Lukas came to his senses in complete darkness, feeling cold, dry rock beneath him. There was a sharp pain in his head and his heart pounded uncontrollably. He pushed himself off of his back and looked around, drinking in every inch of his surroundings with growing hysteria.

A particularly cold draft of wind made him realize he was completely naked. Granted, his shirt hadn’t been much and his trousers were just about reaching the length of his boxers, with gaping holes in them. The large belt of monster hide wound around his waist was gone too.

His wrists chafed and his shoulders ached, and he tugged at the bindings around his arms and feet. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

Why hadn’t the healing function set in yet?

Prophylaxis, he thought to himself.

FUNCTION - Prophylaxis

Level - 1

TASK - Ongoing

Estimated Energy Cost - 2,378 units

The estimated energy cost was a large figure, as far as Prophylaxis was concerned. Lukas poured lifeforce into his limbs, and winced as his muscles screamed in protest.

A moment later, the pain was gone, as was the lifeforce, leaving Lukas feeling like he’d just run a marathon. He readied himself once more, attempting to form a sphere of raw lifeforce like he’d gotten accustomed to.

“I would advise against that.”

“Inanna!” Lukas exclaimed elatedly. Even though he was trapped in darkness without his lifeforce, at least she was still there.

Inanna laughed at his response. “It pleases me to know you value my presence so much, mortal.”

He managed to roll his eyes in spite of the pain. “What’s going on?”

“Something unanticipated. The parasite possessed you. You lost control of yourself and gave in to the creature’s instincts.”

Slowly, he began to remember. He had used Kinetomancy to generate friction and create flames to burn those monsters. And then—

“I shut off your lifeforce and forced you into your subconsciousness.”

“The parasite thing created some kind of false reality. In my own mind.” Lukas frowned. “I remember it now. The plaster. The glass shattering. The earthquake—”

“That was your mind trying to break you out.”

“And you helped me.”

“I am owed favors, mortal. I intend to collect.”

He snorted. Of course she did. “Still… Thank you for the help.”

An uncomfortable silence acknowledged his gratitude. “You should look into your Soulscape. Being possessed has had its effects on you.”

Lukas opened his Soulscape immediately.

SOULSCAPE

NAME

Lukas Aguilar

Type

Base Host

Level

4

Experience

417

Current Threshold

640

Utilized Soul Capacity

1479/2379

ESSENCE

Maximum Lifeforce Output

725

Replenishment Rate

180 / hour

SKILL ATTRIBUTES

SKILL

LEVEL

CONSUMED SOUL CAP

Raw Lifeforce Manipulation

1

50

Momentum Manipulation

1

50

Friction Modulation

1

50

Pressure Modulation

1

50

Kinetomancy (FRAGMENTED)

APEX

1279

OMPHALOS ATTRIBUTES

Energy Reservoir Capacity

∞

Current Energy Level

722,429,743 units

OMPHALOS FUNCTIONS

Scan

Level 2 [Upgraded]

Analyze

Level 2 [Upgraded]

Prophylaxis

Level 2 [Upgraded]

Soul Siphon

N/A [New]

Alpha Condition

Level 1 [New]

“Congratulations are in order,” the goddess praised. “It seems you have accomplished something.”

“Wha—but—” he spluttered. “How did it happen? I mean, I didn’t level up yet.” He glanced through the list. A thousand-point increase in Soul Capacity? Upgrades on his omphalos functions? New skills?

He checked the Experience section. 417. That was a minor improvement at best. He had estimated a jump of at least fifty or so points.

“It seems your omphalos took matters into its own hands. Lukas glanced back at his Soulscape. Soul Siphon. Alpha Condition. What are these things?

FUNCTION

LEVEL

ENERGY COST

Soul Siphon

N/A

20

DESCRIPTION

Consumption of Soul Prototypes post the death of the organism and their storage in the Monster Prototype Array.

FUNCTION

LEVEL

ENERGY COST

Alpha Condition

1

Variable

DESCRIPTION

Allows for Allowed Possession of Host Body by Monster Prototypes and eventual release of Host Body upon completion. Passive resistance against mental intrusion.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Lukas muttered, running his fingers through his hair, trying to digest the sudden series of surprises. Consumption of soul prototypes? Had he consumed that wraith? Was it now inside his body?

MONSTER PROTOTYPE ARRAY

RACE

SOUL SIZE

Yurei

1050

Define it.

MONSTER PROTOTYPE: YUREI

DESCRIPTION

Spiritual Parasite. Energy Core constitutes mana forge for Ether. Capable of creating False Constructs using Metamancy. Enhances the lifeforce production of the victim at the expense of rationality.

SKILLS

LEVEL

SOUL CAP CONSUMED

Possession

2

500

Conjuration

2

500

Disintegration

1

50

Right, thank you, Lukas shuddered. The monster soul was now stored within him. Show me my skills.

SKILL ATTRIBUTES

SKILL

LEVEL

CONSUMED SOUL CAP

Raw Lifeforce Manipulation

1

50

Momentum Manipulation

1

50

Friction Modulation

1

50

Pressure Modulation

1

50

Kinetomancy (FRAGMENTED)

APEX

1279

SKILL

LEVEL

SOUL CAPACITY CONSUMED

Friction Modulation

1

50

DESCRIPTION

Allows for manipulation of frictional forces. Sub-abilities include Deceleration, Resistance Modulation, Heat Manipulation, and Motion Negation.

Lukas blinked in shock. That was far more comprehensive of a description than he’d seen before. Not one to look a gift horse in its mouth, he checked the rest.

SKILL

LEVEL

SOUL CAPACITY CONSUMED

Pressure Modulation

1

50

DESCRIPTION

Allows for manipulation of pressure. Sub-abilities include Expansion, Compression, and Vacuum Creation.

SKILL

LEVEL

SOUL CAPACITY CONSUMED

Raw Lifeforce Manipulation

1

50

DESCRIPTION

Allows for manipulation of raw lifeforce within the body. Sub-abilities include Body Augmentation, Lifeforce Absorption and Neural Suppression.

SKILL

LEVEL

SOUL CAPACITY CONSUMED

Momentum Manipulation

1

50

DESCRIPTION

Allows for manipulation of lifeforce within the body. Sub-abilities include Acceleration, Force Generation, Manipulation & Transference.

SKILL

LEVEL

SOUL CAPACITY CONSUMED

Kinetomancy [Fragmented]

APEX

1279

DESCRIPTION

Allows for Motion Negation, Deflection, Telekinetic Maneuvers and ████ ███ ██ █████

“That’s weird,” Lukas said curiously. This was the first time he’d ever seen redacted text in his Screen. Futilely he raised his hand, straining to produce lifeforce in his palm, and sighed at the failure. It was torturous, having so many new skills yet lacking the ability to try them out.

“A little patience would do you good, mortal. The bindings on your person are blocking your lifeforce. If you attempt to force some out, it will pool at the source and cause lifeforce poisoning.”

Lukas tried to get loose by working his limbs methodically and testing the ropes, but it was hard to tell whether he was making any progress. After a few minutes, he turned over and lay face-first, too tired to struggle as his bound limbs screamed out in protest. The pendant was squeezed between his chest and the floor. Lukas idly wondered why his kidnapper had left it on him. “They are incapable of sensing it.”

What do you mean?

“I cast a Veil of Ignorance on the pendant when I first took control over your frail form. No one who does not know about the pendant may sense it.”

So…it’s invisible.

Inanna sniffed imperiously at the description. “To all mortal senses, yes.”

Except for mine. Lukas cursed, wincing at the discomfort he was feeling against his rib cage.

“Do not overexert yourself. Let the healing do its job.”

Right. The healing. For some reason, whatever stopped him from accessing his lifeforce hadn’t affected the omphalos or the reserves within him.

Prey found you.

The door opened, and a sudden light stabbed at his pupils. Two people came through with a pair of floating torches lighting the way.

Whatever joy and surprise he’d hoped to feel from meeting another person was extinguished by the knowledge that they’d bound and imprisoned him.

“Let me out of here!”

The two figures didn’t so much as look at him. The larger, masculine one took a place closer to the wall on the opposite side, while the other took a few steps in his direction. She stepped up close and lifted off the hood covering her face, revealing a twenty-something girl with jet-black locks that fell on both sides of her face and matching eyes. She had a little Cupid’s bow of a mouth, framed by small dimples on either side that contrasted her squared-off chin that stopped an eyelash shy of masculine. Her dark eyes flashed with amusement as her lustrous jet-black hair came free of its hood. But perhaps the most striking thing about her was the strength in her expression, and the confidence in her gaze.

“Nhueut fer yakho ah e nhueat fer yakho djoo’lin layhte?”

“…I don’t understand,” Lukas replied.

The girl edged closer to him. “Yakho djoo’lin layhte?”

He wildly shook his face, trying to get rid of his binds. Seriously, who were these people? “I’ve got no clue what you’re saying.”

That made her pause. She barked some orders to the man in the shadows, who grunted back. She then turned back to face him.

“Nhueut fer yakho ah e nhueat fer yakho djoo’lin layhte?”

Lukas didn’t know what she’d done, but there was something in her words this time around. A most primal desire to reply to her question arose within him. He opened his mouth, and said, “I really, really don’t understand what you are saying.”

“…”

Can you understand her? Lukas thought clearly.

“I may.”

May?

“I am weighing the pros and cons of doing so.”

What’s that supposed to mean—

His mental diatribe was cut short as the girl grabbed his face and pushed him back in a most unorthodox fashion. Lukas felt his muscles strain as he was pushed back onto his knees, his legs still tied around the ankles, until he was sitting siesta in Japanese fashion.

Analyze?

Unable to analyze verbal languages.

The girl barked something to the man in the shadows a second time. Within seconds, a third person entered the room. He was a soldier, or at least appeared to be one based on his attire. Brown bangs for hair, a sort of forgettable face, metal-plated chest armor, and a metallic skirt on the waist to protect his valuables. All he needed was a Corinthian helmet, and he’d be perfect for an extra in a medieval fantasy movie.

“Rhoussewudz leyht!” she barked.

“Leyht?” the man asked, visibly surprised by the sudden demand.

Lukas had a suspicion that he was not going to like what followed. “Look,” he tried, futilely trying to move his hands, “can we just talk about this? I really mean you no—”

The soldier toppled over onto the floor with a resounding thud.

“…harm.”

Lukas’s eyes widened, and a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. Did that—did the soldier just…die? Was this some kind of interrogation technique? A threat? As every second passed, he felt more and more nervous. Were they going to kill him next? Were—

“Cease your mental drivel and look,” the goddess chided.

Lukas paused. And looked. And kept on looking, his eyes widening with growing horror, as motes of light began to arise out of the fallen man, coalescing together to form a—

OhMyGodwhatthehellisthat—

An eight-legged canine took shape, with three pairs of eyes, a maw too sharp for his liking, and one of those sigils engraved between its eyes. The creature let out an unearthly growl.

“Let’s not do anything hasty,” he said in a panic, slipping in his haste at trying to escape. “No no NO DON’T—”

It dove at him.

…

…

…

When he woke up next, Lukas found himself facedown on the floor, with his legs aching to no end. Merely breathing felt like a motion that stretched at sore muscles. He felt ravenously thirsty and hungry, and considering the complaints from his bladder, he’d been out for quite a while.

He looked around. The prison was still there, only this time, his arms were no longer bound behind his back. But they weren't free either. Strange metallic bracelets were wrapped against his wrists, ankles, and abdomen. Startled, he looked at his own body, checking himself. That hound-like wraith thing had dived into his body, hadn’t it? What had it done to him? Another possession?

Lukas pushed himself up and looked around. There was no one in the room.

He rubbed his face with his palms and leaned against the wall. His body felt healed, though he still couldn’t feel any lifeforce flooding into his body. These bracelets, whatever they did, were keeping it sealed away.

Show me the Monster Prototype Array.

MONSTER PROTOTYPE ARRAY

RACE

ENERGY CORE

SOUL SIZE

Yurei

Mana (Ether)

1050

Reiki

Mana (Ether)

1550

Holy— Another one?

MONSTER PROTOTYPE: REIKI

DESCRIPTION

Wraith-like parasitic creature. Capable of Altering the physiological structure of its host to a minor extent. Enhances lifeforce production of Host at the expense of rationality.

SKILLS

LEVEL

SOUL CAP CONSUMED

Possession

1

50

Conjuration

2

500

Disintegration

2

500

Raw Lifeforce Manipulation

2

500

What is this, some kind of “Possess Lukas” day?

“Cease your whining, mortal,” Inanna said irritably. “If anything, you are the one who stands to profit. The Soul Siphon function is quite reliable that way.”

“Until the one time it isn’t, and then I’d be too dead to complain about it,” he muttered. “Not to mention I can’t understand a damn thing these people—”

“Be silent. Someone approaches.”

Prey found you.

The familiar, black-haired girl stepped through the door, followed by the man who had originally stood in the shadows. This time, the lighting was a little better, so he could see his face. Clean-shaved, with strange cracks across his skull that looked too large to be just left open like that, the man looked to be in his fifties. Just who were these peo—creatures? More reiki? Or, perhaps, yurei?

Analyze.

Insufficient data.

Neither then. Great.

“Listen,” Lukas began heatedly, “you don’t just try to possess people because they entered some—”

“Yhell mehd, khaan yakho…duunhd’and nhueat ah’d…saying, can you?”

“Come again?”

“I asked,” she testily repeated, “who are you?”

He frowned. Why was he suddenly able to understand her? Was it because of the Soul Siphon? Had he magically understood their language because he had absorbed it?

Language Identified—Ualbesh

Replicating…

It took him everything not to react to the sudden notification.

Ualbesh? Never heard of that one.

“Listen, I began—”

“So,” the stranger drawled, her eyebrows slightly raised, “you are capable of speaking it.”

Lukas narrowed his eyes. What language did she think he was speaking in?

She tilted her head slightly as she observed him. “Interesting. You speak it fluently, and I think you understand it too. Do you believe you are speaking in your own native tongue?”

“I am…not?”

The girl took a step back. “Tell me, what language do you think we are speaking?”

Lukas frowned. “English?”

“In-lis?”

Something inside of him died. Lukas knew he was being hopelessly optimistic, but he really wanted her to recognize that term. It was official—this was not Earth. These people might look human, but they weren’t from his planet. This was…somewhere else.

“Rejoice!” Inanna said bitingly. “Now you have more proof.”

How am I doing this? Because of the Soul—

“No. The translation and replication of languages are two of the pendant’s many functions. I merely allowed you access to it.”

What languages?

“Any.”

…Any?

“Every language that has existed, exists, and will exist.”

I hate to be the one to point this out, but what you say makes zero sense.

“How utterly devastating.”

I’m serious, Lukas mentally replied, trying to avoid looking at the black-haired girl’s eyes. There can’t exist a universal translator without knowledge of all languages first. I can understand mana turning into elements, but how do you translate a language that does not yet exist?

“You simply need to look beyond your illusions of linear existence.”

“I wonder,” his interrogator spoke again. “Do you know what language you are actually speaking?”

Slowly, carefully, Lukas shook his head. “What am I speaking? It sounds like English.”

“Ualbesh. It’s a common language around here. Does that sound familiar to you?”

Lukas shook his head again.

“Interesting.” She turned to the other man. “Qwe Fyt tha—do you think, Nihil?”

Language Identified—Felleisen

Replicate?

No, Lukas thought hard. Just keep translating.

“He does look bremetan, Solana,” the strange man—or man-like creature—said. He had a gravelly voice and spoke in slow, gathered sentences. “Few bremetans can resist possession, let alone twice. But it doesn’t seem that he has become an obake, or…an oni.”

Oni? As a diligent student of mythology, it was a rather familiar term. From Japanese folklore, oni were large, scary creatures, some taller than even trees. They were mostly depicted with horns, red or blue skin, and fang-like tusks, and were said to bring disaster, disease, and punish the damned in hell.

Lukas found himself mildly offended. He certainly was not an oni.

“Do you understand me now?” the girl—Solana—spoke up again.

Still Felleisen.

“Uh…what? I can’t understand you. Is this still… What did you call it? Woolways?”

The slight irritation that flickered across Solana’s face made his inner child happy. “Ualbesh,” she corrected. “And no. We were speaking in Felleisen.”

Language Identified—Ualbesh

“Ah,” Lukas replied. “Yes. I can understand you now. No clue why. What…” He donned a look of intense wariness. “What have you done to me?”

Solana ignored his question entirely. “Who are you? How did you arrive here?”

“I’m not from around here. I was caught in an accident—”

“What kind of accident?”

“A spell gone wrong,” he lied. “The next thing I knew, I found myself inside this cave.”

“Where are you from?” she demanded.

“Earth.” He felt a pang in his heart at the lack of familiarity in her expression. “I’m from the US. Surely you’ve heard of it?”

“He’s bluffing,” the man—Nihil—said in Felleisen. “He’s making it all up.”

“And the language?” Solana threw back in the same tongue. “Did he make that up as well? How does someone who speaks Ualbesh and is immune to possession drop into the desert out of nowhere?”

Lukas filed the information away. Was he in a desert? An anomaly cavern inside a desert?

“What race are you?” she asked. “Bremetan?”

There was that term again. Bremetan. What did it mean? “I’m a human.”

“Hue-mane?”

“Human,” Lukas corrected.

“Human. From Yu-Es? Is it a kingdom in your lands?”

Lukas made an elaborate show of gulping. “I guess…I guess my fears were right. This isn’t Earth. I’m in a different world, aren’t I? A different realm?”

Nihil made a strangled choking noise. Solana, on the other hand, maintained her calm, dispassionate expression, her ice-cold eyes observing his every movement.

“Is it?” he demanded again, adding some hysteria into his voice.

Solana gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “That is a tall assumption. I assume you have a name?”

“Lukas. Lukas Aguilar.”

“Not a bremetan name, Aguilar. It’s not a clan name, is it?”

“It’s my surname.”

Her lips curled. “I see. What do you think, Nihil?”

Language Identified—Faecani

Replicate?

No, Lukas thought with a mental frown. Just keep translating until I say so.

The man walked up closer, looking oddly disturbed. “I…do not know what to say,” he continued in fluent Faecani. “If what he says is the truth then…do you think—”

Solana sighed. “No, this is not the time for that nonsense.”

“But the reiki is gone. It’s clear it hasn’t possessed him. It was definitely killed during the attempt,” Nihil exclaimed.

Solana hummed thoughtfully. “I will admit, I have never heard of anyone killing a reiki, let alone a yurei, in that particular way. Resist possession, perhaps. But kill? No. He is speaking Ualbesh, so I thought he might have absorbed the reiki. But the reiki could speak Faecani too, yet he does not seem to understand it.”

Solana peered at him with narrowed eyes and continued to speak in fluent Faecani. “Is his soul naturally immune to possession, or is it a matter of high resistance? The reiki was a weakling. The yurei guards, on the other hand…”

“What are you suggesting?” Nihil croaked. “Surely—”

“We have to know what is going on with this Outsider! If he even is an Outsider.” Her dark eyes narrowed. “Bring in Quonnan. Arrange a trial by combat.”

Lukas felt a cold shiver drawl down his spine. “What are you saying?” he tried. “Please, just let me go. We can forget any of this ever happened.”

Her mirthless smile vanished at his question, and she switched back to Ualbesh again. “I wish to know what happened to that reiki that attempted to possess you. You are going to face one of my fighters. Quonnan. She is a kasha. Do you know what that is?”

He shook his head.

“Always an uphill climb,” Solana murmured. “We wish to see how you perform against her. Or rather, if there is any bit of my soldier left within you.”

This is my chance. Now or never.

Lukas raised his arms. “I can’t use lifeforce because of these bands. You want me to fight? Fine. But at least free me first.”

“Fear not. You will be freed of those shackles before the trial. Give us a good fight, or it may very well be your last.” With those ominous words, Solana stood up and walked away with Nihil following suit, leaving a thoughtful Lukas behind.