"That's really going to hurt"(1)

"No matter. I'm way to old and most importantly to dead to linger on petty squabbles for longer than necessary. Oh, that's a good tip for you. as you grow older you have to stop focusing on things that don't lead you anywhere, like holding a grudge, and turn that focus on the things that are important. your pride doesn't qualify, though."

"I have the feeling I steered a little of topic so back to the top. as you already pointed out, I'm the sage. I'm also the one who owns the house you are sleeping in so don't get cocky with me." Damian rolled his eyes and didn't point out that his conversational partner just said he wouldn't hold a grudge.

Instead, he thought about some questions he wanted to ask but he got cut off before he could open his mouth.

"As I already said, I'm here to give you some solid advice and the last adjustments to make you suitable. first of all, we're gonna fix this." the whisp didn't have a finger to point at the area he was talking about, but Damian felt like he was pointing at the intersection between his chest and his stomach. just about where his solar plexus was.

Pointing out something like his weight didn't make Damien happy. he was self-conscious about it but that didn't make it any better. instead, it made it worse. he had tried many things but none of them showed even an inkling of success, not to mention progress. witch made him gave up on all of it.

He glared at the sage light, and it immediately sneered back. "I'm not talking about the 50 plus kilogram extra you're hauling around with you. I mean I'm gonna fix your condition, but the rest is on you."

"I mean that you lack something fundamental that every lifeform in this universe has to have. you are practically not qualified to be a living being in this universe if you lack the parts I'm gonna implant into your body."

"I'm only going to tell you about one of them and the rest you can figure out yourself. I'm not big on spoon feeding knowledge."

"I think my defense system should have clued you in on this already but you're only gonna get the basics and if you find them, some artifacts I have left lying about. the rest is on you. you're gonna get some pointers down the line but that's it really."

When he stopped speaking the sound of a mid-sized earthquake rang in Damien's ears. he didn't feel any trembling, but it was definitely not his imagination.

"Would you shut up. I'm just gonna take a few more minutes." The Sage bellowed in a direction that was not towards Damien. "You think something like the outer will would have a little more patience but here we are about to be kicked out by mommy.

"I got its permission to stay around for a little longer to give you everything you need but not a second more. So, let's get this show on the road."

The bright white light started to emit small specks of different shades of red. they floated in Damien's direction and when they arrived, they didn't stop but pass through his skin.

He could still see their radiance while they were moving around in his body. they collided and mixed with each other before separating again and after a while they settled down and start to fade away.

after checking his body and not feeling anything out of the ordinary Damian looked at the wisp in puzzlement. it just stared back at him with indifference." oh right I almost forgot about that." it said with a deadpan tone and start emitting a very small shimmer of white. it formed the outline of a sphere that was completely pitch black in the middle.

"Never forget. you have the choice of using everything I give you but every single one of these things it's a double-edged sword and 75% of the blade is pointed your way. power always comes with a price tag and mine costs a shit load of effort and a boatload of problems you aren't even aware of yet."

"Also, don't make me look like an idiot for letting you get your hands on my stuff. I swear that if you become some kind of douchebag, I'm gonna crawl back from the dead and kick your ass into oblivion." it chuckled at its own joke and slowly started to fade.

"Hold up a second. didn't you say you'd explain one of the things you just stuck on to me." Damian said while trying to catch the wisp with one of his hands.

"I don't remember making such a promise. You should know that old people forget stuff on occasion." Damien felt like the wisp was grinning at him.

"at least give me that solid life lesson you promised."

The sage side and thought for a second before Seriously replying: "There will be no definitive answers to your biggest questions so you have to either come up with something that sounds right to your ears, or you could just not give a damn."

"Everyone will die alone but living alone is not worth it just to avoid the pain that comes with company."

"The end doesn't justify the means and the means don't justify the end. Live with your decisions or go fuck yourself"

"Oh, and most of all, when you wake up you should grit your teeth because that's really going to hurt". with these last words the wisp puffed out of existence and the world lost one of its most powerful and oldest residents. maybe even forever.

Damien was busy with processing everything the sage had set but before he could arrive at his last remark his eyes shot open and his own agonizing scream made him forget everything that had happened to him in the last few hours.

He was writhing in pain and clutching every bodypart he could reach with his hands. he felt like something was eating at his muscles. bit by bit they were consumed and replaced. he wasn't sure by what, but he couldn't care less at the moment.

It spread from the tips of his fingers and toes up his limbs and slowly neared his torso. after it was done with his midsection and chest it crept up until the base of his skull where it stopped and faded slowly.

For one second, he breathed in deeply, thinking the process what's over. in that moment the pain started again.

This time it crept down his windpipe and esophagus. After a few seconds it started spreading too his internal organs. Proving to him that, what he experienced up until now was just a mosquito bite in comparison to what real pain felt like.

He tried to fight back by contracting every single muscle in his body that still obeyed his commands ,which weren't many. Actually, he was completely motionless after the pain in his muscles had stopped. The only exception to this rule was his head.

He felt grateful for it but with the few braincells he could dedicate to something else, except the agony he was in, he doubted that the head wouldn't get its turn sooner or later.