It was hard to believe that a month had gone by in the outside world. I've read about higher tier ruins having a huge time difference, but experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.

As anyone would expect, people were naturally curious about what went on while I was inside. So I was taken to be interviewed almost immediately after emerging. There was hardly any regard for my thoughts and I felt as I was being deprived of time to breathe.

For the "inconvenience" I was given a foil blanket, a box of cheap takeout, coffee, and even cigarettes. I refused any medical surface and since my injuries were healed at the very and they couldn’t force me to sit through an examination without a good reason.

The only real health-related issue was the feeling of the miasma crawling through my blood vessels. There was no pain, not since I absorbed it, but the sensation of something foreign resting within my body stayed with me. In truth, I wanted to go home immediately, but as there was an uproar about what happened, here I was.

“Ah, sorry for the wait, Mr.Clay,” A man entered the room and sat down across from me. Wearing an amicable smile, he presented a picture to me.

“Now, before anything, there is a matter that needs to be addressed. After you departed from the ruin, we immediately sent in a recovery team to find any possible anomalies however we only found a single body– something resembling a human. There is an autopsy being performed as we speak, but it would help if you filled in a few blanks for us.”

“Do you mind?” I asked as I fiddled with a box of cigarettes.

“By all means,” He gestured in a friendly manner.

I wanted to be careful with my next words, as in, make sure I didn’t accidentally reveal I had received an artifact. I was more than aware I couldn’t trust anyone acting on behalf of the Emerian government. It was surreal to think they I had performed illegal tasks on their behalf just recently.

“I was given a trial,” I exhaled.

I felt my hands clench on their own, my mind still vividly recalling all sorts of pain.

“Could you elaborate on that?” He asked, glancing to a camera nearby.

“Didn't the representative from Red Owl tell you? We went in and everything changed around. After I was left there, I was forced to fight the guardian, but he was different from his original appearance... He began speaking and told that the ruin used to be a proving ground of some kind and I was being tested.”

“So, you're saying that there was a single opponent and he could speak English–”

“No, it wasn’t English…– It was a language I hadn't heard before, but I was able to understand it– And yes, it was only him.” I felt my eyes sink.

“You mean to say that for the past month, you’ve been fighting a single opponent? What about food and drink? You survived this long as a class-three, which considering the circumstances is a miracle in and of itself? Is there perhaps something you are hesitant to speak about? You have to admit it's pretty far fetched as is.”

I couldn’t help but let out a disdainful chuckle. It was hard to believe they decided to be so open with their aggressive approach. I felt like they wanted me to slip up by bombarding me with questions and implying I was being dishonest. And if that failed, I suppose there’d be another method.

“Have you ever broken a bone?” I asked him plainly.

“No ...A sprained ankle is as close as I’ve ever gotten.”

“Well, I can tell you now, it hurts a lot and it’s even worse when it happens repeatedly. I doubt you’ve ever been beaten unconscious for days on end or given just enough nourishment that you won’t die from starvation… Have you ever lost your sense of time? In that ruin, there was only a blue sky, no sunrise or sunset, not even a single cloud. In between the periods of having my bones broken and my organs ruptured, I found it hard to keep myself centered. But do you know what the worst part is? It's listening to you ask me stupid questions.”

“I’m sorry if I–”

“No, don’t be sorry.” I waved my hand lightly, ignoring the surge of violent urges he caused, I continued, “I’ve already had enough.”

“Excuse me? E-Enough of what?”

“Enough of you and just this entire thing in general. I gave you answers and now I want to leave.”

“Please, I understand you may have gone through a traumatic experience, but try to be reasonable. This event is the first of its kind and we need to–”

“Am I being held for a crime?”

“N-No, you aren’t. We just need to be thorough for public safety–”

“Yeah right,” I said with a sneer.

Artifacts, ingredients, minerals, the bottom line was resources. The truth of the matter was, the majority of interest in ruins were about the prospects they brought in fields of engineering, medicine, and technology. Every nation in the world was in an arms race of sorts, at least, that’s what I gathered from the growing innovations coming from ruins.

“Mr.Clay–”

“If you can't legally hold me then I’m leaving.” I put out my cigarette and stood up.

“Ah, hold on, we–”

As I moved toward the door, it abruptly swung open and another man stood there. Wearing an over-sized hoodie, plain sweatpants, and worn-out boots. He approached me with a warm smile.

“Casper Clay?” He inquired.

“Who are you?” I stealthily activated my spirit vision and could see he was stronger than his lazy appearance would lead me to believe.

“You can just call me Randall,” He said, reaching toward me for a handshake.

I glanced at his outstretched hand and ignored it.

“I should rephrase my question then. What I meant to ask is who do you work for, Randall?”

I was direct. Tiptoeing around everyone stronger than me was far less appealing after going through hell. I didn't have the time or patience.

When he saw that I had no intention of touching him, he brought his hand back and laughed it off.

“Sleeping Lion.”

I sent my heavy gaze toward the official investigator who avoided my gaze and then back to Randall.

“Ah, don’t be so surprised, everyone knows that Sleeping Lion is very close to the government. We maintain a healthy–”

“Could you move so I can get by?” I ignored whatever he was saying and moved to leave.

He was taken aback for a moment but stepped aside with a forceful smile.

“Thank you.”

Just as I was about to pass him, he placed a hand on my shoulder with a surprisingly sturdy grip. I was briefly surprised that I couldn’t break free, but I remained calm.

“Listen, Casper,” He hissed. “You really don’t want to walk off like this.”

“Is that a threat?” I wasn’t shaken by his change in countenance and instead met his cold gaze head-on.

“Not at all. You’re a smart guy, you should understand when someone is giving you heartfelt advice.” He smiled brightly.

“Don’t touch me,” I replied sternly.

My blood began to thrash around forcefully and I broke free of his grip, much to his astonishment. I stepped by him and navigated my way out before I heard him say something behind me.

“You know, I think I really like you, Casper Clay! I hope you ignore your impression of me and consider our guild. Really, we aren't that bad and the benefits are pretty good too!”

…

At the very least, the officials in charge of investigating the ruin anomaly were kind enough to help me avoid the press.

I made it back home and quickly retreated into my apartment. I imagined the witches wanted to speak, but I felt less than reciprocal at the moment.

“Haaa,” I sighed before diving into the grimoire.

The penumbra has consumed a special substance with a strong relation to death.

A miasmic essence has bonded with your lifeblood, allowing you to experience rebirth through decay.

The air of death around you grows stronger.

Current value of souls in your possession: 13,500

Path of The Death Bringer:

Bind: Bring forth any incorporeal foes and chain them to the material world for a period of time, making them vulnerable to physical attacks. If used against living creatures, the effectiveness is halved. The strength of this ability is connected to your understanding of death.

Cost: 5,000

Penelope’s Vow: Draw on the power of Penelope’s vow and call to all willing Death Bringers. Those who accept will manifest as spirits and assist you for a short period of time.

Cost: 10,000

Phantom Heart: This ethereal and unmoving heart will strengthen your soul and your connection to spiritual realms as well as protect you from the entities that may populate them.

Cost: 25,000

Soul Reaving: Beyond increasing the effects of siphoning the souls of the dead, this ability allows you to strip weaker beings of their souls which may outright kill them. When used against beings with souls either stronger than or equivalent to your own, it will serve to weaken them for a time.

Cost: 25,000

Invocation of Limbo: Invoke the power of the purgatorial realm itself and trap your foes between the land of the living and the dead for a short period of time. Any being caught within the radius of this invocation will not be able to move. The power of this ability will exert a terrible burden on your body, so it would be wise to exercise restraint in its use.

Cost:30,000

Skeleton Key: This is a weapon forged by your soul and tempered with your flesh and blood. Your very existence grants this weapon power. As long as you persist, this weapon will not falter.

Cost: 50,000

The guardian of the proving grounds had a soul with immense value, but I was still vastly far off from getting anything substantial.

I wasn’t upset that I needed more souls because I had at least gained some experience from my ordeal in addition to the miasmic essence. Besides, I needed to learn more about the Art of Sanguina, it kept me alive and I found its usage came easier after repeated tries. And yet, there seemed to be more waiting.

I felt the miasma, even now, it was– stagnant. It felt as if my veins were filled with sediment or a substance thicker than blood. There was no discomfort, but its presence was apparent. I increased my blood flow and felt the miasma roil within me. Dark veins appeared over my skins as it moved around.

A drop of dark red blood rose at the tip of my finger before I let it fall onto my coffee table. The reaction was immediate and the table began to crackle as its wooden surface was eroded. Small flickers of a violet flame danced around but disappeared as I settled my blood.

“So this is decay,” I muttered.

There was obviously more to it than just melting a portion of a cheap table, but I was hardly in a place to explore it. The only thing that could be done in the comfort of my own home was quiet meditation, but–

Even just sitting still for a few minutes made me feel a prickling sensation. Even if I tried not to think about it, the terrible days I spent in that ruin was still ingrained into my body. I hardly felt at ease even while surrounded by familiarity.

Maybe it was only natural to develop an overactive sense of danger. Well, I guess it was paranoia in this case.

“An individual bearing ill intent has honed in on your presence,” The ring whispered to me.

Perhaps it wasn’t paranoia then.