Apollyon took another good look at its grievously wounded partner, wondering what to do next. His condition was stabilized by it the moment he passed out. The boy was no longer in any danger of dying, but he was still missing pieces of himself. A sad, fragile being, caught in a quagmire after barely putting a foot forward into the wider world.

The bar had lowered almost a dozen times before settling on this person. It supposed that it was good in its own way.

After numerous failures, someone had finally agreed to dedicate their soul to it. Though they were lacking in understanding, that was not necessary for Apollyon’s current objective. Their connection will also deepen, with time. It could even serve as the child’s mentor, something it had not done in a long, long time.

It was only a matter of how much investment it was willing to put in.

No. My previous failures were the result of my stinginess and poor communication. I need to a least make them believe that they have control or that we are on equal footing. This kid isn’t the wary sort. I’ll give him a little extra help.

Apollyon was certain that it would be able to establish a suitably imposing presence in his mind, it had plenty of practice, after all, but the follow-up would be challenging.

Eldrige had taken a few apprentices early into his life, but he wasn’t particularly hands-on with their lessons. It was an experiment that ended early after it showed no promise. What he needed here was akin to that, though taken to the next level. It needed to form a connection that was linked beyond simply gratitude for imparting knowledge.

A difficult thing.

It? A fatherly mentor? Before this moment you’d sooner see the world end than that happening, but that was exactly the thing it needed to become.

Social skills weren’t something that saw much development after his early years. The better part of his life was spent holed up in a lab or tower of some sort, his only companions being magitech constructs and spellbound elementals. There were even times when his throat would decay and he wouldn’t realize it was a problem until it was used. Even then, the only times it would be used would be when he was idle enough to start talking to himself.

Therefore, becoming an artifact that depended on taking advantage of its users would seem rather strange. After all, it would be difficult to get anywhere without finding a wielder first.

However, Eldrige felt that his direction was just fine before being blown off course.

His original plan, prior to getting blasted by that divine dragon, was to simply hitch rides alongside prominent figures across multiple worlds, augmenting their growth while skimming a bit off the top.

He would continue his usual modus operandi of siphoning knowledge and material while world hopping, but this time in a manner that did not paint a massive target on his back.

In such a scenario, it would be best if the people that ‘owned’ it didn’t even realize the artifact was conscious, struggling to empower it as they made their way up the food chain. Because they believed that this artifact will be the backbone for their ascension, - and why would they not with all the helpful abilities Apollyon was meant to have - they would feverishly funnel resources to ‘empower’ it, all the while Apollyon itself worked away inside the core, researching and clearing its backlog of mysteries to uncover to its heart’s content.

It was a simple and crude plan, but that was because he expected changes to occur as he obtained more information, ironing out the details as things developed.

It would be a path to [Detachment] that was slow but unfettered and safe. Ideal for someone whose existence was wholly self-sufficient and eternal. Power and resources would be accumulated over the eons, harvested over an uncountable number of worlds. Eventually, a qualitative change will be borne from a quantitative one. The potential of the artifact crafted out of his meticulous care and such quality materials could surely reach that height eventually. And if not, then there was a reason why Apollyon was created as a ‘living’ weapon.

It can change and grow to suit its needs. It was planned to have no dead ends, leaving every path open for it. With these assurances, [Detachment] was within reach. Well, that was what Eldrige hoped, anyway. It certainly had more chances at success than his other plans, that's for sure.

That kind of laid-back life would be the retirement and provide the mental reset needed after years of plotting and fighting. Research would still be continued, though. It was not merely a task for him, after all. It was his passion.

Even expecting changes, never did he expect that the changes would arrive so soon. Occurring even before the plan had truly been set in motion.

Alas, the dreams were beautiful but the reality was not. That freeloader lifestyle would be difficult with his current skill set.

It retained most of its foundational abilities before its transformation like the [EX][Transcendent Camouflage], [EX][Soul Mastery], [S][Levitate], and [U]Soul Archive but many of its abilities were lost in translation. It had been expected as much, but it still hurt to see progress go to waste. That was not to mention that some of these abilities were in a damaged state. The [U]Soul Archive in particular suffered a heart-wrenching amount of losses. It served its purpose well, using the less important information as a buffer making sure that its core framework was left unscathed, but the sheer amount lost spoke volumes about the absurdity of the attack.

Had it not possessed such an ability it would have become comatose or at least suffer mental impairment.

It was not an easy attack to weather, indeed.

The thing that really threw a wrench in his plans was the malus to luck. It was unfair, really. It wasn’t the one that blew up the world. The dragon did in its homeland. Sure, it did take the entire population, but that wasn’t something the world was unable to recover from.

In a million years it’ll seed new people who will rise from the ashes. Even if that wasn’t exactly how it’ll go due to the world being extremely damaged from suffering two back-to-back calamities, it would only stretch the timetable by a few magnitudes. A minuscule amount in the eyes of a world.

How was it supposed to know that it chose a mark that was governed by one who was both mentally unstable and had suicidal tendencies? Most people at that level of strength would stubbornly hold on to their lives, still playing the game even if they had been given a terrible hand, giving everything for a chance at survival. It was why there are so many instances of those that fall from the top rising again across the multiverse.

That dragon decided to just flip the table directly. Apollyon was still able to make away with all the chips, but now it was being held accountable for the table becoming broken.

With that kind of luck in play, there was no shot for its hosts to make something of themselves without its direct intervention.

While -25 might not seem like a lot for higher tiers with stats in the thousands, luck was not like any of the other ones. For one, it did not grow organically with strength. A Tier 9 could have mana in the billions and still only have a luck of 1. Most people would be born with luck not passing double digits and having it stay that way their entire lives.

Most would even go on to never see their luck directly, either, only go on to have a general sense of it over time.

Certain abilities allowed one to view it, but they were extremely rare. Even a world’s Sons of Heaven, heaven-sent heroes on a quest to deliver a world from calamity, rarely have luck passing the 30s. Even then, with that amount of luck, it was rare for anything to not go their way when it was necessary.

They were also nigh unkillable in the world that they call home. With that level of luck, they would be able to accumulate the whole of a world’s strength unto themselves, becoming what amounted to the will of the world made manifest.

Luck, then, was something that was essentially only within the domain of worlds and the chosen few, and touched upon the law of ‘Causality’. Beings like that were something Eldrige had the fortune of never having to tangle with directly. Running afoul with someone that had a deep connection with the law of ‘Causality’ will lead you to die without ever understanding how it even happened.

Messing with that law without adequate understanding was a surefire way to an early grave.

There were so many ways one could die, after all. Even those standing at the top, believing themselves untouchable, they too can fall victim to a ridiculous series of coincidences. There was no such thing as true immortality until one reaches [Detachment].

Maybe one day you’ll walk down the street and meet gazes with an old man. Well, it turns out that old man was in fact a god in disguise and he did not like the look in your eyes, whatever that meant, and decide to extinguish you on the spot.

In a position of power? Public opinion will sour regardless of how much effort is put in to maintain it.

Out on a walk? Perhaps a sinkhole will spontaneously appear beneath your feet, dropping you to who knows where.

Enjoying the rain? Thunderbolt out of the blue.

Even staying isolated in a tower was no reprieve. One day a meteor might just head your way.

No matter how one hid or tried to minimize one’s karma, something will happen eventually.

This put Apollyon in a rather difficult position.

If it just lies flat it will quickly accumulate a negative reputation, ensuring that only lunatics will be willing to use it.

Yes, it was able to disguise itself and make it more appealing, but most weapons require a history to become coveted. Especially ones that compel the wielder to invest copious amounts of resources into it. It can’t just pop out of nowhere.

Even if it changes its shape and abilities often, people will begin to question why so many legendary artifacts appear and then disappear. They will catch on. Maybe not in a few years. Maybe not even in a few centuries, but they will.

A cautionary tale of a cursed object that shapeshifts and brings disaster will spread throughout the world, growing to a point where it cannot develop quietly anymore. This will force it to abandon the world it was nested in and start fresh, starting the cycle all over again.

While it was still possible to grow under these conditions, it would be even slower than its original plan while also attracting a lot of negative attention. This might even bring some to make an effort to destroy or seal it.

This was not something it wanted to see.

Apollyon’s overall direction had been irrevocably knocked off course and it must chart a new path from here.

Though Apollyon disliked unexpected developments, it knew that this situation was by no means as bleak as the picture painted above. After all, it was not simply an unaware artifact, even if it had intended to function as one at first. It had agency and could communicate. It could empower its user and outpace the misfortune. Likewise, behind every disaster was an opportunity. The most suffocating thing of all was to live a completely uneventful life. If a person was strong enough, a treacherous cave could become a dungeon filled with treasure, and running afoul with a god merely gave probable cause to raid their churches.

It was only a matter of perspective.

While its ‘partners’ might meet early deaths as a result, when did that ever matter to it?

As such, if all of these traits were leveraged appropriately, this could even be considered an opportunity to more assuredly and quickly reach [Detachment].

Opportunities, when so close at hand, must be taken decisively and plans must become malleable to suit the changes. To make changes it needed a general idea of what it will be doing in the long term.

First and foremost was reviewing the attack that, to its knowledge, was impossible for the dragon to do.

Such a thing sparked its interest and it wished to study the laws behind it in detail. Could there be a way to make it not a suicide attack? After all, many attacks of that nature were the result of overreaching one’s means. With sufficient foundation and knowledge, most things are able to give a stable and sustainable result.

Even if that were impossible it was still a very threatening ability to possess. The knowledge that it possessed such an ability will give most enemies pause. Apollyon was sure that if its past self as Eldrige knew the dragon possessed such an attack diplomacy would very much be on the table, if not just scaring him away and forcing him to choose a different world altogether.

Furthermore, while its current class [Locus of Misfortune] was a bit of a pit, it was still very appealing and worthy of development. Even if it was a negative trait, it gave a beachhead into one of the more esoteric and unique laws. It was also not the one bearing the curse. Its wielder would be in its stead, making the whole thing easier to stomach. That there was an important distinction.

However, Apollyon did not wish for the class to define its existence. If it simply went with the flow and brought calamity every which way it would be forever locked into the path of ‘Causality’ and ‘Apocalypse’ and the like, weakening its understanding and ultimately control over other laws.

The System was a giant whose shoulders it borrows to see farther into the skies beyond. Its help made many things simpler and open many doors for it, but it was important to keep in mind not to become dependent on it.

It would not make the mistake of so many others guided by the System’s gentle touch, becoming so blinded by the sight of the stars above the sky that they fail to return to earth. With time, they delude themselves into believing that it was their own effort that brought them to that height, when in actuality they were hoisted there by the giant known only as the System. It still had faith in its own capabilities.

Powerful as ‘Causality’ and ‘Apocalypse’ may be, it was not worth closing every door aside from it. As a researcher first, artifact second, and mage third, it wanted to uncover everything that made the interconnected multiverse tick. Focusing on a single path might be an easier way to obtain power, but it comes at the expense of being unable to grasp the big picture. Following such a path will eventually lead to one getting blindsided by something outside one’s conception and understanding. This, if not fatal, will still be a grievous blow.

Eldrige discovered early on that even in a multiverse filled with species with all manner of powerful inborn traits, humans were able to thrive. Despite having among the lowest starting points possible, almost every world at some point has had a human’s touch. You could hardly find a world that did not have at least a human presence at some point in time, if not outright dominating the present. It was for nothing else than their [Adaptability], as the System put it.

Everywhere he went, humans would tenaciously survive, living on as the sapient cockroaches of the multiverse.

Their relative weakness early on provided them with a veritable maze of paths to power. For them, nothing was closed off. It was a sacrifice that proved itself beneficial, given how widespread the race is.

Although Apollyon was not human anymore, it inherited the mindset that the more options to choose from the better. If it had millions of paths to choose from, it did not matter if one became a dead end. There were countless more just like it.

All that was not to say that Apollyon would not make full use of this unique opportunity, just that it had to evaluate its priority among its numerous concurrent projects and not tunnel in on it too much.

Therefore, to further study the underlying principles behind these two parting gifts given to it by that dragon, its next few projects would require the host to have full trust and consent towards his overtures, requiring a bond that had to be cultivated over time and not just created under magical coercion.

Apollyon might be able to do so forcefully one day once enough understanding was achieved, but that was unlikely hope. Even the System itself requested consent, though Apollyon was unsure if this was just due to one of that thing’s many ‘interesting’ quirks.

Regardless, making such a connection would be difficult. A bond that deep was only made by it a few times before. It was only during a time when Eldrige was still struggling to find a foothold in the multiverse, finding himself with teams of adventurers again and again. Shifting madly from world to world, it was a welcome reprieve to ground oneself in sharing a sense of wanderlust with others. Despite all the differences these worlds shared, curiosity and a drive towards discovery was almost always a common denominator. Looking back, it was hardly an efficient method to obtain strength and knowledge, but it certainly was fun.

The bond they shared was one of living and dying together in dangerous hostile environments. It remembered trusting his back to them, and they would do the same in return. Time would see to it that that trust was well placed. None of his past teammates would go on to die in battle.

He would go on to outlive them all, but the memory remains. A struggle between life and death would serve well in bringing a group to its full potential.

That part of his life was a mere fraction of the time he spent as a human, but their deaths would forever scar Eldrige’s personality, making him cold and distant to ensure it never happened again. Though his path intersected with that of those carefree adventurers, he never did take in their mindset. They simply had different goals, not obsessing over immortality as he had.

The only takeaway from these friends, he concluded, was that separation hurt. It would not hurt less the more it happened. Each time was different, and held its own unique bitterness. As such the only way to avoid it was to close oneself off, ensuring that he would not get attached to those with such short lives lest he gets burnt again. This mindset was common among those that lived long lives, preferring to be in the company of those that shared a similar lifespan.

This wall around himself will prove to be a problem in forming a deeper connection.

It knew that this was a problem, too. It needed to seem amicable and approachable while also not too open.

Apollyon had contacted ten beings before this one, but none of them worked out. Like most beings, they did not take kindly to something unknown intruding on their mind. To make the cards even more stacked against it, those it contacted had a decent footing in the world, meaning they were unwilling to change the status quo.

Some might deep down, but Apollyon either didn’t have the charisma to bring that part of them to light or hadn’t met them yet. Perhaps with time, it might gain more insight into these things, but even as a human it had always preferred the more forceful approach.

They all broke down during the solicitation stage, making Niven its first soul-bound partner.

Apollyon, having learned from past failures, was determined to make the most out of this one.

Maybe along the way, it would study how those devils did it. His current host was also quite the appealing mark for those folk, but it would need to catch one of those slippery loaches as well. It might not be able to in its current state.

Regardless, Apollyon was fortunate to spot a suitable host from the memory of the last candidate. Weak, servile, and lacking in common sense, conscription had truly thrust Niven down to rock bottom. It was a pit that would have broken him, had Apollyon not been there.

Granted, it was the reason this situation had occurred in the first place, pushing Niven into the battlefield by upending centuries of peace, but he didn’t need to know that. A world like this was never going to be peaceful for long, anyways. It wasn’t the one that dug this pit personally, it merely created the circumstances where a pit like this was necessary to be created. It was dug by those in power who coveted the bait it laid out. Had they not been greedy none of this would have happened. They could have simply ignored or quarantined it, after all.

Having sustained so much damage already, it would be a waste to simply heal him. It would be better to replace their soul template to make Niven better than ever.

Apollyon was free to make changes to his soul, after all.

Plus, he had the kid’s best interest at heart. He’ll need all the help he can get to survive the negative luck it gave him, as well.

Never one to waste a perfectly good opportunity, he considered how he would go about treating him.

Apollyon wished to further its understanding of the soul. It knew the dragon’s focus was on ‘Light’ and ‘Soul’, and the latter was more likely, so it would start there. Despite being experienced in the field, the dragon had shown that its meager understanding was still lacking.

Its [Soul Archive] had also not wholly transferred over.

Some of it was lost during the process of adapting to its new form. This was to be expected, as sacrifices needed to be made when one was rewriting the very essence of their being. However, a majority of it was seared off by the blasted dragon’s light. While the bulk of it was data he’d compiled over the years, nothing that cannot be remade and rediscovered, the sheer enormity of information that had been lost made this wound something that would take years to recover from.

It had to work backward, utilizing only common sense and important discoveries that were preserved to understand the foundational elements.

It knew things, but couldn’t prove them—a most unsettling feeling for anyone that prided themselves on their knowledge.

That was why it created its vest - “The Herald of Heroes” - in that way. The simpler way to strengthen its wielder would be to augment their bodies biologically. Having been touched by the indescribable and retained much of the information from that contact without becoming insane, it dared to state that it was first in the world when it came to knowledge regarding flesh and blood. With this background, it was no problem to reward someone with strength or longevity by stuffing resources into it.

There was simply no need to go through all these hoops just to make someone a little stronger. No, if it weren’t trying to collect data, there was simply no reason to empower someone in such a convoluted way.

However, that was what it needed. As such, in Apollyon’s opinion, the current rebranding was perfect. Not only did it present it with a positive, socially acceptable image, but it also provided it with an avenue to study the underlying principles of the attack that the dragon had destroyed the world with.

Before, it was impossible to do a detailed study on the thing. Extracting a soul and breaking it down into its constituent parts did not influence the inner soul at all. Even swallowing a soul whole would only result in it bypassing his wards, escaping in an esoteric manner he was still unable to trace.

Therefore, the only way to adequately study the inner soul was to poke around at his own. Generally, he was a proponent of self-experimentation, however, that was if and only if he had a degree of confidence in it is safe. Anything involving the inner soul was well into the unsafe category.

This centerpiece is not known to most people and, to its knowledge, indestructible. It was the wellspring of mana and the bedrock for one’s ascension. It is the source, the foundation.

Even Eldrige had no idea of it prior to his ‘enlightening’ meeting face-to-face with a [Detached] being.

It had been a harrowing realization, then, that the things that he thought constituted his self were not the anchor point of his being.

Memories, emotions, connections - everything that one could ascribe to their existence were all located in the outer soul. The outer soul can influence the inner soul in numerous ways, in a feedback loop similar to that of the whole soul and the body, but they are not one and the same.

Of all the truths he’d uncovered during his ascent, this was the most perspective-shattering one.

Though there was always something new to comprehend, something new that was brought to light following a sublimation of existence, Eldrige felt that he’d touched upon something integral. It was a foundational aspect of the self, but not beholden to it.

Upon discovering this fact, Eldrige theorized multiple ways to manipulate it, forming the foundation for his new body. It would be a leap of faith, as he couldn't test on others, but everything he found pointed to this being the next qualitative leap.

As the inner soul was inside the outer soul, as the name would suggest, some parts of the outer soul might bleed through to the inner soul, - which, Apollyon theorized, was how the inner soul developed and grew in strength. This bleeding was minor, and it seemed to go through a ‘bleaching’ process regularly, making the vast majority of it a blank slate. Temporarily, an inkling of the outer soul might be preserved into the next life following reincarnation, but it typically ended at being preconditioned towards kindness or malevolence or trying to satisfy a deep-rooted obsession.

As such, perhaps the goal of everyone in this massive game was to live a life so filled with meaning that it can completely dye the inner soul their color, as impossible a task as it was.

To leave a mark that will live on for eternity, surviving past an uncountable number of reincarnations, transcending Samsara and the bleaching waves of the Starry River.

It is akin to an actor donning a mask for a play and the mask subsuming the actor, the character finally able to live on in the real world not only as a part in a play but as their own individual. However, in this case, what one is replacing was only a blank slate.

Apollyon would accomplish just that. The world core and gathered souls served as the glue, forcibly pushing the illusory inner soul to the surface. Apollyon was unsure what the consequences of doing so were, but it was sure that a qualitative change was occurring.

While this was all happening, it would also further its understanding of the inner soul through its partner.

This soul-bound arrangement provided an inner soul that was not its own, and therefore a study material that it could damage to its heart's content without any lasting consequences.

Plus, though it was all experimental, the benefits would still be there. At least, it should. It’ll find out soon enough, anyways.

For this particular partnership, it would channel and stitch together the outer souls of those its host slays into their inner soul. They’re generally not meant to mix so intimately like this, but it was curious to see that would happen. Parts of the outer soul do permeate the inner, but not in such a crude way. However, blunt as it may be, since there was no sign of rejection it should be fine for the most part. Since it’s just feedback loops all the way down, the inner soul becoming stronger should be reflected in everything else.

The first procedure was done just now, subsidized by the ones that had spurned Apollyon’s offer in the past few years. It would be an investment, both for the boy and for its future projects.

This should increase the power of the host in all respects.

He was already regenerating nicely.

Since levels from the System are dictated via the pathways from the inner soul to the outer soul, this will slow down leveling considerably, but it was a worthy price to pay.

After all, it would not be wrong to call someone strengthened in this way invincible in the same Tier. Now, Apollyon was eager to find out how well theory would stand up to reality.

Would this kind of enhancement lead to an unstable patchwork abomination or will the soul’s natural homogenizing processes result in the person sublimating into a higher state of being?

Nothing in status was a lie. It’s just that a lot of his abilities were completely omitted.

It made the mistake of not doing so for the first candidate for a long-term relationship, making them believe they were being solicited by a demon.

Not one to stand for such slander, Apollyon assimilated them into its Soulium reserves and used their rapidly decaying husk of a body to move away from the center of conflict.

A [Soul King] noticed the disturbance but didn’t understand the true nature of the situation, so he only sent a [Supplicant] after it. It was a death sentence for that poor soul, as he was outmatched in every way except level.

A pampered, fattened calf was no match for an old monster like Apollyon.

In fact, it loved devouring specimens like that whole. As the meal developed and their arrogance turned to despair, the soul would take on an exquisite taste.

It had offered the [Supplicant] a way out, but they didn’t cherish it. His memories would lead him to this promising young man, so who was it to complain?

Apollyon pumped

Status

Name: Niven

Title: None

Age: 15

Total Level: ~9

Mana: 2

Attributes:

(Innate + Class)

Strength: 10

Constitution: 15

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 9

Wisdom: 8

Luck: -10

Race: Human*

Skills:

[D]Adaptive*:

[F]Gain 5% Damage Reduction

[E]Immunity to Crimson Plague

[D]Minor Soulium Affinity

[F]Quick Learner:

[F]Gain 10% increased exp

Main Class: Classless

Level: 9

Skills:

[F][Potential]:

[F]Transfer 80% of the current level to a new class, rounding down.

General Skills:

[F]Sewing:

[F]Intuitively understand how to repair basic armor when applicable

[C]Endurance:

[F]Gain minor resistance to environmental effects

[E]Gain minor resistance to physical-based attacks

[D]Gain minor resistance to elemental-based attacks

[C]Gain minor resistance to soul-based attacks

[E]Reading:

[F]Gain increased memory

[E]Give access to [Identify*] spell, drawing from System databanks. The amount of information provided is determined by your level, the target's level, and your current knowledge. Soul-Bound companion can input additional information.

[F]Keen Vision:

[F]Gain a minor increase in clarity of vision

[F]Soul Gorger*

[F]

Condition: Soul-Bound[Hidden], Healthy, Dizzy, Soul-Bloat

Niven awoke to his status already up. Its clarity made for a stark contrast to the fuzzy surroundings that greeted him. He wasn’t quite sure why it was up, but he wanted to take stock of his situation first. He glossed over the status in front of him, noticing some differences but didn’t have the sharpness at the moment to fully comprehend what those changes meant. He turned his attention to the surroundings, hoping to ground his consciousness until he was more clear-minded.

He wasn’t quite sure if they’d moved or not. Around them was still the monochrome yellow characteristic of the Divide. There were some distinctive flora around, all vibrant and green, noticeable at first glance, but he was unsure if they were there before. His nigh delierium-like state caused by both physical and mental trauma before passing out did not allow him to spare much attention in the environment.

Even if they moved it wouldn’t matter much. He wasn’t entirely confident in making his way back to the city safely even from his outpost. From here? No way in hell. Niven wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to return, or if he should at all.

Ah, finally awake, are you? Wondering why I can open your status? Simple, really. We’re soul-bound. You don’t understand what this means, do you?

In effect, I see the world through your eyes, you can see it through mine. What’s yours is mine and mine is yours. It’s an oversimplification, but you can understand it that way.

We’re together. Till death do us part. Or not. You could stay with me forever, you know. Become a part of a greater whole. But that’ll be for later. After you die. But that’s not important, and we shouldn’t talk about such messy things right now.

Anyways.

I should be congratulating you on surviving the procedure.

While you were sleeping, I was busy tending to your wounds. My healing is… a little unconventional. It was fortunate that you did not need to experience it while conscious.

You were a soldier, right? You know, that’s probably the most unpleasant class possible for beginners like you. It didn’t survive the changes, though you’re better off without it. I can’t have you under the thumb of someone else.

I can also imagine you wouldn’t be very pleased with a portion of your experience being leeched, so I cut the connection. I’m rather adept at these sorts of things, so rest easy knowing that they do not realize you deserted. It was a very clean cut, akin to those that died horribly. No one will know the difference. Provided you don’t show up as yourself, of course.

There is a consolation prize, though. I saved most of the accumulation. You need only choose a new path.

Some of the progress will be lost, of course, but it’s better than starting fresh. You were so close to Tier 2. Wouldn’t want all that progress to go to waste.

That was way too much at once, Niven thought. Still somewhat groggy, he was wholly unprepared for the barrage of information that hit his mind at once. However, despite his mind remaining horribly muddled, the words conveyed by the being he sold his everything to was as clear as day. He was surprised by how he was able to understand it. Had it been spoken aloud it would have been unintelligible. Recalling it took far longer, as in his memory, it was not an unintelligible string of gibberish, but a series of words. However, longer still, was understanding it and mustering a comprehensible response. Its extremely talkative.

Centuries of isolation will do that to you, yeah. Also helps that you’re not out to destroy me. Not that you can, at any rate.

A moment passes as Niven digests this.

Wait. you can read my mind?

Why would someone want to kill an object? You’re not evil, are you?

What can I say? Heroes make a lot of enemies. You’ll come to understand this very soon, I imagine. Additionally, what is a play, a game, without conflict? Do you truly believe that people can reach the skies without first stepping on the bodies of their compatriots? No. Even the noblest soul has sacrificed many for their strength. They merely delude themselves into thinking they are righteous through layers upon layers of separation. Blind to suffering, they can see only justice.

You can choose to be different from them. Choose to step up and become a true hero. Spare their misdeeds no mind and rise above their hypocrisy. Though your path will also be one of blood and fire, at least you will know it in your heart that what you pursue is for the greater good.

Or not. You are the hero of your own story, after all. I merely provide you with options.

I believe you to be a person with righteousness in your heart, however. I did choose you, after all. In the end, I will bear testimony to the story your life wove. Collecting these stories is my one and only wish. And, at present, this wish translates to seeing you ascend to the pinnacle. Regardless of what you do, your story will be remembered long after you are gone. This, I promise you.

It glossed over the first question, but Niven didn’t catch that. Each time, the entire string of words was relayed to him in an instant, making him feel compelled to answer right away as well. He didn’t want to leave the being waiting for too long, though he wasn’t even sure it perceived time in the same way he did, given how quickly it responded.

Was it able to think substantially faster than him?

Niven felt awkward in holding this conversation up, even though it was impossible for him to keep up in the first place. Nevertheless, it waited patiently for him to reply, not responding until he conveyed everything that was on his mind.

Hero. I think I remember now. Your name is Apollyon, right? I wasn’t able to identify you completely, and I think my memory of it is a little hazy. You have a title. Herald of Heroes. I’ve only ever seen one weapon with one. It was in the big city. The provincial capital. A [Divine General] showed off this sword at the square right before we were deployed. My captain was in love with the thing, but he, we, could never approach it. We could only identify it from a distance. Even then, most of the status was incomplete.

Are you something like that? An artifact of legend? Does that sword also have consciousness?

He was also surprised by how quickly he was able to respond. Sure, it would obviously be quicker to think than to talk, but he felt like his mind was faster than before. Surprising, given that he had just risen from unconsciousness.

Yes, yes, yes, and probably not. There is nothing else quite like me. I am unique. One of a kind. Which means that a being like me is in very high demand. It would be best for you to keep our little bond a secret, lest someone grow covetous and snuffs you out in the cradle. But that shouldn’t happen. I’ve already disguised myself. I’m sure no one else other than you can identify me. If not, then all I can say is good luck.

Niven spent a few seconds recalling it before attempting to speak.

Right as he was about list his next few questions, however, he thought of something again.

You can read my mind?

Really fixated on that, huh? Soul-bound, remember? Consciousness is under the purview of the soul. In a sense, you are also hearing my thoughts. I just block most of it so that it doesn’t overwhelm you. You can probably tell by now that my mind is much faster than yours. I can only really say that the process of my creation was extremely advanced. With enough base stats, you’ll be able to handle more information at once, just like me.

If you think that this is unfair, do you wish to try and parse the full extent of my thoughts?

No. I think I’m alright with this.

A wise decision. Maybe one day, when you’re ready. *I think I somewhat understand why the System likes to goad people into peeking at its source code.*

What was that last bit?

Do you wish to know? And I just said, some information can be dangerous. It’s about the System, by the way. I’ll tell you if you want.

I’m also curious as to whether it’ll respond. Knowing this particular tidbit might invite a rather irresistibly dangerous invitation your way. It is one of the conditions that’ll get its attention, but it usually takes special care of newcomers.

I’ve never had any reason to pit low-level individuals like this, so I’m rather curious. While I don’t recommend it, I do value free choice. Keep in mind, however, that if it does find you interesting, you probably won’t be able to stop yourself from accepting, and accepting will not end well for you at your current level.

Never mind, then.

Sensible. Boring, but sensible. If you keep this up, you’ll be able to live a long and uneventful life. That is if you hadn’t met me. I’ll make sure yours was a life worth living, filled with all manner of fantastical adventures and discoveries.

The exchange was done in a matter of seconds, mostly on Niven’s part. He was getting faster and faster, however. He wasn’t quite sure if it was because he was getting more awake or if he was becoming more used to this mode of conversation.

Ah. I had completely forgotten to thank you. Thank you for everything. Calling out to me. Saving me. Telling me all these things. I’m not entirely sure about this whole hero thing, but I think I’ll give it a shot. I’ve sure as hell seen a lot of things that could use fixing, that’s for sure. But…

Really. I… I’m not quite sure how else to express it. Even now, when I think back to when I was just lying there, hopeless, I just can’t wrap my head around how surreal this is. Just… Thank you. I owe you my life.

So you do have a sense of gratitude. Good. It seems I did not choose wrongly. Well then. Since you are all done with your questioning, let's get on to business, shall we? I will make you into a true hero yet.