The Question of Soul Projection

After the sudden whimsical thought that his Soul Projection was a submarine, Qin Xa decided it was unlikely.

He sensed that his physical body still existed in the real universe, but his consciousness had inexplicably entered the Immaterium. If this Immaterium wasn't a world his own imagination had conjured, but a genuine entry into it, then he should be able to directly perceive the existence of his Soul Projection.

Yet Qin Xa felt nothing. If he didn't have eyes, he wouldn't even know the thing carrying him was a submarine.

Qin Xa couldn't find an answer.

From the very beginning, everything was completely different from what he knew—unlike any knowledge he had of psykers, or how the psykers he knew behaved when they tried to step into the Immaterium.

Eventually, Qin Xa had another guess: that the submarine he was in was merely a self-preservation mechanism projected by his mind within the Immaterium.

When Qin Xa tested this, the submarine transformed into various forms.

Whether it became a sword, a gun, even a shield, or a box, it could still carry him and isolate him from Immaterium entities.

In the Immaterium, a realm of the mind, making thoughts reality wasn't difficult.

Qin Xa was completely certain that this was the physical manifestation of his self-preservation instinct, not some Soul Projection or his soul itself.

"You can perceive the part of you that exists in the Immaterium through any means."

Qin Xa recalled his lessons with the Librarian.

"I can't perceive anything in the Immaterium that's bound to me, no matter what means I use."

Qin Xa answered.

"Impossible. Every psyker has a Soul Projection—it's inevitable," the Librarian said. "Do you think you're a Blank capable of suppressing psychic power? Even Blanks have something akin to a projection. I've seen it—a Blank looks like a black hole in the psychic vision."

"I really can't perceive it," Qin Xa said.

"It's fine. Eventually, I and others will help you perceive it. Only then can we understand your abilities," the Librarian said.

"..."

Qin Xa focused his attention on everything around him. Now, immersed in the Immaterium, he sensed it all.

He perceived everything while in negative-distance contact with the Immaterium.

But he still couldn't perceive anything of himself existing within the Immaterium. Qin Xa couldn't even sense his own soul—neither in the real universe nor here.

In the end, Qin Xa could only tentatively conclude: "I actually have no Soul Projection..."

This conclusion was too astonishing. Qin Xa could only remain skeptical for now, then think about how to gather more evidence for it, rather than just judging from perception alone.

He remembered that when a psyker used psychic power, their Soul Projection would shine brilliantly in the Immaterium. So he gave it a try.

Just like before, when Caesar's head had exploded all over him, when he'd thought every time that he wouldn't be the unlucky one—Qin Xa used his psychic power the same way he always had.

Then Qin Xa realized he had actually been using psychic power all along, without any interruption. The protective mechanism of the submarine he was in was proof of that psychic power in use.

Standing at the porthole and looking out, the Immaterium was filled with countless shining lights, countless Soul Projections.

But with just one glance, Qin Xa knew clearly that none of them were his.

"Really none," Qin Xa could only make his final judgment.

A psyker without a Soul Projection—this was far too incredible. Qin Xa instinctively began to ponder and analyze.

Soon, something happened that forced him to stop thinking.

The protective mechanism of the submarine, maintained by psychic power, flickered a few times, then vanished completely.

Qin Xa felt as if something had been used up. Before he could dwell on that feeling, countless vile Immaterium entities appeared, surging toward the now-unprotected Qin Xa.

But what arrived before the attacks of those Immaterium entities was the sensation of something pouring in.

More precisely, it was drawing in.

Qin Xa felt himself drawing in the Immaterium. Soon, he sensed something being refilled, and then the vanished protective mechanism reappeared—the submarine was back.

The massive horde of Immaterium entities slammed into the protective mechanism, dealing damage.

This damage to the protective mechanism manifested as thudding sounds on the submarine's hull and extremely faint cracks in its armor.

But the full-force assault of the countless Immaterium entities, launched the moment the protective mechanism had disappeared, only managed to create a single crack. Eventually, they gave up.

Qin Xa decided to end this deep foray into the Immaterium. He had already obtained information that needed careful thought and digestion.

The submarine began to ascend.

Slowly entering The Veil.

Finally, when Qin Xa felt a sense of return, he snapped his eyes open. What he saw was no longer the terrifying Immaterium, but the cave in the arena.

"You back to normal?" Oeno asked, leaning in with concern.

"Back to normal from what?" Qin Xa asked, confused.

Oeno didn't explain immediately, instead looking at Angron.

Angron's gaze was complicated as he looked at Qin Xa, then he shook his head slightly. "Nothing..."

Qin Xa frowned, confusion showing in his eyes.

Angron and Oeno both had complex expressions and looks. They didn't seem to be deliberately hiding something, but rather showing concern.

Having just learned a lot of weighty information, Qin Xa really didn't want to play guessing games. He didn't dwell on their reactions and sank into his own thoughts.

First of all, the lack of a Soul Projection—while astonishing—is almost certainly true.

As for the protection mechanism in the Immaterium suddenly vanishing and reappearing, along with that accompanying sensation of emptiness and fullness, and the feeling of having drawn something in...

Qin Xa recalled his own experience every time he used his psychic powers.

He could always sense something draining from within him, but he assumed that was normal—after all, in everything he had ever read about psychics, none of them ever described in detail what it felt like every time they used their abilities.

Now it seemed that was the sensation of psychic energy draining from his own body.

Theoretically, psychic energy should exist within the Immaterium, only to be called upon by psychics—yet it was draining from within him.

And that feeling of drawing something in while in the Immaterium was like recharging, absorbing psychic energy.

Now Qin Xa understood why his psychic talent had stabilized.

Because it wasn't being directly drawn from the Immaterium at all—it was simply passing through his body as a relay.

This was essentially the difference between touching a live wire with rubber gloves on versus grabbing a high-voltage line with bare hands.

Add to that the fact that he had no Soul Projection.

If he truly had no Soul Projection—rather than it simply being undetectable even to its own owner—

Thinking this far, Qin Xa realized that almost everything he had previously known about psychics was no longer relevant to him.

Because he was different from them.