Chapter 11: Status Ranking
"Eh? Where am I?"
Liam found himself standing alone in a vast empty black space with the only things here being himself, the flat ground beneath and a blinding light stretching from the horizon.
Raising his hand to block the light shining to his face, Liam study this place and tried to find anything beside him around but no matter how far he looked, there was nothing
"Am I dead?"
It seems that the spirit has gotten the better of him and managed to kill him in the end, but what surprised Liam more is how he is acting right now.
He is too calm and acting quite nonchalant about his death... he really doesn't recall exactly how he died.
"Am I really dead?"
Just then, he heard a voice whispering into his head.
"What do you, a destroyer, want? A devourer, an end bringer or a chain breaker?"
The voice was monotone, genderless and metallic, a voice that didn't belong to any living being.
This creeped out Liam a bit, but he is more curious about the content of its words.
'What does it mean—'
Shing—!
"Argh, what the—"
The white light from the horizon suddenly brightened, swallowing him and the dark space whole in an instant.
He felt his consciousness fading away and the entire ground he was standing on crumbling down.
Just then, he heard a voice coming from behind him.
"I wished to be a—"
Then everything turned dark and Liam is now capable of feeling his body.
'What a weird dream.'
But there's still something bothering him about that dream, the voice of the figure speaking—it sounded oddly familiar...
Well, it's time to wake up.
*****
It was like any other day; the dark sun hung above the sky, shining its otherworldly radiance on the earth and muddying the sky into a crimson color, but people lived as usual.
'Ah, I wish it would be the case for me.'
Looking at the people walking by, Thomas sighed, pondering his situation.
He couldn't afford to live like usual anymore, for he is now a Spirit Bearer, a prestigious title that is revered by everyone inside the village.
Not only that, but he has now taken the first step above humanity; he is now on the divine path toward greatness and fortune.
So he should be able to do this.
Grabbing the brush, Thomas walked toward his room and glared at the person sleeping in it.
He had been so drunk last night, so he was helpless when that bastard yanked him to the cold floor, leaving him shivering all night.
Now that he's fully awake, he's going to show him the might of a Spirit Bearer.
"Steady hands, don't fail me like you often do."
Holding on to the ink brush, he slowly approaches Liam's face while smiling viciously.
But out of nowhere, Liam immediately woke up and jolted up from his bed, which accidentally headbutted Thomas, causing him to stumble down in pain.
"ARGH"
"Hm? Thomas?"
Liam rubbed his forehead; it seemed that he had accidentally struck Thomas.
'Well, it's his fault for being there for some reason."
As he focused on Thomas, the blue screen of the system appeared.
*****
| The Path Of Spirit Bearer |
[Stat]
Title: None
Age: 17
HP: 99%
Status: Alive
Rank: Apprentice
[Spirits] (1/7)
Spirit Of Foul Words (Lesser Spirit) (Unification Started)
[Ability]
Taunting: Triggering a person's rage through words
*****
"Arghh"
Thomas, still grabbing his head and groaning, pointed his finger at Liam and threatened him.
"You dare to mess with a Spirit Bearer! You're courting, deah—"
Bang—!
"Argh!"
Thomas grabbed his head as Liam chopped him in the head.
"Calm down, I'm just here asking you something."
"Yeah, aside from sleeping on my bed and, ok, ok, just ask and stop hitting me in the head."
Lowering his hand, Liam let out a smile before patting him on the head.
"Good, my little Thomas."
"You're only one year older than me."
"Doesn't matter. Now, could you bring me to that group of yours?"
"Eh?"
Thomas tilted his head and looked at Liam, all confused and shocked, like this was the first time he had asked for something.
"This is the first time you've asked me for something."
"Is it? Maybe it's because I'm such a great person who needs much help that often."
"...No, because you're a skinny brute who likes to do whatever you like."
My grip on Thomas's head increased slightly from his comment, but I guess there was some truth to it.
"And the answer is no."
"Thank you, my—Wait, what? Why!"
"Needed to say more"
He first pointed his finger at Liam's head.
"You're as pale as a ghost."
Then he moved toward the body that was skinny enough to reveal the bone.
"Even a stray dog is better fed than you."
Finally, he pointed at himself.
"I—I'm not the old Thomas anymore."
Ah, only now did Liam understand what was going on; Thomas is now someone he couldn't casually interact with anymore.
He's the prestigious Spirit Bearer, a person above the village and mundane humans; he now has an image to hold and it shouldn't be with someone like Liam, who was viewed as the lowest ranking.
'How funny.'
Liam didn't hate Thomas for that, though; in fact, he was feeling proud of his friend, that he had finally acted like a grown-up and a Spirit Bearer.
And even when he became such a high-ranking person, he still tolerated Liam's behavior and listened to his words.
"Sniff, to think that my little brother has grown so much, it's heartening."
"Argh, stop calling me your little brother. Besides, it's not like you're not allowed to see us. We will do our training at the center of the village, so it's luck if you manage to talk with that scary girl.
"Ah, I see-What? How did you know?"
'Impossible, how did he know that I'm trying to approach her?'
Liam grew agitated with sweat trickling down his cheek and his lips quivering, about to say something.
"HAHAHAHA"
Only to be interrupted by Thomas's annoying laugh.
"Oh, I could see that you were lovestruck the moment you made eye contact with her. That's just how I acted when I met Dephine, too. It was love at first sight."
"..."
"Though I shouldn't show to be associated with a skinny—wr—I mean a great friend like you, I'm still going to help you the best I—Argh?—"
I guess I was being too merciful to Thomas, so I drew out a little of my strength and gripped his head.
"Ouch, ouch, stop, stoppp! You wretched peas—ARGH—I'm sorry!"
Ah, he was right. It was indeed nice to bul-visit to his little brother/friend.
He hoped those days would last longer.
After ruffling him for quite a while, I decided not to bother him anymore and walked to where my old home was.
Liam did indeed have a house of his own after both of his adoptive parents died but he didn't go there that often.
Walking toward the familiar hut, Liam frowned as he pinched his nose.
"This place smells like crap."
He didn't like the smell here so he didn't want to linger around, but now that the situation called for it, he had no choice but to use this place.
Entering the hut, he looks around the room before finding what he is searching for.
It was Jessie sleeping in the dark corner.
Seeing her in a deep sleep like that, Liam took a deep breath before shouting at her.
"Rise and shine, crazy woman."