[Answer]
Are you certain, Host?
What do you an? Zeke asked in confusion. He was completely unaccustod to Akasha questioning his decisions.
[Answer]
In the past, Host has expressed notable reluctance to progress along this path.
Zeke grimaced, acknowledging the point. The option to use Soul Magic was initially intended as a contingency, reserved for use only if all else failed. However, re hours later, he found himself ready to embark on this path. He fell into a brief silence, carefully reevaluating his decision once more.
Taking a deep breath, he leaned back against the perfectly smooth stone wall of his hideout and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in the world of his Minds Library Akashas ho.
In front of him, surrounded by an endless expanse of white, sat a young woman with white hair, blue eyes, and a curvaceous body. Akashas chosen form was an amalgamation of the most beautiful won Zeke had ever t. For a mont, the sight stole his breath away.
However, he managed to get his bearings an instant later, reminding himself of his purpose here. I am certain, Akasha. Tell .
Host needs to establish what he wants to achieve by doing this, Akasha said, her monotone voice just the sa as usual.
Zeke fell into deep thought. Given the fact that he was not entirely certain what could be achieved through Soul Magic, he didnt yet have a concrete goal in mind. Nevertheless, it was essential that he did as much damage to the Archmage as possible if he wanted to give his side a chance. Whats the most damage we can do without being detected prematurely?
Akasha closed her eyes while silently mumbling, Calculating 10% 15% 35% 62% 84% 97% Calculation complete optimal plan of attack determined.
Zeke leaned forward in excitent, curious to find out what Akasha had co up with.
A mont later, she opened her clear blue eyes and stared intently at him. A strategic approach with optimal success probability has been established. However, nurous foundational assumptions rely on speculation without practical evidence. Does Host wish to proceed?
It doesnt matter, Zeke said. I didnt expect anything else, given the ager amount of practical experience we have. Just tell what you got.
Affirmative, Akasha said. The optimal approach was determined to be the deliberate creation of a Soul-Body mismatch.
Zeke's brows shot up. A Soul-Body mismatch? He had never heard of that term, and he was pretty sure Akasha had made it up just now. Can you explain?
Akasha nodded. Host has previously ascertained that the Soul is comprised of a compilation of experiences, docunting every mont of an individual's life. Is that correct?
Thats right, Zeke said. When I accidentally consud the Soul of the spy, his mories stread into . anwhile, his essence was getting lesser in equal asures.
Despite his hesitation and obvious unease with this subject, Akasha's manner of speaking remained completely serene. I believe that Host has made an accurate judgnt regarding that experience. However, a crucial elent is missing.
Enlighten , Zeke demanded curtly. He wasnt too pleased with the direction the discussion had taken, as this mory remained one of his most dreaded experiences.
Affirmative, Akasha replied, wholly unfazed by his emotional state. The crucial elent Host has overlooked is the mans death.
Zeke furrowed his brows. His unease slowly turned into curiosity as he recalled the event. Thanks to his [Perfect Sensory Recall], his accounts of the events had not been distorted or lost.
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A mont later, the scene of a prison cell was projected in the air between Zeke and Akasha. It was a miniature recreation of one of his mories. In the scene, two people were sitting across from each other, completely motionless. One of them was a young man with blood-red hair, and the other a hideously deford figure who had been strapped to a tal chair. It was the mont right before Zeke had drained the mans Soul.
However, he was only able to observe the happenings of the mortal plain, not the interplay between Souls. Still, this was the first ti he actually saw how the man had died, as he had previously only been confronted with the aftermath.
With morbid curiosity, Zeke watched the scene of the two people confronting each other. It didnt take long for the prisoner to show a reaction. First, his face started to twitch. Then, his entire body started to spasm. Only a few monts later, he started to scream uncontrollably. This must have been the mont the guards called for David.
However, what happened next was utterly unexpected: silence returned to the room.
The prisoner went from violently shaking and screaming to utterly still in an instant. It was clear that he had died. Yet, there was no sign of Zeke waking. Instead, the young man in the recording remained seated peacefully, his eyes still closed. It wasnt until several minutes later, when David ca to shake him awake, that he was awoken from his trance.
Zeke looked up from the recording, the question clear in his eyes. Thats strange, he said. I rember that I was still draining his Soul when David woke .
Akasha nodded with a blank expression. I suspect that to be true. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the individual had perished long before that point.
Interesting. If that was true, then that ant that he had sohow locked the mans Soul in place, even after his death. And that wasnt the only implication of note. He glanced at Akasha. What was it that actually killed him?
Akasha smiled, causing Zeke to be dazed once more. It was the first ti he had seen her express any kind of emotion. In spite of what he had thought, the gesture looked completely natural on the face of the usually emotionless girl.
A Soul-Body mismatch, Akasha explained proudly.
Excuse ?
A Soul-Body mismatch, Akasha repeated. That is what caused his demise.
I am not familiar with that term, Zeke said, slowly getting back to his senses.
Akasha nodded. It is a word I created to describe this phenonon. Does Host like it?
Zeke cocked his head, regarding Akasha with interest. There was a peculiar glint in her eyes, like a baby bird begging its mother for food. How about you describe the phenonon to first?
Affirmative, Akasha said, returning to her placid expression. This phenonon occurs when the body rejects a Soul because it no longer recognizes it as part of the system. It is similar to the body fighting against an infection.
Zeke looked at her in surprise. Thats what killed him? His own body?
It is the sole explanation that aligns with the facts, declared the spirit.
Akasha was right. There shouldnt be a problem with a Soul losing parts otherwise. It was no different from returning to the past, to the state before making those mories. He could also determine that the removal of mories wasnt inherently damaging, as he had experinted with that concept quite a bit. He had even split off a small part of his Soul to infiltrate the Archmage earlier today.
Tell more about this Soul-Body-Mismatch, he demanded.
Akasha looked pleased upon hearing Zeke adopt the term she had invented. The phenonon occurs in varying degrees of intensity, she explained. However, even after the slightest bit of the Soul goes missing, the body reacts negatively.
Zeke raised a brow, clearly about to object. Yet, before he could get a single word out, Akasha continued. Yes, it happens every ti Host sends out a Soul probe as well. However, in those cases, the body adapts quickly. The mismatch will only manifest in a montary feeling of unease.
Zeke closed his mouth.
The more frequently this happens, the more severe the reactions will be. In instances where segnts of the Soul persistently vanish over an extended duration, it is speculated that the body will begin to manifest signs of illness, such as headaches, migraines, lethargy
Wait a mont, Zeke interjected. If a disconnect between body and Soul is such a serious issue, then why did the Dragon try to steal my body? Wouldnt he have killed himself by doing so?
Instead of Akasha, a deep, rumbling voice from sowhere in the void answered his inquiry. Kill ? With that pitiful body of yours? I dont think so.
Why not? Zeke asked.
If a Soul is vastly more powerful than its vessel, it can easily overpower the body's resistance, Akasha explained instead of the Dragon. Furthermore, Host was still an Apprentice Mage at that point in ti. This is relevant because the connection increases with each advancent, with body and Soul becoming intrinsically linked at the Archmage level.
Doesnt that an that it is going to be vastly more difficult to damage the Soul of an Archmage? Can we even kill him?
It is highly improbable that we will successfully terminate his life using this thod, Akasha stated. He is likely to resist well before we reach that juncture.
Then what is the point of all this? Zeke asked. Wouldnt it be better to do as much damage as quickly as possible instead?
Negative, Akasha stated. It has been concluded that we can inflict more harm by gradually eroding his Soul over ti.
And then what? Zeke asked with a rising sense of dread.
Host will have to terminate him in the real world, Akasha said nonchalantly.
Are you insane? Zeke burst out.
Akasha tilted her head. Negative. My cognitive processes are rational, with no abnormalities detected.
Zeke rolled his eyes. Then tell how I can do that. Even a weakened Archmage can kill with a slap.
That is incorrect, Akasha stated with confidence. However, it is true that Host is unlikely to erge victorious in a confrontation, even against a weakened Archmage.
So?
Host will have to think of sothing to bridge this gap, Akasha said.
Zeke stared at her for a long mont, a mixture of disbelief and exasperation warring on his face. What kind of a plan was this?
Yet, the longer he thought about it, the calr he got. Akasha was right. This wasnt her problem to solve; it was his. She had already pointed the way, giving him the best odds possible. If he couldnt overco this final hurdle on his own, he had no business being here.
He took a deep breath, centering his mind. You are right, Akasha. Just tell how to start, and Ill think of sothing. Zeke promised, a queasy sensation settling in the pit of his stomach. He could only hope that he would actually be able to live up to those expectations.
After all, his life might depend on it.
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