Lowly Ascent

The sound of air filling his pod helped Cain wake up. The decompression popped his ears. 

'Back in the body of a bird...'

He tried to stretch his wings but remembered he was strapped to the inside of the pod. He had to wait for a scientist to help him out.

"Sir! You succeeded!"

(You saw everything?)

Ivan turned embarrassed, "Uh...no, the frequency of the mind of a bird is different from a human's, yours incredibly so. Doctor Violet had to keep changing her code, we only saw bits and pieces towards the end. But what we saw was amazing nonetheless!"

A scientist walked over. "Uh sirs, the subjects are dead. They died as soon as Sir Raven came out of sleep...."

(What?)

"What?"

The scientists gathered around the one who called out to report what happened, she sheepishly repeated herself.

"From what the computer is telling me, their souls dissipated and their brain waves ceased. It looks like even if they merged, there are still issues regarding the property of the drug and what it does to these dream worlds. The data says synchronization error, it could also be due to the difference in drugs since Sir took a different one, we can't tell right now."

Braun agreed, "It must be, the drugs create different compositions after all."

The group didn't have enough data, they would have to continue experimenting until they got it right, which meant Cain would have to also go under with the rest of the subjects.

But Cain didn't care about any of this, he was focused on something else entirely. 'Once this is over, I'll use this drug to build my organization. It uses the soul as a conduit, it's perfect for me. The only question now is why those addicts didn't have Origins, it makes no sense.'

The biggest mystery of all was of course the lack of Origins, but an answer wouldn't come to Cain unless he went up in the world. This required resources which required a means to procure them.

Unlike the scientists, Cain's objective changed, he didn't need to help with the drug project besides being a part of merging which would only happen with a new variation of the drug. In the meantime, he would focus on advancing his soul cultivation.

'The next step after Wholeness is Augmentation. From the journal Vincent had, it said the person would know what to do, the advancement required partaking in a personal ritual.'

Cain thought for a moment, his dream the first thing coming to mind. He remembered everything, and he soon concluded what he had to do.

'So it seems I have to return to my roots. How fun.'

...

"Wakey Wakey playmate, it's breakfast time! If you are not up they won't open the cell so get...UP!"

Umph!

Isaac hit the concrete floor as his cellmate pulled him off his bed and yelled at him.

"What the hell!" he screamed.

"Get....up!" She kicked him in the stomach.

"Gaahh!"

Isaac clutched his stomach in pain.

"Did you not hear me? Get-"

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up!" In pain, clutching his stomach, Isaac forced himself to stand with tears in his eyes.

'I'm so weak, damn it!' He cried internally.

The guards came by, looking into each cell. They passed the cells with cell mates asleep.

"Both of you are up? Good, breakfast time, no funny business." The guard opened the cell. Isaac and his cellmate were cuffed before being taken to the cafeteria.

On the way, Isaac whispered to his cellmate, "So what about everyone else, do they not get to eat?"

"They'll get a chance for lunch, and then dinner. Not many people starve, they just go hungry. The meals here are not five-star in the least anyway." She replied.

The cafeteria wasn't large, but it was one of many. The one Isaac was in got shared with another cell block.

He had no idea what to do so he followed his cellmate about, getting in line, getting the same food, and going to the same table.

"Haha, Isabelle, seems you got a stray dog following you around!"

The other prisoners made fun of her but she didn't mind. Isabelle kept eating her meal while Isaac did the same across from her.

Surprisingly, no one did anything to disrupt them, the guards were enough to make sure nothing funny happened. None of the prisoners wanted to be top of the list for the next experiment any of the scientists had in mind.

Breakfast ended, and Isaac ended back up in his cell. But it wasn't for long, since free time came quickly.

Although the prisoners were on short leases, there were enough guards to let the subjects out of their cages. The facility had many activities open for everyone to enjoy, this was a way to rein in the dissatisfied and keep any uprisings from occurring.

"I'm gonna hit the gym, you can go wherever." Isabelle left the cell.

'I have no time to play. I have to get stronger faster!'

Isaac had already made up his mind, he sat down on his bed and began to meditate using the Magi Technique he learned.

His advancement on the Path of the Soul would take time, he couldn't quickly gain power that way. Instead, he had to train in the only other path he knew.

'Oh Ancestor, I am one with your blood, give me your strength...' He prayed and hoped.

...

For the past week, Cain gathered multiple materials. These materials irked the scientists because they were different Pathogens, and many of them were dangerous.

Cain had to go through the Bureau to get them, using Braun and Ivan as a guise. In the end, he got everything he needed, all that was left was graystone and a proper method for the ritual.

'Both the graystone and the ritual are not a problem, I have the formula to make graystone, the ritual half will just take some time to come up with. In the meantime, let me prepare the room and make the graystone before anything else.'

For a day and a night, Cain prepared his quarters, turning one of the rooms into a solitary darkness with no sound going in or out.

'Perfect!'

With the materials at hand, Cain could only make a small slab of graystone, but it was just enough since he was a bird.

'Now, how should I commence? Plants like when John first oversaw my augmentation? Taking all the viruses at once for an unstable reaction? No no, both of those need specialties only Netherane could give. I need to pick a ritual that can be used without such connection...'

One of Cain's most vivid rituals came to mind, the ritual when he used a private chamber from the Garsh Family.

'Hmm...that was the first time I purposely tried a ritual. But to copy it...I will die, not only am I a bird but I need inhuman vitality to even complete it. Should I ask Ivan if he has anything to help?'

A little while later...

"Great One?! Are you insane, why do such a thing?!"

(Answer.)

Deflating like a balloon in front of Cain, Ivan replied like a puppy, "Lord...there is something that might keep you alive long enough. The Bureau has something called the Immortality Charm, for a time, you will not die no matter what dangers come your way. However, the Charm has immense side effects. When the time limit ends, the nullified damage commences at full force..."

(So it's not so much a Charm of Immortality as it is a Charm of Casualty...hmm)

Cain ran through how he expected the ritual to go and recalled the few notes the Journal mentioned an Augmented Soul would have.

(It should be fine. Can you get me this necklace?)

"O-Of course! The one who produces it used to be the student of a dear friend of mine. I will have it here by tomorrow!" Ivan replied while puffing his chest.

(I'll be waiting, Doctor.) Cain flew down the hall and returned to his room.