A Spin After Stillness

"ARGHH!!"

I screamed out loud, not even bothering to muffle it. Pain tore through me like fire under my skin. Screw the noise. No one was coming.

This house had been abandoned for over a year now, ever since a possession incident burned the previous residents alive. The guards steer clear. Even the baron pretends this place doesn't exist.

Perfect for someone like me.

A place where no one would interrupt, whether the experiment succeeds or goes horribly wrong.

Like now.

It's been five months since I transmigrated here, and this is easily the worst thing I've dealt with so far.

My hands were trembling as I lifted my shirt and stared down at the source of the agony.

A swollen patch of skin, roughly two centimetres wide, bulged just above my stomach. Black veins spidered out from it like rot, the centre pulsing with a sickly red hue.

Possession.

Not from a spirit or demon, but a byproduct of pushing my magic too far. Testing its limits without understanding its rules.

It started a week ago.

Back then, it was barely noticeable, just a small irritation under the skin. My first reaction? Panic.

I remembered reading somewhere that men have a higher chance of dying from this kind of corruption. Women survive more often, but they don't remain the same.

Then I remembered Cid.

He went through something similar and survived.

I tried replicating what he did. I really did.

But the truth slapped me in the face. Cid had been experimenting with mana since the day he could crawl. I've had barely five months.

His control was ten times better than mine. His knowledge? Probably more.

But stopping wasn't an option.

I kept going, kept pushing, because the alternative was worse. If I didn't fix this, I'd either die or worse, get found by the Church.

If they saw this on me, I'd be dragged away and burned alive before I could say "oops."

I grit my teeth and forced the pain down, taking slow, shaky breaths.

My control's improving.

But it's still not enough. Not nearly.

I should've been more careful. More patient. But how could I?

I got another chance. Another body. Another world.

And this one had magic.

So of course, I let my inner Isekai protagonist run wild. Thought I was special. Thought I could push limits from day one. No grinding, no waiting. Just raw ambition and ego.

And now?

Now I'm dealing with this shit.

Control. Control. Control.

Deep breaths.

I kept muttering to myself, trying to stay focused as I followed the rhythm. Breathe in. Breathe out.

But it wasn't just pain.

Yeah, it hurt. A lot. But that wasn't the worst part.

The pain was sharp, sure, but it was small, localized. Manageable.

What messed with me more was the sensation.

It was like a thousand ants crawling just under my skin. It didn't stop. Didn't slow down. Just this constant, disgusting, eerie movement. Like something alive squirming inside me.

It made my whole mind feel like a scrambled mess. Like I couldn't even think straight.

The situation would've gotten much worse if not for my templates.

Both Miyamoto and Richard knew how to clear their minds, focus, and stay composed under pressure. That ability alone has been a massive help for me.

Their Assimilation is almost complete now. Honestly, it's taken a lot longer than I expected. At first, the process was fast, almost too fast. But as I made more progress, each step after that slowed down. It's like the deeper the merge, the harder it gets to absorb what's left.

Still, I can't complain. The timing couldn't be better.

Because now, it's finally time for my next spin.

Yes. I've waited. Waited for months.

I held off on spinning because I wanted to complete the Assimilation first. I needed to make sure my head was clear before adding anything new to the mix. I wanted to hone what I already had.

No distractions. No rushing.

I also wanted to explore magic on my own. No interference. No one else's input. I wanted to understand its depth myself. And honestly, even now, even in my current situation, I don't think that was a mistake.

[Points: 134]

That's enough for 44 cards, with 2 points left over.

I didn't waste any time. I immediately used the points.

1. Marin Kitagawa Cosplay Photo (My Dress-Up Darling)

2. SVD (The Division)

3. 1000 Galleons (Harry Potter)

4. Slug Racks ×2 (Slugterra)

5. A-Trainers (The Boys)

6. Digimon Sketchbook (Digimon)

7. Earl's Headphones (2 Broke Girls)

8. Alien Scooter (Ben 10)

9. Superman Keychain (DC Universe)

10. Dr. Theo (GANGSTA.)

11. Spider-Man's Unwashed Sock (Marvel)

12. Super Mario Cap (Mario Series)

13. Chocobi (Shinchan)

14. Rias Gremory's Panties Collection (High School DxD)

15. Winston Scott (John Wick)

16. Stewie Griffin's Used Diaper (Family Guy)

17. Doracake ×4 (Doraemon)

18. Alan-A-Dale's Guitar (Robin Hood)

19. Perseus (Dr. Stone)

20. Saya Takagi's Glasses (Highschool of the Dead)

21. Ash's Cap (Pokémon)

22. Sheldon's T-Shirt (The Big Bang Theory)

23. Sword of Kings (Vikings)

24. Yūki Rito (To Love Ru)

25. Ray-Ban Sunglasses (Men in Black)

26. Heart of the Ocean (Titanic)

27. Purple Potion ×3 (Overlord)

28. Paul Greyrat (Mushoku Tensei)

29. Straw Hat (One Piece)

30. Elastigirl's Grey Suit (The Incredibles)

31. Silver Coins ×10 (Slave Harem in the Labyrinth of the Other World)

32. Sakonji Urokodaki (Demon Slayer)

33. Explosive Pen (James Bond)

34. Glass Sandal (Cinderella)

35. Gojo Shirt (Jujutsu Kaisen)

36. Dr. House's Coat (House M.D.)

37. Supreme Pontiff's Writ (Soul Land)

38. Gordon Ramsay( S#38####***¶¶)

39. Miyamura's Earrings (Horimiya)

40. Konoha ANBU Masks ×10 (Naruto)

41. Teddy (Mr. Bean)

42. Wight ×1000 (Game of Thrones)

43. Black Pearl (Pirates of the Caribbean)

44. M60 (Rambo)

While the list was long, my attention was already on the character cards I received. My new templates.

A doctor. A businessman who's also a crime lord. A cook. A demon slayer. A sissy who's somehow lucky. A swordmaster who knows how to woo women.

Hmm. It's decided.

The next ones I'm going to Assimilate are Paul and Sakonji to boost my combat level.

Paul knows all three sword styles. He may not be a Saint-level swordsman, but with his mastery of all three styles, he can rival one in the right conditions.

As for Sakonji, even though he doesn't have a Demon Mark, his complete mastery over Total Concentration Breathing will be incredibly useful.

After that, I'll slowly begin Assimilating the rest. It'll take a long time. Maybe half a year. Maybe more.

Especially since I plan to dedicate more focus to my magic than ever before.

Still, I've been quiet long enough.

Time to get back to work.

**********

OC idea's for shadow garden member