Prologue 2

Victor took in his surroundings after exiting the space between worlds. It appeared he dropped into a cove. The cove features a cave that hopefully led to the surface of the world he appeared in and a natural harbor that opened up into what he presumed to be the sea.

He evaluated his reflection in the water: six and a half feet tall, head of shaggy brown hair, hazel eyes, unshaven stubble, the pale skin of a corpse as a result of his new physique, and a huge Glasgow smile on the right side of his face as a result of his escape.

Fortunately, it didn't ruin his above average face, in fact the scar improved it by adding character, at least in his opinion. His torture did not leave scars as in his world the only way scars happen is either damage to the soul occurs or the scar represents an impact moment or decision. The one on his face stayed due to it representing his will to survive.

The first set of business was to travel up the surface and scope out the world he found himself in. While walking through the cave he encountered a spider and had a great idea for home defense.

He speared the spider using his material weaving and the cave wall. He then used its essence to craft a ring. It was a beautiful spider seemingly made of silk.

An essence was a collection of aspected mana, this aspect could be an element, concept, property, or anything really.

***

Spider's Web

Tier 0

'A ring created in the image of a creature's survival mechanism'

Turns mana into a durable and sticky thread

***

Victor created a tier system to help him organize his magical artifacts. The tiers started with tier 0 that was occupied by artifacts that was just this side of magic. Soul tattoos were not part due to the fact that they grew with him. Every tier up was a noticeable increase in power or quality. The only exception was tier G as that was populated by artifacts that would grow with him.

When he reached the topside exit of his cave and saw that he was in the woods.

He then set up his home defense and food source by creating webs all over the area surrounding his cave. He then scoped the surroundings of his new base for the next couple of hours. He just saw some smaller mammals scurrying around.

He got back to his base and saw some creature trapped in his webs. He took his catch down into the cove and closed the bottom exit of the cave using rock material weaving.

He set up some glowing fishing hooks and lines made up of mana in the water before he went to bed in his silk hammock.

While lying in bed and trying to go to sleep he reflected on the world he found himself in. From the creatures surrounding his current base the world was likely a low-level one, not that he had much experience or reference seeing as this was the second world he ever found himself in. even still the world did not seem too hostile and it seemed like he was one of the strongest creatures around. This fact gave him the time and space to set up the foundations of his abilities going forward as he was previously restricted by circumstances. It also gave him the opportunity to turn his theoretical knowledge of combat into practical experience in a relatively safe environment.

While this world would typically be awful to construct magic artifacts due to its world's will be biased towards primitive methods, his connection gave him access to a domain. Domains were abilities that allowed the user to exert influence over their surroundings. They were powerful and rare pieces of magic that one typically only got with vast experience in aura techniques. However, this domain had little use outside of crafting at the moment due to its nature. His new domain allowed him to create an area around him outside the world will's domain.

The next day, Victor to prepare for the eventuality that he would be injured created his first artifact in this world, The Biological Stitch. It was created from the blood and bone of a fish he caught. He would later strengthen it with other biological material.

***

The Biological Stitch

Tier 1

'A medical tool designed to save its creator's life'

Heals the bodily area where it is used

***

It was a white bone needle and a crimson blood thread.

Victor had planned out his growth and was finally allowed to follow through on it now that he was no longer under the watch of The Global Magic Federation. They outlawed any human soul manipulation, even if it was your own. Especially if it was your own.

The first part of his plan was to continue what he was already working on before. Which meant that at least an hour a day in both the past and the future was dedicated to practicing the following techniques: mana purification, mana control exercises, and the previously mentioned aura technique.

The first two do what it says on the label. The other technique concerning aura effectively claims the mana inside and around his body thus preventing other's from utilizing it. This stops blood mages from boiling the blood inside my veins. It also increases my magic resistance. It was something built up over a lifetime.

The first step of his previously outlawed development plan was more soul tattoos. They were fine as long as he kept his personal concepts in mind: control, purity, and corruption as the first two were the focus of his basic training and taint and purity are intrinsically linked, hearts as his last name was Heart which had significance in magic, souls and weaving which should be obvious as to why.

He created the first of his new soul tattoos based on an old fable he picked up along the way.

The story goes like this:

Once upon a time there existed a magical lake that granted the wish of whoever drank from its waters. One day three strangers came upon the lake, each only connected by their shared dissatisfaction with their lots in life.

The first, Mena, was a scholar. While he was intelligent, his peers always made him feel so dumb. He was above average in a world of geniuses. He was tired of feeling foolish, so he set out to find the fabled lake. He would either be a true fool looking for a fictitious place or get his wish and never feel foolish again. When he drank from the lake's waters, he wished to know all that there is to. The lake granted him a grimoire containing all the world's records.

The second, Bodi, was a farmer. Bodi had been physically weak his entire life and thus was pushed around again and again. He was first bullied by his parents, then his peers, culminating in his crush publicly humiliating in front of the entire hamlet. He set out to find the lake not caring if he fell in the process as life as a weak man in medieval times was no life at all. He drank from the lake's waters wishing for strength. The lake granted him a set of armor that granted him great physical abilities.

The third, Solaris, was a knight. Solaris had been a coward for as long as he could remember. While he was a genius in all matters relating to knighthood and excelled in training, he trembled and hesitated whenever he was in true combat. He committed his first act of bravery leaving his home and everything that he had ever known in pursuit of courage. He drank from the waters and was granted a scepter by the lake. The scepter granted whoever held it great courage and the ability to inspire it in others.

The three strangers felt a connection with each other as they were all starting their new lives at the same time. They set out to travel the lands with each other and with time they grew closer and more famous. Years later the tales of three brothers spread across the lands. The group helped all they came across.

Mena became known as the wisest man under the heavens. He granted advice and guidance to all who they came across him. He spread new methods that benefited every profession and revolutionized every field of study.

Bodi became known as the mortal god of war. He defeated every warrior he came across; none could even approach his ability. His name spread fear to every lowlife and thug in the realms.

Solaris was granted the title of God's Mouthpiece. He led farmers against even the most well-trained armies and won. He gained a reputation as the commander who never lost a battle.

However, with time and fame they grew apart.

Mena locked himself away in a tower to research and push various fields of research even further. Bodi went around seeking more and more challenges. Solaris started building an empire.

Mena's isolation caused him to grow colder and more distant from the world. His research caused him to see worldly matters as more and more below him. This happened until the brotherly feelings that used to fill his heart to turn to ice.

Meanwhile, Bodi and Solaris grew resentful of each other. Bodi hated that he was seen as a dumb brute, while Solaris hated that he was still seen as a weak coward. This resentment grew more and more as the years pass, until their brotherhood was naught but venom in his veins.

This culminated in a war breaking out between Solaris' empire of virtual strangers and Bodi's small elite group of subordinates that he beat into submission. They both went to their good brother Mena, but both were met with rejection and annoyance. Mena barely heard a word they said due to thinking of his various projects. Where once he would have tried to mediate between them or deescalate the situation, it now seemed like a waste of time.

Solaris and Bodi proceeded to tear each other apart unimpeded by their previous brother. When Mena looked up from his books and out of his ivory tower, he saw that he was alone and found that he did not care. He did however find that he cared that he did not care. He had lost his last connection with the world and then looked back down on his books. He spent the rest of his life buried in his books and pushing the boundaries of various fields. He died alone just like his brothers and finally realized the cost of the lake.

He and his brothers all got what they wanted at the cost of everything else. He became known for his wisdom, Bodi for his strength, and Solaris for his courage and leadership. However, they had each died alone, He in his ivory tower, Bodi with his grunts, and Solaris surrounded by strangers.

The first of his tattoos based on this legend was Mena's Records. The tattoo would store all of his knowledge to be used in various ways, the most common being infusing his mana with various concepts. This was a neutral concept as it only involved information, so it would not cause any conflicts with his soul.

He created the tattoo with the results of a ritual. This was a ritual that he designed years ago but was previously unable to due to restrictions on soul magic. The ritual involved severing all the magical and elemental talents not involving his innate magic from his soul. This would result in a major step forward in the purification of his body and mana. The ritual would also increase his affinity with his innate magic, thus making it easier and cheaper. The largest of the benefits was the severed talents that he could use to construct Mena's Record.

***

Mena's Record

'A tattoo designed to store all that its creators knows and has experienced'

Stores the user's comprehension of various concepts and essences

***

The tattoo was a circular bookshelf that seemingly stretched to infinity located between his shoulder blades. This would allow him to utilize various forms of magic without being influenced by them due to being a step removed from them. This led to him being able to use extremely dark magic without consequence, if he ever so chose.

He filled it with the basic essences that he had around him: fire, water, earth, air, metal, poison, plant, etc. He also added the various information gathered from animals he caught in his traps. He then sacrificed Spider's Web to get the silk essence contained within it.