You ask Impish how the chudcel was able to move in stopped time (or to be more accurate, slowed down time, since here a single second feels as long as 10 minutes).
<Well, that’s because he wasn’t actually moving at all!
<You see, right now you’re in the Astral Plane. But you’re not technically in the Astral Plane, because you can only interact with it through me.
<I act like a tool that you can interface with the Astral with.
<Right now, since you’re inexperienced, all you can do is talk to me, but with more practice, you can use me to directly interact with your environment. Like getting used to a new car. Oh, I mean, bike. Sorry.
<That chud was someone with more experience, and so he was able to do more.
So what was that? He said something about.. Soydueling?
<That’s right! He initiated a soyduel with you.
<You see, my power basically works through electrical signals. I can sense them or transmit them, but the problem with transmission is that over a certain distance the accuracy is lost.
<So for that reason, it’s very difficult to transmit signals into others’ brains.
<However, simple, compressed thoughts, or ‘memes’, can travel much longer while retaining potency.
<What he was using are ‘soyjaks’ – highly concentrated thoughts that serve as an extremely effective way of memetic warfare.
Memetics.. you remember reading about that in the scientific journals you used to enjoy, before the scientific establishment became bigoted and corrupted.
I guess that does make sense. But.. Soyjaks? I think I’ve heard of those. Bigots post them, right? You’re saying they can be used to hurt people?
<..Yes. But those images online are more like flawed reflections of those ‘memes’. The real thing exists in your head, and the way they’re really created is through refinement.
<Much like coal is compressed into a diamond, a thought is compressed into a soyjak: either through iteration through various people, or through constant rumination, it sheds its unnecessary parts.
<Like in an argument, or, more likely, in its aftermath when the loser is replaying it in his head.
Wow. Okay. This is a lot. So these bigoted wojaks are like, psychic weapons. I guess if that’s the case… I might have to use them, as problematic as that is.
If they’re just thoughts, does that mean I can just steal them when they’re thrown at me and hurl them right back?
<Well, yes, with enough concentration and practice, you can ‘catch’ soyjaks when they’re being used on you, despite the severe distress they cause. But throwing them right back is ill-advised, since overuse of a specific soyjak dilutes its power. To properly soyduel, you need ones the other duelist doesn’t have, or to use them before he does.
…I see. Are there any other ways to find soyjaks?
<Apart from creating them, which is incredibly difficult, they can be found as residue in places where someone made one. You’ll be able to see them when you’re in the Astral Plane. You can also see them from far away as those glimmering stars you see around you. Those represent anything or anyone with a high amount of aura.
Yeah, I was wondering what those were. Okay. I can handle this. I can handle this.
>Oh, um, wait a second. How did he know to use his crystal?
<With practice, you can sense when someone is about to use their crystal, so you can sync up yours with theirs and initiate a duel.
Huh. Okay.
This is a lot to take in. On one hand, this is kind of flippin’ badass. This is basically like The Force, right? It’s like you’re Luke Skywalker, and Impish is like Yoda. But on the other hand, the whole system is founded upon bigotry and homophobia… Well, you’ll just have to be the change the world needs, you comfort yourself. You’ll use your powers for good, peace and democracy. And you’ll NEVER let fascism win.
