Nar snuck out of the tent so as to not disturb the others, and after a quick stop by the facilities, he stepped through the open exit of the external tent.

  I guess they’re keeping it open for fresh air. Not like there are bugs here, and as for beasts or those people chasing after Leon and the others, a closed patch of fabric wouldn’t do much to stop them, Nar thought, as he eyed the placid expanse of dark waters stretching before him. The lake was crisscrossed with lines of neon blue and lilac travelling across the water to break upon the shore in colorful swirls of neon red, green and pink.

  The air was even cooler at this early hour, and just as muted as Nar remembered. As though they were separated from reality, recovering in their own little bubble of time and space, inside which there was nothing but them, pebbles and the sound of crashing waves.

  Well, there’s that too, Nar thought, glancing back to stare up at the towering plumes of red Miasma emanating from the Hungry Jungle’s boundary.

  He couldn’t help a grimace at the thought of having to wade back into that maze of red air and black, twisted brambles and thorns. Hope that damned hydra doesn’t show up again…

  He doubted it would. It seemed that the dungeon guardian had sent the beast not in order for them to defeat the Lord of the Hungry Jungle, but as a means to further test them for their hidden, escape quest. With that quest behind them, he doubted the beast would show up again.

  “Nar! Shit! You’re awake!”

  Row stood up from what appeared to be a game of cards between her, Tun, Cor, Sej and Mach.

  “How are you feeling?” Row asked, scampering across the pebbles to reach him. “You’ve been asleep for almost five days! What happened?”

  Nar offered her a smile that was half-grimace. “The System knocked me out. Looks like I breached the safety threshold for gains.”

  “What?”

  “Really? Is that what happened?” Mach asked. The vanore leaned back to look up at Nar with his gray and blue lined eyes. “Xu’Yot… That's actually really hard to manage. I think it happened to Leon once, before we met, but that’s the only case I personally know of. You must have gotten some crazy gains!”

  “You can say that,” Nar said, scratching the back of his neck.

  “Crystal… Your [Ego]!” Row said, her eyes going wide as she checked his updated status. “And that [???] also… Wait, did you gain in [Presence]? I thought you didn’t know how to use it?”

  “I have no idea how that happened,” Nar said. “Well, I do have an idea, but I want to try something out first. Do you mind? I just want to get a little bit of practice in before everyone’s up.”

  “I don’t mind… but are you sure you should be doing that?” Row asked. “Jasphaer should have a look at you first, no? I know he’s been healing you, but…”

  Nar grinned at her. “Don’t worry. I’m good as new! Better actually… Somehow. Anyways, I won’t do anything crazy. I just want to test something out.”

  “Alright then. We’ll keep an eye on you just in case.”

  “Thanks!”

  With a wave at the others, Nar wandered off a ways from camp. He pushed out his senses as he walked, and soon he could pick the individual heartbeats of everyone behind him. Pushing his [Sight], he found that he couldn’t see anything beyond the water’s horizon, meaning that either the lake went on for a lot longer than he had initially expected it, or that he couldn’t see anything beyond the great waterfalls that fed the other starting area of the Brightnight, the Marshlands.

  Thank the Crystal that these senses are controllable. Imagine always being able to hear or see like this? And thank Everything for [Awareness] doing all the heavy lifting of deciphering them, Nar thought, as he caught sight of a nice spot by the shore.

  It is beautiful here, and really quiet, he thought, eyeing the colorful swirl at his feet. Pile. When was the last time my head was this quiet?

  He shook his head. Let’s just get started.

  He pulled out his scarred, iridescent blade and froze at its sight before he could cycle.

  Oh, that’s right… You were going crazy back there!

  Right now, the blade in his hands behaved as it always did, by doing absolutely nothing.

  Right, probably only happens inside the Miasma. Well, I promised we would figure this out, and we will. But right now, let’s focus on [Aura Blade] first.

  Nar brought the sword level to his face, and slowly, ever so gently, reached for the brilliant ball of shifting grays that was his core.

  Crystal, you’ve grown huge since we entered this dungeon, Nar thought, as the comforting sensation of his burning aura poured from his core and spread across his pathways. And no pain. Heh! I was right. Let’s try this then.

  Using a small amount of the total aura his [Mastery] now allowed him, Nar swung the sword horizontally, unleashing a bright edge of [Aura Blade] over the placid, dark mirror that was the lake. Since there was barely any aura in it, its low, air distorting growl was thankfully reduced. Plus, there was something in that purple tinted air that muffled all and any noise.

  Damn… He thought, as dual lines of light rushed forth, one from his skill and the other from its mirror image over the waters. It feels so smooth now.

  And he swung again, sending another edge of light over the waters. This time, he controlled its size, and his eyebrows rose at how perfectly the skill obeyed his instructions. There was no noticeable change in the skills description for upgrading to [Aura Blade 2], other than a damage increase, so this meant this new control was all his doing and that of his increased [Ego].

  And potentially [Presence] too… Damn, this is so awesome! He thought, firing off another skill at a different length. From now on, I can fight without worrying about wasted aura, or the tightness in the jungle. Maybe I can stop being so worried about hitting someone, too.

  However, the real test was yet to come, and Nar paused to consider the sword in his hands.

  Two Nars… Two wills. Let’s try this… A vertical cut that shifts to the left.

  He slashed forward, unleashing his aura once more, and watched intently as his aura completely ignored his instructions.

  “Hmm. That was just one will. How in the Pile do I split it?”

  He lowered the blade to the pebbles and the deep, twilight purple horizon disappeared before him, replaced by black scales and forked purple tongues.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Back then, I had my intention, which was to destroy the brambles supporting the hydra, he thought, seeing the scene in his mind, his eyes zeroing in on the spot he’d judged was most likely to collapse on hit. And then, I realized that I was going to miss and the blade shifted midair… But that wasn’t me.

  He inhaled deeply, reveling in the quiet sigh of the waves at his feet.

  As far as he could discern, there were two possibilities as to why his [Aura Blade] had moved on its own. First, his intention to hit that precise spot had carried on with the skill, and it had been what had actually caused the blade to change trajectories, and even to stretch its length a bit, if he hadn’t seen wrong. However, as he had just attempted, that didn’t feel right, nor was it close to what his actual need was. He needed a blade that behaved as though it was sapient, reacting to every battle condition and surprise as though it was being wielded by another him. That’s what he had been aiming for, so this first option didn’t work for him.

  And so, he turned to the second possibility, the one he’d so far accepted.

  A separate part of him went out with the edge of aura and controlled the skill independently with updated will or intentions while he, the “first” Nar, maintained the intent that held the skill together. This was how he hoped to bypass the need for [Shaping] and [Creativity].

  But part of that still doesn’t fully make sense, Nar thought. Unless I truly think of [Aura Blade] as something I unleash and hold together while another part of me controls it as if it really was another fighter. It seems a bit much when you consider that [Aura Blade] doesn’t usually last more than a few seconds, but what if it can be more in the future? What if I can control multiple blades at once, each with their own will that I don’t need to control or worry about?

  The thought caused a shiver to trickle down his spine. Multiple blades of aura? Acting independently to eradicate his enemies? It was quite the image.

  But that’s neither here nor now. Like it or not, I’m not Cen. I can’t be as creative as her nor shape aura with my bare hands like she does. It’s not me, nor does it fit into my hybrid path, which is already as complicated as it is, Nar decided. But imagine I could control multiple [Aura Blade]s… I can’t fire them off and then stand still in the middle of a fight, focused on controlling them. No. This is the only way. And so…

  He raised the blade before him again, filling it with aura.

  I don’t care what you do, but do something. A second me or not, we need to be working together on this.

  And the blade came down once more unleashing his aura.

  Just as it parted the very air before him, leaping forth from his sword, so there was sharpness of vertigo, as though Nar was suddenly being flung forward. As before, during his battle against the illatrian, and then against the hydra, he felt himself becoming… Two.

  His true self watched the edge of aura rushing over the lake with slowly widening eyes, even moving backwards to catch himself from that sudden rush of vertigo. But then there was… Something else. He couldn’t tell if it was a someone, or just really a separate part of him that carried an echo of his needs and intentions. But whatever it was, it grasped the [Aura Blade] tightly under its command, and flipped the blade from vertical slash, to a horizontal one. Or it attempted to anyway.

  The vertical slash tilted several degrees and then righted itself once again, and there was a… Grin?

  In shock, Nar let go of his [Aura Blade] and its explosion lit up the skies and the waters across the lake’s surface. With his heart thumping against his throat, he stared wide eyed at the explosion of shifting grays.

  What… Was… That?

  Had he just imagined that? Someone smiling… Someone else smiling back at him.

  Maybe I’m doing something I shouldn’t, he thought, a shiver running down his spine. Maybe this is something I really don’t understand…

  But what choice was there? Stop and wait for Tys and the Master of Blades’ guidance? Hopefully, it would all work as intended.

  “Looks like you’re getting there.”

  Nar’s [Awareness] had picked up on and correctly identified the owner of the footsteps, so Nar managed a stunned half nod for his party leader.

  “You okay?” Kur asked, frowning. “Did it not work? I mean, looks like you can fully control the size now, and that crazy idea of yours to fully control your [Aura Blade] is also getting in shape? It seemed to tilt…”

  Nar shook his head and sighed. “Yeah… I just… For a moment there, it really felt like it was someone else taking over.”

  Kur pursed his lips and eyed the remnants of Nar’s aura explosion.

  “Really? Well, if you start losing your mind, please tell us, yeah?”

  “Sure thing,” Nar said, and to be honest, he couldn’t tell whether Kur was joking or being serious. Probably a bit of both.

  “Anyways, looks like you’re back in shape, and congrats on your pain resistance skill too!” Kur said, slapping Nar’s back. Then a shadow passed through his face. “I know what it took to finally—”

  “If you’re going to say thank you, or that you’ve failed as leader, you can forget it, Kur,” Nar said, grinning at his party leader.

  Kur tutted and opened his mouth to speak, then groaned.

  “I did what I had to do. Same with everyone else and that’s that. You didn’t go around thanking everyone who carried people out of there personally, did you?” Nar asked. “Actually, knowing you, you did, didn’t you? Ugh, Kur!”

  “What? What’s so wrong about that?” Kur muttered.

  Nar sighed and squeezed his party leader’s shoulder. “That’s alright. It’s who you are, so never change, I guess. Anyways, I’m all good and ready for a fight. So, what’s the plan?”

  “Bah. It’s what you expect. We’ve started delving into the Hungry Jungle again yesterday,” Kur said, bending down to pick up a pebble. “Leon and Row’s parties went in while we stayed behind to watch the camp and you, just in case, and it went just about what you would expect. Without being half-dead from crashing out of the skies, having to carry over half the domain party unconscious, and being careful to manage the [Touch of Rot], things went a lot smoother. Of course, there were tears in the suits and injuries, so it is impossible to avoid the debuff. Since we need to be out of the jungle to clear it and heal, it slows us down, but it’s more a pain in the ass to be managed than an issue, as long as we don’t go in too far.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Nar said.

  “Part of me wonders if we could’ve taken that hydra, had we been at full health, prepared, and with a strategy in place to deal with each head and that poison. Ah, what in the Pile am I saying? Maybe I've gotten addicted to great gains, uh?” Kur said, and sent the stone skipping across the lake. “Oh, I got it this time…”

  “How did you do that?” Nar asked, as Kur picked up another dark pebble.

  “Look for one that is flat and thin, and when you throw it, add a spin to it. Like this,” Kur said, demonstrating it.

  THLUMP!

  “Well, I guess I need more practice,” the party leader said, pursing his lips. “Anyways, if you’re ready for combat, we can head into the miasma… Is what I want to say, but I heard there was an issue with your sword?”

  “Yeah…” Nar said, bending down to look for a pebble that matched Kur’s description.

  “So, this is what your master meant,” Kur said, and pointed. “Try that one.”

  Nar weighted the stone in his hands and then tried to imitate Kur’s movement.

  “Damn,” Kur said, eyeing as the stone effortlessly skipped across the still surface of the lake. “With all those physical attributes, sometimes I wonder if we’re even still the same kind of sapients. Even I am stronger than a lot of the non-physical civilian classes.”

  “Right?” Nar asked, and he bent down to pick up another stone. “Look.”

  And he closed his fingers over it, shattering it with ease. When he opened it to show Kur, the altei whistled at the sight of the broken black bits and dust in his hand.

  “It’s a good thing we started out with small increments… Imagine getting all that [Strength] all at once,” Nar said, shaking his head as he cleared his hands.

  “Have you noticed that Mul’s been throwing beasts around?” Kur asked, chuckling.

  “I have,” Nar snorted. “He even crushed that rock beast’s armor before, didn't he? His fists are basically fiery blunt weapons at this stage. Oh, actually! Did you know he shot fire from his hands?”

  “I heard! He’s been trying to do it again, but so far, no luck,” Kur said, throwing and watching his stone sink once again. “Guess there’s something about combat that just pushes people over the edge.”

  “Probably because you can’t overthink it. You just do it and live, or you don’t and you die,” Nar said.

  “Probably,” Kur said, sighing. “But back to your sword, have you figured out what the issue was? Or is? Is it just reacting to the hunger aether in there or…”

  “I don’t know,” Nar said. “I do have a feeling that it’s more than that, though. The blade was sort of… Eating my aura too? Though in the end it did end up unleashing it when I needed it most.”

  Kur blinked at him. “It did what? On-on its own?”

  “Yeah, I know how crazy that sounds but, I’m pretty sure it did it all on its own,” Nar said. “It even reached into my core and prepared [Aura Blade]s for me. It's actually half a reason why I burned myself so badly. I couldn’t stop the sword. Eum had to knock it out of my hands and just touching it hurt him. That’s how much aura was inside the sword back then…”

  “Pile,” Kur said, holding his chin and staring at the colorful swirl of water at his feet with a distant look. “We can’t have you not go back in. You need the levels. Which means we need to figure this out so you can start fighting properly again. Besides, maybe your sword is trying to upgrade again?”

  “Into an even greater hunger affinity?” Nar asked, making a face. “Is that a good idea?”

  Kur shrugged. “It hasn’t been a bad one yet?”

  “True. Very true,” Nar said. “Alright, let’s go and get this figured out, then.”