Hope clenched his jaw as the soul core crumbled into dust in his palm.
Nothing.
"When I kill Veil creatures, my darkness fragments increase."
Nefer studied him, eyes narrowing slightly.
"It doesn't for me."
She held up her own soul core, taken from the Carapace Scavenger.
With a crack, she crushed it in her palm.
A faint spark of energy flowed into her body, flickering behind her eyes.
Hope watched in silence.
He had tried the same thing—but his darkness fragments never moved.
He exhaled sharply.
"So I can't absorb soul cores like you."
Nefer shrugged.
"Seems that way."
Hope rubbed his chin in thought.
Then, an idea flashed through his mind.
He smirked.
"What if I give you these remaining two soul cores… and any others I get in the future?"
"In exchange, you teach me how to fight."
Nefer raised an eyebrow.
Hope grinned, applauding himself for his intelligence.
She gave a small chuckle.
"Seems like a fair trade."
"I agree."
"What kind of weapons suit you best?"
Hope thought for a moment.
"I prefer daggers."
"But since we're in the Soulrealm, I'd rather learn to use any weapon—because this place is unpredictable."
Nefer nodded approvingly.
"Good thought."
Then, she shifted.
Her expression turned serious.
"Tell me, Hopeless… what do you think of combat?"
Hope's head dropped slightly.
He had already seen too much to not have an answer.
He met her gaze and spoke.
"Combat is kill or be killed."
"If you can't kill your opponent, then your footwork, your training, your refined skills—"
"They're useless."
Nefer studied him for a long moment.
Then, she nodded.
"I half agree."
"But there's more to combat than just victory or death."
She shifted, her eyes glinting in the dark as she began to explain.
"Combat isn't just about killing."
"It's about control."
"A true fighter doesn't just react."
"They dictate the fight."
"They force their opponent into positions of weakness."
"They create openings before they even strike."
"Power alone doesn't guarantee victory."
"A brute can swing a sword, but a fighter knows when to swing it."
"Speed alone won't save you either."
"A fast runner is still dead if they move in the wrong direction."
"You have to understand your enemy."
"What they want, what they fear, what they expect."
"Then, you take that and use it against them."
"A good fighter wins fights."
"A great fighter ends them before they begin."
Nefer leaned forward slightly.
"Do you understand?"
Hope sighed.
He could admit it—her words made sense.
But in the end…
"It still boils down to who is victorious or not."
Nefer smirked.
"Yes."
"But the difference is that you will decide who that is."