Reborn as an Extra Chapter 598: Soul Merge. Part-4.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
Rio himself was well aware of just how perilous this ability truly was.
With this power at his disposal, he could independently forge entirely new 'Souls' without any external help.
To achieve that, he merely had to draw out refined soul energy from various sources, then shape a fresh 'soul' from it in any desired configuration.
Afterward, Rio could construct an 'Artificial Sea of Consciousness' within that soul, implanting any memories he chose into it.
He possessed the capability to produce 'brainwashed' beings simply by instilling memories of unwavering loyalty to him within these artificial souls and binding them to his will.
Beyond that, Rio could swiftly implant a soul fragment into someone else's soul, compelling absolute loyalty in mere milliseconds.
'This power screams of a classic final boss villain...'
Admittedly, Rio hadn't yet mastered this fully and required further refinement, yet he felt confident in attaining proficiency before long.
'Could this explain the unyielding devotion of Alverto’s followers? Did he wield this very power through that 'curse' he inflicted upon them?'
Alverto wielded exceptional command over souls and the sea of consciousness domains.
He didn't just enslave others via souls; he also harnessed his sea of consciousness and memories to dominate the spire of ascension!
The sole factor in his defeat that fateful day was an unforeseen disruption to his scheme; absent that, the entire world would have transformed irrevocably.
'Despite possessing 'soul resonance' and possibly even brainwashing prowess... he probably lacked 'soul merging' abilities...'
Rio arrived at this deduction because, had Alverto commanded soul merging, defeat against Rio in the climactic confrontation would have been impossible.
He might have simply replenished his own soul post those repeated soul sacrifices by siphoning soul energy from others and integrating it into himself.
Moreover, he never deployed such a technique in his arsenal of assaults.
'Maybe his command of that legendary skill hadn't quite hit 90%...'
Achieving 90% mastery in a legendary skill rivals the challenge of elevating a 'world authority' beyond level 3.
It hinges greatly on one's personal insight into their 'Path' and the 'world's' underlying 'laws'.
Rio had propelled his so far thanks to his extraordinary grasp of his 'Path' and the 'sword's' 'law'.
Day by day in this realm, he grew increasingly detached emotionally, aligning ever more seamlessly with the 'law' of the 'sword'.
Rio's boundless 'sword aptitude', his flawed 'sword heart', and his unfinished 'sword body' all converged to elevate his legendary skill's mastery and comprehension.
In contrast, Alverto lacked such dominant insight into his legendary skill.
'Had he survived another few decades, he might have ascended to even loftier peaks...'
'But alas, time spares no one... with two full centuries at his disposal to perfect it, and still falling short... that failure rests on his shoulders...'
By now, Rio had eclipsed Alverto's depth of knowledge in souls and the sea of consciousness.
Even absent the legendary soul resonance skill, he could still execute astonishing accomplishments.
'It's no surprise Miasma obsesses over mastering soul merge... such a formidable power enables virtually limitless feats...'
Soul merge serves not just for healing as Rio applied it, but for perpetrating the most heinous acts imaginable.
It allows whimsical creation of beings tormented with peak agony and despair.
You could reshape others' souls to enslave them utterly, or warp an enemy's soul to drive them mad, forcing degrading actions that shatter their standing.
You might even alter emotions, compelling genuine love from anyone at their core, forging unbreakable friendships, or rising as a despot ruling the globe through mass brainwashing!
The ultimate terrifying aspect is that brainwashing victims remain oblivious to their alteration.
Their very memories could be twisted so profoundly that they perceive their torment as everyday normalcy.
'Soul Resonance' and 'soul merge' stand as such eerie, godlike powers that in the grasp of the unscrupulous, they could unravel the world effortlessly.
'I must keep this skill hidden from everyone... even Lia...'
Though Rio commanded this supreme power with room to evolve it further, revealing it would paint him as the world's ultimate foe.
Sure, he trusted Lia and his companions implicitly, but imagine disclosing his ability to tamper with their souls and thoughts whenever in proximity?
Instinctively, fear and wariness would creep in toward him.
'And should Lia one day gaze upon me in terror... should she dread me... my heart would crumble to dust...'
Rio feared not the world's judgment branding him a fiend, nor a united globe arrayed against him.
He embodied the sort who could raze the world if it plotted his downfall.
The singular soul he dreaded harming was Lia's, and hers alone.
'Phew~... enough, Rio... refocus... you're drifting off track...'
Having pondered thus deeply, Rio compelled his mind to settle, snapping free from the reverie.
Lingering in the shadowy, humid spirit realm had ingrained in him a tendency to overthink and fret over countless matters simultaneously.
Isolated without companions for discourse, he'd grown used to prolonged internal monologues.
'Concentrate on the present task... I've satisfied the initial three requirements; just one remains...'
The initial requirement, naturally, involved synchronizing soul fluctuations, already resolved since Ellie's soul shards shared identical fluctuations.
The next entailed sequencing Ellie's soul fragments correctly—a multi-day endeavor that Rio ultimately triumphed in.
The third involved mending the soul and sea of consciousness by bridging voids, which Rio managed by inserting artificial soul and sea of consciousness elements into those voids.
The culminating, pivotal step for restoring Ellie's soul lay in the merging of the soul proper.
Rio had to fuse it flawlessly, avoiding any soul fluctuation disruptions and achieving impeccable stability through total seamless unity.
Miasma had notched partial victories in the prior steps but faltered at this decisive one.
Rio too had only managed partial successes in his own trials, twice over.
The explanation was straightforward.
In the spirit realm, Rio struggled to source adequately compatible souls, amid numerous variables impacting his techniques.
Yet the paramount hurdle proved gathering vast quantities of soul energy.
During soul merging, one must vigilantly regulate their soul energies, upholding exquisite equilibrium to ensure the fusion yields neither excess nor deficit.
This very obstacle explained why Rio lingered in the spirit realm even after arriving at his goal a week prior.
For seven days by the frail node, he amassed colossal soul energy stores via monster slaying while simultaneously refining his proficiency.
Time pressed urgently; should Rio delay completion further, he'd face traversing to the human empire solo and afoot—a perilously risky journey.
Encountering an SS-ranker while lugging corpses and souls across their territory would render any explanation futile.
"No cause for excessive concern... I've trained and readied myself for this moment over months..."
Rio drew steadying breaths as he released the seal on the vessel holding Ellie's soul fragments.
Employing soul manipulation, he extracted the fragments and positioned them in a spherical, orbital pattern, ensuring they interlocked flawlessly.
Subsequently, he unsheathed his sword, assumed a meditative stance, and channeled his entire sword intent toward a singular objective.
Manipulate and steer the soul with such pinpoint accuracy that no atom or energy filament strays erroneously.
"I've exhausted every possible preparation... it's do or die now..."
This ritual couldn't occur in the human empire or elsewhere; Elisia's soul fragments remained bound to the spirit realm and couldn't exit until fused.
Upon successful fusion into a unified whole, they'd qualify as a 'new' soul, at which point the spirit realm's 'laws' would permit Rio to extract it.
Delving into Ellie's memories revealed to Rio that her shadow dragon clan couldn't escape the spirit realm not due to external hunters and slayers.
Rather, they were eternally bound within its confines.