The Collector

Only a few seconds had passed since James heard the wraith-like voice, yet it felt longer to him.

Although the system didn't respond to his cries, he didn't feel powerless. However, he didn't dare to transform to his Grim Reaper form. The unknown entity behind reminded him of the mythical bird he met after the beast horde. They were existence he couldn't contend with, at least not yet.

"This is strange... really strange. You look familiar, but I don't know you... This is strange..."

James heard the soul shaking voice a second time. Although he could understand the words spoken, he didn't know what the entity meant.

He swallowed hard while struggling to remain standing. He still couldn't bring himself to turn his head. The shadow of the being had gotten even larger and darker, giving a feeling of devouring everything it touched.

"Yes... I remember where I saw it. So, he gave it to you..."

Just then, James felt a touch on his shoulders. A split second later, his body forcefully morphed into his Grim Reaper form. At that same moment, the darkness below clenched on to his body, raising him into the air. All the while, James watched in stupefied silence. Whether he screamed or pleaded didn't matter in front of absolute power.

While in midair, James's body slowly turned toward the unknown being. At that same moment, he mentally prepared himself for what would come.

A moment later, James's mind went blank. He could neither speak nor could he gather his wandering thoughts. Because he could see a figure several hundreds of feet tall. No matter who much he looked, he could neither see its face nor features. It resembled a massive black blob without form.

At its center, however, James could see seven flames burning in all its splendor. A white flame stood at the center, flanked by a gray and red flame. Meanwhile, a purple flame and an orange flame stood beside the gray and red flames. At the extreme end, James could see a swirling green flame which seemed to oppose the other flames. Of the seven flames, James recognized two. After all, they burned ever so fervently in his skull. The soul purifying flame and the ever burning flame from hell, the hell fire flame.

James didn't understand why and how the being had such flames. Now, James knew he was in a crisis. No ordinary being could possess such flames. That he didn't even know the properties of the other flames left him terrified. After all, if the entity had the soul purifying flame and the hell fire flame, they couldn't be any less weak.

"I was right. It really is the same armor... it's still in its early form, but it's the same. When did he chose a successor? Is this fate? How interesting."

Like before, James remained silent. He knew he wasn't been spoken to, rather the blob in front of him voiced its thoughts. However, a seed of curiosity sprouted amidst James's fears.

'Successor? Wait... if he recognizes the armor, does that mean he knew the previous owner of the system?' James thought.

"Yes, I knew him very well. I did give him the purple flame in your skull, after all."

James's mouth dropped as he stared at the blob. If he had been in his human form, his eyes would have widened while his breathing would have hastened. Because, not only could it read his thoughts, it also met the previous owner of the Necromancer System and bestowed him the soul purifying flame.

Although James had always wanted to know a bit about the previous owner, the system vehemently refused his questions. However, he had finally gotten a somewhat vague link to his unknown predecessor.

"W-What should I call you?" James mentally asked. Since the blob could read his thoughts, there was no point talking.

"I take the name given by those who see me. What will you call me?"

Subconsciously, a name popped into James's head.

"The Collector... hmmm... that's not bad. I like it."

At that same moment, the darkness restricting James's body, slowly lowered his body.

'Huh? Is it about to leave? I haven't asked about my predecessor yet...' James thought. His body had already reverted to his human form.

"Your predecessor's name is Aians Tuta Aghoul. I believe he was once called the Sovereign of Darkness. As his successor, you will eventually learn more about him. Especially now that you are here," The Collector said.

James's body shook and his hands shuddered uncontrollably. His mouth opened slightly, while his lips trembled. He could still vividly remember everything Anita said concerning the Sovereign of Darkness.

Although he didn't doubt her words, he didn't believe them either. He could also remember the time he gossiped with Rachel. She had brought up the message of someone named Aians Tuta Aghoul, never would he have imagined that he was the famous successor.

At that moment, James felt absolute excitement and dread. That he had the power of such a legendary figure excited him. However, the thought that every powerful faction in the world searched for him terrified him.

"You're a strange one. I didn't expect you to become excited from this. He definitely chose someone interesting to succeed him," The Collector said.

Lost in the euphoria of his thoughts, The Collector's words brought James back to reality. Saying nothing, he solemnly bowed.

Although The Collector had only spoken a few words, it had given him a priceless information. One that James was grateful for. With their disparity in abilities, James didn't know any other way to express his thanks.

"If I stay here any longer, this place will resemble the Netherworlds. Hmmm... it seems you already have the brand of the Netherworld. Interesting. We will surely see again. Here take this."

James watched as the massive body of The Collector churned. Before he could comprehend what was happening, an extraordinary scene played before his eyes.

'What? They were eight?' James stared blankly as a raging pitch black flame approached him. It originated from The Collector's body. Since The Collector was a massive blob of black, it was impossible for him to notice it earlier.

"This is my gift to you. Do with it as you please," The Collector said.

The dancing black flames instantly shot into James's skull. He felt as if it tried to consume the very essence of his being. At that same moment, cracks appeared over his body. While snaps continuously echoed from his joints. He lost all five senses, and he felt like he floated in an endless abyss. He didn't even know who or what he was.

A moment later, James felt a stinging pain on his cheeks. Before he could grasp what was happening, a familiar voice filled his ears.

"Kaleb, wake up. What's gotten into you?"

At that same moment, James's vision slowly shifted from complete darkness to a blurry outline of his surroundings. A second later, his vision returned.

He could see Henriksen keenly watching over him, a frown replaced his usual smile.

'What happened? Where's The Collector?' James scanned his immediate surrounding, however, he couldn't find what he searched for.

As his senses slowly returned, James could feel the biting winds once more. From the distance, he could hear the roars of beasts and the songs of birds, submerged by the gushing river.

'Everything is back to normal...' James knew what it meant. The Collector had long gone.

Mustering his rapidly returning strength, James rose to his feet. Henriksen backed away while observing him. A moment ago, James suddenly fell. He initially thought James played a prank on him, however, his mind soon changed. Because, for a moment, James went still. His heart had stopped. It frightened him, because no one was allowed to die on the journey. What's more, he couldn't even explain how James died. If there was an invisible enemy, there was nothing stopping it from killing them all.

Meanwhile, as James rose to his feet, he suddenly felt a stinging pain on the left side of his chest. To Henriksen's amazement, James removed his robes revealing his undergarment.

'Has he gone insane? What the hell is he doing?' Henriksen thought.

James, on the other hand, stared blankly at his chest.

'It's gone...' James mused as his fingers ran along his chest. Since he transmigrated into Skyhaven, a scar had always marred that section of his chest. However, it had disappeared. In its stead, a beautiful tattoo depicting a black flame appeared.

"I don't know what you're doing, Kaleb. But I don't swing that way. I'm not interested in men," Henriksen said.

James didn't even bother to explain his actions, Henriksen could think of anything he wanted. It was none of his business.

'What ability does the flame have? Since everything is back to normal, I should ask the system.' James thought.

"System, can you detect a new flame in my chest?" James mentally asked.

<Ding!>

Scanning…

Scanning Completed!

Error!

No flame detected in the user's chest!

<Ding!>

"Check everywhere!" James commanded. His brows subconsciously creased.

<Ding!>

Scanning…

Scanning Completed!

Error!

No new flame detected in the user's body!

<Ding!>

'Huh? What the hell is going on? Why can't the system detect it?' James thought as he slowly wore his robes.

Henriksen, who watched him from the side, did not understand what was happening. However, he said nothing. He silently continued to observe James.

Just then, a thunderous explosion echoed in the skies over the Oden Forest.

"What the hell is that?" James muttered. The sudden explosion surprised him. Wasting no time, he raised his head. At that moment, an awe-inspiring dragon pattern illuminated the skies. Like fireworks, it vanished into a puff of smoke.

"Who the hell dares to disturb my sleep? Show yourself."

"What's going on? Is it a beast?"

"Henriksen, what's going on?"

One by one, the youths emerged from the cabin. Each donning various expressions. Rowan stood at the front, a frown distorted his face. A moment ago, he was in the tender embrace of sleep. He was dreaming he was back in his Kingdom, ravishing countless beauties. However, the loud explosion interrupted his dream. He vowed that if one of the youths was responsible, he would give them a piece of his mind.

"Henriksen, what's going on? Are you responsible for this? Kaleb, you're here, too. What happened?" Rowan asked, his gaze shifting between James and Henriksen.

Silence, however, greeted his words. Neither James nor Henriksen looked at him. Their eyes lingered on the distorted puff of smoke. Unlike James, whose features showed his curiosity. Henriksen had a cold and stern expression on his face. One that didn't go unnoticed by the other youths.

"Henriksen, what happened?" Lilis asked. Like everyone else, she wandered what made Henriksen so solemn.

Just then, Henriksen sighed slightly. A wry smile distorted his face as he said, "Prepare yourselves. The Caretakers are coming. You wanted to know about the Village, right? Listen carefully, I will tell you all I know."