Runeblade-Chapter 287B3 : Wealth of Growth, pt. 4

Returning to the barren stone of the Depths entrance room, Kaius was met with an infectious mood.

Unburdened by the complexities of his own spells, his companions had not been subject to a full blown skill vision. Each looked happy—the experiences they had been subjected to in the last few weeks forgotten.

An easy enough thing to understand, considering his own smouldering satisfaction at having taken another step on the path to supremacy. Each skill, each spell was a tangible reward—a reinforcement that their trials and struggle had been worth it. That the path they had set for themselves had been correct and true.

It was a feeling only heightened by the flame of Corporus in his soul—waiting impatiently for his approval to explode in Truth.

Waiting to continue with the foundation of his Aspect had been painful, but was no less the correct choice. Finishing their skill selection was vital, as had been solidifying the bonds that had begun to form with the latest member of their team. Especially since he needed Kenva’s oversight over what came next, and a better understanding of her skill set.

He needed her free of distraction, needed to know what she was capable of. It was too important.

Soul sight. The implications of that component of Farseer had clawed at his mind since her first vague explanations of her ability to sense the prison guards through walls. It was an ability that went far beyond his own Truesight, and one that might just provide them more insights into the process of aspect ignition.

Kaius couldn’t stop thinking about that glimmer of unknown power that had simmered inside of Porkchop and Ianmus during their own Aspect formations. An unknown ability—one that might just provide them with an advantage in completing their aspects.

Exactly what they needed if they were to be the first to complete all three, and receive the Honour he was almost certain existed for the feat.

If he was lucky, it might be something that might already be known to Kenva’s dynasty. Something she could identify immediately. Even if not, he hoped that with her unique sight, the ranger should at least be able to perceive the force on a deeper level than he had been able to.

Kaius cleared his throat, drawing the attention of his team—there was no point in stalling.

“I have one final upgrade to handle,” he started, smiling at his friends.

“Finally, I was surprised you didn’t do it first thing.” Porkchop snorted, drawing confused looks from Ianmus and Kenva.

“What do you mean?” Ianmus questioned, before turning to Kaius. “You earned another skill?”

Kaius laughed. He wished, but alas, with the monstrous penalties the system imposed for fighting beings so far below them in level, he hadn’t gained a single level in their escape. In all honesty, he was surprised at his lack of frustration at such a fact—if anything, it only served to cement his faith that his decision to focus on creatures of a higher level was the right path to reach the true heights of his class.

Especially with how much his experience requirements would continue to grow; there was a reason that so many people failed to reach the second tier, let alone third. Eventually it became close to impossible to make meaningful progress without taking a few risks.

“No,” he replied, shaking his head at Ianmus. “You know how I’ve been butting up against my insight for Corporus for months now? I finally ignited the Aspect as we fought our way out of the beast's encirclement.”

“What?!” Kenva spluttered. “You’ve already unlocked your second? That’s ridiculous!” freēwēbnovel.com

Ianmus, on the other hand, just raised a brow and gave him a calculating look. “I’m more surprised you decided to wait so long—I would have thought that you’d have kicked it off as soon as we entered here.”

“We had more important things to do, and I wanted to wait until it was a good time to ask Kenva for a little favour.” he replied, shrugging.

Folding her arms, Kenva leaned on a nearby pillar and gave him a questioning look. “How on earth could I help you form one of your Aspects?” she asked.

“I wanted you to observe the process—with Farseer’s soul sight, I mean. When Porkchop and Ianmus went through their own, I saw a little glimmer of an energy I didn’t recognise. I was hoping you might know more about it, or at least be able to see it in better detail than I could with Truesight.” he explained, scratching behind his ear and shuffling to sit upright.

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Kenva narrowed her eyes in interest. “An energy? Curious, I saw no such thing during my own formation.”

“I didn’t either for mine, it seems to be something only directly visible with the eye, not from within the soulspace.” he replied, before giving Ianmus an apologetic smile.

The mage looked so curious it was verging on physical pain. Knowing that there was an unknown force and phenomena occurring right in front of him that he had no way of observing was as close to a perfect torture that Kaius could imagine for his friend.

“Strange. I’ll do it; you’ve got me curious.”

Satisfaction and anticipation throbbed hungrily within him. He’d had little doubts that the ranger would help—it was a curious mystery after all, and watching him for a few minutes was not exactly arduous—but now that he had no more barriers to starting his Aspect formation, the desire to jump straight into it was an almost physical itch.

“Well then, I best get started.” Kaius said, his smile turning hungry.

Without another word, he turned to his notifications—the shining want of his pillar tugging heavily on his mind.

**Ding! Pillar of Self Discovered, Corporus Ignited. Would you like to initiate Aspect Formation?**

Kaius accepted, and all but fled into his soul space to stare at the second roaring conflagration that hovered atop one of the pillars suspended above his soul and class construct.

Insight and truth burned in its reaches, washing over him with a potency that made him gasp. Growth, perfection, refinement.

A triumvirate of avarice, one that had set its hooks deep into him young. The fire of his aspect incited no change within him, empowered no mutagenic force—this facet of his being was an old one. It was light and fire, all it did was burn away falsity until only Truth remained.

With every breath, the fire grew, and the revelation it carried grew all the more salient.

So close to its heat, it was clear to him that it did not stand alone. It joined with Mentis, and resonated with the Veteran’s Edge. The Truth of his mind had been one of experience and learning—of moulding a mindset that sought to learn from every failure, to change and adjust to the ever varied circumstances of life, both in war and peace.

Corporus burned a sibling in Truth. If Mentis was the mindset with which he approached his path, then Corporus was how he walked it.

An awareness, a willingness, and a desire that it was an endless journey. A want, to make step after step—each smoother and more capable than the last. Each carrying him further.

A path littered with inevitable failure and unavoidable mistakes. Corporus cared little that he would stumble, only that the next step would be better, more refined.

Guile in grace, fluidity in motion, and unrelenting strength, he would never have enough of. His Corporus burned with the Truth of dissatisfaction. Kaius knew, potently and eminently, that he would never be satisfied again. There would always be more to work on—how he controlled his power, moved his body, grew his might, and applied himself to the challenges at hand.

And yet, where most might wail and gnash their teeth at the thought of a life bereft of true contentment, Kaius felt only joy.

Inflamed, that there would always be a struggle. Awe, that he would never want for purpose. Passion, that he would never die, in the sense that souls died without the vigour of life, because his would be a life of effort and will and the endless failure to reach perfection.

His body was his to master, and he laughed at the reflection of endless strife that burned in his eyes.

The flames of Corporus burnt brighter, Mentis flaring next to it as the twinned conflagrations raged.

Visions washed over him.

A figure, more skeleton than man, stumbling under the light of a cursed star.

Each step was a struggle, their leg quaking as withered muscles and frayed ligaments shuddered to hoist the limb a bare fingerwidth over the cracked earth. Hateful wind blew, a gust hitting the man of rags square in the chest.

They fell, gasping as their thin blood spilled, soaking deep into the earth. Weakness oozed from them, wafted in waves as their heart fluttered in their chest, battering at their starkly visible ribs.

At death's door, they kneeled on the scoured ground.

Yet they still smiled.

Madness in their eyes, they planted their feet. Rising handspan by handspan, they forced themselves up—as if fighting under the weight of a god’s scorn.

A single step, quivering and weak. It was followed by another, and then another. With every stride, they grew more sturdy, more assured. Weak and impoverished, they improved—vigour returning to their soul. Each cycle of refinement was small. A single adjustment, to better manage their ailing faculties. A twist of the hips, to catch them where they might have once stumbled.

Earth erupted, fire rained, and wind screamed. The corpse struggled, no match for the fury of the world, yet not once did he stop. When bones broke and flesh ruptured, he grew—sprinting across the hells in total abandon of his limitations.

The corpse fell often, yet they always rose again, each trial an impetus to further improve. No matter the setbacks, no matter the pain, they smiled—joyful for the freely offered whetstones to hone themselves further.

A madness, one that called to him.

…

Kaius reeled from the vision, returning to his soul space right as Corporus detonated—crystallising atop a pillar of his true self as its flames raged in defiance of the heavens.

Power surged through him, remoulding his body from the marrow out. Reforged to the Truth he had discovered, he felt only joy at the discomfort of his flesh changing.

**Ding! Corporus Aspect Founded - The Struggler’s Madness**

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