94. The Soul Eaters and the Elixir of Heavens

Night had fallen, and strong lights were illuminating the main square outside the main building of Yuutow Academy. The wind had risen, and one could glimpse the shapes of some bushes shaking like a swarm of bugs.

“So… you’re telling me you lost them?”

His dark eyes lazily open, Gorka Soulberg looked away from the window, first to Sean Bensaïd, standing by a wall, then to Addison and Claire Li, both sitting on the sofa in an office. While the head trainer was visibly disturbed by what happened, the old woman was harboring an amused smile so much different from the motherly grin she usually showed.

“Julen Yamazaki and Lizzie Dvorak are still searching for them,” she said. “This training turned out to be more troublesome than I thought. We lost eight trainees. A Sunclaw, a Lovecryce… Plus the necromancer negotiating with Yamazaki went missing, plus the two traitors. And there’s a demon in the infirmary. Lovecryce must be in bliss right now, don’t you think?”

She was obviously being ironic. His arms folded, Sean Bensaïd nodded firmly.

“It’s bad.”

“Hmn,” Addison muttered. “If only we had found the Elixir of Heavens… I apologize, young master,” he said, bowing his head to Gorka Soulberg. “It seems we’re lacking.”

“You include me?” Claire Li asked, and she cleared her throat under his insisting look before sighing: “This dungeon is one of the less dangerous ones I’ve been in, unless… it is not really true. Without the manual we got, Addison and I would have probably been stuck after a few expeditions. And once you are stuck in a loop… you may stay in a room forever.”

Gorka was well aware of that. He had done his research about the dungeon. In the last decade, less than forty people had entered it, and less than ten had dared to go beyond the first loops—ten of which only five had come back alive. One had been found on the other side of Earth, another one had come out with a severe form of amnesia… None of them had reached the heart of the dungeon. No one had for probably a long, long time.

Claire Li went on:

“That means we may not find the Elixir of Heavens before the dungeon closes again in a few weeks. Which leads me to this suggestion, young master.” The old woman straightened up on the sofa. “If we cannot find the Elixir in time, allow me to stay in the dungeon after it closes. Instead of having to wait one year like the others, I will have a whole year to search for it. As you know, my power allows my body to create nutrients from crystals and water from the air. I won’t die from hunger. I’m the perfect person for this mission.”

“That’s reckless, Claire,” Addison protested. “You’re—”

“Old?” Claire Li replied. “That’s exactly why I’m more experienced than you are. Young master, I’ll do my best.”

The pale young man had turned again to the window, lost in thought. No answer from him was expected: Addison’s and Claire’s mission was to bring the elixir to him by all means. Sean Bensaïd pouted.

“But if that dungeon is so hard to explore, the Sunclaw and the other three that got lost may be stuck forever somewhere, too, right? If Linah Sunclaw dies, her father might block the funds to finance the Nyomin. And… however you look at it, this is bad for Lovecryce. But, hey, isn’t that kind of convenient for us?”

After a silence, Gorka Soulberg turned away from the window and said:

“I want you three to remember this. Our clan does not intend to stir up trouble within the Nyomin nor fight Lovecryce. As guardians of the clan, I hope you understand that.”

Gorka let his qi caress Sean Bensaïd’s soul, well-kept inside his own body. The freckled boy paled a bit then lowered his head muttering:

“Yes, young master.”

“As for the elixir,” Gorka added, “I appreciate your offer, Claire, but I’d say the barrier of the dungeon will be crossable for three more weeks. We have time. Let’s prepare a rescue mission in which only volunteers will participate.”

“You don’t mean…!” Addison gasped.

Gorka gave a nod.

“The more, the merrier, right?”

“What if we lose more trainees? Even if they volunteered, the Nyomin’s reputation—”

“Cesarine’s disappearance will cover up for all the scandals happening on this island right now, believe me.”

“But you entering the dungeon—”

“You won’t stop me. You know me: I am the antithesis of recklessness. I will go into the dungeon. So get that expedition ready for the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

“I know you are very capable, young master, but the elders—”

“Will blame me if I come back empty-handed.”

Besides, I feel like this mission is more mine than anyone else’s. Gorka didn’t express his thought out loud and sat at the desk, pensive. According to his father, the Elixir of Heavens appeared every two hundred years, almost every time in a dungeon. The main family had been fervently searching for it for five years now. That was because, if they were to combine the properties of the Elixir of Heavens with the Soul Eating techniques they had been passing down for generations… then their clan would become incredibly powerful, the same way they had been four hundred years ago. Or so his elders told him. Gorka didn’t know the details, since the elders were so secretive, but he knew it was crucial for him to find the item. Deep down, he kind of hated that Elixir. In his zeal to find it, his elder brother had lost his mind three years ago, coming back to the clan only to mutter nonsense about being a ghost on the verge of being eaten by a mysterious “they”; ever since, he spent his days locked in his room, suffering from who knows what.

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Dungeons were hideous places full of incomprehensible phenomena. That was perhaps why his parents didn’t push him to go to that training. They were even scared to lose their child and only possible heir. However, the way that Lovecryce had chosen the Dungeon of Phoenix Island for the EPHT had made the elders become nervous and convinced that the Elixir of Heavens must be in there. Gorka accepted to go. No, rather, he asked for permission to go. He wanted to finish what his elder brother had not been able to. Maybe this way his brother would come to his senses? Even if his brother’s condition didn’t improve, Gorka had even more personal reasons to give his all for that mission. For the sake of his mentor. No. For the sake of the Soulberg clan. He wouldn’t lack the courage to protect it at all costs.

He joined his hands on the desk.

“About those two traitors among the trainees…”

“Ilija Guiomar Molinelli and Sasha Salazar,” Sean Bensaïd helped him.

“To think there were even Revolutionaries among the trainees,” Claire Li chuckled under her breath.

“I want to interrogate them.”

The three attendants looked at him, puzzled. Addison shook his head.

“I would like to interrogate them too, of course, but unfortunately, they haven’t been caught so far. We did interrogate quickly the Independent trainees, but not the others, since that could offend the Great Families of the Nyomin. That would be just showing to the world that Nyomin members are quarreling among themselves.”

Which wasn’t quite a lie. Lovecryce’s policies had been well received by most of the great families of the Nyomin until not so long. However, while supposedly working to strengthen the Nyomin and make it great again, its director had been actually ceding control to the World Government over the years. And that, though profitable in the short term, was unmistakably bad for most of the great families of the Nyomin.

“No need to bother the elite trainees,” Gorka affirmed. “It took me some time to realize, but Sasha Devkota, you know, the giant… He and Sasha Salazar have actually only one soul. One soul for two bodies.”

For an instant, none of them reacted. Then Sean Bensaïd let out an exclamation of astonishment.

“Y-You mean, they’re the same person?!”

Claire Li laughed.

“Yet another monster! A merfolk girl and a hulk! Those Revolutionaries sure are cunning.”

Addison had jumped to his feet.

“I’ll go interrogate him at once.”

“No. Bring him to me without alerting him if possible and without telling anyone about this.”

Addison grimaced, gave a slow nod, and walked out of the room silently.

Gorka followed the crystallographer with his gaze, then turned to scan the faces of the old explorer and the son of the Bensaïd family. The three of them were underlings of the Soulberg Clan. Upon arriving at the training, he only knew Sean, from their childhood. The other two were the “guardians” that the elders had talked to him about. Despite not knowing them, he trusted them. Because, as soon as they met, the two of them had willingly let him eat part of their soul. That meant they were fully committed to the Soulberg Clan. To Gorka, who knew the deep meaning of a soul contract, that was enough to trust them.

Sean asked:

“Why not interrogate the demon, too? Isn’t that Arkifa rather suspicious? She might not be connected with the Revolutionaries, but why would she infiltrate the training? Demons naturally hate the WHO. They’ve been prosecuted. If you ask me, her intentions—”

“Sean,” Gorka replied. “I can’t think about too many things at the same time. It’s just too tiring. So if you want to interrogate her, go ahead. I don’t care about that demon.”

Sean pouted, but shrugged and didn’t budge from his spot. Getting up to her feet, Claire Li sighed.

“When I think they all went to save that girl… As expected, the Styxer must be on good terms with the Sunclaw.”

“The Styxer?” Sean echoed. “Is that a famous family?”

“You don’t know?” Claire Li laughed softly. “Innocent child. The Styxer is a family of dark arts users. It’s said that the dad of that pale-looking boy sells rejuvenation and can prolong life. Well, it is only third or fourth-hand information.”

Sean Bensaïd looked very surprised.

“So you mean Ray Styxer is…? But isn’t his mother a…?”

“Mm,” the old woman nodded. “How mysterious, huh? I wonder, did the fairy bewitch the dark mage, or was it the dark mage who bewitched the fairy? Maybe both!”

Sean snorted quietly.

“But is the son also a necromancer?”

“…? Not a real necromancer, in any case,” Claire Li mocked. “He’s even younger than you, boy. But who knows what are his opinions on the matter. Well, if he got lost in one of those loops, we may never find out.”

“Yikes.”

The old woman passed by the freckled boy and patted his shoulder, amused.

“I was joking, boy. Anyway, young master, it’s late, so if it’s okay with you, I’m going to rest my old bones.”

Gorka was still sitting at the desk, lost in thought. Sean Bensaïd pointed out:

“Don’t mind him. When he’s thinking, he’s dead to the world. Good night, ma’am.”

The old woman’s smile reappeared as she said:

“Please continue to take care of the young master. I am sure he will accomplish great things in the future. Good night.”

After the explorer left, a deep silence engulfed the office. Gorka sighed.

Ray Styxer. Armen Moon. Leon Sakamoto. Something about those three guys bugged him. How did they disappear from a dungeon loop? Dungeon loops were supposed to be flawless. Yet, Julen Yamazaki had come out of the dungeon saying he had checked the loop twice and had not seen them. How?

Also, as far as he knew, the entrance of the dungeon was secured. How did they manage to enter? Gorka could conceive that they had cracked the code, but how did they pass the red veil at the door? The dungeon was barely open, and the barrier was still strong. Did Ray Styxer use dark arts? Or was it something else?

Gorka could still recall the chilling sensation when he had touched Armen Moon, on the top of the Yuutow Tower. He had always thought that the undead had no soul. And it had been very unsettling to confirm it. Indeed, although he was very sensible to white energy, he had not found any path to Armen’s soul under the skin. Dark Arts Regulators said undead souls were hidden inside a special, artificial core. What a horrible practice. What a monstrous art. That was what he had been taught to think and… that was what he was beginning to understand.

But if necromancers were such emotionless beings, why would Ray Styxer go into the dungeon to rescue Linah Sunclaw? Because she was the daughter of a big client of his father? Or was Linah just an excuse? Even if he entered the dungeon to genuinely save the girl, didn’t the fact that he could go in mean that he already intended to get in there for a personal purpose? Was he aiming for the elixir too or…?

Leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in a casual posture, Sean Bensaïd could clearly see the young master nod off, his head going down gradually until it hit the desk with a thud. Sean rolled his eyes and commented jokingly:

“Seems that simply thinking is too tiring for the young master.”

Gorka Soulberg yawned as he raised his sleepy eyes and muttered:

“Let’s go back to the Spider House.”