Chapter 122: Power Trip (P3)

As it turns out-rather unsurprisingly-Soul Invasion is a big drain on my MP. As it stands, with earlier use of mana to delve into the Astral and now to pluck out twelve souls for use in a battle with a Gamma Matthias has foolishly provoked…

I'm running empty in the tank.

I haven't been this low on Mana and had to fight since the first Gamma back at Carbina. This won't be as easy as I planned. Fucking Matthias.

Fortunately for him, my wise decision in plucking out those souls from his guards is already bearing fruit…very ripe fruit.

With Soul Manipulation active, the system has blessed me with a number of ways to manipulate the souls that revolve around me even as I trek my way to save Matthias.

Like most things with the System, the options, the especially enticing options like turning the souls into wraiths that endlessly serve you until their second death, or turning the souls into giant constructs of pure energy that fight until my last breath.

Or even having the souls bond with my own, thereby filling me with their natural powers and making me stronger in ways I wouldn't expect.

All these brilliant options are locked behind the ever-present barrier that is Proficiency. My proficiency with Soul Manipulation is at an all-time low of one percent only.

Not exactly at the level it should be to start playing god with the souls of mortals.

To my luck, that is not to say I don't have something to practice with. Soul Invasion has already weaponized the twelve hovering souls, all I have to do is unleash them on the Gamma the moment I set my sights on it.

However, Soul Manipulation has a single option that's free to use right now, although, with limited success given my poor proficiency.

Like a second limb, I call the revolving souls to gather before me as I prepare to use the in this spell, "Soul Channelling." The moment I utter the words all of my mana is robbed off me and I'm left gasping for air in shock.

The result is worth it though.

In the process half of the souls are destroyed, lost forever. I'm sure Anera won't be pleased.

But the loss reaps me six successful souls, brightly glowing with power that will be used for my purposes. All six of them have wispy tendrils attached to me, feeding me with their power.

A second ago I was doubled over with the sudden loss of all my mana and now, I'm practically brimming with the stuff.

Closing my eyes, I try to make sense of how I've accomplished this. It's difficult, especially since this is my only attempt with the technique but the knowledge of the System flows.

Yes, of course. Souls are the closest things to the divine, or perhaps, to the power of the Gods, the daemons, the Great Spirits. Everything that is power has this…key.

It barely makes any sense even as I'm thinking it but I know the more I practise, the more I'll understand just how Channelling Souls leads to this power. The most important piece of information I have gotten now though, is the fact that this boost won't last long.

Already, just standing here and gaping like an idiot my MP is full to the brim, right, I've got a cap to how much I can reasonably contain. I need to save the souls for later.

Following my conscious will five of the souls drift off away from me and stop feeding me mana. Only one remains with the task. The other five I hold in each hand and splice them.

Splicing them is the only way I know how to get full operational use of the souls in a battle with a Gamma. Although, the process is strenuous, splitting a soul is just about as hard as splitting an atom I'd guess.

In the end, the souls are stubborn and remain linked to each of their cubed pieces via wispy strings, strings to tough for me to cut. I don't force it, I know better. This is good enough.

Besides, Matthias is running out of time.

***

It doesn't take long for me to make it to where Matthias is valiantly fighting for his life.

The field has been upturned in battle and even now craters continue to be formed. He's having a rather difficult time.

But watching him fight from a safe distance with all the magic he has left is rather inspiring of some respect.

Matthias is surrounded by three giant revolving rocks that spit rapid fire of pebbles that render the Cultist minions mincemeat, seems like we had the same idea.

Although, said giant revolving rocks keep getting blasted with pressurized water and turned into dust and mud, or turned molten by the sheer heat blasts the Gamma keeps shooting out at him.

He isn't protected, but he's managed to acknowledged that a distracted Gamma is better for anyone who can't take it and its minions on at the same time. Serving this very purpose are what are clearly earth golems.

Unlike Leriva's Geomancy creature, these ones clearly move autonomous of his will. The glowing blue lines of mana that curve and round the surface of their body is more proof the difference in skill between his Geomancy and Leriva's.

But still, I believe she was far more skilled. Geomancy may not have been her strong suit but it served as a cushion for her true talent's growth, Conjuration.

There's also the fact that she originally had no enhancements, no rings, no staffs, nothing. Just plain old finger magic, and yet she managed to hold out their siege for five long years, yet here her brother is, panicking franticly after a few months under the heat.

With a sigh I resign that Matthias is just not up to his sister in anyway, Leriva was made of something else, despite the same background and upbringing, she was just far more creative and desperate to survive the way she wished to. Up until the end.

The battlefield lights up once again as the Gamma angrily blasts Matthias golems to smithereens with a well-placed gust of volatile wind magic and renders two of his revolving rocks useless with a rare display of cyromagic.

Maybe the weather is influencing the Cults skills now?

Either way, I should probably intervene now, doesn't seem like Matthias has enough mana to summon up those golems again.

With a snap of my finger, I fire one of the designated souls and shower the Gamma with a flurry of cubed soul shots. It explodes.

Matthias, haphazardly scrambles for cover, pulling his rocks above and around his body.

"Matthias!" I call out, waving cheerfully. He looks up, eyes searching for a bit before landing on me, "Looks like you need a hand."

"Phien shall have you, by my hands!" a minion turned Gamma yells, slapping their hands together the winds take an upturn and begin to shape up into what looks like a mini-tornado.

"Fucking Gammas." I snap my fingers again and turn the Gamma into shreds, it promptly explodes, taking out many of the remaining viable minions out with it.

The windy spell comes to a stop and I start walking up to Matthias.

He stares at me, his head bleeding, left arm hanging limply beside him in a rock-cast and utterly drained of his strength.

"You shouldn't have gone off on your own." I start, "You've gone made a mess of things, I mean look at you."

"The Lord Phien will have you serve him, Necromancer!" Another change of heads.

On a whim I decide this is a good a time as any to try out one of my newest spells, "Bone Spikes." In an instant the Gamma and all its minions save one are skewered by the bones of their comrades spilling forth from their bodies to make kebabs out of them.

Matthias flinches at the sight. It happens so fast there isn't much to make of it. Still, a Gamma is still a Gamma. The current one manages to fire off a spell, a strong flaming ball of fire that torrents it's way toward me, burning up all that stands in it's way and that includes the skewered remains of its minions.

Fortunately for me, I still have three more souls ready for use. With a snap of my finger, two bolt out from behind me, headed to put an explosive end to the annoying Gamma once and for all.

"With this victory I give honour and glory to the one Wolf Deity, Lotar the White." I pray all while pushing the last soul to take an entirely new, protective shape around Matthias and I.

As though in sync with each other, the Gamma's flaming ball of death crashes against my improvised soul shield just as it meets its end in perhaps my truest display of overkill.

As the dust begins to settle, I wonder if that half-baked prayer to Lotar as I killed the Gamma was good enough. It better be, it doesn't exactly make me cherry to have to pray to the damned Wolf.

The last remaining two souls still glow brightly in my hands, if I leave them out their energy will be expended with time, at least, within the hour. But I have no way of containing the energy they present.

Soul Gems…I'll have to look into that. As it stands it'll be a waste to harvest so many souls only to not use them to the fullest like now.

It hurts but I let the shining orbs or power dissipate before turning to face a downtrodden Matthias.

"Now then Matthias, where were we?"