"I'm going to run a little longer," I tell mother as she’s about to walk into our house.

Mother looks back at me, and I watch her face cycle through a wide range of emotions. Unease, doubt, worry, compassion, understanding, mother's eyes convey so much before she settles on a small smile. "Are you doing, ok?" Mother asks me in a soft voice.

I step forward and give her a big hug. She strokes my back and whispers, “You can talk to me if you need to,” In my ear.

“I’m doing… better,” I tell her.

“Are you?” Mother leans back and looks me in the eyes.

"I am," I say with a soft smile, and that isn't just lip service for her either. I really am feeling better.

“Ok, but don’t be out for too long.” Mom finally releases me from her tight grasp.

I give mother a quick wave goodbye and continue running around the village with a smile on my face.

Mother has been clingy the last two days, but that's to be expected. After I finished my business with Kervin, I followed through with my promise to master and mother and came clean about the bandit attack and how I almost died.

I was prepared for my parents to ground me, or at the very least, yell at me, but I didn't get the response I was expecting.

Mom and dad spent the rest of the day with me, telling me it wasn't my fault and that I never need to hide something like this from them. Mom was a little peeved that I waited to tell them, but unless her punishment is burying me in hugs, I don't think I'll be confined to the village anytime soon.

I spent all day yesterday relaxing with my mother and recovering after a long couple of weeks. We spent the entire afternoon at Camden’s place sipping tea with Sarette.

I plan to take another two days off before I go back to making arrows for the army. Until then, I promised myself I would take it easy. No sword training, no testing magic, not even looking over how to make engraving ink because I know I couldn’t help myself once I see the process.

My strong legs propel me along the tree line surrounding the village. Whenever a stump is in my way, I gracefully hop over the obstruction and continue. I spot villagers watching me a few times, so I spice up my running by cartwheeling on the stumps or front flipping over them. Thankfully, I don't consider this training, or I would already be breaking my word.

Seeing their smiling reactions is worth the extra effort.

Another small group of villagers cheers for me as I hop from one stump to another and finish with a backflip.

I keep running, and the groups go about their day.

The weather is slowly getting better, and villagers with lower physical stats are starting to walk around the village more.

Yet another group of three waves to me as I pass by. I'm starting to get used to people paying attention to me. Only, this group looks much more somber for some reason.

“Aaliyah!”

I slow to a stop when I hear someone call out my name. I glance around and quickly notice Arash and Hayk walking towards me. The two senior hunters must have been on patrol nearby.

“Morning Arash, Hayk,” I greet the men as they approach.

“Hello Aaliyah, I see you’re still running. And by yourself?” Arash gives me a questioning look and scans the nearby trees.

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Hayk bluntly tells me.

“What, why?” I look between the two hunters, confused.

Hayk awkwardly rubs the back of his neck and looks away from me. I turn to Arash and ask, “What’s going on with you two?”

“You haven’t heard, have you?” Arash asks in a dark tone.

"Haven't heard what? I've been pretty busy lately," I give the two hunters a look that says, 'get to the point, I want to finish my run.'

“News just came to the village; there have been strange disappearances lately,” Hayk says in a low voice. “It's spreading throughout the whole village that people shouldn't walk alone.”

“People in the village have disappeared!?” I ask in alarm.

“No, no, not our village,” Arash clarifies. “When Markus traveled to the closest village to discuss springs crops, he brought back some spooky news.”

“Apparently, older high-leveled individuals in surrounding villages have vanished out of nowhere." Hayk cuts in. "Local trackers tried to follow their trails, but all signs of a person moving through the forest would suddenly stop once they were deep in the forest.”

“Chameleon spider?” I ask. If they’re still around, maybe I should take Ronald and master and hunt for more materials.

“No, that’s the thing,” Arash gives me a worried look. “Because we sent word to the surrounding villages about how to spot chameleon spiders, they’ve managed to find any spiders near their villages and deter them before they can cause problems.”

“They haven't seen signs of chameleon spiders in weeks, and they say the tracks suddenly disappeared like the people didn't struggle. One moment, they're standing in the snow, and then the next, they're gone." Hayk elaborates, and this time both senior hunters look at the surrounding trees, and I find myself doing the same.

“Does Camden know about this?” I ask.

“He sent word to all the hunters and asked us to increase our patrols," Arash tells me.

“So, everyone needs to be careful when it gets dark,” I nod in agreement. Both hunters shake their heads. “What?” I ask.

Hayk leans in, “All the disappearances have happened during the daytime.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “No one noticed the people leaving the village?” I question.

"Nope," Hayk tells me with a pale face. "Some of the missing people's tracks cut straight through the village too; only no one can remember seeing the people leave.”

“How is this not bigger news!?” I ask the two.

“Only one or two people would disappear in a single village, and all of them were older people you might not notice were gone. The word only spread when the head farmers for each of the villages got together to discuss the next harvest. Everyone thinks our village is next,” Arash explains grimly.

My hand subconsciously shifts to the sword at my side. But I've been scanning the woods regularly, and I can even vaguely spot Reel when he's nearby. Whatever is stalking the woods can't sneak up on me.

"Thanks for telling me; I'll make sure to be careful," I tell the two.

"We just wanted to make sure you were aware; we know you're able to spot the chameleon spiders and that you have a high level. Still, it would be best if you weren't out alone, even if you can handle yourself," Arash clarifies.

I nod in understanding. "Be safe," I tell them.

“You too,” they echo with the same sentiment. The two senior hunters turn and continue their patrol.

Suddenly I don’t feel like running anymore. Maybe I should head home.

I turn towards the direction of my home but stop after I take a step.

Maybe I should circle the village one more time. I do have the skills that let me find hidden foes, and if I do see something strange, I'm probably the most likely to escape whatever's hiding out there.

I continue making my way around the village; only this time, I'm walking and taking my time inspecting the tree line.

I miss the days when I only had to worry about farkas, karhu, and goblins, mainly because none of them are invisible to the naked eye.

Thankfully I don’t spot a single branch out of place as I circle the village. However, I do notice the number of people walking near the village's edge decrease significantly.

I walk away from where the forest and village meet and rest up against the nearby stable's fence. The outdoor pens are empty now, but the animals will soon emerge when the weather heats up in the next couple of days.

The animal pens are on the village's outskirts, so it surprises me when I see someone approaching me from the corner of my eye.

Who is that?

I can tell it's someone around my age from the silhouette, but I can't place the face. As the boy gets closer, I can better make out his features. Brown hair, brown eyes, and symmetrical features that look a little too perfect; his face screams familiarity, but I can't come up with a name.

His clothes are worn but look recently washed, and his body language suggests he's happy to see me.

I feel a slight pressure in the back of my mind, which fades quickly. The stress vanishes like it was never there, and I can finally remember the boy’s name.

“Hey Keter,” I call out and give a friendly wave.

Keter’s smile grows as he gets closer to me. He moves next to me and leans up against the fence, mimicking me.

Keter doesn't speak; he never really has. Even as kids, it was hard for Richard and I to play with him because of how quiet he was.

I feel all the nervousness from my talk with Arash and Hayk slowly disappear, thanks to my silent companion's reassuring presence.

Nothing bad ever happens around Keter. When dad would take us into the woods, we called Keter our good luck charm because we never encountered a single problem when he was with us.

I swing my arm over Keter’s shoulder and pull him close. “I’m glad you’re here. Did you hear about the disappearances?”

Keter nods, choosing to remain quiet.

I once again feel a headache come along, but for some reason, it dissipates just as fast as the previous one.

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Poor Keter gives me a worried look. He’s such a caring brother-in-craft. He’s the one who truly understands Del. Now that I think about it, no one in the village doesn’t like Keter; he's just that good of a guy.

Keter gives me a caring smile and grabs my hands, pulling me towards the woods.

I dig my feet into the muddy ground and stop us before we pass the trees. “I think we should stay in the village,” I tell him.

Keter innocently cocks his head to the side and gently tries to pull me forward.

“It could be dangerous,” I remind him.

Suddenly the headache returns, and this time I'm forced to raise my hands to my temples. As the pain fades, Keter reaches and once again takes my hands, leading me into the woods.

Well, we both survived the goblin extermination together and hunt chameleon spiders with master and Ronald, so we should be fine. Keter joyfully leads me deeper into the forest; he must want to show me something important.

We quickly move through the forest, but for some reason, I can't place where we are.

“Hold up, Keter," He turns back to me with a questioning look. "I should take the lead, in case anything is hiding." If I'm in an unfamiliar place, I need to be careful.

I move next to Keter and activate Sense Mana. The surrounding mana lights up in my vision. The mana in the trees and ground contrast nicely with the remaining snow. I glance to my side at Keter and marvel at his fantastic mana network; he has more than triple my mana pool.

Wait?

Why does he have…

Another headache tears through my mind, forcing me to crouch on the forest floor. Thankfully like the others, it passes quickly.

Keter helps me to my feet and smiles at me. He waves his hands, and I feel my mana pool replenishing as we walk deeper into the forest.

Keter was always more talented in magic than me. It’s because of him I’ve been able to improve without the need of a master. Keter places his had up against my back and starts leading me in a specific direction.

I take a few steps before a fuzzy face flashes in my mind. He looks so familiar, but I can’t place who it is. His ebony skin stands out because it doesn't match anyone in the village. His bald head is covered in sweat like he's standing next to a fire, but his smiling face looks so kind to me.

"Master Del," I mumble. I don't know where the name comes from, but my mind becomes clear once again as soon as I repeat it.

Why did I think I didn't have a master? Everything I've learned has been from Master Del.

Something is wrong here!

I desperately look around the clearing, trying to spot whatever is causing my sudden sense of panic. I scan every inch of the surrounding forest.

Why did I agree to come here!?

I suddenly feel disoriented, and I can't remember which way we came from.

Looking at my feet, I trace my tracks to the left. I can follow my trail back to the village.

I freeze in place.

The tracks…

There is only one trail in the snow.

The little hairs on my arms and legs stand on end.

I don’t make any sudden movements and slightly turn my head until I can see Keter’s feet out of the corner of my vision.

My eyes widen, and my hands start to tremble.

The ground around Keter is entirely undisturbed; there isn't a single footprint in sight. Now that I look closer, it appears Keter’s shoes aren’t leaving any indents in the slush. Keter’s feet look like they’ve merged perfectly with the snow.

This can't be possible; I've known Keter for my whole life. He played with Richard and me outside our house.

The more I try to focus on the memory, the worse my head feels, until a point where the memory shatters, and I remember I only ever played with my brother as a child.

I can’t help but look up at Keter’s face, and our eyes meet. His smiling expression fades as the world starts to shift around me. Everything starts to lose color, and I feel like I'm dying. I've come close to death a few times since I reincarnated, but this is the same feeling I had when the cave collapsed on me in my past life.

I feel a deep pain in my chest, where my soul is, so I activate my tier 5 skill.

All at once, the world around me shatters.

Gone is Keter’s body and in his place is a human-sized puppet of black smoke. Holding the puppet, like a little girl playing with her doll, is a large grey hand.

And another equally large hand is around me, forming a cage of grey fingers.

Once I activated Sense Soul, everything became clear; only, I wish it didn't.

Attached to the hands are long spindly arms that lead to a monster straight out of a horror movie. The humanoid creature has to be twenty feet tall, but it's hard to tell because it's in a squatting position.

The creature has no facial features or sexual characteristics. The monster is nothing but grey skin, and its limbs don’t appear to have any bones. The skin itself is lumpy and continuously shifting like a mass of worms are wriggling just underneath the surface.

The monster itself is frightening, but it's the creature's soul that has me shaking in fear.

The soul is the representation of a living beings’ level and experience. My soul is larger than average, even bigger than Master Del's, but it is nothing compared to this monster. If my soul was a marble, then this creature has a soul the size of a beachball.

How old is this monster? What level is it? I can't tell.

And the reason my chest hurts.

With my skill activated, I can see small tendrils coming from the cage of fingers connected to my body. They're slowly digging through my very being, towards my soul.

I try to shake the tendrils off, but they aren't physical. They passed straight through Mana Skin and ignored my mana network as well.

I don't know why the creature hasn't moved since I discovered it, but I'm not waiting to find out.

I kick off the ground and again off one of the creature's fingers to jump out onto the top of its hand. As soon as I slip out of the monster’s grasp, the soul-sucking tendrils snap, and the pain in my chest starts to fade.

I don’t take my eyes off of the giant creature as I jump down from the oddly motionless hand and try to gain as much distance as I can. I draw my sword, but I don't think it will be of any help. This thing has to be over level 150, and that's low-balling it.

I circle to the back of the creature, and yet it doesn't so much as twitch. The only movement I can see is its skin shifting.

I slowly move backward from the monster, content if the beast doesn't ever move again.

I make it thirty feet before I hit a wall.

Using my free hand, I touch the invisible wall behind me to confirm I'm not crazy. It feels like I'm touching a sheet of glass.

I turn my head slightly to get a better look at the wall, but as soon as I take my eyes off the creature, I'm suddenly filled with a sense of dread.

Snaping my head back towards the creature, I flinch back, seeing the two massive hands right in front of me in a mid-grabbing motion. I stumble backward, hoping for the support of the invisible wall before my legs give out from under me, but it seems to have vanished.

It isn't until I stumble another thirty feet away from the beast that I again feel the wall behind me. Without taking my eyes off the creature this time, I use Sense Soul and Sense Mana to try and see what kind of barrier is stopping me.

There’s no doubt the wall is one of the creature’s abilities, seeing how it moved with it as the epicenter.

It takes both my skills working together for me to figure out the wall is made up of the creature’s soul and mana intertwined. And once I know what I'm looking for, I'm able to scan the area around the beast, revealing what a shit situation I'm genuinely in.

Not only does the monster have a 360° barrier locking me in, but the area is jammed packed with its mana and wisps of its soul. The creature has multiple mana-soul tendrils connected to the barrier from its body, so no matter which way it shifts, the barrier won't be compromised.

I have to remind myself to steady my breathing. I want to panic, but I refuse to go down without a fight.

I slowly slide my way along the barrier until I’m once again directly behind the beast.

I've already confirmed I can't run, so I need to analyze this creature and hope to find a weakness.

But first, there’s one hunch I need to confirm.

I steady myself and blink once, as quickly as I can.

My eyes are closed for only a fraction of a second, but in that time frame, the monster once again shifted its position 180° and tried to grab me.

I try to swallow a lump in my throat, but my mouth is completely dry.

That all but confirms it, the creature can’t move while I’m looking at it. That’s why it uses the shadow doll to lure its prey away.

The beast probably already had me in its grasp when I first noticed its doll. It was able to connect to my soul and play with my memories so that I would let my guard down around it. That’s also probably how it filled my mana pool, it already had its tendrils connected to me, and my mana pool is nothing when it can influence my soul.

The amount of mana this thing is wielding is incredible; it could probably fill my mana pool up a hundred times, easily.

This monster managed to make me willingly walk out of the village so that it could eat me in peace.

I can't believe just a little while ago I thought I could handle anything.

If I were any other person, I would be dead already. Mental Resistance only helped me realizes there was a problem, and if I didn’t have Sense Soul, I wouldn't be able to look at the creature. I eventually would've died by having my soul ripped out of my body.

I can’t believe I ran into a monster that hunts for souls. No wonder it targeted older people with high levels; those are the people with the biggest souls. I was probably especially appealing because my soul is more extensive than usual, and I don't have the levels to defend myself. I guess that makes me a delicacy. But it was also by pure luck my skills countered this monstrosity.

I try to smile at the dark humor of the situation, but I can't even force a smile onto my face.

I shuffle around the beast until I find a dry spot I can sit while keeping my eyes on it.

How the fuck am I supposed to get out of this mess?

The beast won't move until I take my eyes off it, but how long can I keep that up?

Mother will notice I’m missing if I'm not home soon. I can expect Camden, master, and dad to start a search for me immediately, but now that my head is clear, I'm not even sure how deep into the forest I am.

And even if they find me, are they able to hurt this thing?

I stand up and walk next to one of the creature’s outstretched arms. Weighted Strike, Precise Strike, Double Strike, mana to ignite the flames on my sword, I put everything I have into one swing.

My sword flashes and…

Two marks, I only managed to leave two small scratches on this thing’s hide.

A solemn realization comes over me; if I'm found, will this creature escape or massacre everyone I care about?

I wink each of my eyes to get rid of the tears forming.

Is this all fate, or am I destined to be continuously harassed by adversity? What would’ve happened if I wasn’t here? “The creature probably would have killed master and Camden before moving on,” I tell myself.

Goblins, monsters, bandits, why does everything bad have to happen to me?

I want to shake my head, but I can't risk losing sight of the monster.

Even though I'm complaining, I know this is an everyday occurrence for villages around the world. Maybe not the scary soul-sucking monster part, but dealing with adversity outside a city’s walls is a regular occurrence for most.

Is this what people think about when they're about to die? When I died the last time, it was relatively quick, but I don't think I'll receive the same treatment from this monster. If I close my eyes, will it go by faster?

I start to close my eyes slowly, but I can't bear to shut them entirely.

Suddenly, like a trapped animal, I start to feel the adrenaline building. Why should I give now? I've overcome death many times before, and today is no different!

I spring to my feet with my sword tightly clutched in my hands. Even if it's only scratched, I can whittle away the beast if I try hard enough!

I move back over to the arm I tried cutting before and start slashing with all my skills.

It’s an hour later, that I’m slumped up against a nearby tree, breathing heavily with all my adrenaline spent. All my bravado only amounted to some deep scratches across the monster’s body.

I tried shifting to its chest and head but found out the creature’s defenses were universal. It doesn’t even have eyes I can gouge out.

At least I’ve learned a few things about the creature like it's nothing but a mass of flesh. After staring at it so long, I could scan most of its body with Sense Soul and Sense Mana. The beast has no organs of any kind, leaving me to believe the only weak point it has is its ridiculously massive soul.

Too bad it’s buried in the center of the creature’s chest under a foot of steel flesh.

Another thing I've realized in the last hour is that no one is coming to save me. In fact, I don't think anything can see inside this barrier. There isn't a single insect here, and I can't hear any bird calls in the distance. The barrier isn't just to keep its prey locked in; it also further obscures the creature.

I can't run, I can't harm it, and no one is going to come for me. I move back over to an overturned log and sit to regain my Stamina.

How long can I stay awake?

Would it be possible to cut into the beast over a couple of days slowly?

No, using that much Stamina, my body would eventually give out, and I'd pass out, never to awaken again.

I can't even console myself by believing I'll be reincarnated again; if this creature devours souls, then the prospect of having another life after this one is nonexistent.

Another thing that's been bothering me is the lack of eyes, not the creature's eyes, but the eyes that usually guard the soul. I've been using Sense Soul for over an hour on the beast, and I haven't been repelled by the eyes once.

Does this monster have a way to bypass the eyes? If so, that means the monster devours a person's entire soul and not just the outer part.

The creature's intimidating soul is that much scarier, knowing it's made up of people's consciousness.

That makes me think of the memories I was given of Keter. Whose memories were those?

A righteous rage fills my chest when I think about the thousands or more likely tens of thousands of people this creature has devoured over its lifetime.

I stand up from my seat and walk over to the still frozen creature. I duck underneath its arms and move directly in front of its chest. It’s uncanny how the monster moves in a squatting position.

I put my hand up against its massive chest, feeling its wriggling flesh against my fingers. This is the closest spot to its soul.

I take up my stance and put the tip of my blade up against its grey flesh. I use my left hand to hold the sword while my right hand is up against its pommel.

This creature needs to die, and if I can't do it with my Strength, I'll have to try with magic. The trick I used against the bandits won't work with the creature's defenses, and neither of my other two spells will help even if overclock them.

If none of my spells are useful, then I'll have to make my own.

If the creature were able to move in the slightest, I would've been dead an hour ago. But as long as I have a stationary target, I can take my time to create a genuinely devastating spell.

I only have one chance, but what type of spell do I create?

I watched plenty of anime in my past life, so I have plenty of over-powered options to choose from.

I can try advancing time or maybe create a black hole?

If I could do either of those, I wouldn't be in this mess. I need to think simpler.

Increase gravity, so its body tears itself apart? I tried incorporating gravity into my magic before in small quantities, so that might work.

But that won't work either because this creature’s flesh could probably survive more pressure than I could create with my mana supply.

Could a laser work, compress light until it burns right to the monster’s heart?

These concepts might work in theory, but even with my mana pool almost full, manifesting any of these phenomena would be too much for me to handle.

If only I had an enchanted blade, something sharp enough to pierce the monster's skin.

…..

Enchantments are magic; that's something. An idea slowly forms in my mind.

Instead of trying to break space or time, I should use my magic to allow my sword to kill the creature.

I start forming the spell in my head, I need to be detailed, or it will probably kill me.

When I think I have everything figured out, I start chanting in English.

“Mana, hear my plea. Move in the ways I command, and help me strike down this monster.” I learned long ago when I would screw around with magic, stating your purpose for the spell helped with its manifestation.

“Reinforce the sword in my hands to mimic the molecular structure of diamonds.” If Mr. Grey didn't show me different gemstones when I was looking at materials, correctly visualizing a diamond's structure would be impossible for me.

"Envelop the blade of the sword with a thin barrier of magic and have it vibrate at 500,000 times a second.” As soon as I activate my magic, my sword will be destroyed in a matter of seconds, even with it reinforced.

“Launch the sword straight from my hands at 1,000 feet per second.” I refocus Mana Skin while I’m chanting towards my hands to protect myself from the recoil.

The sword will be reinforced, made sharper, and have force behind it; now, I need to pay the cost for casting something out of my skill level. “I give 850 mana along with 700 of my health; I also permanently give up 10 points of my vitality to activate the spell.”

I promised master I would never use sacrificial magic, but hopefully, giving up a permanent part of my stats will let the spell succeed.

Here goes nothing, “Activate!”

My entire body locks up as the spell starts to weave itself to my specifications. Almost all of my mana goes to my hands and into my sword. Then, I feel as my vitality starts to drain away and mix with my expended mana.

After my mana and health are channeled into the sword, I feel the translucent lights that had once merged with my body when I distributed my status points leave to reinforce the spell.

After the lights leave my body, I feel like something important has left my body, like I’m no longer whole.

However, I don’t have time to adjust to the sudden feeling of emptiness before my spell activates in its entirety.

My sword glows with vibrating mana, and a sharp screech emitted from the sword causes my ears to bleed. The next thing I know, my hands are blown away from my blades handle as it rockets from my grasp, and I'm forced to take a step back.

Even with everything going on, I refuse to take my eyes off the creature.

I watch as my sword momentarily struggles to pierce the creature's skin before penetrating to the monster's core.

Through my sensing skills, I watch my sword clash with the creature's soul and disintegrate from the spell.

I wait for the creature to fall over dead, but it stays standing still, frozen in place.

I drop to my knees in defeat; no experience comes from the creature, meaning it's still alive.

"Well, that's everything," I start to cry. I already feel my body screaming out in pain from the sudden drop in both Mana and Health.

This is it; my eyes slowly close on their own.

This is how I die.

My eyes close for the last time.

The world around me erupts in translucent flames sending my senses haywire.

I have to force myself to open my eyes once again to see what's going on.

The once frozen creature has disintegrated into nothing; the damn beast apparently can't die while someone is looking at it either.

The vast amount of experience contained in the creature is flooding the surroundings. The trees and plants are absorbing so much experience they’re doubling in size before my very eyes. Forest grass erupts from the earth, pushing away the remaining winter snow.

The plants aren’t the only thing devouring the experience. My body feels like it’s about to burst as my soul rapidly tries to absorb the experience around it.

The pain of my soul expanding so rapidly is enough to keep me from passing out.

I watch as more and more experience dissipates into the surroundings. I don’t know why but I’m suddenly angry that I’m missing out after sacrificing so much to kill the monster.

With the pain in my soul keeping me awake, I absorb the mana from mana skin back into my body. Next, I force my regained mana close to my expanding soul and forcefully merge the two energies much like I saw the soul eater do. I replicate the same tendrils the monster was spreading from its body and forcefully drag more experience towards my soul.

I scream as the pressure in my chest expands even more.

“More!”

“More!”

"I deserve MORE!" I scream out loud

As more experience piles into my soul, two eyes appear in the center of my being and drag my consciousness inwards.

I try to fight the feeling and continue to absorb more experience, but I can't resist the eyes.

Everything goes dark as I’m forcefully dragged into my soul.