A few days had passed since the talk in the night.

While Viers gave the impression he was in control the whole time, it actually involved big guesswork.

Viers couldn’t see through Izabella’s method. Even with Euryale Sight, all that he saw was a cat. Her ability to transform was like Takju’s, indiscernible to Viers. The fact that a Level 3 could accomplish a Level 4’s feat meant Izabella’s technique was that good.

But while Izabella’s disguise was one of the most novel techniques he had seen to date, her acting was not as great.

‘Chacha’ was too smart for a cat.

From there, Viers had drawn two conclusions. Either she was a sentient beast or a person in hiding.

His Euryale Sight couldn’t see through her true form but he could see she was heavily injured, grievously so. From the Victa Stigma in her body, it was clear it was from some kind of battle. So Viers confronted the cat and forced her to reveal herself before she could fully recover.

From Chacha’s behavior, Viers deduced she knew him. Most of the people that knew his look were adventurers and most of them had died, which narrowed the possible suspects. Izabella was among them.

Well, I’m glad it was really Izabella and not a Level 5 in cat’s clothing.

The next few days Viers spent by being holed-up in his room.

Normally Viers would act like a tourist when arriving at a new place but not this time. He spent most of his time hidden in his room and only came out to eat or when nature called.

There was no immediate issue at the moment.

He had gone far from Luxore town and thrown his pursuers off his trail. He was not swimming in money but it was up to his knees. His wallet was as fat as a plump elephant.

Viers made a little renovation to the house, adding a small indoor garden. It was there Viers planted Dia’s seed, his future teleportation gate. Viers added a few extra protections on the house by using Hyoi Gattai with Turfon, the old array master. Viers’ base was more secure than before.

It was worth mentioning that Viers had swept the house clean for hidden arrays, surveillance methods, bombs, skeletons, ghosts, ‘parasite’ in underground secret basements, and so on before truly being at ease with his new home. Viers was paranoid that way.

Viers’ Insignificant Fate Arte against fate-influencing sorcery seemed to be holding at the moment. The downside was the rock that he carved a golden rune on, broke regularly. It happened often enough that Viers had stockpiled rocks that he picked up on the road into his Thousand Treasures Casket.

Whoever was on the other side was tenacious but Viers managed to withstand their ‘attacks’. However, the balance would shift if the other side obtained more ‘threads’ about Viers that they could pull. Since the otherside was probably a Level 5. Viers redoubled his determination to keep a wide berth from any Estellian Church’s personnel if he could help it.

All in all, things were going well. Not only for him but also for the others.

Takju had found a ship to the southern lands and obtained passage after talking to the captain. The transport ship would set sail in a few days' time. The Gigantes paid the fee by hunting a few monsters in the wilderness and sold their parts, solidifying the fact that money came easily for those with power in this world. Viers reminded him to not go overboard and draw eyes on them because the Marakkus’ upheaval was still fresh.

Boram had been obedient and diligently cultivating to become a Level 2. Viers gave him a big amount of mana crystals for him to absorb, maximizing the mana amount in his Intio, the source of Victa. Only after it was full could a Pathseeker attempt to breakthrough to the next Level. The kid was in the final stretch now. He should be able to make breakthrough attempts shortly.

Unlike Viers, Boram wasn't yet able to sit still for hours and hours. He trained with his hammer and Arte in the lawn when he was bored. He was an honest kid and diligence had been beaten into him thoroughly by Viers. Takju could often be found at his side, patiently guiding the young boy who looked like a 10-year-old who had stopped growing.

‘Chacha’ had gone missing, much to Boram’s dismay. Viers consoled the boy that cats did that sometimes. She would be back when she felt like it. Viers didn't know where and what Izabella was doing but he wasn't worried. He had a very precious soul hostage.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

With his external matters settled, Viers’ attention went inwards.

While Boram’s breakthrough was just around the corner, it was not so for Viers. His Intio was only half-filled with mana, even with all the money he’d burned. He couldn't get to level 3 yet, not for a few months so Viers chose to cultivate another facet of him for a boost of power: strengthening the soul.

His Soul Prison was full because the input was far greater than the output. Viers’ current one and only way of using the soul inside him was making bullets for Little Friend, a revolver from the usurped system. A soul from Level 0 Pathseeker could be converted into six Level 0 bullets. Level 2 Pathseekers would give Level 2 bullets in the same amount, six per soul.

Viers had tested the power of Little Friend before its first official use on Irkun. Viers could adjust the gun to shoot physical bullets for material damage or soul bullets for damaging their spirit.

A single shot from the Level 2 physical bullet had the destructiveness of his current full-powered ‘normal’ Water Slash Arte, which meant without going Hyper Arte.

In battle, Viers couldn't let loose such full-powered attacks easily. He needed time to concentrate, draw in his Victa, and mold the Arte before letting loose. Naturally, ‘ultimates’ such as Vortex Nova were a different case.

But the gun could shoot six of those attacks as easily as pulling the trigger. The price of the bullets wasn’t cheap -logistically speaking- but the power was considerable. As expected of a weapon generated by a system cheat, Viers was very satisfied.

The soul bullets’ power was similarly remarkable. Level 2 monsters that he shot with Level 2 bullets got into a state the Viers decided to call Soulwreck. The body was still breathing and well, only the soul was too injured so to the point of no longer being capable of any action. They essentially became living husks, like people in vegetative states. At that point, they were still 'alive' but susceptible to Viers' soul magicks such as Soul Hack. Viers also could suck the Soulwreck soul out of their body with the same ease of taking a soul from a corpse.

Two out of four Level 2 monster test subjects needed two shots before Soulwreck, signifying some degree of possible resistance but Viers wasn't complaining. An injured soul would cause horrendous implications and soul injury was not easy to cure according to the 99% Fable in Viers’ head. A very devious attack.

While the power of the system-crafted gun was wonderful, Viers couldn’t use it like a gunslinger. Viers kept 30 Level 2 bullets for later occasions but did not turn any more souls into bullets. Viers didn't see much use in turning weaker souls into lower leveled bullets because his normal Arte would be just as strong so, sadly, ‘Little Friend’ couldn't solve his Soul Prison’s fullness.

Viers’ answer was an Arte he pillaged from the memory of the only soul affinity Pathseeker in his collection.

Arte - Myriad Souls in One.

The source was Benjamin Styra, Farley’s father. The one truly responsible for the destruction of Luxore town and the loss of more than three thousand lives.

He was a former Level 3 who got injured decades ago until his Level went down to 2. Benjamin had a secret, he was actually a fire and soul dual affinity Pathseeker. However, even though he had fire 4 affinity, his soul affinity was only 1.

The low affinity caused his soul Arte to become very weak. If his fire Artes were like a blazing flame, his soul Arte was only a puny matchstick. He’d tried to raise his soul affinity but to no avail and once he got heavily injured, he channeled his energy to cure his injury although he failed at that one too.

Finally, before his lifespan came to an end he hatched a plan to sacrifice a whole town's worth of lives to the devil Dumuzin, including his children. Farley, Gwen, and three of their half-siblings all died. In exchange for the souls and sacrifice, he hoped to get his youth back, his injury healed, and get soul 5 affinity.

Whether he would really get his wish or not was not certain and he would never know because Viers killed him and stole the fruit of his labor when he was one step away from succeeding.

By now, Benjamin was a shriveling old man begging for Viers to finish him off but Viers didn't do so. The first reason, as a former Level 3, Viers had difficulty soul searching him, even more so when he resisted. Weak though he may be, he was a soul Pathseeker with decades of experience. The second reason was for Farley, her father’s ultimate fate would be hers to decide.

One of the most valuable harvests Viers got from his memory was the Myriad Souls in One Arte. This was an Arte not for combat but for tempering the soul. Benjamin paid a high price for this Arte from the Cult of Dumuzin’s higher-ups so he could cultivate his soul after the plot at Luxore passed.

A pity it all fell into Viers’ hands.

In the locked room, Viers was holding a human soul in the form of a ball in his hand. This was the soul of a Level 0 that fell to his blade a long time ago. Viers had soul-searched him and made sure he didn't have anything worthwhile left.

“Alright,” Viers said to the girls. They were watching with complicated expressions. “My soul tempering begins today.”

“Aauumm.”

Viers tossed the soul into his opened mouth.

“Chomp, chomp, yom, yom.”

While Viers was munching, he got a mixed reaction from the girls.

Viers gulped the chewed food and burped a wisp of ghostly blue smoke. It had the face of the man he ate earlier, shrieking as if Viers had peeled off all of his skin, fading into the air. The man was finally going to the afterlife but the scream yet lingered, spiritually.

“Ewww, gross,” Paina covered her ears and closed her eyes. “I can't believe you really went through with this.”

“...It is quite morbid,” Farley paled as she watched the spectacle.

“Holy smokes… Isn't this cannibalism?” Clarissa also made a disgusted face.

“It is only cannibalism if you and the food are equal,” Viers answered without missing a beat.

“Arte - Myriad Souls in One!” Viers said loudly, invoking the Arte without any hint of hesitation.