An invisible force extended outward from the frail body.
The Warp energy, which previously could only cover David's skin in a thin layer, now reached out five meters into the air, forming a shroud of cyan light.
I am now a full-fledged psyker, David thought, feeling the strength of the energy protecting him.
If his previous psionic state had pushed him to the limits of the human body, then "martial arts" based on physical strength were now meaningless to him. In wuxia novels, the strongest masters cultivated internal energy; David, through psionics, had achieved the legendary feat of projecting that energy externally.
What should I call this state? David wondered, watching the cyan light swirl around him.
Post-human state?
As David exhaled, threads of cyan gas retracted into his body like interlocking chains. Under the interference of the psionic energy, the white floor lamp above his head flickered rapidly.
It wasn't just David's room; the power in the entire building was being disrupted. Shouts of surprise echoed from the hallways. As evening fell, the building looked like a giant eye blinking in the dusk, staring at the night sky as it rose over the calm surface of reality.
"It's not just the psionic power that improved."
David felt the energy surging within him. With a single thought, the system panel materialized in front of him.
[Name: David | Race: Human]
[Class: Psyker]
[Psionic Level: Manifest Grade 2]
[Skills: Psionic Precognition / Astral Projection]
[Equipment: Abominable Intelligence]
[Remaining Warp Salvage Attempts: 0]
David's eyes narrowed when he saw the words "Astral Projection" in the skill column.
"As I suspected."
A theory formed in his mind. To test it, he sat cross-legged on the mattress and followed the system's prompts to begin his first out-of-body experience. A sharp sound, like porcelain breaking, rang in his ears, and David felt his body become weightless.
A blinding white light rose before him. David instinctively closed his eyes. A few seconds later, the light vanished, and he opened his eyes again.
"So this is my body in this life?" David's spirit circled his physical form twice. "It actually looks decent."
He didn't spend much time admiring himself. He felt a call coming from above.
The Warp!
High above the Earth, visible only to a soul, was a pitch-black hole leading to another world. Seeing it caused a heavy weight to drop in David's heart. It had appeared after all.
"Projection."
Under David's control, his soul rose higher, gradually approaching the "Void." Passing through the rift between the Warp and reality, the interior of the Warp appeared before him.
The Warp looked empty. As far as the eye could see, there were only blood-red deserts and azure oceans. A few plants stood on shattered oases. As David approached, a gale blew around the oasis, making the leaves rustle.
"Is there no life? No... wait."
David manifested on an oasis. Although it looked small from above, he discovered it covered millions of hectares once he landed. The density of the plants increased near the ocean.
As the plants vibrated in response to his presence, [Psionic Precognition] sent him a warning. The sense of danger was faint, suggesting the threats here weren't fatal to him yet.
David jumped onto the highest ancient tree and released his psionic pulse to scan the area. In the Warp, his power was hundreds of times greater than in the material world. He was briefly captivated by the sensation, but the thought passed quickly. His spiritual sense swept over a cluster of low shrubs to the east. He saw a creature with a goat's head, a human body, bat-like wings, and snake scales. It was crawling on the ground, searching for something. David startled, snapping out of his thoughts.
"What is that thing?"
David watched the monster. As his psionic scan passed over it, the creature seemed to notice. It let out a terrified roar, its savage goat head looking around in a panic as it backed into the bushes.
It's trying to run!
David instantly appeared beside the goat-headed monster.
"Is this a Warp demon of this world?"
Psionic energy turned into chains, pinning the demon to the ground. David looked at the rows of sharp teeth inside its gaping maw; bits of fresh meat hung from the gaps. It was clearly not a harmless creature.
David looked at the ground where the demon had been sniffing. The tall forest blocked most of the sunlight. Nearby, the sound of a flowing stream could be heard. The forest soil was soft and moist. On a path carved through the trees, various footprints were scattered.
"These are human footprints."
David ignored the demon's wailing. He bent down and identified human tracks among the many prints.
One adult, and the rest are children.
The tracks looked several days old, mostly covered by the marks of other animals. David's heart sank. He explored the surrounding forest with his psionics but found nothing else. He turned back to the monster. It was strong; it had already broken nearly half of the chains.
"What are you looking for?" David tried to communicate.
He stared into the demon's eyes and caught a flicker of human-like cunning.
"You are strong, human. But compared to the true kings of the Warp, you and I are both just ants."
The demon spoke in a human tongue. Its speech was staggered, but its tone held a mix of threat and flattery.
"Let me go, and I will take you—"
Bang!
David crushed its head with a telekinetic grip. [Psionic Precognition] confirmed it was lying or setting a trap. The headless corpse hit the ground with a heavy thud, splashing mud. David watched the body turn into ash and blow away, leaving a red crystal behind. He picked it up. The crystal melted into his hand.
The numbers on his panel changed.
[Remaining Warp Salvage Attempts: 0 (12%)]