"There's probably newborns we have to kill, aren't there?"
FYI, no I'm not a child murderer. If I were, I'd open a goddamn pizzeria first.
Alin takes the lead, "I'll go search for them, I know where to look. You watch over the priestess.
Don't come looking for me unless I specifically tell you to. Wouldn't want you dying in a random trap or ambush."
"Be careful, there's only us two left."
She nods and mutters 'you too.'
Without looking back, she descends further into the tunnels with her daggers drawn.
Damn, I'm honestly jealous of her night vision.
I sat by Serena, propped up against the cave wall.
After making sure Alin went in to finish the goblin younglings, much like a certain galactic 'Chosen One', I check the green screen that popped up not too long ago.
On it is a single ominous sentence.
[Would the user like to consume the souls?]
I have no idea why the screen suddenly incites me to commit spiritual cannibalism, but…
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested.
"Which souls are targeted for consumption?"
[Targets:
Deceased party members, Kael and Eric.]
I had a hunch those two were the targets.
I have little problems consuming Eric's soul. Kael on the other hand, I'm more hesitant about.
Sure, he's a bit dumb and somewhat overbearing, but he's a decent guy who went out of his way to invite a person he never met into his party.
Could he have had ulterior motives? Possibly.
Does that mean I'll think the worst of him?
No, he displayed no such intentions. Therefore, we must abide by 'innocent until proven guilty.'
Unless I can use a spell to speak with the dead, I have no way to ascertain his true motives.
Thus, I can only think the best of him.
It'd be incredibly unjust of me to damn his soul based on suspicion alone.
I'd be no different from the Church bastards hunting me down for being supposedly a 'heretic.'
First, I better find out the specifics.
"What happens to the souls I consume?" I ask.
[Souls will be stripped of their potential and power in life to strengthen different aspects of your abilities.
It is possible for new skills to be acquired and for old ones to evolve.]
Nice! This is like a skill tree gacha!
Except… the currencies aren't microtransactions, but human sacrifices.
Yay?
I ask more about the conditions.
"Will the souls be consumed or harmed in any way?"
[Yes.]
Gotta give it to— Is this a system or a status? I honestly can't tell. Guess I'll use it interchangeably whenever I feel like it.
Anyways, gotta give it to the system, it's quick to answer.
However, I don't feel like consuming the souls of the innocent. Sure, I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I didn't have the best of relations with Eric, but it doesn't mean I'm desperate or spiteful enough to damn their souls for all eternity.
Hmm…
I look at the goblin bodies lying next to Kael's corpse.
Why didn't the system include the souls of monsters? Could it be that monsters in this world have a core or mana stone in place of a heart or soul?
I ask the system, "can I substitute human souls with a monster's instead?"
[...]
Strange, what's with the deliberation?
I ask again, "well? Can I or not?"
[Yes.]
Ay! There we go! Took it long enough.
Wait… It can absorb monster souls, but purposefully displayed human souls for me to consume…
This thing is just a picky eater!!!
I almost committed a morally disastrous blunder!
Crap! If I knew I could absorb monster souls much earlier, I would've sacrificed the souls of those slimes from earlier!
Though I doubt the souls of a slime are worth a lot.
Surely, goblins would give me a much better boost.
"Please absorb the goblin souls."
I decide not to absorb Eric's soul either.
Although I hate his attitude, he hasn't committed anything grave enough for me to damn him to hell.
[Analyzing accumulation of monster kills.
Conditions are met.
The spell Glyph of Protection is granted.]
A defensive spell? The new skill I get from absorbing some souls is this?
Interesting.
It's certainly useful, but I was hoping for something that would improve my offensive capabilities further.
Then again, I don't have any gear besides my school uniform, so I'm a bit of a glass cannon.
Guess this spell was useful after all.
"Why are you staring at their corpses?"
I turned around with a jolt, not having realized she was behind me.
I quickly make up some emotional bullshittery on the spot. "It's a shame. About the warrior, not the wizard. He's a pretty nice guy."
"Nice, but also foolish and naive."
"Indeed, but decent people nonetheless. Yet…"
"Yet?" she asks.
"I feel very little about their deaths," I admit. "It's like coming across a rotting animal carcass on the street. Disgusting and pitiful, but nothing I can't easily move past from."
"Is that so?" she responds dispassionately.
"Yes." I further add, " Don't get me wrong, I'm not a psychopath or anything. In fact, I never saw any real violence back in my own world.
It's just that, when I see someone dead in front of me… I just feel desensitized."
"Probably because you didn't see them die. In combination with your lack of any real camaraderie and connection, it's no wonder you don't feel anything."
"Maybe…"
Seeing me still questioning my possibly skewed moral compass, she offers words of comfort: "I've seen all sorts of people. You aren't as bad as you may think you are, as far as I can tell. Few evil men would openly confess worries like yours to a stranger such as myself.
Don't worry if you feel nothing now. From what I can tell, you're on edge. Maybe it'll start to hit you once you've had a chance to calm down."
I'm not sure if that's supposed to be comforting or worrisome.
"Perhaps, but I feel like my emotions aren't going to change much."
"People are blind to the faults pointed out by others. You'll see."
"So what was it you called me for?"
"I took care of the remaining goblins."
"Does that mean the request's complete?"
She shakes her head, "No, not yet. A goblin cave always has a hidden place where they hide captives or children. I found something suspicious deeper in…"
I follow her deeper into the cave, and we leave Serena behind. She's not in the best shape to assist us, besides, we Alin cleared out all of the remaining goblins hiding, so she should be safe.
We kept walking for about two or three minutes and we arrive at the site.
We step foot into a large chamber, half the size of a football field. On the other side is a giant boulder the size of a house.
"There's another tunnel behind the boulder."
I can see for myself, Sherlock. I might not have night vision, but I have a torch.
I spot the corners of the tunnel peaking out from the round edges of the boulder.
"Is there a mechanism to open it?"
"Checked, nothing. Seems to be just a regular boulder. Think your magic can do the trick?"
Strange, if there's no mechanism to get it open, then that means…
They moved the boulder on their own?
"Of course, gotta earn my keep. I'm pretty much deadweight in this situation without my spells."
'Zwuack!'
Two shots of crackling, green, eldritch energy hit the boulder. Several pieces fall off.
Hmm, I might need to take a few more shots.
After pouring a dozen shots into the boulder, it finally crumbles. We shove the rubble out of the way.
To be more precise, Alin chanted some spell that summoned wind to blow it all someplace down the tunnel.
So rangers can use spells in this world… Unless it's because of her potential elven lineage.
Either way, we cautiously proceed further down the tunnel. I check the sides for hidden tunnels, Alin takes point and remains vigilant for traps.