Nier’s gaze settled on the creature at his side, its once-terrifying form now a pitiful shadow, its tentacles limp.

Bound by Collective Existence, it was his puppet now. As such docile little thing with the potential of growing into disaster if it had the time and resources to grow.

Yet, as he surveyed the devastation around him, a cold feeling settled in his chest. The black fog of residual Negativity swirled.from various places, seeping from every crack and burn mark cause by their battle.

"Well better get to recharging."

Neir said to himself, as he began to walk to the places where Negativity could be found.

With only 881 Negativity Points left, Nier was reserve was stretched thin.

Thankfully he could always refill himself, but again he doesn't like it.

Taking in other suffering is not a nice feeling at all, but he does it anyway. Power for him sadly does not come for free.

As such he opened his hand towards the lingering Negativity, pulling it into himself like a metal to magnet, or moth to flame.

The moment he did, a tidal wave of memories, and past experiences and their sensation crashed over him, raw and merciless.

He saw through the skinwalker's eyes, its fight as Rita, and other human forms, frantic flight as a falcon, wings beating against the wind; its desperate scramble as a frog, crushed beneath his boot; the searing agony of Black Scorch devouring its flesh. Then came his own memories, sharper and more brutal: his death, the glitch of reality as Kaly's power yanked him back from the void defying the concept of life and death altogther, the clawing pain of the skinwalker's attacks, and its primal hunger to peel his skin and wear it like a trophy. Clearly wanting to take his power in the process.

Fear, rage, despair, and anger, from both the Skin Walker and himself, they flooded his mind, as an orchestra of emotions nearly drove him to his knees. Each units of Negativity was a shard of suffering, burning through his veins like molten lava flowing inside his body, but he forced himself to endure, his jaw clenched tight.

Reliving suffering that has long pass is not a nice feeling.

But this was the only way to keep using the power of Unlimited as such the experience, sensation, and mental strain in takes on his sanity was but a small price to pay for greater power.

And as he collects the last of it, the sensation of Silence's speaking was felt. Its words bulging his veins under his flesh and skin burning across his palms in sharp, angular scripts.

"Absorption complete. 993 Negativity Points gained. Current total: 1,874."

Nier exhaled, a shaky breath that misted in the cool forest air. He steadied himself against a charred oak, its bark crumbling under his touch. One problem was solved, but another loomed like a storm cloud right after.

His gaze drifted to the clearing' edge, as he uses The Occultist Eyes to see through the trees, and enhance his visions to insane degree yet he could still see the spot where Daniel, Sam, and Neil stood frozen, their faces pale as moonlight, eyes wide with fear, worry, and confusion. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel(ꜰ)ire.net

Those kids were trouble, not only did they brought a monster in his home, but they witnesses his powers personally, and bare the truth he couldn't let spread. He could pass as a Hesta, one of the government-sanctioned gifted, but Nier was no Hesta. He was a flux, a cursed being by the standards of the world.

And the government had eyes everywhere, trackers, hunters, and worse, the Occultist, which was the supernaturally gifted and master of Gaian Energy.

All of them can easily sniff out his kind like bloodhounds. If those boys talked, an investigation would definitely be commence, and he would without a doubt be a marked man.

For that reason, he needed time, time to get his shit together, and find a way to not be discovered, not when he was still weak.

As such he turned to his companion and asked.

"Hey Silence."

He said, his voice low, and full with irritation.

"How much would it cost to use Collective Existence on those three? I need them silenced, but I'm not about to go broke again... Is it possible to maybe used one instance of it on the group, you know killing three birds with one stone?"

But the answer he got was exactly what he expected, so much for cheating the system he thought.

As his hand pulsed in pain, and Silence's responded saying.

"Sorry but it doesn't work like that... Casting Collective Existence on three targets requires 500 Negativity Points per head, totaling 1,500 points. You have sufficient reserves, but it will leave you with only 374 points."

Nier snorted, shaking his head.

"Hell no... I've already burned through too much fighting that damn skinwalker. Spending 1,500 on a bunch of nosy brats is insane. And if the Occultist catch a whiff of this much supernatural activity, they'll be crawling all over this place. I need something cheaper, something to wipe their memories, maybe just the last hour at the very least. From the Skin Walker memories I have absorbed, shit hasn't been long since they discovered her secret, hence the reason why they even end up on my property."

Nier reply was indeed valid, it wouldn't take much to create some memory wiping abilities.

As such Silence answered swiftly.

"A magic to erase the last hour of a target's memories can be created for 245 Negativity Points. It will cost 15 points per cast. The target must maintain eye contact with you for 10 seconds for the spell to take effect though. Upon completion, the target will fall unconscious for approximately five minutes. More than enough time to move them from this place."

Hearing this Nier sighed in relief, those kids need to loose their memories of what happen here.

That was his decree, and killing children for no reason didn't felt right to him.

At least, if the reason is unjustifiable.

"Now that is more like it. Create it."

"Creation successful... Memory Erasure Magic has been acquired. The Cost creation cost 245 Units of Negativity. Please be aware that you only have a remaining total of 1,629 units of Negativity remaining."