Ash stopped, satisfied, as he watched the puppet slowly begin to take shape. He had managed to connect the joints correctly and unite them. If he could attach everything to the rest of the body, he would reach a great breakthrough—he could feel it.
Checking his communicator, he noticed it was close to midday.
Deciding he had done enough for one day, he stood up and took one of the completed puppets.
Hoisting it over his shoulder, he descended from his attic directly to his training area.
Upon arriving, he set the puppet down on the floor. Using his soul attributes, he felt Instincts still imprisoned. Pushing a little, he shattered the sphere that kept it at bay.
He immediately felt a wave of overwhelming emotions wash over him completely.
Staying focused, Ash pushed Instincts with force, sending it directly into the puppet.
Satisfied, he stepped back, watching as the spirit contorted several times while possessing the puppet until it finally stopped.
Ash smiled as he saw the puppet slowly stand up, testing its new limbs.
"It's alive!" he thought, looking at the automaton.
The beautiful puppet looked at its hands, then fixed its gaze on him with a flash of rage.
"Hey, calm down," Ash said in a calm voice.
"I know we don't have the best relationship in the world. And you want to possess me, but I won't let you—we're in the same boat. So I have a proposal for you."
Instincts crossed its arms, tilting its head, showing interest in his offer.
Ash considered this an achievement.
"I'm offering you a body. Listen, I'm researching souls and spirits, and if I manage to make a soul possess an inorganic body like a puppet or weapon, I could make it evolve. However, for that, I need to run tests."
If Instincts could have frowned, it would have.
Ash knew Instincts couldn't speak, but he could feel what it wanted to tell him, and what it transmitted was:
"You'll use me as an experiment."
"That's one way to look at it... I gain knowledge and you gain a body. It's a win-win."
"Only for you it's a win."
"Think about it—how long are we going to keep fighting?"
"Until one of us submits to the other."
Instincts walked toward the wall full of weapons, taking a rapier.
"Damn, you really are stubborn," Ash said, grabbing a sword of his own.
"Fine, if that's how you want it, negotiations have failed," he murmured.
Ash lunged at Instincts, swinging his sword in a swift vertical slash that Instincts blocked with its weapon.
Sparks flew from both blades.
Instincts launched a diagonal cut that Ash dodged unconsciously, only to block a kick the very next instant.
Stepping back, he saw Instincts launch into an attack with a flurry of rapid cuts.
Ash could barely block them all.
Receiving multiple wounds, he retreated to catch his breath.
Instincts attacked him instantly, but this time he was prepared.
Using his essence, he manipulated it around his body, feeling himself grow stronger. Feeling more powerful, he began an evenly matched battle at high speed, the only sound being that of metal against metal.
Ash delivered a cut that Instincts blocked with its forearms. Grabbing its weapon in a reverse grip, it lunged a stab at Ashfall, who used his awakened ability, letting the attack pass through him.
Using his ability, he managed to cut the puppet—more specifically, he managed to damage its spirit.
Instincts retreated, tightening its grip on its weapon, and launched itself at him at high speed.
Both clashed swords once more from different angles—cut after cut, block after block.
Their bodies were nothing but blurs of speed and sparks as splinters and blood spilled.
After nearly a full minute, Ash kicked Instincts' hand, making it drop its weapon. Smiling, he drove his sword into the puppet's chest, attacking the spirit directly.
Using Soul Guidance, he grabbed Instincts firmly, forcefully pulling it out of the puppet. With nowhere else to go, Instincts returned to Ash's sea of souls, and Ash trapped it once again in the same orb.
Ash fell onto his back, breathing somewhat labored. His body was covered in light cuts. He would have to tend to his wounds or use his Sevenfold Sword to heal, though he didn't have anything to use for recovery.
Sighing in annoyance, he looked at the inert puppet on the floor. He would have to repair it.
At least he had confirmed a theory.
He could place spirits or souls inside objects. If he managed to obtain multiple souls, he could have them inhabit the puppets and thus continue his experiments.
Although acquiring a large number of souls was complicated. He would have to look for a nightmare creature specifically with those powers... something like the Dutchman.
Ash sat up, having a flash of inspiration.
The Dutchman was a specter that commanded a legion of souls. If he could interrupt its connection, he might obtain some souls to use, although that was impossible. He was only an awakened one, and the Dutchman was a corrupt creature. At least if he wanted a chance, he would have to become an ascended and obtain a demon or devil core.
"There's another way. Maybe if I use a second nightmare, I could do it."
It was a risky idea. Second nightmares weren't like the first.
For the most part, they involved resolving a past conflict that had been recreated by the spell. Likewise, although he would retain all his power and memories, he would take the place of an inhabitant of the nightmare. There were also other factors to consider.
Whatever the reason, he needed to challenge his second nightmare soon. One that was linked to the Dutchman to achieve his goal: obtaining a great source of souls.
Getting to his feet, he began climbing the stairs to take a shower. He could still take about two or three more days before returning to the dream realm.
---
As the hot water cascaded over his body, Ash felt his muscle tension slowly begin to dissipate. The cuts on his skin stung upon contact with the water, but it was a comforting pain, proof that he was still alive and that his experiments were advancing in the right direction.
He closed his eyes, letting the steam envelop him as his mind wandered to what he had accomplished. The possession of the puppet had worked, even if only for a brief moment. Instincts had proven to be a formidable opponent, even within a body of wood and metal. If he could master that technique, the possibilities were endless.
But the problem remained the same: he needed more souls.
The Dutchman was the key. He knew it with certainty. That wandering specter that had attacked his night garden was not only a threat but also an opportunity. If he could find a way to wrest from it the souls it commanded, he would have enough material for his experiments for years.
The problem was that the Dutchman was incredibly powerful. Even with all his training and abilities, Ash knew that facing it directly would be suicidal. He needed an advantage, something that would level the playing field.
And that advantage could be his second nightmare.
He finished showering and wrapped himself in a towel, walking toward his bedroom. As he dressed in comfortable clothes, he continued reflecting on the plan. Second nightmares were dangerous, he knew that. They weren't like the first, where you just had to survive. In the second, you had to resolve a conflict, unravel a mystery, face the consequences of past actions.
And most importantly: if you died in a second nightmare, there was no second chance.
But Ash wasn't someone who let fear paralyze him. He had faced too many things to stop now. If he wanted to move forward, he would have to take risks.
He went down to his kitchen and prepared something to eat, a simple sandwich that he devoured quickly while checking his communicator. It was a brief message from Priscilla asking when he would return to the dream realm, to which he replied that he would do so soon.