Caesar entered his office and began to wait. While waiting, he started pulling out various materials: ore, crystals, and much more. Irritated, Gabriel entered the room, wanting to pour out everything on Caesar. However, his outburst was interrupted by Caesar's stern gaze.
"Create the best tool that will create a time bubble. It will separate the chosen place, and time will flow faster than in the entire world," said Caesar.
"What?... I can create such a device, but it can only double the speed of time. At best, the acceleration will be threefold. Why do you need such a tool?" Gabriel sat on the sofa and began to ponder as he spoke. After that, as if someone had hit him on the head with a hammer, he realized. "Do you really want me to spend more time with that rotten boy? No, that's a big no. I already endure him for two hours a day. And now, after this incident, you want me to spend even more time on him? No, and again - no."
"Father!" A voice behind them sounded, and Ashley appeared suddenly, glaring at her father.
"My daughter, I love you, but I'm not going to do that. You must understand me..."
"Father, he helped me. And even partially saved me when I lost my leg. Besides..." Ashley paused for a moment, blushed, and began to move her legs. Gabriel had a worried thought: perhaps time magic doesn't affect her.
"Sigh..." Gabriel sighed with relief, realizing that it's just a manifestation of the mage's curiosity in her.
"... And he somehow intrigued me."
"What?"
"Here are the resources, so create this magical tool already," Gabriel stopped the conversation between father and daughter, adopting a commanding tone.
Gabriel was about to rise and object, but when Ashley said "Father" with reproach in her voice, he understood that he gave in. Taking all the necessary materials, he said:
"It will be ready tomorrow," and then left the room, visibly in a subdued mood.
Caesar nodded to Ashley, and she responded with a gaze. After that, she left, leaving Caesar alone.
***
Vallynor pondered why he couldn't just die and depart, resurrecting in the city. He looked at the Old Man, who was slowly aging, turning into a living mummy. The Old Man also looked at him and said:
"I am Koschei the Immortal, passed my needle to you. A real needle, not those forgeries used in other worlds. So, I am dying a true death. I gave you this needle to increase the chances of fulfilling the promise you made to Baba Yaga... When you meet her, tell her that we have not forgotten our blood," after which he turned into dust, and his soul shattered into thousands of pieces, as if the vessel itself had been broken long ago and miraculously held together until this moment. Then everything dispersed with a single drop.
Vallynor looked at this and didn't understand why he felt sad. Sitting down on a chair, he reflected on how those who are willing to help slowly but surely die. The Queen of the Forest, Baba Yaga, came to his mind. Here, one could blame the world and the gods, but Vallynor realized that it was his own weakness, the results of his choices, and so on. But could he have acted differently?...
***
At night, after another meeting, Vallynor sat on the bed in a lotus position and opened the grimoire. Looking around, he couldn't see the familiar graveyard landscape, only a wasteland with dead black soil. Before him stood a small skeleton in black robes.
Raising his head, the skeleton greeted Vallynor:
"Today will be our last meeting."
"Who are you?" Vallynor couldn't wait for the old man to finish speaking and interrupted him.
"So impatient!... There's no point in hiding or dragging it out. After all, I wanted to tell you who I am myself!"
The Old Man raised his hands before Vallynor. The ground beneath his feet began to shake. After that, it started moving toward the Old Man, breaking into pieces. The dead soil, touching the Old Man's bones, quickly changed its color to white, like bones. It clung to the Old Man's bones, and because of this, he began to grow in size.
At some point, the Old Man stopped growing. But the soil didn't stop sticking to him. This time it didn't turn white like bones; instead, it resembled rotten flesh, enveloping the Old Man's body. The soil, turning into rotten flesh, covered his entire body. Inside, bones, heart, lungs, and so on were visible. They moved weakly but remained active. The most noticeable of them was the heart. He looked like a walking dead, wandering for years under the sun and rain.
After that, the rotten flesh began to regenerate more and more. Restoring all wounds, the color of the flesh began to fade.
Watching all of this, Vallynor realized that he was witnessing the process of the body's decay. But, in reality, it was the opposite phenomenon, which initially confused him. He only realized this at the end. Seeing the face of the Old Man, Vallynor dismissed all his thoughts because before him stood a handsome man capable of conquering the hearts of girls. But in this beauty, Death was felt. Before him stood an unusual man, essentially the God of Death.
"Happy to see you again, young necromancer," spoke the God of Death with a faint smile.
"So, did you teach me the basics? Why did you hide your face?"
"It's simple. How could I teach you if thoughts like, 'This is the God of Death. He's next to me. Will he kill me?' and so on were swirling in your head? It would complicate the learning process."
"Hmm, then why did you decide to show me your true essence? Can't the God of Death teach me anything else? Besides, it's strange that the God of Death himself decided to teach me personally. Can you explain your motives?" Vallynor, pondering the words of the God of Death, concluded that his mind was filled with many strange questions and ideas. This could hinder him from absorbing the lessons. Perhaps the God's experience led him to choose such a teaching method. However, he couldn't resist asking: why help, what does he want, and so on.
"How bold you are, young necromancer. You must understand that all your power comes from me and my descendant. And if I want, I can take back that power."
"Is this a threat?"
"No, it's a fact. But I'm curious, do you not think I could kill you for your audacity?"
"There are plenty of signs that I'm valuable to someone, preventing me from being killed, right?"
"Oh! And what made you think you are so important? Maybe because I personally taught you, made you one of the apostles of Death and a necromancer? Or because everyone in the dying city where you are now teaches and contributes to your growth? In reality, you are not that valuable. But most importantly, what's inside you... You probably think your soul is protected by that seal, separating this world from the rest of the universe? Unfortunately for you, you are already partially mine and my descendant's... The heart. It binds you, not with the body, not with the soul, but with your true name."
"My true name?"
"It's not what you think. A name is given at birth by parents. The name is the universe's gift to the soul itself. The soul is born many times, reincarnates. And in each cycle, a name is bestowed upon it. But for the universe to identify the soul, it just needs to know the true name of the soul. And when you die and are reborn until your name is erased, you will be born as a necromancer."
"So it's my identification code," mumbled Vallynor. Then, a bit more respectfully, he asked, "How will I know my true name, and can I tell it to others?"
"When you become strong enough, and the universe decides it's time. You will learn your name yourself. And no, you cannot tell your name to others. If you don't want to become an eternal slave. Besides, I won't tell your name. You're too weak to protect your soul from intrusion."
"Understood..." Vallynor had doubts, but thinking about the scenario where an enemy learns his true name and becomes a forever slave unable to break free from those chains, he considered it. Like in novels, where learning the true name of a demon can make it subservient. "Okay, you said it's not about me being important. What about what's inside me? What could you be referring to?"
"Before I answer, think about how you came to this world? How did you survive in such a world? Could it be destiny, whimsically wanting to protect you? Even granting access to what only the Gods possess."
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Vallynor had been contemplating for some time about what caused him to be transported to this sealed world, a place where no soul could enter or leave. He also pondered on the concept of being a hero or the Hero Effect. Regardless of the name, the crucial point was that heroes possessed luck, and as the main character, he couldn't simply die. The last words of the God of Death made him think about what he had access to, something only the Gods could use.
The God of Death saw Vallynor's contemplative expression. Without much thought, he understood what made Vallynor think so deeply. Smiling, he said, "That's what made me pay attention to you and make you the next owner of my Grimoire."
"The system...?" Vallynor immediately understood and questioned in a tone of uncertainty. He fell to the floor, screaming for all of it to stop. This time, the infernal mess was weaker than before, perhaps because he was suffering from a wounded soul, or it had become stronger. The crucial point was that it remained just as repulsive and unpleasant.
"So, you call it that? We call it the 'Law of the Creator,' as well as the 'Hands of the Creator,' and so on. Essentially, it has different names. Unfortunately, I can't pronounce its true name because it would destroy you from the inside. Like a secret that no one should know, and if someone finds out, that someone must disappear."
"But how? What is inside me? And how did it get into me?" Vallynor could easily accept that there were things he shouldn't know if he wanted to continue living. He had encountered such things in books, so everything was fine. But what was inside him surprised and even unsettled him.
"At first, I wanted to keep silent about it because knowledge of it is as important as your true name. But you will know the truth over time anyway. With my blessing and being an apostle of death, the Gods will fear exploring your thoughts. But that doesn't mean they won't try to do it... secretly. And it's better for you to know. Inside your soul is a fragment of a soul that didn't belong to you from birth. This fragment of a soul belongs to... the God of Souls."
Vallynor, disbelieving his ears, looked at the God of Death. Then, feeling something starting to move in his chest, he instinctively whispered, "How? When?..." His mind was flooded with so many thoughts that he began to get confused.
"Remember that fateful day that changed your entire life. That's when it invaded you."
Fateful day? Vallynor remembered when he was just an ordinary guy who failed the university license exam. Because of this, he fell into depression and, thinking about it, started searching for information on the internet. Then, taking candles, he rushed to the summer kitchen, where he drew symbols and placed candles, beginning to recite a spell. Over time, he felt nothing except a fleeting cold wind that penetrated his bones. From that moment, his parents started to get sick, and they died... Oh, and he passed the exam in the next semester.
"I see you remember. Back then, you opened a small rift in hell. From there came this small piece of a soul and a bit of demonic energy behind it. It infected your soul and the souls of your parents. You were supposed to die, just like your parents, but this fragment of the God of Souls' soul helped you adapt."
Vallynor felt regret and sadness about what he had done. In his weakness, he did what he shouldn't have. It completely changed his life. He, from an ordinary person who loved to play and read, turned into a criminal, terrorist, and occultist, a violator. He committed so much villainy. Despite this, inside him flashed... joy? Joy that if he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have experienced so much interesting. This chance of rebirth in a world of magic, which he had been searching for all this time. The question was only at what cost?
The God of Death, watching every movement of his face and secretly sensing his feelings through the weak thread that bound them, understanding his emotions, shook his head and continued:
"The God of Souls is like a younger brother to me. Knowing that one of the pieces, shards of a broken soul, is in you, we can say that his legacy lives in you. And you will be forced to reveal this legacy. Since you entered this world, my only grimoire felt this anomaly and informed me. After that, I indirectly helped you escape from the midst of thousands of fallen who sensed a pure soul served on a platter. I watched as you fought with that fallen vampire, taking the form of a bat..."
"A vampire? So those bat-like creatures were vampires. The legend turned out to be true! So, they can turn into bats," Vallynor explained, surprised and confirming his old suspicions that bat-like creatures were vampires.
"Not all of them. As you know, there are many types of undead, but there are two types that significantly differ from each other. Some are created through magic, and others - due to diseases. Both types look similar and act the same: they attack the living. However, upon closer inspection, you can see the difference between them. For example, some fear sunlight, while others do not. The same goes for vampires: some can turn into bats, while others cannot. But now it doesn't matter..."
The rising dust storm enveloped Vallynor and the God of Death. After the dust settled, they found themselves in the same place where Vallynor first discovered the Necronomicon.
"It was at that moment that the former owner of the grimoire woke up. He had to fulfill the contract, namely, to find souls for all necromancers. You, as a pure soul, became too tempting a target. At that moment, I silently allowed him to attack your soul. I wanted to see how you would act in a critical moment to confirm my suspicion. Honestly, you surprised me back then. You used the Creator's Hands against necromancers and even against me. That made me realize that you are not just a lucky one who managed to get a shard of my younger brother's soul. You are interesting in yourself. True, you can only indirectly connect with the Creator's Hands, but you nailed the last nail in the coffin. It was after that that I decided to help you."
"What happened to the former owners? And what about the contract that the previous owner was supposed to fulfill? Should I, as the current owner, fulfill it now?" Vallynor briefly pondered the actions of the God of Souls. After reading many books, he had already become accustomed to most clichés and expected actions. Of course, he was surprised that a piece of the God of Souls' soul was inside him and that he managed to resurrect, but so many events had happened in his life that he had stopped vehemently crying out against injustice like a feminist. He was getting used to the fact that nature could play by its rules.
"Yes, they fulfilled their duty. They found souls for necromancers to ease your burden and balance trade, using souls as currency. After reviewing your memories, I created Necro-Coins that will serve as the soul currency to lighten your load.
"Understood. But I still don't understand how I ended up in this world. After all, this world is sealed. No one can enter or exit. And how can you be present here?"
"I am neither here nor there. I am always in my realm and where death occurs. My offspring is created from my power, and it is always where someone is dying. Like a father watching over his offspring. No seal can completely prevent me from indirectly influencing events. As for your arrival here, it happened because of the shard of the God of Souls' soul. This world is his home, his realm. It's easy for him to find loopholes to return to his home."
"But here, no one dies a true death. Everyone simply undergoes rebirth or disappears forever, becoming fallen. But they don't die, and their souls enter the river of reincarnation."
"Ha-ha-ha," the God of Death began to laugh as if he heard an excellent joke. After that, smiling, he asked, "What does death mean to you?"
"...Death is the moment when you can no longer think, move of your own will, feel warmth, and hear those around you. It's the end." Recalling his past and everything he learned in this world, Vallynor answered the God's question.
"Good answer. You've already answered the question of how I can be here. But that's not the complete answer."
"Any more questions? Because after this, we won't be able to meet for a while. Due to the fact that I often appeared in this sealed world. Some noticed it. And I no longer want to attract their attention. After all, I vowed to step away from business."
"There is! Who did my body belong to originally?" - The more time passed, the more Vallynor felt that everything was very similar to the books he had read once. Perhaps all those books were not far from the truth, except the one where a woman began to exterminate the entire opposite sex and created a lesbian harem.
"I don't know... Surprised," the God of Death watched as Vallynor opened his eyes wide in amazement and smiled. - "You were reborn in this world. You took control of a body that had not been used for a long time and simply sat on the dead sand."
"Okay, then who am I?" - Thinking for a moment and quickly correcting the misunderstanding, Vallynor asked. - "I mean, with the body. What happened to the body? I remember it was all black, like an African, spending days under the sun. But now it's almost white, like a vampire."
"Humor? I certainly read your memories when you summoned the Creator's Hands to save yourself. But I still can't figure out where to smile. But as for the body, it's simple. Your body, before it became yours, was filled to the brim with dirt. And visually, it was a black body. But the shard of the God of Souls helped you clean it when you devoured souls, using abilities obtained from demonic energy, or processing them yourself."
"I see, that's what it is. I suspected it myself but couldn't confirm my thought. And with the shard of the soul, it all makes sense... But that doesn't explain why I call myself half alive and half dead."
"Hmm. It's because of my blessing as the Apostle of Death. If my child had made you an Apostle, you would have become undead. That's the price for power. But my blessing is special because my wife is the Goddess of Life." - For some reason, Vallynor sensed notes of sadness and regret in the God's last words.
"Why then can't I engage in se..."
"I forbid you this. You're now living in a city filled with all the vices, which you haven't had a chance to see because of Caesar. You already have so little time. But if you spend this precious resource on sexual acts with loose beauties, it will only bring you destruction. I can promise that when you leave this world, I will lift the restrictions."
At first, Vallynor wanted to protest, but silently contemplating and thinking about what he would do if he could indulge in the pleasures of beautiful women, he realized that the wisdom of this God was quite reasonable.
"In one mission, it was said that I would receive a gift from you, and I should pray not to receive some bikini armor and so on." - This might have seemed like a trivial question, but Vallynor was very curious about what all this could mean.
The God of Death didn't immediately answer, instead falling silent for some time. Perhaps out of embarrassment. But he eventually broke the awkward silence:
"It was written in the grimoire... You see, lately mortals have found the right method for sacrifices. And, as you know, they are always living beings, often intelligent. They have always been dressed very modestly. And when they move into my realm, everything that was with them is filled with energy from the teleportation tunnel and my realm. Of course, not all things can become artifacts, and many simply turn to dust. But there are things like modest clothing for girls that become artifacts. That's why it was written that way."
Vallynor did not expect such a precise explanation but was glad he asked. He learned a lot of new things. Several thoughts came to his mind: "I don't know if I should be angry or not. But can you tell me why the God of Souls didn't help me when I was killed?" - Vallynor wanted to ask many more questions but thought that all the others could wait. Because the most important ones he had already asked. And the rest, if not now, then another time.