Phoebe glanced at him, surprise evident on her face.
"My help?"
Seth immediately explained himself, spreading his hands.
"It's because I know nothing."
"Nothing about why I came back to life, nothing about who I really am now, and nothing about this world or how it works. I'm basically lost."
He looked at the demon's corpse, then back at her.
"If it's not too much to ask, I need your help to figure out my situation. I don't want to die again, but I also don't want to accidentally hurt anyone. I need to understand what I am."
He had decided that playing the completely helpless amnesiac was no longer enough...
By directly asking for her help in investigating his own condition, he was making them partners of a sort.
It created a mutual interest that benefited both parties at the very least.
Phoebe fell silent, considering his words.
After a long moment, she nodded slowly.
"I will try to help. I have... connections. There are witches I can reach out to who have knowledge about strange phenomena and certain types of witch crafts."
Seth nodded, understanding the subtext.
'She's telling me not to try anything funny because she has powerful friends.'
He thought as he could not help but smile a little.
At the very least, it seemed like she also wanted to figure out more about his situation!
"Thank you."
He said aloud.
Phoebe nodded and moved closer to the little girl's corpse, kneeling beside it.
"But my help won't be for free..."
She said, not looking up at him.
"In return, you will have to help me with something as well."
Seth wasn't surprised.
This was a transaction now.
And a deal that benefited both parties was more trustworthy than empty promises.
"If it's within my capabilities, I will try."
He agreed.
Phoebe looked from the corpse back to Seth.
"You said you've become a witch?"
"Yes." Seth confirmed.
"Do you know how to consume the sins of the dead yet?" She asked.
Seth shook his head.
"No. I've never tried. I didn't even know I could."
"All witches can. It's the core of what we are."
Phoebe explained.
"Since you were the one who landed the killing blow on this demon, you have the right to consume its sins. Come here."
Seth felt a twinge of unease but obeyed, kneeling opposite her.
He recalled her earlier explanation about witches cleansing human souls, but theory was quite different from application...
"Is it... safe?"
He asked, eyeing the monstrous little body.
"It's already a demon. Isn't it too corrupted?"
"Sins are sins."
Phoebe answered calmly.
"They are inherently malevolent and corrupt, whether they come from a human, a witch, or a demon."
"In fact, consuming sins from another supernatural being is often more... potent. The sins are more refined and hold greater power. It's what we witches use to grow stronger."
"Besides, it's also the reason why witches are regarded as saviors."
"Ordinary people don't have the ability to cleanse a body of its sins. So if a demon were to die but not have its sins cleansed, it can just resurrect after a certain period of time."
"I'll tell you about the specifics in regards to how much sin one has to consume to elevate to the next circle when there's time."
A dark thought crossed Seth's mind.
"So, the more powerful you are, the more valuable your body becomes to other witches and demons."
He mused aloud, a self-deprecating tone in his voice.
A grim smile touched Phoebe's lips.
"Yes. That's one way to look at it. It's a dangerous food chain."
Her expression turned serious again.
"Now, pay attention. Place your hands on the corpse. It doesn't have to be on the wound directly... anywhere will do."
"Close your eyes and focus your senses. Don't reach out with your mind, just... listen. You should start to feel a presence within the body. A swirling, chaotic energy. A pool of dark water. That is the accumulation of its sins."
Seth did as he was told.
The body was cold and certainly dead, but Seth had a small fear that the corpse might suddenly jump and attack him...
He closed his eyes, trying to quiet his mind.
At first, he felt nothing but his own racing heartbeat.
Then, a faint, pulsing sensation beneath his palms.
It felt cold and oily, like touching a hidden current of sludge.
"Do you feel it?"
Phoebe's voice was a soft guide.
"...Yes."
Seth whispered.
"It feels... wrong."
"That's the sin. Now, gently. Don't force it. Imagine that pool of dark water flowing from its body into yours. Guide it through your hands and into your own body."
Seth focused, envisioning the oily darkness seeping into his palms, traveling up his arms.
A sudden, icy coldness spread through his veins, followed by a wave of foreign emotions—
The feeling of searing heat, the smell of smoke, a profound, childish loneliness that twisted into a bottomless rage.
He gasped, his eyes flying open.
"Be careful..."
Phoebe cautioned, her voice sharp.
"Don't take too much at once! Sins are malevolent. They will try to influence you and change you."
"Your own thoughts and feelings can be twisted if you consume more than you can handle. Just a little for your first time. Pull back!"
Seth gritted his teeth, mentally shoving against the influx of dark energy.
He severed the connection, pulling his hands away as if burned.
He fell back onto the grass, breathing heavily.
The coldness was now settled deep within his chest, a small, dark knot of concentrated wrongness.
He felt nauseous, and a bitter taste filled his mouth.
But along with the sickness, he also felt... different.
A tiny, almost imperceptible increase in the well of power he felt inside himself.
The [Sin of the Meaninglessness] within him seemed to have grown just a fraction.
He looked at his hands, then at Phoebe, a new kind of fear and understanding in his eyes.
"I think I consumed it all."
He panted.
Phoebe watched him closely, her own expression guarded.
"Good..."
She stood up, brushing the dirt and forest debris from her knees.
The simple motion couldn't clean the dark bloodstains on her clothes.
"Let's talk later."
She said, her voice low and urgent.
"For now, we need to get away from this place. If someone finds the body and connects it to us, the questions will never end. Help me clean up the surroundings."
She began scanning the area, her eyes sharp.
"Kick leaves over any obvious footprints. If you broke any branches on your way in, try to hide them."
She then pointed a firm finger at the small, grotesque corpse.
"But don't do anything to the body itself. Leave it be. The most important thing is to make sure you didn't drop anything or leave a clear trail that leads directly back to you."
Seth nodded, understanding the need for caution.
He immediately glanced down the path they had used, his eyes searching for any sign of his passage.
He looked for a deep footprint, a trampled patch of ferns, anything that could serve as evidence.
But as his gaze swept over the forest floor, a strange realization dawned on him.
The scene looked... quite clean.
Where he knew he had just run in a panic, the pathway was undisturbed.
The patch of dirt where he had knelt to consume the sins showed no impression of his knees.
He even looked back to the exact spot where he had stood to drive the branch into the demon.
There should have been a scuffle, a deep imprint on the ground with his foot from the force of his thrust.
But there was nothing...
The earth looked as untouched as it had before he ever arrived.
It was as if a ghost had fought here, leaving no trace of its presence.
...Right.
His [Null Presence] had anti tracking capabilities...