Chapter 37: Sex with a Ghost

Chapter 37: Sex with a Ghost

Pain lanced into me as my tangled and overgrown Soul Roots shifted inside me. It felt like a thousand lacerations inside my veins; my vision started to strain and go black. Deep in my chest, a rhythmic chime pulsed outward from my Soul Seed. With shaking hands, I just managed to reach out to the jade pill bottlebut my muscles spasmed as I got the bottle open, spilling the pill into the sand. Fuck. Romeo had to have gotten it to help deal with this pain! I'd lost it in the immortals-damned sand!

My hand sifted through the beach with the same desperation of a dehydrated man trying to lick up water from the floor. Eventually, I found itshoving the pill in my mouth along with a handful of throat-tearing sand. I gagged but forced it all down my throat. The pain was a mounting pressure that only increased, and Id do anything to relieve it.

Romeo crouched nearby. I managed to look at him as the pain eased, no doubt thanks to the pill. H-help.

There is no one to help you, passerotto. I am sorry. This is how it is. The path to immortality is a path that challenges the heavens. But I am here, do not worry.

With those damning words, the pain shot through me like a bullet. Twiceno, thrice worse than before. The pill made things worse. My very blood felt like it was boiling inside of me. My mind was already near the edge from starvation and exhaustion, and now it threatened to snap for good. Arcs of electricity sparked from melong tendrils of energy tore into the sand near me, hot enough to turn it into glass. My Soul seared with pure energy as my Soul rampaged through my body.

At some point, I started screaming. Lightning burst off of me in bolts to smash into everything nearby; this was nothing like the sparks from Fickle Fate. Each part of me flashed between burning and freezing. Was I going to die? Death from heavenly tribulations wasnt unheard of, especially at higher ranks. Hell, even Possessions happened on occasion. Though, that was near-impossible at this stage.

The pain ramped until my mind went into a blank void screamingthen, after minutes of agony ending with me being unable to feel my body, the bolts of lightning stopped erupting. The Soul Roots that dug their way through me stopped squirming and shifting. Now they were clean and untangled, forming a complex structure in me similar to a second circulatory system.

Slowly my awareness began to return. My Soul Seed changedno longer a lump of pure energy; no, an almost translucent ethereal sprout cracked itbreaking through the top. All of my lifeblood, my energy, fed the Soul. It was me. And in turn, it pulsed its strength back out through the Soul Roots in me.

I gasped on the sand, numb. I hadnt taken a breath for quite some time. But the air tasted sweet, so I began to take in as much as possible. Once I finally lost the numbness in my skin, I pushed myself up. My body was alarmingly lighter than beforethrowing off my balance as it reacted faster than expected, and my strength went further than it had before. I eventually jerked to my feet, only to flop back to the ground as my muscles failed to cooperate.

Romeo gave a wide smile, walking up and offering me a hand to help me to my feet. Proud! You make me very proud on this day, passerotto! Were only your father here so he could see you take your first step into manhood! That last bit made his expression flick to a frown, which he covered with a smile.

Of course I did. I nodded. Romeo had told me that I was stronger, quicker, and more flexible, but my raw strength likely didnt match Brunos overwhelming brutal power even in my current condition. That was what he cared about the most. It was why he probably camped out at my house. The nutso wanted to test me.

The real gap in power came in the form of a Manifested Soul.

Lets spar! Bruno yelled. There it was. I shook my head. Normally, Id be fine with a quick fist trade, but there was stuff to do today. Kayson no doubt wanted to talk to me right away. Id left them to deal with whatever bullshit fighting they had to against the Crimson Eagles. I owed him whatever he needed.

Ya know, we can hangout without having to take swings all the damn time, right?

Hahaha! Its half the fun! Besides, you broke through! I wish to test my mettle against yours in a glorious battle. That is what friends are for! He cocked his head back, laughing hard enough to bring a tear to his eye.

I scoped out the living room; in the excitement, Id nearly forgotten we were currently at my own damn house. I was lucky Ma had already left. Though, my gremlin of a brother was spying on us from the couch.

Things were going to be different now. I broke through, and Id make better choices. My first resolve was to be less selfish to those around me; that started with my friends and family. First, I needed spirit chips. With this new power came determining the best ways to leverage it to protect and help those people.

Well. If we wont have a magnificent fight to start the day, how about something else? Come with me, Luca! he began to walk to the door like it was all he needed to do to get me to follow. He was lucky that I missed him enough to go along with it.

Ya know I just got home, right? Due to his unexpected appearance, all I had on was a euro-band t-shirt and some jeans. Certainly not the sort of thing I wanted to stroll around the city in. Give me an hour, and Ill sort some shit out.

Nope! Theres something youll want to see right this moment! Trust me! He turned back around, slinging a massive arm over my shoulder and using his strength to take my choice of the equation.

There was no way out of this short of starting a fight in my own living room. If I did start a brawlwell, then Im sure Bruno would be overjoyed. But I didnt feel like explaining why Id burned the house down; Bruno didnt hold back in fights. In the end, I conceded and hopped on my friends bike. nove(l)bi(n.)com