51 Book 3 Chapter 47 (2/2)

Just then, a will entered his soul and turned into the figure of Fox. Shockingly, she entered his soul like it was nothing. She landed next to Jason and spoke after feeling his emotions. ”Don't worry. This is only a strand of my will interacting with yours. Considering the power of your soul, you can banish me with a simple thought.”

Jason calmed down after hearing that. He immediately felt it was wise to seek out Fox before encountering a demon with similar skills like hers. The way he used his soul was like a baby waving around a knife, completely harmless.

Fox walked to the edge of the orb. ”You are constantly releasing your will, the sign of a rookie. Now that you've consolidated the shape of your soul, blocking off your will should be a simple matter. Imagine a one-way window. You know what that is, right?”

Jason nodded and focused his senses on the orb. The edge transformed into a barrier, where only signals entered and didn't leave. Fox gave a nod. ”Good. If you want to deceive, then you know what to do, right?”

His body stepped to the left, but he intentionally released a signal stating the opposite in his soul. Jason smiled as he began to get the hang of utilizing his soul. For most people, this step was quite tricky. It was like speaking a sentence but thinking a different one. Only because Jason had absurdly high Willpower could he quickly grasp the trick.

Fox shook her head. ”Unfortunately, you'd only deceive rookies with this. It can't even be considered a skill.”

Jason's joy deflated upon hearing that. True, it only took him a few minutes to reach this level. He could only fool people who awakened their soul but had yet to learn how to use it.

”Let me ask you: why wait for the voice of the world to come to you?” Fox looked at Jason. ”The next step is to change the shape of your soul. An orb is simply the most basic form it can take.”

”Okay, what should I use?” Jason grew expectant.

”Still an orb, except change it to a solid state of matter. After that, change a small portion of the orb into mist, which will then encompass the orb like a nebula.” Fox explained calmly.

It took a bit longer for Jason to accomplish this, yet the world changed as soon as he did so. Everywhere the mist touched, he experienced with his senses. The structure of the basketball-sized training room appeared in his mind. He could see every scratch, mark, or flaw on the walls. It was almost like Shenlong's skill to see everything within a certain distance, or rather, it was exactly like that.

At the same time, a notification appeared in front of him.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill: Domain.

Domain

Sense your surroundings with your soul. Consumes Soul Force.

Remark 1: Distance depends on Willpower.

Remark 2: Soul Force drains faster the further Domain reaches.

Congratulations! With your new understanding of souls, you've unlocked a new resource: Soul Force. All skills involving the soul will consume Soul Force. The quantity and regeneration of Soul Force depends on your Willpower.

Jason did a quick check on his stats and found Soul Force under his Stamina. It clocked in at over three million. Jason's attention turned to his new skill and wondered how far he could reach. The result shocked him. The intangible mist expanded past the training room until it covered the entire Sanctuary and then some. Besides the absurd drain on Soul Force, he noticed the further he went, the less detail his soul picked up unless he focused on a particular area.

After a few minutes of experimenting, he withdrew his domain until it only encompassed the training room. He focused on Fox, beyond her physical form, until he saw her soul. It was beautiful. Unlike his simple orb, it took on the shape of some complex machinery, with layers upon layers of moving parts.

He approached cautiously and formed a tendril to touch her soul. ”Hello?”

”You're a quick learner,” Her soul replied.

Now that Jason had a much better understanding of souls, he deduced how some skills worked. ”Are skills like Killing Intent and Mental Suppression a method to attack the soul?”

”Yes. Mental Suppression is a basic soul skill. Killing Intent is a level higher; it's backed by intent and not just primitive force.” Fox confirmed Jason's guess. ”It's better to show than tell. Use one such skill on me and observe closely.”

Jason no longer had Killing Intent, as it had evolved into Indomitable Spirit, so he used that one. As soon as he activated the skill, his soul transformed from an orb into a towering figure overlooking the world. The figure looked exactly like Jason, with each detail clear and crisp, like it existed in the physical plane. The figure's eyes reflected the universe as if all were under its control.

In that reflection was Fox's soul, so small and delicate. Jason watched as the universe itself bent to his will and pressed against Fox's multilayered soul so hard it cracked and shuddered from the pressure. Jason knew that with a single thought, he could cause its utter collapse. Fox screamed. ”Stop!”

Jason woke up, realizing he wasn't just a spectator watching a show. He instantly deactivated the skill, upon which his soul turned back into a simple nebula. Opening his eyes, he saw Fox on the verge of collapsing.

It took Fox a few minutes to return to normal. She glanced at Jason. ”You've learned everything I'm allowed to teach you.”

”Allowed? There's more to using a soul?” Jason tilted his head.

”You are but a mere child compared to the gods in this tower. Don't think you accomplished anything amazing here,” Fox's voice was cold.

”I'm sorry,” Jason could tell Fox was upset with him. ”I just acquired that skill, so I didn't mean to injure you. I'm incredibly grateful for your help.”

Fox's expression warmed a bit upon hearing that. ”Off you go then.”

Jason turned to leave and felt he needed to send Dubaku and Shenlong here for training.