Jake stood there silently, the weight of everything pressing down on his mind. It was hard to believe—impossible, even—but deep inside, he knew he had no choice. If this really gives me a second chance at life… then I have to accept it.
He took a deep breath, steadying his thoughts. Before anything else… I just have to move forward. Maybe it'll be a thrilling adventure, he told himself, forcing a faint smile. But what he didn't know was how serious, how real this so-called adventure would become.
"Alright," Jake finally said, his voice firm despite the storm within. "I'm ready. Tell me the task."
For a brief moment, silence filled the vast, dimly lit hall. The cloaked figure standing before him didn't reply immediately. Then, beneath that shadowed hood, the corners of his lips curved upward. Jake couldn't see it, but he felt it—a smile that sent a strange chill through his soul.
The figure's voice echoed like a whisper across eternity.
"You will travel to different worlds, one by one," he said slowly. "I will send you to each of them. When you arrive, you will find yourself near someone who has died… or is about to die. You must approach that body and enter it. Once you have taken over, your task begins."
Jake's eyes widened slightly. Enter the body of the dead?
The cloaked one continued, his tone unchanging.
"In each world lies a core—the essence that sustains its existence. You must find that core and store it within your Soul Space Pocket."
Jake frowned. "Soul Space Pocket… what is that?" he muttered under his breath.
The figure ignored his question, as if he already knew Jake would understand later.
"After collecting the core, you must discard that body and return here—to theSoul hall. ."
Jake blinked. So this place… is the Soul Hall.
"When you return," the cloaked being went on, "I will extract the core from you… and then send you to the next world."
The vast hall seemed to hum softly with unseen energy, the air rippling like it held countless unseen souls.
Then the being tilted his head slightly.
"Now," he said, his voice echoing deeper than before, "if you have any questions… ask."
Jake stood frozen, countless thoughts spinning in his head. He wanted to speak—but what question could he even begin with?
Jake took a cautious step forward, his thoughts spinning in chaos. "Then… I'll start with something simple," he said slowly. "What exactly is the Soul-Anchor Vault?"
The cloaked being's presence pulsed faintly, as if amused by Jake's curiosity.
"The Soul-Anchor Vault," he began, his voice low and resonant, "is a space that exists within your very soul — a bound vault anchored to your essence. Think of it as a realm between existence and non-existence, where the physical loses meaning. Whatever you bind to it becomes a part of you."
His words rippled through the Soul Hall like distant thunder.
"When you abandon your body, everything stored within the Soul-Anchor Vault remains with you. Weapons, artifacts, fragments of power — all that your soul has claimed and equipped shall travel across worlds with you. It is not mere storage, Jake Virell. It is the extension of your soul's authority over matter."
Jake's eyes widened slightly as the meaning sank in. A space that transcends life and death — bound to the soul itself.
Before he could ask further, the figure stopped, as if signaling that was all Jake needed to know.
Jake nodded faintly. Alright, that's clear enough… he thought. Time for the next question.
"When you send me to a world," Jake asked, "how will I find that world's core? And… what exactly is a world core?"
The cloaked figure raised his hand slightly, dark mist curling around his palm. "Ah, I nearly forgot to mention," he said, his tone calm — too calm. "I have engraved within your soul an artifact known as the Damnation Locus."
The moment he spoke the name, the Soul Hall trembled faintly, as if the space itself reacted to it.
"The Damnation Locus is not a tool," the figure continued, "it is a self conscious — a compass forged from condemned souls. It binds itself to the rhythm of every world you enter, seeking the resonance of its core. You will feel its pull as whispers in your mind… or visions in your dreams. Follow them, and you will find what I desire."
Jake swallowed hard. The being's tone darkened, his voice dropping to a depth that made Jake's soul quiver.
"As for what a world core truly is…" The air grew heavier, colder. "You don't need to know that."
That single line carried such weight that Jake's knees nearly buckled. A shiver crawled through his very essence — it wasn't fear of death, but of something beyond comprehension.
After a long silence, Jake forced out his final question, voice trembling. "H-How… how will you send me to these worlds?"
The answer came instantly — the same deep, dangerous tone.
"You have asked enough questions, mortal soul." The figure's voice resonated like the toll of an ancient bell. "Now… are you ready to receive your artifact and begin your journey across the thousand worlds?"
Jake's thoughts spiraled for a moment. I still have so many questions… but forget it, he thought, exhaling slowly. If this is how my second life begins… then so be it.
He lifted his head, meeting that abyssal gaze.
"I'm ready."
"Hahahahaha…"
A dark, echoing laughter rolled through the vast Soul Hall — deep, ancient, and chilling.
"Let us begin now," the cloaked being said, his voice vibrating like thunder trapped beneath stone.
Before Jake could even react, his soul jolted violently. A powerful unseen force wrapped around him, and suddenly, his entire being was pulled upward — flying toward the center of the hall like a streak of light.
"What—?! What's happening?!" Jake cried, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
He looked down at his own form — translucent, glowing faintly blue — his soul form. For the first time, he was seeing himself beyond flesh and blood. Streams of silver light flowed through him like veins, pulsing with strange energy.
Then his gaze shifted. The cloaked figure had raised a single hand. From his palm, waves of dark violet energy spiraled outward, twisting through the air like living shadows.
As Jake floated helplessly above, the cloaked one suddenly paused. A flicker of surprise crossed his hidden face.
He can see my energy form? the being thought to himself. Impossible. No ordinary soul should perceive this level of existence…
But he brushed it aside and refocused, his tone sharp and commanding.
"I am going to bind both artifacts to your soul," he said. "Endure the pain — it will be brief… but unforgettable."
Then it began.
From the center of the hall, two orbs emerged — one radiant silver, the other blacker than the void itself. The silver orb pulsed with rhythmic waves of light, while the black one oozed darkness so dense it seemed to devour the glow around it.
As they floated toward Jake, the air crackled.
The silver orb pierced his chest first. Jake screamed — not in pain of the body, but of the soul. It was the Soul-Anchor Vault being embedded into him, its essence fusing with his spiritual core. He could feel his very consciousness expanding — like countless invisible doors unlocking inside him, each one opening into an infinite void of storage space. His mind reeled at the enormity of it.
Then came the black orb.
The Damnation Locus tore into his soul with the force of a collapsing star. Jake's vision exploded with flashes of unknown worlds, burning cities, dying gods, and a thousand screaming voices whispering his name. It was chaos incarnate — and somehow, it was now a part of him.
He gasped, convulsing in midair as dark veins of energy spread through his luminous form. Every scream, every pulse of agony, carried the feeling that pieces of his identity were being rewritten, his very essence remade.
Suddenly…