Chapter Ten: Summoning the Soul and Unveiling Clues

Two minutes later

“Where exactly are you taking us!” Kol, who had been trailing behind Mortan, finally couldn’t hold back and shouted. This young thief, who had spent nearly five minutes struggling alone against two Red-Spine Beasts, was now utterly exhausted both mentally and physically. His many wounds were splitting open, and the poison seeping into his body was gradually numbing his senses and limbs.

Mortan stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, nodded briefly at him, and said softly, “This is about as far as we go. You can rest for a moment, then tell me…”

“I don’t care about that!” Kol’s legs suddenly gave out the moment Mortan finished speaking, and he collapsed to the ground. The corpse he had been carrying on his back slipped to the side. Weakly, he interrupted Mortan, clutching the lifeless husk close to his chest and looking up to ask, “Why save me? Why make me bring Rona along?”

Mortan bent down and handed him a bottle of healing potion. The small part of his face visible beneath his hood twisted into an amused smile. “Rona — such a beautiful name indeed has a… oh, let me see~”

He brushed aside the strands of hair covering the left side of Rona’s face, showing no concern for how terrifying the corpse looked now, with one side almost completely gone. He nodded and continued, “Yes, she had a beautiful owner.”

“What are you doing!” Kol, having regained a bit of strength, shouted angrily, “Don’t you dare insult her!”

“Insult?” Mortan repeated softly, then shook his head at Kol. “Only hollow flattery is an insult, my friend. Words from the heart are not. Can’t you see how pure and beautiful her soul is?”

Kol was momentarily stunned, then looked down at the girl’s corpse he had long admired in secret. “Her… soul?”

From what Kol knew, those who constantly spoke of souls in this world were usually priests or shamans of various sects. Yet this man before him hardly seemed like a believer. Though there was no proof, Kol was certain of this.

Of course, everyone knew Mortan’s “Faithless” talent kept any preacher at bay, and naturally, it gave others an immediate impression that he was not a man of faith.

For players, such straightforward talent data translates into “aura,” “vibe,” or some ineffable “gift” in the eyes of NPCs—nothing too conspicuous.

Excluding the possibility of a believer, the remaining options were either a madman or someone who spent a great deal of time dealing with the dead.

Although Mortan gave Kol the impression of a madman, he leaned more toward the latter.

Necromancers, mediums, cultists—all fell into this category. Their minds brimmed with all manner of so-called “taboo” knowledge. Though often seen as terrifying monsters or chaotic villains, many secretly allied with them, offering support in hopes of obtaining “eternity.”

If Kol’s attitude toward such people had been no different from others before, now, clutching the cold, lifeless Rona, a flicker of hope ignited deep within him.

“Can you help me…” He suddenly grabbed Mortan’s robe, voice trembling, “Help me bring Rona back to life! You said just now! She has a beautiful soul! A beautiful soul shouldn’t just fade away, right?”

Mortan smiled in satisfaction. Though his knowledge of this world still paled compared to any native from a village, he was good at persuading others with their own knowledge and experiences, preparing countless logical steps for them to confidently take.

“Do you know what this is?” Mortan didn’t answer Kol’s question directly but instead pulled a small, grayish-white jar from his pack and held it out. Covered in countless constantly shifting and twisting runes, if one looked closely, they could even see numerous faces with various expressions. But if attention wavered, discerning them again was impossible.

[Soul Capture Jar]

Epic Item

Use: Capture Soul / Release Soul

Restriction: Cannot be used by [Lawful] alignment

Effect: Captures the soul of a life form dead within 13 hours and stores it inside indefinitely. The shorter the time since death, the more intact the soul. The jar can hold only one soul at a time.

※ If a second soul is captured, the first instantly dissipates ※

[Note: Only masters of profound soul knowledge can create this. This advanced binding artifact is essential for many forbidden items. The soul inside suffers no torment. Whether you are a skilled alchemist, a necromancer needing a temporary soul vessel, or a wealthy individual who can afford such a special “urn,” this is an excellent choice. PS: Even the kind-hearted don’t mind dealing with it, but the rule-abiding obviously do not think so.]

Kol honestly shook his head. At a time like this, no thief, however cunning, would lie. Yet his gaze grew increasingly eager. Clearly, this was no trifle a madman could casually produce.

“You wouldn’t know~” Mortan shrugged. “To be frank, this is called a Soul Capture Jar. It has many uses and is simple to operate. One function I find useful is… storing a soul that hasn’t yet dissipated, so it might one day bask again in that dreadful sunlight.”

Kol trembled with ecstatic excitement—though perhaps partly from pain—but that was unimportant now. The most important thing was…

“I’m just an insignificant thief apprentice, but if you can help me…” Kol knelt before Mortan, voice solemn, “I am willing to pay any price, even my life!”

---

Though different, those words sounded strangely familiar…

Mortan suddenly recalled what Medy had said before dying. This scene was so similar, except this time, he bore no task harmful to Kol. And using the Soul Capture Jar now would undoubtedly preserve Rona’s soul more intact, unlike the faint remnant trapped in Medy’s ring, hopeless to revive.

So he wasn’t stingy about lending a hand to this lovesick human boy.

“Remember your words.” Mortan’s voice grew cold. He aimed the jar at Rona’s corpse and said slowly, “I am no philanthropist.”

A faint white light shone from the corpse in Kol’s arms, then rose about half a meter, hovering briefly beside him before whooshing into the jar in Mortan’s hand. After a moment of ethereal whispers, it vanished.

The system beeped in Mortan’s ear:

[Soul Capture Jar has absorbed a new soul, completeness 94%]

It seemed to have worked…

“What did you do?” Kol felt a distinct change. The fleeting white light stirred a strange flutter inside him, as if Rona had come back to life, whispering softly in his ear. But looking down, the cold corpse lay still and lifeless in his arms.

Mortan gestured to the jar in his hand before putting it away and said calmly, “I’ve preserved her soul, leaving a chance. Whether that chance becomes reality depends on you… Don’t ask too many questions—I have no obligation to tell you everything, nor do I possess the patience for it.”

“Yes!” Kol answered quickly, then rose and bowed with the highest salute he knew. Although a thief bowing with a dagger upright against his chest was somewhat awkward, this clumsy knight’s oath still conveyed his feelings well.

Mortan nodded in approval, found a relatively flat spot to sit, and motioned for Kol not to stand there foolishly. Then he asked, “Now tell me about yourselves. Who are you, and why were you attacked here? Be detailed.”

“My name is Kol Shuze. I’m a trainee at the Patin Knight Academy.” Kol answered immediately, glancing again at the elven girl’s corpse, voice hoarse. “She was my classmate—Rona Yuehui, a second-year member of the Warm Sun squad, just like me. We…”

Mortan sighed and interrupted, “Set her down first. That corpse is just an empty husk now. If you want, you can bury her here later.”

Reluctantly, Kol laid Rona’s body aside, forcing himself to calm down and continued explaining the incident in detail.

From Kol’s account, Mortan finally understood what had happened—and unexpectedly gained some useful insight.

Every year during the Storm Month and Star Month, the Patin Knight Academy holds comprehensive tests, divided into theoretical exams by subject and team combat exercises. The Warm Sun squad was attacked on their way back from the combat test.

Two Red-Spine Beasts, which should never appear in such a place, attacked them. Despite their natural blindness, the beasts relentlessly targeted the Warm Sun squad, leaving no escape. Every trick was tried—sound distractions, lure tactics—but the monsters clung like shadows, pushing them from the wilderness into this forest.

Then, water mage apprentice Rona died. The other three fled toward Patto City under Kol’s cover. Mortan had observed the following events from the shadows and knew most of it.

[Side Quest Triggered: Rescue the Warm Sun Squad. Reward: Optional 200 experience]

[Hidden Quest Triggered: Revive Rona Yuehui. Reward: ???]

The expected system notifications sounded in Mortan’s ear. Though he wasn’t yet familiar with hidden quests, having spent some time on forums, he was confident this action triggered a side quest. Another unexpected bonus was discovering the Warm Sun squad’s roster:

Mage Rona Yuehui, Thief Kol Shuren, Cleric Ai Fan Ye, Greatswordsman Rada Dona, and Knight Dave Sagel.

“Dave…” Mortan rubbed his temple, then stood and said to Kol, “Return to Patto City first. Find the cheapest inn and stay there. Contact no one.”

Kol was taken aback. “And you…”

“I’ll come find you,” Mortan replied coolly, then activated stealth and, relying on his high agility, swiftly disappeared into the distance.

He had his suspicions but needed to verify them.

…

[Reconnection starting…]

[Connection complete. Reading character data…]

---

[Chaotic Evil Mort, welcome to the World of Innocence]

The sky was dull and gray…

The ruins lay dead and silent…

Endless corpses and pools of blood stretched to the horizon…

Mort glanced back at the “city” behind him, writhing in cursed agony, and let out a suppressed, maniacal laugh. Tightening his gray cloak, he continued down the path, leaving the ghostly scene behind.

Years of repression had mostly been released in that recent, ecstatic massacre. His gear and experience had increased slightly. Now, his goal was to leave this place as quickly as possible. As for where to go… he didn’t care yet.

Still, he had a rough destination in mind.

A cool drop of muddy water splattered on his face. Without warning, the sky began to weep—it was raining.

A sudden roar broke the silence beside the mountain path. A strange beast, looking part pig and part ox, charged wildly from nearby, apparently refusing to avoid Mort and aimed a brutal headbutt.

Then, a hand wreathed in black flames emerged from beneath Mort’s cloak, pressing down on the beast’s head.

[Dark Blaze]

Active Skill

Requirements: Intelligence 40, Constitution 50, profession “Black Sorcerer”

Cost/Restriction: 30 mana/sec, 30 health/sec, [Chaotic] alignment

Effect: Releases black magical flames from your body, dealing heavy fire/dark elemental damage and applying the “Dark Blaze” effect. Half damage and no special effect on undead. No cooldown.

[Note: Created by my grandfather, the famous theoretical black sorcerer Spoon Riddle. Even he couldn’t use it—this spell demands even more physical strength than mana, a real pain! — Riddle III, who burned off his right hand]

With a howl, the beast instantly turned to a pile of charred bones. Mort didn’t even pause half a second. Silently, he withdrew his hand and continued forward.

Then, he was blocked.

A tall figure clad in simple leather armor, her pale skin mostly exposed, stood before him.

“That’s my prey.” The beautiful dark elf frowned slightly, her long silver hair billowing behind. She glanced at the pile of bones behind Mort, then asked coldly, “Did you kill it?”

Mort said nothing, only looked up at the somewhat reckless silver-haired girl, stunned for a moment.

That cold, striking face seemed familiar.

If he recalled correctly…

This girl was a player named Ji Xiaodao. Not long ago, they had shared a meal at the same table.

…

Chapter Ten: The End