Two consciousnesses erupted, condensing their individuality, segregating themselves around the newly formed Brain Crystal.

A change enveloped the region, creating a layer, bringing forth a whole new realm, overlapping it on reality. It sucked in the two consciousnesses, leaving behind a stringed trail, causing all the biological processes in the body to slow down to a crawl, as if entering deep hibernation.

There existed a grey fog, thinned out considerably, looking like a transparent filter placed over reality, one akin to the cinematic effects, but of low concentration.

The scene was the same room as before, only thinly greyed out. Two specks of light formed, one blue, and one red, appearing overhead Jyorta. Both of them emerged from his head, spreading apart, creating a distance of 3 metres between them, connected to his body in reality by a strand respectively.

It was a sphere, blue in colour, condensed like a solid object, comprised of mental state, mental apprehensions, mental blocks, upbringing, and logic in the thought process. These myriad mentalities were mixed amid ego like a solute dissolved into a solvent, producing the blue sphere.

It shared a thin connection with Jyorta, siphoning in many memory fragments, forming a skeletal structure around the blue sphere. The emotions were siphoned out, condensing into the flesh and blood, instilling in the projection some semblance of reality.

Finally, the life experiences, the wisdom gained over the course of life was extracted, forming the skin, defining its overall shape, even influencing its skeletal frame. It was a humanoid figure, sharing a resemblance with Kaushik, the character from his previous life.

Mixed into the facial structure and body lines were another person's traits, the Jyorta of the current life. They slightly altered the structure, leaning it towards an androgynous projection. Due to the difference in the functional blocks, the projection retained most of its masculinity.

It was almost 6 feet tall, sporting prominent muscles. Forming on its back were four pairs of arms, one resembling the Floating Spiders, looking transparent to the extent they flickered in and out of existence.

Wrapping around the head was the face of a Floating Spider, its condition the same as the four pairs of arms, existing just as decoration. The eyes shot open, the condensation of consciousness awakening Jyorta.

'So, this is the Mental Realm.' Jyorta realised, feeling his thoughts, logical executions, and emotional pillars at full functionality.

Based on the information imparted by Atika Light, the Mental Realm was a mystical place that wrapped around reality, but was only capable of being interfered with during the process of a breakthrough. Based on her conjecture, it began to form since the appearance of the First Ancestor, turning solid with the subsequent appearance of each Ancestor.

This was where the host and the parasite fought mental battles, pitting their fates against one another. Were the host to win, it would gain some reprieve, the pressure brought about by the Parasite vanishing for the near future.

It would destroy the Parasite's consciousness, leaving it in a vegetative state, but one where its Nurturing continued without pause. Also, slowly fuelled by the influx in memories thanks to the Nurturing, the consciousness of the Parasite would slowly reform. Though, this will consume a long period, giving the host enough time to advance in life experiences.

Were the Parasite to win, it would result in the host body defenceless as it easily gains control of it, the process swift, leaving behind no evidence of having lost control. Moreover, before the consciousness of the host could recover, the Parasite would have gained complete control over the body, preventing the host's consciousness from forming ever again.

Jyorta looked at his condensed body, finding the blue sphere embedded in his body, occupying the position of his heart. The rest of his body looked fluid, a condensation of mist, swirling around gently, lacking definite boundaries.

The projection of the Floating Spider on him was even hazier, making no difference whether it existed or not. He took a step forward, watching it crumble, as a result, lacking the structural integrity and sturdiness to exist.

'If I had comprehended the life experiences in the memory fragments obtained from the Floating Spiders, maybe the projection of them around myself would have turned more solid. This would have given me more advantages in the upcoming fight. But alas, this entire situation was abrupt, having erupted before I could resolve my issues.'

Jyorta gazed opposite to him, watching a red-figure form, spanning only one-fourth his size. It had a serpentine base, sporting a sharp texture, looking extremely thin. Held in a place along its centre was a red sphere, the essence similar to the blue sphere in Jyorta.

The skeletal frame, musculature, and the epidermis was hazy, broiling around the serpentine base, making it resemble a snake. Its body was slightly more condensed than Jyorta's, despite lacking in quantity, leading to a stunted size, but one with more effectiveness.

It sported a face, of a woman, a mix between Heima and someone else. The features retained from Heima were negligent while the features originating from another woman were dominant. The face was attached to the serpentine body, painting a disharmonious resemblance.

Its hair looked like a mane, imbuing in it a regal aura, its appearance looking more human. A pair of arms, human-like appeared along the upper section of its body, looking extremely thin. Finally, its consciousness erupted forth, taking charge, prompting the figure to open her eyes.

She smiled, glancing at Jyorta, exuding confidence unmatched by the other party.

Jyorta glanced around, noticing a yellow barrier, almost transparent, forming a large dome around the region. Situated beyond it were faint swirling shadows, intermixed with a myriad of shades of light.

They were like ghosts, planting what resembled faces on the barrier, their bodies blocked. They watched the two projections inside the dome, pressing their bodies on its surface, steadily inching in.

There were seven bodies already existing in the dome, having seeped inside while the two projections had formed. Like hungry wolves attracted towards openly displayed slabs of meat, the ghost-like figures flew towards the two projections.

"I am Ehara Gobi," The red projection said, looking at Jyorta while sporting a vicious smile, "Know it before you die."

Jyorta's face turned solemn, surprised at hearing the other party speak. Atika Light hadn't ever mentioned about the projections capable of speech even at breakthroughs into Tier 5. Moreover, the red projection asserted herself, as if she had been a conscious living entity all along, surpassing the presence of the Wisdom Parasite's short lifetime.

"I am the remnants of a subsoul, originating from a mysterious expert." Ehara Gobi said, walking towards Jyorta, taking one step at a time. She floated to the air, pausing at the spot where the feet of Jyorta's body lay in the real world.

'Something unexpected occurred two days ago, almost killing me. If not for that, I wouldn't have sought to take refugee here by making use of a faint connection. Though, I am surprised that this individual can also make use of the soul tendrils.' Ehara Gobi raised her right hand, watching the mist circulating her hand spread forward, condensing into a spear.

The spear spanned 2 metres in length, thin to the extent capable of being snapped at the slightest force exertion.

Jyorta stood motionless, the mist around his body forming small clumps, creating and dissipating small mounds and depressions, getting a feel for the control in his body. He focused his attention on the blue core, watching a thin pattern form on it, ink-black in colour.

'So, I have one shot of it. This is surprising, exceeding what I have been informed of. Though, her conjecture has been proved right. But…does this mean…the opponent has something similar? That would make things a lot more difficult.'

In the transparent dome, a small hole had been created, allowing the ghost-like figures to squeeze in like water, thanks to their bodies lacking definite shapes. They raced towards the two projections in droves, their march followed by deafening silence.

The first seven ghost-like figures had approached the two projections by now, their shapeless bodies transforming into all figures, resembling blades, pincers, fans, etc.

Having gained some understanding of his body, Jyorta willed it, allowing the blue sphere in him to pulse once, causing the mist on his arms to proceed forward, turning into disks on his arms. He had chosen the most optimal weapons to fight, one that could both defend and attack.

They were the chakrams, the weapons he came to approve the usage of in recent days. His chakrams weren't as sharp as he desired, looking thin and weak, lacking enough substance to enact a qualitative change.

Under his willpower, they began to spin, soon rising in rpm, allowing their shapes to become sharper, sturdier, and more defined, affected by the spin and the imbued will. Jyorta didn't take a step from his spot, safeguarding the thin strand that connected the blue sphere to his body in reality.

It was this connection that allowed his existence to be fuelled with substance, creating a path for his return to reality. Once it got severed, it would prevent his return to reality, leaving his body in a vegetative state for all eternity. But, since it signified a failure in breakthrough, it would result in his body dying the moment the unstable Brain Crystal explodes.

Moreover, in order to finish the second process, he ought to destroy the red projection and swallow the red sphere in her. This would imbue in him the power to solely control the Brain Crystal in reality and stabilise it, concluding the second phase.

So, he had to fight while protecting his strand from being severed and the blue core in him being stolen.