Solen stood a good distance from the camp. The surrounding desert was silent except for the steady moment of wind.
He took a slow breath and looked down at the lantern now hanging from his belt. Its frame was worn and untidy, but he supposed it would have to do for now.
It was strange how something so ordinary was going to become something so important to him soon.
He unhooked it from the belt and held it in front of him. "Alright," he muttered under his breath, voice low. "Let's see how this works."
He focused, calling upon the system which upon his summoning appeared in front of his eyes.
[Soul Collection — Initiate Vessel Selection]
The air shimmered. A faint vibration passed through his arm, and then translucent words emerged into the screen of the system.
[Confirm Selection]
You are attempting to designate Lantern (Unnamed) as your Soul Vessel.
Once chosen, this cannot be altered without fulfilling higher-tier conditions.
Proceed with caution.
Are you sure you wish to designate this object as your Soul Vessel?
Proceed? [Yes / No]
"Well, I would have loved to choose something smaller as the vessel as not only would it have been easier to carry around with me but also it could have been much more subtle. But I don't think it will be that easy to bring something back out of this place to the real world"
Thinking about it for a few more seconds he didn't hesitate anymore. Then he smiled faintly and said, "Yes, confirm selection."
As soon as confirmed the selection, the lantern flared with violet light, thin ribbons of energy wrapping around his wrist, tracing symbols from his before sinking into the lantern. The Lantern got hot fast, but it wasn't really an uncomfortable sort of hot, just a bit warm.
Then a new wave of energy rippled through him — cold, electric, binding. The connection was made. He could feel it.
Then a new message appeared before his eyes, lines forming one after another.
[Vessel Selection Complete]
Vessel has been Bound.
Soul Absorption Rate: Low (Upgradeable)
Vessel Capacity: 10 Souls at a moment
Retention Duration: Souls dissipate after half a day if not devoured
Durability: High
Special Effect: Dampens soul instability; reduces backlash risk
Choose a name for the vessel?
Looking at this he couldn't help but ponder for a moment. Then suddenly a name came in his mind.
"Lantern of the Damned, It suits considering my abilities."
Then suddenly came another notification on his system.
Recognizing this as the Host's first vessel, additional compatibility granted. Souls of non-humans
can be absorbed with minimal backlash.
The last line was more brighter than the others before it fade away too.
Reading the last line, Solen's eye glittered. "This is perfect, I don't think those hollows were human like in any way. I can easily farm, er I mean, devour the souls here."
He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at his own slipping of tongue.
Solen then exhaled, lowering his arm and looking straight into his lantern. The lantern now shimmered faintly, a quiet violet fire at it's centre. It felt... almost alive.
He stared at it for a long moment, unsure if he should feel proud of the damned lantern.
"Ten souls, half a day… guess we both have limits, but not bad. I might just make it out alive out of the trial." he whispered.
The lantern flickered, a soft violet blink. It was almost like it agreed.
Solen smiled faintly. "Fine then," he said. "Let's see how far we can go before either of us breaks."
He hooked the lantern back to his belt, and in the endless quiet of the desert, the young man and the lantern began to walk back toward the camp.
By the time Solen got back to camp, the fire and the temporary base was already set up. Most of the guards were already half-asleep, the quiet only broken by their snores.
He spotted Jaron sitting alone, near one of the smaller fires, sharpening his blade with the same focused expression as always.
Solen dropped down across from him, dusting the sand off his boots. "Hey man," he said lightly, flashing a grin. "Missed me? I'm back."
Jaron didn't even glance up. "What do you want?"
Solen leaned back on his hands, staring into the fire. "Nothing much. Just thought, you know… we're kind of the same, right? The quiet ones, the loners of this little group. They say strange people band together or whatever right? Birds of a flock band together."
Of course, no one had ever said anything like that. The actual saying was, 'birds of a feather flock together'. But as someone who'd never had much of an education, Solen had learned to bullshit with confidence whenever needed.
Jaron finally looked up towards him, eyes flat and unimpressed. "Don't you dare think we're the same. We are entirely different, nothing alike." he said. Then he stood, sheathed his sword, and walked off without another word.
Solen watched him go, then sighed. "Hmm. This guy needs to learn some manners, He is too rude."
Well!" he muttered "So much for brotherhood of the outcasts."
He leaned back, staring at the fire near which Jaron was sitting, "Hmm. Let's go nearer it's too cold tonight.".
As he went towards the fire he thought, whatever had just begun tonight it was his little secret. it wasn't something he could share with anyone here. At least not yet.
As he sat down next to the fire, He exclaimed, "Hmm much warmer."
The fire popped, throwing small sparks into the air. He leaned closer, letting the warmth erase the chill from his fingers. Although his life here was far from perfect, it wasn't all that bad either.
Sure, he was the group's favorite target for whispers. Sure, the food tasted like shit and the sun wanted to kill him by just making him sweat. But compared to what could have happened, this wasn't the worst place to end up.
At least he had some food, even if it tasted like shit.
At least there was laughter, even if it wasn't meant for him.
He exhaled softly, watching the smoke twist into the night air. "Could've been worse," he said quietly.