s thoughts during the laughing growl seemed pleased and eager for the future mayhem they would bring to the Iterations. Images of shadows growing tall, wings extending from the dark, scythe-like blades reaching from the shadows, and eyes piercing the black, looking into his mind’s eye.All of this while a crown of white sitting upon his head shone like a beacon in the darkness. Trint forcibly snapped his awareness out of the image Pneuma was projecting.

‘Pneuma, what are you?’ Trint didn’t know what to think.

‘Trint, we are one.’ Pneuma thought it obvious. ‘We are joined, and I can see into your mind. Yes, you may keep some thoughts private, but you are like an infant in that regard. You have no filter, and your thoughts are constantly loudly intruding on me. I am patient and know you will learn to control them.’

‘That doesn’t explain what you or we turned into or what you are. I couldn’t even understand what we looked like.’ Trint was putting his thoughts together more clearly, and he wanted answers. ‘I saw a blade snake out from the left side and impale the first guy in this clearing. I saw huge hands the size of my torso take apart the guy on your right, and then we bit off the guy’s head. Not to mention the insta-kill of the boss when you first came through here.’

‘I understand what you are asking.’ Pneuma said. ‘That form is a mixture of my understanding of what your people fear and what would constitute a powerful killing beast. The exact form does not exist in any iteration. I took examples from beasts and nightmares from your mind and your Earth’s internet. With those, I formed that hunter.’

‘Hunter?’ Trint asked. ‘Is that what you call it? A nightmare hunter? So can we assume that form again? If I’m going to do more ‘hunting,’ then I should get used to fighting like that?’

‘Yes, we can assume that particular form again.’ Pneuma started to explain. ‘But not now. You are very weak in Spirit quality and quantity. You are not injured, though; it will regenerate and get stronger. But it is too risky to resume the form in i11. Maybe a weaker enhancement to your current form, but not the one from last night.’

“Last night?” Trint said aloud, his first spoken words since waking. He had grown so used to speaking with Pneuma mentally that he forgot he was not speaking aloud.

‘Yes, we entered late, and outside it is almost noon. We should exit and return to the [Town Center] for ascension when you gather your strength. I would have directed you to ascend anyway. This encounter merely gave us more stats and will help our progress. We should get through i10 quite quickly. So, this was a good thing.’

‘Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say good.’ Trint was starting to connect his emotions and what he felt from last night with his logical side. ‘But I suppose I needed to see this at some point. It was abrupt and scary, but I see now. I understand how you were feeling and how great it felt to fight. Or as you said, to hunt.’

‘Yes, it is good.’ Pneuma encouraged. ‘Use your [Cleanse] spell and get the blood off yourself. Then eat. You’ve rested and should have your Mind & Body pools recharged. We will run back to town and ascend after you eat. Don’t bother looking through these men’s gear. I added two weapons to your ring, but they held nothing else of use or value, save for the exp they gave.’

‘Umm, no. And that is gross on a few levels.’ Trint protested as he stood and stepped aside. ‘I’m nowhere close to wanting to eat, and I guess…thank you. I wouldn’t want to look through their gear after that, even if I can recognize the practical need to do things like that. I hope to not need to for a long time.’ He said as he proceeded to use [Cleanse], the blood and grime dissolved away from his body.

‘But I think I’m ready enough to run back now,’ Trint told Pneuma.

Trint exited the instance and was diligent in looking for any waiting threat. When nothing was seen, and Pneuma confirmed it was clear, Trint took off toward town. His map updated, showing his progress as if he was looking through a heads-up navigation display for a car. And with the constant assistance of his [Increased Speed] skill, they would get there shortly.

Normal humans can run a 5-minute mile at a quick pace. Pre-system, the average marathon of 26.2 miles took people about 4 hours at over 9 minutes a mile. Trint, with his passive movement skill and upgraded stats, was able to make the run 30 miles in about 90 minutes. He didn’t stop to fight the random monster he passed but slowed down as he got closer to town.

Pneuma was silent, letting Trint continue to process the experience. Trint’s increased intelligence was doing an excellent job of handling the aftermath of stress and carnage. Trint also considered that the system was still augmenting his emotional responses to situations. He saw the necessity of what Pneuma did and tried to accept his new reality. He couldn’t ever see himself needlessly killing. But he felt assurance at his increased chances of survival. Pneuma gave him the power to fight, protect, and destroy his enemies. He didn’t want to become a monster and lose who he was.

Trint slowed to an earthly human jogging speed once inside the town borders. People were active, some leaving town, some like him, headed to the tower in the center. He wasn’t engaging with any of them but was reminded of his contacts and decided to ask Pneuma about sending a message.

‘Well, I don’t recommend it, but it probably won’t be an issue if you said hello,’ Pneuma decided. Then he explained system messages and how to reach people he'd interacted with.

Trint proceeded to send a system message to Luke. He told Luke he was doing ok and planned to head to i10. By the time Trint was at the entrance to the [Town Center], he had received a response from Luke.

System Message: Message Received from Known Contact - Luke Smith

Trint,

Glad you are doing well and ready to ascend soon. We are also about ready. We want to see our whole group hit level 11 first. We are so close. Not sure what i10 will have for us, but our goal is to beat the 1-year limit in i10 within six months and get to i9. Till then, we probably won’t have time to catch up with you. Surely there are bars or places to relax in i9. We should get a beer in i9 if we all make it there at the same time. Good luck, and save me a beer.

Trint proceeded to the merchant area, past the recruitment section, and to a Pillar of light; it was the most eye-catching thing, even with the lights for the casino nearby.

‘I can tell from the system identifying that as the [i10 Ascension Pillar], but seriously a bright column of light?’ Trint wondered why. He could see a steady stream of something flowing up like a slowly rising stream of orderly drops of water. Except for these picked up speed as they swirled on the floor, then gathered into the pillar and ascended to disappear into the ceiling.

’So, do I step in the pool?’ Trint asked Pneuma.

‘Yes, step into the light on the floor and approach the pillar. You will know what to do next,’ Pneuma directed.

Following the instructions, Trint took a hesitant step from the regular floor into the pool of light swirling towards the pillar. It swirled from the outside gradually to the vertical pillar, moving counter-clockwise. The swirl was like watching a giant bowl of honey with bubbles get stirred. It sped rapidly toward the center. The rotation of light reached out from the pillar for 20 yards. Others had been approaching the pool, but Trint was distracted by everything around him, had only seen people step back they had chosen not to ascend.

As Trint stepped into the pool and got closer to the pillar, he received a system message.

System Message: Warning i10 Ascension Pillar

At this time, you may accept ascension to i10.

Warning: There are no returns to i11 without first receiving system-approved professions allowing access.

Do you wish to ascend to i10?

Yes/No

Trint knew what he was here to do and made his selection. Immediately he began to sink into the pool. He tried to step back reflexively, but time slowed, and everything outside of the light was frozen. Trint couldn’t move, and his anxiety started to rise.

‘Don’t fear; this will be over soon. Like entering an instance, the transfer from one place to another is sudden and jarring. Since you and I are paired, you are aware and sensing what I would. Not with eyes but Spirit. Like how we can communicate faster than thought. Usually, people step in, accept ascension, and as quick as a thought; they arrive in i10. You will have to sit here and follow the swirl. We can process thought at the Spirit level, but it rapidly burns through what resources you have and leaves you vulnerable. Your ability to absorb and recharge Spirit cannot do anything with the density of Spirit being so sparse before reaching the Spirit Realms. Right now, you are weak from our fight, and the ascension will drain your Spirit the rest of the way before sending you on. Don’t worry, this is normal, at least for you.

We will need to be cautious until you regain some Spirit strength in i10. We will appear in a [City Center], a combination of about 100 Towns the size of this one. Above that are other larger groupings of inhabitants and civilization gatherings. The iterations condense the population towards bigger and bigger civilizations. When you get higher, many pools are connected to the ascension pillars that can be used to travel from place to place within an iteration. But we won’t see them till the Spirit Realm. For now, we will wander deeper away from whatever [City Center] we arrive in. Get ready. Your Spirit pool is almost out.

Shortly after Pneuma ended his explanation, Trint felt like bags of cement were dropped on his shoulders. He didn’t fall or move, but the heaviness took over his Spirit, and the resuming of movement happened in a flash. Suddenly Trint went from swirling in the pool to being sucked toward the center and shot like a canon up. By the time he was headed up, he could not follow along as it was happening too fast for him to perceive.