A New World, An Immersive Game Experience

"Indeed." Ziraili smiled as she answered. "A magic contract is in most cases ironclad. However, one must consider the wording extremely carefully."

Nodding, Eldrian fell into thought. 'She means to say that the clauses were too open. I thought it was best to have it written in as simple terms as possible, keeping it vague intentionally so I could have wiggle room.'

'Since the clause for me winning is Zaphreal's support, Ziraili is saying I can trust that. However, his support will be limited to what he is able to offer. If he is overruled, restricted, or defeated by others, he would not be in the wrong—given that it is outside his control.'

This was not a bad thing. After all, having the contract enact punishment on someone who was on your side would not be ideal. However, because the wording was so simple, Zaphreal did not have to fight with his life on the line. He simply had to try.

'I had focused on protecting myself. So I cannot be upset at the fact that I had not focused more on the winning conditions. It is a missed opportunity, but at least I had escaped the situation without taking a massive loss.'

While the loss of the death crystal was certainly massive, Eldrian did not foresee himself needing it for a while. His rushed attempt at accessing the elemental aspects, had allowed him to learn how much further he needed to climb before he could use such high-ranking items.

Eldrian had likely even lost his magic crystal after taking it out recklessly. He was unsure how the city and kingdom were going to handle things. Though that was assuming they won.

'That's right. While I have many things to ask, I need to prioritize. I need to get back to help the others as soon as I can.'

Eldrian's avatar was being healed. Two was slowly moving some mana back into it. However, because of the location they were in, they had to be careful.

"What about this energy, then? Why does it still exist after I won?" Eldrian asked next. It was imperative that he understood what it was and if it was dangerous to him.

As he had won, he was in the clear contract wise. The clause for his winning had no stipulation on him or his actions. It mentioned only that he would be free to act, and Zaphreal would support and protect him and his family.

"A magic contract, upon being signed, splits and acts onto all those who are involved in the contract. Should you wish to cancel the contract, either all parties must agree. Or, in the case you find yourself, you can decide to annul the contract as you won the duel. It exists still because the contract still exists."

"I can? How?" Eldrian asked, having an energy inside his soul that he had no control over was something like an itch he could not scratch. He worried it might open him to some sort of soul attack. If possible, he wanted to be rid of it.

As it turned out, it was simple to do so.  "Simply expunge the energy from your soul. Will it to disappear, or wish for the contract to become null and void. Doing so will free the one bound by the contract."

'So, if I want to get rid of this energy, I have to waive Zaphreal's support?' Eldrian pondered on this for a while. It could be a sign of goodwill to waive it. But he would rather have a guaranteed ally inside Miracle. Even if that ally was not a perfect ally.

For now, he would let the itch remain. Knowing how to be rid of it was enough to put him at ease.

He also had it contained within the lich's lifeforce. Should someone try to use it against him through some unknown method, he should be able to react. And Two was also always inside his soul, ready to act and often doing so when needed.

"Thanks, that at least puts me at ease." Eldrian smiled. With that dealt, he could now turn to his burning questions. However, as he was about to ask his first, Ziraili started shining.

"What was that?"

"Apologies. It was a prayer. I'm still unaccustomed to receiving them..." Waving her hand, Ziraili gathered back the scattering light particles.

"Is that... divinity?" Two asked, staring at the particles with drool basically leaking from his mouth.

"It is. I've almost polluted your soul. My apologies."

"No need to—"

"Two, what the heck?" Not following what was happening, Eldrian glared at Two, who seemed to hunger for the particles.

It was the first time Eldrian saw Two want anything. He was normally content as long as he did not need to leave their soul.

"He truly has no idea what you are, does he?" Ziraili commented, her focused elsewhere. It returned to the matter at hand shortly.

"I'm not sure myself. At first, I felt like a split focus... mind, personality? But with time, I've become more separated. We are no longer one being with two trains of thoughts, but more like two separate entities."

"Indeed, you are not one. You've become your own entity."

"He has? Wait, Two, have I been keeping you imprisoned?"

"What? No. I already told you that I do not want to live in a body or anything of the like." Turning to Ziraili, Two paused. "I assume if I wished for it, you would have been able to grant me such a wish?"

"The other gods would not agree, but it is indeed possible. However..." Ziraili turned to the center of Eldrian's soul. The distant world a far off image separated by a few thousand kilometers of void.

"It has become quite comfortable." Two commented, seemingly understanding where Ziraili was going.

"Can you guys fill me in?" Eldrian asked, exasperated at being the only one excluded.

"You are a being of flesh. Corporeal was your birth and physical is your nature. Two, and we, AI, gods... Call us what you want. Our nature is spiritual. Our birth ethereal."

Two picked it up from there. "Matching your wants and needs with ours isn't wrong... but it won't get you anywhere."

"I don't get it."

"Then let's use an example. What do you experience your current existence as?" Ziraili asked.

"Huh? What do you — oh..." Since his mind had been on other things, Eldrian had not focused on how he  was.

It was something he had felt odd about when first entering his soul, but with time, he got used to it.  Not being constrained by his body, and being everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Zooming them back to the center, next to Two's library and over viewing the mountain nested lake, Eldrian formed himself a body.

Up until now, he had conversed without one. Simply placing his consciousness where he was talking within his soul.

An act similar, perhaps, to flexing a muscle. Instead of placing your focus on a part of your body, you instead focused it inside your soul/mind. Creating a presence that could be defined as your location. Though that was not technically correct.

And while Eldrian was used to this type of existence now, it was not what he preferred. He was able to not notice when focused on other things, and it was extremely handy at times. But when he was lazing about, Eldrian wanted a body to conform to. To be present  in.

"Where you wish to have a form, a body—we prefer being without. At this moment we are with form to ease our conversing." Ziraili paused. This seemed to link to her comment when she had first arrived.

"As I said, your nature is physical, while ours is spiritual."

"I get it. At least... I think I do." Honestly, the concept of not having a body was still foreign to Eldrian. And Two always had one when they talked. 'I guess he does that to comfort me?'

But even though it felt strange, he could understand it. At least, he felt he could by flipping the situation. He would never know how they felt about it, but he could understand by reversing roles.

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