"Untamed, therefore it has no name. This land has existed for an era beyond the reach of human memory. A realm governed by people yet watched over by something far greater... and more powerful. These are the high spirits of all things. We call them wisps, Adolph."

"What exactly is a wisp, Niche?"

"A wisp is a formidable entity; one that has breathed history and life into this land. There are countless numbers of them, but their origins remain unknown. No one knows anything about them, except for the blessings they bestow and the purpose they strive to fulfill in this land."

"So in other words... A god?"

"Some inhabitants of this land do indeed refer to them as such. But in reality, the wisps are no gods at all."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because all wisps, even the most powerful among them, bow to a force far mightier—something far more powerful than them."

"And... what is that?"

"The law of the world."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"A law?"

"Something unwritten yet absolute. An authority born from unparalleled complexity. It is the reason the wisps cannot act directly within this land, as the world's law prohibits their powerful presence. Thus, they have all opted for a method that satisfies this law."

"What is that method?"

"By appointing a champion and giving them tasks in accordance to their will."

"Like a proxy?"

"Something like that, yes."

"And that champion... is supposed to be me?"

"Yes. You are one of the hundreds selected before you. And the wisp that chose you... is the one who governs over souls—the soul wisp."

"Souls..."

"You are now a persona whose life is bound to the wisp's purpose. One who has received their blessings and, in turn, executes their will upon this land."

"Then, judging from your knowledge... are you a champion too, Niche?"

"No, I am not. I am nothing but a servant to a champion. To you, Adolph."

"What difference does that make?"

"A champion decides who becomes their servants, transforming them into individuals committed to the wisp's cause. You, for example, have the authority to do so. To create disciples—allies. All for the wisp that granted you their blessings."

"This sounds like a hierarchical system... and some kind of religion."

"You may interpret it as such."

"Moreover, everything you've said sounds like a lot of work."

"This is more than just work. This is your life now, Adolph. A life granted by the soul wisp."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"The soul wisp... They also mentioned something, Niche."

"What is it?"

"About becoming a benefactor, helping people, and then that I'll seek what I want at the end of everything."

"Mhmm, yes. I recall hearing something like that. When the soul wisp made you dormant as they shielded you from the eyes of other wisp champions."

"Dormant? What do you mean?"

"I was there too. I came into existence as you began to awaken. At that time when you thought you were asleep, dreaming, and hearing words."

"What? You were there?"

"Yes. As for those words, they might have been the wisp's parting message to you. Their final advice—"

"Wait?! Parting?! Where are they now?"

"Gone. At least in this place."

"Gone? Why?"

"It seemed that the other wisps didn't approve of the soul wisp of choosing and making someone as their champion. Thus, they sent an immediate force to... enforce that idea. To ensure that the soul wisp does not influence anyone. To reject everything that the soul wisp touches."

"And because I am supposed to be this soul wisp's champion, I became their target?"

"Exactly."

"Then, these thugs were part of that force?"

"No. These thugs arrived much later. They were soldiers—branded with three different emblems. Worse, they were accompanied by five champions. Unfortunately, who they were is beyond my knowledge."

"But you've seen them, right?"

"From the wisdom and memory the soul wisp has granted me, yes."

"What happened?"

"It was early dawn, before daybreak. They surrounded the hill, and their target was this lone hovel here."

"How could they be sure that this was my exact location?"

"I'm sorry, but I do not know how they tracked your presence. I only have the memory of how everything happened."

"Tell me then, Niche."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"An old man was the first to confront those forces. At first, their conversation seemed to progress smoothly..."

"That's Mycen—"

"But then a lady rushed to his side, causing an uproar with one of the champions. A short fight broke out. The old man protected the young lady from the incoming soldiers, even killing a few. In the end, both of them were taken into custody all under the tense of promoting peace, or so they've said."

"What about the other young men? Did you see them?"

"They also rushed in to help, but it was hopeless. They were against a wisp champion, and there were five of them. They were restrained easily and held captive as the champions searched the hovel."

"They were looking for me..."

"And they found you... in the barn."

"And then?"

"You chanted the incantation for resurrection without an offering but still regained your form. You lunged at one of the champions and... I'm sorry, but I don't know what happened after that. The next thing I know is that you were left on the grass outside, still dormant."

"I can't remember doing any of that. But if what you said is true, then I must have fought them... and I was defeated."

"That is also my guess."

"What happened to everyone else?"

"All of the champions and their forces have left. The rest of the young men are inside the hovel, distressed by the fact that the old man and the lady were taken."

"Mycen was taken?"

"That's what I've heard, and that's all I know."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"Everything is a mess... Nothing went right again."

"Wrong, Adolph. There is one undeniable fact that went completely well: you inherited the soul wisp's blessings. You became their champion. The blessings you have are so important and powerful, enough for other wisps to take such drastic measures. You are... special."

"No... I'm not special."

"Yes, you are. Now, you have something you have to do, and here I am to help you."

"No... Niche, listen. This is... a heavy responsibility for me."

"Mhmm. It is."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I also don't understand... why did they pick me for this?"

"That, I don't know. But there must be a reason why. And I believe that this reason will reveal itself in time."

"You know I was supposed to be dead..."

"But you are alive—right now."

"You saw that dream too, right? You were there, right?"

"Yes, and that dream was dark and lonely. Something I wouldn't want to be stuck in if we ever meet our end."

"Right... Wait, our end?"

"Yes—our end."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Simple. I am completely bound to you in everything you do—such is how I was created. Your mind is my mind, your life is my life. Together. I shall always be there wherever you are."

"That means... if I die, then you also..."

"Yes. That's right. Whether we are buried deep beneath the ground or sank to the bottom of the sea. Even if you are forgotten as a relic of the past or when we meet our true end. Wherever we may find that end, I shall be there with you."

"I... I don't know what I should feel about that."

"Why? Does it burden you?"

"It does... I'm bothered by the idea of dragging someone else to death along with an... empty person like me."

"I agree that you are empty. With the way things are now, only a dark and sad death awaits ahead of you—ahead of us."

"That's it Niche. That's why—"

"That's why we should fill that emptiness with something before we end, don't you think?"

"What?"

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"To experience things, do things, and live through more things. For each day that you live, there will be something that surely happens. It doesn't matter whether they are good or bad. We'll keep doing that until we arrive at the finish line. Whatever, wherever, and whenever that may be. Then I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about—things to look back on. There will be no darkness, only tons of memories. We'll talk about them all... you and I, for the rest of eternity."

"That's some... poetic persuasion, Niche."

"But it doesn't sound so bad, right?"

"You and I... for an eternity, was it?"

"Mhmm... So what do you say, Adolph?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure. But... if this death you've mentioned is true..."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to try again..."

Six times. Niche had chanted the same incantation over and over again six times—one for each thief they had slain.

Adolph was there watching Niche the entire time, leaning whatever was left of his weary back against the side of the well. He sat there quietly as they talked, his worn-out armor basking in the last rays of the sun before it made its complete descent beyond the western horizon.

Niche sprang into his view, along with six soul essences trailing its furry tail behind. Its adorable, tiny steps crunched the dirt below as Niche made its way beside Adolph.

"I thought you were slashed earlier?" Adolph asked out of nowhere, only now noticing the lack of injury on Niche's body.

" And I thought you were watching me closely? Such a wound had regenerated long ago before we began our talk. My body might be small, but it has its perks too."

"Is that so..."

"Jealous?"

"Hmph. How cheeky."

When Niche was near enough, the six essences floated toward Adolph, touched his body, and one after another, they all were completely absorbed.

"That should be seven now," Niche stated. "Did you finally cheer up?"

"I do feel more calm now," Adolph answered.

"Alright. Let's continue now then. You should move closer to that corpse over there."

"But... why?"

Niche looked back at Adolph with squinted eyes. "It's for the cost of the incantation, remember? I told you earlier... You need a soul essence and a body for the resurrection to restore your base form."

"Oh... I guess you did say that earlier."

"You already have the former, now go get the latter."

At Niche's order, Adolph pushed himself off the side of the well and crawled toward a thief's body who died from the hatchet.

"Near enough?" asked Adolph.

"If you can touch the body, then it is near enough." Adolph crawled a little further, just enough for his hand to touch the bloody head of the thief.

"Alright. Now let's do some quick learning. Chant the incantation yourself."

Adolph slowly turned his head toward Niche beside him. With a surprised tone, he asked, "What?"

"The incantation for resurrection. Do it,"

"Uh... How does it go again?"

"Chant the line—resurrection... soul-binding of the damned."

"Do I only have to say it? Isn't there something else I have to know?"

"Well... In the first place, incantations are like wishes. A wish you make to the world law, and that body material there acts like your offering to make it successful. It works just like that, so you might just have to treat it like... a ritual."

"Is that so?"

Adolph collected his composure, his breath steadying as he placed his hand on the thief's lifeless head. The air around him seemed to be still, with quiet anticipation hanging heavy. After a moment's pause, he gathered his thoughts together—and then...

Resurrection, Soul-Binding Of The Damned

The thief's body began to unravel, dark matter enveloping it like a shroud. It tore apart into hundreds of black shreds, swirling and disintegrating into dust that floated toward Adolph. The particles coalesced, forming a hazy shape that took on the rough outline of Adolph's missing limbs. Slowly, this ethereal form solidified, the details sharpening until—

WHOMP.

Adolph's body was restored, fully reconstituted to his former state. He marveled at the sensation of wholeness, flexing his newly regenerated limbs.

"Doesn't seem to be hard," Adolph remarked, lying down on the grass. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, he stared blankly at the early night sky with the stars beginning to twinkle in the deepening twilight.

"Yes. Chanting an incantation already approved by the world law isn't supposed to be hard, so long as you have the required materials to do it."

"Is that so?" Adolph mused.

"But creating or even modifying an existing incantation is a whole different matter. I suggest you call out the name of the world law to see what I mean."

With curiosity piqued, Adolph shifted his gaze toward Niche. "It has a name?" he asked.

"Physis," Niche answered, its voice clear and deliberate. "Open your champion's privilege by calling out its name."

PHYSIS.

Adolph

Champion of the Soul Wisp

Familia: --

Soul Essence: 6

Acquired Blessings: 0

Incantations: 2

A dark, floating panel appeared before Adolph, its transparency subtly blocking the view of the night sky. White text embedded within it glowed faintly, like an informative piece from a bestiary note. Adolph calmly scanned the holographic screen with a sense of familiarity.

"You don't seem to be surprised," Niche commented. "Here I thought you would be."

"I've read enough stories in the past to understand how this might work. They call it something like... a system in my old world."

"Then I guess it'll be an easy lecture from here on out."

"Honestly, it doesn't seem to be any different." Adolph sat up, facing Niche more directly. "But still, tell me what I have to know."

Niche moved in front of Adolph, whispering, "Physis," and summoning its privilege.

"What?" Adolph was bewildered that he couldn't see the black hologram in front of Niche like he had.

"Everyone has their privilege that can't be accessed by others," Niche explained.

"I see..."

"There is your name and your title, followed by the familia you belong to."

"A familia?" Adolph's curiosity kicked in again because of the new word he encountered.

"A group of champions banded together by oath. A family, basically," Niche explained.

"Alright... And I guess this soul essence here tells me the number of those soul orbs I've got?"

"To which you should always keep track of, for the most incantation we do demands that as a primary resource."

"I'll keep that in mind" Adolph brought down his focus to the next item. "What about these acquired blessings?"

"Mhmm... That one needs some hands-on experience. Come with me." Niche's voice was gentle yet firm, guiding Adolph toward the next phase of learning. Adolph followed Niche, weaving through the aftermath of their skirmish strewn with corpses. They stopped before the lifeless body of Barth.

"I've left this one for you to try the other incantation. Salvation, the one that extracts a soul from a dead body." Niche gestured toward Barth's corpse, urging Adolph to step forward and do his part.

"Alright. I remember you've said it like..."

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

Suddenly, a black orb rose from Barth's chest, its surface swirling with dark flickers like a fire. However, this soul essence was different. It glowed brightly with a golden hue, shimmering amidst the dim surroundings.

"How could such a wicked soul glow in gold?" asked Adolph.

"You are mistaken. That glow doesn't signify the purity of one's soul. It means something else."

"Then what does it—"

You have absorbed a wisp blessing.

Another black screen materialized before Adolph, cutting the words he was still about to ask Niche. The screen notified him something about a wisp blessing, which Adolph was surprised to see.

Niche's voice broke through his trance, providing clarity to Adolph's curiosity. "This person chanted an incantation earlier, and it only meant that he had the blessing of a wisp. That glow around his soul confirms it."

"And you're telling me that I can absorb those blessings?" Adolph asked, reaching out for the glowing soul essence before him.

"We grow with their souls, therefore we thrive in death—as I've said. A blessing resides within one's soul, and as reavers of the soul, we absorb them along the way. A convenient way to progress, and to grow."

The first gust of the night wind blew over the two, drawing their attention toward the other direction... Toward the campfire, where three more bodies lay in wait for their own salvation.

"I didn't touch their souls. I think it is for you to decide what to do with them," Niche said.

Adolph nodded his head—a solemn gesture of appreciation. "Thank you, Niche..."

.

.

.

"I'll do what needs to be done."