The memories of my past have kept me alive. Sometimes I had given up on living but I always struggled forward. I had killed many of my friends and let plenty others die. I endured the pain and had always strived to make things right. I live on for those who can't anymore in honor of their memory. I know the things I've done can't easily be forgiven and I'll accept my judgment when the time comes.

Now I only have one thing on my mind and that was to get into Demon Territory. 

The light seem to flicker in my jail cell as a guard approached. The Elven guard used his keys to open my cell door and drop a plate of food. I look at him and he didn't seem to be in a mood for conversation. My eyes move to the keys in his hands. I wanted to be set free but I didn't want to antagonize the King by injuring his guards.

I look at the black ring on my finger and then moved my vision away. I didn't want to use the Demon Lord's weapon unless I absolutely needed to. I fought off the darkness inside the ring for now. I knew it would come back stronger if I used it again so soon. I exhaled a breath of air as I watched the guard.

"Take the keys from him when he leaves." A voice sounded in my head.

"How?" I said.

"What did you say?" The Elven guard said.

I held up my hands and looked away.

"Crazy human," The Elven guard said and shook his head.

"You have the power now," The voice resounded in my mind. "Just focus and take it."

"What?" I mumbled.

The doors to my cell closed with a metal clang.

I walk up to the cell door and look at the Elven guard who turned away from me. I see a chain ring of keys hanging from his belt. The Elven guard began to walk away and my eyes focused on the keys. I could feel a power circulating around my hands for a moment. I became startled for a second and then tried again. I held up my hand and focused on the keys with my gaze.

A faint blue aura surrounded my hand and soon the ring of keys appeared in my grasp.

"Impossible," I whispered.

I stagger backward with the keys in my hands.

"This was the power of the Goblin King!" I said. "Why do I have it?"

A sudden realization came over me.

"Is this power from you?!" I asked the voice.

There was a stillness in the air and I could feel I was being watched.

"I don't want to make any pacts with devils," I said.

There was a long silence before the voice spoke to me again.

"No," The voice said. "You have only recently gained this power."

"What?"

"You should have received a message."

Was it from that other voice that I couldn't understand before?

"There's a system in place in this world but only souls attuned to the system may use it," The voice said.

"Then am I…but why?" I asked.

 "No, you were given a gift," The voice replied. "You can only receive a glimpse of the system."

"I don't understand," I said.

"This was a power only given to those who had come from another world," The voice said.

I was surprised at the voice's revelation.

"Reincarnators?" I whispered.

"For those souls you reaped, you have taken their power and made it your own."

The words seem to resonate within me and I felt a chill down my spine.

"What have I become?" I said.

I looked at my hands and felt myself shaking.

"A reaper for those who don't belong in this world," The voice said. "A Soul Taker."

A sudden thought flashed through my mind.

"Are you saying I have all the powers of those I've slain?"

"No, you only have the Goblin King's power and any of who will come after him."

"Why do you know all of this?" I asked. "Who are you?"

"You will know when you come to the land of Demons," The voice replied.

What was this system? Who was the owner of this voice? How did it know I was going towards Demon Territory? Would I come to know more when I get to Demon Territory? Or was this all a trick by a Devil? This voice had saved me before but I couldn't quite trust it. I had many questions swirling in my thoughts.

Silence converged over me and I could hear my own breathing. I couldn't wait here in the Elven prison any longer. I held up the keys in my hand and moved over to the door. Passing my arm through the cell bars I unlock the door from the other side. Gently, I pushed open the door and peek down the dim prison hall.

I looked at the linen garment I was wearing and knew my next course of action. I needed to find my weapons and clothes before I left the prison. My eyes stared down the dim hallway as I quietly walked through. I was the only one being held in this prison but I kept alert from making too much noise. At the end of the hallway under the dim torch lights, I saw a pair of guards.

The guards were standing at the entrance to the prison at about thirty feet away from me.

I stayed hidden in the shadows that didn't brighten by the torches. In the corner of my eye, I see my belongings stacked on a table. I began using the magic steal I acquired from the Goblin King. My hand glowed a faint blue aura but the items weren't returning to me. 

Was I too far away?

I hadn't grasped the full range and use of this power yet. I needed to get closer but I didn't want to walk into the light of the torches. The torches were spaced out in the dark hall of the prison. At about ten feet apart from each other. The dim light of the torches couldn't fully engulf the prison hallway. There were many areas that remained untouched by the light.

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I remembered about that move the Goblin King showed me and wondered if I could do the same.

The Goblin King was able to flash towards a direction with a single step. I took a deep breath of air and started to imagine if I could do the same. I wanted to move to each shadow spaced by the light with a single step. I held my breath and focused to the shadow behind the torch in front of me. My muscles tightened and I felt a pulse of power.

In an instant, I had flashed towards the dark shadow and I couldn't help but smirk. What other powers did the Goblin King have? These abilities were fantastical in nature and I never believed that I would acquire them. What exactly were these abilities and this system that the voice talked about? I couldn't believe that this was magic or any actual skill in the world.

I flashed forward again and was about ten feet away from the guards. I felt the hint of fear and anxiety that I would be caught. I use the power of magic steal to gather my belongings. I looked at the guards and saw that they weren't paying attention. As quietly as I could, I slipped on my clothes and other items. The Guards hadn't noticed me as they were conversing with each other in the dark hall.

"I think that thief is going crazy."

"Really?"

"Yes, I could hear him talking to himself."

"I don't know why the King has kept him here."

"It seems he's one of the companions to the Oracle."

"He's the one who took the King's daughter?"

"Yes, the King is worried that she hasn't returned yet."

"I understand the King's worry, the lifespan of a human is too short."

"But that's why she is such a dazzling light."

"I know, everyone has told me that she's a prodigy in the world of magic."

I knew how much Liz meant to the Elves in the Wild Forests. Just like the King, I was worried where Liz had gone. I didn't think that the Elven race would embrace her and even for King Ren to name her his daughter. She wasn't a princess because she wasn't the true daughter of the King. Nevertheless, King Ren had raised her and loved her like she were truly his own flesh and blood. I just hoped that where ever she is, she's safe.

I finished wearing my belongings and hanging my broken sword on my belt. I looked at the doorway between the two guards and pondered my next move. That doorway was the only entrance and exit to the prison. One of the guards suddenly was startled by something and checked his belt. Both the guards moved toward my direction and I became flustered. I didn't want to be seen by the guards and I didn't want to fight my way out.

"I'm missing my keys."

"Are you sure?"

"I hope that thief hasn't stolen them."

"I'll help you look for them."

Then I remembered the chain of keys I had and knew I now have my window of opportunity.

It seems that one of the Elven guards finally realized he had been missing the keys on his belt. I quickly moved back to the previous two spots of darkness separated by the torch lights. I pressed myself against the wall and placed the keys down. I kick the chain of keys on the ground to the full view of the torch light. I slowed my breathing and waited for the Elven guards. My vision moved down to the guards and they seemed to have noticed something.

The guards peered down the middle of the hallway to the keys reflected by the light.

"There it is, you dropped them."

"I could've sworn it was on my belt."

I waited for the guards to come close in the light and I would flash through them using the shadows.

"Did you feel something?"

"Just a breeze."

"Down here?"

"It happens."

I pulled my hood over my head and moved for the exit.

I look back at the guards and see them walking down the dim hallway to the keys on the ground. I was relieved that the guards still haven't caught me. If I had to say why I would say it was because of the skills I acquired from the Goblin King. Now I could understand why these Reincarnators were as powerful as they are. At the very least I could use these abilities in dealing with the Demon Lord.

Swiftly, I exited the prison and out of the Elven Castle with no obstacles.

Now I had to find Vera in the Elven city and hoped that she could lead me to the North Mountains. I could feel the goosebumps on my skin as I thought about the North Mountains and the dark things that reside there. I would have to face those things eventually and I just hope that I wouldn't be weak enough to succumb to them. Time was not on my side for the things I need to do.

I could only move as fate directed me as I searched the Elven city of Avalon.

There seemed to be a commotion in the city and I looked around to see a gathering of people. Some of them looked haggard and bloody. They were crying and a solemn silence filled the air. They looked like merchants and had carriages which looked badly damaged. An Elf man was screaming to people for help.

"Please! Anyone! I beg of you! Help me find my children!"

More people started to gather in the crowd.

"Please! Save them! They are stuck in the North Mountains! We were chased by beasts!"

The crowd of people seemed to look away.

"Anyone! I beg of you!" The Elf was on his knees.

Before I could step forward and offer my help, an Elf woman with Lilac hair appeared.

"I can help you," she said. "But I don't know if I can do it alone."

I looked at her and saw that it was Vera.

It seems that fate would guide me to the direction I needed.