The world around him faded to oblivion. A sense of weightlessness took over him, the surroundings turning pitch black. Despite his eyes fading away, he could sense everything in the endless plane of void. Deep down, he knew he held absolute control over anything that trespassed into his domain.
The first thing he observed was himself. He gazed upon his soul, an exact replica of him splashed with every colour, both observed and undiscovered. Where his heart was supposed to be ran a red river, crimson flowers blooming on either edge of it.
Daniel turned his gaze outwards, beholding a platform of chiselled stone tiles floating mid-air, restlessly trembling. On top of it was a structure that towered tall above anything, its sheer presence making Daniel pause for a second. He beheld the intricate symbols, which told the stories of countless creatures. They shifted along the arch of ethereal golden metal that made up the entirety of the Gate of Reincarnation with deadly grace.
The gate’s surface shimmered, an iridescent mirage of the same colours that made up his soul. The colours bent and twisted, wanting to be crafted into something more, but locked in place by cruel fate. Not even meeting Death could match the sheer wonder of the thing before him, magic made manifest in its purest form.
A scarlet river ran along the stone tiles, carving a path all the way to the gate. It twisted and winded like a serpent in defiance, an undertone of emotion beneath the red water. There, next to the river, stood the phantasmal soul of the deer that almost took his life, a haunting phantom of what it once was. Its form was distorted, like the summer air by a bonfire. In its soul form, it possessed none of the ferocity it had earlier.
Instinctively, Daniel knew what he had to do. He floated next to the deer, confusion practically radiating from its soul. He placed his left hand on its head, observing the mixture of indigo and cerulean blue inside his hand. Slowly, he planted his feet on the stone and walked along the river, guiding the soul next to him with a gentle pull. For a moment, he wondered how he could’ve ever been scared of such a beast.
The passage of time was nonexistent here. For the beast, the walk must’ve lasted an eternity. For Daniel, it was only a few short moments. Before long, the two of them stood before the gate, gazing into its depths. A gentle push was more than enough for the deer as it steeled its resolve and charged into the shimmer, disappearing for all of eternity.
“May your next life be more peaceful,” he said a quick prayer for it, hoping it helped the thing. Next to the gate, a black plaque materialised from the void, golden letters carved into it.
Soul Points: 1
The moment he beheld the letters, a book appeared in his hands, a bold title reading: Underworld Management.
Current Buildings:
Gate of Reincarnation - A mythical structure that allows souls to reincarnate in the myriads of worlds. Converts the weight of the soul into Soul Points, which are used to shape the underworld.
Spirit Reception Lounge - A place to receive and house wandering intelligent spirits from the outside world. The wielder of the gate will not be able to exert full authority on the spirits invited.
Soul Board - The board shows the closest three unique souls as a form of a bounty. Completing the bounty rewards the wielder with a unique soul, Soul Points and other rewards. The wielder will always know the direction of the soul.
Below these was a separate list, this time in grey.
Constructible Buildings:
Soulbound Forge (100 SP) - Allows the wielder to imbue unique souls into equipment or craft entirely new equipment using Soul Points.
Hall of Trials (100 SP) - Allows the wielder access to the trials created by other Soul Reapers of the different worlds. Allows the wielder to earn skills and equipment upon passing the trial.
Spirit Extraction Chamber (100 SP) - Allows the wielder to use Soul Points to extract memories from a particular soul.
Daniel was still far away from the required amount of Soul Points, but he believed the day would come sooner than later.
Once again turning his attention outwards, he floated next to an ordinary building constructed from white marble. Square and unremarkable from the outside, he entered through the door and marvelled at the inside.
White columns supported an ornate room, every inch of stone covered in cryptic letters. In the middle, a white pylon crackled with electricity, phantasmal mist surging through it. His hand reached for it, the electricity harmlessly bouncing against his soul. How fascinating.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
A hallway connected to it revealed ten different doors with blanked-out name plaques. Opening the closest one on the left, Daniel beheld only mist. He would have to return here once he received his first guest. For now, it would have to remain a mystery.
The next building was of much more interest. It was wrong to call it a building, really. A rectangular piece of wood supported by two legs - that was the essence of a medieval bounty board. The wood was ancient and scarred, but still somehow solid enough. On it were pinned three pieces of papyrus, exactly the same as Death held in his hands.
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Wanted: Velkir The Scarred
Accused of permanently destroying other souls.
Target details:
The soul resides within the body of a Silvermoon Wolf, enhanced by necromancy. The target leads a large wolf pack, rapidly growing his influence. He possesses the ability to devour other souls and steal their abilities.
Last spotted: Emerald Woods
Reward: Beastly Soul, 100 SP, Wolf Aspect (Unique).
Origins:
The art piece of a cruel necromancer, Velkir houses in his wolf body the amalgam of souls from a hundred different animals. Twisted by malice and rage, he treats himself as a cruel tyrant, ruling over all life and endlessly growing his power. With time, he might become a threat to humanity.
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Wanted: Vivienne of Vesperia
Accused of prolonging her life for 300 years.
Target details:
An ancient vampire, a necromancer, and a blood mage. She has pale skin and violet hair but can use illusion magic to make herself appear as anything. Powerful charm magic means she has many thralls under her already.
Last spotted: The ruins of Drevor Keep.
Reward: Scarlet Soul, 300 SP, Scarlet Tide (Unique)
Origins:
Vivienne's soul was supposed to die three hundred years ago. When the grim reaper knocked, she delayed her death using every method possible, her soul becoming more and more twisted as a result. To this day, she defies death, stubbornly clinging to her mortal shell, practising sacrificial rituals and leaving thousands dead.
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Wanted: Nefarianth the Shadowbound
Accused of demonic possession.
Target details:
The demon resides in the son of an influential figure in the city. It is capable of lesser demonic rituals, mind-influencing and corrupting magic. Likely has other demonic familiars under it. It is the master of shadows, capable of melding into them and shaping them as it wills.
Last spotted: Verdant City.
Reward: Demon Soul, 300 SP, Shadow Step (Unique)
Origins:
When Corbin drew the sigils to summon a demon, he expected a succubus. Instead, the boy’s potential had drawn in a more ancient demon, who offered him an innocent deal. Nefarianth patiently waited until the boy’s desire grew too much, tricking Corbin into fusing with him. Now, the boy is eternally trapped, watching the machinations of the demon in action.
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This time, the choice was simple. The lower SP reward must have meant an easier target, and Daniel still wasn’t confident he could kill something human, or what once was human. His spectral hand reached out and he took Velkir’s bounty, tearing it in half.
Looking inwards into his soul, he saw a contract settle deep inside of his soul, next to the red river. Remembering the past, Daniel scoured his soul once more. No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find Death’s contract. Strange.
He lingered around for a few more moments, taking in the strange world around him. Then, his entire being collapsed, and once again, the world was whole. He stared at the ceiling and shuddered, remembering what had just transpired. The Daniel floating around in the underworld was both him and a complete stranger. The sense of absolute power made his emotions dull, his ego and arrogance inflating, something he hoped would change now that he was aware of it.
“I don’t know how I can go back to normal after this. What even is normal?” he said, more to himself than anyone else. Breathing deep, he closed his eyes, sleep taking him in an instant.
***
A loud knocking on the door interrupted his dreamless slumber. “Sir Daniel, the dinner is ready. Lord Lucius and others will be returning from the training yard momentarily.”
Daniel groggily rolled over, staring at the door. Several seconds passed in silence. He expected the man to barge into the room, but no such thing happened. “I’ll be there,” he shouted, standing up and stretching. He overheard several more knocking sounds and loud conversations, though the man called no one else besides him a sir or a madam.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed a vague silhouette slithering through the ground. Squinting his eyes, he saw that the hazy figure was the same winding river he had seen in his soul, only this time, it was spectral and grey. It flowed out of the room, turning to the right, out of his sight.
He stood up to follow it, but it was at this moment that Daniel realised he still had no shirt on. Opening the chest, he had to choose between having a massive burn hole in his clothes or going around naked. He briefly considered which would be more polite before putting on the shirt. Then, he stood next to a small, ornate mirror, taking himself in for the first time in years.
Surprise coloured his face as he beheld himself. No longer was he emaciated and thin, no longer was his face gaunt and sickly. Instead, he had travelled back in time to when he was eighteen, still athletic enough to play sports.
Daniel was lithe and agile, his short black hair framing a face that excluded quiet determination. His fair complexion mixed with his deep blue eyes, a smile naturally forming on his lips. He wore a blue button-up, now torn and burned, and a pair of dark blue jeans. Standing at six feet, his straight posture and square shoulders exuded a sense of confidence that the present Daniel no longer had. The years of bedrest had worn away many things that he hoped to regain one day.
He ran his hands through his hair, taking in a deep breath. Then, with a spring in his steps, he opened the door and stepped into the guild proper.