Learning your own skills

Mortis was about to walk on when his eyes went black and a second later he opened his eyes and saw that he woke up on the other side of the forest, covered in blood and in pain.

Charon looked at Mortis and grinned at him then said. You are a funny servant of a god most of them are made for this hell but you should have your place somewhere else a nice dream you had to cross the river but that won't work I'll give you a tip take your time and learn more about this place otherwise you will lose your concentration like before and maybe die this time but now it's time to really wake up. Charon snapped his fingers and Mortis woke up.

Like an old man looking to get out of bed, Mortis tried to get up and realized he was wounded all over, then he remembered what really happened. In the last third he lost his concentration and his perception diminished and so he was beaten by the vines through the forest. Knapp made it out of the forest and just before the lake he collapsed.

Mortis sat down and looked at the river and thought about what Charon had told him in the dream, so about 3 days passed until he was completely healed and he just sat there and tried to open up to this hell and concentrated to take in the feeling that was in the air.

He realized that he was getting closer to it and becoming more and more like a part of this underworld but something was missing so he went close to the river to feel what the water was like and he looked to see if that would get him further but the souls were really reaching for him and trying to pull him along so he hit the lake and grabbed some water and quickly retreated. The water was cold as ice and it burned Mortis' skin but there was something else eerie about it and it seemed to draw the energy out of him. But not life force but mana and his spiritual energy.

Mortis let go of the water as it slowly etched itself into him but Mortis was shocked it was the first time he realized where the source of his power was and that it was not sealed but only his abilities that are usually activated by thought.

Mortis lay down on his back and looked up to the sky, remembering the words of his system that said he should deal more with his energy and learn to control it. "Maybe I should be more accepting and listen to my sweetness. With these words he fell asleep.

When he woke up he decided to get more water because without it he would have a hard time accessing the spring, but Mortis, even if it hurt him, was sure that it was the solution to get across the river and so he went through a hell tutor to use the water to make himself more familiar with his own magic.

Days passed before he could tap into his source but what was difficult at first became easier with time and his caution lessened so he played with the energy and let it dance around him and tried to give it shape. He also tried to use the skills or at least to find the feeling to take control himself but even if he knew how to distribute his energy in his body and he knew how to get it into his scythe he was still completely unclear how to control the energy so that it does what he wants to minimum in the scythe.

He followed the advice of Charon further and tolerated himself and so tests out all possible to each of his abilities he has from his own power to execute.

It took him almost 1 month to master all the skills on his own, especially the ghost form and ghostly retreat took most of his time but even though he can now take his ghost form he can't float far above the ground and so he gave up flying over the river. Then he thought about whether he could create spirit plates that he normally uses when double jumping over the river which worked but only the ones near him were visible and stable and as soon as they were further away he lost control so he decided against that possibility as well.

Mortis thought about what else he could do and Sarah came to his mind which also creates a fog but it is icy so Mortis tried that. It took some time but since he can control his energy this ability was easy for him because he just has to shoot out his energy which is foggy anyway. Now he just had to control this fog and lower its temperature which worked after many hours and so he sent the fog out and let it move into the river and see if it could freeze the surface of the river.

A small area became icy but it was immediately grabbed by some souls and carried away but as the ice sank it turned into mist and Mortis wanted to slap himself if he could shape the mist and change the temperature then it should be able to take a solid form with that thought he went to sleep to recover well. Tomorrow he will reach the other side, he decided.

The next day Mortis stood confidently in front of the river and sent the mist out over the river, then he raised it and let the mist become a bridge of ice so high that one of these sinners could not touch it with his hands nervously he approached his bridge and carefully climbed over it while concentrating and pumping mana into it so that it could not dissolve.

In the middle of the river Mortis heard a new rush, it was Charon who came with dark sparkling eyes and raised his paddle to destroy the bridge. I will not let you go so easily! roared Charon who wanted to throw Mortis into the water.

"Fuck you" Mortis ran and tried not to lose concentration over the rest of the bridge so that he can still run on it but Charon not only used power but also somehow disturbed the energy of Mortis and so slowly the bridge disappeared just before land it seemed that he failed because the bridge was complete and it looked like Mortis would fall into the water but then he used the plan with the ghost plates and with double jump he made it to the other side.

I did it!!! Mortis yelled in front of his friends. Yes you did. You got rid of this test but there are more to come and now fuck off. Said Charon somewhat angrily. Mortis turned around and saw how the ferryman continued on his way and now ignored Mortis. Mortis wanted to say something, but thought that he better not mess with the old man yet.

With a mixture of joy and a little anger Mortis went on as he arrived in something like a city where in front of the wall were large crosses and gallows on which people hung in different robes. Mortis first thought a demon allowed himself a joke but there was none in the vicinity no these souls torture themselves they nail themselves to the cross or hang themselves because they want to wash their sins clean and ask for the mercy that their God forgive them.

What stupid wankers Mortis thought and just wandered on but in the city it was no better here there was at almost every place one who whipped himself or cut open his belly and other torture methods practiced on himself the only fascinating was that here are not only people but all sorts of peoples even beings he can not identify in the approach so further life from other worlds.

All complaining and whining it was a really annoying place for Mortis he did not care how they treat themselves but the constant howling went him already huge on the balls. Then he saw a group of elves who hit their head on the ground but hardly burst the skull on they were healed again and the whole procedure started again.

Elves were taller than humans and they were truly the epitome of beauty like angels born with perfect heads but they all had a fierce and dangerous look like eagles looking for prey and they were all blond in only different stages but Mortis didn't see a single one that was just a little dark. This did not surprise him since Elves are the descendants of the Light Alps.

Mortis went to the first Elf and spoke to her but she only whined and was about to hurt herself when Mortis spoke to her but the Elf ignored him and hit the ground with her skull Mortis was a bit pissed off and tried to speak to her a second time but she ignored him again now he grabbed the Elf by the neck while he released his energy and shook her.

The elf was startled and wondered what was happening, but now she had a glint of understanding in her eyes as if she was just beginning to think. She looked at Mortis studiously then said. For a human you are really pretty. But how is it that you can walk around here freely without being under the spell and free me from the constraint of mutilation?

"Because I am special but anyway you have to answer me. So what did you do to end up here in hell? And where do I end up if I keep going south?