The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

Veylir looked up and saw Soru standing still. Her mood brightened immediately upon hearing his response.

"T-This afternoon! I’ll wait for you right here."

Without replying, Soru simply continued on his way, heading toward the crowd to get his refreshments. Veylir, now in a better mood, leaped onto a high branch and sat there, quietly watching the scene below.

Up ahead, Reika spotted Soru approaching. She grabbed a refreshment and walked toward him.

"Soru, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you..."

She handed him the drink, and Soru took it without saying a word.

"I was talking to Veylir a few minutes ago."

Reika blinked, realizing she hadn’t seen Veylir at all since morning.

"Where is she?"

Soru simply pointed toward a certain tree.

"There."

Realizing that Veylir might be concealing herself, Reika activated her ability, her purple eyes glowing faintly. Through her enhanced sight, she spotted Veylir resting on a tree branch.

"Do dragons just like to laze around all the time...?"

Shrugging, Reika turned away.

"Well, I’ll let her slack off this time. It’s not like there’s anything that needs her help right now."

She headed back toward the crowd, with Soru silently following behind.

The air buzzed with laughter and conversation as the villagers shared their experiences and insights gained from Reika’s teachings. They were grateful for the new knowledge, knowing it would help them survive and thrive in their new settlement.

The morning passed, and soon, the afternoon arrived.

At their meeting spot, Veylir sat perched on the same branch, eagerly scanning the area. In the distance, she finally spotted Soru approaching. To ensure he could see her, she revealed her presence.

As he arrived, Veylir flapped her wings and descended to meet him.

"Master Soru, thank you for coming and offering your assistance..."

"Lead the way," Soru said abruptly.

Without further words, Veylir turned and flew at a slow pace, guiding Soru toward the location of her den.

...

Plink!

The sound of water droplets echoed through the cavern, falling into a shallow puddle again and again. A single ray of afternoon light slipped through a crack above, casting a faint glow over the dark space.

Stalagmites jutted from the ground, mirrored by stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Droplets trickled down the pointed formations, traveling from stalactites to stalagmites before dripping onto the stone floor. The slow, rhythmic pattern gave the cave an oddly tranquil atmosphere.

At the cave’s center lay a strange crystal, roughly the length of half a human arm. It emitted no light of its own.

A faint glow flickered within the crystal. It pulsed weakly, its light barely extending a few centimeters from its core.

It’s been two days since I came back here...

That glow was a small, sentient orb of light that rested on the crystal, unmoving for hours. Even as it remained inside, its thoughts swirled, replaying the strange events several days before.

"But still, I can't even begin to comprehend how I was suddenly expelled from that human’s subconscious space... Could it have been the work of that boy I saw right after?"

The orb recalled a memory from the past, and the mere thought of it ignited its rage.

Eras have passed since that war… I’ve spent countless years fleeing from one entity to another, all while being relentlessly hunted by those wretched pursuers—even in death…!

A faint pulse of frustration flickered through the orb, casting a brief glow across the space before it gradually faded.

If only I hadn’t fallen into their clutches… I wouldn’t be in this wretched state. They’ve spent years eroding my soul body, leaving me with nothing but my memories—and an ability I can no longer use.

I thought that dragon would make the perfect vessel. I worked tirelessly to weaken its soul, ensuring it wouldn’t sense my presence. But its resilience exceeded my expectations. Thousands of years of effort, and yet I only managed to strip away two-thirds of its soul power! Then, in an instant, the dragon perished by someone else's hands—and everything I had worked for was reduced to nothing!

That was when I met the human girl. Her soul was frail, weaker than even an average human’s. I was certain I could take control of her with ease. But not only did I fail, I somehow severed my own ability in the process—leaving it behind in someone else’s body… mere moments after separating it from myself!

The orb stirred, its form shifting as it slowly permeated the crystal.

"If only it weren’t for that intimidating human beside her… Right after I was expelled, that boy was already several meters ahead, staring in silence. That look in his eyes… it was as if he was about to devour me alive!"

Overwhelmed by fear and confusion, I fled as far as I could. Yet, to my surprise, he didn’t follow. I managed to return here safe…

"Ugh! And now, I’m back to hiding in this wretched place again!"

The orb turned back, its gaze fixed on the crystal.

Luckily, I remembered there’s a Luminite here. Formed from the dense concentration of spiritual power in this place, it’s allowed me to recover a fraction of the soul power I lost when my ability was severed. It’s a shame it will take several days to absorb completely… but now isn’t the time.

The orb hovered above the crystal, pulsing with renewed determination.

"I need to find that girl as soon as possible. I’ll reclaim my ability—along with her body. Then, I’ll return here to absorb this crystal and strengthen my soul."

It scanned the cave, searching for the exit.

Now, where is it…?

Looking up, it spotted a faint ray of light piercing through the darkness.

Without hesitation, the orb ascended toward the cavern’s entrance. But just as it neared the opening, a thunderous roar erupted from outside, its echo rolling through the cave.

"What was that?"

Curious, the orb slowed its pace, cautiously drifting toward the entrance.

That roar… doesn’t that belong to the Giant Bear that roams the middle section of this mountain? Did it get into a territorial fight or something?

As the orb reached the cave’s entrance, the vast expanse of the Great Forest of Drys stretched out before it. Lush greenery sprawled in every direction, but it paid no attention to the scenery, focusing instead on the source of the commotion.

Suddenly, another thunderous roar shook the mountain, followed by a deafening shriek and several frantic squeals. The orb couldn’t make sense of what was happening.

"What the hell is going on over there?"

Its gaze locked onto a Rabid Wolf darting out from the forest’s depths. It bolted across the open terrain, fleeing for its life from an unseen threat lurking within the trees.

The orb quietly hid, observing the scene unfold as the howls and roars of monsters were abruptly cut short, one after another. Something was slaughtering them. Minutes passed before a final, thunderous roar echoed through the forest—then, silence.

"That took longer than I expected…" a voice murmured from within the bushes.

A figure emerged from the darkness, stepping forward in the direction of the cave’s entrance. From that distance, the orb couldn’t make out its face clearly.

"Master Soru, I could’ve handled these small fries myself since you already took care of the stronger ones along the way."

Trailing behind the mysterious human was a familiar, its form striking something deep within the orb’s memory.

Is that… a human? And that familiar with him… What are they doing here?

"I already gave you the description of the Luminite’s appearance, so get it and leave the rest to me!"

Soru gave a slight nod as a response.

"Got it."

Seeing that the human was heading in its direction, the orb hid within the crevices of the cave, carefully observing the strange man.

The familiar called this man ‘Master Soru’… So he’s that familiar’s master…

Fearing the man might notice its presence, the orb withdrew even deeper. Because of this, it failed to recognize him as the same person who had been there when it was expelled from Reika’s body.

Seconds later, the orb peeked out and saw only Soru’s back. Oblivious to his identity, it quietly followed him, staying extremely cautious.

Suddenly, the orb stopped, noticing the man’s odd behavior. From the way he moved, it seemed like he was searching for something.

What is he looking for in this dark cavern?

Reaching that conclusion, the orb continued to follow as Soru descended deeper into the cave. When they reached the bottom, Soru’s gaze landed on the crystal ahead.

"That must be the crystal Veylir was referring to…"

At that moment, the orb realized his true purpose.

"So he came here to take the Luminite!"

Alarmed, the orb moved closer. But as it crept toward him, it noticed the man subtly react—almost as if he had sensed something.

The orb quickly hid behind a large boulder, staying completely still.

On the other side, Soru sensed something was off. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, before deciding to act. Slowly, he turned around, scanning the surroundings.

"...Release."

At that moment, the orb finally recognized him. When Soru turned earlier, the orb caught a clear view of his face.

That… That’s the same boy I encountered days ago!

However, it was too late. Their gazes finally locked into each other.

The orb instinctively tried to flee, but before it could react, the world around it shifted. In a blink of an eye, it was teleported right in front of Soru.

"Hwuh?!"

"Who are you?"

The orb was too stunned to respond. Confusion overwhelmed it, rendering it speechless.

H-How did he…?!

Then, it saw his eyes.

There was no emotion in them—nothing at all. Yet the sheer emptiness they held made the orb tremble to its core.

At that moment, only one thing kept repeating in its mind, urging it to act no matter what.

I NEED TO ESCAPE!!

The orb flew away from Soru as fast as it could. But to its surprise, it was pulled back to the same spot as before.

"What are you doing?" Soru asked.

The orb ignored his question and kept trying to escape. But no matter how many times it fled, it always returned to its original position—like a ball bouncing back to the ground in repeat.

"NGGGHH!!"

Why… Why… Why… Why… Why?! Why can’t I get away from him?!

Desperate to break free, the orb unleashed a pulse of soul energy at Soru without hesitation—a last-ditch effort to shake him off.

"Ghk?!"

A sharp pain jolted through the orb as a crack appeared on its surface.

W-Was that… a soul attack?!

Refusing to believe it, the orb fired another soul attack. But the moment it struck Soru, pain shot through its own soul fragment instead.

H-How could this be…?! Instead of him taking damage, I’m the one being harmed?!

Still, the orb didn’t stop. Again and again, it attacked, desperately trying to escape. Each strike sent another wave of damage through its soul, yet it refused to relent. The pain meant nothing—it had to break free, no matter the cost.

Its attacks turned relentless, fueled by desperation. But as the agony tore through its being, something else surfaced. Hatred. The centuries of rage and thirst for revenge buried in its memory surged forward, consuming its mind.

"GHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The orb kept struggling, refusing to yield. But after countless attempts to break free, its soul fragment could no longer hold together. The cracks had accumulated beyond repair.

My soul fragment…!