Target Acquired

The Sewer, Delmar City

Inside Desmond's secret base he was sitting down in a corner of the room meditating with a beginner grade magic core in his hands. The magical and spiritual energy stored inside the creatures core followed outwards threw Desmond's body and into his own core. As time passed the core in Desmond's hands degraded until it was only dust. The energy the core provided allowed Desmond's core to grow 1 centimeter larger.

The feeling of having his core expanded made Desmond feel uncomfortable. A terrible itch assaulted his chest, but no matter how he scratched it it would never go away. Desmond was only able to use the beginner and intermediate grade cores to strengthen his own and tamper his soul because he has only reached intermediate rank. If Desmond attempted to use a core that was a higher grade then his rank it will only harm him providing him no benefits.

"That's enough for today you already absorbed 3 cores anymore will only harm you and might crack your core". Zane's will instructed Desmond threw his training with no passion. Every time he spoke it brought Desmond's mood down even though he was doing his favorite thing which was practicing magic.

"Isn't there a faster way to strengthen my core?" Desmond spoke to Zane's will plainly its very appearance upsetted Desmond, but he sucked it up and waited until the day he was stronger then Zane.

"Of corse, but your body can't handle it. You can't even handle strengthening your core and tampering your soul on the same day. So, stop looking for short cuts and do as your told".

As Desmond spent time with Zane's will he got use to how it treated him, so he didn't linger on such things.

"Whatever you say just let me switch to training with my soul fire then you'll help me customise my spells alright".

Zane's will gave no response and Desmond didn't try to get one out of him he switched to practicing with his soul fire.

Desmond's soul fire is unique Zane found out about its unique ability and was amazed by it. Desmond didn't have the opportunity to nerd out over his new power because of all the things that were suddenly thrown at him, but when he did he was amazed by it as well.

Desmond sat in the same spot and picked up a brick then let his soul fire wash over it. It wasn't long until his soul fire's unique ability kicked in and the brick started becoming see threw. Like someone turned down the opacity on it in photoshop.

Desmond's soul fire can make physical objects spectral. The things he affects don't lose there mass what his soul fire does is closer to a change in matter. He removes some elements, but also leaves something behind in its place. Desmond is able to partly turn himself ethereal and back again safely, but he hasn't figured out how to do it to other things.

Ever since Desmond found out he could affect matter in such a strange way he was extremely intrigued by it because it ment if he mastered it most people couldn't defend against his attacks. Desmond would theoretically be able to change the property of his attacks mid battle leaving no room for his enemies to counter.

He would also be able to strip a persons defense away like it was paper if they had a lot of armor on or used a shield. Such things would be meaningless to Desmond. A long drawn out battle would only benefit Desmond allowing him to stand up as a true champion.

Desmond enjoyed such thoughts just as much as he enjoyed messing with the odd objects he creates with his soul fire. Desmond can easily touch the things he makes ethereal and pass threw them as for others they may not have such an easy time.

"20 seconds that is far to long to completely change the property of something when in the middle of a fight". Desmond has met consistent danger since coming to Theotera. Though it wasn't who he was before Desmond has made piece with having to fight and potentially kill to get what he needs.

"Zane can you show me how to incorporate my soul fire's unique ability into all of my spells"

"It is possible many have done it before. Since that is what you want then you will have to stop using those baby arrays and start incorporating the pentagram into your spells. The pentagram allows you to draw out the power of the soul. You will also need to add the necessary runes that correspond to the soul. Which is information that is not sold easily, so your lucky you have me. There are other things to do as well, but you get the gist. After a month or two you should be able to alter a spell to one that suits you".

Desmond was displeased with Zane's time frame just to alter one spell because he was in danger now. "Isn't that a bit to long".

Zane's will said coldly, "a month or two is the time frame with my help without it you would be lucky to create a new spell with in the next 5 years. Your attainment level in this field isn't even at ordinary grade. It is only after hundreds of years did my original self become a formation path Grandmaster and even after all that time I have yet to see the door way to become a Quasi-Supreme Master. Magic is no joke people dedicate there lives to it, so stop looking for short cuts unless you want to be just another third rate mage that gets killed without anyone knowing there name".

Attainment level refers to a persons mastery in a subject. There multiply different levels which range from Ordinary, Master, Grandmaster, Supreme Master, and Overlord. In between those levels are 'quasi' levels that refer to someone who is part way to the next. The skill gap between each level is massive and a high proficiency in something heavily factors into the kinds of things someone can make or do. Finding a person with a specific level of skill in a subject is more rare the higher up you go.

Grandmasters are treated with the highest amount of respect anywhere they go. Supreme Masters are more rare then demigods while an Overlord can't compare to any of the others. They have gone beyond the pinnacle of there field and are capable of creating a new path for others to follow. Overlord's are respected and feared because they are pioneers there emergence signifys the end of an era and the beginning of something new.

There are numerous paths a person can study such as Formation path, blood, star, dark (and all the other elements), rule, fate, law, transformation, flight, time, space, and more.

Zane is a terrible person, but his love for magic is genuine and it translated over to his will.

"Alright I'll take the long way around, but since creating a new spell will take a bit I'll hole off on that till tomorrow. Instead teach me what you know about necromancy, how to train the mind, the power of fate".

"I can teach you necromancy best if we had a body, human preferribly. I know of a few techniques to train the mind as well, but the best ones suited for you also require a living person. As for Fate its a complex field with more theorys then answers that will take a few years to cover".

Desmond thought about what Zane said and wasn't completely opposed to the Idea finding someone of the streets to use in his training. The more Desmond thought about it the more he realized it was a great idea. He had plenty of enemies to choose from and 3 of them stood out from the rest in his mind.

"Do you have a way to track down 3 humans". Desmond asked with a sadistic smile on his face.

"Are they mortal?"

"Yes".

"Then I have hundreds of ways to do that. All I need is something that's personal of there's to get started".

Desmond had a disappointed look on his face as he said, "I don't have anything like that. I kind of know were to get it, but I also Kind of don't. A lot of memorise have mixed in with my own and its kind of hard to differentiate between them".

"Just learn how to soul seach to fix that. Either way that eliminates all the easy ways to find the ones your looking for, but there's still options.".

Zane's will turned to wards the shelf Desmond had all of his thing's stored and said, "to find those three we will need to contact a entity from the spirit world called Zavna. Zavna is a low level mischievous spirit that likes to feed on memorise. By feeding it some of your memorise of the ones you seek it will give you visions about those people. But that is only if you do the ritual right to control it. If you fail Zavna will eat all your memorise and leave you brain dead".

"Jeez, isn't there anything safer".

"There would have been if you managed to take one of there personal belongings, but since you didn't no there isn't. Besides this is magic were dealing with it is as safe as it gets".

Desmond considered not doing the ritual, but the thought of lettering those people who kidnapped him and tried to sacrifice him walk around safe and happy when he was fully capable of getting revenge didn't sit right with him.

"Alright lets do it".

"Not backing out because of a little danger is good because real safety doesn't exist when pursuing magic. Now go grab the pure silver on the shelf to purify the room and create a spiritual ward. Then grab a bowl and fill it with that vile of death water, bown powder, hemlock, wormwood, and your blood. But before we start the ritual you'll need to draw a few defensive magic arrays on the floor and walls".

Zane's will lectured Desmond for hours on what to do and how to do it. It was only after a 10 hour lecture and multiple practice did Desmond have the opportunity to do the ritual.

From head to tow the room was filled with complex arrays that Desmond mostly didn't understand, but he under stood the gist of it. Desmond kneed on the floor in front of a bowl that had all the things Zane asked for. Many candles were lit around the room and Desmond was ready. He cut his hand letting his blood drip into a bowl before he wrapped his hand in a cloth.

Desmond chanted a phrase in ancient Zedric and before long all the candles extinguished all at ounce plunging Desmond in darkness. From the darkness Desmond found light. The light radiated out wards from a massive burning red eye. Desmond looked into the eye and saw himself, but not as some old decrepit old man.

But as a tall, strong, handsome man with caramel skin and a distant glare that kept others away.

"Short dark hair, thin muscular build, ice cold demeanor who in the world am I looking at could that actually be me".

As Desmond lost focus Zavna lashed out and tried to consume all of Desmond's memorise. But the arrays placed beforehand saved Desmond.

"Don't lose focus pay attention"

Zane's word drew Desmond back to what he was doing allowing him to abandon that memory. Before long Desmond was able to accomplish his goal. The room was silent as Desmond thought about the what he saw.

"Who in the world was I really. I never had any memorise of who I was so I never really thought about it, but that man there was something wrong with him. When I think of him it feels me with terror inside".

Desmond's body shivered as he thought about what he saw, but Zane drew him out of it.

"Did you find who you seek".

"Yes, I found one person, but for the others all I saw was darkness and pure white".

"The darkness means that person is alive, but is using something to defend against spying. White means that person is dead".

"Well at least I can get one person. I'll go get him now I could use the fresh air".

"Happy hunting to you then". Zane's will said jokingly because when something involves the suffering of others Zane's always onboard.