You have gained [Soul Etching] Intermediate 1
Intermediate- you can soul etch yourself into other souls
Gain 80 exp
A supplicant has tied themselves further to you
Remaining Soul 21
Didn't even wait a day. I feel like I am in two places now. The piece of Barbain's soul she gave to me has become mine. The piece of my soul in her is still mine. I'm slowly devouring her soul gains and she is happily going to hand it to me. I feel an overwhelming sense of sorrow about that. I hadn't told them, but my droplet of blood wasn't absorbed. It flows in their blood. I instinctively know that should I rip it out of them I would reclaim the soul I have given them. They will never bleed that drop unless I will it. They will never get back what they have given me.
Clinic duty is quiet today. Lindur came in early for her training. Not much was said. The guild master came near my usual swap time.
You have gained [Two Separate Minds] Apprentice 7
Gain 2 exp
Sister appears on my shoulder.
“You seem rather morose today. Lindur said you hardly respond to anything.”
We both look up. What can I even say? I pan my sight back down.
“System, it is bad, what's eating you.”
“Its quite the opposite, the question should be what am I eating.”
“Are we doing riddles than, fuckin’ hate riddles. Spit it out.”
We both look up at her again, eyes narrowing.
“Both Barbain and Beatrice have gained titles that give me one of their soul on every one of their level ups for borrowing five of mine. Should they pass a point when I am more than half their soul they will start becoming like me. Barbain has already fed me one of her soul.”
“Fuck Mourns, you didn't compel them or place a geas to force the title on them did you.”
“No, I would never.”
“A curse?”
“I don't even know how to cast one.”
“Aside from—”
“Aside from taking blood, yes, yes.”
“It's not a pariah title is it?”
“Sort of, it gets stuck being slotted for increasing amounts of time every time they level with it. It becomes locked should they start gaining my traits.”
“But they can remove the title.”
I nod.
“So you're both moping because of their choices.”
The guild master walks up to me and finger flicks me in the forehead. It bowls me over. The thud is particularly loud. I look up at her annoyed.
“Black and Blue told me it was a good way to break you out of your spiraling thoughts. I see that it is true. They aren't your responsibility, they are adults and they can choose how to live. That includes making stupid decisions. You should be well acquainted with this hall creed.”
“No hand holding.”
“Thats right, and I feel like you been trying to grasp my hand when you should be throwing a fist.”
“I need to get more mithril so you break your finger next time.”
She grins and crouches next to me.
“Now that's the spirit. There's an ore vein of mithril in the boss room of the third level of the dungeon.”
“How is it that mithril is so expensive then, twenty four instances on a three day reset should have lowered the cost.”
It was bleeding ten large gold a pound.
“To open the way to the third level you need to slay all the hydras on level two. How many you think can do that while keeping the party small enough to make it worth the time.”
Gil group got too tired by the third one. There are thirty of the damn things.
“I can only think of one party that is currently stationed here that could pull it off.”
Mine.
“Whats the third floor boss?”
“A dwarf war golem.”
“Wait does that mean—”
“Yep, third floor is full of soulless dwarfs.”
That's rather intimidating. Is it any different than slaughtering dungeon goblins? I'm going to need to practice my knives.
-----
Barbain enters my clinic, she is furious. Her anger is directed at me. She stomps straight to me.
“Listen here Jams, I don't need you getting all sad whenever I level.”
I rear back, what?
“Don't act like you didn't.”
“But how—”
“It's your bleeding soul attached to mine, I know exactly how you feel.”
I pale at that, I should remove it now.
“Ahhhhh stop it, I can feel your flustering and panicking.”
She hugs me to calm me down.
“Hey, it's alright, I want this. Let me have it. Be happy we are closer.”
“Sorry to worry you.”
“Nope, you have something else to say to me.”
“Congratulations on feeding me a part of your soul?”
“Eh close enough, come let's go eat.”
-----
“So you want to go after that mithril ore vein?”
“Kinda, it just seems like a good idea to swap iron for mithril. I heard it's ten times as light and ten times as strong.”
I peck at my meal while Beatrice considers it.
“How much will you need?”
“About a hundred pounds I think. Being a thousand plus has really slowed me down.”
“We will need some more equipment, how about focusing on that for now.”
I nod.
“Want to ride the cart tonight for some Axen?”
They both nod.
-----
-I'm ready.
“A moment everyone. I need to do another level.”
Barbain and Beatrice just shrug, they were more than capable of killing axen without me.
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You gained lvl 12
Strength raised to 208
Agility raised to 178
Perception raised to 224
Constitution raised to 208
Presence raised to 234
Mental Fortitude raised to 213
Soul raised to 273
Through the discomfort, I noticed my soul did not rise as high as I expected. New windows flashed as I watch both Barbain and Beatrice writhe as well.
You tied your supplicants closer to you
Remaining soul 20
Remaining soul 21
I start to shake violently, the soul burn still very much going on. I need to remove it. This isn't what they signed up for. Before I can get the will to take back my blood they are beside me both hugging me.
“It's alright Sara. Me and Bar Bar talked about it after we left. We suspected it was both ways. It was why I was fearful of crippling your progress. We knew. It's fine. ‘Grats on another level.”
I shudder again. I now feel my soul in three different places. That they are so close to me brings me comfort. I speak in a shaky voice.
“But I'm close to tiering, I'm going to eat so much of your souls.”
“Oh no you are going to make use into super awesome cat spider hydras, whatever will we do.”
I look annoyed at Beatrice.
“Oh jeez, I get what Barbain was saying. I get the glare and the feelings behind it.”
-Bwhahaha
I glare at my sister now even as she continues to laugh.
“Okay that's just weirder still, I feel the intensity of both anger and mirth.”
“It's more for me, Bea. Seems muted emotions aren't Jam's thing.”
I give them a finger salute, my sister joins me. They just tilt their heads at me. But we feel better.
They yawn and lay down next to the cart. I see them shiver and I get an idea.
-----
I am practicing my throwing when they wake. Beatrice is hugging the new silk blanket.
“Oh this is really nice, think you can make one for my room?”
“I think having a giant warm silk blanket would attract attention.”
“No more than the rest of our changes will.”
“Fine, I'll make two more.”
Barbain sits up, “Only need one.”
Of course.
-----
“Six axens, two for each of you?”
I nod. They wanted to protest but I pointed out that they still needed to gain Adventurer commendation still. My take was six large silvers.
I return to my clinic and start throwing knives as I wait for patients. What I get instead is a Lindur training session. She is ten steps into the room. Marked improvement.
“For as big as the guild is there doesn't appear to be a lot of patients.”
“Aw that's simple, all that hydra blood makes for easy potions. Most groups got at least one amateur alchemist.”
I raised an eyebrow to that, “Then why the effort to hire me.”
“To keep the crazy cat out of trouble. Didn't seem to take though.”
I look at her annoyed, then shrug. Another knife throw.
“Been meaning to ask where you are getting all these knives from.”
“I make ‘em during the night.”
“Right, you never sleep, but that's just making, you're not pulling money to buy iron so what gives?”
“I'd rather not say.”
“Fuck that, this is where you draw the line.”
She seems rather incredulous.
“Technically the times the line was passed was by other people carrying me over it.”
You have gained [Two Separate Minds] Apprentice 8
Gain 2 exp
-Aw you should just tell her.
And if she is part of some smithing consortium. I watch Lindur picks up a knife from my target basket.
-What ‘cause she is a dwarf? Aren't you assuming fictional stereotypes here? You haven't even seen one dwarven smith yet.
Noooo…maybe. Sigh, fine.
“They're made out of my hair.”
Lindur drops the knife in disgust.
“That's twice that has happened, are people afraid of iron hair?”
“What no, it's just weird to think about.”
I laugh, “Everything about me is weird.”
“That's the system fuckin’ truth.”
-----
Pulling the cart with the B's walking beside me. We have eight containers for hydra blood now. My bank is missing eight small gold. The party agreed to pay me back first. We get to the field boss.
“How should we handle this?”
“Same as last time, after we douse you in its blood, step back. Bar Bar and I will disable it then funnel more blood at you to finish it off.”
“I'll start us off by throwing some knives.”
They nod getting ready. I throw two knives, they pierce the neck of one of the heads and the other plinks against the torso. Better than last time. One head is already disabled. Barbain rushes forward and slams a lightning fist stunning the creature. I proceed to make a giant cut in the torso, dousing myself in blood. The bliss starts to over take me but I pull back. Both Barbain and Beatrice are breathing hard. Barbain is more. I don't know what's happening but I rush back forward and stab the beast again. They are too distracted to risk it. More blood showers me and hydra dies. The bliss leaves me.
Received 14 exp from 33% share ring
You gained 4 unallocated stat points
Damn another level, weird that I shared exp. Was it because my soul is with them? Barbain is catching her breath while Beatrice runs over to me.
“Is that what you feel every time you fight a hydra?”
Shit, they feel more of my emotions the closer they are to me.
“Sorry I should have warned you. It's only going to get more awkward.”
She tilts her head at me.
“I got four more points to spend.”
She gives me a smile and hugs me. Barbain catches up.
“Now you're both covered in blood.”
We fill four of the jars after cleaning up. Then carry four more jars down the stairs.
“I still think we should try the ramp idea.”
“Maybe next time.”
She shrugs. We head to the most isolated one again.
“Seems the exp ring does work between us. I suspect it's because you both have a part of my soul with you.”
“Makes sense, you throw your knives again, I'll stun it and Bea will engage until she can take a head. One more stun, and then you finish it, Jams.”
No hitch to the plan. The hydra gives me a moment of bliss and then dies.
Received 14 exp from 33% share ring
“O hey, I got a skill from that.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“[Resist Strong Emotion].”
“Aw, I want that.”
“Do you? I suspect you have it by now if you did.”
I grumble at Barbain, “It would be helpful, I almost always lose myself to outside monsters.”
We fill the jars again and walk back up the stairs. The cart is still there thankfully. Not sure I could handle Beatrice smugness if the cart was damaged while we were away. It doesn't take long to load the cart.
-Liquid gold
That apparently makes our clinic time boring. She appears on my shoulder and gives me a shrug. I sit down and prepare for more pain.
You gained lvl 13
Strength raised to 212
Agility raised to 182
Perception raised to 236
Constitution raised to 212
Presence raised to 245
Mental Fortitude raised to 217
Soul raised to 282
You tied your supplicants closer to you
Remaining soul 19
Remaining soul 20
They come and hug me as I writhe from the soul fire.
300 Soul Minor Boon
You can tier up you race, whatever that is, after you aspect that core
Har Har. Seems my soul being in more than one place doesn't matter
300 Soul Major Boon
You gain the skill [Dungeon]
You have gained the skill [Dungeon] Basic 1
Dungeon - You can maintain one instance of your dungeon
Basic - Placing an entrance pulls your body into your soul space
Gain 1 exp
Suddenly I am outside Gadvak dungeon. My mind alone once more. Sister? It is disquieting. I look to Gadvak subway entrance and walk forward. It lets me through with no issue. I reunite with Barbain and Beatrice.
“You just disappeared. What happened?”
“I got my fourth major soul boon, I'm a dungeon now, I can't hear my sister anymore. I'm scared.”
They hug me and help me take the cart out. I felt exhausted. We got some distance away before I started collapsing. They drag me to the side of the road, my ambling barely helping them. I lose consciousness.
-----
I open my eyes to a void with boundaries. The moment I saw the new skill I was here. My mind is filled with instincts that are beyond me. I strain, time slows, I struggle with far too much. An eternity. I thought learning how to form a multitude of silk was bad. What a cruel boon. It rips the mind of the person granted it and forces them into their soul core. They can't move afterwards and their unconscious body becomes an entrance. I've heard of twin dungeons before, entrances next to each other. Must have been the same for me.
The unfortunate part in all this is I don't generate soul mana from my core. Sure I can convert but it seems everything in a dungeon is maintained with soul mana. I need to see how much I can make from my arcane core.
I pull the boundaries closer to myself. Then I made a floor. As soon as I do a rift opens and my body flops through. Was it waiting for that or coincidence. Barbain head sticks out of my rift looking around. She steps in. Checking on my body. Normally there shouldn't be a body anymore. Is my sister in there? I will myself to touch my body.
My eyes open, Barbain is taken a back. I don't sense my sister, but I do. She is around us. I guess we swapped places. This is all so weird. I am shaken by Barbain.
“Sorry, I'm still trying to process it all.”
“Can you leave?”
I bite my lip, “I'm not sure I want to leave my sister to wake up alone in here.”
“Think you can move the rift to somewhere else?”
“Not sure, all the instinct the skill fed to me seems to indicate I would be trapped in here. Without my body. But I have my body still. It's all new ground for me.”
“I don't think it's safe to leave your rift here, we need to try, Sara. It's visible from the road.”
If an adventurer saw a new dungeon they go in and slay whatever was in there. Specifically me. Will I come back in three days? Nevermind Barbain is right.
“You first, I'm not sure what will happen when I leave.”
She nods and exits the rift. I look around and promise to return. I exit the rift.
The moment I step through it, it's as if the rift doesn't exist. I feel the soulspace inside me, my sister sleeping. It's not the same as before. Was it because I defined it that I can sense her. I hope that means we can swap between each other without making a rift.
“Thank goodness you're alright. What was inside the rift?”
I answer before Barbain can.
“It was my soulspace. I made a floor and the rift opened. I'm not sure what the implications are for a dungeon that can continue being a person.”
“Are you saying that all dungeons used to be people?”
I shrug. I then will myself back into my soulscape. I'm there. The rift is back. Do I even need to…nope, I'm back outside.
“Um maybe not do that in front of people, you bend backwards and fold in on yourself at which point a rift forms expands from the spot, then it reverses itself till it is you again. It looked painful.” Beatrice looks nauseated.
“Sorry, but it looks like I'm not stuck in one location. I also didn't feel anything. Let's head back to the cart. I know you two need your sleep.”
As we head back to the cart, Barbain falls to her knees clutching her chest. Her arcane core just grew in. I pat her back. Beatrice pouts.
“I was ahead of you and now I'm behind.”
“I'm sure you will be right back in the running when you level Bea.”
I pull the cart with them bundled up. When I get to the gate I wait for dawn. I spend the time staring down into my soulscape.
