Being Weird

Gris urgently instructed Alberic to place the menacing scorpion on the ground. With a swift motion, he brought his foot down upon the creature, and as the scorpion met its demise, the system window promptly materialized before him. 

[You have killed an Infernoclaw Scorpion: a night hunter that poisons its prey with horrifying effects, causing unbearable pain and severe allergic reactions.]

[Your Dark Energy has increased: 15 >>> 18.]

[Soul Bound hasn't bound any souls. Would you like to make the Infernoclaw Scorpion a collectible in your Soul Room?]

Gris answered the question with a solemn nod, and a mysterious red mist enveloped the lifeless scorpion, causing it to vanish into thin air. 

[One Soul Room has been used! Given the Infernoclaw Scorpion's relative weakness, you can effortlessly summon it with a mere thought, incurring a cost of 6 Dark Energy for each summoning.

You can learn the summoning procedure at any time. Some souls may possess a unique summoning method that necessitates a specific amount of Dark Energy.]

In the Forest of Death, Gris killed three children. That meant a human was worth five Dark Energy while a scorpion was three. But as the system had explained, it depended on the soul quality of the living creature he killed.

The dark energy gained would be more if he killed a powerful creature. The dark energy needed for a single summoning of an Infernoclaw Scorpion amounted to six, precisely double the energy output generated by its soul.

Each soul had its own requirement for dark energy to summon. Gris believed that a potent soul demanded a more significant amount of dark energy than it produced.

"What are you thinking about? Why haven't you summoned that dead scorpion yet?"

Gris was snapped out of his thoughts. He did not have time to explore Soul Bound because Blayz had arrived.

"Sorry. I need concentration to do the summoning. Wait a little longer."

Blayz looked at Gris, who had closed his eyes. Actually, the disappearance of the scorpion already proved that his son had abilities. Still, he needed valid proof to dispel all his doubts.

[-4 Dark Energy has been used to summon the Infernoclaw Scorpion!]

Within moments, the crimson mist materialized once again. And to everyone's surprise, the scorpion reemerged unscathed, as if Gris's earlier act of stomping it into oblivion had never occurred.

"Master, this..." Alberic widened his eyes to see the scorpion walking. "Young Master Griswalden has a great ability! Necromancers usually can't retain the original form of the living creatures they summon."

Blayz had been thinking the same thing ever since he saw the scorpion. The necromancer's affinity was death.

The creature they killed was undoubtedly dead, so when summoned, it did not manifest in the state it had when alive. Summoning a deceased soul in its original living form was a rarity.

"Can you do anything else?" Blayz expected his son to come up with another surprise.

Unfortunately, Gris decided to hide the Route of Death from others. No one should know he was blessed with such an ability.

Route of Death was mighty, but it could also be his weakness. Each 'primary skill' had a trigger to activate it.

The concept of triggers was widely known. If anyone were aware of Gris's primary skill, they would go to great lengths to uncover his trigger, seeking to prevent him from utilizing it.

"I can only summon creatures I've killed," Gris lied skillfully, his posture bending low as he extended his hand, silently commanding the scorpion to ascend into his palm. "For now, I can only keep one soul. But in the future, I'm sure I can find more room for potential souls."

Blayz was a bit disappointed that Gris had no other special abilities. "What are some things the scorpion can do?"

"It follows my orders. I can tell it to go somewhere, and... we share a vision."

"You mean you can see what the scorpion sees?"

"Yes."

The disappointment that had lingered in Blayz's mind dissipated in an instant. As a spy within the empire, he sought someone capable of infiltrating the Palace without raising suspicion if caught.

"Can you also bind human souls?" he asked enthusiastically, unable to keep his lips from carving out a sly grin.

Gris knew what his father was thinking, so he smiled back. "I can bind the soul of anything I kill. But unfortunately, I don't know how my ability will affect humans yet."

"That's an easy problem. Alberic, get an enslaved person from the auction!"

"I don't want that," Gris refused as he ordered the scorpion to return to the Soul Room. He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out the Wish-Weaver Brooch.

Looking at the brooch, Blayz raised one eyebrow. "What do you want besides that land?"

"Allow me to handpick the person I want to kill."

"Alright. But remember, I will buy a slave if you don't kill anyone in a month. Tomorrow, Alberic will inform you about the land. For now, you are free to use the facilities in the mansion."

"What about money?"

"You can ask Alberic for it anytime you need it."

Gris grinned with satisfaction. He intended to mask his true intentions under the guise of hunting for potential targets as he departed the mansion. Secretly, he planned to unravel the mystery of returning to his world.

There was something else he had to check as well. Solnisca de Amarthia. At all costs, he had to investigate the girl.

With no further words for Blayz, he made his way to the door and swung it open, a silent cue for his guests to take their leave.

"Thank you for taking your time, Father. I'll be stronger before the academy representative comes here."

Gris' words held no sharpness, and his demeanor lacked rudeness. However, the subtle actions that appeared to distance Blayz left Alberic feeling a twinge of irritation.

A day ago, Gris was still a gloomy boy who had no purpose but to bring his mother back to life. He shunned interaction with others, keeping to himself in solitude.

His appearance typically mirrored neglect, characterized by unkempt hair and clothes marred by dirt, left unchanged for days due to his preoccupation with his odd experiments.

His empty stare and dry, cracked lips from lack of water gave his face an unpleasant look. A noticeable bad smell also tended to linger around him, causing people to cover their noses when he walked by.

Yet, there was a noticeable change in Gris. Despite the persistent eye bags and chapped lips, his look now exuded a newfound allure, thanks to the assertive gleam in his gaze.

His clothes were no longer wrinkled. After a bath with warm water and herbs, the strange smell that used to be around him had disappeared.

"You're being weird," Blayz noticed the unusual change in Gris. He squinted suspiciously. "It's like you're someone else, not my son."

Gris did not panic even though two people were throwing suspicious glances at him. He had expected others to find him strange because he was not acting like the actual character.

"I see no issue here, given that hardly any child in this mansion bears your blood. You seek a pawn, and I'm poised to play that role, readily transform to any piece upon seizing the enemy's territory." (*)

With that answer, Blayz asked no more questions and left Gris' room. He really did not care if a magical spirit had taken over Gris' body.

As long as his son was in his favor, no action would be taken. Only when faced with betrayal, would he issue the decree for elimination.

The four teenagers, who had observed in hushed anticipation, erupted with excitement upon witnessing the departure of Blayz and Alberic. They made their way to Gris' room, eagerly pounding on the door.