Interconnected: Spliced Souls

We discussed the obvious, and Itarr suggested I look at my phone. In the Warden app, I just had the Guild section. The Skills portion was missing. Blood Crystals– the app to manage those– and Messages– to text Itarr– were there. They functioned without issue, but I didn't have any skills to give to my blood crystals. I didn't know if I could impart [Necromancy] abilities onto them, so that would have to wait until later. 

Actually, I was mistaken. The skills section that used to be in the Warden app was its own app called Skills. Of the categories listed, only [Primordial Goddess], [Necromancy], and [Reality Warping] were highlighted. The latter was lit because I had bought [Lover’s Blossom] long ago.  

A few taps later, I expanded my new forbidden skill and checked it out.  

Here, we learned that SP, which I had 2, was actually called Soul Points. My NP, which stood for Necromancy Points, was at 1. The latter was used to unlock new categories of skills within [Necromancy], which I could buy with the former. The primary way to get stronger was to hunt down other necromancers and use their souls to unlock the more powerful categories.  

The two abilities within the [Basic Ability] category were [Soul Harvest] and [Reanimate]. The former allowed me to absorb the souls of those I killed, but I was already doing with Itarr's ring, and the latter allowed me to implant a soul within its corpse and have it come back to life.   

So, for example, if I killed a giant rat and absorbed its soul, I could ‘spend’ that soul to reanimate the rat. It would be undead, wouldn't last long, and when it ‘died,’ I would lose that soul.   

I mean, it sounded okay in certain situations. But to me, doing that was a last-ditch effort because the other abilities seemed better. And it meant I lost a soul. I wouldn’t get that SP back.  

The [Summon Undead] category was unlocked by default, and [Summon Zombie]-- the first skill-- needed 1 SP. By using either my blood or the blood of my enemies, which was sucked through the scythe and stored in the crystal skull on the pommel, I could summon a zombie to fight for me. But it wasn’t just the basic zombie. [Summon Zombie] was the first one. The one after it was [Summon Zombie Squire]. And I wasn’t limited to zombies. There were skeletons, ghouls, bone golems, and liches—all of which had multiple tiers, like skeleton knights, acid ghouls, decayed bone golems, and flame liches. The skill to summon a death knight needed 40,000 SP, but there was more past that level, such as an abyssal lord. 

Forty thousand?!?! Does that mean... Myrokos killed that many? How? Why? How do you even kill 40k without batting an eye? Goddamn... 

On the flip side, there was the [Create Undead], also unlocked by default, which held skills: [Create Low-Tier Undead], [Create Mid-Tier Undead], and [Create High-Tier Undead].   

Low-tier undead were the weakest, possessing minimal physical strength, little to no intelligence, and basic abilities. You could think of them as skeletons, zombies, or ghosts that could only do one or two things.    

Mid-tier were better and more versatile, with enhanced physical attributes and special abilities. From the skills description, things like wights--undead creatures with enhanced durability wielding the power of ice, cold, and frost magic. Ghouls were fast-moving undead that fed on flesh, with heightened senses and above-average close-quarters combat potential.    

Woah, so I could make things like mummies, banshees, and vampires? That’s...kinda powerful... 

High-tier were the most formidable and powerful, possessing significant strength, advanced abilities, and abstract spell-casting capabilities. Death Knights belonged in this category... Without [Summon Death Knight], you’d need about ten dozen corpses of comparable strength to have enough resources to create one. So the one I fought with Llamare and Liealia... It was nothing compared to making one this way. If that wasn’t scary enough, this group included liches, undead wizards with masterful control over the dead while harboring intelligence capable of rivaling a scholar, and undead dragons.  

That was fine, but what about summoning versus creating?   

Summoning undead involved expending resources to create something from nothing. Creating meant you imbued lifeless bodies with necromantic energy to transform them into something that didn’t have a time limit. They would remain until I killed them, dismissed them, or fell in battle.   

There were some undead you could only get from [Create Undead], such as skeleton messengers. There wasn’t a corresponding spell to summon those.   

But damn... [Create Low-Tier Undead] needed 100 SP right off the bat. The next tier needed 1,000, and the one after that?    

10,000 SP.   

However, if I wanted to make a skeleton archer from a group of corpses I came across, I didn’t need to know [Summon Skeleton Archer]. I only needed to know [Create Low-Tier Undead].  

By all accounts, [Reanimate] was a fail-safe ability. If you killed or remained close to someone or something that died, you could temporarily bring it back and lose that soul in the process.  

The category of [Revenant] needed 1 NP, and the skill [Create Revenant] required 1 SP. Its description said I could bring back someone to serve me in death, which required their corpse and soul. Without one or the other, the skill would fail.    

Albert's body was still here, but what about his soul? I asked Itarr if our collected souls were stripped away when we entered the [Forbidden Skill System], but she shook her head, which surprised me. “They’re still here. It's just that their power has vanished. Yours and mine are one and the same while being different, so have 2 SP to use. Then Myrokos's necromantic soul gives us the 1 NP. Is this about...?” 

I used my SP and NP to unlock and purchase the ability to create revenants. For the category the latter skill belonged to, the other abilities granted me additional revenant slots, overall increases to their power, and something called [Soul Remembrance], which allowed them to eventually return to the peak of their former power. It was broken into different levels, each requiring more and more SP.   

So, that was a long-term goal.   

“Yeah,” I replied. “Remember what Albert said before he passed away? He said he didn't want to die.”  

“I'll go get him, then.” Itarr spun on her heels and raced into the tower. She was probably going to that graveyard I saw earlier– the one on the lower level. While she did that, I retrieved my scythe and held the crimson blade to my neck. It wasn't that sharp and took some effort to break the skin.   

But the wounds… The self-inflicted injuries weren't healing. I quickly took out a regular sword and cut my wrist. That regenerated without delay.   

Okay, so I gotta be careful when using the scythe like that. Good to know. Ah, [Reanimate] doesn’t need resources. I don’t have to cut myself or harm my enemies to use it. 

When the skull couldn't store more blood, I swirled the scythe around my body and used [Summon Zombie] via thinking about it…   

And nothing. It didn't work.    

Something felt fucky. I opened my skill app and cursed loudly because [Skill Stacking] and [Voiceless Incantation] were marked inactive.   

In other words, I had lost access to my most useful passive abilities. [Blood Crystal Crafting], [Ichor’s Blessing], and [Divine Ear]-- the other three skills that were clearly marketed as prototypes– were working just fine. Just to be sure, I practiced storing and retrieving items from my ring to ensure I hadn't lost that ability. I hadn't, and I knew it was there, but I needed to see it for myself. 

“This is gonna suck… Having to say the name of what I want to use? That's gonna be annoying, but let's try it out. [Summon Zombie]!” The edge of my weapon pulsed a familiar green, and I slashed at the grass, creating a scar in the ground.    

From the hole I made came a pair of rotting, skinny arms. The zombie pulled itself out of the ground and stood up, awaiting orders while groaning. Mentally giving orders didn't work, so I, once again, had to be vocal.    

I ordered it to walk, but I wasn't impressed with its slowness. It was also stupid since it kept tripping over its legs. Sometimes, it slowly crawled along the ground and refused to even think about standing up until I gave it an order.    

It was okay for being the weakest thing I could summon.    

Back to my phone, I messed around more and realized I could change catalysts within the app– going from scythe to the dagger. But a message stated it would take a week for the transfer to complete, during which I couldn't use any [Necromancy] skills.    

There had to be a way to speed it up, so I put that on the back burner and kept messing around with the zombie. It stood still while I sliced its arms and legs. It even tried to move without limbs, shuffling around like a rotting, decaying worm. Even with it being just a head, those gross teeth remained to chatter.    

It only stopped moving when the brain was pierced. I tested it with a few more zombies and discovered that was the quickest way to kill one. A weakness, for sure, but one that was understandable. As for the time limit? It was about five minutes. Not good, but not great, I guess? When I had a chance, I needed to acquire its counterpart and compare the two.    

Itarr soon returned with a familiar corpse in her arms. She gasped at the piles of rotting flesh and the still-bleeding wounds on my neck, but she quickly understood after I explained my findings.    

“Here, let me help,” I said, assisting her in gently laying Albert’s body on the grass. Before that, I absorbed the zombies’ remains and made the area presentable.    

Albert still bore the fatal wounds of our fight, along with his butler’s outfit, and his stylish gray hair was still tied into a fitting ponytail. I moved his arms to his chest and said a small prayer.    

“You said you didn't want to die, Albert. I'm here to grant your wish.”   

I held my hand skyward and beckoned Albert's soul to my palm. The once crimson orb was dull and colorless– everything that made it strong and powerful had been cruelly stripped away.    

“[Create Revenant].” With his soul in hand, I gently lowered it onto his chest and carefully placed it back into the mortal coil where it came from. Right away, his skin dissolved, leaving behind only his skeleton. A second later, those empty sockets harbored two flickering, green flames.    

“Take it easy, okay? You might feel weird,” I said, taking his bony hand in mine.    

“...” Albert didn't reply. He just blankly looked and leaned up with my assistance. Those eyes saw the darkened skies, bloody oceans, and the black tower. Those burning orbs turned to me, Itarr, and the devoid horizon.    

“His soul is there. I feel it. But I do not understand why…”   

“Maybe I'm too weak? There are different levels to [Create Revenant], so maybe I need to get stronger before his personality returns.”   

“Maybe not. Remember [Ichor’s Blessing]? Do you think that might help?”   

“It's worth a shot. I mean, it can't hurt. Do you think he'll join [Pantheon] or [Outer Circle]?” According to the skill, I shared my power with those who drank my blood, and the amount depended on which division they were placed in. Neither of us knew the differences or what criteria determined which one you were put into.    

“I don't know. I still can't remember. Maybe it'll come back after you use it?”   

“Let's hope.” I dropped a steady flow of crimson onto Albert's bony mouth. He became enveloped in a warm glow. It didn't do much but cast him in a warm illumination before fading, but something definitely changed.    

“That's… That's the [Outer Circle],” Itarr said, walking around me. “I don't know what the determining factor is, but… If it was [Pantheon], he should have received a ring. That...would have granted him access to [True Absorption] and [True Immortality]. As a revenant, his soul and body have merged into one. If he dies outside the ring, his soul will retreat to your catalyst while regenerating his body. But [Outer Circle] means it'll return here, where it'll be safer. But there is a limit.”   

“And that limit is me, yeah? I saw something about increasing that in the app when I was looking at it. If he dies too often, the soul will extinguish itself and permanently fade away.”   

“Yes. However, that concern will be eliminated if Albert acquires a ring and moves to [Pantheon]. I don't know how to accomplish that.”   

“I'm sure it'll come back. I mean, look at how much you've remembered so far. Hey, Albert? Are you there? Can you hear me?”   

“I'm…” Albert's voice, dry and scratchy, came from the skeleton, but the jaw didn't move. “I’m…dead, aren't I?” he said, looking at me.    

“It’s a long story, but I'll tell you everything.” 

---

“That…is certainly an interesting tale,” Albert said after listening patiently. He sat on the fountain's edge with his skeletal hands folded in his lap, looking at me and my goddess.  

“And you're not going to question it?” asked Itarr. I suppose she found it uneasy that her status as a goddess was just understood as easily as a snap.    

“What is there to question? Everything you said was the truth, correct? You're a young woman who died after waking up without memories…” Albert summarized what I had just told him. “Once you acquired this forbidden system, you placed my soul into my corpse. Since my soul's strength was drained, I became a skeletal revenant without mind or consciousness. Your blood allowed me to regain myself. Did I get everything?”  

“Uhh… Yeah, you did,” I chuckled at the absurdity.   

“May I ask why you brought me back to life?”  

“Before you died, you said you didn't want to pass away. You said there was more you wanted to do. And I didn't want you to go out like that.”  

“I see. Thank you, Servi, and thank you, Goddess Itarr, for fulfilling the final wishes of an old man like myself.” Albert stood up and bowed his head, one arm across his chest.   

It felt odd seeing a skeleton act with respectful mannerisms.  

“Umm… You can call me Itarr,” said the goddess. “I don't know how this is supposed to go, but I hope we can be friends.”  

“I've never had a goddess amongst my allies, but the pleasure is all mine, my lady.” Albert was the perfect gentleman, from how he held himself to how he spoke– I couldn't find a single flaw.   

When Albert summoned his Skill Tablet, he was surprised that it resembled my Skill Phone– complete with most of the same functions, including the Warden and Message apps. He obviously didn't have the Blood Crystal app, but he had a Revenant app.   

He confirmed what we knew: every skill he once knew was no longer there. In the truest sense, he was back at the beginning. If he were blessed by a god or goddess, those skills would have disappeared.   

But it wasn't all bad news. As a revenant, Albert had ten tiers of necromantic abilities he could learn. They required RP– Revenant Points– which he gained by fighting and killing enemies.  

There are many different things to keep track of, and this is just one out of the four forbidden skills… Just how complex is this system? 

I wasn't the only one to share such concern, but what could we do about it? The three of us discussed if it was possible for Albert to eventually use the skills he once had. They were part of a system I no longer had access to, and we wondered if that restriction transferred to him.   

Itarr didn't know. She tried her hardest to force a memory, but it failed. We had to wait until I learned [Soul Remembrance] to see how much it helped. Huh… I wondered if he would reacquire his flesh and blood? Maybe he'd revert back to his younger self? Just how old was he when he was in the prime of his power?  

“By the by, could I inquire about your goals?” he said, disappearing his Skill Phone. He would need tutoring to effectively learn how to use the Messaging app.   

“It's simple. Itarr wants to regain her memories, and I want to help those unable to defend themselves while assisting her. And this means Virin Keywater, his son, and whoever else are my targets.” 

“Then I'll assist you in any way I can. Virin wasn't like this. He was a good man with an honorable, just heart. He helped the poor and nursed the sick. He was the epitome of hope that saved a wretch like me from death.” Albert had a solemnly sad expression– as glum as a skeleton could have. “When Viridian was born, his father cried into my arms… He… It’s impossible to describe how happy he was. For the life of me... I cannot understand how things became this way.”  

“Even if it means crossing swords with him?”  

“That's correct. I will not stop until I know the truth… But Virin is too far gone. His sins cannot be excused, no matter the reason. I… I am prepared to end his life. As his closest friend, I must right his wrongs.”  

“I can sense great determination behind your words,” said Itarr. She was acting a bit rigid, so perhaps she didn't know how to handle being around a stranger.    

“I’ll gladly accept your help. You were an incredible warrior when we fought. You actually killed me more than twenty times. I only really won because your body was getting tired…”   

“You have my apologies.”   

“No, you don't need to say sorry. It was kinda cool to be up against someone as strong as you. I became aware of my shortcomings. Just because I can't die doesn't mean I'm the top dog. But can I get some information?” Albert nodded.  

First, that wormy bastard went by the moniker Golden Reliquary, and Albert didn't know his name. Myrokos went by Corpse Raiser, and he didn't know his identity. The reason? Albert wasn't trusted by Virin Keywater. Any information that should have been shared with him had ceased about seven years prior.    

He was treated as an outcast and only given the barest info to support those he served. He was also only used for his abilities to craft golems and puppets with those marbles, and the Golden Reliquary came to him a few days ago to receive some.    

However, that ability was now lost to him.    

Albert had no idea where monotonia came from. When Viridian made that deal with the shadowy underworld, the Golden Reliquary joined him as his bodyguard. But the former butler knew the plan to make the underground slave market into something much more than it deserved. It was all a ploy to make something elusive and secret, which sparked an ever-rising demand for access. Viridian used to sell tickets that increased in price with each passing day.    

But that was over. And the underground market was no more.    

When I asked about Viridian’s sick fetishes, Albert shamefully nodded and said he knew of them. He had no excuse and apologized a dozen times for being unable to stop it. But I didn't expect to hear of Myrokos's involvement.    

I checked my phone and found a category within [Necromancy] called [Brainwash].    

That bastard had used Lucy as a training dummy while making her agree to Viridian’s outlandish requests.    

Suddenly, it made sense. Lucy wasn't doing this because she wanted to. She just had no choice. Perhaps the first time was when she was forced into it since Albert said controlling a mind required them to be at their weakest. You had to shatter their self-worth and forcibly twist it to your desire.   

Since Myrokos was dead, his hold on Lucy and anyone else was gone. But what did that entail? Well, a lot of mental trauma. His influence had to have been massive. The stress affecting her mind wasn't minor.    

I just hoped she didn't die… I could currently only hold 1 revenant, and I didn't yet have anything to bring someone back from the dead without any strings.    

I also hoped Nimyra would believe me. What about Lucy? Something told me she probably wouldn't, but now her behavior was far more understandable because she didn't have a choice. The closest she came to being free was when she was recovering from those god-awful wounds Viridian gave her.    

“There is one thing you may find interesting,” Albert said. “One of the reports I had written for Viridian said two spies had infiltrated Lando’s innermost circle. Their code names are Adam and Eve, and I'm afraid that's all I know.”   

“The web gets messier and messier, doesn't it? Sounds like there's a lot at play here. It makes me mad that I can't deduce why Virin would go through all this. I mean, this plan he has must be decades in the making, right?”   

Albert nodded. “I've spent many sleepless nights trying to solve this riddle myself. Yet it's beyond my ability.”   

I brought out my scythe and tapped the ground with it to help with the thinking– when I noticed a skull engraved on the handle. The more damage I caused, the more it would fill. Once it glowed green, I could use the stored energy to bring forth a revenant–Albert.   

His body transformed into energy the same color as his eyes and deposited into my weapon.    

It was filled immediately, allowing me to summon him. While in the soul world, the requirements were already satisfied, and he could come and go as he wanted. But once I was outside, he would remain in my weapon, waiting to be called upon.    

At least, that would have been the case had I not used [Ichor's Blessing].    

While he didn't have a ring, he could remain here instead of my catalyst because he was a member of the [Outer Circle]. That meant I could talk to him as I could with Itarr. The requirement to bring him out was still the same, but my goddess said that could be circumvented if he had a ring.    

That should be my goal. 

“Itarr, what do you think will happen if I use [Ichor's Blessing] on you?”   

“On myself?” The goddess was surprised.    

“Yeah. We share a soul, but I'm the only one with a ring. It doesn't make much sense, does it?”   

It didn't hurt to try, so I dropped some blood in her hands and waited for her to drink it… A familiar glow enveloped her body. It left a little something on her right hand when it left.  

It was a dead ringer for the one I wore. It even had the etching of a scythe on its polished surface.    

After gasping in surprise, she closed her eyes…and nothing happened, prompting her to complain that she couldn't leave. She had a body inside, but there wasn't anything for her to use on the outside.    

Something was still missing in that department, and she didn't know what it was.    

Itarr also acquired a Skill Phone of her own.    

I decided it was time to return to Canary. The night was long, and it was going to get even longer.    

Itarr held my hand and hugged me, and Albert offered a professional bow. “Come, Albert. We absorbed furniture from the mansion, so I'll prepare a room for you.”   

“Thank you for your kindness, Itarr.”  

Itarr and Albert walked towards the tower as I left this soul world, finding myself under that tall tree. Several dozen rays of moonlight fought like hell to fit the gaps in the leaves high above, and it was definitely a pretty sight.    

Before I started the return trip to Canary, I checked my wounds.  

They were still bleeding.   

And they wouldn't kill me– because I couldn't die– but it was slightly concerning that it was taking this long for the healing to start.   

I almost wondered if self-inflicted wounds with a catalyst required me to spill the blood of my enemies to heal the damage. It kinda made sense… If you thought about it a certain way.   

But experimenting was for another time, and now it was time to start running back.   

With that in mind, I was sure I could fuck over ‘Parrel Biggins’ while causing a shit load of trouble for the nobles that visited the underground market. If Albert didn't know their names, that was fine because I know some of those bastards perished in the initial attack. I just had to wait until someone said they were missing. Their families would be forced to create an excuse on why they weren't making any public appearances, and I'd have my names.