Chapter 66: Epic Skills, Soul Weapon
Malrik picked up the first book and read the description.
[ Corpse Explosion ] [LV 1]
Rarity: Epic ★
Detonate the corpse of any creature slain by the user or one of the user’s contracted souls.
The explosion deals damage equal to 50% of the creature’s combat power while it was alive.
The corpse is completely destroyed after detonation.
His lips parted slightly.
Corpse Explosion.
Interesting... Fifty percent of the target’s combat power.
If that’s literal... This skill is terrifying.
He imagined it. A hulking Morveth chief, cut down by his forces. Its body, still warm, still radiating residual mana, detonating in the middle of its own army. The chaos. The destruction. The sheer tactical nightmare.
This changes everything.
In a siege, he could clear walls. In an open field, he could break formations. Against a superior force, he could turn their own dead against them.
It’s grotesque, he admitted. But effective.
He set the book down carefully and picked up the second.
[ Soul Rend ] [LV 1]
Rarity: Epic ★★★
Launch a concentrated spiritual attack that strikes the target’s soul directly.
This attack ignores all physical and magical defenses, dealing damage based solely on the user’s Soul Power and the target’s spiritual resilience.
His breath caught.
Ignoring all physical and magical defenses.
No shield. No armor. No barrier. The only protection was the target’s own spiritual resilience—and that came naturally with rank. A Saint like Matthias would shrug this off. His soul had grown too powerful through decades of advancement.
But against an Awakened? Against a Mortal?
This is a death sentence for anyone on my level.
He let out a slow breath.
Then, despite everything—the exhaustion, the confusion, the weight of the day—he laughed.
A raw, incredulous sound that echoed off the stone walls.
Two Epic skills. Two. In a single advancement.
He ran his hand over the books.
If these are only Epic... what would Legendary look like?
He shook his head.
I need to test these. As soon as possible.
A hunger stirred in his chest. The kind that made his brothers famous. That made the Vesperion name feared across the continent.
Is this their blood in my veins?
He smirked.
It must be. I was a kind, peaceful person before I woke up in this body.
He set the books aside and reached for the scythe.
Up close, the weapon was breathtaking in its simplicity.
Its crescent blade was forged from a pitch-black metal that swallowed the firelight around it. No runes. No engravings. No ornaments. Nothing interrupted its flawless surface.
A faint hum echoed from within the blade, as though it possessed a life of its own. The edge was so impossibly sharp that the air itself seemed to part before it.
He lifted it.
It was lighter than it looked, perfectly balanced.
As if it had been forged for him alone.
He opened its description.
[ Name: Black Reaper ]
[ Rarity: Rare ★★★★★ ]
[ Type: Soul Weapon ]
[ Current Rank: Awakened ]
[ Status: Unbound ]
[ Requirement: Necromancer, Soul Binder Class ]
[ Description: ]
A Soul Weapon forged in an age long forgotten, when the boundary between life and death had yet to be sealed.
Legends claim it was wielded by an ancient sovereign who ruled over souls, until both the weapon and its master vanished into the Realm of Souls.
Its rank is permanently synchronized with its master’s current rank. As the user advances, the Black Reaper will evolve accordingly, unlocking new abilities and greater power.
[ When Equipped ]
Strength +50
Intelligence +100
[ Passive Skill: Reaper’s Blessing ]
Increases the power, duration, and effectiveness of all Soul-related Skills by 50%.
He froze.
Soul Weapon.
The words echoed in his mind.
Synchronized with its master’s current rank. Evolves with me.
Unbound.
Soul Weapons weren’t unheard of. Almost every noble house possessed one—an heirloom passed down through generations, wielded by the current heir. The ranks varied. A Rare Soul Weapon was weaker than an Epic. An Epic weaker than a Legendary.
The Imperial Family had a Legendary Soul Weapon. The Emperor himself wielded it.
His own family—the Vesperion Duchy—probably had one. His father was a Supreme. It would be strange if he didn’t.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
It’s unbound.
His eyes drifted to the final line of the description.
Its rank is synchronized with its master’s current rank.
A possibility crossed his mind.
"If it grows alongside me..."
"And it’s bound to my soul..."
"Then Infinite Evolution should work on it as well."
His heartbeat quickened.
If his assumption was correct, then Black Reaper’s current rarity meant nothing.
As long as he had enough Evolution Points, it could continue evolving.
He stared at the black blade in silence.
A Legendary Soul Weapon...The same rarity as the one wielded by the Emperor.
But the thought was cold. Clear.
If anyone finds out an Awakened possesses a Soul Weapon... I’m dead. They’ll kill me for it.
He gripped the haft tighter.
I need to keep this hidden. Completely. Until I’m strong enough to defend it.
He ran his fingers along the blade. Cold. Smooth. Alive.
Reaper’s Blessing.
Fifty percent increase to all soul-related skills.
That included Death Bullet. Soul Resurrection. Soul Storage. Corpse Explosion. Soul Rend.
Everything.
Every skill he possessed. Every skill he would ever acquire. All of them—fifty percent more powerful, more effective, more devastating.
The weight of it settled over him. The responsibility. The danger. The sheer, breathtaking potential.
This is the most valuable thing I’ve ever owned.
He examined the blade, running his fingers along its edge. The metal was cold. Smooth. Alive beneath his touch.
How did you bind a Soul Weapon?
Blood, perhaps.
It was almost always blood.
He studied the edge of the blade.
The faint hum pulsing from within it.
One drop. That should be enough.
He pressed his thumb against the edge—so sharp he barely felt the cut. A bead of blood welled up, dark red against the black metal.
He touched it to the blade.
The reaction was immediate.
The scythe drank the blood. Not absorbed—drank. The metal shimmered, ripples spreading from the point of contact like water disturbed by a stone. The hum grew louder. Deeper. A resonance that vibrated through his palm, up his arm, into his chest.
His vision blurred.
[ Soul Weapon Binding Initiated. ]
The words appeared in front of his eyes, but he barely registered them. His attention was fixed on the blade.
The engravings were moving.
Symbols shifted and flowed, rearranging themselves into patterns that made sense to his soul even if his eyes couldn’t follow. The black metal pulsed—once, twice, three times—like a heartbeat.
[ Binding User: Malrik Vesperion ]
A thread formed.
He felt it—a connection that hadn’t existed moments ago. A line of energy linking his soul to the scythe. It wasn’t just a weapon anymore. It was part of him.
[ Weapon: Black Reaper ]
[ Current Rank: Awakened ]
[ Binding Complete. ]
[ Status: Bound ]
The hum settled into a soft thrum, content and waiting.
He stood there for a long moment, gripping the haft.
He could feel it now. Not just as a weapon, but as an extension of himself. The weight. The balance. The energy that flowed between them.
It’s mine.
The weapon hummed in his hands—louder now, more alive. A thread connected his soul to the scythe, pulsing with energy. It was part of him now.
He set the scythe aside and picked up the first skill book.
He placed his hand on the cover.
[ Do you wish to learn this skill? ]
[ Yes / No ]
He pressed Yes.
The book dissolved into light. The light surged into his hand, up his arm, into his mind.
Information flooded his consciousness. Knowledge. Understanding. The mechanics of Corpse Explosion poured into his brain as if he’d always known them.
That was... intense.
He picked up the second book.
[ Do you wish to learn this skill? ]
[ Yes / No ]
Yes.
More light. More knowledge. More understanding.
He opened his eyes.
Two skills. Learned. Instantly.
This is how skill books work, he realized. They don’t teach you. They implant.
He shook his head.
Unfair. But I’ll take it.
He pulled up his status screen.
Name: Malrik Vesperion
Rank: Awakened
Level: 1
Class: Soul Binder
Class Rank: Epic ★
Talent: SSS-Rank — Infinite Evolution
Strength: 138 (50↑)
Agility: 149 (50↑)
Constitution: 143 (50↑)
Intelligence: 441 (200↑)
Free Attribute Points: 135
Soul Contracts: 50 / 250
Skills : Soul Resurrection , Soul Storage , Death Bullet , Soul calling , Corpse Explosion , Soul Rend
He stared at the numbers.
Intelligence dominated. 441 points. More than double what it had been.
He had 135 free attribute points. 100 from the promotion. 35 from before.
I’ll save them. For now.
His soul contract capacity was 250. He’d filled 50. That left 200 empty slots.
I need to fill them. Awakened-Rank souls. Maybe Fallen.
He looked at his skill list. Six skills now.
A smile spread across his face.
I’m not the same person who walked into that temple this morning.
He thought about the journey ahead. Redmont Barony. A Morveth surge.
I’ll be ready.
He lay back, staring at the ceiling.
The fire crackled. The night stretched on.
For the first time... I actually feel like I can do this.
He closed his eyes.
Sleep came quickly.
******
Author’s Note :
Malrik is collecting souls... I’m collecting Golden Tickets, Gifts, and Comments. 😂
If you’re enjoying the journey, your support helps keep the story going.