Ch:69 – The change? *

Year 5015, day 2 of the decaying season.

"Ah!" I gasped for some air as if missing for a while. 

"Where?" I looked around, finding the familiarity of my room.

"That was quite a nightmare." Quickly, I changed to a sitting position, noticing Aurora wasn't closeby.

I touched my arms and my face; everything seemed to be as it should.

The three soulstones were left behind. I picked the green one and turned it to one side, examining it, then checked from a different angle, eventually putting it back.

"I should have given them better soulstones." I tapped my forehead with my left hand, holding my waist with my right one.

"What if I got too corrupted?" I nodded a few times. There was a chance things went incredibly wrong. Maybe I could have even lost myself.

"I think I did well. I can always farm some mana, even if it takes a long time."

I calmly looked at my status skill and all the aspects, finding out what parts changed.

[

Race: Half-human | Half-kitsune

]

"Just what in the world did I eat?"

The affiliation hadn't changed, so in the system view, I was likely more human than kitsune. This could also explain why my appearance hadn't changed.

"Though I must admit that I feel good." My body had never felt better, almost as if this was meant to be. 

From my dream, I hadn't noticed too many differences between humans and kitsune. There were a few physical traits and a more supernatural about one's name. However, considering I was half kitsune, none of it should affect me. Or so I hoped. Many knew my name. There was also a chance that such didn't apply in this world.

I sighed for a moment.

I haven't worked in my field for quite a while now. The moon season, coldest of the year, the ruthless yet beautiful snow had ruined any prospecting harvest. It was like this every year, and I didn't always get seeds back.

While the income was still on the positive side, it was not a long-term investment. 

I wanted to find a seed that could withstand the whole year or even a place that would not allow plants to die.

"Farming, library, quests, party members, herbs, alchemy, injecting mana..." The list was large, and I became overwhelmed with everything I had to do to get stronger.

My heart ached, and a bit of anxiety polluted me from within.

I dropped to my knees and rested my face on the mirror, eyes closed.

"Isn't this a cruel world?"

Kagami: You can make a better world beyond the mirror. 

"A nicer one," I added with a throbbing smile.

Kagami: Nonetheless, this world must not lose to the other races. Your world is too small to survive for a long time.

"How do I develop it further?"

Kagami: The best way would be to eat soulstones.

"To get more soul?"

Kagami: Correct. It would increase your soul size. Thus, your world would equally expand.

"Too dangerous."

Kagami: Another way is to feed them to your grimoire.

"Right. She has no race. That could work."

Kagami: Just as you can transfer skills to her through soul connection, the other way can work too.

"Soul that she consumes too." My eyes widened. I could use Aurora to cleanse the race factor out of the soulstones, leaving only their power to expand my world.

Kagami: In the sage world, spells were stored in grimoires. 

"I did that with my appraisal skill."

Kagami: The sage was obsessed with knowledge. He created many spells. A wise, wicked man, who stopped at nothing.

"There is a reason Aurora lost to him."

Kagami: He was supported by the gods.

"The curse that was inside of you said he could feel him."

Kagami: Then he must be on his way to this world. Either he turns into an ally or an enemy, beware.

"Thank you for the advice." Despite being grateful, I already had him in my to be faraway list.

"How about the hero?"

Kagami: From what I know, she managed to kill the empress of the kitsune empire. However, she couldn't beat the calamity that the empress raised.

"A calamity?"

Kagami: Even the sage couldn't help but seal her guardian inside of me.

"Wait a moment. Are you saying that Aura wasn't sealed? Then who was that?"

Notice: Aurora used the power of her memory within the space created in your soul to shelter you from the kitsune illusion.

I gulped. 

Just how powerful could the real deal be, then?

"Where is she?"

Kagami: She was likely killed by the hero and the sage after sealing her guardian in me. From what I know, the one you call Aurora was her armor and shield.

"I'd better not become enemies with those two."

I dressed for snow, then entered the mirror.

"She was killed..." I mumbled. "Was that why Aura said that about Aurora gaining a new master?"

I spent all the mana I had till only one point left. There was a need to inject it into the soulstones, to nurture these egos.

"What will happen once they have enough?" Despite not knowing the answer, I was committed to the task. I knew about not ignoring them and hearing them in some way, but their voices had been gone for a while now. Sometimes, they had spewed some good advice. Other times, they were completely insane. Even more so than Aurora, who had all the reasons in the world for it.

"The path to become true..." was the biggest hint, but also the most complex one to decipher. 

I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders.

"Eight soulstones... and me nine." I got hold of one of them, the one I had named Anastasia, the ego of obsessed love.

"Can you talk? Anastasia?"

Notice: Soul-bond has reacted.

Anastasia: Yes, my adorable master.

"What should I do with you guys?" I sought advice from this unknown source. The books I had checked from the Einstein library were likely not going to have this type of heretic knowledge.

Anastasia: Fill me with your love. That way, I'll mature fast and will be able to be by your side.

I gulped. Two hundred thousand was easier to get than a million mana.

"By my side?" I wondered what she meant by that.

Anastasia: Yes, my precious master.

I narrowed my eyes at her flattery. Still, if what she said was true, I would have an extra pair of hands soon.