The Guardian gods Chapter 278

"All is well, Ezinne. I was just curious about how far you have co with your research concerning the fifth stage realm. Last ti I checked, the rchant of death brought a few good corpses," Nwadiebube said, staring eagerly at the elder shaman.

Ezinne looked at the king as she turned and began walking towards her ho. "You are still young and have many years ahead of you to be so eager for success."

The king remained silent at the elder’s words. Seeing her brother’s embarrassnt, the princess went over and hugged the elder woman, cuddling her. "I am also curious about how far you have co, Ezinne."

The elder smiled at the princess and said, "There has been so progress. If you both hadn’t co, I was planning on paying a visit myself as I need soone to test the path we’ve laid out and see if it works."

The people of the Omadi Kingdom revered Ikenga as their primary deity, and their understanding of mana was inford by the knowledge shared with them by the Apelings.

For years, they struggled to find a balance between their faith in Ikenga and the mana surrounding them. Eventually, it was suggested that they return to their roots and work from there.

This process began with developing their own understanding of nature, which for them was deeply intertwined with death—a concept they were very familiar with.

In their view, death is not an end but a vital part of life’s cycle. Long before they knew of mana, their society’s rituals involved practices that honored the transition from life to death. These rituals were deeply embedded in their cultural fabric and passed down through generations. They were not only a ans to honor the dead but also a way to reinforce the community’s values and beliefs.

Their understanding of nature’s deity might encompass a duality where both creation and destruction are necessary. This led to the developnt of their own power system, divided into two paths: the "Physical Route," which focused on nature, and the "Shamanic Route," which focused on death.

In the initial stage of the Physical Route, users must venture into the wild alone, with no weapons or other aids. All they have is their belief in the god of nature. Guided by this belief, they encounter wild magical animals of various sizes.

This stage is remarkable as it enables the user to understand the nature of Ikenga’s power. With belief as their weapon, predator animals that would typically hunt them on sight instead approach as if guided.

When an animal approaches, it stays with the human during this initial stage. If the animal leaves by night, the human must continue their journey. However, if the animal stays and accompanies the human through the night, a bond is ford. This bond signifies the beginning of the first stage. To advance to the next stage, the human must hunt alongside the bonded animal.

The first stage is called "Bone." During this stage, while hunting with the bonded animal, the user imitates and breathes like the animal, and their belief in Ikenga causes their bones to mimic those of the bonded animal.

In the second stage, known as "Swift Death," animals with weaker souls develop stronger souls through their bond with the human. Once the bond reaches the desired level, the animal offers itself to its bonded human. The human must then give the animal a quick, painless death, followed by entering a death-like state where the animal’s grown soul becos tethered to them. This stage is noted for a rapid boost in mana level and strength, as the combined souls of the human and beast allow them to suppress other elents and focus solely on the required elent.

The third stage, known as "The Nature Spirit," involves the user imrsing themselves in the natural environnt associated with their bonded animal, such as spending weeks in swamps for a crocodile bond. This imrsion leads to physical changes in the user, such as tougher skin, greater endurance, strength, and agility, reflecting their chosen animal. At this stage, the user can invoke minor traits of their animal, such as claws or tails.

The fourth stage, called "Spirit Fusion," marks a critical turning point in the Physical Route. At this stage, the bond between the human and the animal spirit deepens to the point where the distinction between the two begins to blur. The user can now summon the spirit of their bonded animal into their own body, temporarily transforming into a hybrid of human and beast. This transformation grants them extraordinary abilities tailored to the specific attributes of the animal, such as heightened senses, incredible strength, or unmatched speed followed by increase in the elental attribute of the user, also at this stage the user can fully invoke their animal spirit as it fights alongside them.

Ezinne paused at the entrance to her ho, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "The fifth stage is sothing elusive," she began, her voice tinged with both frustration and determination. "The Physical Route has been a path that we have walked for generations, each stage building upon the last. But this next step... it requires a deeper understanding of the bond between human and beast, sothing beyond what we’ve discovered so far."

She turned to face the king and the princess, her eyes betraying the weight of her words. "The corpses brought by the rchant of death have provided us with so clues, but they only hint at the complexity of the transformation required for the fifth stage. What we do know is that it demands a level of synchronization between the soul and the elental force of nature that we have not yet mastered."

The king’s expression darkened, a mixture of disappointnt and resolve. "So, you’re saying we’re still far from achieving it?"

Ezinne nodded slowly. "Yes and no my king, My small understanding of the fifth realm shows that it sothing akin to interfering with the surrounding and creating an environnt safe and useful for the user, sothing akin to a domain"

"My only problem and suspicion in doing such things, is that it will undo all that has been achieved in the past. From the third stage in the physical route, the user is required to stay and adapt to the living environnt of their bonded animal"

"The stage cos with a risk and if left unchecked, the user might beco a beast as whole forgetting their identity as a human, which is why in this stage after a certain level you leave that environnt to prevent future problems"

"So, the fifth stage could potentially unravel all that we have painstakingly built," the king mused, his voice tinged with concern. "Creating an environnt tailored to the user’s needs sounds powerful, but if it cos at the cost of their humanity..."

Ezinne nodded, her expression serious. "Exactly, my king. The danger lies in the potential for the animal’s instincts to dominate the human soul. The bond between the human and the beast, while imnsely powerful, is also precarious. In the third stage, we teach the practitioners to imrse themselves in the wild, to beco one with the environnt of their bonded animal. But we are careful to ensure they don’t lose themselves entirely, that they rember who they are as humans. This balance is delicate."

She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "In the fifth stage, the concept of creating a domain—a personal environnt that reflects the user’s connection with their bonded animal—is compelling. It could offer unprecedented power, allowing the practitioner to harness the full potential of their bond in a controlled space. But it also introduces a new risk. What if, in creating this domain, the practitioner becos too comfortable, too attuned to the animal’s nature, to the point where the animal’s instincts begin to overshadow their own? What if they start to think like the beast, live like the beast, and eventually, beco the beast?"

The king’s expression grew even more somber. "That would be catastrophic. We would not be creating warriors or protectors; we would be unleashing intelligent but dangerous creatures upon the world."

"Precisely," Ezinne agreed. "That is why I have been so cautious in my research. The fifth stage holds great promise, but it must be approached with the utmost care. If we are to pursue this path, we need to find a way to ensure that the human soul remains dominant, that the practitioner’s humanity is not lost in the process. Perhaps there is a way to strengthen the bond without letting it consu them, a thod to maintain control over the domain without being overwheld by it."

The princess, who had been quietly listening, spoke up, her voice filled with a mix of hope and concern. "Ezinne, do you believe it’s possible? Can we find a way to safely unlock this stage without losing ourselves?"

Ezinne’s gaze softened as she looked at the princess. "I believe it is possible, but it will require ti and patience. We must proceed slowly, testing each step carefully. We need to better understand the balance between the human soul and the animal spirit, and how to prevent one from overpowering the other."