Carrying the precious experience of being reprimanded by someone close to his age for being smug, Cain returned to his room without so much of a speck of bitterness. Arrogance was the reason for the demise of more villains than he could count. He would not fall into that pit so foolishly.
After closing the door of his room and locking the door, Cain once again went to the world inside his mind.
Some might liken it to the Method of Loci, or the mind palace. For him though, he always found the experience no different than being AFK. Leaving the computer hardware after hours of immersive gaming behind to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. A bit disorienting for a few seconds but it was mostly a smooth transition.
The purpose of his visit this time was to see his tenants.
Inside his realm of consciousness, there was a created space. He went inside the space like one went through a thick fog. When he came to, a meadow of white flowers under a star ocean unfurled before his eyes. He appeared not from the edge of the meadow but in the middle of it so he materialized not far from the residents there.
As soon as he appeared, three women realized his presence.
“Oh, umm. Hi Viers,” Paina meekly said.
“My Lord,” Farley respectfully bowed.
“Good evening,” Clarissa amicably smiled.
“Hi girls, how are things?” Viers showed his true self.
***
Cain of Ur was an alias, his name before that was Viers Isuel. Because of a complicated state of affairs, the person named Viers was supposed to be dead so Viers used another name and cut his hair in an effort to make it harder for people to recognize him.
However, nobody knew that Viers Isuel was not his true name either. He was a person from Earth that somehow awoke in the body of 15-year-old Viers Isuel, with both persons' memories intact.
It was the so-called isekai-ed. As cliché as they come. Correction, not full cliché because he was not sent to another world by Truck-kun. In fact, the him from Earth and the previous Viers didn't die or encountered any mishap. One day, ‘he’ simply found himself in the body of Viers in a world of sword and magic.
He was on cloud nine. No godly figure told him to defeat the demon king nor was there any objective forced upon him. It was as if he was given free rein in this life and so he had no intention of wasting it. His head was filled with dreams of what he could do and achieve here.
Seeking a way to return to Earth? Not a chance. Obviously, it was more interesting living here than being a corporate slave. He kissed his previous life goodbye, cremated it, and threw the ashes to the seas without regret.
Now that ‘he’ was given a second chance at life, ‘he’ decided to live it to the fullest. ‘He’ took up the identity of Viers Isuel and set his heart on experiencing the new world.
Eight months after he arrived in this world, a town was destroyed. Not because of him but he couldn't say he was unrelated either. Viers hoped he was presumed dead in the calamity and took up the name Cain of Ur for dealing with other people.
The three women before him were people who got tangled by the web of Viers’ actions. Their bodies had become dust but he anchored their soul to him and managed to preserve their ego and soul.
In this field of flowers, Viers gave their souls human form.
Paina was his classmate, a raven-haired girl with a demure demeanor. Her mother died leaving her alone in the world. She wished to find her father that left the family for some unknown reason.
Farley was another one of his classmates. A petite short-haired brunette. She was also the fourth child of a devil-worshiping family. Only two of her family were not completely dead, herself included.
Clarissa was a lamia, demi-humans with the lower body of a snake. Straight dark brown hair that reached her back, white-skinned, and a pair of amber-colored eyes. She was actually a lamian royalty and 9000-year-old.
“Pretty good. Constantly feeling sleepy but not as bad as before,” Paina said.
“The Soul Vitamin you provided is also essential. Too long without it feels like my mind slowly dissipates,” Farley added.
“I’m used to being just a soul so I’m the least affected. They need time to adjust,” Clarissa spoke behind a cage.
On the meadow of flowers, there was a big golden birdcage, the lamia was inside it. Clarissa’s circumstances were different from Farley and Paina's, thus the extra precaution.
“As I thought, it's a performance issue. You three need Victa to be active. The less Victa I supply, the more you need to sleep. While Soul Vitamin is like nutrition your soul needs,” Viers mused.
Housing other souls had complications. Viers imagined it like having cars in the garage. As long as there was space, he could put as many cars (souls) as he wanted. But for the cars to run, they needed fuel (Victa). Cars also needed batteries for their electronics, oil for their engines, air for their tires. These were the Soul Vitamin’s role.
“Victa is a precious resource, as things stand I cannot allocate too much of it for you three. You’ll have to sleep a lot. As I increase my Level, this problem should gradually become irrelevant. Please be patient,” Viers said.
“Just be more careful Viers. You almost died not long ago,” Paina worriedly pleaded.
“True. How did you heal that fast anyway? You shouldn't have a healing Arte capable of brushing off a mortal wound,” Clarissa pondered while making a small circle with the tip of her tail.
“Lord Viers has many secrets. I believe in him. Please do not hesitate to tell me how I may be of service,” Farley spoke reverently.
Viers looked at Farley with deep thought. Among the three, his relationship with Farley was the most complicated. Then he looked at the fourth resident of this place.
“Still no changes about Gwen?”
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Gwen was Farley’s little sister. She was placed atop a bed of flowers, like a little sleeping beauty. Unlike the other three, she never opened her eyes.
“None,” Farley looked and sounded worried.
“...I refuse to believe there’s no solution to her condition. Do not give up on her,” Viers said to Farley with strong resolve.
“As you say,” Farley bowed subserviently.
“...Clarissa, how about the thing I asked?” After a moment at a loss of what to say, he changed the topic.
“Almost ready. I’ll compile the complete thing in just a few days more.”
“Mm,” Viers sounded his approval. “If I have that, how could some random assassin stab me in the back?”
“...You showed amazing resilience in the face of death,” Clarissa cocked her head a little, fishing answers from Viers.
“It's a special technique, Rissa. I don't want to use it often. The price is... substantial,” Viers didn't give a straight answer.
“Fine, fine, keep your secrets,” the lamia princess grumbled. “You said people die if they are killed. It didn’t apply to you.”
“I wasn’t dead. And yes people die if they are killed, but shadows die twice,” Cain smiled smugly.
“…You’re making less and less sense. Interesting town by the way, I’m amused by how much civilization has declined instead of evolved after nine millennia.”
“You should know that the era you lived in is called the Age of the Gods for a reason,” Viers answered.
Or maybe we’re in a more backwater place than I thought, he further thought.
“Well, I should go. There’s much to do. I’m already close to Level 2, Clarissa’s technique is very helpful. I’ll spend a few days solidifying my foundations before Advancement to the next Level. If there are no unexpected developments, we’ll stay in this town for a week.”
“Kay… take care,” Paina said softly.
“May fortune be with you,” Farley followed.
“I’ll finish your request as soon as possible,” Clarissa assured him.
“Mm,” Viers nodded then faded from existence. Leaving the girls behind.
“...”
Paina stayed silent, dark and brooding air emanated from her. Farley, who was sensitive to other people, picked up the signs.
“Paina? What’s wrong?”
“...He almost died.”
“Yeah.”
“...If he dies, we die too.” Paina’s voice was trembling.
“...I suppose we do,” Farley said calmly.
“I’m pathetic. You worried for your sister and Clarissa for her race… while I’m worried for myself,” Paina walked away, holding back the tears in her eyes.
“Truth is… I’m not as noble as you think,” Farley whispered softly with a similarly dark expression.
“...”
Clarissa watched the two girls from behind her gilded cage in silence.
While the girls were struggling with their own situations, Viers went to another part of his inner world. Unlike the meadow of flowers from earlier, this place was a reverse counter. It was a dark hall supported with giant stone pillars. The floor was covered with otherworldly mist as high as his ankle. The place was illuminated by tens of candles emitting pale blue light. Wispy and ethereal ghostly figures were floating in the air.
This place was the place he created to put the human souls he harvested from the people he killed before they went on to the afterlife. The dreary and creepy theme was inspired by the desolation of the underworld. Viers called this place the Soul Prison. He put the human souls here in a thoughtless manner, unlike the girls in the flower field.
Sometimes he came here to practice soul search on one of the unlucky ones but he didn’t come for ‘reading’ this time. While looking at the apt atmosphere, Viers was thinking about his recent near-death experience.
“Souls…”
Viers was wrecking his head to solve a dilemma, how to best use his soul power.
Not long ago, Viers gained two enormous great fortunes. One was working smoothly and properly while the other was his new tier 5 soul affinity.
The strength of Pathseekers was closely related to their elemental affinity. The most common of affinities was the affinity to the four basic elements, fire, water, wind, and earth. However, there were other elements, more obscure ones such as light and darkness.
Originally he only had an affinity for water, and then Viers gained soul affinity by paying a bloody price… but now he was hesitating to use that power.
How should I use it? How to best use souls?
Viers had used his mastery over souls in a very limited manner. Mostly by holding souls of the dead before they completely moved on from this world and seeing their memories with soul search. The catch was that those two methods almost do nothing for his battle capability.
A few days ago he almost died. The ability to defend his own life was very important. He had no intention of dying, and he was well aware that his death meant the death of the four others.
Until I recreate their body and settle my debt with all of them, their life is my responsibility. No more dilly-dallying, I must make up my mind…
About the solution, similar to a teen movie plot, Viers was convinced the answer to his problem was inside him all along.
Viers was an avid consumer of fiction. Video games, movies, novels, comics, anime, manga, and other things; he filled his head with the exquisite culture birthed by the information age. Like a panda loved bamboo, like a dragon loved gold.
Naturally, among those fictions there were other stories where people use souls. Most of these people fell under the category of the necromancer class. Master of the art of death and user of dark magics, binding the souls of the dead for their own purpose, a one man army.
Fair warning, the side effects of being a classic necromancer might include but not limited to: loss of hair, rotting stench, deathly pale skin, ugly look, stark raving madness, and eternal damnation.
In the past, they were typical villain figures, although MCs -main characters- with necromancy had been gaining popularity lately. Because who didn't like the idea of unleashing hordes of zombies at their enemies?
But the MCs were always immune to the previously listed undesirable side effects, of course. Their exalted title as MC brought immeasurable benefits.
Anyway, Viers’ dilemma was the fantasy world he reincarnated into abhorred necromancy. Walking into town with a skeletal dog would result in burning-at-the-stake from inquisitors and witch-hunters for him and the dog before sundown. If he was strong enough then he wouldn't care and do whatever he wanted, but Viers was still weak and the world was filled with countless beings far stronger than him so he used his common sense.
Granted he could be a recluse that lived far from human settlements and frankly, he wasn't too opposed to that idea but being incapable of human interaction was detrimental to his other power, so the idea was out.
Even if he spent his days in the woods killing monsters every day, mere news, rumors, or signs of necromantic activity in the region would send the hounds of the church and other necro-haters to him, let alone a witness. Necromancy was considered taboo and heretical, a desecration of the sacred afterlife.
Among the souls in his possession, there was one who although weak, dabbled in necromancy. By forcefully extracting the information from his memory and modifying it a bit, Viers created the Grudge Arte that he unleashed at Demetrus.
It was a basic Arte and very simple. The reason it had so much power was the location. People had died in that shack so the ground was rich in negative energy. The moment Cain/Viers opened the door to the shack, he saw and felt the suffocating lingering resentment of the people that died there. That was the main reason Viers killed the man who introduced himself as Arnold with extreme prejudice.
For a few weeks, Viers was unsure whether he wanted to commit to practice necromancy. The advantage of a necromancer was clear, it was the matter of whether he could stomach the disadvantage.
After thinking long and hard, today he decided he would not be a lord of death with legions of the living dead at his command… at least for the time being.
It is… unsuitable for my current situation, Viers judged.
With Animate Dead off the table, he would need to find another way to use his power over souls.
Thankfully, he had thousands of stories that he could draw inspiration from.