Only after reaching far away from the eye of strangers.
Simon's legs gave away as he kneeled on the road with his whole-body shivering.
Seeing death at his door made him realise how weak and fragile his life was as it was nearly taken from him just for taking care of himself.
"Simon, are you okay?"
Hearing the concerned voice of Ivan, Simon snapped out of his thoughts.
"It… it's nothing, I was just focused on some other things." Simon said not wanting to pull him into his mess.
He stood up with Ivan's support.
But Ivan was not dumb, he knew that something had happened between Simon and Mark in that short time.
Not wanting to force him Ivan asked nothing.
"Ivan, lets split up here and go back to our house and let our parent know this good news."
Though Ivan was reluctant to leave Simon alone but looking at his eye, he cannot help but force himself leave.
Both of them split up.
Watching Ivan figure slowly disappearing from his view Simon turned his focus to himself.
Looking down at his hands that was shaking uncontrollably, he clutched his hand stopping it from shaking.
Slowly Simon's body stopped shaking, his mind became calm as sea that was ready cause destruction.
Going through two near death experience, one of which was his own death and other being the death of his body's predecessor which was still clear in his mind.
Unbeknownst to him had slowly gained some kind of control over his mind and emotion.
Simon turned and walked.
Not toward his home but to an internet café by the road.
Only there can he find any kind of answers to his questions that formed in his mind the moment he awakened his Astral skill.
After finding a free system Simon started to search about his power in the internet.
Since his power was something that never appeared in the world before, there was not much information on it.
However, he came up on an article named.
The hypothesis of possible Astral skills and predicting the skill that an individual can awaken.
Which caught his attention.
※
An individual's Astral skill can be predicted even before they awaken their skill by understanding their genetic habits and their character.
For example, humans that have awakened the power to control fire or anything related to fire will normally have two characteristics.
1.They are hot headed or are righteous.
2.They have a habit of showing off a lot.
Which are just examples.
There are no two identical eggs in the world nor two identical Astral skills.
Each Astral skills of same sort, differ in many subtle ways.
Astral abilities vary from person to person, and the number of persons on Earth is equal to the number of possible Astral abilities.
What kind of Astral skill may appear in the future?
Immediately after, the author listed out a large number of possible Astral skill that can appear in this world.
But replication was at end of the list.
For it there was no description only a video attached to it.
Simon clicked at the video.
The video opened up, its quality was bad with grain image running likely taken from computer or laptops camera.
Video showed a dark room whose only source of light was from computer screen.
Simon stared at the screen, as a person wearing lab coat walked into the screen and sat down on the stair before camera.
His voice was hoarse, nearly trembling with something that felt like fear—or maybe reverence.
"Replicate Astral… As magical as it seems, it is not a gift. It is a curse. To copy Astral skill is not merely to borrow power. No, it is to accept another's very existence into oneself.
Astral Skill are not techniques, nor power learned from one another. They are written into the fabric of one's being. Waven into the very essence of soul.
To replicate one is to rewrite your own existence at the most fundamental level."
The scientist paused, his breathing uneven. His glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose, but he didn't push them back up.
"To use this skill once means changing your genetic code and your very essence forever. To use it twice means becoming three being in one body. But use it beyond that?"
He shook his head.
"It is no longer a question a human can answer because that being will have already crossed the stage of human and stepped on level of gods. But even gods have their own existence, their own boundaries.
But a being who can embody multiple existence at once, a being whose very essence is a fusion of others…"
Simon felt his heartbeat quicken.
"A person who awakens this skill is no longer a human. Not a god. Not even a concept we can define."
The scientist leaned closer to the camera, his tired, bloodshot eyes locked onto Simon through the screen.
"They become existence itself."
The video ended. The screen went black.
And Simon, for the first time after awakening his power he felt afraid of his power.
The power to change the very existence of his.
Fear was one thing but even in that fear Simon found himself smiling as excitement rushed through his body.
When both fear and excitement died down newer question formed in his mind, question no one but himself can answers.
Is the skill that I copied temporary or permanent?
After I replicate an Astral skill, how long would it take me to replicate again?
Can I duplicate every skill?
Do my replications have any flaws?
Knowing that in time everything will it revel itself.
Simon looked up information about all Astral agencies and organizations that stood toe to toe with government of countries.
He also looked up Mark Wilson and everything about Woodlong agency.
Then he looked up the top 50 Astral agencies ranking and started browse through it from bottom to top.
The number one organization was War God Company, an Astral organization founded by the…
War Emperor
Earths strongest human.
His Astral skill War God Descend allowed him transform into a 50 feet tall towering figure with imposing aura, in this form his power increased by 100 times. Making him a walking natural calamity.
"War god company had branches all round the world, a place filled with people with strong skill, where my Astral skill can shine the most."
Simon determined to join War god company.
He was not afraid of being looked down up on nor was he afraid of being treated poorly because he believed in his Astral skill, that one day he will stand on the top of world, where he will look down at everyone else.
Sun was already down, by the time Simon left the internet café.
Walking toward his house, he saw old people sitting around camp fire talking about there old time, happy spending time.
Looking at the fire, he felt this connect with it like will move at his will.
Knowing the reason why he felt this connection with fire he looked for secluded area to try out his newly replicated skill.
Fire Manipulation
Simon stood at the end of park his finger pointed out, then he willed as small fire formed at his fingertip.
This fire felt like it was an extension of his body, enabling him to seemingly control the flame as he willed.
Which was stranger feeling that he never felt before in his life.
He threw the flame, controlling it midair.
Rise!
Turn!
Accelerate!
Split!
Simon willed to flame to extinguish.
Flames disappeared as if it was never there to begin with.
"Awesome!" feeling excited.
"Is my replicating permanent or temporary" his voice was fill with uncertainness.
Not knowing that will this power disappear or not was eating him from inside.
But one thing was clear for him.
Whatever was going to happen moving forward he was ready to face it head on.
"Know my place hub? I will show you what my place is"
An evil smile tugged on his face