A very brief moment later…
What... what just happened?
He looked at his own hands and saw his skin had grown paler. He felt strength far beyond what Lily's buff had granted him. His reflection in a nearby mirror showed eyes now glowing in a faintly red tone.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, his voice coming out more hoarse than before.
Alice laughed softly, standing a few meters in front of him.
"I granted you a gift."
Karl clenched his teeth. He knew something more lurked behind this. In the game, her servants proved powerful, but also found themselves condemned to an existence of eternal servitude. However, it only applied to non-human characters of the game, and he wasn't a non-human or a character of the game at all; he was a transmigrated human outside the system rules. He knew the future and her weak points.
This elixir doesn't have the same effect on humans; nevertheless, I had no other choice. At least I'm stronger now.
I just need some time, then I'll leave this place after being strong enough to survive this world.
"Now, let's test your loyalty." The villainess snapped her fingers.
The palace's great doors opened again, this time a few lackeys dragged a bound figure inside. A survivor. A human wearing leather armor. Perhaps someone who, like him, had fallen into this world without explanation and grabbed the first equipment he found. Meanwhile, a larger minion carried a black bag.
"Kill him." The villainess ordered, her cruel gaze accepted no refusal.
A chill traced down Karl's spine. This was the first test.
For real?
I have two options: obey blindly and sink into darkness... or find a way to play this deadly game on my own terms.
Meanwhile, the brute behind the other minions stood out, the one that carried a black bag.
He pulled it from his back and shook it forward, dumping out a man in a police uniform, all chopped up. Only the upper half of his body remained, his legs gone, along with one arm.
The remaining stumps of his limbs had been burned to keep him from dying of blood loss.
This guy... looks like I wasn't the only one from that place who got transmigrated.
Karl still tasted the bitter elixir in his mouth, his body trembling as the transformation slowly overtook him. But despite the new strength pulsing through his veins, the pain from his wounds remained overwhelming. Each breath proved torture, and his muscles seemed ready to give out.
He'd been nearly dead before arriving in this world, having bled so much and endured so many ordeals to reach this point, which now caused him to show signs of nearly losing consciousness.
I… must say something here…
With the transformation occurring in a body with so little blood and so many wounds, he was lucky he hadn't died.
The villainess observed everything with an analytical gaze. Her sharp eyes captured each tremor, each labored breath, each drop of sweat rolling down his face, like a stalker.
She sighed, shaking her head.
"How pathetic..." she murmured.
In a movement so fast he could barely track, she vanished from his vision and appeared behind him. Before he could react, he felt her cold arms wrapping around his body, supporting him as if he were a fragile doll.
"Poor thing," she whispered in his ear, her tone almost affectionate, but laden with something dark. "I cannot allow you to die like this... so soon."
Karl's chest tightened, panic flooding his veins. Before he could voice a single protest, not that it was going to help, it was already too late. Alice wrapped her arms around him from behind. Her hands pressed against his ribs, and something surged through his body: it was something like water, maybe mana, nevertheless, it was definitely wrong.
Pain lanced through his muscles, carving paths along his injuries. Yet instead of tearing him apart, his flesh tingled, heat spreading beneath his skin like molten iron poured into a mold.
His wounds knitted together, tissue pulling taut over bone. His skeleton reinforced itself, each fragment snapping into place with dull clicks he felt more than heard. The agony twisted, morphed into something pulsing and alive, a current that thrummed beneath his skin.
Is this… power? Nah, I need to joke to keep from going crazy. Seriously, when is this girl going to stop hugging me from behind? This is giving me chills.
Karl gasped, his heart kicking against his ribs like a wrecking ball. Then the power hit. It was a straight-up punch to the gut that felt like it tore through his veins, forcing its way into every inch of him until he felt like he was about to crack.
Alice released her hug from behind and stepped back. Her gaze skimmed over him, satisfaction curling at the edges of her lips.
"Better." Her head tilted, arms crossing beneath her chest. "But you're still not ready."
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. Ah, that expression. It was the look of someone plotting something bad. Really bad.
"You need a new name, don't you?" She pressed a finger to her lips.
Karl hesitated. His mind churned, grasping for something just beyond reach. He knew who he was, didn't he? But the certainty dissolved the moment he tried to grab it.
Wait…
His name, his identity before arriving here, all of it drifted in fog, intangible and distant. The blows to his head? The elixir? Too much had happened too fast. He scrambled to piece it together.
Something's wrong...
The thought crept through him like ice.
I remember things from the game, but why can't I remember anything else clearly? She did something to me. I don't need to know everything to be sure of that.
Alice's smile widened.
"Perfect. A servant without a name is the best... ready to be molded."
She examined him again, then lifted her chin, with that same expression from before.
"From now on, you'll be called Crow."
Karl felt something about the new name. It was familiar, probably because it wasn't that far from his original name. He couldn't tell if he hated it or welcomed it. Maybe the elixir did have some effect after all. The way she said that didn't give him much space to say anything. Not now, at least.
Crow, right.
She continued speaking, "You work for me now. Be grateful."
To think I am in a forced conscription now… life somehow is crazy.
One of her subordinates nearby twisted his face into a scowl, disgust radiating from every line of his ugly face.
Looks like I'm not welcome here.
The thought settled into Crow's mind after his forced conscription. Then...
Alice snapped her fingers. The sound cracked through the hall. Afterwards the walls began to change. Or rather, something within them began to crawl.
Crow lifted his head, trying to parse what was happening.
That's when he saw them.
For a moment I forgot how bizarre this place is.
From the shadowed corners of the hall, creatures emerged. Twisted things with hollow eyes and jaws bristling with fangs, their bodies contorting in ways flesh shouldn't allow. They had no business being here.
In the game, these monsters didn't appear until much later, yet here he was, standing face-to-face with a mid-game boss and her minions.
His stomach churned, bile rising in his throat.
Alice stepped back a little and said, "So, Crow, I'll explain how things will work from now on—"
"—Crazy. Completely psycho!" the officer shouted. "Handing out new names, kidnapping an officer, cutting people apart… you have no idea who you're dealing with. You and your psychopathic followers are going to pay for this. You'll rot in prison forever, no, you'll face the death penalty. Just wait until they find out you kidnapped an authority figure—"
His head rolled across the floor.
A minion struck him hard enough to send it flying. The big one that brought him there.
Poor guy. Sometimes you just have to stay silent and go with the flow. Wait… I remember this guy. Something's wrong with me, with my memories.
Alice glanced at the dead officer, one eyebrow arching upward while her smaller minions scuttled about, clearing the mess from the hall. Then she continued without missing a beat.
"Now, Crow... show me you're worth keeping alive. Fight those things."
Right…
I have no other choice and no time to hesitate. So to avoid becoming a meal, let's fight for now.
He engaged. The shadow creature lunged, its blades, no, its nails hissing through the air like metal teeth.
Crow dodged by a breath, wind from the slashing strikes tearing strands from his hair as he searched for an opening.
Seriously, she wants me to fight bare-handed? If I didn't know some martial arts, this would be my grave.
He strikes one of the monsters in the back and breaks its neck from behind.
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
Now we are talking, music for my ears.
The monsters appeared strong, but when he landed several blows against those deformed beings, they collapsed. Energy poured from their dissolving forms, and Crow absorbed it.
But where are those messages coming from? I don't have a system.
A message box appers in front of Karl, and it was written:
[The sage within the Ring of Wisdom says: From me, lucky one, what did you think? Some hidden system? Don't become relaxed, because if you don't touch some grass soon, you'll definitely die here. This place is not for amateurs.]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
I can feel... what is this... souls?
The thought flickered through his mind as he pulled it from those creatures.
Dark energy spread through Crow's body as he consumed the monster souls. Strange flashes invaded his mind, fractured memories that weren't his own. The pain from his earlier wounds faded into a distant echo.
Was that… battle memories?
[Level up]
[Level up]
Strength passed through his limbs, speed sharpening his reflexes. Each fragment of life torn from those creatures carved something new inside him, reshaping him piece by piece.
So this is what XP feels like.
His gaze snapped to a reflective window. Without meaning to, he activated the Ring of Wisdom on himself.
***
[Status]
Name: Crow (former name error)
Soul Level: 11
Title: The Spared One
Situation: Cautious and tired
STR 42
DEX 33
CON 51
INT 22
WIS 27
***
[Learned Skills]
Hand to Hand Combat level 3
Swordsmanship level 1
Persuasion level 1
***
[Passive Skills]
Quick Reflex.
Enduring Soul.
Soul Devourer.
Frail Existence.
Questionable Charm.
ERROR THE USER IS NOT A BEING OF THIS WORLD…
ERROR, A SOUL OF THIS WORLD IS DETECTED *** SOME FUNCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.]
***
[The Sage Soul within the Ring of Wisdom says: Bruh, what are you now? You survived so far, so maybe you can be useful to me. Good luck buddy.]
Crow froze for a moment, blinking.
" … "
What? An old man talking like that… And why can't I choose where to put my stats?
[No comment.]
Silence.
Hmm, I see. So, you were ignoring me since the time I picked up the ring, huh? Good to know… Thought I'd die quickly and wasn't worth your time. But now it seems you've changed your mind and want favors. You'll keep waiting.
[Err… no? You misunderstood.]
Then.
Slice!
One of the creatures slashed his back while he focused on the message.
He spun to face the remaining aberrations. His eyes, once full of doubts, now gleamed with something different. Hunger.
The creatures hesitated. Even without true consciousness, they seemed to sense he was no longer merely prey.
Crow fought with his bare hands.
Crack!
Alice watched the scene with unsettling fascination. Her crimson eyes sparkled as if she were watching a favorite show, yet the playfulness was belied by her intent, analytical gaze. She studied his every movement, her curiosity heavy and hungering.
Thud!
"So that's it..." she murmured, resting her face in her hand as she reclined on her throne, a smile forming.
When did she get there? Nevermind. I have to finish this thing… story of my life.
Smack!
"The elixir manifested your true nature... what kind of life did you live to manifest this? It's been so long since the last time," she said, with the look of someone who had just hit the jackpot.
Crow lifted his gaze to her, breath still ragged. As he gripped one of the hideous creatures by the throat, he spoke.
"And what does that mean?" The heat from the last soul still fused with his body as he asked.
Alice uncrossed her legs and rose from her throne, then she walked in his direction.
"It means you're now a Soul Devourer."
The words carried weight that settled into his very skin. The words landed wrong. Soul Devourer. He flexed his fingers once, slow, and didn't answer.
I am not a human anymore? No, this can't be. And the elixir didn't make me totally loyal to her, so it's a hidden feature of the elixir. To give a normal human a class, this is news.
He stared at his own hands. Once those were good for combat, now they were more like weapons of murder. Each fallen enemy was more than just a victory, a step toward something greater.
Alice stopped before him, examining him with predatory eyes.
"You could become the perfect tool... or an uncontrollable monster. Only time will tell."
She circled around him, and when she stood behind him, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"But one thing is certain. Your potential is immense. For now, you're an early version of a reaper, one who strengthens his existence by consuming souls."
She moved to his left side and tilted her head slightly.
"You could grow very powerful... perhaps even slip from my control through unbridled carnage. But for now..."
She drew closer, smiled, and ran her hand along his face. She gripped his chin.
"You belong to me."
Oh no, not again. Why do I always meet some crazy possessive girl? Now an Archmage, to make things worse.
A shiver ran through Crow. At least he was not weak anymore by this world's standards, which didn't save him from his old problems.
Crow drew a deep breath, feeling the remnants of the souls he'd consumed still pulsing inside him. His body felt stronger, more resilient. He still didn't fully grasp what he'd become. He'd killed things with his bare hands and wanted more. That was new.
Alice continued circling him, with an appraising gaze and slow pace, as if studying a rare specimen, which was technically the case.
It was hard to tell what was in her head, and whether the effect was meant to be terrifying because of her aura, or enchanting because of her appearance.
The human in leather armor remained silent, observing everything. After standing motionless through all the events, he had practically leveled up his invisibility.
"You adapted faster than I expected." Her voice carried calm, with a dangerous undertone threaded through it. "But there's still much to discover about your new nature. It's rather rare. Tell me, Crow... what do you feel now?"
She is treating me like a specimen… ah, I'll just go with the flow for now.
Crow clenched his fists, flexing his fingers, feeling newly-acquired power racing through his veins. He lifted his gaze to her, his pupils sharper than before.
"Strength... and hunger."
Her smile widened.
"Excellent answer... after all, it's dinnertime."
She extended her hand in a casual gesture, and the imposing hall doors slammed shut. They'd remained open since the moment the adventurer and officer were brought to the audience chamber. The corridor beyond them was dark, except for blue flames flickering from wall-mounted torches.
"Right. There's much more to learn... and more prey for you to feed on."
The human who'd been standing there 'invisible' as a hostage began to think he'd been forgotten, until a blond vampire maid asked:
"Your majesty Alice, may I have him? I am hungry"
She glanced back.
"Yes."
The guy tried to talk.
"You're human, right? Please, don't let them—"
Chomp!
Fangs sank into the human's neck immediately.
Karl, now known as Crow, wore an expression of disgust.
If I'd refused to serve, that would be my fate too, but I need more time. The Hero is coming, which will give me an opportunity to jump to the right side.
Crow's gaze locked on the body as it crumpled. His stomach churned.
I need more power.
He thought while clenching his fist.
"Ugh..."
He didn't feel well, but he could do nothing for the poor guy...
What if he was a normal person like me, isekai'd…
What happened to Lily and her group? I need answers.
Crow hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward. Whatever awaited him on the other side didn't matter. Now, he was no longer a simple human from the modern world without magic, lost in a hostile realm.
He was a Soul Devourer, a rare class with potential to evolve. He could transcend and become a Soul Reaper, an extremely powerful spiritual being. Yet he still possessed physical matter, making him something of an anomaly.
And with each soul absorbed, he drew closer to discovering the true potential of his new power.
The throne room remained in absolute silence. Alice returned to her throne and seated herself, crossing her legs majestically like a true queen. She observed Crow with an intense, enigmatic gaze.
From the moment she'd touched his mind and rifled through his memories, she knew he carried knowledge no one else possessed.
She rested her face in her hand, her subtle smile laden with sharp interest.
"Crow..." her voice echoed through the hall, seductive and commanding. "Tell me... how can I be defeated? What I saw doesn't make sense."
She continued.
"I can read your memories, but I can't fully understand all these things. Tell me."
Crow's brow furrowed. He sensed the malice in the question, but also knew this wasn't just any provocation. She genuinely wanted to know.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at her, locking eyes with that glittering crimson gaze. She didn't seem to doubt her own strength. On the contrary.
She'd never been wounded. Never felt pain. Never experienced the fear of death; never a lot of things to be honest, well, not at this point in the story, at least.
Before he could say anything, the world around them changed.
The air trembled. The floor vibrated beneath his knees. An invisible force swept through the hall like a silent storm, dense and suffocating.
Then, it happened.