Krieg

I stepped back in fear, I couldn't help it, the creature in front of me filled me with a natural sense of dread. The large black dog looked down on me and then spoke.

"Relax, kid. I'm here as your guide." The large dog laid down as he said this. Then he began talking again as his hind leg raised and began scratching behind his ear. "Before we begin the introductions, why dont you digest that soul over there, then we can talk."

I looked back over at Henry and he was laying on the waters surface with a petrified look, mumbling about demons and begging God to save him.

I just shook my head and then turned to ask the dog. "What exactly am I supposed to do? And what do you mean "digest"?" I really hope he wasn't telling me to eat this guy...

"It means what it means. Have the water plunge him into the depths and then his soul will be destroyed and the meager amount of power that one possesses will nourish you. Just like food that ends up in your stomach, the power of his soul will be absorbed by yours strengthening you in the process.

"Um, Ok..." I turned back toward Henry and focused on the dark water below him.

"Ah! H-help me!" He began screaming and flailing as he sank into the dark water below him. I saw him quickly be dragged below the waters surface, only bubbles rose to the top and after a few moments the bubbles stopped.

I could feel the quality of the sea increasing slightly, and I felt a warmth spreading out from my core. My soul itself was improving in quality and it felt quite pleasurable. The feeling didn't stop but seemed to grow in intensity, the pleasurable feeling began turning into a scorching pain.

"Is this normal?" I asked the dog.

"You can call me Krieg and yes. Your soul is growing in strength and the connection with Styx is growing stronger as well. You're becoming a half-spirit."

"argh!" I grunted in pain and then asked through clenched teeth. "Styx? What's that?"

The dog narrowed his eyes and looked at me disdainfully. "The goddess you swore an oath to! Damn little human you didn't even know the name of the one you swore to?!"

"Her Majesty Death is named Styx? She didn't tell me though..."

"Whatever! My lady was pressed for time... By the way, you'll soon probably finish the conversion and your consciousness will return to your body. That's when the real pain will start. We will finish our conversation outside. " He bared his fangs in a cheeky grin. "And you girl!" He spoke to Grace how had been quiet this whole time.

"Uh, m-me?" She asked meekly, Krieg scared her too much she was too nervous to move.

"Ya, you! When he leaves this space you should go with him. If you stay here you might be digested too. Hehehe."

Grace nervously looked down the water below her and gulped. But she didn't know what to do next. "Um, w-where should I go?"

"You've been avenged and no longer have a reason to stay. Once outside this space you will be pulled into Lady Styx and will then be sent down one of the branching rivers. But you have a white halo so you will likely end up taking the Lethe river to purify your mind before reincarnation."

Grace didn't know what he meant by rivers and stuff but she understood reincarnation. She also realized she didn't have alot of time to thank Jesse.

"Jesse, before I move on, I wanted to thank you for avenging me. I wasn't able to talk to you outside but here I can say it to you. Thank you!" She said as he bowed lightly to me.

I was touched and it felt good to be thanked. Although I felt a little guilty, most of the reason I help was for my own reasons. I need to not forget why I wanted power in the first place. I didn't want to become the very type of person I hate.

"Grace. I hope wherever you end up, that you have a happy life." Even though I said it though gritted teeth to the pain I was enduring, she still smiled brightly.

"I hope we can meet again, Jesse."

"Good...Bye..."

Just then the pain got more intense and my mind flashed back to my body. I was in a dark cocoon and my body was curled up. I didn't feel any pain at the moment and thought maybe what Krieg said was bullshit but I had that thought a little too soon.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" I screamed due to the pain, the likes of which I never experienced before and hopefully will not experience again. I thought the pain I felt when my soul was strengthened was bad but this...

My skin melted in the dark water, then my muscles and fat, my veins, bones and organs including my brain. Everything dissolved into the black water that filled the cocoon and my mind shut off for just a second, before the water began churning and becoming my body.

"ah-cough! cough!" The last thing that melted back into my body was the cocoon itself.

I collapsed to the ground and was shaking. That was the worst experience of my life.

At that moment something jumped from my shadow. A dog the size of a small puppy but the way the black fur swayed was like a dark flickering candle.

"You did good little human- Ah sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're a half-Spirit now."

I looked up from the sorry state I was in and noticed the puppy. Of course it was Krieg, but why was he so small?

"Krieg?"

"Who else? Dumbass!" Krieg just looked at me like I was the dumbest being in existence. It kinda ticked me off that a puppy was looking down on me.

"Well now... Jesse. How do you feel? Your body should be many times stronger than before and you should notice other changes too."

I felt around my body and sure enough, it looked like it chiseled out of marble. My fair skin over toned muscles, and my hair was a shiny black instead of brown. But what I noticed most was my body felt full of vitality and my senses were improved beyond comparison.

It felt like I had a new organ to be used for all my senses. I could "tune" my hearing to hear very quiet or distant things and the same with my sight. It was like I could zoom in and see clearly distant objects.

The biggest change had yet to come however...

"The water of the River Styx grants immortality to living beings that are baptized in it. It has conditions but overall as long as you're diligent, you will never die. We can talk about that later. For now, You should probably cover yourself..."

If he didn't point it out I would have noticed on my own eventually but I was as bare as when I came into this world.

"Where's my clothes?! Ah! Did they melt?" I looked around frantically.

Krieg just shook his head as if it's something basic I should just know. "Those stinky human clothes are gone. You're part spirit now so just create some. Dumbass!"

My brow twitched as this little puppy was beginning to grate on me. "How exactly do I do that?

*sigh* The puppy sighed at me.

"Just think of the clothes you want to wear while focusing on your skin and they will appear.

"That's it? Alright..."

I did what Krieg told me and focused one what I wanted to wear and after a second, dark water came out my pores and wrapped itself around me. Then it changed colors and solidified, becoming clothes.

"It worked? That's fucking OP!" I was excited after all I'll save a ton of money on clothes!

"Tch! You're excited over that? Shut up and let's go. I want to hurry and get this over with so I can return to My Lady's side.