First Lesson

I couldnt help but think about how much of an attitude that Kreig has, but when I thought back to how imposing he was in the other dimension I erased all thoughts of teaching this puppy a lesson.

I left the scene of the murder and covered my face with the hoodie I created. I took a roundabout way going home just to be cautious. I didn't know what methods law enforcement could use to find me, considering people with strange and unique powers exist so I chose to be extra attentive to my movements.

After getting back to my apartment, Kreig jumped onto the chair in my room as I took a shower. When I was done I took some more time to fully inspect the changes to my body. I gotta say it's a far cry from my previous appearance. I had become quite a handsome fellow with my dark hair and eyes which also changed from dark green to black.

The clothes I made disappeared back into my body before I showered and after I made new stylish ones to match my appearance. I changed them several times to get the right look.

I still didn't understand it even though I was doing it, but I didn't want to be called dumbass again by a small puppy so I refrained from asking more about the clothes.

"Took you long enough. You should know you dont need to bathe anymore. Well... You will understand soon. Before we get into practicing your abilities I want to educate you on basic knowledge of the spirit world..."

I sat down on the floor in front of Krieg and listened intently.

"The spirit world is a place outside of this mortal realm. It is a place that is broken up into 4 different kingdoms. First and the one most related to us, is the Underworld. The River of Styx flows into the underworld where souls from the mortal realm are carried and then sorted by The Judge. The good souls are sent up the Lithe River to be cleansed of memories before they are recycled through reincarnation.

The souls of the damned end up sent further down and the severity of thier punishments increasing the further down they have to travel before being purified. Once purified, it is up to Hades to decide whether that soul becomes currency for the Soul Bank or a slave to be used for labours or conscription."

"There is a big difference between souls and spirits. So dont get them confused! A spirit has a physical body that is attuned to the spirit world but they also contain their own souls. The souls of mortals nourish us like food does for you and makes us stronger. But we purposefully send the good souls back to the mortal world as it in our best interest to do so. Not to mention every spirit has their own function and those fuctions are directly tied to our existence. For instance, Lady Styx is the Spirit of Rivers and became a Monarch of Death when she made an oath to Zeus to become the barrier between the mortal world and the spirit world in the ancient past."

I had alot of questions but I let him continue without interrupting his lesson. It was extremely fascinating to me to hear the inner workings of the afterlife.

"Lady Styx's power resides in her waters. What you have been calling a "Sea of Darkness" is actually a portion of her being, well, it's like a small drop from a vast river that circles the spirit world 7 times over so maybe you can understand how very insignificant you are by that estimation."

It's very clear to me he hold His Lady in very high regards and I'm nothing but an ant to him.

"Furthermore her water has the power to bind Oaths as such she also been called the Goddess of Oaths. This is a power you shall also be able to wield in time. The other fuctions of her water can grant immortality to living mortal beings. Her existence is tied to those traits just as every spirit is tied to thiers."

I was curious so I asked, What about you? What is your fuction?"

"Mine? I'm a Cerberus. My fuction is a guard of the spirit world.

'Cerberus? Like the three headed guard dog from the myths. But he only has one head...'

"Um, if you're a Cerberus, shouldn't you have three heads?" I thought it was a harmless question but I was wrong.

"You bastard! Dare to touch my reverse scale?" He growled and spit as he said this. Honestly it was just as cute as it was frightening seeing this small puppy get mad. "I will grow my second head soon! Within the next 10 thousand years at least. I'm still young, bastard! I'll have my third head in the next 30 thousands years or so I'm actually a prodigy among Cerberus!"

"Okay, Okay! Calm down, I didn't know!" I pleaded for his forgiveness and he begrudgingly accepted. It turns out to be a touchy subject for him for some reason.

"Now where was I? Ah yes..." He suddenly became more dignified and began talking again.

"Well that's enough about that for now, let's move on to your training. The most important points from what I just said that you should have learned is who you swore an oath to and understanding that as a half-spirit, your existence is now tied to your fuction. And that fuction is a sla- I mean a servant of Styx."

"..."

"Your power is derived from Styx. You became the water and the water became your body. Try to manipulate your body in different ways and you will find that the possibilities are endless. Go ahead, try it."

I grew excited and little scared about the changes he was talking about and I focused on my arm. My arm turned to black water and it reminded me of the slime I killed back in the forest. 'Am I a slime now? I'm not, right?' I thought as my arm became like a tentacle of black water.

While I was having a mini freak out over my new existence, Krieg curled up on the chair and said. "Your body is the water so whatever shape you can think of you can become. Dont worry about being boiled or frozen because the water of Styx doesnt change temperature no matter what. The other fuctions of the water are much better than just changing shape or changing appearance. If someone were to drink a drop of your water, you could bind them with an oath they can never break or you could place a puddle of water in a location and travel back to it instantly. Of course, right now your inner reservoir is empty to accommodate your change, you'll have to refill it. If a part of your body was destroyed right now, you wouldn't recover."

"That's a big deal! How do I get more?!" I had already accepted my similarities to a slime and this was urgent so I quickly paid attention.

"Easy! Just go kill monsters. Monsters dont have souls but they contain chaotic energy which when digested by you can be converted into Styx water. You've seen this when you were in the forest and killed that little one, remember?"

That's right. The killer munk gave off an orb of energy that seemed to increase the water.

"Yawn! Well then, we will continue the lesson tomorrow. Being in the mortal realm uses alot of energy so even though we dont sleep in the spirit world, it's important to do so here. This place sucks by the way."

I couldnt disagree with him on that but I was feeling tired as well even though it still a little early. Alot happened today and I still have many things to do. Tomorrow, I'll go hunt some monsters.

I laid on my bed and looked over at the tiny cerberus sleeping on my chair. It's been three days since I met Lady Styx, and while I am a little overwhelmed by how fast things have changed, I'm really grateful for her to give me this opportunity. When I get strong enough, I'll definitely return the favor 10 fold.