[Even when you are inhabiting a sword, you are a spirit. You don’t store part of your Ethereal essence on your body, it's all on you. You will still have a daily limit before your soul cannot take anymore based on your current level, and don’t expect the bonus to help you grow faster if enemies are too weak to fight]
That safeguard relaxed me. It meant I would not suffer from mutations caused by Ether. The way those crystals grew on that rat was incredibly gross and looked painful.
And as the System explained, that bonus seemed to have a limit based on challenge.
[Analysing Ether Essence…]
[Muckrats: Small rodents of low level. They are usually found in colonies and groups to protect each other and avoid conflict with creatures bigger than themselves unless they fear for their life]
[Most likely the Ether contamination affected its senses and behavior. It was on an advanced stage, so it was not going to behave as a normal Muckrat]
When I was more collected, I began to wonder why it would attack something it could not eat. Going crazy thanks to the Ether contamination explained it.
“You are closer… please… I don’t have much time… left…”
The voice was much more tired, like it was suffering and slowly depleting its last reserves of energy.
I was really doubting if it was a good idea to continue following an unknown voice. In some novels that was dangerous, wasn’t it? And, at the same time, the other side of my mind kept telling me it was worth the risk.
The next spot I found was a chasm. It went deep into the cavern. I could not see how deep it went in any direction, but it opened on both sides.
[You know you are floating, right?]
I couldn’t… I did not want to stop thinking that I was human. So, yeah, I was floating, and those challenges meant nothing for my current body. I could just bypass them with ease.
And when I used [Soul Sense] to see the Ether once more…
[Higher Ether concentration detected under us, down the chasm]
Just my luck. I could even see it, like a glow that came from down the chasm.
Floating downwards, and still panicking a bit because I was going down into a bottomless pit where I could not see the end, I began to notice some odd colors around.
[Analysing… most likely minerals infused with Ether Energy]
Minerals…
I approached one of the stones cropping on the sides of the chasm. It was shining in multiple colors and seemed to be vibrating. I could hear a light buzzing coming out of it.
Trying stuff, I touched it.
[Analizing… Iron mineral infused with high concentrations of Ether. Useful for crafting artefacts, or for healing in your situation]
[Negative. The Inventory System requires more Ether. However, it would be a good choice to consume it right now. Don’t expect much from it in this impure state]
I touched it again, and focused on it. The metal began to melt, and my body absorbed it as it became liquid.
[Consuming Ether]
[+1 XP]
[+1 XP]
[+1 XP]
I was getting XP from doing this!
[As I said, don’t expect much from raw Iron, even when it is infused with the Ether of this place]
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I needed the XP so I could become harder to kill, and if I could get it without having to risk my skin every time, I would take that chance.
I consumed the whole piece of mineral, leaving a hole on the wall.
[+27 XP]
[Level: 02/10 XP: 90/130]
I needed 50 more XP for the next level! That was good.
But for the time I decided to return to my trip down the pit.
[You obtained a new skill: Iron Defense!]
And a new skill! That was good!
[Iron Defense Lv 1: Magic Skill - Active - Harden your defense, receiving less damage, by 20% for 20s. Cost: 4 MP]
Maybe I could get more skills by trying different stuff? I got it while consuming iron… maybe different metals will provide different skills? And this one had a level.
A couple of minutes later, the Ether was getting thicker, and I was starting to feel it in the air like a large pressure. What was down there?
[Souls. Powerful souls produce quantities this large without being the core of the planet, which is the biggest source right now in this world]
A powerful soul?
Something moved. I caught it with [Soul Sense].
It was not one this time, but many creatures on a wall opened their wings and began flying towards me, screeching.
Bats! With the same growths as that Muckrat on different parts of their bodies. One of them had it on its wing, and barely could fly a few meters before falling down to the darkness.
The rest, however, began homing at me and flying in my direction, baring their teeth!
[To be precise, a dozen]
They circled me, and in tandem tried to attack me in different directions. I dodged, making use of my low profile and that I was a piece of metal in the air to avoid each attack.
[Soul Sense] was amazing! I could see them all at the same time without the need to turn my head, so when one tried to attack me from behind, I knew it was already coming to me!
I countered the first one, cutting its wing! It fell into the darkness, having lost its capacity to fly.
A second one fell the same way, and then a third. I was beginning to quickly cut through their number advantage. Thank you, mom and dad, for forcing me into taking Kenjutsu classes! I love it now, but I would not have entered by myself back then!
One screeched, louder than the rest. I felt it did something, but it did not affect me.
[I should add this. Not having ears makes you more immune to Sound Based attacks]
Well, good to know.
Then one began to accumulate Ether in front of it, stopped flying, and formed a large fireball and fired it at me!
I tried to dodge but I did not consider the chance it was going to explode just a couple of meters away from me, and hit me! I got pushed and had to recover my balance against the energy of the explosion to continue floating.
[HP: 07/12]
Dammit! That was too much damage!
[Alert! Possible Leader type monster detected!]
Which one was it? I had to get rid of it before it attempted to explode me again…
One of the bats had a bit more fur and a scar on its side.
<[Iron Defense]!>
My body shone for a few moments, and it was covered on a thin layer of light, most likely the buff I just used!
I moved fast, ready to cut that beast in half! I dodged a couple that came for me, and focused my actions into closing the distance with the Leader Type Bat!
It launched a new fireball.
I held my grip tight, metaphorically, and ran towards danger.
When I practiced Kenjutsu, my teacher always berated me because I was scared of getting hurt. It was an obvious reaction, but it meant I would only play it defensively and never did anything that could put me at risk of being countered. At the end, I got hit by uncountable practice swords because I let my rivals take the initiative.
But, as I continued until I was in university, that fear was gone.
I ran towards the fireball. I knew it was not going to kill me with it, so if it hit me, I would still continue forward.
But I was not going to let it happen. I was just not going to fear getting hit by it.
Before it reached the couple of meters before it exploded, I dodged to the side, circling around it, and intentionally closed in when it was behind me!
The fireball exploded, taking 3 points of damage this time, and pushing me faster towards the bat! Before it managed to escape, I attacked and landed a large deadly cut through its chest, pushing it back!
It hit a wall, taking a piece with it, and fell down the chasm, dead.
The rest of the bats squealed, and ran away having seen their Leader type falling down the chasm, dead.
[You gained 178 XP!]
[Etherial Essence from Multiple Mutated Giant Bats! 80 XP gained!]
[Excess Essence turned into 2x Small Ether Stones!]
At that moment, two small multicolored stones formed in front of me and… they fell down the chasm.
[You gained 2 levels! Level 04/10! Your stats increased! You have been completely healed!]
[HP: 16/16 (+4) MP: 16/16 (+4)]
[STR: 8] (+4)
[DEX: 11] (+6)
[INT: 7] (+4)
[WIS: 3] (+1)
[CHA: 1]
[LCK: -2]
[You unlocked the Inventory System!]
[Iron Defense is now Level 2!]
[Skills gained from Ether consumption!]
[You gained a new skill: Fireball!]
[You gained a new skill: Sonic Screech!]
[Ether Stones are obtained from excess Ether when you cannot hold anymore for the day. Once you reach a certain point, it gets stored on those containers for later use]
[My apologies, but you didn’t have the Inventory System when they were created]
[I don’t have that much control over it]
[Fireball Lv1: Fire Magic Spell - Active - Cast and launch a fireball. 100% Fire element Magic Damage. Cost: 3 MP]
[Sonic Screech Lv1: Sound Magic Spell - Active - Make a sound in a pitch high enough to cause physical damage. 100% Sound element Physical Damage. Cost: 4 MP]
[Iron Defense Lv 2: Magic Skill - Active - Harden your defense, receiving less damage, by 25% for 20s. Cost: 4 MP]
Two attack spells, and my defense skill was more effective. I call that progress.
As for my progress reaching the voice, I was close.
It took a full hour to reach down, where nothing happened. At some point, I got used to flying towards the dark, although I was wondering if there was a bottom to begin with.
And yes, there was. And it was dense in Ethereal Energy.
[The concentration is oddly high. Something big is in here]
Around me were only stones and walls. Some mineral metals, but nothing that could be a big powerful soul. At least, not where my Sense reached.
But lucky me! There was a special stone, shining on multiple colors by the border! When I approached, there was the second! It was the Ether Stones that just dropped! Time to make use of that Inventory System and use them!
And when I approached to take them… something came into view. It was large, spherical, and filled with magical energy, expelling it into the environment.
[High Source of Ether found]
If I had eyes, as I was getting closer, they would be widening to impossible levels.
Inside of the spherical object, although I could only see the silhouette inside of it, was a feminine figure. A woman holding a sword.
“I’m glad you made it.”
Then everything went white.