Reborn as the Clown Prince

"Zee," I turned to the sorceress brewing tea as we took a break, "do you happen to know about Soul Beginnings?

"Be specific about what you mean by that. - Said the girl, keeping her attention on the task at hand. - And how many times have I asked you not to call me "Zee"?

"Once. - I answered honestly. - They are also called shells. First beginning: physical body, second beginning: vital energy or prana, third beginning: astral body, fourth beginning: central core or soul, fifth beginning: sensual spirit...

"That's it. - The brunette interrupted my speech. - You don't have to go on. I'm surprised you've even heard of this ancient nonsense.

"Ancient nonsense? Why?" It took a lot of effort not to show my excitement in my voice. Does she really know something about it? Although it's a little strange to be so skeptical, the system functions perfectly well on these principles, even helped me to be reborn. And it just all seems to make sense.

"Such terminology was used by ancient Sumerians about eight thousand years ago, and their theory is recognized by all modern magicians as untenable. As many as seven shells, besides, the existence of various gods and demons is not explained in any way. The various metahumans are also not mentioned, and they are not really magicians, although some can use mana to a limited extent. - The sorceress said confidently.

Seven?! But there are nine, and the various metas fit perfectly through the Me add-on. Maybe she's talking about something else? We need more information.

"Hmmm... That's how it is. Listen, could you elaborate on that, please?

"I don't see the point, it's better to study more useful directions. - The sorceress waved it away. - Help yourselves. - She put cups with fragrant tea in front of us.

"Thank you. - It's sad that she's so adamant and clearly doesn't want to pursue this topic. Hmm, maybe we should try a different angle.

"Would you mind telling me the modern theory? I'd be interested in hearing it, and I think Harley would like it, too. - I asked, crossing my fingers behind my back for good luck, as long as it worked.

"Hmmm... Okay. But I won't go into too much depth, just general details.

Surprisingly, the witch's eyes were full of enthusiasm this time. She clearly liked this topic much more than talking about various jerks and renegades who used magic through one place, trying to jump above their heads. No, development was important, but in the pursuit of power, people limited themselves for short-term gains, using questionable methods like selling their souls to more powerful entities.

According to the sorceress, any intelligent being consists of only four components: physical body, soul, mind and energy core that allows you to subordinate reality to your will, breaking the physical laws of the world (in ordinary people it is in a dormant state and needs an external push to activate it). And the body is not too important, because you can exist and interact with the world without it, which is what most highly developed creatures do. And that's all, no spiritual shells or the ninth beginning providing divine powers. Even prana or chi is just a certain coloration of energy derived from the core, in some creatures. Metahuman abilities were also due to the presence of a core, and an incomplete one at that, because mages could replicate the same effects as any meta (given the right amount of energy, of course).

The seeming simplicity was broken by the so-called ten levels of power, which were divided into five sublevels each and derived from the sum of all four constituents of sentient beings. In some ancient manuscripts they were labeled as levels of reality.

The higher the level, the more powerful an individual is and the harder it is to harm them. For example, the fake Doomsday created by Lex Luthor was tentatively only at the midpoint of the fourth level of power, and I am now at the second level, somewhere near the bottom. Level five is a god or a powerful demon, capable of wiping out an entire island with a single attack, with enough power for a continent at the fifth sub-level. The sixth level can easily destroy the moon, the seventh - a star, the eighth - the universe, and the ninth - the entire multiverse! I can't imagine how strong the last one must be. Fortunately, such entities are not particularly interested in interfering in the lives of ordinary people, and they just hang out in the domains, minding their own business.

Well... It is clear that nothing is clear. The things told were quite different from what I know, and sounded less logical, but at the same time fit perfectly into this world and help to create the impossible with your will. In addition, the sorceress tried to explain everything briefly, omitting some details that could fill in the gaps of the theory.

"Hmm... And I understood correctly that the development is not limited by anything and it is possible to go to the next level of power without resorting to "dubious methods". - I emphasized the last one especially, sensing how much the sorceress disliked renegades. Harley, who was sitting next to me, took her head off my shoulder and perked her ears.

"Oh, I'm glad you realized that!" A satisfied smile appeared on the brunette's face. - It's exactly like that. As you gradually develop each of the components, you strengthen your soul so that you can get an easier start after rebirth. After many iterations, you should be able to reach the level of the Endless!

"Uh, rebirths?" I don't like that.

"Well, theoretically you can do without it, but you have to be immortal at least. And in our case, we don't have much of a choice. - The girl waved her hands guiltily. - After death, the soul is purified in the Gray Limits, the domain of Death, from the earthly burden, but, so to speak, the "power of the soul" does not disappear and after rebirth allows you to develop faster. Even the ancient Sumerians agreed with this point. By the way, returning to the topic of cultists and apostles, they voluntarily limit themselves, receiving strengthening here and now, but after death they fall into the domain of the patron, where he completely depletes their soul, throwing back in development. Some dark magicians try to avoid this, directly pulling another's energy from the core by various methods, but thereby damaging their own core, unable to fully assimilate another's power, and plus receive various posthumous curses, which are almost unrealistic to remove, and especially tricky ones can remain even after rebirth.

Curious, very, very curious, especially about "soul power" and acceleration in development. I felt that I had stumbled upon something very important.

"Could you tell me more about the Soul?

And she did! Damn, I had to make a definite effort not to throw all the points into one single parameter in the blink of an eye.

True Soul, Atman, or the fourth beginning according to my usual classification. The central core, the pivot - the most important part of all. It is impossible to change or destroy the Soul - its reality is one hundred percent. It is usually depicted as a black and white yin-yang symbol. The constituents of this key element - woven into an inseparable core of the primary spirits. Pure Light and pure Darkness. The key difference between them is in the directionality of the flow. From self and towards self. Radiation and absorption. Altruism and selfishness. Light is giving, Darkness is taking away. Light is creation, Darkness is destruction. Light sanctifies and blesses everything it touches, while Darkness defiles and devours. Together these primary spirits form a balance - but not static, but constantly fluctuating and moving. They constitute the very essence of the universe. In full accordance with the symbolism of yin-yang Light and Darkness complement each other and flow into each other. This balance of two opposites is the True Soul. To unite these opposites into a single whole and thereby create a new soul is beyond the control of neither magicians nor even gods. And likewise, there is no force capable of breaking this unity, terminating the existence of the soul. Each True Soul is a tiny particle, a spark of the uncreated and unchanging Absolute Creator, which contains in itself all the boundlessness of the universe. Each continues its endless journey from birth to death... and again to birth.

Fuh, the words of the great sorceress sounded incredibly pathos, but the main thing I understood for myself: you need to pump the soul, and the rest will come, but there was a strange thing.

"What you just said is amazing, but I don't understand why people don't just develop the True Soul? It would be more effective to pump it directly rather than through the other components.

"Heh..." She grinned sadly. - If it were possible, literally everyone would be using it. Unfortunately, we have to deal with it directly. Oh, I'm rambling on. - Zatanna exclaimed, glancing at her watch. - I wanted to tell you about magical creatures and defense against them.

I looked at the dial, too, and found that it was half past eight. It's amazing how fast time flies when you're doing something interesting.

"I think we should take a break. - The illusionist stood up, adjusting her tailcoat. - I had things planned, and I want to finish them today.

"Thank you for the lecture. - I stood up, offering my hand to my lovely companion. - She was incredibly informative. Uh, Zee, maybe you could give us some additional literature? Personally, I don't have any particular plans for the evening, and I could familiarize myself more fully with the magical world. - Training with Leroy was a bust anyway, so why not do something useful?

"Hey, what do you mean there are no plans?!" Harley was outraged in a flash. - What about me?!

"Sweetheart, you're my special item. - I gently kissed the girl's attractive neck. - I think I can snatch a couple hours of sleep to read.

"Hmm, okay, then. Ah!" The blonde moaned sweetly as my hand squeezed her luscious ass.

"Hey! Knock it off!" The sorceress called out indignantly to our couple.

"Okay, okay. - I pulled away from my lover, dreading another water treatment. - So what about my request?

"You're not going to let go, are you?" Zatanna asked doomedly, taking the cylinder off her head and running her fingers over the soft material. - Good. I thought you were interested in Grundy?

I nodded, not believing my happiness.

"Wait a couple minutes. - Putting the headdress back on her adorable head, she stepped out into the hallway.

***

"Here. - The sorceress said, handing me three bulky, tattered books with covers that were dark with age. The inscription on the top one read, "The Unburied. - God forbid you damage them - I'll make you impotent. - She was serious at this point.

Damn, I don't feel like taking them... I mean, she could carry out her threat... Eh, they still have information on Grundy.

"I'll guard it like the apple of my eye. - I replied, taking turns putting the printed matter into my bag.

What?!

If the first title was a bit curious, the second one spoke of some Ancient Magic (in big letters, but I doubt it would be available to me), then the third one, "Runes and Their Uses", shocked me. Not holding back my curiosity, I opened the book in the middle, discovering a technique for creating magical signaling.

"Z... That's... - I stood up and scooped the sorceress into a hug. - Thank you.

"Hugs!" Harley was immediately at our side, hugging us both.

"Stop..." The brunette blushed a little, resting her hands on my chest. - You're going to get on it anyway, and the information in the book will increase your chances of survival.

"Still... Aren't you afraid I might use this information for evil?

"Not really. You're surprisingly adequate, especially for a champion of the youngest of the Endless. Besides, I know you helped the heroes with that monster, and there's no dangerous knowledge here. ... ... ... ... ... Can you let me go?

"Oops. - I unclasped my hands, taking a step back.

After gathering, the enchantress escorted us to the exit and froze, standing on the threshold.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked, crossing her arms over her stomach, which made her lush breasts look even bigger.

"М? I didn't think so..." I answered, frantically remembering what we might have forgotten. I had my book bag, my cane, and the Swamp Thing's gift.

"Ahem. - The mistress of the mansion coughed falsely, glancing meaningfully at Harley with the rabbit in her hands.

"Uh-oh. Here you go. - My beloved returned the furry pet without question, which looked a little suspicious.

After warmly saying goodbye to the sorceress, we went outside and headed to the nearest public transportation stop. Sitting on the back seat of the bus and putting my arm around my favorite girl, I opened my status.

[The first beginning (the body): 78

The second beginning (prana): 15

The third beginning (astral): 8

The fourth beginning (core): 13

The fifth beginning (spirit): 29

The sixth beginning (mind): 45

Seventh Beginning (magic): 7

Eighth beginning (immortality): blocked

The ninth beginning (divine): blocked.

Free points: 173]

I'm pretty good at this. All right, let's go. Thirty-seven points go to the fourth shell, bringing it to fifty points. My eyes went dark for a moment, the sound of the engine running hit my ears, my nerves like an invigorating electric shock, and then it was over. When I listened to myself, I didn't notice any big difference from the previous state.

Where's the message? Oh, I cut everything off so it wouldn't get in the way. Opening the logs, I immediately come across a message about the core reaching the human limit, now I need twice as much effort to pump it further.

There are still one hundred and thirty-six free points left. Minus fifty, and the core reaches seventy-five points. That's it, I'll observe my progress for a week, and if the speed of development increases, the others will go to the same place. Still, I continued to do isometric exercises, and programming with reading magical literature should pump up my intellect.

***

As I approached the house, my cell phone rang. Strange... Some unknown number.

"I'm listening.

"Hello, Mr. Arkham. - A polite male voice came over the speaker. - This is the National Bank's security service. Twenty minutes ago you made a transfer to Alexander Pierce?

What is this nonsense? Do they call for that kind of thing? Ha ha ha ha, they're not scammers! Hmm, if they're interested in me, they must have something to do with it! Looks like my millions are here.

That's right, a quick check of the banking app reveals that I am now obscenely rich. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha, great! Today is an awesome day!

"Mr. Arkham, are you still here?

Oh, that woodpecker is still on the wire. Heh.

"Yeah, here. I didn't make the transfer.

"I'm recording this information. We will now cancel the operation online. - In the voice of my interlocutor there was a note of anticipation.

"Wait, how could this even happen?" Let's add more outrage.

"Fraudsters have somehow managed to get hold of your card details, so the money needs to be transferred to a special insurance account.

"These crooks are faggots!

"...

"I want those crooks in jail! Although they'd probably like that... Don't you agree?

All I heard in response was someone's indignant sniffling.

~Too-too-too~

There was a short beep on the phone.

"Heh, what a fine mental organization he had. - I grinned, turning to Harley, who had been listening to my conversation with a smile. - By the way, we're millionaires now.

"Great!" With joyful squeals, the blonde threw herself around my neck. - What are we gonna spend it on?

"We'll buy our own house and build a secret hideout. - I decided not to mention the giant robot: I'll make it a nice surprise. With these thoughts, I walked towards the apartment with the happy girl.