In the future, it's no secret that soul rings retain a residue of spiritual energy. Everyone knows you should suppress as much of that lingering power as possible during absorption—ideally eliminating most of it on the spot. Yet knowing and doing are very different things. Jodio couldn't be bothered with such measures—after all, few surpass him in sheer mental strength, and Stands themselves are manifestations of spirit. If he couldn't overpower a 400-year-old Rock Python with his mind, it'd be laughable.
"Wait… four hundred? Why four?"
Jodio frowned as he felt a twinge of difficulty and a hint of pain absorbing the ring. But once he summoned Silver Chariot into the sea of his mind, the discomfort faded. He drove the rapier again and again into the Python's residual spirit fragments, shredding every last trace of its essence until nothing resisted. Bonding the ring proved tricky—but only slightly. Victory was his, as always!
"Interesting… it's the Rhinoceros Beetle."
Jodio stood, stroking his chin, thoughtful.
"What ring?" Flandre and Zhao Vuji leaned in, eager.
"Hold on."
Jodio summoned his Stand Arrow and jabbed its tip into his own fingertip—just enough to pierce the skin without going too deep.
The four of them stared in shock at this self-inflicted wound. A special martial soul indeed: you had to draw blood before absorbing a ring?
Blood spurted, and Jodio felt power surge outward. Blue radiance welled from his body, and with a sharp crack through the air, a blue-skinned, muscular humanoid wearing striped goggles appeared behind him. Unlike Silver Chariot, this form exuded raw strength—surely a Power-type ability?
"This is my Stone Free."
Jodio instinctively struck Jolyne's signature stance—one leg straight, one bent, one hand on hip, the other under his chin. A flash of emerald appeared at the tips of his golden hair as the boys' eyes widened: their boss suddenly looked… good?
"What the—ghost possession?"
Jodio's eyes flew wide at the green hair tip. "No female ghosts! Just because it's a Stand doesn't mean I become its clones! Although… furry ghosts might be okay."
"Boss, you smell great!" Ma Hongjun called out.
"Of course I do—I value hygiene. Do I look like a slob to you?" Jodio admired Stone Free. Though only a Level-10 ring, it promised far more utility than Silver Chariot at this stage.
"Why so… feminine?" Oscar asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"Fool, that's admiration. You're just infected by that emotion—lililila~" Jodio hummed, hands spread wide.
"What's the ability?" Flandre demanded, ignoring their banter.
"Stone Free!"
Jodio recalled the Stand and immediately shot out silky threads from his fingertips toward a nearby tree. Hooks at the ends snagged a branch, pulling Jodio in a swift arc up into the canopy.
"This Stand lets me transform my body into flexible threads and move freely," Jodio landed and explained.
"That's it?" Zhao Vuji frowned. "What practical use is that? It's more useless than Blue Silver Grass!"
"Watch."
Jodio grasped his chest and pulled apart. His torso split open in a perfect hole—yet no blood flowed. Instead, the edges rippled into living threads. Flandre's eyes widened: this was truly a top-tier soul skill!
"Jodio, listen to me," Flandre said gravely, pressing the boy's shoulders. "Until you face life-threatening danger, never reveal more than your limbs. This is your ultimate survival technique. With it, you can bypass one fatal blow through sheer information advantage."
Though turning into threads sounded trivial, it became a matter of life and death. Having a First Soul Skill that both manifests externally and grants such high-quality utility was extraordinary.
"You can't transform entirely—only up to 70% of your mass. The remaining 30% must stay in solid form. But you can extend your threads, attach them to yourself, and slip through narrow gaps," Jodio added as he rubbed his wrists.
"How straightforward…" Zhao Vuji grumbled. "Flandre, he's mine to teach—don't steal him!"
"He's being honest. A student who openly admits his weakness is a rare gem," Flandre objected, forehead creased.
"Bah—my plan succeeds."
Jodio smiled inwardly. The "weakness" was minimal; once opponents saw him in action, they'd adapt. More importantly, these teachers had enough restraint not to demand all his secrets at once. Their protectiveness, though abstruse, worked in his favor.
"Jodio, what did you mean by 'Rhinoceros Beetle'?" Oscar asked, curious.
"It's an exclamation," Jodio said, eyeing Stone Free's strands.
"A beetle symbolizes transformation. This is my first soul skill—my metamorphosis," he explained simply.
"Fortune from misfortune. Though I've lost the mighty King Crimson, I hold the true key to godhood," Jodio thought, grinning. "Destiny echoes—victory belongs to me, Jodio!"
"Time's still early. Let's find Hongjun's next ring," Zhao and Flandre decided together. Tracking down a fire-capable spirit beast would be tougher—but within two days, they'd manage.
---
(Revision note)
"By the way, what's Oscar's First Soul Skill?" Jodio asked casually.
"It's the 270-year-old Shield-Scale Beetle," Flandre replied after a moment's thought.
"And its effect?"
"It restores soul power and heals wounds—a humble but dependable skill," Flandre said. Most Food-Type masters started with such straightforward abilities.
"Oscar, you'll hit Level 20 soon. Let me teach you a way to 'resonate' with your ring," Jodio offered.
"Focus your spirit and send out your desire. Your heart will respond in kind," he explained. Soul rings don't just depend on the beast—they reflect the user's subconscious. Your mental strength and martial soul coalesce with the beast's ring, forming a trinity: you, your Soul Skill, your ring.
Within the human spirit lies an incredible potential—through repeated training, it becomes limitless. I call this potential "spirit power." It must never be ignored: how far you go depends largely on its strength.
"How do I 'send out desire'?" Oscar stared dumbfounded. Every word made sense, but strung together… he might as well have been speaking ancient scripture. What did it mean to send desire into one's heart, or for one's heart to reply? Was this even normal conversation?
"Speak plainly: if you want a certain skill, simply imagine it. During ring fusion, focus on that vision," Flandre translated. "It may work—better than doing nothing."
"Boss, Oscar can't grasp that," Ma Hongjun complained.
"You're Level 9—you've trained! Don't underestimate Level 10," Jodio shot back. "Trust me—I'll craft the best defensive skill to shield you."
"Oscar, summon your soul skill so I can see," Jodio prompted, genuine curiosity in his eyes.
"Red Bean Paste?" Oscar began.
"No—Red Bean!" Jodio corrected him.
"And you need me? If you need someone to protect you, that's failure," Jodio teased. Then he turned to Oscar, whose face morphed into a silly "duck egg or oyster?" expression. Jodio suspected it was deliberate, but lacked proof.
"I've got a big one!" Oscar finally blurted.
"Really?"
Jodio suppressed a groan. How vulgar. He'd never thought JoJo references could infect soul-spirit kids like a contagion—yet here he was, at the mercy of the "duck egg or oyster" craze.
← To Be Continued
Current Public Information:
Level-10 Stand: Stone Free
User: Jodio Joestar
Ring: Yellow – 400-Year Rock Python
Destructive Power: B | Speed: C | Range: C+ | Stamina: B | Precision: C | Growth Potential: A
Stand Ability: Transforms the user's body into threads under their control. Thread length is limited by body mass; severed threads injure the user, though post-break healing accelerates. By employing the Möbius-strip principle—"removing thread reduces body mass" and "softening into threads"—the user can evade direct attacks. Threads can detect, transmit sound, bind targets, suture wounds, weave bulletproof armor, form nets for traversal, or assemble into solid tools such as drills or handcuffs. In humanoid form, its effective range is about 1 m, reducing its Range attribute to E.