Chapter 40

After explaining the situation to Sophie and Grandpa, Nathan sent them away, as he still needed some time to get used to his changes, and also digest his gains of the unexpected transformation of his soul.

Nathan couldn't view his soul, but he had a distinct idea that it had changed. His senses were enhanced, and his affinity for Dark Energies had a massive leap, as he tried summoning some Curse Energy, transformed from his Vital Energy that passively flowed around his body, he felt a stronger connection, and a better degree of control.

He sat down, and checked The System,

[Ding!]

[70x Soul Essence Droplets have been used.]

[The Unchained Abyssal Reaper Manual has been Comprehended.]

[Proceeding with The Transformation Process…]

[Congratulations! You have successfully entered (The Infant Soul Stage)!]

[First Layer of (The Unchained Abyssal Reaper Manual) has been completed!]

[You have received a new Passive Skill: (Reaper's Gaze)!]

'So it took me 70 Soul Essence Droplets to reach the first Stage… but it doesn't seem to be as simple as it looks. According to Grandpa, I can emit Soul Pressure, something only those at the Third Stage are capable of.'

'But what was that Ancient voice…? Perhaps when my soul gets strong enough, I can find more answers about this mysterious Mark of Inheritance.'

'I also got a skill! Let's see what it can do,'

[Reaper's Gaze] 

See the world through the eyes of a true Reaper. Sever Fate and challenge Destiny. See the truth, no matter the obstacle. After all, in the face of Death, none can hide…

'… I feel as if this description was written by the Ancient voice for some reason. Anyway, its effects are vague, which only serves to prove that they are extremely powerful, and it has many uses. Fortunately, I can turn it on and off without any problem. It also doesn't consume any energy!'

'According to The Manual, there are three layers to it, and each layer unlocked would grant me powerful skill, so powerful, that they even surpass Divine Techniques to some extent.'

'Also, this manual is considered a 'Timeless Treasure'. Apparently, it is the highest grade a Treasure can reach. It means that the Treasure is deemed peerless among the ages, one that would dominate all others no matter the Era! Just what kind of inheritance is this…?'

Nathan's mind was in turmoil! Such powerful abilities! Such a precious Manual! It granted him the opportunity to grow much more powerful, while also increasing the danger he would have to face drastically!

'But, that is for the future. For now, let me try circulating The Manual.' Nathan cleared his mind of any thoughts, and slowly entered a calm state. The state of mind played a vital role in the cultivation of the Soul!

Nathan slowly started to circulate his 'Soul Energy', as he called it for now, in moved it in mysterious patterns along his Soul and Sea of Consciousness. After continuing circulation for an unknown amount of time, Nathan felt his Soul strengthen by a tad bit! He was ecstatic! His first session of Cultivation was a major success!

He wanted to continue cultivating, but he was hit by a wave of intense fatigue,

'Oh, right. Cultivation takes a lot of Metal Energy, and my Soul is not strong enough to support me for extended periods of time… for now.' Nathan decided that it was enough for today, and fell asleep. Too much has happened, and his excitement was all that was keeping him awake.

***

[Ding!]

Nathan woke up to the sound of a notification from the system. A long night of rest had washed away all his fatigue, making him feel refreshed.

He opened The System, 

[Quest Chain Unlocked!]

[You have received The Special Quest Chain, (Revival of The Underworld)!]

[Quest: (Revival of The Underworld) The First Layer of The Underworld has been established, yet it still remains empty. Gather enough power and open the path to The Underworld!

Acquire 500 Soul Essence Droplets.

Reward: Unlocking the first [Gate of Hell]

'…'

'Finally, I can start working toward my real objectives.'

'The quest appeared right after my Soul reached The Infant Soul Stage, so that must have been the trigger. Then it is safe to assume that the strength of my Soul will play a crucial part in everything related to The Underworld, which now that I say it, makes a lot of sense.'

Nathan was not discouraged. He was confident he could finish this part of The Quest Chain before entering The Royal Academy. After all, normal quests and the quest chains seem to be separate from each other!

Nathan thought about his schedule. He had to train his Stealth Arts, Train his Curse Arts, Cultivate his Soul at every opportunity he gets, and keep an eye on the ongoing operation…

Nathan stood up, and wore his black, Assassin clothes his Aunty had gifted him. Ever since then, they had become his favorite clothes, as they allowed him to be ready for any emergency situation.

***

One Month Later

A masked Nathan had just removing a curse from a poor commoner, and he watched as she left, constantly thanking him. He had bought a small shop in an inconspicuous corner of The Outer District, for his patients to have easier access to.

"Thank you so much, Benefactor! My body already feels better! I will work hard to repay your favor!" She bowed repeatedly, feeling very energetic.

Nathan waved his hand, "It was nothing. Take care of your family. I wish you the best of luck."

After Nathan finally managed to get her to leave, he returned to reading the book in front of him, which was called, (History of Darkness). There were faster ways to read this book, but he preferred to read it the normal way.

"I sense that you have a question. Feel free to ask." He suddenly called out, despite the room, which he had rented for his Curse Removal services, being empty.

A figure emerged from the shadows, "I believe that Curses require a lot of practice, and even then, Curse Masters are extremely rare. Then, why is it that common people like her are Cursed?"

Nathan looked at Nitis, whom had already evolved once, and grown to be around the same age as him, becoming a [Desolate Mountain Wolf]!

"They are not Cursed intentionally."

"I have noticed that recently the number of such people has increased drastically. And they all seem to be from a certain part of The Outer District." Nitis had his suspicions, but he was waiting for confirmation.

"Indeed. Not many practice Cultivation, but the body naturally cleans itself of foreign substances naturally. This also includes Dark Energies. The fact that some of these people have came in contact with so much Dark Energy constantly, that it has transformed into a semi-Curse, means that a person or a group of such Cultivators are around that area, and these people cannot control their energies that well, for it to leak such as this." Nathan explained, as he stood up.

"Nitis, secretly contact Supervisor Ezra. Send him a message. (When the moon rises, The Night shall return). Tell him to meet me here tomorrow, as if coming here for a treatment. The time has come. He shall receive a chance to repent for his actions"

"Understood, Your Highness. I will see to it immediately." Nitis merged back into shadows and disappeared. He, too, had evolved, but to Nathan's surprise, he had remained human.

Nathan closed his shop, and sneakily returned to the manor, where he went straight to Aunty's office.

"Little Nate! Something you need?" Aunty Solina was as busy as usual.

"Yes. Aunty, please call Grandpa and Sophie here."

A while later, everyone gathered in the room, looking serious, as Nathan took the lead,

"The time has come. People from The Cult of The Deranged God are most likely already here, but they are mere pawns, sent to scout us. This means that we are very close to drawing out a high-ranking member. Grandpa, are there any eligible candidates within The Church, who would suit our needs?"

"Yes, Your Highness. We have already taken all precautions before making a choice. He is a righteous mid-ranking member, who rose from the bottom with his own effort, and has surprisingly not corrupted by power. He is best suited for this mission." 

"Great. Any suggestions on how to proceed from now on?" Nathan asked for everyone's opinion. Only in this way could they come up with a perfect plan.

Aunty Solina started first, "We should continue keeping our distance from them. The strength of our Assassins is above theirs, so it should be easy to evade their notice and dodge their traps, but I fear it will get much harder to find their hidden bases from this point onward."

Sophie jumped energetically, "Ooh! I have an idea!"

Seeing the mischievous glint in her eyes, Nathan already felt pity for their enemy. They were going to be played to their deaths…

"If we keep too much distance from them, it would be too obvious. We can pretend as if we are weaker than them, and escape at the very last moment, using trickery! Like, we can set up traps and distractions and keep annoying them! This way, their boss would come out sooner!"

No one in the room was surprised by her plan. Everyone had already tasted her mischievousness, as Grandpa would confirm.

"…Then we have a plan. I will try to deal with the problem of finding their hideouts. Grandpa, take direct command of the Assassins and make sure they don't accidentally reveal their strength, or get captured by the enemy when they try to fake a close call." Nathan turned to Grandpa.

Nathan would've liked to take action himself, but currently, he was too weak to engage in such battles, but not for long…

Because he had a Breakthrough in his Soul Cultivation! And not one but two!

He was officially a Rank 3 Infant Soul Stage Cultivator!

"Start preparations. We do not want any unexpected situation to catch us off guard." Nathan ordered.