Chapter 32 | True Title, Soulless One
[True Title: Soulless One.]
[Description: For some strange reason, just for a brief moment, it felt as though the SOULS of all living beings were calling out to you, including those of the gods.]
[But you cannot answer them, for you are the only Soulless One.]
"Huh..." Alicar mumbled, his brow furrowed with confusion.
The benefits of True Titles were also unknown, but many suggested that they gave immense rewards that could elevate even the weakest of awakeners to a brand new tier of power.
And yet, standing there, for Alicar, his True Title did absolutely nothing that he could feel.
He didn’t feel anything different, and that cryptic description wasn’t going to help him understand its purpose anytime soon.
’Oh well, that’s good enough,’ he thought, pushing aside his curiosity for now.
Even the knowledge of him having a True Title would be enough to make him world famous, so Alicar vowed to keep it hidden for now, until he knew what it could do at least.
He turned toward Leon and Iris, who were observing their own panels with excited expressions on their faces.
They likely each received their own appraisal, as well as a reward for their contribution to the battle.
"My Spirit stat increased by 10," Iris puffed out her chest with pride in her face, her eyes gleaming with joy. "I’m now much stronger!"
And as for Leon, his grin was equally wide. "The skills of my first class, Power Charge and Super Strength, both leveled up thrice."
Both of them received very good rewards that made them much stronger, though it seemed Alicar was the only one who received a True Title among them.
With all of that done, the group was ready to proceed out of this place and finally escape the nightmare realm.
Or at least, that was until a panel that shook Alicar’s entire being appeared before him, its letters glowing with urgent intensity.
[A presence with a terrifying soul has entered this place.]
Alicar’s blood ran cold as he read the notification, his instincts screaming at him that something was horribly wrong.
He turned around slowly, his eyes scanning the temple’s entrance, dreading what he might find.
And there, standing in the shattered doorway, was a figure that made his heart stop.
The figure was tall and imposing, cloaked in shadows that seemed to devour the light around it.
Its eyes glowed with an eerie, otherworldly light, and the aura it radiated was suffocating, far more powerful than anything they had ever encountered.
Even the Sun Beast seemed small compared to that.
Leon and Iris turned as well, their faces paling as they sensed the presence.
"What the hell is that?" Leon whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
Alicar didn’t answer, his mind racing as he tried to understand what was happening.
They had defeated the Sun Beast, they had completed the secret realm, they should be safe.
But as the figure took a step forward, its presence pressing down on them like a physical weight, Alicar had the feeling that this was far from over.
He could see the being’s soul, though he wasn’t able to see them directly, as if some force was actively blocking his perception.
Their soul was completely pitch black, a void of nothingness that seemed to absorb all light around it, and Alicar felt as though the knowledge to look through it was sealed to him by an invisible barrier.
He still tried of course, pushing his ability to its limit, but the panel that appeared was exactly what he had expected, revealing absolutely nothing.
[Name: ???]
[Race: ???]
[Level: ???]
[Potential: Divine.]
Alicar’s eyes widened as he saw the sheer potential that being possessed, it was even above supreme, something he hadn’t even known was possible until this moment.
A divine potential meant that they had the potential to stand among the gods themselves with the class they would be given, a level of power that most could only dream of.
And since Alicar had a third contract slot available, one that was still empty and waiting to be filled, he felt bold enough to try his luck with this mysterious being.
"Hey, do you want another class?" he asked the being before them, his voice carrying a hint of hopeful curiosity. "I can—"
SWASH!
The shadow-robed being moved its arm with fluid grace, opening a dark purple gate that seemed to lead to the void, with light flowing like liquid within its depths.
"That was entertaining," the being said, and though the voice echoed with an otherworldly quality, all of them recognized a distinctly feminine tone, meaning that the being was a woman. "Though don’t push your luck, anomaly, only the three of you survived this place."
"I think you mean six," Leon cut her off, his brow furrowed with confusion. "William, Sera and Darian are—"
"—Dead," the shadow-robed being replied, the aura around her flickering with dark energy. "That was a trap."
"What was a trap?" Leon demanded, his voice rising with growing alarm.
"The only way to leave this secret realm is by killing the Sun Beast," the figure explained calmly, as if discussing the weather. "Any other way out is a trap. I mean, it is clearly shown on the carvings, isn’t it?"
"What?" Alicar’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing to understand.
Alicar turned toward the image of the three awakeners entering the portal with the group behind them, studying it carefully.
It seemed completely normal at first glance, even Darian hadn’t noticed anything strange about it when he examined it earlier.
But the shadow-robed figure’s words made him look closer, his eyes scanning every detail.
"Beneath it," the figure called out, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "It’s hidden, but look closely."
Alicar, Iris and Leon followed the instructions, with the former wiping the dust that had accumulated over the centuries, and indeed, there was one last caricature hidden beneath the surface.
Right as the three members of the group entered the portal, it exploded in place, indicating that it was a trap designed to kill anyone who tried to use it, and the Sun Beast appearing where the portal had been, ready to feast on their remains.
’I was wrong,’ Alicar thought as he saw the caricature, ’The Sun Beast hadn’t just been looking at us to see what we would do, it simply wanted to see us jump to our death.’
"Which means... I sent Sera to die," Leon gasped as he took a few steps back, his face pale with horror and guilt. "This is..."
Leon gritted his teeth, a wave of anger washing over him, then with a powerful dash, he swung his fist at the shadow-robed figure with all his might.