"Stay back, everyone," Elizabeth ordered sharply.
In the grand hall, a statue of a goddess loomed tall, her features worn and indistinct with time, yet her flowing robe remained as regal and eternal as the legends that surrounded her. The air was thick with incense, its scent mixing with the musty stone walls, filling the room with a sense of reverence and ancient power.
In front of the statue stood a priest with thin, sharp features, deep-set dark eyes, and black hair tied back. His white robe was immaculate, but his eyes—hard and calculating—told a different story. He spoke calmly, but there was an authority in his voice that demanded respect. His hands were clasped behind his back, gaze indifferent, but his mind was always assessing, always planning.
A young man emerged from a massive egg-like cocoon before him, his blue eyes glowing, an aura erupting around his body. His well-built frame, clad only in shorts, rippled with defined muscles as he stood tall and steady, as if he already knew his purpose, yet still had much to learn.
Axel rushed into the hall, breathless, his gaze darting around, absorbing the strange scene before him. His instincts told him to be cautious, yet the pull of curiosity was stronger. His eyes widened, seeing something he had never expected.
The priest's voice broke the silence, sharp and curious. "Have you gained enlightenment?"
Matias stepped forward, his movements deliberate, as if he were not just stepping into the hall, but into his future. His heart raced with anticipation, but his face remained neutral, betraying none of the excitement that stirred within him. As he raised his hand, the air around him thickened, and a shadow twisted unnaturally, solidifying into something dark and alive.
A metallic black spider materialized before him, its eight legs twitching with unnatural speed, and its many eyes gleaming with eerie intelligence, reflecting the dim light. The room fell into stunned silence, and even the usually cold and emotionless Priest Damian let a rare glint of excitement flash across his face.
"HAHAHAHA!" Damian burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the hall with an energy that was both unsettling and exuberant. "A wild spirit! Kid, do you know what you've just obtained? Wild spirits are as rare as war souls. And yours... a spider... it's a multi-tasking specialist. But this one... it's different, doesn't look friendly. It might have abilities no one has seen before."
The excitement in the air was palpable, thickening with every word Damian spoke. Even Axel had to admit this was big—he wasn't used to seeing things like this, especially in his former world.
Damian pulled out two books from the folds of his robe and handed them to Matias and Axel. "Soul guides. Do not lose them. When you're ready, place your hand on the cover, and it will reveal what you need to know."
Matias held the book carefully, his fingers brushing the ancient leather, while Axel, as always, just glanced at his. He tucked it under his arm with a careless shrug. "Sounds easy enough."
Father Damian's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Now that you've awakened your wild spirit, you're considered a warrior in the global rankings set by the ancient church. A normal person, no matter how much they train, is only a soldier level. But you're one level higher now. After that, there's the knight, the guardian, the protector, the paladin, the saint, the grand priest, the grand emperor, and finally, the lord. Most people get stuck somewhere along the way. Others die early in battle. Advancing quickly at the beginning is normal, but from the protector level onwards, it will become harder and harder."
Matias already knew this, but for Axel, it was the first time hearing about the global rankings of fighters, and the weight of it made his stomach churn slightly.
With that, the ceremony ended, and the crowd of children slowly dispersed. But Damian lingered, his gaze lingering on the two boys as they left, something unreadable in his eyes.
As soon as they were out of sight, his expression darkened. He turned toward the far end of the hall, where a glowing magic circle shimmered. A portal opened, and out stepped a fat, middle-aged man in golden robes, his greasy smile stretching across his face.
"You did well, Damian," the man said, his voice dripping with greed. "The church will be pleased. That boy is valuable. Once the other one goes through awakening, we'll take them both."
Damian's jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm. "No. Let them stay. If you take them too soon, they'll resist, and their potential will be wasted."
The fat man narrowed his eyes, his aura flaring suddenly, and the church hall seemed to shrink under the pressure. "And what if they refuse to serve the church?" His voice dropped dangerously. The air around them grew dense with tension, breathing becoming heavier as he directed the pressure toward Damian.
A muscle in Damian's jaw twitched, but he didn't flinch. His aura erupted in response, a dark, fiery barrier surrounding him. "Then you'll have wasted something irreplaceable."
The fat man hesitated, his thoughts turning over, before he scoffed. "I'll think about it and come back in two hours." And with that, he vanished back into the portal.
Damian exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "It's time to leave. But where the hell do we go?"
---
Outside, tension filled the air as the group made their way through the trees. Matias sat under a tree, flipping through the soul guide. Axel, unable to hide his curiosity, peered over his shoulder.
"See anything cool?" Axel asked.
Matias grinned, though a trace of uncertainty lingered in his expression. "Yeah. This book is something else. It's like my whole life written out in stats." His fingers traced the glowing letters on the pages as if searching for answers.
Inside the book, glowing letters displayed:
Name: Matias
Race: Human
Age: 18
Level: Warrior Level One
Soul Type: Wild Spirit – Metal Shadow Weaver Spider
Matias read further, his grin widening. "Skills: Web Dominion, Venom Surge, Shadow Camouflage… Damn, this is insane!"
Before they could process this new information, Elizabeth stormed in, her face tight with urgency.
"Everyone, pack your things. We leave. Now."
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Eliza… what's going on?"
She exhaled, trying to keep her voice steady, but there was an edge to it. "The church is after Matias. Damian is stalling, but we have to go before they make a move."
Matias went rigid, the weight of her words sinking in.
Axel leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well, shit..."
Matias shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Of course, the moment I get something cool, it turns into a death sentence."
"Not if we move fast," Elizabeth snapped, her tone sharp with urgency. "Get your things. No arguing."
No one dared to resist. The children quickly packed their belongings, cramming them into a large cart. Axel and Matias rode separately in a smaller cart with Elizabeth, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on their shoulders.
As the city faded behind them, Axel couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The air seemed thicker, heavier now, and the road ahead was uncertain.
---
Two hours later, back in the city, chaos erupted. The church—or what was left of it—lay in ruins. A massive pit had swallowed half the holy ground. Smoke curled from the debris, and in the wreckage, a bloodied figure crawled forward, his face twisted with rage.
"You... you bastards..." he wheezed, his voice raw. "No one will save you now..."
Not far away, an old man in a simple brown robe stroked his beard, watching the destruction with amusement.
"Hahaha... Looks like someone finally dared to spit in the church's face. This is going to be interesting."
---
Days passed, and the group finally stopped near a river. The children played in the water, but the tension hadn't left. The adventurers stood guard, their eyes scanning the horizon, ever-watchful.
Axel was sharpening a knife when he felt it—an odd pull in his chest. He staggered slightly, his vision momentarily blurring.
"Axel?" Elizabeth asked, her voice tight with concern.
"I... I think something is happening to me..." Axel muttered, his voice strained.
A second later, he collapsed. Mist swirled around him, thick and dark, forming a cocoon around his body. Matias and Elizabeth watched in shock, uncertain of what was happening.
"I'll keep watch," Matias said, his voice steady, but his hands clenched at his sides. Elizabeth hesitated, then nodded, retreating to check on the children.
---
The next morning, the cocoon cracked open. Axel stepped out, his body surrounded by a golden, dark, menacing aura that radiated death itself. His long black hair whipped around him like a storm, and his glowing golden pupils burned with a power both terrifying and mesmerizing.
Matias stared in shock, his body instinctively pulling back. His heart raced as the air around Axel thickened, the very ground beneath them seeming to tremble.
His body had changed. Muscles more defined, eyes sharper something raw, wild, and powerful was flowing through him.
Matias grinned, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "Finally awake? What did you get?"
Axel smirked, raising his hand. The Grim Scythe appeared, a sharp, exotic blade, dyed in dark metal with golden glowing spots. It hummed with a strange death energy, its jagged edge almost alive, pulsing with power. The air around it seemed to twist and bend, the weapon itself a force of nature.
Matias stared, a sense of awe mixing with dread. "You got a war soul?"
Axel swung the scythe once. The air vibrated with force, a crackle of power splitting the atmosphere. "Looks that way. So this is how it feels to be a soul master," he said, his grin widening, but there was a flicker of something dark in his eyes.
He reached out to the small white book given by the father Damian, it turned into a black book with golden symbols all around it. Without wasting time he opened the soul guide.
Name : Axel .
Race : human.
Age: 18.
Profession: necromancer.
The book looked like an interactive tablet from his former world, recording a lot of things about him, Axel was surprised for a moment. But reading all these things would take forever while he has 'o time to waste as his current situation was yet to be determined.
At that moment Matias sighed, his sense of caution returning. "We need to move. These woods can't be safe for long."
---
Meanwhile.
Far away, deep in the forest, an old man stood atop a lone tree, his eyes piercing through the sky.
"You are a paladin, almost one step into the saint level," he muttered to himself, a grim smile playing on his lips. "No wonder you dared to challenge the church..."
Above him, a priest floated, his cold eyes calculating.
"You followed me here?" the priest asked, his voice icy and dangerous. "Is there anything you want from me? I'm in a bad mood today, so why not pick another day to die?"
The old man smirked, unfazed. "Hahaha, yes, if that was the biggest problem today."
The priest frowned, and a wave of power rippled through the nearby mountains, the ground shaking with the force of it.
Damian, staring at the mountains, turned his eyes back to the old man. "Something big is moving in those mountains."
Deep in a large rift, a hazel vertical eye cracked open, and the world seemed to hold its breath.