"What is your name?" This is a simple question that is not hard to answer. The real problem starts when the person asked does not want to answer. I say that because of the woman who is glaring at me from where she is sitting. We sit there for a minute before I mumble, "I would prefer an answer now, not tomorrow." This surprisingly works, and she replies with one word, "Priest." With a frustrated sigh, I hang my head in my hands before clarifying. "Tell me the name that you were called at birth." Once more, she stares at me without responding. Then a thought hits me. "Now, please," I continued to stare at her. "Girl," As she stared at me, I saw a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. I felt like ripping my hair out before I thought, 'Technically, the first thing you are called at birth, even before you name, is your gender, boy or girl.'
"Answer my questions when I ask them. What name did your parents give you and call you throughout your life?" If this took too long, I would have to give up on loosening her restrictions. She abuses every loophole that she can find in my commands, such as when I don't state when to do the command. With a slight strain in her voice, she responds, "Little brat." I just stared at her. All I wanted was her name. How hard is that? This went around until I finally said, "Tell me your name now. You cannot tell me nicknames, titles, things you have been called, or anything else except the name you call yourself." With that, she strains, resisting the command before finally saying, "Cynthia."
A few hours later, I am sitting in the study looking over the results of hours of questioning Cynthia about her stat sheet. Once again, it was a battle against her intellect to get her to tell me what it said. She found that one of the most significant loopholes in my command set my progress back by an hour. An Hour! It wasn't even that big of a loophole. When I commanded her to read off her stats so I could write them down, at first, she would only read off a single word. This wasn't that bad until she found the loophole. I don't know what gave her the idea, but she found out that she does not have to read them out in the order they are laid out in her status. This led to her using the letters in her status to fudge what was written. There is only one reason that I found out what she was doing. I know that her affinity is not what it was. With a new restriction in place, I finally got what I wanted.
[Name: Cynthia]
[Race: Heucuva] [Teir 1 (Mutated)]
[Affinity: Profane]
[Essence 140/140(10/h)]
[Core Cards]
[Energy: Profane (Epic)]
[Field: Profane Altar (Rare)]
[Item: Profane Garb (Uncommon)]
[Skills]
[Card Manipulation] [Cultivation]
[Card Collection] [Card Creation]
[Attributes]
[Strength 9/29] [Stamina 11/31]
[Intelligence 14+7/34] [Wisdom 10+5/30]
[Traits]
[Touch of the Profane]
All profane cards you create are twice as powerful as they should be. All profane cards only cost half as much essence to summon, create, or use. Changes Divine affinity to Profane affinity.
[Vassals of the Profane]
This ability enables the creation of vassal undead equivalent to twice your tier. The effects will change in later tiers. Allows creation of vassal undead equal to twice your tier. Effects will change in later tiers.
[Undead Constitution (Heucuva)]
As an undead, you will not tire, hunger, or feel pain as long as you possess essence. You will continue to exist as long as your head and heart remain intact. A heucuva was once a worshiper of a divine being. Now, you are a type of draugr that has a connection to the profane.
There are a few things of note in her status. First and most importantly is her race. I technically killed her and turned her into an undead. I do not know whether to feel proud or horrified that my first undead is sentient. I hope she will calm down and work with me, but that will take time, given how mad she is. The second thing is that she has a third core card at the first tier, and her tier is described as mutated. That is probably because she was in the second tier before I saved her. Fourth, while keeping her alive, her core lost most of its size and potency. The backlash of her affinity mutating damaged her body and purged the essence residing in her flesh.
That is all very interesting, but the most significant change was to her affinity. None of the books I have read in the study has even hinted at changing affinities. Not only that, but she has a third card at the first tier. This must be because I forced a change by infecting her core and essence with my essence while she was tier two. This is so much more interesting than any of her traits, cards, or stats because it gives me a glimpse into the nature of undeath essence. This should not be an opportunity that I get this early on in my cultivation journey. I push aside Cynthia's stat sheet and grab a new sheet of paper. I need to understand what my essence is and does to break past the fifth tier, so there is no better time to start than now. With a goal in sight, I begin to write.
--Cynthia's Pov--
Standing and being unable to do anything except watch him scribble away is infuriating. The training mission has failed so completely that, looking back, it might have been doomed from the start. With a slight sigh, I steel myself for what might come. Maybe this is what I get for how much I have lucked out so far. What a stupid twist of fate. I had everything. Upon awakening my core, I realized that my core cards were something that only prodigies have. That alone was enough to be admitted to the Life Legion, but I also awoke a talent! I saw a path to become more than a pheasant's daughter. When I wrote down the cards and talent in the registry papers, I was called a liar, an attention seeker, and was reminded of the punishment for falsifying the papers. After confirming that I intended to let them verify it, a battery of tests ensued.
A week later, I was waving goodbye to my family because I was enrolled in the training camp for the Life Legion. I had always dreamed that something like that would happen, and when that dream came true, I was stunned. I never thought I would be living it out. Weeks turned into months and months into a year. After a tough day of studying, meditation, and exercise, I was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. The past year has shown some tremendous gains. Back home, I always felt problems and puzzles that others would struggle with were easy for me. But here I found my challenge. The first month was a wave of information and obstacles that nearly overwhelmed me. I was behind in many subjects and physical examinations and had to work to get my feet under me once again.
Little did I know that was only the beginning. By the seventh month of my enrollment, my class had gone from over two hundred to just one hundred and twenty. Considering that I was one of the 14 that managed to make the cut for the officer course, I had a bright future ahead of me. Much more surprising than that was what happened just a week later. I got nominated as a candidate for platoon creation after becoming tier two because of the trait I chose. That meant that I was going to be trained to lead my platoon under one of the eight battalions. This was an honor like no other.
[Vassals of the Divine]
This ability enables the creation of vassal undead equivalent to twice your tier. The effects will change in later tiers. Allows creation of vassal undead equal to twice your tier. Effects will change in later tiers.
Next thing I know, five months have passed, and Darius, one of the eight vice leaders of the legion, is assigned as my master. This meant I wasn't just meant to create my own platoon but later possibly the ninth battalion, or so I had hoped. That would have required getting to tier five and raising 50 tier fours. Now I am never going to get there because my mentor is dead, and I am a MONSTER. I can't even express my anger because I am little more than a puppet. Even now, I can feel the chains holding my mind hostage. Every command painfully squeezes my mind until I obey it, while every loophole I find brings great satisfaction. Even now, I can feel the fulfillment that his frustration brings, and in it, I find immeasurable pleasure.
--Therion's Pov--
Five days later, I am standing just outside the entrance to the cave system. Reading my mother's letter, I focus on the second paragraph.
Dear Therion,
If you are reading this, it means that neither Ignis nor I has returned to the house yet. During your cultivation, a pillar of death energy shot up into the sky, so Ignis decided to guard the entrance of the valley. I, once I have written this, will head to the graveyard and raise the house's barrier. Until it comes down or we tell you otherwise, please head to my study and create your first cards. My spell stuff probably won't work with whatever essence you get, but it's a start.
If we have still not returned by the time the barrier falls, prepare for the worst. This valley we are in is on the border between a tier 3 and 4 zone. Deep in the cave system where the river comes from is an inheritance dungeon. The only thing we know about it is that it is for death affinitied entities only. It should have something in it which will help you.
No matter what happens, prioritize your life above everything else. Even if we are not with you to guide you, we know you will do great things in the future. We love you.
With love,
Elizabeth and Ignis
P.S.
We're sorry, but this line will only appear if our lives have been taken.
We will always love you, but your father and I will haunt you for the rest of your life if you become consumed by the desire for revenge. Live your own life, not ours.
Tears start to fall as I read. Even now, my mother is guiding me. I lean against a boulder and stare up at the sky. From where I am, I can see the sun rising over the entrance to the valley. She always told me that her favorite thing in nature is the sunrise. "It represents a new start." I wish she were here to explain it to me once more... I wish I had more time... I wish...
--Cynthia's Pov--
"It represents a new start." I barely managed to hear what he whispered. "I wish she were here to explain it to me once more... I wish I had more time... I wish..." With each line he mumbled, he became quieter, and tears started to fall. His eyes glazed over, he slumped against the boulder and slowly fell into a sitting position. This is not normal. Death users are monsters, so I should not be concerned, but thought occurs. We killed his parents. Who is the worst monster here...
--Therion's Pov--
The next thing I know, the sun is high in the sky and my back is damp from sitting against the boulder. It's like I short-circuited for a few hours. Picking up the letter from where it fell, I will it back into card form. I found that little trick in one of the books in my mother's study. Most cards have two or more forms, and generally, one of those forms is a card. Things like structures can only be used once. That also explains why equipment from your card slots can be summoned and dismissed. That is also probably why my mother always brought stacks of card blanks to the nearest town to trade for stuff. The only reason card blanks are not the world's currency is that they are too helpful.
Glancing at Cynthia, I swear I just saw a flash of emotion on her face, but as soon as I looked, it was gone. Shrugging, I turn to the cave and steel myself for what is to come. "A small stack of water skin cards, two stacks of food cards, and various other essentials." Glancing at Cynthia, I continued, "One undead woman who is limited to serving as my pack mule and a dungeon to explore. What could possibly go wrong?" Cynthia shot a glare at me in response to that statement.