Bab 93: Chapter 92
Whenever Dio trained astral projection with Raven, they never spent more than a few hours outside their bodies.
So, this was the first time he stayed out of it for almost a whole day.
It was good. In this state, he felt no physical need, so he focused his attention entirely on training.
Dio finally felt something after another week about whether he was keeping track of the hours properly.
The sensation was undoubtedly new and like feeling something that doesn't exist while something that is there but also isn't.
It was cold but also hot, malleable or immalleable, and so on.
Melinoë was right; this energy is undoubtedly much easier to manipulate than magic or divine energy, but there is great difficulty in manifesting it unless someone is a ghost or a goddess.
Dio was very happy with his achievement, but this happiness disappeared when he returned to his body and realized that the connection with the energy had vanished.
It makes sense; Dio can subtly feel the ectoplasm while separated from his body, which slightly increases his sensitivity to it.
Unfortunately, this small advantage disappears when he's in his body.
...
"You finally did it!"
Melinoë said while sitting in her place with her two black pet dogs lying at her feet.
"After a month, I think."
Dio said while looking at his hand.
Dio's hand is now surrounded by a bright gray energy, the ectoplasm.
The color is different from hers, but she said that the energy's color changes from person to person because ectoplasm comes from spiritual forces, and everyone has a unique soul.
He had to wait a long time to feel this energy in his body and even longer to summon it up.
After a few days, Dio stopped counting, so he thought it'd been a month since he arrived in the underworld, but it's almost certain that he was wrong.
"Now that you have felt and summoned it, all that's left is to shape it to your will."
Melinoë is in a state of happiness with her expressionless face.
She didn't really help him, but Dio won't say that out loud.
Looking at his hand, Dio tried to manipulate the gray energy as he did with the other energies he used, and the response was surprisingly quick.
At the speed of thought, a gray energy sword appears in his hand, an exact copy of his xiphos.
Ectoplasm is much more manipulable than Dio imagined; the speed at which it responded to him without showing any resistance was incredible.
The divine energy is so powerful that the only thing he can do with it right now is release it in a big explosion.
It works well and is easy to use, but Dio didn't think this was a good way to use it as a magician.
The ectoplasm is an energy that is difficult to obtain but has limitless applications.
One more good thing about it is that when he summoned it, he saw how much it resembled Ravena's energy.
She also uses energy from her soul manifesting, which is a more advanced form of astral projection and similar ectoplasm.
They are similar but not identical. The good news is that Dio might be able to modify Azarath's spells so they work with ectoplasm.
"Well, very good."
Melinoë pulled him out of his thoughts as she approached him with her two dogs following.
"You did a good job; the amount of energy you can manifest is not large enough to use it in the way I do."
"All in good time."
Dio said to her, not discouraged.
Dio isn't sure if he wants to go in the same direction as Melinoë because what she showed him shows that her style is more long-range, and she attacks with her army.
Dio didn't think it would be bad to have an army of ghosts under his command, but he would need to be able to summon a lot of ghosts and practice making them real.
For those who are not gods, this is not an easy task.
An army is not feasible, but that doesn't mean her teachings are not important.
Dio didn't need an army, just a few under his command, for spying, surveillance, or a surprise attack.
"What's the next step then, Teacher?"
Dio said while smiling at her. Melinoë was so happy that she gave me a small smile.
...
Dio loved the feeling of making progress in magic.
It's one of those feelings of self-achievement that gets him addicted to moving forward, but this one requires hard work to achieve.
It was easier to make progress once they learned how to handle the new energy.
Dio was improving every day. He's not a master yet, but he learned enough to be able to use ectoplasm in a fight.
Now that Melinoë and Dio have spent so much time together that Dio has given up trying to keep track, it's time for him to go.
It's not that she taught him everything she knows; that wasn't the point. The point was to give him the basics so he could develop them on his own.
"Being a teacher was as fun as scaring mortals."
Melinoë said.
They are at the entrance to her personal space, at the portal, surrounded by flowers.
"Any advice?"
Dio asked.
Melinoë was silent for a few seconds before responding.
"Try to stay as far away from the edges of the underworld as possible. That's the lawless zone of this realm. The farther from the center you are, the more dangerous things will become."
Melinoë began.
"I was wondering about that too. Why is the underworld so chaotic? Shouldn't it be a realm for souls to be judged equally?"
In mythology, Hades has always been a figure that mortals feared. This fear was based on the fear of death that they all have.
However, Hades was the one who interacted with or caused the least trouble for mortals.
That means Hade's realm shouldn't be chaotic, with monsters roaming around out of control.
"The judgment of souls is equal. Have you seen any of them being attacked by monsters, skeletons, or zombies?"
She's right. There are many spirits of the dead, and yet they are not attacked.
"You have to remember that the Olympians love to throw those who offended or punished them into the underworld, just like the monsters that don't follow anyone or are wild. If our Father didn't allow a zone where they could roam freely, the underworld would be in eternal war. So, there's an unspoken deal—they are free to do whatever they want as long as they don't disrupt the functioning of the underworld. The only place where there's real order is the center of the underworld. The closer you get to the center, the safer you will be."
Melinoë concluded her explanation.
"Anything else?"
Dio asked finally.
Melinoë then got serious but kept her cold expression as always.
It got easier to read her emotions without her showing them after spending some time with her.
"Yes, Diomedes, you have to be careful with my mother."
Melinoë said.
"With Pers..."
"No!"
Before Dio could say the full name, she raised a finger, and a layer of bright green energy surrounded his mouth to silence him.
"She may be a minor goddess up there, but when she's here, she is the Queen of the Underworld, so don't say her name out loud."
Melinoë warned, then lowered her hand to release his mouth.
"Why should I be careful with her?"
Dio asked while knowing very well what the problem might be.
"You are not her child."
The answer is not unexpected.
'Now I have to be careful with the queen of this place.'
"I understand; thank you once again. I don't know how, but one day I will repay your kindness."
Dio thanked her again.
"It was fun meeting you, little brother."
Melinoë said with a smile.
Then, behind him, a circular green portal of his size manifests.
A portal made by manipulating ectoplasm, Dio will surely learn more about it later.
Dio waves goodbye to her one more time and walks toward the portal.
It's time to go back, but first, he has to get back his backpack.
...
"You can leave now,"
Melinoë spoke a few seconds after Diomedes crossed the portal and disappeared.
There was a ghost in front of Melinoë.
This one seemed more real than the others; its eyes were filled with wisdom, but its body had no shape or appearance.
The only thing that stood out were the long horns that stuck out from its forehead.
"I liked him; he's not as arrogant or foolish as we were when we were young."
The ghost spoke and was not intimidated to be facing the goddess of them all.
"He's so young; it's unfair to put fate and all this mess in his hands."
"Since when is fate fair?"
The ghost asked.
Melinoë then turned and began to walk towards her temple.
"At least he won't die in such a stupid way as you did; I'm sure of that."
Melinoë said to the ghost, who followed her closely.
"It's true."
The ghost didn't deny it while laughing.
"Are you going to keep an eye on him?"
Melinoë asked.
"Yes, the Furies must have spread the word that Hades' son has arrived in the underworld; our Mother must already know. I'll keep an eye on him, but I won't help him unless it's to save him from a certain death."
She just nodded, and the two continued to walk calmly through the garden.
...
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