Chapter 28 – Obedience Thru Suffering

“Hello Shom, you seem surprised.” Hall raised his hand to greet the approaching Nephesh-Tova.

“We are never surprised.” He motioned Hall to follow. “But your success is still rather… unexpected. The change has already affected our community. You have our gratitude.”

You don’t sound very grateful though…

Most of the white figures ignored Hall when Shom lead him to one of the shelves.

“Here is your reward. Our debt has been paid.” The Nephesh’s voice held no trace of warmth.

Quest: Man in the BoxQuest complete

You destroyed the darkness that threatened to overwhelm the labyrinth under Roselake and saved the Nephesh-Tova and their gathered knowledge.

Quest requirements:

None

Rewards:

Skill book: Soul Weaving

You have leveled up!

You have leveled up!

Hall took the small book from Shom’s fragile hand and, after hesitating, put it away. “There’s something else I need from you.”

“Speak, Harbinger.”

“I would like more access to your library.”

Shom’s haggard face showed no reaction, but his words emitted frost. “I think we’ll just take the ledger back.”

A thin voice interrupted him. “Wait a minute, brother.” Another Nephesh-Tova approached them. He leaned heavily on a cane, his skin almost transparent. While all Nephesh-Tova looked old and fragile, this one seemed ancient. “I think we should be a bit kinder toward our savior.”

“It’s not about kindness, elder. This is about our task. We are not at liberty to give this knowledge away. Maybe an unrelated weapon or some treasure we picked up. Gold or jewelry. But our knowledge?” Shom waved his hand and raised his voice. “There is no room for debate.”

The elder remained unfazed. “This human not only vanquished the darkness in the labyrinth, but also defeated Benmal’ach. You know we’ve been fearing his return for centuries. There has to be something.”

Hall had listened carefully and waited for the moment Shom’s resolve weakened. “How about a trade?”

Both Nephesh-Tova turned toward him, their eyeless gazes looking at him in expectation.

Hall summed the soul gem from his inventory and handed it to the old Nephesh. “I took this from an old noble woman who controlled several enslaved undead with it. You said your purpose was to look for the Sorian heritage. I assume there’s more out there and a lot of it equally problematic.” Both nodded slowly. “Then how about a deal? In exchange for access to your library, I’ll send you whatever I find.”

“Are you sure?” asked the elder. He sounded uncertain. “Despite what my brother says, we owe you more than we could ever repay.”

Shom’s hand trembled slightly when he picked up the soul gem. “Yes, this trade seems beneficial. We won’t lose knowledge, but come closer to achieving our goal.”

“It’s surely beneficial to you.” Hall shrugged. “But I need that knowledge. And not only what you have on the Sorian heritage, all of it. History, monsters, war and kingdoms, current and past. Whatever you have.”

“Certainly.” Shom almost waved him off and quickly put the soul gem into his pocket, as if afraid Hall would take it back. “Send everything to us, even if you’re unsure. We’ll return it if it doesn’t concern us. You can access our storage from every city with a branch bank.”

“Deal! And don’t hold back, I bet others would pay too.”

Shom pressed his thin lips together, but only nodded.

“Great, now that that’s taken care of…” Hall scratched the back of his head and carefully said, “Do you remember the blades I wore before?”

“Yes, magnificent weapons of great power. An irreplaceable ancestry worth preserving for millennia to come.” Indifference returned to Shom’s expression after his short lapse.

“About that.” Hall removed the shards of metal from his inventory and held them in his open palms. “They kind of… broke”

Shom and the elder replied with silence and Hall could have sworn it got even colder in the cave.

“They broke? They broke?” While Shoom had discussed the death of his comrades calmly, his voice trembled when looking at the shards Hall had presented.

“I know it’s a longshot, but can they be repaired?” Hall asked.

“Brother, why don’t you return to our tasks and let me take care of the young harbinger?” The older Nephesh placed his frail hand on Shom’s shoulder.

“Yes, elder.” His skin almost cracked over what little muscle still remained stuck to his bones. “Harbinger, I thank you for your service. But never forget your responsibilities toward this world or be doomed to suffer the fate of those before you.”

The elder’s features softened for a moment and he shook his head at the leaving Shom. “I’m sorry. The Nephesh-Tova are very single minded and we don’t have a lot of room for compassion or understanding.”

“No problem,” Hall said. “But I’m curious, why is that? Your souls—or at least what I see—are pure white, shouldn’t you be saints, or angels, walking on this world?”

“You’re too young, Harbinger.” The elder led Hall toward the edge of the cave where a large workbench leaned against the rune covered wall. Countless tools and materials occupied every inch of its dark surface.

“I hope you don’t think this world is so simple that you can just separate it in black and white. No, not even in shades of grey. This world is… complicated and its beings even more so.”

“What about the Ra’a, they seemed pretty straight forward. Evil, simple as that.”

The elder chuckled and shook his head. “They may be pure darkness, but they are mindless. So, are they truly evil? If a flaming inferno destroys a city and claims the lives of thousands, can it be called evil? It is within its nature, it consumes.” He picked up a piece of coal from the table and crushed it in his palm. “And so are we, the Nephesh-Tova. An extreme, unable to go against our nature. We exchanged compassion for dedication. Empathy for strength. We are but drones of a greater will, unable to do evil, but unwilling to help evil. And if you’re pure light, everything around you is darkness.”

Coal dust fell from his fist and a breeze picked it up, scattering it on the floor. “We are a testament to the flaw perfections brings. This is why you imperfect beings rule the world, while light and darkness fight to gain your allegiance.”

Hall let the elder’s word sink in, but for now, he could only accept them. “Then what about you?”

The old man’s lips formed a smile, but it only hid pain. “We Nephesh aren’t made to grow so old. I’ve seen so many years, so many battles. Maybe the scars left some shadows on my soul, but I’ve lost my place among my brothers long ago.” He lightly touched an old wound on his chest and fell silent for a moment.

“Listen to this old man babble,” he said and rubbed his hollow cheeks. “Why don’t you let me take a closer look of what’s left of the blades?”

He made some room on his workbench and Hall placed the metal shards on it. The veins in the fragments, almost invisible before, now clearly stood out and Hall still felt a trace of his soul energy from them.

“Interesting.” The elder picked up a piece and let it slide through his fingers. He felt its edges, smelt its charred marks and tasted the soul energy that engraved itself into the steel. “Truly interesting. Yes, I think we can work with that.”

Hall’s face brightened. “You can repair it?”

“Heavens, no.” The Nephesh shook his head and chuckled. “You did well in preventing that. If you wanted to destroy it, I doubt you could have done it any better.”

“He’s a lot more talkative than his friends,” Moira said. She sounded annoyed and Lily added a nod.

“Then what can we do?” Hall asked.

“I might be able to…”

Various powders and tinctures appeared out of nowhere and the old Nephesh spread them on the smaller pieces. “No, not that.”

Hall and Lily watched in silence. Minutes passed and the elder’s expression finally lightened. “Yes, this will do.”

“What will?”

“As I said before, the swords can’t be restored, but I should be able to use these shards to craft you a new armor.” He pointed at Hall’s chest. “You could use one.”

The loss of the two blades struck a heavy blow to Hall’s fighting capabilities and, compared to his cheap armor, replacing them would be difficult. But he had destroyed them and salvaging what little benefit he could get sounded a lot better than just cutting his losses.

“That would be great, thanks,” Hall said, his features brightening.

“Not so fast.” The elder raised his palm. “I need a lot more equipment and it will take me a while to get this done.”

Jorn and Shep expected Hall in Roselake, but only at the end of the week in real life, which gave him a little less than 3 days. “What do you need?”

“The soul gem you gave Shom, there are smaller ones, very similar, but far less powerful.” He picked up a small crystal from his table and showed it to Hall. “These are called soul shards, I need a lot of them.”

Lily and Moira giggled, but Hall didn’t even twitch. “I may have picked up a few here and there. How many is a lot? I assume they are quite valuable.”

“The more, the better. And I wouldn’t call them valuable. There won’t be many places you can sell them. Only few can gather them, but even fewer can use them. They are similar to elemental shards in that regard.”

“What are elemental shards?” Hall asked.

The Nephesh put the soul shard away and grabbed a handful of different crystals. Their color ranged from red and green to yellow and blue, but they all carried a spark of light within.

“The crystallized energy of the elements. Though, like soul shards, only those with special affinities can collect them, there’s a significant difference. Everybody can use the common elemental shards. They just have to be placed in sockets to improve items or can be used as basic material,” the elder explained. He let the crystals fall through his fingers and one by one they dropped to the ground, reflecting the cave’s cold light on their smooth surface.

Hall had never heard of anything like it, but the game still held so much mystery that he was not surprised, but curious instead. Might want to look that up online.

In the next few seconds dozens of soul shards piled up on the workbench until none remained in Hall’s inventory. “Is this enough?”

“This… is a lot.” The elder coughed to dispel his surprise. “Looks like you were busy.”

Hall only smiled. “What about the other materials?”

“I’ll take care of that. Just come back in around 10 days.” The elder waved him off. “Think of it as a gift for your deeds. Especially taking care of Benmal’ach. I wanted to reward you the moment you defeated him and I’m glad I can do it now.”

After expressing his gratitude, Hall and Lily left the cave behind and returned to the dark tunnels of the labyrinth.

Hall narrowed his eyes. “Hey, have you guys seen the old one the last time we’ve been here?”

Lily hesitated, but shook her head. “Don’t know. They all look so similar. Why?”

“No real reason. What about you Moira?”

“Maybe, after all, I must have. But I’m not sure.”

Hall scratched the back of his head and stared into the darkness. Did the game create him only to reward me for defeating Benmal’ach? Or is it just a coincidence? The game’s AI couldn’t have guessed I’d come here, right? Maybe it just took the resources available and made the best out of it.

But once again, he could only make assumptions and that wouldn’t be of any help to him. So, he took out the skill book he had worked so hard for—soul weaving.

“Finally,” Hall brushed over the cracked binding, “Learn!”

A bright light enveloped him and illuminated the dark tunnels around them. But it faded quickly and left an even deeper darkness behind.

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Soul WeavingBeginner10%The art to create, process and combine artifacts imbued with soul energy and influence the world around you with the power of your soul.

Effects:

Can temporarily combine items already imbued with your soul energy

+3 intelligence

+2 wisdom

It’s a start I guess.

“So,” Lily looked at him expectantly. “What can you do?”

“Maybe…” He took out his scythe, held it with his left hand and grabbed the end of his chain with his right. “This.”

Hall closed his eyes and he could immediately tell a difference in the energy he poured into his chains. Nothing changed in terms of its strength, but he felt it more clearly as if he could actually grasp it.

The energy flowed through the chain on his right wrist, slowly, so he could sense its path, its aura and its will. And he could reform it, guide it forward and back, thicken it and force it out. Thanks to the skill, his level of control had reached new heights.

Tendrils of light emerged from the chain’s end and closed in on the scythe blade. The dark metal greeted it with a brimming glow. Bright vines intertwined, coiled around the steel and formed a solid connection. When the light dispersed, a new link had formed between the chain and the blade, connecting them.

A smile spread on his face and with a wave of his hand, Hall dispelled the link and separated the two again. “That’s handy, though it seems a bit restrictive.”

“Don’t worry,” Moira said. “This is only its first application. There should be a lot more this skill is capable of.”

“Good.” Hall nodded and connected his chain and scythe once more. “For now, the chain will replace the grip. Let’s see what we can do with this.”

Hall grabbed the end of the chain where it connected to the scythe and let the glowing links slip through his fingers. A heavy thud resounded in the tunnel as the blade hit the ground. He tightened the grip around his chain, strengthened his stance and swung.

Energy coursed through his arm and flowed into the chain and scythe. A wide grin spread on his face as the weapon rotated faster and faster and cut through the cold air. His energy stiffened and reinforced the chain, keeping the weapon from straying off its path. The buzzing sound grew louder and Hall’s arm trembled until he couldn’t hold on anymore.

The chain slipped through his fingers and the blade clashed with the low hanging ceiling. Lily screeched and dove to safety when the recoiling weapon headed toward her.

“Hall, be careful.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He chuckled. “But I doubt it would have hurt you.”

“Still,” she looked at him reproachfully, “you don’t throw big scythes at frail maidens.”

“True, let’s find us some more suitable targets. Moira, I bet the Nephesh’s map has some nice hunting grounds, so how about you tell us where to go?”

So, they once again entered the labyrinth’s dark tunnels, this time in search for experience and training. After all, a decent weapon requires mastering.

-----------------------------------

“Young master Steven, your gentlemen friends have arrived to accompany you to school,” an old man in a butler suit said, bowing.

“Good,” Steve straightened the tie on his neck, “Tell them I’ll be there in a minute. Father wanted to see me.”

He walked down luxurious hallways, past expensive paintings and vain decorations he never even looked at. His footsteps echoed through the vast mansion, but nobody was there to hear them.

A heavy door made of dark wood lead to his father’s study. He placed his hand on the door handle, but hesitated and knocked instead. “Father, it’s me.”

“You’re late.”

He entered the large office and, as always, his heartbeat quickened in front of the massive desk. For as long as he could remember, his father had just sat there on the other side, a disapproving look in his eyes. No matter how much he had grown, that fact had never changed.

“Apologies. The war preparations for Roselake are taking up more time than I thought.” Steve put his hands behind his back and clenched both fists.

His father looked up from his documents and took off his reading glasses. “I entrusted you with this important task. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”

“Don’t worry, we will own the city soon.” Steve forced himself to return his father’s piercing gaze. “No matter the outcome.”

“Good. That’s what I’ve taught you. In a situation where two forces collide, control both.”

“Yes, father. The king is already dependent on our troops and has given us command of what little force he has left. If he gets in our way, we’ll dispose of him.”

“We put enough funds in it, so that is to be expected.” The man in his fifties looked down again and scribbled a few numbers on a sheet of paper. “What about the rebels?”

“We bought most leaders and our men infiltrated their ranks. Everything is in place, both sides are about to tear each other apart,” Steve stated in a firm tone. For a while now, these conversations had been the only time he got to spend with his father and it felt like talking to his superior.

“Well, we spent enough money already. It is time we get something out of it.” His father’s hard face revealed none of his thoughts when he looked up again. “I assume nobody knows of our plans?”

“Only my squad: the twins and the two girls. You’ve met them—they won’t betray us.”

The pen in his father’s hand stopped moving. “Fool, you don’t know that. But you better make sure they would regret it if they ever did.”

“Yes, father. I have also instructed a few people to survey the situation in Norland. There are a few larger cities, but the capital, Heideborg, seems to have been almost captured by another family. However, there are still others contesting them. I don’t believe we could currently establish a foothold there.”

“Of course not. Bredon is an insignificant kingdom, but Norland is different. Most of the large families and companies will try to gain power there. But they underestimate the minor countries. To obtain a base, be it a small one, is better than losing a fight over a big city.” He turned his gaze toward the map on one of his computer screens and nodded. “Son, do you know why we need Roselake?”

Steve hesitated. “To establish a base in the world of Novus Vita?”

“That is only the first step. A means to an end,” the man in his late fifties said. “To what end though?”

“Influence.”

Steve’s father nodded again. “Something money won’t buy you so easily. Control. Influence. Something we are currently losing. Tell me why.”

That’s what always happened. In every conversation. No words of comfort or encouragement. Progress at any cost. Preparation for Steve’s future as the head of the company and family allowed no room for warmth and required constant questioning and study.

“After the last great war, the New Nobility—heads of the largest companies—took many rights, duties and liberties from the governments and people. A new social class was created and, in a time of need, most gladly gave up their rights for security and comfort.” Steve kept his hands behind his back and recited his answer, as if prepared for the question. Of course he was. He expected it. He always did.

“And what changed?” His father regarded the university’s education as insufficient, so he taught his son what the schools couldn’t. Knowledge necessary to stand above others.

“The world did,” Steven said. “Or more accurately, another world came into existence. From different virtual worlds to the current dominating one. Novus Vita. Sphinx established a second world and people accepted it. A world where the new nobility lost all control, all influence.”

“And I still can’t believe Sphinx doesn’t take advantage of their situation.” The white haired man shook his head. “Maybe they can’t. We don’t know their goal, but they are the largest company in the world as it stands and, for now, we have to fight for the scraps from their table.”

Steve’s face twitched. “For now it doesn’t matter. We’ll take control of Roselake and thus over the second life of thousands of people. When we control them in this world through the flow of money and in Novus Vita through guiding their behavior, it will give us a firmer standing among the New Nobility. Others have already fallen from our ranks, but we won’t let that happen.”

“Good.” His father tapped a few numbers into the keyboard next to him. “I’ll transfer some funds to your account. Plan out your next steps and as soon as you control Roselake, make sure to get a firm grip on the city.”

Steve bowed and turned to leave, but hesitated at the last moment. “Mother asked for you again, she… she isn’t well. Maybe you should go see her.”

His father’s hand stopped moving. “I’ve just seen her,” his voice trembled almost unnoticeably, “I’ll visit her again when I have time.”

Steve tightened his grip around the door handle. “It’s been over three months since you’ve went to the hospital. The doctors… you should see her.”

A heavy fist struck the table and a spark of madness entered his father’s eyes. “I said I’ll see her,” he yelled. “Now leave!”

For a moment, only the patter of rain against the window could be heard in the office. Steve opened his mouth, but then only grit his teeth and left, his words unspoken. His mother hadn’t left the hospital in years and got weaker by the day. He hadn’t heard her say more than a few sentences these last months and she always asked to see her husband.

Steve’s fingernails dug into his palms and he grimaced at the thought of the woman who once raised him. Or what was left of her. A hollow shell, only seeking for the man she loves and who once loved her. She forgot about her son, barely recognized him, her mind regressed and stuck in the past. Stuck with the memory of a man who didn’t exist anymore—the man his father used to be.

Steve shook his head violently to get rid of memories of what once was and thoughts of what could have been. He straightened his back and walked toward Rick and Dirk who waited for him in the lobby. “Let’s go. We’ll meet a few of the captains of the royal army at the university. We need to make sure they know what’s at stake.” His lips formed a cruel grin. “They shouldn’t forget who’s in control in both worlds.”

--------------------------------

You have leveled up!

“So tired,” Hall said and dropped on his behind. He leaned against a dead tree and took a sip from his canteen. “But I actually reached level 67.”

“You fought like a madman these last days. It’s no wonder you made so much progress.” Lily sat cross-legged, hovering in the air beside him, and looked at him with concern. “Take a break.”

“Once we’re done in Roselake, we’ll take a break.” The tasteless rations he chewed increased his health regeneration and the cuts and bruises on Hall’s unarmored skin slowly began to heal. “I promised to take you to the beach after all, though that might take a while.”

“That can wait. Just don’t overwork yourself.” She bit her lips and her fingers twitched. “If I could just…”

Hall smiled at the fidgeting girl. When was the last time somebody was so concerned when he overworked himself. The most he had gotten was a curious glance when he spent day and night in the library or when the rings under his eyes had turned pitch black. But true concern? He couldn’t even remember.

Slowly, the bones of the skeletal warriors and mages he had defeated began to disappear around them. The scythe—though not the best weapon against skeletons—proved effective enough and in combination with his skills and second chain, he could annihilate them by the dozen.

His skill ‘Sound of Silence’ made the fights against the mages almost too easy and their relatively low level—between 45 and 65—turned them into easy prey.

He had only taken breaks in order to sleep a few hours and attend class, just so he could grind his way up to a higher level. Hall had felt the tense atmosphere in the university. He hadn’t realized how many of the students, professors and even administrative personnel were actually involved in the situation in Roselake. Wherever he went, people would talk about their preparations and the strategies in the upcoming battles.

Lily interrupted his thoughts when she asked, “Are we going to leave soon? I kind of miss the sky. First the labyrinth, now this underground graveyard. It’s really depressing.”

“I would have liked to get three more levels, but we don’t have the time. We’ll return to Roselake in a few hours where Shep is expecting us. We’ll have to visit our Nephesh friends first though.” Hall moved his arms to push himself off the ground, but stopped. “Let me take a quick look at the message windows first. I ignored them these last days, but I know there were a few nice things there.”

He flipped through several windows announcing he leveled up. Seems like killing enemies of the same level makes more sense than struggling against stronger ones. The experience gain doesn’t increase linearly or exponentially with the level. It’s more than likely a logarithmic growth.

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Scythe MasteryBeginner10%Constantly training with the scythe has increased your proficiency in combat.

Effects:

Damage increased by 10%

Speed increased by 3%

+3 Strength

+2 Agility

Reminder: Due to the current use of your main hand weapon (combination of chain and scythe), the experience gained will be distributed between ‘Chain Mastery’ (80%) and ‘Scythe Mastery’ (20%)

You have gained a new title

Title: JawbreakerYou have killed 1000 skeletons. The knowledge over their weaknesses allows you to dispose of them easier

+3 attribute points

When equipped:

+5% damage against skeletons

“Levels really don’t mean everything,” Hall mumbled. “Skills, titles, events and simple training, you’ll get attribute points for a lot of stuff.”

“Of course,” Moira said. “Judging an enemy by his level alone is foolish, but don’t forget, it still means a lot.”

Hall nodded and scratched his chin. I should check for a list with titles and skills that are easy to get. There has to be something online.

But for now, he opened his character window and put the attribute points he gained into his stats. “This should…” He quickly added up his stats and his face brightened. “Yes, it really is.”

“What is?” Lily asked.

“This.” Hall grabbed a plain, crimson ring from his inventory. The ring he found in Bathory’s castle. He had carried it for a while now and finally he fulfilled its requirements.

The Blood Count’s Last Will Type:RingQuality:UniqueA ring activated by blood. Powerful and often considered evil, but in the end just a tool that will follow the wearer’s intention and adapts to his very soul.

Effects: Unlocked after the wearer’s blood is drawn. Effects depend on the user, his personality and traits, his character and class,

Requirements:

Strength + Agility + Intelligence + Wisdom + Vitality = 700 (base value)

Activation by blood has to be done before level 100

The ring’s red metal lit up for a moment when Hall put it on his finger.

“And?” Lily watched him curiously.

“Not sure.” Hall hesitated. “Nothing changed.”

“Your blood,” Moira said. “It should work then.”

“Right, makes sense.” Countless rusty swords and sabers, mostly scrap metal, littered the scant earth. He picked up one of them, cut his fingers and the moment a drop of blood touched the ring’s metal, a sharp pain shot through his hand. The ring bit into his flesh and dug deep, only stopping when it hit bone.

An explosion of red light drowned out their surroundings and a freezing touch grasped for Hall’s chest. The grip tightened and even froze the pain that clawed its way up his arm.

Lily gasped and rushed toward him. She clasped to his arm and tried to pull off the ring, but to no avail. More and more blood rushed into the ring and Hall’s face lost all color.

“You have to endure.” Moira’s voice resounded in his head.

“Don’t worry.” Hall pressed the words through his clenched teeth. “I was just surprised. It’s uncomfortable, but the pain isn’t too bad.”

Those words calmed his familiar, but she didn’t let go of his arm.

Hall’s vision blurred and his temperature dropped as the vampire ring continued to suck his blood.

The crimson brilliance around Hall thickened and tiny drops of light formed, hovering in the air. Every breath he took held the scent of blood and a metallic taste coated his tongue.

Seconds became minutes and when the light finally disappeared, the ring returned to its plain form. Cold, crimson metal. Flawless, but unremarkable.

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Under Black Flags We MarchBeginner10%The souls you saved offer their bodies in gratitude

In exchange for your life force, your blood, you will be able to control them for a short amount of time

Effects:

Awaken the bodies of the enemies whose souls you have cleansed

To give them life, you have to sacrifice yours (every hit point they gain, you will lose. Lost health can only be restored once the Awoken perishes)

Awoken bodies lose their intelligence, 50% attack power and 50% speed

Duration: 10 min

Cost: 100 mana / Awakening

Limited to 3 Awoken

Requirements: Needs ‘The Blood Counts Last Will’ to transfer life force

+5 Intelligence

“Awesome.” A relaxed smile appeared on Hall’s face, the pain slowly vanished and warmth returned to his limbs. He flexed his fingers, cracked his stiff neck and pointed at the skeleton bones scattered before him. “Let’s give it a try… Awaken!” Skills could be activated differently. Either through action, through the name of the skill itself, or with the help of a short command. But even after Hall spoke the command, nothing happened. The bones remained lifeless.

Hall raised an eyebrow and tried again, but the result remained the same.

Before he could try for a third time, a sigh interrupted him. “Those creatures were given life through magic,” Moira said. “They have no soul that could offer their body to you.”

“Damn, guess we’ll try later.” Hall took another look into his inventory. The countless bone fragments and few pieces of old equipment wouldn’t get him many coins, but the experience gain more than compensated for the lack of profit. “Ah well, better than nothing. Let’s go.”

They left the underground graveyard behind and returned to the tunnels. The prospect of leaving the cold labyrinth for good lifted their spirits and they talked casually among themselves. Lily chattered happily about gathering herbs in the spring, about biscuits and cake, and about her memories of family celebrations.

Hall only listened. All the battles they had fought, all the darkness they had seen, it was good for Lily to shift her thoughts toward the light.

“What about you Moira?” Lily asked after talking about a Sunday picnic in her village. “Do you remember your past?”

Hall narrowed his eyes, but kept quiet. He knew very little of Moira, but the way Grim treated her, there was a story.

“I…” Moira hesitated.

“Sorry,” Lily hurriedly said, her eyes widening. She put her hand in front of her mouth and looked to the ground. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s alright.” Moira tried to cover the sadness in her voice. “I… I remember a little. Images of my parents. A small house, old, but cozy. A fence surrounded it and weeds grew at the edges of our garden.” Her voice brightened for a moment. “It was at the edge of a forest where I used to play and my mother would always call me when father came home and we would eat together.” She stopped for a second and swallowed. “But I also remember fire, screaming and then… nothing. I’m not sure. I want to remember and I try, but I can’t. I just can’t.”

Lily bit her lower lip while Hall scratched the back of his head. “Don’t worry, we’ll find out,” he said.

“Of course we will.” Lily’s face brimmed with resolve as she swung her fist and nodded.

“Thanks,” Moira said quietly. The darkness in the labyrinth around them lost a little of its menace and the cold air felt less stifling.

After a few hours they found their way back to the cave of the Nephesh-Tova and, while the frail figures ignored Hall, the elder greeted him with a wave of his hand.

“Welcome back, Harbinger.” He stood behind his workbench and polished a dark piece of chest armor. “I’m about done here and I have to say, if I weren’t a Nephesh, I’d be proud of my work.” He presented the armor on the table and his thin lips almost formed a smile.

Hall’s hand brushed over the peculiar material. “It doesn’t feel like metal, but it’s not leather either.” The dark chest piece almost swallowed the surrounding light, its surface somewhat rough to the touch and shards of steel placed in its center and on its side.

“See these fragments?” The elder pointed at the pieces of steel. Despite their different sizes and forms, they seemed perfectly symmetrical as if creating a path through the armor. Hall recognized the crimson lines carved into the metal. “That’s what is left of your blades.

“And you’re right,” the old Nephesh said and moved his fingers toward the rougher parts of the armor. “This is neither metal, nor leather. It’s gravewood, a millennia old, grown on a graveyard of gods.”

Hall raised an eyebrow. “Sounds rare.”

“It’s more than rare.” The elder’s hands stroked over his work. “That’s why I had only small pieces, none large enough to actually create plates.”

When Hall looked a little closer, he noticed a faint needle pattern on the armor.

“I shredded the gravewood I had left into thousands of tiny splinters. Then I ground up the mass of soul shards you supplied, added a few more materials and a whole lot of craftsmanship and formed protective plates.”

Hall picked up the armor and nodded. “It’s so light.” No lavish carvings or luxurious decorations adorned the chest piece, instead it looked as if blood seeped from it.

“Not only light, it also offers decent protection.” The elder observed Hall’s reaction closely. “But all these materials I used were for another purpose. Pour your soul energy into it, not too fast though, and watch carefully.”

Hall only hesitated for a moment before he did as the Nephesh had asked. Energy flowed from his hands and entered the armor and, making its way through the metal fragments, it then grew into a dim, red glow at the center. Once it flowed into the parts made from gravewood and soul shards, their surface gained a dark brilliance, completely different from the blue shine of his chains.

Hall smiled widely and the elder nodded, pleased with the reaction. “Because your blood and soul energy was deeply engraved into the blade shards, nobody but you will be able to use the armor. And because it’s made for you, your energy will strengthen the armor greatly. But be careful, if you push the armor to its limits, it will consume your strength rapidly.”

“This is really impressive. Thank you.”

“This isn’t close to enough to repay you, harbinger, but it’s all I can do for now.” The old Nephesh bowed his head slightly. “But if you should have any trouble, I will do my utmost to support you.”

They said their goodbyes, but before Hall left the cavern’s light behind, he put on the equipment he could finally use.

The blood count’s silk pants and shirt, deep black clothes of high quality, covered his pale skin. Surrounded by white, his dark veins stood out even more. The clothes fit well and if Hall would have owned a pair of nice shoes, he wouldn’t stand out in a nice restaurant, that is, if you disregarded his glowing eyes and terrifying aura.

He gave the new armor a closer look, fastened it over his shirt and hung his torn coat around his shoulders.

Bleeding Soul Guard Defense:90Durability:120/120Quality:UniqueType:ChestAn incredible piece of armor created from rare materials by a craftsman at the peak of his trade. Made especially for the Death’s Harbinger, Hall, it can’t be used by anybody else.

Only after being infused with his soul energy, it shows its true power.

Effects:

+15 Strength

+10 Agility

+10 Intelligence

+10 Wisdom

+10 Vitality

+ 2 sockets

Effects when infused with soul energy (dependent on amount):

+1-50% resistance to armor penetration

+1-50% Reduction in physical damage received

+1-50% reduction in magic damage received

+1-25% resistance to divine power

Requirements:

Strength: 150

Agility: 100

Intelligence: 100

Wisdom: 100

“Neat.” Hall pulled the armor into place and motioned Lily to follow him. “Let’s go back. Can’t have them start the fun without us.”

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Author’s Note:

Hope you enjoyed the new chapter.

I was like 80% done a month ago, but unfortunately I got sick and am still recovering. This sadly means that with all the stuff that piled up this month, I’ll be busy these next weeks, sorting out and taking care of all that. Meaning there probably won’t be another chapter for a while (around same waiting time as this chapter). I apologize for that, but it’s really unavoidable. Still, this story won’t get dropped, so no worries, it will just take a bit longer :D

Thanks to Requizition for proofreading and a very special thank you to Trent, Ricky, Thomas, Mitchell and Cole for sponsoring this chapter, you guys rock :)

As always, if you guys find any mistakes, have questions or suggestions, just let me know, either through comments, via PN or in the chat. But because I’m so busy right now, it may take a bit until I answer^^

Thanks for sticking with me, even if my update speed is atrocious :bye: