Death Won't Stop Me

Let's see your worth.

"Ahahaha! That was so funny!" Jon has been awake for a while now. Ana of course, caught him from a few meters of the ground. She has been laughing at him for falling unconscious, not even the least bit sorry for the guy.

"That's coming from the one who asked for my help." He said, a little bit annoyed of Ana more than what happened to him.

"Hehe.. Sorry." She just smiled it off. Still not feeling guilty.

"The shoes doesn't need too many energy. Just a trickle is enough for it to let you step on air." She quickly changed the subject.

"I don't know how to control my energy that way." He replied, a little depressed. For the past months, all he did was absorb energy every night. Aside from his fight with Eddie, he really haven't released his energy at all.

"Hm.. That's a little hard to teach." Ana pondered. To every other soul guides, it was normal for them to be able to control their energies from the get go. "I know!" She suddenly thought of something.

"Take off your shoes for now." She ordered Jon. "Then try to urge your energy to slowly roam beneath your feet, then release it." She explained. She then raised her arms to her sides. "Like this." Then she was suddenly lifted from the ground for about a foot up without jumping.

"Hmm. I don't know.. I might shoot up again." He really dreaded that experience.

"Just try it. Come on." She urged him.

"Hah.. Fine. Here goes." He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. Then like when he was meditating, he looked at his seed inside him and controlled it to release a tiny amount of energy and guided it with his will to just gather beneath his foot. When he saw that tiny energy gather together, he released it towards the outside. Then he felt it. The gravity was pulling him back again. He opened his eyes and saw that he was coming down from the air.

"Nice! See? You can do it." Ana praised.

"How far did I float?" He asked her.

"About three feet." She hurriedly answered.

"Hmm." Jon pondered for a few minutes then tried it again with less energy than before. This time he tried it without meditating.

"Two feet." He thought to himself. Then he tried again with lesser energy.

"One foot." He was elated to be able to do it in the third try. Once again his fast learning seemed to ring true right now.

***

Three more weeks passed. Jon's routine changed since Ana started training him. In the morning, Ana accompanies him with his morning exercises, then the fight for breakfast and then Jon goes to his work after. After work was the fight for dinner, then they both train on real fights. Ana was currently freeloading in his apartment which frustrates Jon as he now budgets for two, ending up with him always cooking and not eating out anymore to lessen expenses. And at midnight, Ana takes up the bed to sleep while he meditates on the sleeping mat he bought for himself.

She tried sensing his power and they learned that he was currently at level three. She was not sure on what to call his power as he is not a soul but a mortal. But power wise he is at level three ghost. 

***

On an unknown, uninhabited island off the coast of the mainland, below the ground, a few silhouettes were surrounding a huge metal tank in the middle of a formation. 

"How much longer is it gonna be?" Asked a very irritated, young female voice. "It's been two and a half weeks since he started."

"Be patient." said a very deep, male voice.

One of the silhouettes suddenly took out a gauging device, looked for a few seconds on it and said: "Any minute now, his energy is spiking up. When it stabilizes, then he's done."

As if on cue, the metal tank let out a humming sound then little by little, it expanded until the whole tank burst. The silhouettes on the trajectories of the parts of the metals dodged.

"Ahahaha.. This is what I'm talking about. This feels way better!" Eddie's voice was heard inside the clouds of spiritual energy that was left on the place where the tank burst out from. When the clouds of energy receded, Eddie's naked body could be seen. He now has skin. The same as a normal human.

The hooded man suddenly walked towards him and threw him a cloak. "Wear that for now, the boss wants to see you the moment you come out. Follow me."

Eddie put on the cloak then followed the hooded man curiously. They went inside a tunnel that leads to a very wide cave. But this cave had polished walls with large, wide posts on it's side. The whole cave were lit up by candles on the wall sconces. On the other end, he could see a throne seated on top of a few steps. On the throne, there was a robust man in a slick business suite with a trench coat but no tie. His hair was brushed up but with very short hair, it looked like his hair were spikes. He had a burn like scar on his left eye towards his hair. His pupils sometime glints red which gives anyone who sees it a deep sense of fear towards him and makes one not want to look at him directly.

"You're finally done." A light, sonorous came from the man in the throne.

"Yeah, thanks for everything, man." Eddie chuckled as he replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, the hooded man's eyes flashed and he released his aura's pressure towards Eddie. "You will show respect!" He growled at him. Eddie was pushed down until he was kneeling with both knees and hands were supporting his body.

"It's alright Geraint." The man in the throne raised his hand to stop the hooded man.

The hooded man, Geraint, narrowed his eyes towards Eddie as he retracted his pressure. Then Eddie was able to stand again.

"Leave us." Said the man on the throne. Geraint bowed respectfully then walked back towards the cave's entrance.

"Congratulations on evolving to level nine and on having a new body." The burnt scarred man emotionlessly said to Eddie. "I have seen your potential, and I deemed you worthy to join our ranks." 

"What are your plans exactly?" Eddie asked.

"For thousands of years, souls have never had a chance to redeem themselves after death. These so called "Soul Guides" take it upon themselves to judge the souls of the mortal plane. And souls who escaped them are always hunted down like a game to them. Souls that only want to live again, to be reborn in this world but are deemed unworthy to them. These souls never thought of these so called deeds, why are they suddenly subjected to what they have done when they were alive? These are not the soul's fault, it is theirs! Would you have done what you did if you knew there was a chance at another life? NO! No one would! We will deal with these so called guides and their "Higher Ups" and we will destroy these system that they have created on their own. WE ARE JUSTICE! And them!.. They will get theirs." The burnt scarred man said in a monologue seemingly fuming in rage near the end.

"So where do I come in in all of these?" Asked Eddie after some thought.

"Your potential is great, even compared among the highest in our ranks. You may not be one of our strongest right now, but you can be." He said to Eddie in an enticing way. His eyes glinted red.

"And what do you want me to do?" Eddie cautiously asked. Getting straight to the point.

"Hahaha.. Nothing right now, don't worry." He laughed at Eddie.

"So I'm to be like your secret weapon?" Eddie felt his ego bloating a little bit as he thought of being the most important person in this guy's eyes.

"You can put it like that." The burnt scarred man chuckled a little then replied to him.

"Then, do I have to decide right now?" Eddie asked. Then added: "I still have some unfinished business." He was thinking about getting back at Ana and Jon.

"You can have your revenge, but do be careful. We are not always there to get you out of your mess." The man seemingly able to read Eddie's mind as he let him do what he wants. "I'll hear your answer then." He added.

"Hahaha. You guys are starting to look more and more easy to my eyes!" Eddie laughed as he replied in a joking fashion.

"Go. Finish whatever it is that you need to do." The man waved his hand to indicate that Eddie can leave.

"Wish me luck! Hahaha.." Eddie turned around laughed as he waved at the man then walked towards the tunnel.

The man looked at Eddies retreating figure as it vanished from the darkness of the tunnel. His eyes suddenly flashed red.

"Do we really have to cater to that trash's whim?" An old man in a butler suit suddenly appeared at the right side of the man in the throne.

"He has his worth." The man replied.

"But he's just bait! Why help him evolve?" The butler complained.

"He won't survive long with his level before we helped." The man replied

"But Arthur!-"

"Enough." The man cut him off and released an overwhelming aura. The butler was unable to even breath in it's presence. "It is not your place to question me." He then retracted his aura.

"Yes, my lord." The butler solemnly replied.

"You may go." He waved his hand to the silhouette. "And Cador." He then added as his eyes shined brightly for a moment.

"Yes sir?" The butler shivered as he saw the man in the throne's eyes.

"This is the last time." He said as the light dimmed to nothing and he looked towards the tunnel.

"Yes sir!" The butler answered then disappeared on the spot.

It was quiet for a time in the throne room. "Now, let us see your worth." The man suddenly whispered to himself he smiled.