Chương 34: Soul Blade

Gozen sidestepped in front of the thick plume, blocking Gray's line of sight to the trapdoor.

"It doesn't concern you. Go on and finish confirming your boon." He swatted a hand through the hazy air, motioning for Gray to turn around. The trapdoor burst open with a splintering crack. A rectangular wooden case launched up through the floorboards. It soared across the room before slamming onto the floor right at Gray's feet. Thick, braided rope bound the box, and a ghostly haze radiated from the wood, wisps of vapor bleeding through the hairline cracks in the lid.

Gray squinted through the haze, and an enormous grin split his face.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? It's not every day I get ominous gift boxes raining down in front of me." Gozen let out a heavy breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stomped across the room, snatched the case from the floor, and jammed it firmly under his arm.

"This isn't for you. Forget you ever saw it." He turned back toward the trapdoor. Just as his shoes landed on the first step of the staircase, the box tore free from his clutches. It halted directly in front of Gray, hovering level with his chest in a defiance of gravity. The case rattled. It shivered with the restless energy of a golden retriever that had just heard the word 'walk.' Gray raised a brow and tilted his head, shooting a smug look at Gozen.

"Are you sure this isn't for me? It seems to have a different opinion." Gray closed the distance and traced his knuckles along the coarse rope. The frantic shaking gradually calmed, and the box went completely still. He reached toward the complex knot and grazed its rough surface.

"Don't touch the bindings!" Gozen roared. He lunged forward with an outstretched hand, desperate to intervene. The dark rope flared with a sudden, radiant ebony light. The knot unraveled itself, and the severed cords fell to the floorboards like dead snakes. The lid slid open with a soft click. As the vapor slowly dispersed, a weapon rose from the depths. Its sheath was onyx with gray cloud engravings etched into the surface.

The hilt was wrapped in matching dark rayskin, and a crossguard forged in the shape of a cloud separated the handle from the scabbard. A katana. The sheathed sword vibrated furiously in midair, then jerked to a sudden halt. A second later, the handle snapped toward Gray. It launched forward. Gray reeled back on instinct, but he caught his balance once the weapon's trajectory became clear. He held out an open palm, and the hilt smacked into his grasp.

As his fingers closed around the grip, a spark of clarity washed over him. The balance was neither heavy nor flimsy. It was perfect. Gray casually tossed Gozen's heavy glaive aside. The polearm clattered pathetically across the wooden floor. He drew his new weapon. The steel hissed as it cleared the scabbard, revealing a jet-black colored blade. Intricate runes scored the metal from the base all the way to the razor-sharp tip.

For now, the symbols lay dormant, a series of hollowed-out channels just waiting to be filled with power.

"It's… beautiful, Gozen," Gray murmured. He stared at the blade, mesmerized by the masterful craftsmanship.

"I've made my choice." Gozen snorted.

"Choice? You don't have a choice. If you want to keep your hand, put it back in the box." Accept Soul Contract with 'Tobari'? [Y / N] Gray moved his index finger toward the glowing Y. Gozen blinked out of existence. A split second later, he reappeared directly in front of Gray. He seized the boy's wrist and yanked it backward with enough force to nearly dislocate the joint. He was too late. Soul Blade has been bound.

Gozen ripped the katana out of Gray's hand, hoisting the teenager completely off his feet in the process.

"I told you," Gozen snarled, his voice thick with fury, "to leave it alone!" The bond was already sealed. A white light erupted from Gray's chest, mirrored instantly by the metal gripped in Gozen's grip. The weapon fiercely rejected Gozen's handle, and it vibrated violently, tearing itself free. The sword whipped through the air, hurtling back toward Gray. He extended his arm, and the hilt slid smoothly into its rightful owner's palm.

Tobari [Soul Blade] [Common] The hollow runes ignited the moment his skin made contact with the hilt. Solid steel dissolved in a heartbeat, replaced by a torrent of dense, ash-colored vapor. Gray briefly marveled at the terrifying power of his new tool, but the awe faded when his vision blurred. The thick fog bloomed furiously from the guard. It fed directly on Gray's vitality, flooding the enclosed room with an unnatural, choking haze. Gray buckled to his knees.

The Cloud Mastery spell pocket inside his core emptied at a terrifying rate. Severe dizziness washed over him. The sickening sensation mirrored having pints of blood forcefully drawn from his veins, his physical strength sapping with every passing second. Gozen thrust a hand forward and curled his fingers into a claw. He commanded the chaotic element with absolute authority, and the vapor instantly obeyed. He choked off the magic at the source, sealing the hilt to stop the endless expulsion of gas.

He then drew the remaining toxic clouds across the room, gathering them in front of his palm and compressing the mass into a swirling, dense sphere. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"Drop the blade!" Gozen roared, his voice echoing off the walls. Gray's arms trembled uncontrollably. His muscles screamed and locked up under the sudden strain, but he fought through the paralysis. He managed to pry his fingers apart and let the hilt clatter against the floorboards. The instant the object lost contact with his skin, its form snapped back into solid metal. The glowing runes went dim, fading to a dormant, hollow black.

"What… what was that?" Gray rasped. He clutched his chest, gasping for air.

"It felt like something was eating me alive." Gozen let out a long, exhausted sigh. The anger in his posture gave way to pure disbelief.

"Who in their right mind blindly accepts a soul contract?"

"I… I thought it was the same thing as my Nimbus Robe," Gray wheezed. He braced his hands on his thighs and slowly climbed back to his feet.

"Or Nabi's Scarlet Blood Scythe. An Evolution weapon with a personality, right?" Gozen dispersed the compressed sphere with a flick of his wrist, the remaining wisps scattering and fading into nothing. He aimed his palm at the fallen katana and wove a tight birdcage of white tendrils around the steel. The makeshift cell levitated into the air and bobbed, firmly trapping the sword by Gozen's side.

"You are confusing two completely different concepts," Gozen replied.

"The sentient tool that Ava's disciple carries operates on fundamentally different laws than a Soul Blade." He paced a slow circle around the floating cage.

"A Soul Blade can only bond with its forger's class, essentially turning into a physical extension of their will. It remains linked to their soul until they take their last breath. Furthermore, ownership can only be transferred if the new wielder possesses the same class as the creator."

"In other words… Tobari was your master's sword." Gray pieced the puzzle together.

"And he was the one who forged it."

"Then why didn't you bond with it?" Gray tilted his head.

"Didn't you two share the Mistveil class? Why keep the weapon locked up in a dusty box in the basement?"

"Two reasons." Gozen held up a pair of fingers.

"First, compatibility. My master forged the sword specifically for me, but it violently rejected my attempt to bond. Even though we shared the same class by name, Shroud possesses a fundamentally different type of mana core. Because Tobari accepted you, it is evident that the blade requires the core of Shroud to claim an owner."

"And the second reason?" Gray prompted.

"Simple. You can only bond with a single Soul Blade." Gozen extended his arm toward the wall. The heavy polearm mounted beneath the painting rattled against its iron hooks. It tore free a moment later, cutting through the air in a blur before snapping firmly into his grip. Kumo [Soul Blade] [Legendary] The long shaft was carved from a pale, ivory material that heavily resembled polished bone. Intricate, spiraling runes were etched deep into the haft, climbing all the way to the top.

A curved edge crowned the polearm, accented by a white tassel that swayed gently in the draft.

"It doesn't seem like Tobari or Kumo have a description explaining what it does. What makes it so special?" Gray asked.

"And why did it try to suck me dry?" Gozen shook his head dismissively.

"A mere block of text cannot contain the true capabilities of a Soul Blade, boy." Gozen shifted his stance and held the bone shaft horizontally. Solid metal dissolved in the blink of an eye. The curved head coalesced into a thick cloud before violently splitting into eight distinct tendrils. They lashed outward with the ferocity of striking vipers. The misty serpents circled Gozen's body, hissing softly as they formed an impenetrable guard around their master.

He turned the haft back upright, and the mist snakes immediately retracted into the base, solidifying back into heavy steel.

"A regular weapon is merely a tool." Gozen lowered the polearm.

"A Soul Blade is a bridge."

"The blade has connected to your core. It allows you to channel your affinity directly into the weapon." Gray's eyes lit up. His gaze drifted over to the trapped katana bobbing inside its cage of white tendrils.

"So, will I be able to manipulate my smoke through the sword? Can I create those tendril snakes like you just did?"

"No." Gozen's tone was absolute.

"As I stated earlier, the blade is only an extension of your own body. It cannot manifest what you are incapable of doing without it."

"There is one more thing," Gozen continued, his expression softening just a fraction.

"Another distinct advantage of wielding a Soul Blade is the ability it can unlock. Once you rank Tobari up to the Epic rarity, you will gain an ability tied entirely to the weapon itself." Gray let out a low, impressed hum.

"That sounds cool. So, how will it help me right now? What exactly can Tobari do with my smoke?"

"I cannot give you a definitive answer to that." Gray raised a skeptical brow.

"Can't you just tell me how your mentor utilized it?" Gozen shook his head.

"I refuse to give you false expectations. No two Awakened of the same class share the exact same loadout of abilities. There will be overlap, of course, but you should also expect deviations. The only thing I can confidently say about your specific path—and smoke affinity in general—is to never expect anything wholesome to come from your power."

"Makes sense for toxic smoke." Gray rubbed the back of his neck.

"But is it so volatile that my own weapon would just choke out a room without my consent?"

"Your affinity was not the issue." Gozen's expression darkened.

"The metal lashed out because it has been starved in the dark for years, and you have yet to finalize the bond. That is exactly why I tried to stop you. Liability. You cannot cancel a soul contract, and the link is absolute. If that katana shatters, your core will shatter right along with it—ending your life on the spot." Gray froze. His gaze snapped toward the levitating weapon.

He scrambled forward and hovered his palms underneath the makeshift birdcage, terrified the cloudy construct might dissipate and let the steel shatter against the floorboards.

"Relax, boy." Gozen released his hold on the cage. The white wisps frayed instantly, dissolving back into vapor. A beat later, the lingering mist reshaped itself into a spectral hand that snatched Tobari before it could drop. He willed the construct closer, dismissed the magic, and grabbed the hilt himself. He raised his free palm high above his head, locking his fingers together into a flat edge.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Gray shouted. He lunged at him to block the strike. Gozen brought his arm down in a chop. His bare hand struck the flat of the katana with immense force. A metallic hum resonated through the walls, but the steel didn't snap. It remained completely unscathed, and the weapon didn't even vibrate from the crushing impact.

"You doubt the craftsmanship?" Gozen let out a booming laugh.

"Soul Blades carry enough resilience to absorb several direct hits from a Kaiser without so much as chipping an edge." He lowered the weapon, and his tone dropped to a serious pitch.

"But it isn't invincible. If a capable foe realizes what they are up against, they will ignore your physical body, and simply target the blade." Gray exhaled a shaky breath and let his shoulders drop.

"I understand."

"Good. There are incredible benefits to this risk, however. Because the Soul Blade is a piece of you now, you will always be able to sense its exact location. You can never lose it. Furthermore, just as you observed a few minutes ago, you possess the ability to recall it directly to your hand from anywhere within your line of sight." He tossed the weapon through the air. Gray scrambled to catch it, his fingers wrapping clumsily around the hilt.

"That trick is particularly useful," Gozen added, "mainly because you won't be able to store it inside your dimensional ring—or any spatial device, for that matter." Gray reeled back in surprise.

"What? Why?"

"The soul." Gozen crossed his arms over his chest.

"Dimensional storage spaces cannot contain sentient entities." Gray slowly nodded. Gozen struck his palms together, the sharp clap echoing in the quiet room.

"Now, it's time to complete your bond with Tobari."