Chương 30: Chapter 29: Soul Heart

Souls. Just what are they, really? His entire life as a skeleton, which admittedly had not been very long, had mostly consisted of Alex constantly pondering this very question from every possible angle. What is a soul, at its core? What are they made of? How does a soul interact with the physical world around it? How can a soul grow stronger over time? What are the precise conditions required for a soul to evolve beyond its natural limits? What ultimately dictates how strong a soul can truly become?

What is the underlying logic, the science behind it all? Since childhood, Alex had always been someone who loved science just as much as he loved video games. Yet because he had never felt capable enough, or perhaps because he lacked proper incentive and a supportive family to push him forward, he never pursued those passions with real seriousness. Still, that deep curiosity about the world and how everything worked had remained with him even in his final years as a human adult.

Now that same curiosity had transferred fully into his bare soul. It had become far more than a simple interest. It had grown into an essential part of his personality, something that truly defined who he was. Unshackled by the many limitations of a human body, Alex could now freely pursue his curiosity and, beyond that, his steadily growing ambition. But what truly lay beyond that curiosity? What was his own soul actually made of? What were souls in the first place?

Alex had yet to reach any final conclusion, and he believed it would be utterly foolish to assume there was a single neat answer to such a profound question. It would likely take him years, perhaps even decades, to uncover the deeper truths. Even so, he had already grasped one important principle as he continued to admire the overwhelming strength exuded by the ancient king.

"Souls, or at least a significant part of them, are made of thoughts and consciousness. Consciousness itself is an extension of one's soul." That was the conclusion he had reached after experiencing the king's power firsthand in this domain. But there was something more.

"Soul Arts are the mastery of one's Soul Consciousness through the careful cultivation of the mind. A man like the king can manifest such a powerful Soul Art not only because he is already strong, but also because of his iron discipline. As a king, he carries an immense burden, one that has slowly twisted into guilt and madness over time. All of these experiences affect the soul and gradually transform it. As undead, this effect becomes even stronger." Indeed.

Alex had already witnessed how this truth applied to himself as well. The way his soul had formed threads into dense muscle-like structures was not exactly something his class had forced upon him. It was an extension born from his own personal vision of what his soul should be, shaped through the unique effects of his Soul Weaver Necromancer class.

"Soul Arts… I already created mine without even realizing it." As dozens of weapons struck him simultaneously from every direction, Alex felt himself burning away hopelessly under the onslaught. And yet, something deep within his soul refused to yield. BA-DUM! BA-DUM! BA-DUM! A heart. A heart forged from thousands of tightly woven soul threads, steadily pumping soul essence absorbed from the surrounding environment.

"Let's see how far I can push this." His eyes gleamed with quiet determination deep within his soul. Even as weapons continued to rain down on him from all sides and everything seemed completely hopeless, his Soul Heart fully manifested. FLASH! A brilliant pillar of azure flames erupted from the center of his heart. It rapidly formed a spiritual body once more, seizing and holding all of the incoming weapons in place.

The azure flames absorbed the king's white fire and pumped it through the Soul Heart, turning the enemy's own power into nourishment for himself. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"You're not… dead?! What kind of power is that?!" The king was visibly shocked. He had never encountered such a mysterious and bizarre ability before in all his long existence. RUMBLE! A giant fist surged forth from Alex's soul, blazing with alchemical nether flames. The very nature of his unique soul flames allowed him to refine the enemy's soul power and convert it into his own essence, making the impossible become possible.

"One I created myself by carefully comprehending how my soul truly works. It's nothing much," Alex replied calmly.

"Nothing… much?!" The king was shaken to his core. He had never faced such a stubborn little soul before, one that always seemed to discover new ideas and creative ways to come out on top. Just what kind of mind lay behind that strange soul? Wasn't this young man supposed to be nothing more than an ordinary salaryman from another world? What a ridiculous thing. Seriously. The king could not help but laugh.

"Hah… HAHAHAHAHA!"

"…?" Alex, who had been ready to continue the fight without pause, stopped as the king's laughter echoed powerfully throughout the entire domain. The giant soul specter, already pushed far beyond its limits, collapsed into countless pieces moments later. BOOOM!

"!!!" Alex watched as the king's true soul fell from the sky and landed gently on the ground. He was smiling faintly as he collapsed into a pile of his own people's remains. Alex descended slowly through the air and faced the king alone.

"You win," the king declared quietly.

"But I didn't do anything?" Alex asked, clearly confused.

"Why?"

"Oh, you did more than enough…" The king smiled lightly and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Hahah… you made me laugh. Genuinely. I have not felt this much exhilaration and pure shock in my long life… or death."

"It wasn't my intention to make you laugh," Alex said as he walked closer.

"I know that…" The king looked at him and let out a deep, tired sigh.

"But that is how I see you now. A truly hilarious guy who makes absolutely no sense at all."

"…" Alex looked down at the king in silence, then at his own ghostly hands.

"Is that so?" The king tossed a sword toward him. Alex caught it effortlessly in midair with perfect precision.

"What is this for?"

"Do it."

"…"

"Kill me." Alex looked at the sword for a long moment, then smiled softly and tossed it aside.

"Why would I do that?"

"…? What?"

"It was never my intention to kill you." The king slowly sat up, staring at Alex with the strangest expression imaginable.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"I simply wanted to fight you and see how far I could push myself. Thanks to you, I have discovered something new within my own soul. For that, I am truly grateful."

"Y-You…" Alex stepped forward and extended his hand toward the fallen king.

"Eustace. That was your name, correct?" Eustace gazed at Alex's face, which was filled with honesty and a deep sense of humanity unlike anything he had encountered in his long existence. It was something he had long since forgotten existed.

"Yes… that is my name."

"Come with me."

"Excuse me?" The king was utterly perplexed. For a mere commoner to suddenly invite a king like him to follow was completely preposterous.

"Follow me."

"No, I will not. A king must—""You are no longer a king, Eustace."

"I am!"

"No, you are not. Your kingdom is gone. Your people are dead. Face reality for once and accept that you stopped being a king the moment you died."

"I am forever a king! No matter what! For my people and my kingdom—""Have you ever taken a single moment to think about what YOU want, instead of what others want from you?"

"…?"

"What do YOU want, Eustace?"

"…Me?" Eustace looked down at the blood-soaked floor of the battlefield, surrounded by the countless sacrifices and the dead. This entire domain was simply the embodiment of his own soul and tormented mind. His whole life had been dedicated to his people. His dreams had always been for them, for his country, for everyone else but himself.

"Since the day I was born, I have never once thought selfishly about what I truly wanted. I lived selflessly for those I protected. To be asked such a question now… it is not something I can answer easily."

"Just like me then?" Alex said.

"What?"

"You also don't have a real dream of your own, Eustace. You are simply carrying the dreams of others on your back." Eustace wanted to refute him, to fight back with every fiber of his being, but he could not. Alex's words were perfectly sound and struck far too deep.

"Was your dream truly to carry everyone else's dreams forever? Then I would say that is a terrible dream, one far worse than mine ever was."

"…You dare!" The king stood up and confronted Alex directly.

"I carry the dreams of everyone else! That is my strength! The duty of a king is to protect his subjects, his kingdom, and…!"

"And? There is nothing left to protect," Alex said plainly.

"You have already failed your mission."

"No, I can still revive them. I can bring them back through the system!" the king insisted with growing desperation.

"I will die again and become a monster inside a dungeon. Then I can… I… I can…!"

"Do you truly believe the system would just give you back everything you lost so easily?" Alex asked.

"I believe the very reason it offers such a ridiculous prize is because it knows it will never happen. You will never defeat the players, and you will never claim your prize. It is simply a clever way to chain you into eternal servitude. The system is using you." The king knew this bitter truth deep down, yet he had still clung desperately to that fragile hope, madly believing that one day he might recover what he had lost. But that day would never come.

"I like to look at life with some realism," Alex continued, meeting the king's eyes steadily.

"But that does not mean I will tell you to abandon your dreams completely. And I am not being entirely selfless either. You saw her, right? Gryg. She is a boss monster just like you."

"She is… I know that."

"I have created a special taming contract with her and freed her from the system's chains. I can do the same for you."

"…What?"

"It is not exactly a standard taming contract. It is modified to be one of mutual benefit. If anything, she is mostly free to leave whenever she wants. She stays because she enjoys my company, I believe."

"You think quite highly of yourself, don't you?"

"Not really," Alex shook his head.

"That is simply what I can reasonably guess. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am not. Until proven otherwise, I will cautiously assume it is true."

"Hah…" The king let out a soft chuckle, smiling at the strange ghost standing before him.

"You are truly the strangest soul I have ever met. So what do you suggest?"

"A simple alliance," Alex replied, extending his hand once more.

"I will free you from the system's shackles. In exchange, you will offer me your support."