20demayo More training and discoveries
More training and discoveries
After the surprise that the stream had informed me about, I took some time off training to understand what that "Spiritual Core" was.
I knew what it was, to some extent, as I remembered seeing it in the Infinite Train movie, the movie that, in fact, a friend recommended to me. Which, after watching, led me to watch the first season of Kimetsu.
But still, the explanation in the movie, as far as I remembered, was that the "Spiritual Core" was basically the center of a person's mind, and if destroyed, effectively killed that person's mind.
I just didn't know how this applied to me, since even before having a soul, I had a mind and a subconscious.
I didn't waste time and went to my tent, entered, closing the entrance behind me. It wasn't a large tent, as there wasn't really space in this forest for one, but it was enough.
I went to the center of the tent and sat down, assuming a meditative position, closing my eyes and trying to relax. I had never tried meditation before coming to Terraria; it was never something that attracted me in a certain way.
But after coming to Terraria, I tried a few times, as it was the basics of "energy control" in various works that I knew.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had varied success.
I hadn't been able to find/create a mental palace or anything like that, the kind of absurd thing that, frankly, I didn't even know if it existed.
But I had managed to find what I thought was my soul, in a way at least.
Before coming to Terraria, as my race said, I didn't have a soul, as "my" Earth denied the supernatural as a basic rule.
So, after coming to Terraria and my soul "being born," it had been, in a way, easy to find it when I meditated.
The best example I could give was growing a third arm, as strange as the new "limb" was, it was still something that was basically impossible to lose.
Even more now that I knew the "way" there, it didn't take me five minutes to "find" what I was looking for: my soul.
I didn't know if it was like that with everyone, as I had read things like "My soul had the shape of a dragon" or "My soul was a lion," things like that, mainly from Chinese stories.
But my soul was humanoid, basically having the shape of my body, almost identically, as if it were molded based on it.
I didn't know if it had a color, or if it was supposed to have a color, since I couldn't see in the proper sense here; everything was basically sensations, as if I instinctively knew where things were.
But if I were to put a color, I would say it was a blue-gray, more towards gray. It had "veins" all over the "body" too, like the veins of a human body, my veins.
But unlike my veins, which carried blood, the "veins" of my soul were pathways that carried mana, and like my blood, the mana that my soul "pumped" returned to the heart, or in its case, the "Mana Core" that was in the same place where my heart would be.
I didn't know if I had a Mana Core because of Terraria, since the Terrarians had a Mana Core themselves, or if it was just my soul mimicking my body, creating a heart for itself.
If I were to guess, I would bet on the latter option, since my soul had other "organs" besides the "heart" and "veins."
A "lung," which I suppose is the organ that absorbs mana and other ambient energies as I breathed.
A "stomach," and "intestines" that must be the "organs" responsible for digesting the mana I "ate," like Mana Stones or "Artificial Sapphires," and absorbing it.
The "livers" and "kidneys," which filtered and refined mana, removing impurities until nothing was left, before sending it back to the "heart," the Mana Core.
They were probably the reason why I didn't have complications when I basically consumed the mana of more than five hundred people.
In fact, the "livers" and "kidneys" of my soul worked better than mine, as they left no impurity, filtering and refining everything before sending it back to the "heart."
Finally, the "organ" that already existed before, responsible for me "feeling" mana and other energies, the "brain," which, curiously, had gained a new "appendix," so to speak, which was what I was looking for, the "Spiritual Core."
Unlike the Mana Core, which was larger in size and seemed fully formed, more "physical," the Spiritual Core was something small, as if it were not fully developed and "illusory."
I stayed there for a while, looking to see what that new "organ" did, and after a few minutes, I came to the conclusion that I had no idea.
It was basically there, emitting spiritual energy that nourished the "brain" and the soul as a whole, but other than that, I had no clue what it did.
I was tempted to "poke it" to see what happened, but that idea was instantly destroyed by the part of my brain that wasn't driven by "imbecility" and "stupidity."
Messing with others' souls was already something dangerous and complicated; with my own? I wasn't crazy enough for that... Not without at least getting help.
I had some people in the (CHAT) who could help me, both with advice and ideas and guides. I'll ask the (CHAT) tomorrow when I open the stream, for now...
I opened my eyes, stopping "looking" at my soul.
... Let's get back to training.
[...]
POV: Devas Asura [Third day]
I had trained the rest of the night, but with an addition; I had trained using the forms of Kagura, but without a katana, using my halberd instead.
It was strange, especially since the forms of Hinokami Kagura were meant to be used with a katana, not a long weapon like a halberd.
I could improvise some things, but still, it was like trying to play a game made for a console on a computer; could you do it? Yes, but it was weird, the controls would be weird.
The same thing happened when I used the forms with the halberd; I could reproduce them to some extent, but still, it was clunky, slow as if something was missing in some places and excess in others.
Still, I continued, trying to adapt the forms to the halberd, for three reasons. The first: I didn't want to use katanas, frankly, it suited me.
The second: Maybe I found katanas a somewhat crappy weapon, except for one or two that existed out there, like the Yamato.
And the third: The halberd was my best weapon, by a considerable distance. Especially after I had used Analyze: Item on it and had discovered the reason why it weighed so much.
-//-
[Houtengeki (Prototype- HOTD)]
Type: Weapon
Prefix: None
Damage: 30 - 493
Recoil: 30 (High)
Durability: 1573/1593
Rarity: Green
Ability: Absorbs mana to increase its weight and the sharpness of its blade:
Base weight: 44 kilograms (97 pounds) ~ Base damage: 30
Maximum weight: 444 kilograms (978 pounds) ~ Maximum damage: 493
Current weight: 444 kilograms (978 pounds) ~ Current damage: 493
[..]
Description: A halberd made from a meteorite that fell in ancient China in the year 162 AD.
Found near a village, the meteorite was melted and used in the creation of weapons and armor.
The meteorite metal ended up being named "Star Iron ~ 铁星 (Tiě xīng)."
Years later, in 168 AD, the halberd ended up in the hands of the warrior and military general Lu Bu, who named it (Houtengeki) "Painted Halberd Comparable to Heaven ~ (方天画戟, Hōtengageki, Pinyin: Fāngtiān Huàjǐ)."
Lu Bu used the halberd between the years 168 AD ~ 173 AD until the weight of the halberd, due to the property of "Star Iron" to absorb ambient mana, increased every year, becoming too much for the general to carry.
Lu Bu then had an identical weapon forged so that no one would discover that he could no longer carry his own weapon.
In the following years, between 182 AD ~ 578 AD, the halberd was forgotten, stored in the treasure of emperors, until the decrease in atmospheric mana began to cause the "Star Iron" to start losing mana to the environment, the halberd returning to its normal weight.
In the years between 612 AD ~ 873 AD, the halberd was used as a war weapon in various battles in China until it was lost in battle, found years later in 925 AD and transported on a merchant ship to the east of China, near Japan.
In the following years, between 1192 AD ~ 1374 AD, the halberd traveled from China to Japan until it ended up in the treasure of a noble family, where it stayed until the years of 1634 AD.
In 1635 AD, the halberd was donated to a museum of replicas, considered the most perfect replica of Lu Bu's Houtengeki halberd ever made.
In 1941, the museum ended up being stolen due to the chaos of war, and the halberd was sold to a collecting noble family.
In 1992, due to an economic crisis, the family that bought the halberd ended up going bankrupt, with a large part of its properties being sold, including the halberd, which was sold to the museum.
In 2003, due to a security flaw, several items of economic and historical value were stolen from that same museum, including the halberd.
In 2008, the halberd was bought by a fanatic collector of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as a find in a pawn shop.
In 2013, due to the "zombie" outbreak, the halberd ended up in the hands of Devas Asura, known as "The Streamer."
-//-
I knew that the world of HOTD had mana, but that mana had been more present in the world's past was a surprise.
It wasn't that I was going crazy when I thought it was lighter in HOTD, but yes, it was lighter.
That's why the Halberd, or Houtengeki, weighed so much when I used it in Terraria; it was basically its material absorbing mana like crazy from the atmosphere, returning to its maximum weight in a matter of seconds.
I had "played around" with this thing in Terraria for some time and had learned a few things, but the main one was: I could regulate the weight of the weapon.
If I wanted its weight to decrease, all I had to do was disperse the mana absorbed by the metal, making the weight decrease.
If I wanted its weight to increase, all I had to do was channel my own mana into the weapon until it reached the weight I wanted, or the maximum weight.
Honestly, the halberd had been an absurd stroke of luck, to the point where I hesitated to try putting Mystic Symbols and Runes on it.
I didn't know how the material would react because of the mana-absorbing property, so I ended up leaving it as it was.
I was still undecided whether to spend one of the Prefix Tickets I had on the weapon or not, but I'll probably end up spending it.
[AsuraLady]: I also never thought of that... (Emote of a little pink-maned lion cub drooling).
[Alice-Chan]: Devas-aniki is younger than me now! I'm finally an older sister!!! (Emote of a Chibi Alice shouting with joy).
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: I go out for five minutes to take a shit, and when I come back, our streamer shrank? HOW?! (Generic guy's generic emote shouting "how?").
[JackSon] Friend: Harry, am I seeing what I'm seeing?... Are we the older ones now? (Emote of a seahorse asking, barely containing a smile).
[GryffinPotter]: I think so, friend Percy, we are the older ones... WOW! (Emote of a lion with a lightning scar on its forehead shouting happily).
[(MOD)JackMom]: My motherly instincts have kicked in hard now... You are the second cutest thing I've ever seen, only losing to Percy when he was a baby! (Emote of a golden fish with stars in its eyes).
[JackSon]: MOM!
There were many messages, most saying that I was cute, others seemed more like thoughts that would make the police knock on these people's doors, and many, especially from Stark, saying that I aged like milk... rotten
"This is what happens when you live stressed since you were seven," I commented vaguely as I got up, looking at the house where I was.
There was a reason why I looked much older than my actual age; years of stress end up doing that to you.
Looking around, I instantly recognized the house where I was.
It was my grandfather's beach house... A place where I had some of my happiest memories.
I walked through the house slowly. It was dark, and when I tried to turn on the switch to light up the lights, nothing happened. Seeing that there was no light, I "pulled" a flashlight from my inventory... or at least tried.
I didn't know if I had succeeded or not, but a flashlight had appeared in my hand. Somehow, I knew it didn't come from the inventory but that I had "created" it...
... This was my mind, so in a way, it made sense.
With this new discovery, I tried to return my body to normal, but without success... Yeah, it seems like I was stuck with my seven-year-old self for now...
Strangely, it was easy to move in this body. I thought I would stumble due to the change in height and weight, but it was something... natural.
Probably because this was inside my mind, but still, strange.
I started by leaving the room I was in, illuminating the way with the flashlight and going downstairs to the first floor, looking at the light blue walls, which looked exactly as I remembered.
Everything looked as I remembered, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the furniture... everything... That's how I knew it wasn't real, after all, this house no longer existed... having been burned years ago...
I walked through the living room of the house slowly, running my hand over the furniture, the walls, reaching a bookshelf where there was a photo frame... I pointed the flashlight, illuminating the photo frame.
In the photo frame, there was a picture, a picture of a family.
An older man, looking to be just over fifty. He was strong and had short hair, with a military cut, blond.
He had a long beard and light blue eyes, and he had a happy smile.
He held two people in his arms, on his left arm, another man. This other man was blond, like the old one. He had cheerful green eyes and a well-groomed beard.
He was slimmer, with a more feminine physique, like that of a model actor. And like the older man, he had a happy smile on his face.
Finally, on the older man's right arm, hugging the two, a woman.
She was beautiful, with long blond hair that looked like golden waterfalls. Her eyes were a bright light blue, shining, even in a picture, coming from a memory, pulsating with joy.
It was a beautiful image, a beautiful photo...
I passed by the photo without giving it a second look, after all, I didn't need to; I knew that image, that photo...
... The photo of my family, my grandfather, my mother, and my "father."
As I passed by the photo frame, I lowered it calmly, putting the photo down.
Passing through the living room, I looked at the window, on the balcony... It was raining heavily, a gale, and the sky was dark, covered by black clouds that periodically glowed with lightning, followed shortly by thunder...
"Nice place..." I said ironically. The landscape could very well have come out of an apocalypse.
I glanced at the Minimap briefly; everything was empty, with only the point representing me there...
I opened the door, letting the cold wind blow into the house, and looked outside, holding onto the balcony as I felt my body being soaked by the rain.
The sea in the distance was stormy, turbulent, with huge waves crashing on the beach sand and even larger ones further ahead, out to sea.
The water was dark, the atmosphere was tense, heavy.
I looked at the sea for a moment before looking at the clouds, or rather, the only place in the sky without clouds, where there seemed to be a hole in this black layer of clouds covering the sky.
In that hole, I could see the full moon perfectly...
It shone faintly but seemed not to illuminate anything, leaving the world dark, without light...
"Okay... My mind is an apocalyptic landscape, and now, how do I get out of here-" Before I could ask how I got out of that place, I felt a presence descend over the world, weighing down on my childlike body.
Every hair on my body stood on end; the air had become cold. I felt as if I had been thrown into an ice bath.
All my instincts screamed in fear, my "body" screamed in fear. I was paralyzed, unable to move, causing the flashlight to fall from my hand, extinguished, leaving me in the dark... staring at the sea, where, in the distance, I could see something moving...
Slowly, I could see a giant hand emerging from the sea, even in the darkness, as if something were rising, and then another hand, followed by a body...
Whatever that thing was, it was enormous, rising from the sea, even miles away, it still looked like a giant.
I could only see its silhouette, the darkness hiding its immense body, its features. But still, I could distinguish something... even with all this darkness...
Its eyes... its eye... the eye on its forehead...
It was of a supernatural light green color, pulsating with an evil air, watching me, pointed in my direction. Even at this distance, I knew it could see me...
I was paralyzed as I looked at that thing; I could only move when I heard the pulsing heartbeat sound...
I jumped backward, closing my eyes at the same time as I instinctively commanded my mana throughout my body...
The last thing I heard before "waking up" again at the Kamado family's house was the same sound, the sound of another pulsing heartbeat...
Upon opening my eyes again, I found myself staring at the wooden ceiling of the Kamado's house. I got up, sitting and looking at the door, where I could see Tanjuro, who had opened the door and was looking at me worriedly.
Only then did I realize that I was cold sweating, trembling... My heart racing...
"Are you okay?" Tanjuro asked from the doorway, not entering.
"And... I... I don't know." It was the truth, I didn't know if I was okay...
What was that thing... No, I knew what it was... How could I not know...
But what was it doing there, inside my mind, in another literal world... My title didn't protect me from mental alterations, didn't prot-
"It wasn't real..." I muttered to myself, finally realizing... nothing there was real...
In the Infinite Train movie, each character had a different dream landscape when they slept...
Tanjiro's was a clear blue sky, seemingly infinite, described as warm and gentle...
Inosuke's was him as a leader, other characters with animal characteristics following him, he being the "alpha"...
Finally, Zenitsu's was something affectionate, a beautiful dream where he went on a date with Nezuko... but a part of it contained suffocating darkness... said to be the hatred Zenitsu had for himself...
The stormy state of my world I already knew what it was, the beach house too... but and "him"... what was it?.
The answer came instinctively... My fear, it was the mental representation of my fear...
That's why he didn't attack me, that's why he had stood still, unmoving after rising from the sea... He didn't even appear on the Minimap, he didn't have a point because he wasn't something real...
That's why the only thing I could see was the full moon... That's why I was in my seven-year-old body...
A seven-year-old child... alone... afraid of the dark...
"What a fucking bad joke..." I muttered as I got up. Much calmer now that I understood what had happened...
"I'm fine, Tanjuro, sorry for worrying you, I hope I didn't wake anyone up." I said, walking toward the man.
He seemed relieved, for some reason, and shook his head in denial.
"No, I only came in because I felt something was wrong, didn't even have time to do anything, just looked at you for a moment before you woke up..." He hesitated before asking... "Did something happen during your meditation?... You didn't seem well for a second there..."
I sighed, briefly looking at the (CHAT) that had exploded with messages, most, if not all, asking me what the hell that was, what that thing was...
"Something happened, something I didn't think would happen..." I said as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. I needed a shower...
"But in a way, I've already figured out why, or rather, what it was... Don't worry, I'm fine..." I said, both to Tanjuro and the (CHAT).
"If you say so..." The man didn't seem to believe my words but didn't insist on the matter. Well... "Want to take a bath?." He pointed at me. "You look sweaty, and it's cold, you don't want to get sick, trust me, I know." He said jokingly, pounding his chest a few times.
I nodded slowly... "I'll accept your offer, thank you."
I followed Tanjuro to the bathroom, at the same time, "talking" to the (CHAT).
("I'll leave the camera out of the bathroom while I wash up... Later, I'll explain what that was...)
I didn't pay attention to the (CHAT) after that, ignoring it. I didn't even use the Kamado family's "shower" but a portable one I had in my inventory...
While I washed up, with the hot water running down my body, I ignored the bathroom window and noticed that it faced the moon. I also ignored my hand trembling slightly as I washed...
"A child afraid of the dark..." I murmured, squeezing my hand until my fingers turned white... "A damn... child... afraid of the dark..."
Damn...