Chapter 2. Purgatory (2)

After I let go of Michael’s hand, I glanced at the other two kids. The two of them looked no less scared than before, but I could somehow tell that their eyes came alive if ever so slightly. I was a little surprised with myself for being able to see such little details as I used to be quite an awkward person. Was it because I was now properly looking at other people’s faces and into their eyes that I could see more? Or was it because in this body and in this world, I was better at telling emotions apart?

“What’s your Class?”

Michael asked me once he also took a look at the other two. Unlike me, it looked like he wrote them off and wasn’t about to bother with them at all.

“Something called Soul Devourer.”

I replied with a troubled smile and habitually, scratched the back of my head. It was something I always did when I was embarrassed, so it stuck with me even here. Oh, by the way, I had dark-brown, almost black hair and eyes of the same color. As an adult, I used to be average-looking before I got lazy and accumulated some unnecessary fat on my stomach. However, since my mom had many pictures of me as a kid, I knew that I used to be fairly good looking back then. I couldn’t be compared to a handsome guy like the one in front of me, but I wasn’t unpleasant to look at.

“Rare Class.”

Michael muttered. He appeared to be lost in thoughts for a moment, but when he saw me tilt my head with a questioning look on my face, he explained.

“There are some Scourge Classes that aren’t too well-known. There is little information about them, so even families like mine weren’t able to gather much.”

“All I can tell you is that from what I know, you will experience hunger much like I will.”

Having mentioned that, Michael sent me a wry smile before saying a few words more.

“In my case, I will hunger over blood… in your case, you will hunger over soul. Both of us are going to get worse as the time goes, that’s for sure.”

“We’re both going to go insane sooner or later, heh. We’re a good match for friends in that sense.”

Both of us laughed a little once Michael finished speaking. Going mad from hunger, this wasn’t something I looked forward to. If my Class worked the same as his, then giving in to the desire wouldn’t help but instead, would escalate the deterioration of the mind.

Of course, this was an assumption I made from my own knowledge, but I was assuming that this new world was similar to those from the novels and stories from my old world. As for the details, I was sure I would be able to learn about them as the time went.

“Maybe we won’t.”

I said half-intentionally. I wasn’t planning to sound overly optimistic from the beginning, but since I already caused Michael to frown at me, I guessed that I could as well explain myself too.

“Aren’t there countless ways for someone to grow stronger? Who knows if we won’t be able to survive if we train diligently and have some luck.”

At first, it looked like Michael was about to get angry with me, but after a few seconds of battling his own thoughts he sighed and smiled.

“I don’t know if you are courageous or stupid, but fine. I’ll go along with that. It’s better than giving up.”

I was impressed. Somehow, the scared kid from a few minutes ago turned into a smiling noble-looking youth. It was true that children were very good at adapting to new circumstances, eh? Anyway, I was glad that I was able to help him out and hopefully, make friends with him.

However, just as I was in this self-congratulatory mood, Michael’s smile suddenly disappeared. He shut his eyes, his body tensed up, and his face turned red in a matter of seconds. I saw him grit his teeth, looking as if he was holding himself back. His lips soon started bleeding and it didn’t take me long to notice why; the two fangs that started growing in pierced through the delicate flesh.

This worrying ‘attack’ continued for a few more seconds before Michael relaxed and started taking deep breaths. There were drops of sweat flowing down his face, but it looked like he was better.

"Was it a hunger attack? So soon?"

I wondered silently, but I didn’t voice my worries aloud. After all, if those attacks were starting that early for someone with a Blood Thrall Class, then it bode no good news.

“Shit.”

Michael cursed in a manner very unlike his polite, adult-like speech from before. He then smirked helplessly and looked at me, though he did raise his eyebrows when he heard me whistle quietly.

“Your eyes.”

I said with a smile and took two steps forward, wanting to take a better look. I’ve never seen eyes like that before, so I couldn’t help myself.

“They turned bright red… crimson was the word? They are shining too, even more than when they were blue.”

For some reason, Michael took a step back. Was it my imagination or did his face turn redder again? I could understand if he had gotten worried that he’s changing into a Blood Thrall, but it looked like he was concerned about something else. Could it be that despite the way he acted, he didn’t have any friends and was socially awkward, just like I used to be? So just me getting closer embarrassed him?

“At least you got something nice out of today’s crap. Your eyes look amazing and those red strands in your hair are cool too.”

I said merrily, wanting to uplift Michael’s spirits. The result I got was him sweeping his hand through his hair to take a look if there really were bits of red there, only to then shake his head and laugh helplessly. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but he was smiling again, so I assumed it was all good.

“I guess so.”

Michael said in a low voice and looked somewhere to the side. Heh, he really was flustered. I decided that once an opportunity arrived, I would ask him to tell me more about his life. I was positive that he was a child of a noble family, so it was bound to be interesting in a way.

I wasn’t aware, though, that by this point the other two kids were convinced that there was something very wrong with my head. Even the long-haired woman opened her eyes and was looking at me attentively. Standing close to a Blood Thrall undergoing a hunger attack wasn’t something anyone would do willingly. Even those who were strong enough to fight the Blood Thrall off wouldn’t be willing to take the risk, so it really wasn’t a surprise that those three thought about me in this way.

“What about you guys? What Class are you”

I called out to the boy and girl who were keeping their distance. However, I didn’t receive a response despite waiting for a few good seconds.

“Since we’re in this together, we should try to help each other.”

I attempted to persuade them, but when I saw the distrustful and reluctant looks on their faces, I changed my approach.

“Well, we should at least not get in each other’s way, right? It will be easier for you guys too.”

This seemed to have convinced them. Although those two didn’t talk with each other before, they exchanged a look before replying to me. Did my actions accidentally create two ‘teams’ in our little group of four? Well, not that I minded as long as they weren’t trying to kill me.

“I’m an Ifrit.”

The boy informed in an emotionless tone.

“I’m a Primal Werewolf.”

The girl said with a snort. The name of this Class wasn’t all that clear to me, but Michael and that other boy seemed surprised.

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

The girl asked haughtily. She must have noticed that I was more confused rather than shocked, huh?

“Werewolves suffer from the opposite problem than Vampires. Your friend is screwed because his bloodline is way too impure, while my bloodline is too pure.”

“I will grow incredibly strong, but I will quickly turn into a mindless monster. Just like you two and just like him.”

She declared coldly and swept the three of us with a presumptuous gaze.

“So you gave up?”

I asked, unbothered by her attitude. The girl didn’t seem to appreciate my honest attempt to make friends though as she continued in the same arrogant tone.

“Of course not, I’m only being realistic. There had been no one in our family who retained their mind after awakening as a Primal Werewolf in the past ten thousand years.”

I wondered if she knew that she was contradicting herself, but I couldn’t be bothered to point it out. Well, now I knew that it was best not to make enemies out of her, so I was satisfied enough.

“Oi.”

Yet, the moment I shrugged my shoulders and turned my eyes away, I heard the girl’s angry voice.

“I don’t want to get involved with you two, but I give you my word that I won’t cause you trouble. So, promise me the same.”

Hrm? I didn’t like the way she said that, but it was a reasonable agreement. The only thing was, I didn’t understand why someone as haughty as her suddenly changed their mind. She herself said that Michael wasn’t particularly strong in terms of potential, but maybe she was scared that she would be bitten by him in a fight and would go mad all that much faster?

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Not him, you.”

The girl commented impatiently. I had glanced at Michael a second ago, but what did she mean by that?

“You really know nothing. A Vampire can’t turn a Werewolf to begin with, not to mention with our difference in bloodline strength. You, on the other hand, are bad news.”

As annoying as she was being, she piqued my curiosity. If I could learn something about my Class, then I would welcome the opportunity with open arms.

“Why?”

I asked, seeing as she was waiting for me to follow up on our little conversation.

“Isn’t it obvious? I only intend to worry about those who can harm me since I’m not planning to die. This guy won’t be able to do anything to me, but we Werewolves were always weak against soul-based attacks. So, you are dangerous.”

I couldn’t help myself and smiled when I heard the girl say so. She really was a kid, huh? She was treating us as enemies but she still told us her greatest weakness… but when I thought about it more, wasn’t this perhaps another piece of common knowledge in this world?

“Hmph.”

“What about you, will you join too?”

The girl snorted at me and turned to the guy who claimed his Class to be Ifrit. If I recalled, Ifrit was a powerful fire-element spirit that sowed destruction everywhere he went. If this boy’s potential was the same as of those spirits I knew from the novels, then he indeed was extremely dangerous.

“Why not.”

The boy wasn’t as talkative as the girl, but it was probably for the better.

“Fine.”

Once again, the girl took the lead. She was probably used to being in the center of attention, eh?

“I give my word that as long as you three don’t act to harm me, I won’t harm you either.”

She said quite eloquently. It looked like with all the flaws of character which she had, she had still been taught basic etiquette by her clan.

“Same.”

The Ifrit boy, on the other hand, acted in the exact opposite manner. I could see that it angered the girl, but she didn’t comment on it for some reason.

“Mm, I promise too.”

“And I promise too.”

I said with a friendly smile, after what Michael did the same. It wasn’t ideal, but I was happy with what I could get. The Purgatory or whatever, I was planning to survive through it and this little agreement was the first step toward it. Well, maybe a second if getting on good terms with Michael was to be considered a step toward that goal, too.

I was feeling happy, but the next second I almost jumped up. All of the sudden, the entire hall shook in its foundations while at the same time, a sound similar to compressed air exploding reached our ears. The four of us were startled, but to our surprise, the long-haired woman spoke up in order to calm us down.

“Someone appears to be causing trouble. It happens from time to time when a family can’t accept that their kid will be taken to the Purgatory.”

So that was why we were made to wait here? That and the fact that most of our Scourge Classes appeared to have problems with mental stability, so having us see happy kids and potentially our parents or caretakers probably wasn’t the best of ideas. As I was thinking so, a few more explosions resounded before the sounds of battle died down. I wondered which family was it that couldn’t stop themselves from acting up, but when I noticed the troubled look on the girl’s face, I had a safe guess.

“How are you two called?”

I asked, partially to change the mood and partially for the sake of convenience. After all, it would be easier to call them by their names instead of ‘that Werewolf girl’ and ‘that Ifrit guy’.

“Why would I need to tell you my name?”

I suppressed a sigh when the girl responded in the way I feared she would. This pride of hers really was annoying.

“I’m Anak.”

On the other hand, the Ifrit-boy introduced himself briefly and without any qualms. He appeared to be an unsociable one, but I preferred him over this girl.

Still, with the three of us glancing at her, the little miss gave up and revealed her name.

“I’m Marie. You better remember it.”

Unable to hold myself back any longer, I rolled my eyes. It used to be fun reading about this trope of character when I was a teenager, but actually dealing with it was a pain in the ass. I sincerely hoped that an event that would cause this girl to pipe down would pop up sooner rather than later.

“Um.”

I wasn’t really sure if it was okay, but I looked at the long-haired woman and spoke up regardless.

“How much longer do you think it will take?”

The long-haired woman smiled at me, causing me to secretly sigh with relief. It was still fine to ask questions or so it seemed. Moreover, was it my imagination or was her smile more genuine than the one she had shown me in the beginning?

“About ten minutes.”

I nodded in response, then encouraged by the way she responded, decided to ask one more question.

“Can you give us any advice? How can we survive in the Purgatory?”

I didn’t forget how she dodged the question about the Purgatory before, so I trod carefully with my words.

“Don’t make enemies.”

It was a bit too simplistic for my liking, but it was better than nothing. However, to my surprise, the woman continued.

“As for the other half, you are already doing it.”

I raised my eyebrows at first but laughed a little right afterward. Did she mean making allies? I was happy that I was going the right way. It was a bit regrettable that I didn’t learn any details, but once again, I was satisfied with what I got.

“I’m going to rest for a bit.”

I told Michael and walked up to the wall, then sat down and rested my back against it. I was planning to spend those ten minutes trying to meditate. I couldn’t know if I would have any peaceful time later, so I was planning to find out the extent of my abilities as soon as possible.

After all, even though I was acting calm, I was anxious deep inside. Would I be able to prevent myself from going mad or would I end up as a mindless monstrosity? Stressing over this scary prospect more than needed wasn’t the greatest of ideas, but getting too relaxed wasn’t good either, or so I reminded myself.

As I was collecting my thoughts, I heard someone walk up to me and sit down close to my right. I opened my eyes for a bit and as expected, I saw Michael. I smiled to myself, then got right back to calming my mind. The ten minutes we had would undoubtedly pass in the blink of an eye.

---

“What a ridiculous day.”

Michael murmured soundlessly. Without a doubt, it was the worst day of his life. He had been worrying about the possibility of his Class being weak, but he hadn’t thought that he would turn out to be a Blood Thrall, a Scourge Class. A Lower Vampire could still train hard and even had the option of taking in the blood of a higher-ranked Vampire in order to strengthen his abilities and potential, but a Blood Thrall wasn’t so lucky.

Maybe one in twenty thousand children born in their large family would be a Blood Thrall and that most often happened when the kid’s parents were both Lower Vampires of when they were of mixed blood. For him, whose parents were both regular Vampires, becoming a Blood Thrall should have been impossible, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t deny reality.

Just thinking about what his parents would feel once their learned of this news had been making him feel sick, and it still was, but not to the same degree. His life was over, he had thought. He had been ready to give up on everything, but then this strange kid approached him. The kid, Alexander, appeared ridiculous to him at first, but then the boy impressed him time after time.

What still came as hard to believe for him was how Alexander seemed not to be scared of him at all despite knowing that he was a Blood Thrall.

Even when he felt the hunger flare up within him, Alexander hadn’t backed off or showed fear… but to begin with…

“Stupid.”

Michael shook his head strongly, his face blushing quite badly. How could he not know what caused his hunger to act up? That on itself was embarrassing enough, but then he had even gotten all flustered in front of Alexander after the boy complimented him with that carefree smile on his face! It was both embarrassing and infuriating at the same time.

“We’re going to survive the Purgatory.”

He told himself in order to bring his thoughts back onto a less shameful track.

“Then, we will find a way to deal with our Classes and we will live on.”

He reaffirmed his conviction, though right after he did so, his thoughts made the full circle and returned to the original topic. It was this fearless and friendly kid whom he had met but a dozen minutes ago who convinced him not to give up. For someone who looked like a commoner to influence a noble so easily… he was grateful, but the awareness pecked at his pride a little.

“If we live, we live. If we die, we die.”

“For now, I might as well do everything I can to live.”

He mused, then once his mind calmed down to an acceptable level, he attempted to cultivate his bloodline. Common sense dictated that he wouldn’t be able to attempt Blood Refinement or Blood Circulation as a Blood Thrall, but he intended to find a way around it. He would either find a way to control the impure bloodline of his and employ his family’s techniques or if that wouldn’t work, he would create his own bloodline arts or look for yet another way to live on.

He knew that countless Vampire Families had spent a considerable amount of time and resources in order to cure the Blood Thralls and yet, they had all failed without exception. He understood that he didn’t have good chances of success by any means, but he was now of the mind that it was better to try than to give up.

Perhaps his mindset would change once his hunger started flaring up more often and with greater strength, but he didn’t want to think about it at this moment.

Thus, he calmed his breathing and slowly sank into a meditative trance.

--

The long-haired woman, Liana, stood by the wall without moving. She appeared to be killing time and she had been indeed doing so until something drew her attention.

Her Class was a Cultivator and her specialty were Shadow Arts. She was at the early Core Formation Stage, so she could be considered to be amongst the upper echelon in the galaxy as far as battle prowess went. She wasn’t amongst the very strongest, but she wasn’t mediocre either.

What was relevant at this time, however, was how acute her senses were. Not all Classes possessed the ability to use things like Aura or Spiritual Sense, but Cultivators were easily capable of that. She hadn’t really been paying much attention, but at one point she felt the soul energy in the air stir up around that dark-haired kid. That alone startled her enough, but she then felt fluctuations of bloodline energy from the golden-haired kid, too! In both cases, it was a confirmation that the boys successfully entered the meditative state which most Classes used to improve their abilities.

On its own, that wouldn’t have been too surprising, much less shocking. Those of Scourge Classes more often than not weren’t deficient in terms of strength and battle potential. On the contrary, in most cases, they were superior to the majority of normal Classes. However, entering the ideal training state that allowed one to rouse the energies they were compatible with required a tranquil state of mind. For kids who had just been declared to be disposable to accomplish that… it was unthinkable.

She shuddered to think what kind of potential those boys would have displayed had they awakened some of the common Classes. A pity, she thought, that the world was robbed or two geniuses just because of a stroke of misfortune. That black-haired boy seemed like quite a nice kid too when he interacted with her and when she watched him interact with the other children.

Alas, no matter how much of a pity she felt, there wasn’t anything she could do to help those two.

“Well, nothing all too meaningful at least.”

She corrected herself, then stepped from one leg to the other, making herself comfortable while leaning against the wall.

---

I had always wondered how it would feel to meditate, but now that I finally managed to accomplish this feat, I was unnaturally calm.

I expected to have some kind of trouble once I tried to resonate with my inner energy, which wasn’t all that hard to find, but no such a thing happened. Was it because my Class, Soul Devourer, had only awakened an hour ago or so or was it because the Class had no energy-control issues?

I already learned that my main problem would be controlling my hunger, the so-called desire to devour souls, but I was yet to experience it. I could guess that giving in to this hunger and just eating my fill wasn’t a way for me to save myself; this world was surely also full of people who needed to be killed, so otherwise there would have been no need to waste a perfect weapon like a Soul Devourer.

“I’ll ask about it and confirm it later.”

The half-conscious thought crossed my mind. I didn’t want to screw myself over by making too many assumptions.

Regardless, I smoothened my mind up once again and focused on the pleasant sensation that was surrounding me from every side. If I were to explain how it felt in words, it was akin to being submerged in a giant pool filled to the brim with body-temperature milk. Well, maybe it wasn’t the best metaphor, but it was the closest thing that came to my mind.

At first, all I could tell was that this pleasant sea of milk filled me both from inside and from outside. I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to discover anything else since those brief ten minutes were bound to pass quickly, but to my surprise, my training wasn’t interrupted. For a second I worried if I wasn’t causing trouble, but I could tell that my senses weren’t cut-off.

I would have heard if anyone said anything to me so since I didn’t, I stopped worrying about it and kept going as I was.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but at one point I started ‘feeling’ something in that sea of milk. It was a weird sensation, one that was akin to touching something without actually doing so with your body. However, I could feel one such presence right next to me and two of them further away.

I had a blurry idea that the milk in one other place was somewhat distorted, too, but I couldn’t quite make anything out in that space. To compare it to something, it was akin to looking at a spot where the air was a bit hotter than in the surrounding area and thus, was distorting ever so slightly.

Then, all of the sudden, this peaceful training state of mine was disrupted by a game-like line of text that appeared directly in my mind.

[ New Skill Has Been Acquired! ]

[ Astral Sense - low rank - grade 10 ]

[ Innate ability of the Soul Devourer Class. Allows its wielder to sense the presence of nearby souls. ]

[ Due to the low proficiency, the effectiveness of the skill is limited. ]