The atmosphere in the room shifted with my question. The golden fire portrait ambient magic humming through the study faded to a faint whisper. Even the portrait on the wall seemed to pause and watch.
Samira's amber eyes narrowed. The warmth disappeared, replaced with a cold, stoic stillness.
She didn't speak or blink, for several long seconds. She simply stared at me with a frozen expression, a mask of absolute neutrality, though something behind her gaze flickered. Something dangerous and heavy.
Cain felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Cain sat on the edge of the chair, still reeling from Samira's revelations. The amber glow in her eyes had faded slightly, replaced with a grave seriousness. The warmth of the study's fire no longer comforted him, it was a subtle reminder of the power and authority that Samira wielded effortlessly.
"Cain," she began, her voice calm but edged with a weight that made his skin tighten, "I can only tell you so much because of your lack of soul authority. But let me make it simpler." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, another tan folder levitated in the air before him, descending gently. It was thick, almost impossibly thick, each seeming to hum faintly with a mysterious magic.
Cain's braced himself. "What is this?" he asked, though he already feared he knew.
"This is along with these other folders are records of your soul," Samira said softly. "Your history all the way to your origin."
Cain's stomach turned. "My origin?" he muttered. "... And what do you mean by fragments?"
Samira's gaze was steady as she slowly waved her hand. "To make it simple," she said, "your soul has been broken into pieces. Or severed, to be the more accurate term."
Cain's mind froze. His pulse quickened as a deep, primal terror gripped him. "Are you… saying I'm like some sort of Horcrux or I'm a incomplete copy of the original?" he whispered, barely audible.
Samira shook her head. "No. Not at all. Horcruxes were a incomplete way created to extend a person life using dark methods, that don't have good long term effects. Your soul… was severed naturally, or rather, by powers beyond even my comprehension. It was able to be restored slowly until it was ready to be placed in a world… or multiple worlds, in your case."
Cain's mind reeled. "I… don't understand. You mean my memories, everything I thought was me… it was just what… restored pieces of my soul. Am I even the original Jasen?"
Samira said nothing, snapping her fingers. Another single envelope drifted gently from the stack, landing softly before Cain. "Your origin, the first Jasen," she said. "This is the first world you awoke in and the world where your soul severance began."
With trembling hands, Cain opened the envelope. The contents were almost laughably mundane at first glance. He saw his life as Jasen up to age 29. But after that when he looked closer, the folder contained nothing but black lines, redacted reports stretching across page after page. His death and the details of the world he went to next. No name or anything just redacted black lines covering the information.
"Wait… what is this?" Cain asked, his voice tight with disbelief. "It's all… blacked out."
Samira's expression hardened slightly. "It is your origin. Your true origin. And someone is deliberately hiding it. Only a extremely small number of higher beings can accomplish something like this even from me with my rank and authority. You have no authority to access it yourself. So both of us I… cannot see beyond this."
Cain sank back into the chair, silent for a long moment. His thoughts were spinning. "So… I've been manipulated my whole life," he muttered. "Not by just the system… but by something far bigger."
He hesitated, then picked up the next folder. Several more were filled with redacted sections, portions of his life blocked from view, as if some cosmic hand did not want him to know. His fingers trembled as he reached for the next piece, only to pause.
"Maybe I can… use Mind's Eye," he thought, thinking the magical ability might bypass the redactions.
The moment he activated it, his world exploded. A pain unlike anything he had ever experienced tore through his skull, like thousands of needles piercing through his brain and exploded. He fell from the chair to his knees, clutching his head, vomiting from the intensity of the pain.
Samira did not flinch. She simply raised an elegant hand, sipping her tea calmly as Cain writhed in pain.
"What did I tell you about looking without permission?" she said, her voice laced with both annoyance and a lecturing tone. "That, right there, is called a Causality Backlash. It occurs when a being or mortal accesses higher knowledge before they have the power to resist it or nullify its effects. Death, madness… even permanent soul rupture are common outcomes. Those are extreme examples, of course. But that headache? That is a warning. Entire civilization and species have gone extinct from learning to much so don't try that again."
Cain groaned, barely able to keep his consciousness. "Okay noted... I won't do that again... Can you please help me."
Samira opened her palm A brilliant goldish white flame radiated from her palm. Then then she flicked the flame towards Cain, and it enveloped him. But instead of consuming him the flame healed him. The intense, radiating pain in his skull vanished instantly. Then suddenly Cain's body filled with energy and calm. Cain's eyes widen in surprise sat back in the chair.
"Don't ask what that was. It's a family secret." Samira said coldly.
"Okay… noted," he said calmly. "No more looking at things above my pay grade."
Samira's smile returned, calm and serene. "Good. You have learned the first lesson of interacting with knowledge beyond your rank: regard it patience and respect."
Cain straightened slowly, swallowing hard. "Fine… fine. Now, tell me. What do I get if I actually join your organization?"
Samira's eyes gleamed with quiet pride. "You gain access to quests that can send you to worlds like the one you just left. You will travel freely, experience them, and return there and back as you please. You will also gain access to the Dimensional Store, integrated through the system. You can gain powerful, items, and resources from across reality. But know this you can only acquire items that match your soul authority and rank within the organization."
Cain frowned, weighing the offer. "Okay… sounds fun. But, uh… what's the catch?"
She laughed lightly, the sound echoing softly in the high-ceilinged study. "There's always a catch. By forming a contract, you accept the rules of the organization. As you reach higher ranks and greater authority, you may be given orders you must follow." Her eyes flickered briefly, revealing just a hint of the gravity behind her words. "Such as fighting other higher beings, or acquiring rare resources, or… producing children to produce certain rare bloodlines like mine."
Cain froze. His eyes narrowed. "…Excuse me?"
Samira waved her hand dismissively. "Textbook things," she said casually, as if was nothing to mention selective breeding in a casual conversation. "Nothing unusual. Not all contracts require it, but it's something to be aware of. And not every mission is combat-focused. Some involve strategic planning, long term missions that could take decades or even a century or two. While some ensure extremely rare bloodlines like yours persist if not evolve altogether. You'll understand when you start to advance."
Cain's mind reeled. "Ok. That makes sense but still it's a lot to take in. Decades or centuries? I'm not a halve elf like from Lord of the rings that can life for a few hundred of years. The only reason I could live to see past 180 years hundreds is because of my Witcher mutations. But those same mutations made sterile."
Samira smirked like she was unbothered. "Don't worry about that. Your Patron and I have planned accordingly for that. Their are potions and procedures to give you the abilities of the strongest full blooded high elves in the omniverse. And cure that tiny mutation sterility inconvenience without losing your mutations if you wish to keep them. You could even enhance them if you want to. Many of these items and knowledge can be purchased from the Dimensional Store. I mean they aren't cheap but should you choose to have children the choice will be there for you."
Samira replied. " For right now focus on your current goals first. Figure out how you want your life on that world to go because it is your current home. You will be spending a lot of time there until you can travel freely throughout all of time and space. This stuff should come second to your personal goals you already have."
She sipped her tea before continuing. "Also, understand that your patron will not allow you to access to the Dimensional Store even if you sign the contract now without her permission. It would disrupt your growth and destroy your progress. That her and I both agree on. So as compensation, you may take items from the worlds you visit until she thinks you have grown enough on your own."
Cain nodded slowly, trying to absorb the weight of her words. Every detail she provided felt like stepping into a universe of cosmic bureaucracy. He didn't like his movements being restricted, but waiting seemed like the right choice for now. The complexity of it all was staggering and more then he could understand for now. She seriously said that my sterility problem and was a mild inconvenience. Just how powerful is the organization that they half the resources to give me the full benefits of a full blooded elf while I would still be a half elf?
"So… I don't have to sign anything right now?" I asked cautiously.
"No," Samira said, smiling again. "When you are ready, speak to the system. The process will begin immediately. But be warned, time will stop in your world while the contract is being formed.
Cain exhaled, the tension in his shoulders loosening slightly. "Okay… I understand. I'll hold off before deciding."
Samira inclined her head. "Good. That is wise. For now, continue grow stronger and living a life you would like, and… keep your wits about you."
She snapped her fingers again, and a faint shimmer of light brushed Cain's body. He felt an instantaneous wash of vigor, his clothes returned to their original state before the void quest.
"By the way," she added, almost teasing, "don't drink so many potions at once like that again. I healed you, yes, but without my intervention… you would have died."
Cain eyes narrowed as he sat up, caught off guard. "Wait… what?"
Before he could react further, the study around him dissolved. The cozy warmth, enchanted furniture, and even Samira's serene smile disappeared instantly.
Cain appeared back in his own reality instantly, standing in front of the same stone altar where he accepted the void quest. His horse chewed patiently at the grass near by.
The scent of the forest the damp earth, moss, and pine filled his lungs. The setting sun just disappeared as he looked overhead at the horizon. Like last time barely anytime passed while he was gone.
He reached for his system interface to see if it was back. Just to be hit with multiple notifications.
[System Notification]
Quest Complete :Mythical Void Quest: "The Berserker"
Rewards: 1 Mythical Equipment. 1 Mysterious Gift.
[Skill Update]
[Mana Core (Dark Red) to (Solid Red)]
Effect: +2 mana
[Skill update Mana Burst Level 1→2]
Effect: Your body can explode with the power of mana. All attacks, physical and magical will be increased by 12%→16% for 3 minutes. Afterward you will be exhausted. Cool down recommended after use is 24 hours.
Monster Hunter (Common→ Rare):
Effect: Every time you defeat a certain number of monster's you will absorb a trait associated with that monster, and that trait will grow stronger with higher rank.
Bonus: +1%→+3% Buffs to strength, speed, reaction time, and stamina will be applied when facing certain monsters.
[Poison Resistance – Level 2→3]
Effect: Slight resistance to poison. Reduces poison damage by 10→15%.
Bonus: Increases Toxicity Threshold by +25.
Toxicity Threshold: 0/150 → 0/175
[Regeneration – Level 1→2]
Effect: Vitality recovers slowly 2%→4% per every 10 seconds in combat, and 4→6% per every 5 seconds outside of combat.
[Warp Level 1→2]
Effect: You will be able to teleport 9→15 feet from any location you are in.
I looked at my skill updates with a sense of pride. Not only did I manage level up my Warp skill in my first serious battle. But I was able to do the same to Mana Burst within my first time using it. I guess life or death experiences really do help push for growth. Considering what my profession is that is considered a good thing. Well if I live long enough
Opened the Mythical equipment chest ready to gain my rewards.
[System Notifications]: Mythical Chest Open:
Broken Key Fragment (2/6)
Elven Ring of Resonance (Epic)
Buffs: (while worn): +2 to all stats ( Mana, Intelligence, Wisdom)
Bonuses: 1. Absorption Option: Can be absorbed. Grants: +5 Stat Points and +1 Ability Point. Item destroyed upon absorption. 2. Resonance: Mana can be sensed and with 6% more efficiency.
Flavor: "An ancient ring once belonged to an ancient Aen Saevherne sage. It is part of a series of items that once found grants an incredible boon. Once items are destroyed the boon will be lost forever no matter how many of the other items are gathered.
Cain eyes widen from the loot he received. This is amazing I got another piece to the Aen Saevherne sage set, and another piece to the key for the mythical box. I wonder what my Patron and Samira have planned for me.
Cain then checked his status window and inventory to check for any new information.
[Status Window]
Name: Cain Age: 15
Race: Half-Elf (Mutated)
Title: Monster Hunter(Rare) (Currently Equipped) (+1)
Class: Witcher (Wolf School)
Trait: Bloodline: Elder Blood(Intermediate)
Strength: 33 (+1)
Dexterity: 30 (+1)
Constitution: 29 (+1)
Intelligence: 30 (+3)
Wisdom: 31 (+3)
Charisma: 21 (+1)
Luck: Unknown
Mana: 19(+2)
Stat Points: 0
Ability Points: 1
Abilities & Skills:
Mind's Eye: Level 2
Cold-Blooded
Swordsmanship: Level 7 (Intermediate)
Meditation: Level 3
Cooking: Level 6
Alchemy: Level 3
Regeneration: Level 2
Poison Resistance: Level 3 (Toxicity Threshold:0/175)
Warp: Level 2
Mana Burst Level 2
Witcher Sign (Magic): Level 5
Inventory:
Black Brother Sword
Elven Set (Moon shadow Blade, Spirit Hood, Necklace of Harmony, Elven Ring)
Cat School Set ( Hooded Cloak, Enhanced Boots, Enhanced Trousers)
Superior Wolf School Bracers
Runestone: Lesser Glyph: Aard, Quen
Runestone: Quen
Potion of Minor: Vitality (2), Elixir of Clarity (1), Tonic of Fortitude (1), Greater Vitality (1)
Scroll of: Lesser Restoration, Cure Wounds (Minor)
Gem: Topaz (1) Sapphire (1) Garnet (1) Amethyst (1)
Elixir of Recovery (2)
Broken items: 4
Mysterious Lockbox (Mythical)
Broken Key Fragment (2/6) (Mythical)
Cain's eyes narrowed at his progress. He swallowed hard with the realization that he was a small part of something bigger in the scale of all creation.
This really makes me think. Am I growing the way I want to or am I growing the way they want me to. How much free will is mine and how much is their manipulation they planned for me? I don't know what those two women think they have planned for me, but I need to remember they are always watching. So I need to plan accordingly for the future events. The current year is 1248, and the events of the Last Wish take place in the year 1250.
So I need to use this time wisely to make a good impression with Queen Calanthe and find Francesca. Now that I think about it, there is no guarantee that she would be in Dol Blathanna, let alone Cintra. Cain sighed while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Son of a Bitch!" That's right considering before she took the throne, she was in various places. So I need to be ready to pivot just incase she doesn't end up being there when I'm there. Maybe Calanthe will still instruct me if I beg?
Cain then grabbed his horse by the reigns. and walked made his way down the forest and hills to the main road. Barely any moonlight was visible past the cloudy night sky.
"Well I let's get back on the road boy." Cain said as him and his horse began to walk side by side.