Today, Zeke had learned a lot about Soul Magic, surpassing the cumulative insights from all previous experiences. Yet, the lesson that resonated with him most was the realization that he had gravely, very, very gravely, misunderstood the very essence of this field of Magic.

The first time he had dabbled in the art, he had ended up consuming a Soul indiscriminately. This led him to believe that the practice was a crude field with little need for rules or precision. Yet, if anything, the opposite was true, and Zeke struggled to follow even the most basic tasks Akasha laid out for him. It was only now that he fully realized how clumsy his first attempt had been.

Soul Magic was supposed to be used like a scalpel, a tool of accuracy and foresight, and not like a butcher’s knife. No, that was still giving himself too much credit. He hadn’t even used it like a butcher’s knife. Instead, it would be more accurate to say that he had thrown the knife away altogether and charged in with his fists for an all-out brawl.

However, the fault for this misunderstanding could not be fully laid at his feet, as Soul Magic was the exact opposite of any other discipline he knew. A Fire Mage, for example, would only be able to create a weak flame until he improved his control. This was the same with any other form of Magic as well, where control and the size of your Core determined your maximum output.

Yet, Soul Magic spat in the face of this iron-clad rule. The less control you had, the more damage you would do. This went against the core teachings of Magic and everything Zeke knew. It felt like he had started out as an Exarch Soul Mage and had to temper his power slowly by increasing his control. It was a weird concept and had him fighting his very instincts.

Despite the hours that must have passed, here he was, endeavoring for the thousandth time to infiltrate the Archmage’s essence. His current endeavor wasn't focused on any specific action; instead, he sought only to exist within another soul.

The task sounded easy enough, and Zeke quickly managed to send a part of his Soul through the opening he had left for himself. Yet, that was where his troubles started. He quickly learned that it was not in the nature of a Soul to remain still. Neither his own nor the Soul of the Archmage would ever be truly motionless. After many failed attempts, he had to admit to himself that it was a fool’s errand to try and change that fact.

Instead, he found the most success in guiding the movements of his Soul to match the Soul of the other. As far as he could tell, that was the only way to remain completely undetected…. not that he had ever managed to do that for long.

Whenever he made the slightest mistake, his surroundings would turn hostile. More than once, Zeke had to abandon his probe, losing a few moment’s worth of memories in the process. Now that Akasha had pointed it out, he noticed the momentary feeling of discomfort that followed those instances. It seemed that Soul-Body-Mismatch was a real thing after all.

After what felt like the hundredth time of being ejected from the other’s soul, he found himself back in his own body with a slight nausea, the only thing to show for his efforts. He took a few deep breaths, clearing his mind and settling his stomach. With new determination, he started another attempt. He closed his eyes.

The location of the Archmage’s Soul was familiar to him now; it only took him a moment to locate it. In his Soul Sight, he did not perceive the environment like with his [Perfect Spatial Awareness], but he had an instinctive awareness of the part of his Soul he had bonded to the Archmage’s. He could always vaguely tell where it was, like a signal fire in a dark night.

A small tether stretched from Zeke to that distant place, reaching closer and closer until, eventually, it reached the beacon. It acted almost like a crack in the shell of the Archmage’s otherwise impenetrable defenses, allowing Zeke access if he aimed just right. He felt out the movement of the Soul, matching its undulations, before pouncing at the right moment.

Nothing much happened. The only thing that changed when he made contact was his awareness of this other being. He did not have access to any thoughts or memories, hovering at the edge like he was, but he had vague notions about the Archmage’s emotions. He did not try to do anything else for the moment. He merely hovered there, at the outskirts of the Soul, trying to find a state of equilibrium with his surroundings.

Zeke fell into a trance, mindlessly following the ebb and flow, becoming part of something larger. He was slowly getting used to this state of selflessness, where no introspection nor errant thoughts disturbed his being. Without him noticing, a long time passed. He was so immersed in this new state of being that he might have remained for days had it not been for Akasha’s gentle reminder.

With an effort of will, he gently retracted his probe, recovering all of his memories for the first time.

[Notice]

Congratulation, Host. It was an impressive display.