The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) A. Kay (best management books of all time .TXT) 📖

will be the first opportunity the Founders have to judge you, and they may deem you unworthy.”

“What consequence does that have?” Ruwen asked.

“Best case, your Step knowledge is burned from your mind,” Madda said. “Worst case, you die.”

Ruwen swallowed hard and nodded.

“Second,” Padda said. “You must work hard to remain there until your task is complete.”

“What happens if I fail?” Ruwen asked.

“You return here and there is no going back,” Padda said.

That made it clear to Ruwen if he started this, he needed to finish. Which caused some problems since he had an army weeks away from his new city. “And the consequences of failure?”

“If you return unsuccessful, your Step knowledge will be purged from your mind and body.”

“I’m sensing a pattern here,” Ruwen said.

“Third,” Padda said. “Not everyone is trustworthy.”

“You must rely on your instincts,” Madda said. “Because the stakes are so high, it brings out the worst in people.”

“How long does this normally take?” Ruwen asked.

“The length of a thought,” Padda said.

Padda sounded like he meant that as a sincere answer, and Ruwen glimpsed a tiny portion of Sift’s frustration with his parents.

“If Sift were here,” Madda said. “He could give you the answer you seek. He finished his final binding shortly before you initially arrived, and it took him a week.”

Ruwen didn’t have a week. He had four days here in Blapy before his parents woke up in New Eiru. “Can I do this in a couple of months? I have a lot going on.”

“Of course,” Padda said.

Ruwen sighed in relief.

“By then,” Madda said. “You will probably have regressed far enough to take the first Binding.”

Ruwen leaned forward. “I’ll lose two-thirds of my knowledge in just two months?”

“Soul constraints are difficult to judge,” Padda said. “It might be more.”

Losing so much progress made Ruwen’s stomach turn. Worse, he wouldn’t have his Spirit Realm trick to relearn it, so it would take years to get back to this spot. The Steps had become part of his identity. Not only did they hone his body and mind, they gave him a confidence he’d never had before. His Step training helped him overcome the mental barriers of fear and doubt, and losing that knowledge would affect him in ways far greater than just losing fights.

“Now is a great time,” Ruwen said.

Padda smiled and gently overturned the small pouch. A black rock the size of Ruwen’s thumb slid out, and a quest appeared.

Ting!

You have received the quest…

Watch your Step

As you near mastery of the Bamboo Viper Steps the Clan must confirm your worth and prepare for your advanced training. The Founders will monitor your progress, judge your soul, and decide your fate. Use your knowledge of the Steps to guide your path.

Restriction: Adept of the Bamboo Steps

Restriction: Adept of the Viper Steps

Reward: Clan approval for Master assessment

Reward: Mentorship for your Grandmaster path (if chosen) upon becoming a Master.

Reward: 25,000 experience

Accept or Decline

Ruwen chose Accept. His future in the Bamboo Viper Clan depended on succeeding in this quest, and it made him worry a little. He had invested so much time in his training that the thought of losing it all made him sick.

With a thought, Ruwen used Analyze on the rock.

Target: Touchstone of Crossing

Type: Item (Soul)

Properties: Dimensional entanglement, +1 Bludgeoning, Soul Drain

Uses: Soul stones combine projection and translocation to move the holder to the stone’s source, powered via the holder’s soul.

“It is a soul stone,” Padda said.

“Do I need to bind it?” Ruwen asked.

Madda shook her head. “It is a bridge. Your soul will power the crossing.”

Ruwen had quite a few soul related experiences. He had bound special items like his Void Band, entered into soul bindings with Rami and Fractal, and taken soul oaths like not using any of the Forbidden Steps he’d discovered while learning the Bamboo Viper forms. But he’d never heard of his soul powering anything.

“Do you mean Spirit?” Ruwen asked.

“No,” Madda said. “Spirit is something you gather from outside and store inside your Core.”

“The soul and Spirit are linked however,” Padda said. “The soul is a rich source of Spirit for those who Harvest.”

Padda’s tone didn’t contain any accusations, but painful memories from outside Fractal threatened to swamp Ruwen’s mind. During the last night of camping with Big D, he had Harvested all the creatures inside Fractal, killing them. Now he knew what had given him so much Spirit. It made his stomach turn.

“I’m confused,” Ruwen said. “I’ve never heard of a soul powering anything.”

“Have you seen any of the Step Tournaments?” Madda asked. “Witnessed the incredible feats of power and speed displayed?”

Ruwen nodded. “But I just assumed they used Spirit to do those things.”

“All of you bound to false gods believe that,” Madda said. “Because you have lost touch with your soul. It is buried under the heavy hand of your false gods, who perch like leeches on it after you Ascend.”

Padda put a hand on his chest. “To be fair, it is difficult for an outsider to tell the difference between actions powered with Spirit or the soul. You have a good understanding of how Spirit works, and know it originates from outside yourself. Soul energy is the opposite. It is generated internally and is finite. Only meditation and time can recharge it after you’ve spent it.”

“You met many different Clans in the Spirit Realm,” Madda said. “Each Clan has perfected ways to use their soul’s energy.”

“And while the vast majority are Cultivators,” Padda said and then pointed at Ruwen, “or Harvesters, they are not the only ones who can use the soul’s power. It is difficult, but even the Ascended can learn.”

Ruwen remembered near the end of his first stay in Blapy. He and Sift had been practicing Ruwen’s first Steps, when Ky had appeared out of thin air. After Ky and Sift had exchanged a few blows, Ky had stopped the fight and held out her fist. Sift had covered it with his palm, which meant Ky had a higher rank than Sift. And she had Ascended, just like Ruwen.

“Did Mistress Kysandra