Forming a Core

Adrian entered his mentor's workshop and looked for Aernas. He called a few times and did not hear an answer so he looked near the bookshelves and discovered a child sleeping with a pile of papers over him. Adrian nudged the body to check if it was dead but the body suddenly jolted up and yawned.

Adrian heaved a sigh of relief as it seems Aernas was just sleeping due to exhaustion. He asked what happened and it seems his guess was correct as Aernas told him that the latter was just asleep because he got to engrossed on his research that he did not sleep for ten days.

"So what brings you here my dear apprentice? I have not called for you which means you have something that needs my assistance." Aernas inquired.

"I was just wondering if you have any idea on how do I condense my core. I was hoping on getting an idea from you since you are probably the most learned person here. I asked Jianna but all she said was just about love and stuff." Adrian said while adding a bit of praise.

Aernas chuckled before he answered, "She told you that because Jianna is an Eros or in layman terms a Love Demon. 'One must look inside in order to become stronger' that was is the saying that is most sacred in our race."

Adrian was still puzzled and Aernas felt his apprentice's lack of knowledge so he spoke more.

"Unlike other races that evolve, our race changes are glaringly obvious. A lesser demon cannot overpower a greater demon more so if it is an arch demon and there are only three arch demons currently living with us. When we evolve our species also changes which means the very cell structure of our body changes but not our souls thus we retain being demons." Aernas said.

"That still does not answer my question." Adrian grumbled.

"What I am trying to say my dear apprentice is that only you by yourself can further improve yourself because it is not something I can help you with. Try to look inside you and see for yourself on what you can do to become stronger. In the end, you can only rely on yourself as all life adheres by the context of 'Survival of the Fittest'." Aernas said with a stern tone.

Adrian bid goodbye as he did not have any more questions and he doubts if he would get a clear and concise answer as even the smartest NPC was being cryptic. He mulled over the words of his scribe mentor as he knows that there must have been clues as Aernas would not just tell him something useless. Adrian tried to wrack his brain on what could he do but he did not have an idea for about an hour and his alarm to eat ringed which he decided to log out of the game first.

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Adrian was eating his snack when his mother joined him as they enjoy each other's company. Adrian was in deep thought and his mother could read it on his face. Adrian's mother asked what is troubling him and he told her that it was about the game. A vein popped in Adrian's mother's head as she did not expect that his son was so troubled by a game and not about his future but she controlled herself and asked her son what the specific problem is.

"I am troubled because I do not know the meaning of the words: 'One must look inside in order to become stronger'." Adrian said honestly.

"I think you are reading too much into it as it is always been your problem to overthink things. From my perspective, it just means you must evaluate yourself from the beginning to what you are now. And what is the best way to reevaluate yourself?" Adrian's mother said.

"What is the best way?" Adrian pondered and he arrived only at one conclusion which is also the simplest way of self-re-evaluation and Adrian mouthed the words, "Self Meditation".

"I think you have already arrived to the conclusion" his mother told him as she took a sip of her tea.

"Thanks a lot for the advice mom. It was very helpful. Love you." Adrian said as he excitedly headed towards his room.

"It was nothing and do not rush as you might get into an accident!" his mother shouted towards the fleeting silhouette of Adrian.

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Adrian logged back in the game and started with his hunch as in other spiritual beliefs there is a concept of inner demons that reside in each individuals heart. The self meditation is what triggered this idea from Adrian as he calmed himself in order to enter a deep meditative state.

In some novels that he read there is a concept that one must conquer or defeat their inner demon so that they could become stronger than they were before or block a wall that inhibits their growth. Adrian was not entirely sure if this would work out but it did not hurt to try. He sat in a meditative position and tried to empty his thoughts and he got system notifications but strangely enough he could read them even with his eyes closed.

[You are in meditation.]

[You have entered a deep meditative state. You have earned the skill "Meditation".]

Adrian then tried thinking about all his experiences when he suddenly heard another system message that was abrupt.

[You are in a perfect meditative state. All parameters are met. Your consciousness will be transported to your inner world.]

Adrian felt like his mind became a blur and he felt something akin to motion sickness as his view changed from darkness to a place like the Paradox Planes but he was standing on what looks like a floating island. The island was made of dark purple rock with no signs of life growing from it. If Adrian looked around him all he saw was a sky devoid of stars.

Adrian looked at the dark sky and tried to pierce it using his evil eye but nothing came through. It seems that the darkness was swallowing the light as the color was pitch black. Adrian was looking at his surroundings until he heard a voice called him over.

"Hey! You there! Equinox!" the voice said.

Adrian was startled and turned towards the direction of the voice. He was shocked because what caught his eye was not some random stranger but an actual doppelganger of himself. The individual looked a lot like Adrian from his face all the way to his feet. It even had the same equipment that Adrian uses. The only difference is that the doppelganger's horns were bigger than Adrian's as it looked a lot like a greater demon's horn. The doppelganger then walked towards Adrian.

The doppelganger stopped about two meters in front of Adrian and they both stared down each other. Adrian got a clear look at his doppelganger and got chills. It looked like a perfect carbon copy of him but only with its horn grown. The horns on the doppelganger's head was six inches in length that dwarfs Adrian's horn by a long shot. Its horns are also pointed unlike Adrian's that is only curved. Adrian did have to admit the horns looked badass.

"Welcome! Eh..how am I supposed to address you? Main man, head honcho, the one?" the doppelganger pondered.

Adrian was confused by the doppelganger's question and it noticed that Adrian was in thought. The doppelganger then bursts Adrian's thinking bubble when he told Adrian the answer to a question that he was about to ask.

"You see as you have guessed. I am you and you are me. Well technically speaking we are the same entity but different in attitude…yada yada." The doppelganger said.

"How can there be two of us at the same time?" Adrian asked.

"This is your inner world and you could call me one of your three inner demons." The doppelganger said.

Adrian was assessing the details the doppelganger said when he managed to catch one peculiar detail.

"Wait…did you just say 'one of my inner demons'?" Adrian abruptly asked.

"That is right. Pew pew pew. Woo hoo. We have a winner." The doppelganger teased.

"Care to explain how can I meet the other two?" Adrian asked with his arms folded as he was not amused by what the doppelganger did.

"Well there are two more besides me. You could call me the weakest of the bunch as I am you but better. You are still devastatingly weak which is why you cannot meet them yet." The doppelganger said as he charged towards Adrian with its enormous gauntlet.

Adrian dodged the incoming attack and suddenly frowned as he managed to read the system prompt that popped out.

"Well this is a bit unfair" Adrian grumbled.

[You are forbidden to use your soulbounds during this battle. Your summoner skills are sealed during this battle.]