“First Generation?” Astaroth tilted her head slightly. “This pathetic thing can propagate?”
“Pathetic?” Asmodeus lightly giggled. “The first generation will be able to infect other dead souls that it kills or perform binary fission after devouring sufficient souls, giving birth to countless second generation Spectral Souls, and so on and so forth. The existence of Spectral Souls and its Living Armor variants are the reason why His Majesty could assassinate one of the Immortal Wardens of Tartarus Penal World, and you think his methods are pathetic?”
“My dear Asmodeus, it’s better if you keep silent about that.” This brief exchange allowed Mordred to finish whatever he was doing. He then turned towards the kneeling Spectral Soul. “From henceforth, you are Desir: my first soul slave. I have high expectations of you.”
"My entire being overflows with gratitude, Your Majesty, and I fear that a mere thousand thanks would only scratch the surface of my indebtedness to you. You are a paragon of generosity and benevolence, a shining beacon of hope and inspiration for all who have the honor of serving under your glorious reign." The Spectral Soul is not slacking to show off its reverent attitude towards its creator with over-the-top words that made Astaroth’s metaphorical stomach churn with disgust.
Whatever the spectral being was before being converted into his current form is no longer important. Much like demons could demonize or how dragons could dragonize other races, Mordred was also able to corrupt, humanize, others into a spectral-type human variant that suits his need. The final form that it took was highly similar to a human, but its likeness only goes as far as its appearance. Its undead nature emulating a human results in an eerie sensation, evoking the uncanny valley effect when one gazes upon its countenance.
“Your soul foundation is currently at 4-man soul. It’s not bad, but not good either. I’ll have you standby for further arrangements.” Mordred’s truesoul dissipates in the phylactery world as he had returned his attention to the physical world.
There was someone who disturbed his peaceful ‘meditation’. “State your purpose. I have little patience for idle chatter.” He spoke with a coarse tone, blatantly showing his hostility to the newcomer that entered his tent without consent.
“I wanted to talk with you.” The newcomer is a female dressed in leathery combat robe, having long pointed ears and dark red shoulder-length hair. She has a pair of thick, curved and pointed horns resembling that of a ram’s horns. They are a deep shade of crimson, with a slightly glossy finish that reflects some level of light even in the darkness of the night. The horns are symmetrical and protrude from the side of her head, but considering the small size, it shouldn’t be used for combat.
Mordred shook his head. Even if this caprine-beastman spoke with an amiable tone, the fact that she did not introduce herself and intrude into his personal tent without consent is enough for him to kill her in most cases. “Speak.” He curbed his rising killing intent so as not to kill randomly.
“Hmm, so you’re the source of the killing intent. No wonder you’ve killed the most amongst the apprentices in that battle." The caprine-beastman touched her pale chin before looking directly at Mordred’s eye. “My name is Kaishin, I am the Grade-A spirit talent of Remaki village, it’s a pleasure to make an acquaintance.” She muttered with a hint of superiority in her tone.
“Grade-A spirit talent? How quaint. Do excuse my lack of enthusiasm, but I fail to see how such trivial details are relevant to me.”
Kaishin seemed to receive emotional damage, but she kept it hidden with her smiling facade. “Isn’t it natural for fellow geniuses to make acquaintances with each other. Shouldn’t you be grateful that I’ve come to approach you first.”
“Grateful? Please, do not mistake my lack of enthusiasm for ingratitude. I simply find your presumption amusing.” Mordred’s killing intent continues to recede because he truly is amused by the audacity of this girl.
“I am not one to beg for attention, Satoru. My talents speak for themselves. But I can see that you are not used to being approached by someone of my caliber. Perhaps you should learn to appreciate those who are truly worthy of your time and attention.”
“You are definitely not worth my time.” Mordred spat, but his toxic words lacked killing intent. “Your arrogance is matched only by your foolishness. I suggest you learn some humility before it is too late. Now then, state your purpose. I doubt you came all this way just to waste my time with your pitiful presence.”
Kaishin clicked her tongue under her breath, perhaps suppressing anger but considering Mordred is also a genius the same level of her, she could somewhat tolerate it. “It has come to my attention that you have not formed a group to accompany you. As a fellow genius, it would be a waste to see your talents go to waste. Therefore, I am extending an invitation for you to join my party with me as the leader. Consider it an opportunity to elevate yourself amongst your inferiors.”
“What party?” Mordred revealed ignorance. “Elaborate.”
“Hmmph, it appears that your mental capacity is not sufficient to grasp the complexity of this matter. Allow me to simplify it for you.” She scoffed, the edge of her lips curved upwards thinking that she had an edge on him. “The Association’s Hunters do not operate solo, all of them are always in a party. Radiant Desolation and Twin Helix, for example, each led ten and eleven skilled Hunters, covering each other’s weaknesses while augmenting their strength flawlessly. In our case, I can see that you have a modicum of proficiency as a marksman, while I, as a genius strategist, can offer my matchless intellect to our cause. If we combine my brilliance with your talent, we may just have a chance to survive until we reach the Academy.”
Mordred stared blankly at her for a few moments. The awkward silence was deafening for Kaishin as her smile was quickly betrayed by her nervousness which was revealed by her cold sweat.
“HAHAH!” Mordred suddenly laughed uproariously, his hostile attitude completely softened down, but his choices of words are still something that he didn’t usually use to his peers. “Your attitude is hardly a surprise why your own allies would keep their distance from you. Nevertheless, what evidence can you offer to prove that you won’t be a liability by my side? I have no interest in mingling amongst inferiors.”
Kaishin’s lips opened and closed multiple times, seemingly wanting to reply but doubtful at her own thoughts. In her perspective, his question was extremely logical because unlike the youths from Mira village, those from her home village couldn’t fight like a Hunter would. They are better suited to nurture livestock.
Yes, some of the Remaki villagers could enslave beasts and use them as military resources, but most of them are simply noncombatants. Rather than fighting, they could contribute in nurturing more resources from goat beasts. Even Kaishin, the most spiritually talented youth of Remaki village, could only rely on enslaved goat beasts to fight. Otherwise, she’s as physically weak as any other mages.
Considering these apprentices are not allowed to bring goat beasts of their own due to them being vital resources for Remaki village’s continuity, they are like lions without fangs or eagles without talons and beak.
In other words, harmless.
“Hiroshi, a Grade-C spirit talent, and Tamiyo, a Grade-C martial talent from my village, are superior choices to a weakling such as yourself.” Mordred adds salt to her injury.
Her holier-than-thou attitude is something that he can fully tolerate as long as she’s useful. High-rank cultivators always have an attitude, so facing people with unlikable personality, sometimes having multiple personality disorder, is an everyday occurrence for Mordred. It is understandable for Kaishin to act like that since she has yet to see the vast world, but if she only has talent but not the drive or will to improve, then she’s no different than greenskins in his eyes.
In fact, in Mordred’s eyes, talent can only support you until a certain point. If you want to go further, one must not rely solely on talent.
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“C- chess!” She took out a rectangular box from the small pouch somewhere on her back waist. “It’s a simple strategic board game invented by the Great Archmage four hundred years ago, suitable to measure the skill of both master and new players. Although there's five dimensional chess or its other variants for advanced players, this is sufficient to measure our strategic depth.”
She quickly unfolded the rectangular box. Within, there were small magnetic chess pieces mainly made out of wood. Since he is the one who brought the game into this world, Mordred was able to recognize it instantly but feigned ignorance for obvious reasons. “A strategic game, huh? How do we play this?”
Kaishin tried to suppress the grin on her face, but she wasn’t able to fully conceal her emotion. While describing how to play the game, she acted haughty as if she had the match in the bag. Naturally, Mordred played along and asked a question or two during her explanation, and she was more than happy to answer them all, further fueling her ego.
Confidence oozed from Kaishin’s every pore. ‘Heh, this is going to be easy.’ she thought.
When the game ended seven minutes later, she was completely obliterated. Mordred’s playstyle was one that traded Kaishin’s pieces with his pieces that were worth the same or less. In the end, not only she got defeated with Mordred’s aggressive style, but she got her army of chess pieces dismantled, with the last standing one being her king. As for Mordred, he won with a king, a peon and a bishop.
“Th- this is beginner’s luck! I refuse to accept this!” She protested, asking for a rematch.
The second match ended even worse for her as Mordred’s ‘learning rate’ was extremely high.
Being a sore loser, she requested for a rematch seven times in which the last match ended with her being defeated in two steps, the so-called Fool’s Mate. By then, it was obvious that she, a self-proclaimed genius strategist, couldn’t win in a battle of wits or strategy against a hunter reject that previously lived in a pig sty.
“Pathetic.” He sneered with a hint of amusement. Despite his endless denial of being accused as a sadist by the demons he captured, the fact that his mood improves with her suffering is proof that he derived pleasure from the misfortune of others. “Your arrogance was your downfall. You thought you could defeat me, but in the end, you were just a toothless curr.” He paused, “Or should I say, a cull goat?”
Being a caprine-beastman, she felt utterly insulted by the word cull goat, as it means something more than a goat past their prime in her culture. Kaishin bristled at his words, her face turning red with anger and shame. “I will not be belittled by the likes of you! You should respect your opponents!”
Mordred let out a derisive chuckle “Respect? You have not earned the right to demand such a thing. Your consecutive defeats have already shown your place, and it is beneath me.” He paused for a moment, relishing in her shameful indignance before continuing. “But do not fret, little goat. Perhaps one day you will learn from your mistake and prove to be a worthy opponent.”
He added before she was able to retort, “Your talent is adequate, but it is clear that your current might, wit, and intellect do not match up to my standards. Perhaps with time and under my guidance, you may grow to become someone who is worthy of my respect. For now, I shall permit you to join my party, not as an equal, but as a mere subordinate.” He gives her a counter-offer to her original proposal.
Kaishin’s expression changed multiple times from anger, shame, indignance until finally settled on despair. Her shoulder dropped, her eyes became moist as she began crying.
‘Hahah, it’s no wonder that you were isolated even by your own people. With your haughty attitude, it’s hard to see why people want to be by your side in the first place. Hmm, perhaps your attitude was a defense mechanism against bullying? Well, it matters not.’ Mordred is enjoying her misery as negative emotions such as anger, despair and whatnot is similar to a free meal for him. Undead are infamous for feeding off negative emotions, after all.
Nevertheless, he doesn’t want to push her too far. If she broke, it’ll be hard to fix her heart, especially since he can’t openly or secretly perform a life-alteration surgery on her brain.
With a gentle touch, he brushed away her tears, his eyes conveying a depth of understanding and compassion that she had never seen before. “Do not waste your tears on those who do not deserve them. You deserve better than this. Come with me and I will show you a world where you will be cherished and protected. Those who dare to harm you will face the full force of my scorching bullets.” He continued to stroke her hair, a reassuring gesture that conveyed a sense of safety and warmth. “As a member of my elite ranks, you will be treated with the utmost respect and care. You will never have to suffer again.” The words flowing from his lips no longer contain a condescending tone, but instead like honey, laced with a tempting sweetness that made it impossible to resist.
Unbeknownst to Kaishin, the sound-path Magus has long been weaving a web of hypnotic enchantments into his words. With each utterance, he infused a fraction of his soul radiation, imbuing his voice with a subtle yet potent method if allowed to accumulate that made his enemies more susceptible to his will. His words could disintegrate mountains, shatter hearts, and ignite passions. For Kaishin, the experience was nothing short of transcendent, as the Magus’ voice penetrated her very being, unlocking hidden depths of emotion she never knew existed.
From anger and shame to despair and fleeting hope, she was dragged through a relentless and unforgiving whirlwind of emotions in a short period of time. The unyielding grip of this unfamiliar sensation, with its cruel and merciless intensity, threatened to crush her spirit and leave her broken beyond repair.
This method of breaking down mental barriers and exposing one’s truest self was a common play of the devilish persuasion. Devils would often follow up by corrupting their victim’s soul or manipulating them into signing a Faustian contract. Mordred, known as the Ancient Devil King in some worlds, knew the art of seduction all too well. For him, whispering sweet nothings after breaking a girl’s heart was more effective than any playboy or ladykiller.
“Seek your own destiny, I won’t let you regret joining me.” Mordred continued to whisper, “Don’t let your old ‘friends’ shackle your path. If you join me, I’ll lead you to find new ‘friends’, even stronger ones. Together, we’ll conquer all obstacles, and the world will be at our feet. Trust me, I will never give you up, will never let you down, never run around and desert you. I am your ally, your friend, and your protector. Join me, and you will never regret it…”
His insidious whispers relentlessly eroded away her mental fortitude, like a relentless deluge of water eroding a canyon over time. Kaishin found herself lost in a sea of beguiling words, her mind consumed by the honeyed promises and seductive intonations. It was only after what it felt like an eternity, which was actually around an hour, that she was able to respond properly.
Kaishin’s cheeks turned bright red as she made a choice. Her pride was wounded by her decision, but she could not bear to admit that she had been swayed by his devilish whispers. “I- I only agreed to join you because it’s in my best interest, not because I wanted to be with you,” she muttered, looking away from Mordred. “Don’t get any funny ideas, I won’t be taking orders from you.” She crossed her arms, trying to appear as aloof as possible, but her heart was beating faster than before.
A twisted smirk curled at the corners of Mordred’s lips, a malicious glint flickering in his eyes as he savored Kaishin’s faltering resistance. In that moment, he knew he had her exactly where he wanted- a caprine-beastman with a measure of willpower, but with a few well-chosen words, he could steer her mind like a ship caught in a storm, bending it to his twisted will. He could feel the thrill- the euphoric sensation of domination coursing through his metaphorical veins. The dark delight of subjugation was so addictive that Mordred involuntarily became aroused, but he suppressed his desire for now.
‘The thrill of subjugating others… Is my ego contaminated or have I been affected by my own method?’ Mordred threw the doubt that he had into the back of his mind as he suppressed the thing that was rising on his pants. It was so uncharacteristic of him that he even planned to inspect his truesoul at a later time.
Mordred shrugged his shoulders. “I won’t force you to do anything that you don’t want to do. I accept you just the way you are.”
Kaishin snorted, “I don’t need your acceptance. I can take care of myself!”
Mordred leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a husky whisper, “I know you can, Kaishin. But don’t you want someone to take care of you for a change? Someone who understands your true potential, and values you for who you are, not for what you can do for them?”
Kaishin’s eyes widened at the unexpected tenderness in Mordred’s voices. The fact that he used to act condescending has been replaced by hazy memories of him acting like he cares for her, a self-induced hypnotic suggestion, perhaps a self-defense mechanism to logicize her decision to follow him. For a brief moment, she didn’t know how to act and just stared at him in silence.
Mordred continued, his voice growing even softer. “You have a gift, Kaishin. A rare talent that deserves to be nurtured and developed. I can offer you to find what your talent is and nurture that. And most importantly, I can offer you something that your old ‘friends’ from the village cannot- true companionship, built on trust and mutual respect.”
Kaishin opened her mouth to retort, but found that the words wouldn't come. Instead, she felt a strange warmth spreading through her chest, and a sudden urge to reach out and take Mordred’s stretched hand. But before she could act on the impulse, she quickly composed herself and snatched her hand away. “I don’t need companionship either,” she muttered, trying to sound dismissive.
Mordred simply smiled and took a step back, giving Kaishin her space. “Suit yourself, Kaishin. You know where to find me. I won’t judge you for being who you are.” With a smile as his parting words, she took a seat and meditated, his expression slowly turned to absolute neutrality with his eyes closed.
Seeing that Mordred no longer wanted to converse with her, she took a deep breath before leaving, his words continuing to revolve in her mind.