AN: Hey guys, first apologies for the late release, I had some writer's block at a couple points and the words just weren't coming out in a way that left me satisfied.
Also, although i promised updated stat tables, Lea still hasn't checked her status yet, and Asher's is probably going to be drastically different after erm... that thing in the story that happens after he checks his status.
Sorry that my tables are still really crappy, haven't really had time to look at more info on that stuff.
Lastly, please leave any comments, critiques, or question below! Thanks!
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Chapter 3
‘……why am I a Lost Soul?’
Shortly after I finished absorbing the rest of my classmates (sorry guys but it’s a soul eat soul world), I received a notification describing myevolution. This was accompanied by a sensation of ‘oneness’. I’m not sure how else to describe it.
Before my evolution, I felt that I had to work to keep the pain of around 300 other beings at bay to even think but now… no more pain, no more sense ofalmost being buried alive amongst a sea of alien feelings. Now, I finally have a sense of ‘body’, though I seem to just be an amorphous blob. I couldn’tgive you dimensions because well… I have nothing with which to compare myself. Even though my spiritual perception seems to have improved, the only feelingI can get from my surrounding is an oppressive darkness. No end, no beginning, just an infinite space with me at its center.
The notifications also confirmed my current existence as a soul… except… lost? Why!? Just call me a soul! Why tack a ‘lost’ on there? Is it because thissystem thinks I’m a lost cause? Is it because the system thinks I’m hopelessly directionally challenged? Fuck you system, I’m a genius! I should be aGenius Soul, or a Brilliant Soul, or… or a Super Smart Soul! Behold my peerless naming sense. No really, even my status says I’m super smart… probably.
Name: UnknownSoul Force1250/1250Level1System Credits200RaceLost SoulClassNoneStatusStrength10 (-9)Mind25Constitution10Spirit105 (+10)Agility10 (-9)Intelligence30Dexterity10 (-9)Perception50 (+1)SkillsAbsorptionIntermediate Lvl 1PossessionBeginner Lvl 1Spiritual PerceptionBeginner Lvl 5Cogito Ergo SumIntermediate Lvl 2Soul ForceMasterAcquired StatusEndurance94Willpower96
See? Look at that intelligence! I’m three times smarter than the normal human… I hope. Wait! I got another skill too… and what the hell is this soul force?I still don’t have a name either. Hmm… Maybe that System Manual will tell me something.
Nothing happened.
...
‘Open System Manual!’
…
‘Run System Manual! Execute System Manual! View System Manual!’
…
This stupid thing is broken! There should be a manual for this! Wait, calm down, I’m three times smarter than the average human being, this should be easily within my grasp. So this system manual seems to be unresponsive toward thought commands… maybe it’s voice activated?
…
I’m a fucking soul! I don’t have a voice, that’s cheating! I backtracked and looked over the floating screens. That’s when I saw it.
Notice!
Due to racial restrictions, Basic Class Guidebook
cannot be rewarded. System Manual will have limited access.
Status corrections will be rewarded in lieu of the
Basic Class Guidebook.
Racial restrictions… ahh I get it. The system is a racist! Withholding information just because I’m a 1/16 Hispanic Lost Soul! I don’t even speak Spanish!I continued to rage at the injustice.
*DING*
‘Whaaa?’
Notice!
System Manual calibration complete.
Information will now be transmitted
directly to the soul.
‘Whaaaaaaaaaaa?’
That’s all my brilliant self had to say before a physical wave of information crashed into my consciousness. After a brief period of disorientation (my recovery was fast because I’m SMART! REALLY!), I was able to organize my new ‘memories’. Verbatim, it went something like this:
The Immortal System was created by the Great Pantheon of Gods in order to nurture and develop immortal soldiers to fight the forces of Entropy. Not only does the System accurately assess and display an individual’s current abilities, it also provides a means by which the various denizens of the System can interact with one another…
…accordingly, the most important function of the System is its significance to the training of Immortal soldiers. Progress in physical status can be easily visualized in a numeric value. Additionally, the System itself awards materials to aid in the progress of young Immortals. Once a member that is at least a basic race (human, demon, elf, dwarf, orc, etc.) reaches level 10, a Basic Class Guidebook will be provided. This Guidebook provides the necessary information for an individual to attaining a class, or a path to power…
…of course, the vast reaches of the Multiverse are not limited to just basic races, sub-races and superior races also exist. Typically, racial evolution (not to be confused with the human’s notion of evolution, nor the andromer notion of deviation), occurs when certain criteria for progress are met, whether that be a level, item, or skill progress…
…and most importantly, System Credits allow for prospective Immortals to hasten their journey toward Ascension to join the Great Gods in their eternal struggle against the forces of Entropy. Using System Credits, individuals can purchase various materials that can hasten the cultivation of their class, insights from past experts, and even direct instruction from the Gods…
…and on and on and on. This System Manual was just a huge info dump. God… err Gods! I guess I’m now a prospective Immortal… in an rpg…trying to survive the apocalypse. Hmm… according to my new memories, it seems that my original race Soul Fragment was a sub-race of the race of Souls. If I read correctly, then the members of the Soul race are actually the progenitors of all life in thisparticular Universe!
Apparently ‘my people’ live in a higher dimension (the 7th out of the 10 dimensions of our universe). After conception (?), we are first sent to give life to any creatures currently being born in the universe. Upon death, we return to our home, our memories are added to the Great Archive of Life,and we can choose to either journey into the universe again, or rejoin the community. Not only that, the greatest perk of our race is that… we’re virtually indestructible. Yep, no matter what you do to a soul, the most that can happen is weakness, dizziness, headaches, memory loss, loss of appetite… wait I think I got sidetracked a little.
Anyways, as much as Souls are virtually indestructible, Soul Fragments are incredibly fragile. Not only do they possess no consciousness (apparently I’m special), they also are easily absorbed by any souls that are more powerful, even other soul fragments!
Now that I’ve evolved to a Lost Soul, I’m thankfully on the level of indestructible. Although it seems that I was somehow forcefully robbed of my return trip after dying and trapped on the mortal dimensions (the first four dimensions). Also, I seem to have some limited access to the 5th dimension, though by rights the first 7 should all be within my grasp.
Huh, it seems that I’ve somehow become an entitled brat, with thoughts of grasping higher dimensions seeming almost natural. Hmm… although this does provide a plausible explanation of my current state of being, I still have no memories of this mysterious 7th dimension. Best to take all of this with a grain of salt I guess.
Alright, I need to get my priorities straight! Apparently I’m about to be thrown into battle against ‘Entropy’ and if I’m not strong enough I’ll probably…die? Eh… better recheck my status. I browsed that floating blue window again and this time, when I tried to prompt it for more information, it delivered.
[table]
Hey! This is much more information than last time. Literally triple the amount of sentences in this description! Hah, must be the effects of that System Manual. Instead of looking over the skills I already had, I looked at my new skill, the one I got from my evolution.
[table]
Absorption:
The method by which members of the Soul race
use to grow. The higher the level, the more complete
the absorption process becomes. The success rate
of Absorption is independent of skill level, and relies solely upont
he power of the Soul.
Soul Force:
As a soul, although indestructible, one can be
weakened to the point of regression,
losing the majority of one’s consciousness
and becoming a Soul Fragment. A soul’s power is represented
by Soul Force, and Soul Force is determined by both Constitution and Spirit.
When Soul Force is exhausted, regression is likely to occur.
I don’t think I like the sound of regression very much…
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A small ember slowly drifted out from the robes of Elder Lich Yemen. The flickering flame was red, with a black border, as if physically depicting darkness within the lich’s Undying Heart. This spark of the elder lich’s soul contained only a tiny portion of his power, and was infused with a single order: subjugate the fragmented consciousness that should have agglomerated within the center of the Lich Cauldron. A simple task really, after all what resistant could an already broken will offer the very soul of an Elder Lich. Fragmented souls with their broken consciousness would never be able to offer an ounce of resistance. An evil light glittered as the lich dropped the burning darkness into his cauldron, with but one order:
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
OBEY
‘Huh?’ I was interrupted from my skills by some strange sound. This was the first time I had actually heard anything since waking up in this infinite dark space, though it didn’t sound too friendly.
OBEY
As the mysterious voice came again, it sounded much closer, and all of a sudden, I could feel something enter within the domain of my spiritual perception.
OBEY. OBEY. OBEY. OBEY.
OBEY. OBEY. OBEY. OBEY.
OBEY. OBEY. OBEY. OBEY.
Accompanying the cacophony was a brilliant spark, glittering in sharp contrast to the pitch black surroundings. Although the spark appeared far more powerful the myriad of dim lights from before, I myself was now a blazing fire compared to this insignificant, though noisy, spark. The volume was really starting to grate on my soul though, so I ate it.
Immediately, a sharp spike of pain lanced through my consciousness, but by now I was used to it, and fully absorbed the weird soul fragment in mere moments. I felt a wave of warmth wash through my ‘body’ and suddenly, I felt my senses explode!
Where before I felt trapped within an infinite space of darkness, now I could clearly feel the bounds of my prison. Seeing the walls, and noticing how thin they were, I decided it was about time for some change in scenery. Gathering myself, I had one thought, ‘charge’.
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Shortly after dropping his refined soul piece into the lich cauldron, Elder Lich Yemen’s skeletal face twisted into an expression of shock. Raising his hand desperately, he dispelled the refining flames surrounding the Lich Cauldron and chanted desperately.
Alver mortuis dif—
*BOOOOM*
A wave of pure darkness expanded in the blink of an eye, bisecting the lich, the chairs, even the walls of the lecture hall. After traveling a distance of about 100 feet, the wave collapsed on itself and dissipated. Everywhere the wave passed through, only ashy flakes remained, and even those began disintegrating almost immediately.
‘I’M FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE’
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Lea sat against the wall. By now, her formerly blond hair looked like a dark red battle helmet. Her skin was covered in dark red, and flakes crumbled and fell every time she trembled. Her cheeks had been thoroughly washed clean by tears and sorrow, what was left resembled a terrifying crimson half-mask,covering the upper half of her face and dripping down along her nose to her chin.
She had failed.
As much as she had tried, Lea couldn’t hold up the Wall, the weight of her trauma far too heavy to contain. Yet when it all collapsed, the bitterness of the pain that flooded her mind and body was nothing compared to the sweet fury that swept through her veins and seduced her very soul. During her entire slaughter, Lea had been awake and aware of her surroundings. Every time she swung the weapon of her tormentors, her world was dyed with another splash of red, until everything she saw had become varying shades of crimson.
She had felt great.
The pure rage surging through her veins had cried out in glee as her view had darkened, urging her onward and forward during her fight against the 500 minotaurs and their Chief. When it was all over, the sweetness of her wrath had receded, and all that remained was the pain.
She hadn’t moved in three days, besides the occasional shiver that ran through her body. Even the various blue windows had not shaken her out of misery. They had started appearing during her fight, but Lea had ignored them in favor of slaughter. Though she had read them, the impact they had was far from enough to shake her introspection.
Congratulations!
The Seed of Wrath has awoken. New skill
Absolute Fury obtained. A Hidden Class Guidebook
has been awarded. Additional evolutionary
pathways have unlocked.
Absolute Fury:
Let the Seed of Wrath take root,
Embrace Pain, Embrace Fury,
Savor the sweetness of Sin, and
Rejoice in War and Slaughter.
Praetor of Irae,
Hidden Class Guidebook
has been awarded.
Notice!
Demonic (human variant) evolution
has been unlocked and will replace
the default pathway.
‘If only I had been faster’
‘If only I had been smarter’
‘If only I had been stronger’
These thoughts spiraled through Lea’s mind, accompanied by corresponding scenes of abuse, and the pain that came after. Now that the Wall was no longerthere, Lea remembered everything in horrid detail, after all, who could ever forget something like that?
The first thing that drew a reaction felt like a strong gust of wind against her soul. Lea looked up and stared in the direction of the engineering complex, startled out of her dark thoughts. It was a welcome distraction though, anything other than thinking about the events of the last week. The sight of broken tables and chairs, as well as other more organic things greeted her eyes. The only object that wasn’t covered with a thin layer of red were those mysterious floating windows.
“Haaa… Even this Immortal System doesn’t think I deserve to be human anymore,” Lea sighed to herself. After reading the introductory information provided in the System Manual, she normally would have felt quite overwhelmed, though after recent events, she figured that only this much really wasn’t enough to shock her anymore.
According to the Manual though, Lea decided that in order to obtain the power she desired, researching a class what be the quickest method. She seemed to have obtained quite the rare class too. Just thinking about the Hidden Class Guidebook resulted in a small flash of light accompanied by a falling book. Opening the cover, the first lines revealed were:
Seize power, and ascend to immortality, with body and soul tempered by the flames of wrath.
‘This all looks rather cheesy, hopefully the contents aren’t a lie.’ Lea mused.
While some of her peers had been enamored by various web novels and other fantasy fictions, Lea herself was a focused girl. Before the minotaurs had appeared, she was just a normal sophomore on the fast track to med school along with a double major in both Neuroscience and Chemistry. Such a demanding course load naturally left no time for recreational activities, reading or otherwise.
The only thing those monsters changed were her goals. Now, Lea knew that her little illusion of order could be shattered at the drop of a hat. That lesson had been thoroughly engraved into her mind and body. The only thing she could do was forcefully resist, and that force had to be obtained by any means necessary. Lea flipped the page and began reading.
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The small tome transformed into an orb of light and flew into her head as Lea flipped the last page.
“So in summary, as a Praetor of Irae, I use the power of anger as a source of strength and vitality. As long as I’m angry enough, my body becomespractically impervious and strong enough to sweep away anything I don’t like. Though the extent of this is dependent upon my anger. Fortunately, this booktaught me how to bottle up all of my emotions in a Rage Core, which would naturally refine them into pure anger. Though this all sounds like a load ofpsycho horseshit.”
Closing her eyes, Rhea crossed her legs and laid her arms across her knees, leaving her palms facing downwards. As dried blood flaked off of her body, Leabegan cultivating the basics of the Praetor of Irae, bottling her emotions up in an imaginary object. This would form her Rage Core and become the sourceof her powers as a Praetor of Irae. The book had said that any object would due, as long as she could also envision the removal of material from theobject.
First, Lea pictured her emotions. This step was crucial and was supposed to be the most difficult, but to Lea, it was uniquely trivial. This is because shehas synesthesia. It had been a constant companion for as long as she could remember; the words and impressions that she heard from people were alwaysaccompanied by a riot of colors, which was why she had turned into such a focused person in the first place. Emotions were especially vibrant, and with hercondition, picturing her own was laughably easy. Simply closing her eyes revealed great clouds of deep purple terror, lined with pulsing black pain as wellas flashing blue stars of sadness, all against dark crimson sky of anger. Sadly, the motes of yellow joy and white hope were few and far between.
Lea saw her mental landscape, and began spinning the myriad colors together. First slowly, then faster and faster as more and more of her emotions wereswirled together into a rainbow mass, though she set a bit of crimson aside. Now she simply needed some form of storage and retrieval. In her mind, she sawthe curved round-bottom flask (google it for a picture) from her last organic lab experiment and then drew a slim tendril from her mass of emotions intothe neck of the flask.
Only a trickle came at first, but soon a trickle became a stream, and a stream became a torrent of colors rushing into the flask until her mindscape turneda uniform grey for the first time in Lea’s life. Only a small patch of dark crimson remained outside and with a thought, Lea shaped it into an imaginaryflame which she placed beneath the flask. Finally, she made a small mental twist, one that would direct future emotions to flow directly into her flask.This would be her Rage Core and her source of survival in the future.
As she finished, Lea opened her eyes and felt oddly empty, as if she had been struggling with all her might against some force, only to have that forcesuddenly removed. She was no longer held down by her emotions, and suddenly her body’s needs were able to break through.
*GRRRUOOOOOOOAWRGLE*
“I’m hungry.”