A.N - This is another chapter which looks better on Royal Road
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Mental Journal Entry - Day 5
Main Subject: The Soul of Matthew Rivers
Matthew Rivers' soul has proven to be an anomaly compared to previous acquisitions. Unlike the goblins and wolves, whose lingering thoughts remain an unintelligible mess due to the language barrier, Matthew's consciousness is fully comprehensible when accessed within the Soul Well. His thoughts, fragmented and disjointed as they may be, are clear.
This discovery is significant. Direct communication isn't possible—at least, not yet—but understanding a soul's lingering mind offers insight into its nature.
Observations:
1. The Soul Well is unpleasant for its occupants.
Not outright torment, but discomfort. A restless, inescapable tension.
Matthew's thoughts carried a sense of confusion, unease—like a man lost in the dark, searching for something he could never find.
2. Souls do not perceive my presence within the Well.
Regardless of my attempts to interact, prod, or even speak, Matthew remained oblivious to me.
Whether this is a fundamental rule or a limitation of my current ability is uncertain. Possible avenue for improvement.
3. The Soul Well induces hibernation over time.
Matthew's thoughts became sluggish the longer he remained.
Eventually, his consciousness faded into dormancy, resembling an animal slipping into a deep slumber.
4. Souls can perceive each other.
While within the Well, Matthew reacted to other souls—specifically the wolves and goblins.
He did not understand them but could hear them. (Possible avenue of research)
5. Extraction from the Soul Well is agonizing. (Confirmed.)
Suspected this based on prior, smaller-scale experiments, but Matthew's reaction solidifies it.
The moment I pulled his soul out, his thoughts became erratic, then erupted into a soul-rattling scream—a soundless wail that reverberated through the Well itself.
Unlike entry, which seems painless, the exit process is… unpleasant. Forcibly pulling a soul free appears to be an inherently violent act.
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Experimentation Attempt - Embedding Matthew Rivers' Soul into a Corpse
Purpose: To test the viability of human soul reanimation
Outcome: Failure
Upon extraction, the soul suffered an unexpected amount of damage.
Possible cause: High potency of human souls requiring more precise manipulation.
The resulting undead was completely unresponsive. Catatonic. Not aggressive, not active—simply… not working properly.
Soul mist was regathered and reintroduced into the Well, but:
Volume reduction estimated at 10-15%.
Soul activity drastically reduced.
No further changes observed in the following hours.
Prognosis: Unknown.
Conclusion:
I lack the finesse necessary to safely manipulate a potent human soul. My technique is inefficient, crude. Further refinement is required before attempting another embedding.
Recommendation: Improve soul manipulation. Avoid further irreversible fuck-ups.
Additional Notes:
The bodies of humans "Karl" and "John" remain missing.
Only evidence: A small patch of burned forest where the altercation took place.
Presumed status: Alive.
No further sightings of "Red."
Presumed status: Alive
Monster strength within the current area has been deemed insufficient.
Current growth rate unacceptable. Proceeding deeper into the forest.
- Reviewed by Discipline.
(End of Entry)
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Mental Journal Entry - Day 7
Subject: Humbled by a Goblin
Yes, it was a Level 8 Goblin Warrior, which technically makes it a potato-potatho situation, but the fact remains—one of the little green bastards forced me to acknowledge a flaw in my approach.
This one was different. Smarter. It watched as its kin fell one by one, each collapsing the moment they were touched by my flesh whip. Instead of mindlessly charging to its doom, it adapted—ducking, weaving, and slipping past every attack I sent its way for a solid ten minutes. It only died because endurance is finite, and desperation forces mistakes.
But the lesson remains.
Key Takeaways:
1. Dexterity Cannot Be Allowed to Fall Behind.
Strength, Constitution, Mana—these are all well and good, but they mean nothing if I cannot hit my opponent.
The goblin understood my attack patterns. It adjusted. I could not, due to my limited speed.
2. Fleshcrafting is NOT the Same as Flesh Manipulation.
I had assumed that by increasing my control over dead tissue, I could force greater speed. This is incorrect.
The more I attempted to manually accelerate motion, the greater the diminishing returns became.
At the end of the day, I am still forcing dead tissue to move. The process is inefficient, slow, and fundamentally flawed.
3. The "Flesh Mech" Initiative is a Failure. (For Now.)
Replacing my own body parts with dead tissue, then attempting to move them artificially, is not a viable solution.
The dead must be integrated, not simply worn. True incorporation is required, rather than mere attachment.
Dexterity cannot be bypassed entirely. It must be either trained or forcefully acquired via bodily modification.
Immediate Action Plan:
Abandon the Flesh Mech project.
(Initiative shelved for future reconsideration.)
Explore alternative methods of enhancing Dexterity.
Begin testing modifications for seamless tissue incorporation.
Humbled, but better for it.
- Reviewed by Reason.
(End of Entry)
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Mental Journal Entry - Day 10
Training is good.
Training is good.
Monsters too weak.
Need more training.
Then sleep, but first—training.
I made a hole.
Filled it with undead.
They struggle. I take their bones. They require constant mana sustenance.
Good mana training.
Covered the hole with dirt.
Buried them.
No escape.
More mana required.
Raise boulders.
Arms break.
Repair arms.
Legs break.
Repair legs.
Heart bursts.
Repair heart.
Brain bur—NO!
Protect brain!
Good.
Raise more boulders.
Strength training.
Gave Goblin Shaman a fast body.
Told it to run. Doesn't understand. Tries to kill me.
Good.
Run from flying boulders.
Run from explosions.
It runs well. I run better. Made more nerves, faster nerves.
Good Dexterity training.
Heart bursts.
+1 mana.
Gooood ttt-training.
Level up!
More points in Constitution!
Made two more hearts!
Made bigger lungs!
Suppressed thymus.
Embedded troll marrow in bones.
Too weak.
Mine is better.
Trolls have low Constitution.
Disappointing.
Now… sleep.
(End of Entry)
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Mental Journal Entry - Day 15
This is beautiful!
This is BEAUTIFUL!
I CAN SEE THEM!
I CAN SEE THE CELLS THEMSELVES!
Flesh Perception at Level 7 is barely enough, but—
I see them.
I FEEL THEM.
Nerves—lightning-fast tendrils, weaving through my body, carrying every sensation like whispers of a hidden language.
Bones—pillars of mineral and marrow, rigid yet alive, constantly reshaping, constantly adapting.
Muscles—fibrous ropes of potential energy, coiling and uncoiling with purpose, each strand a soldier awaiting my command.
Connective tissue—the webbing of existence, binding it all together, the unyielding glue that holds this miracle in place.
EVERY. SINGLE. BIT.
EVERY STRAND, EVERY FIBER, EVERY LIVING BREATHING PIECE OF ME—BENDS TO MY WILL.
I FEEL IT.
I COMMAND IT.
CELLULAR MACHINERY,
FORGED OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS,
BOWS BEFORE A MERE THOUGHT.
I can control their division!
Not quickly.
Not yet.
Barely more than a whisper against the tide of nature's will—
But they groooow.
It makes me woozy.
It makes me lightheaded.
But it woooorks.
THE CELLULAR CLOCK—REVERSED.
THIS IS FUCKING IMMORTALITYYYYY.
*cough cough*
Ah, where was I?
Ah, yes.
Let's try making...
[Side Quest - Completed]
Get one skill to Level 10.
Rewards:
1 Skill Upgrade Token
1 Tutorial Difficulty Change Token
Huh?
(End of Entry)