Lisa had a peculiar life the last time she lived in this place, pitying others or herself. Having multiple experiences with failure and lives ensured her sensibility was scrumptious depending on their perspectives, or ends.

Born into the branch of Lurrs after meeting one very distant End and meeting with faraway places that no one knew about, she knew what possessions could cause or what power fetched. She learned to make herself more ambiguous rather than obvious, for living in the Battleworld was no path to serendipity.

In this world, history was glorious, filled with historical facts and mentorship of Epochs. It went without surprise that her consideration and time were as peculiar as any, but it also hurt her pride and excellence.

Her time as a Blessed and part of Somalis's Hell held many layers to her personality. It also pushed a realization that the old world won't come back. Nor could she, frankly, but who would dare to judge that? She might get going on her former path again, fall from grace just to stick to the course of Fate, or condemn everything.

From birth, she was rich. From the eclipse of time, she was aware and playful against that which was taken from her. Bloodlines were much more glorious than some glorified energy cruising in the cosmos and past.

This world was stupid. The Blessed status was a joke. Battleworld was nothing but a prison. That sort of ideology seized her spirit, building up hatred and strength that made her better.

Could she do them justice as she envisioned? That was given, even if it went through years, eras, or chaos cycles.

Seeped in arrogance and time that one could only describe as the course of Fate, she built herself up for success until she realized many sequences and ideas were truly laughable in the grand scheme of things.

Chaos loved that touch. It generally made things proud and broke, and suitably fucked up in her honest opinion. It should be a rightful and omnipotent distinction, coming as nothing because the cosmos was an empty trove of lands, supported from time immemorial.

The same went for greater rules than some bodies, who were the ones who most often meddled with the sort of power that brutally scrutinized what was righteous and not.

Lisa hated those facts with a passion and wished for a change or complete eradication of rules. Did she want to make something new? Not that. The world that she was born in was a mere step, similar to the many before this one, or those hidden elsewhere, or... gone.

Still, there was a part of living that wasn't like the other. This world should've been nothing different, but the course and herself did change significantly.

There was no helping it. A forceful touch going against the principles of the universe needed a fulfilling or very suitable attachment. Ideas and solutions came through tougher times, for easy ones did not make miracles. They came close, however, assisting with principles and rules.

To her absolute shock, some paths opened before her, and some were there for a very long time, delving into the depths of souls and workings beyond this world. It was bigger than one would see. The aspects of Blessed, that is, followed by the Old Ones and those shitty old zanies.

It was a sensitive topic for anyone regular. To her, the one startled by a peculiar soul, she was expressing her joy, worry, and herself to Murai, the one who might answer her or be her end forever. Their sudden understanding and respect for one another were in their charming beginning stages.

It was a better beginning than none, or a step in the right direction, hidden by something greater. Perhaps he knew it all along, Lisa feared and wondered, yet he never explicitly stated or lingered about it like the sore bastard that he could be.

Lisa held her memories right, knowing where it hurt, and where it made her resentful and entitled to this opportunity. Life companionship was part of it, but not nearly as sensitive a topic as delving into souls or resonances.

An unknown number of years ago, like any Blessed seized by cosmic powers, the world besieged her with a Life Companion, coupled against her wishes, and shocked to the core.

One death was one thing done; she believed and thought that nothing else would come. A fine Nirvana was subjected to the past, where death meant a greater or grander beginning to anything vile, evil, or righteous.

But the worlds or cosmos was neither. They were dull, lifeless, and naive compared to Everything between Nothing or Something, which made rules into laws and places into Divides.

Blessed Life Companion meant an enslaved Blessed, who arrived, chained, but provoked the possibility of coming back. Lisa didn't hate that part, but provoking an old conviction of former Blessed had an inevitable knock against the status quo.

The past won't come back, while they indeed arrived from the past to a new future, either too distant, inconsequential, or purposefully compact to others.

Like one nasty cycle, it was either full of opportunities, grudges of the past eras, revenge of nations, terrible times, or in rarer instances, it was an eclipsing idea to never give this world a shred of hope and stability.

For Lisa, it was a normal world like any other, disgraced by plays of fossils and ideas that never left anyone alone. The time that stunk such influences would never finish.

She killed her own Life Companion because of that disgrace alone.

Many Blessed didn't need them for what they were doing or living for, yet they were there to stay with them anyway, helping regardless of some overbearing concepts or prospects. There was a death behind this appeal.

Blessed Life Companions still held power and influence, for they were still part of the set gifts. Unless there was something very peculiar about that, sent from the End of no supposed return, questioning gifts and helpers wasn't always adequate.

It was weirder than a sole Blessed. Sending folks to their deaths. It was absolutely against numerous principles of justice that occurred in all kinds of worlds and past cultures. Epochs were full of them in one form or another.

But in a world full of weird, defiant, and crazy beings, it was very difficult to find footing to see the truth, or set things straight Only the best of the best would truly charge ahead, reaching closer to the top, crawling through corpses of those weaker, or unlucky ones, before they would realize the top was seized and unreachable.

There were three Grand Mantras of the First Epoch. Survival of the fittest makes no right or wrong. The law of the jungle compels the dark forests. Power over weakness qualifies the weak to advance.

Neither was wrong in meaning, even if it meant many would fall to death and oblivion. Power held its rightful influence across all terms of lives and planets with life.

Even animals get it, knowing that hierarchy and instincts set them straight. Ants had their place in the dirt—birds across the skies, and so on, and so forth.

Even Chaos Space held its life in weird shapes, sizes, and laws, similar to all of the other Realms in the depths of dimensions between Nowhere and Somewhere.

Battleworld was an old battleground. It wasn't right for the Extremes to be powerful; Lisa considered them as mere points in existence, right below Gods that were the same, but lofty to a degree of stupidity or confidence.

Gods were still Gods. Their Divinity had its merits, guided by Hidden Realms and an unquenchable lifetime, allowing them to seize some part for themselves, get going, and see that next step.

It could change even the most foolish of a person into someone else, yet becoming a God was still far from being straightforward.

Like Murai, Lisa knew what it entailed more than any average Blessed in this world could imagine. It was about a person's weight, achievements, and all the opportunities one could get. It would mesh together, creating a path ahead, forced or snatched from someone else.

Most Blessed had a peculiar relationship with the Path System, but the traditions of countless eras weren't worth questioning.

Their Life Companions were something like that as well, as some cherished them like friends, while some regarded them as nothing but slaves or nuisances of the old history. The ordinary idea was a servant since a former Blessed usually didn't appeal to some sort of... reversal.

Could they be mentors, helping new Blessed forward like teachers? Sure. Getting rid of them had a couple of setbacks, either describing the set gifts or playful protection of power. A Bond of Souls was usually not so simple.

Anyone could be worth some respect at some point or forever, but at the end of the day, it depended on the pairing or understanding or... getting to know each other better.

Respect was as peculiar as fear or compassion and similar emotions. It had its roots in many acts, partially responsible for the growth of relationships and people.

Ego went hand in hand with such relations first, as each Blessed—and their helping hand—were those met with three Ends put together.

Various desires should be in one of them or both, so it was inevitable that their views would clash, and it wasn't up to anyone but them how to deal with one another.

If not slanderously complicated, then what was it? On the extreme side of a good coin, some lucky beginners thought of them as brothers or sisters, or like a stone, certain helpers that they would never betray.

In the worst scenarios, some maggots would hinder anything out of sheer spiteful anger, or stupidity, because their first life subjected them to total mayhem. Some could even be from this world, distantly or close.

From a subjective perspective, handling such personalities was fine with compromises, which seemed like the best idea. However, Lisa had trouble getting there, while Murai wasn't exactly the epitome of understanding.

Neither was correct nor wrong in their assessments, yet their understanding could clash, and respect might come sooner or later. Or never, since who knew what was before them?

For now, Murai thought of Lisa in a rather strange way, considering her bizarre help and personality. Was it the way he changed, or did her soul haunt his? He wasn't sure, but she didn't cut him as someone wrong anymore.

Like, ever, perhaps? Sure, they had their misgivings, but who wouldn't be like that when two arrogant and lofty souls were tossed into the same cask? She had something at stake here, while someone like him had what? Just another life somewhere else?

A restart seemed unlikely to happen in this sort of words. Such an idea might not even be possible because of the sheer weirdness of this case.

There was some overdue diligence between them, and some specifics were no longer necessary. The flame of respect sprouted between them since the way Lisa acted as a Life Companion wasn't as usual. That was good, for Murai wasn't a normal Blessed either.

Watching him again, Lisa was inclined to follow the path of reason and talk, so what could she say to him? She stated almost everything she wanted.

She also felt that thread and lingering fear opposing her spiritual sea. As Murai said, she didn't know a lot about him since his soul was vast and deep like an abyss. His perspective differed from hers, although it wasn't necessarily a bad deed.

In some cases, it was an amazing and thrilling achievement. Lisa judged it could harm and damage her own will if she forced herself upon him like a little mouse.

Thankfully, she was so far from that vision that she wondered if he was stupid or she was afraid. Perhaps he should've been much more forceful, and things wouldn't end up like this, or everything would be correct.

On second thought, she didn't regret a thing after realizing every path led somewhere, while his led to... fucked up reasonings. Hopefully, the consequences stemming from those steps wouldn't bite her back later because she couldn't run away even if she wished and knew she could.

"Anything to tell back?" Murai said to her out loud, quacking in a light tone. "I am accepting our individuality. Always did, by the way."

"As if that is worth something. Also, that's almost wrong. I hope to work with you. If you get me, agree. If you don't..."

"Get me? Oh, sorry. Sorry. I hope you get us! Together. Back as nothing or something, if you get me back. Maybe I was stupid all along, or this isn't the time for arguments like this. Aren't we kind of busy or wrong? What is even fine with being alright? That's a pity... Nothing like that lasts long." Murai stated, sitting comfortably in the spot.

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"Yet we are here, and it is neither, is it not. So," Lisa sparkled her eyes, puffing her chest in a mixture of pretty sona flares and waves. "You are down to some work?"

"Eventually. I trust your soul, but not your acts. You see, they are different, so how about you further convince me by your actions? So far, you have been trying to do this for your sake, which might not necessarily lift us up. Maybe add some patterns that you usually don't take, and everything will work out?"

"Fine. That sounds reasonable. I don't trust every bit of path, nor my current body, so treating this requires adequate methods. I need to grow up, eh?"

"Aren't we all?"

"I don't mean it that way. I want my body to be suitable." Lisa argued, smiling in a mischievous and confident tone. "So that I could finish this."

"Eh? I trust mine more than ever!" Murai spread his wings and laughed at her face, causing her face to wane and churn. Sona skipped in a small, rousing cycle, making her body turn in waves.

"You should see yourself right now," Lisa added, chuckling and pointing at him. "I've seen you grow from that little thing barely flinching a Blade, to a passable master in a span of a couple of... months? How long was it? Were you still a silly child or baby in that cave, or what was later? Time is weird..."

"Time is relative, and I am not that. I am not a baby, let alone a silly little duck. I might look like it, you see, but I am NOT it!"

"Are you still a Child? I don't know Anatidaes that well, but time relations and power have rules, balance has stability, and evolutions have their patterns. Aren't you cracking them like my patience? How much have you succeeded, I wonder?"

"Don't start this." Murai pointed his wing forward, aiming at her face. "This Resonance cracked something disturbing. Me, I mean. Maybe I've been reborn and remembered, but a master is a master, and I am not that. Don't deny that word its meaning. I am just about to begin what this body added. It means the magic of my soul has merely begun."

"Really? Begin... you?" Lisa wondered and almost judged him for a fool.

"Maybe I should've integrated all my knowledge into it since the start, but that makes only if it weren't for this shitty world with its shitty principles. Encounter, was it? Isn't that my highest concern right now? It's not about this Gate."

Lisa took his words seriously, so she shrugged and guessed his intentions were right. His perspective on strength was peculiar, while his powers were still part of his defiant patterns.

The Will of the Battleworld should have gotten what it meant by now, which was why everything fell apart or worked the way it had. Then, there were the Anatidae matters, monsters known for unprecedented growth and terrifying capacity for magic and spirit.

Lisa had no idea how mistaken she was or how far this had gone beyond her scope. Vermillion had considerably larger ideas than anyone could guess. Lisa didn't have to judge that part; she had reliable sources right in front of her.

"Being called master is still possible for those below the Laws or Level 50. Level 70 is too much for you right now, which isn't surprising. You see, even if you have this Resonance, there are layers to the arts of this world and its people and beasts. Haven't I called it out long ago? How each has their spectrum?"

"Yeah. That is why I don't like how Levels work, Lisa," Murai said without hesitation, glad to see her face calm and her voice normal. "Do they even value growth and stability? Are such patterns right to follow? If I don't or not.... what does it get me? Where?!"

"They converged rules of Paths, but in numbers and tricked into gifts and representations of power. In a sense, they are constructs, and we are riders in the storm. Attributes are the easiest measure to understand, followed by more directions ahead."

"For example, one part is coming from you and you alone, creating the body and what we stand for. Those are readings and what goes up and within. The other stuff is the surroundings and the gifts seized by the Gods. Those are those Boosts or Blessings, or that sort of stuff. Of course, what is better? It's both. Or one, if one feels adventurous or ignorant. Power is kind of broken or very stable because of that."

Lisa felt this opportunity to talk wouldn't come often, so she had no breaks. She kept talking.

"You can force all of it in a fine direction, and bring forth a big potential of beasts that don't have a mind to follow some rules of this civilization. That's why it is a spectrum. You a beast. You ought to get it and know that advances can be short and numb, but fast and full of intensity. You can get far if you advance it well. This makes Blessed Beasts crazy and raving in potential."

"Alas, they are still rarer; any Blessed is usually a person of distinction, and those end in fitting tales in the Battleworld. You... are this. Maybe... Well, the beasts aren't fine, which makes my points kind of scattered. If I can call it honorable, I shouldn't think about it as one thing or as a normal event. I don't know how exactly this Blessed concept works, but I know for certain that your case is beyond that."

"Makes sense." Murai considered, nodding. "If you had known, maybe I would have questioned you more."

"Ehm. Sorry then. The world shouldn't halt you too much, or at all, because of this specific beast's original powers, but it isn't happening. It clutches you, so once again, we aren't thinking of normal circumstances because you are you."

"As I see it, Level 50 is a mere standstill before the hurdles of obtaining laws that you can possess, process, or easily get. That's where most beasts face large Walls, or... the Attributes Walls and various attachments that touch this world. The universe is closely related to that, do you know that? Can you imagine what an Extreme beast is like, or what you can become?"

"That's nowhere near, I know." Murai dejectedly quacked, adapting to her words and listening to her exposition, unlike ever before. He liked this like a lesson, and his spirit and mind felt surprisingly sharper and calmer. Resonance shouldn't be the reason, nor the seed of Brightlife in his Beast Core.

Lisa wasn't that dejected to see him like this. He was still an astounding creature and master after he tried battling against a Level 50 demonic warrior.

His current circumstances and status were up to astonishing beastly standards, which pointed to Anatidae rules and how growth and power stabilized under their criteria and bloodlines.

A Child should have powers up to Level 70 at most, and that was up to three years of age, or up to the substance of the species, or general quality.

Anatiades were, plainly speaking, ridiculous.

That was at least an idea Lisa had perceived from comparable beasts that she knew better. Stories and legends should have more acceptable answers, as comparisons often worked just fine.

But this was about the Old One, and her life in this world had merits different from that sort of concept.

Humans and various races have much wider and broader potential, with some long-living ones being the exact opposite of beasts. Elves could live for thousands of years; thus, their influencing Level and difficulties had very stimulating racial walls that many others didn't have.

It combined into rules and powers, and most of them were within Lisa's awareness and mouth.

She already described them to Murai over time, but he had trouble getting the right context in time because of his shitty beginning in this world, or overall bitterness over this system.

Comprehending the fundamentals and body created a monster, tampering with his experiences more than both of them thought. All in all, Lisa knew Murai would never recognize how well his experiences suited his current body, or... perhaps this would happen to every case or species?

What if he were a human? The suitability of souls might be another issue because of his wicked curse.

She couldn't help but hide her internal laugh and smirk after imagining and realizing yet another matter and acceptance.

At some point, she was no longer fine with finding his current progress shocking. Perhaps Murai could have been even crazier under other species. Maybe, of course.

This concept still consumed her thoughts, but neither was suitable because they didn't matter for the time being. It was hard to tell whether forcing Murai into some evolutions was a good idea or how far this could help. Anatidaes had weird evolutions, and their elevations were higher than in most beasts.

Their leveling potential was a reasonable concern, while her expectations were much higher, coming from her sizable perspective.

If she had to guess something clear, letting Murai stay as an Anatidae Panacea had much more thrilling long-term results than pushing him over some weird species-kind-of edge.

It was about cracking and pushing the limits of the Child to a maximum, and after he became an Adult, everything could be ready to go wild. Right alongside her, Lisa always hoped.

Leveling wasn't a peculiar problem; it was a rule of this world rather than a self-entitled perspective, or self-found prospect.

For him, it was fueling the case of his soul and memories over many worlds and battles, pushing the Anatidae bloodline to a test. One could only wonder how many beings Murai had lived as, or how much he had killed to live off that maddening cycle.

"So, are you planning to stay like this, or what? If you look at me like this... I don't know what to think. Can I help you with anything? Well, not for free or for nothing, if you get me. There are still some boundaries that I am unwilling to cross." Murai asked, squinting his eyes as he ignored the course of their journey.

His internal heat and the aftermath of the Resonance were calming down, thanks to this talk that diverted his attention. He was close to being in top condition, which made his mana and cores wilder, anticipating some nice changes that came from the Hidden Realms rather than this chained world.

For hours, Bagus followed Itrosh's pathways, which Lisa had chosen throughout days of thinking. Still, the worst came crawling back, and the maps they got from the surface helped much more than she thought.

Itrosh handled the map with some familiarity, thanks to the fact that she had done something like this before. Watching over the differences and many connected lines or drawings ensured clear paths and possible portal locations.

Unfortunately, rumors about it had never been around, and asking Foolisch about it was a no-go territory. He and his former master left many points behind, helping with the journey, so Itrosh had very little to do in navigating.

There was only so far they had to look in their walk because there was no explicit direction, guessing and coming closer, or further away from their goal.

It was no clear or clever solution; it was the only one they had. The token in Murai's pocket was waiting for its time, unlike Lisa and Murai, who weren't aware of what was coming or closing every second.

Lisa expected that, within a day, nothing would happen. Far too many underground sections could house a portal while looking for links to Chaos Space, or the ancient toke did not make sense of anything. Calculating and thinking about it for days, she had to ignore some matters.

For once, what had been dug out or mined shouldn't be about anything; they were looking for something old and hidden, so in truth, there was a degree of doubt and ideas where they shouldn't be looking.

What remained afterward were paths stretching across various corridors, aiming for natural caves, ancient places, or... regarding the Sun God. That was satisfactory. Lisa was busy on the go anyway, so fewer and fewer matters made her grudgeful. That was one of the reasons she tossed this journey to Itrosh and worked on Murai specifically.

Spending days on this shouldn't be that far-fetched, even if Hunters would come with troubles.

Surprisingly, the pathways of most mining complexes weren't complicated at all, as even regular mining teams and dumb miners had to navigate through them or make them work.

Reaching their desired places on foot was cheaper than temporary teleportation constructs, which were mostly about the companies anyway. Getting to the surface was mandatory, similar to the forfeiture of all dug-out Gems.

It had continued like that for thousands of years, giving the underground a massive network and terms. Unbeknownst to the follower who dug a tunnel for himself and his stubborn self and cause, this wasn't an issue even for Hunters or a weird party pushing deeper.

Lisa followed up on Murai's questions and got very comfortable. "I plan to be myself, Murai Hisagi, so let's not beat around the bush. I think we need it." She said, believing she was doing nothing wrong.

"Then I am fine with myself." Murai chuckled. "Makes us a team, right? Is that how it should be? Wait, which ones are we talking about? Faces and all, pasts are various, so what is going on? Should we think about this portal more, or do that for the Paradise instead?"

"You are correct. Also.... wait a damned second," Lisa didn't like how enjoyable she sounded, so she changed her mood. "Let's not get too far off ourselves. I don't blame you or myself for either of our actions. Unlike myself, does it make sense to call it a truce, or is it some sort of halt to our main issues?"

"Depends on what you call an issue. Are we some sort of idiots hoping for death? Nope." Murai issued a dismissive quack, feeling right about himself.

"On what basis? We do think that, but at others. We will deal with what troubles us and need strength, and not be lonely idiots." Lisa eyed him, flinching her hands to flock them around her. "Which means a whole lot of problems that you've never figured out yourself."

"I noticed. Is this why you got so lucky and nicer after meeting with David and his team? I mean, they are nice. I get it. No one should be left alone to rot or be like a rock. We have plenty of problems to solve right now, so how about you call them out one by one?"

"We do have time and that, but not at one thing at a time. Nothing would work with that and you. I need more force. More time, or... something else."

Something changed in her eyes again. Something that she overlooked and should've done long ago.

Now, it was time to go in the proper direction, whether it hurt her pride or played with nothing. Lisa yanked her hand in Itrosh's direction, shouted new orders, and checked the maps, leaving Murai observant and alone.

Itrosh was so flustered by her sudden outburst that she barely argued back. They went even deeper, leaving Bagus sighing and hoping the Hunters would leave his skin intact.

Lisa went back to Murai after some time, feeling victorious as she lowered her size and found a nice spot in his hood, laying low and close behind his head.

"Is it cozy? My soul space is free, if that's what you want." Murai asked, "A spot to call home? Strength? How do Wraiths even work?"

"For now, this hood suffices," she said comfortably. "How it feels is my issue to solve, and power comes in perpetuity and time. I plan to change it over time, like working with your head. Do you know why?"

"You have no choice, huh?"

"Exactly. I do know some of them, however. For example," Lisa turned to him, but Murai decided to talk over her.

"Because you don't follow the routes that make this right. Paths, I mean. Are you even... I mean, what do you give? Talks and some explaining would solve many of them, but not this. You feed on stuff, and it needs to start. Your Nucleus, doesn't it hurt or something? Have you ever known some philosophers or what it means to haunt?"

"Don't give me that crap as if you know what this is about." Lisa swayed her hand around and punched his neck with her little feeble sticks for arms. Surprisingly, her tone and voice were the same, even in her little form.

"What crap? Do you fear hearing the truth? I am no longer stupid!"

"Oh, you haven't been that before? What a shocker. Also, philosophies are far from making me calm or nice. They are bullshit. The perfected simplicity comes through boundless effort, and fixing or getting there creates miracles that everyone wants. It's more like an endless journey."

"True. It depends on who speaks or acts, but in some courts of Gods or people, truth is what often matters very little. One can dictate, change the truth, and do what might be wrong from the past to the future. It's all about winners."

"That is why you shouldn't even think about me right now. It's unimportant because between us, what matters the most?"

Murai knew only a few passable answers that wouldn't ruin their relationship again. "It's about those compromises again?"

"My condolences," Lisa sighed, "but it is what it is. Of course, I will make it worth it and grow once or twice, so you won't regret agreeing with me."

"Oh, who said something about agreeing? I accept it regardless of the pain in the ass, so don't even mention this mess of a world. It makes my blood boil. You are also part of it, and that makes me wonder how you will do it."

"By omitting and starting with simple back-stories or histories, or talks of secrets if you want."

"For nothing?"

"Nothing but willingness to do equal terms. It won't be an exchange. Not anymore. It makes us further apart, right? Well, not as if it makes us closer or different. It's a compromise, alright?"

"Yeah. Many things could make me angry, and accepting it with little hesitation is more than right. Yeah, that sounds about right. I mean, force or life, what one lives by is a conviction or grudge to keep latching onto more living. You lack some of it, similar to myself. Everyone lacks it, you see. There are no ceilings for lives because it's just a silly concept that leads to nowhere. Like that thing in my core now, latched onto me and feeding whatever I can't have. I can't even end my thoughts."

Murai sneered, turning his back to face Bagus's tail and watching the path behind. He played a hard position, but he said what he needed.