I want your body!

"Show yourself."

*Screeecccccchhhhhhhhh* A piercing screech sounded all around Dan. Despite Dan's utmost afford to locate the origin of the noise, no notable progress could be made.

A dim light flickered in the background and a line thinner than silk appeared. Travelling at speed faster than sound, it approaches Dan before he could react.

Damn it, he could only slightly duck ensuring that the thin line would not hit his heart.

*Cough* *Cough* Dan spurted out blood as the unknown attack had hit his right lung.

Damn it, my opponent is well prepared.

Dan rolled all over the ground to avoid the relentless attacks made by the invader. Losing here would mean losing everything. Each attack launch by his opponent pushes Dan closer and closer to an impending, inevitable doom.

Sparks and a large amount of heat and smoke were released when those lines came into contact with the floor.

This is unpleasant, the thin line attack was launch in a way that forces Dan into a smaller circle. About 10 more strikes and I will be hit, he anticipated. Looks like there isn't much of a choice, he calculated without any margin of error.

While dodging and predicting the opponent's next move, he pointed his finger in a seemingly random direction.

[Snipe] Mana was concentrated into a thin line, and the exact same attack was unleashed. Dan had copied his opponent attacks.

"I missed?!" Dan muttered.

"I see", Dan gave a look of understanding. "It predicted my movements. Seems like this much isn't enough."

Due to his earlier single assault, the opponent's plan was now slightly delayed, leaving Dan with more time to decide his next move.

Without giving the invader much time to react, he pointed his finger in the opposite direction in which he had pointed earlier.

[Snipe] This time, the projectile he shot out was 2 times faster. So you thought that I was giving my all on my first shot. Dan smirked sadistically, now let me teach you a lesson.

The projectile hit an unknown object, revealing a feminine figure. It grunted softly and turned invisible again. There was no trace left behind, only an endless sea of darkness. The restless waves of darkness swarmed around Dan, it was pitch black and yet he could see clearly.

Now that I think about it, is my mind that strange? The ground looks like a liquid, but it isn't water, its solid yet a fluid? Makes no sense... I mean, what am I expecting... this is a world of swords and magic. He inserted his fingers into the ground, but it repelled his finger.

No, the ground isn't solid, it is repelling me. Thus I can stand on it. Looks like this is what's in my mind, humans are strange... Dan thought as he revealed a look of puzzlement.

"Pathetic. You know only so little of Alcanti." The mysterious invader spoke. Her voice echo through the endless darkness.

"Oh ho? Would you mind educating me then?" Dan had already recovered from his injury. He pulled back his hand and stood still focusing on the surroundings. Still no trace... no hints or any clue, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance.

"What happen aren't you preparing to trap me in your memories?" The female voice taunted.

"Nice try. I actually wanted to do. Somehow my instincts are warning me. I have no idea why but I won't let you have it easy either." Dan clapped loudly. "So tell me, why are you here? If you want a body, I can make you one."

"Make me a body? AHAHAHAHA" The voice laughter echo through the land. "How about this? Do me a favour."

"A favour?" Dan was suspicious, an invader whos willing to negotiate? There must be something in here she really wants. What is it? My knowledge... Hopefully not.

In the worst case, she had already obtained my memories. And is trying to get rid of me right now...

This is possible... Her actions seem to support this theory in a precise manner.

She tried to kill me at first sight. But something seems off. Her conscience should be on a way larger plane than mine, she should be able to kill me without much effort. While this is my mind, mind battles are specialities of old gods. This may be the key to this crisis.

Dan pushed back his theories and prepared himself for the invader next move.

"Yes, a favour!" She said so with so much energy that the surroundings howled in pain. "Die for me." A high energy blade curves towards Dan.

For a second, the black cloudy waves stopped moving. They were frozen solid. The air seems to cool down to a temperature below 0-degree Celsius. Then an astonishing scene occurred. The landscape changed.

It was now winter, except that black snow was falling from the sky. The blade of energy was now gone, leaving behind the feminine figure.

"Fufufufu, so that is how you deal with an attack you cannot handle." While Dan couldn't see her veiled figure, Dan knew that she was smiling. "Truly impressive. But how many times can you do this? hahahahaha."

[Maximise Magic: Forbidden One]

The moment he cast this, the invader revealed herself again. It's a guy. Wait it's me?!

Ancient rusted chains revealed itself from the depths of the uninterrupted darkness. The robust chains were flinging all over this area.

The old god tirelessly dodges the chains, and when it had a clear view of Dan's position, he pushed his palms forward. Tsk, Dan clicked his tongue. This old god actually took my appearance.

[[Collaspsing Star Cannon]] Two beams of light collided. One came from Dan while the other came from the fake Dan(old god). Each was trying to deflect the other. They bent in unnatural angels before dissipating completely.

The chains were molten red, from the heat released from the clash of both cannons.

"I see, you really do have a copy of my memories." Dan sighed solemnly.

"So much information. Your skills, your world, your ambitions should all belong to me. You have a fundamental understanding of the workings of a world without magic, and I have a crucial understanding of Alcanti. With my memories and your knowledge combine, I will be unstoppable, and unkillable hahaha." It revealed its desires. It was a weird experience for Dan... A male body with a female voice. If the old god knew what Dan was thinking right now, it would probably be spurting out blood.

It continued, "Such precious knowledge and yet you could only bring out so little potential... your understanding of Alcanti is still too little." It mocked Dan.

"You cannot win, so why not just surrender?" It suggested.

"Surrender and then what? Die? I refuse." Dan replied without hesitation.

"I see. Then you will have to die." The fake Dan's face turned ferocious. His arm corroded with hints of dark purplish veins. 3 eyes opened up on its forehead showing off its nefarious nature. The surroundings were disturbed, the ground rippled, trying its best to push the old god away. But it stood there firmly, unaffected by the changes in the surroundings.

Pressured by the old god, Dan's knees creaked. He stood there without moving. The old god moved at a speed faster than light. A speed in which Dan would never be able to react to.

I won, the old god thought. Its sharp pointy finger was just moments away from reaching Dan's neck. All it would take now is just a single touch. A single touch and Dan's body would be under his control. It can't kill Dan; thus it had to resort to controlling Dan's body.

Why can't the old god kill Dan? That's because it had become part of Dan when Dan absorbs it in the form of pure mana. Killing Dan now would have the unintended consequence of killing itself.

It knew that Dan would surely notice that it itself cannot kill Dan if it avoids using any lethal attacks. From Dan's memories, it could tell that Dan is a cautious person who always try his best to predict the enemies objectives.

It knew Dan's capabilities; thus it attacks in a manner that pushes Dan to his limits ensuring that Dan does not suspect anything was wrong during the duration of the fight.

Victory is mine, it started to imagine it's bright future, with such knowledge who can best it? It was utterly impressed by Dan's library of knowledge. Such a shame, I would have wanted him on my side.

Unexpectedly, Dan moved. He reacted to an attack at such speed? It thought, impossible.

Dan deflected the attack and smiled. Something was different. He had an additional eye on his forehead. A bright yellow eye, staring directly at the 5 eyes of the old god.

"You know... If you can replicate my memory why can't I replicate yours? After all, we are a single entity... I have to say that your memories are AMAZING. I want your body! Why don't you gift it to me?"

Note: Old gods are genderless