66 Identity 3 - Secrets (2/2)

Zen Reserves: 1700 / 1700

Skills: Essence Reader(V) 0%, Poltergeist (III) (1) 60%, Soul Eater (V) 0%,Taboo(III) 45%, Demon's Soul 5%

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Current Souls Absorbed: Soul of Impurity (I), Wolf Soul (II), Snake Soul (I), Stag Soul (I), Bear Soul (I), Eagle Soul (I), Bull Soul (I), Boar Soul (I), Monkey Soul (I), Cheetah Soul (I), Rabbit Soul (I), Rat Soul (I), Goat Soul (I), Bat Soul (I)

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”What...the...fu..”

After just one touch, his reserves just jumped from zero to a thousand, he thought the burst of energy would harm him. But he hadn't expect his Zen reserves to spike in one go, if he repeated nine more times then he can make a breakthrough right now.

'....Looks like I have to ask that 'imp' for some suggestions, though he might not help me give a direct answer, it's better than being kept in the dark without an idea....'

The memories he gained from the demon had to little information and only had the knowledge on souls, he tried to verify if the lingering spirit inside the horn was absorbed but it looked like he had to try again.

”Haa, looks like I have to endure...” After eight more attempts, his entire hand started to go numb, the energy wasn't painful in a sense but Stigma felt like sick after a while.

His reserves were reaching their limit, yet the horn still held more power inside. If he didn't knew any better, the exterior was entirely made of Zen energy to keep the spirit inside from fading away. Time passed and Stigma was still on the chair but Kirin sat on the table with a yawning expression, Hilda was telling to stop and call it a day.

Veil, Han and the leader weren't back so Stigma had one more try before he would throw in the towel and go to sleep.

He was about to try again when he remembered something and gave the plan a shot, like time he tried pulling some energy from Felix, he focused his energy and try to pull out the spirit inside.

Unlike pulling the energy from the surface, Stigma had to insert his energy carefully and concentrate in forming a link or he might miss his chance and the spirit might escape and disappear. The horn had rich energy so he had to tread carefully or he link would be severed.

With each time Stigma lost his connection, the more he repeated to insert his energy. Stigma's rate of improvement was progressing smoothly, at the same time the goal was coming near, with the spirit within a few feet he only made one more attempt to capture it completely.

Because Stigma relentlessly practice with the water and oil bottle training, his control had improved to some degree, however he had to expand his reserves until he can completely capture the spirits. His plan was simple, from the demon's knowledge, energy or souls trapped inside a seal would be difficult to capture if energy were to try and grasp it.

Since the horn was storing large reserves of Zen, Stigma only needed to refill his reserves by just touching it and circulate the energy. Hilda was quietly watching from the sidelines, while Kirin was admiring the lights emitting from Stigma body when he was near the horn.

With carefully imaging, Stigma had completely formed a net without any holes and pull the trapped soul towards his hand. After an hour, his efforts were pulled of an he fully capture the spirit and slowly pulled it out before absorbed it, if he used 'Soul Eater' inside the horn the overwhelming energy would be too much for level of strength.

If just a touch was enough to fill a thousand in his reserves, Stigma might feel immediate migraines from absorbing too much in one go. With one small pull, his prize was before him.

”Finally! The spirit is out! Gotta absorb it soon or it would slip away. Soul Eater!”

*Bing!*

[You have absorbed a new soul, processing....

Ancient Predator Spider: 10%]

”What the, haaa, can't help it. It is a lingering spirit from a long time ago, so I can't complain and just accept it.”

He looked away for a moment and closed his eyes, but a question still remained inside his head: 'What other secrets does this horn hold and who was the one that harmed it.'

But there was one thing he was trying to wrap his mind on, a name that kept on bringing him headaches from just saying or remembering, like it was a taboo word.

'Who is Jaculus? And why those that name drive and make me go .....pull that man to hell.'

He turned to Hilda and asked is he had encountered or any knowledge about the Heavenly Beast spirit inside the horn.

Regrettably, Hilda had no idea what a Ancient Predator Spider when Stigma asked her and she had slain a variety of Heavenly Beast from era's ago, she pointed out it may as was be new variant evolution of a species when was she buried or a beast that was in hiding and never left it's territory.

”My apologize Master, I could not be as much help with discovering the treasure you found. Heavenly Beast tend to evolve and branch their families while growing stronger as time past, so it's hard to keep track on their evolution route or mistake it as a new Heavenly Beast that has yet been discovered.”

”Don't worry, I trust you for a reason so I sought you out first not for knowledge but your opinion as well. I am going to cultivate so I'll leave Dusk in your command, if the three return, do not harm them, alright.”

”By your Will!”

Bark! Bark! Bark! When he turned his head to the table, Kirin was sticking its tongue out and climbed up to Stigma's chest and licked his face. It's instincts noticed that Stigma's was exhausted and needed some form of comfort, so it did the natural thing in showing affection by licking his face or nuzzling its nose and fur to his neck and chest..

”Ha ha ha, I get it! I get it! Your fur is tickles Kirin, I know, I love you too!” He had to pull out Kirin and patted his head then ruffled its fur, if he didn't discipline Kirn, it might carry a strange habit if he left it alone.

”Hmmmmm, Master what about me!”

”Of course I also love you too Hilda, if you had a human form then I wouldn't mind hugging or patting your head.”

”...So you mean what you say, I understand! I will try my best!”

Stigma had no idea what she was talking about, but he felt that Hilda was going to try something behind his back, all in all it was better to have a goal to better oneself than procrastinate and stagnate then degrade in time.

He made space on the table by hiding all the black stones in three bags in total, he might use them in the future so he stored them and grabbed the medicine bag and began his preparation. Stigma rummaged the contents for a while and found what he needed, sleeping pills.

For him to used the cultivation method: ”Way of the Caged Soul: Demons's Release”, he needed to be in a death like state, namely a form where he can separate his soul without killing him.

The knowledge the demons gave him only needed Stigma to stay completely still like a vegetable, he could try to have his heart stop like what the demon recommended to be instant, but that would lead to people believe he was suicidal which he will avoid in public areas.

'Let's see sleeping should work, it would take some time but its safe. Lets see, Prescription: one pill is enough, taking more than three will lead to side effect: slight fever, minor color blindness, lose sense of smell, never waking up. What the hell!!!! What are you selling you shitty merchant!'

Stigma sighed from the instructions, but he needed the 'imp's' help so he can't help it. After storing everything inside his space ring, he went to the bathroom and washed up along with Kirin.

With everything prepared, Stigma reviewed what he needed to do: One circulate Zen energy. Two stay completely still as the Zen energy forms around the soul. Three die.

'What the fuck are these instruction you bastard imp!!!!!'

While he grumbled and swallowed the pill with water and layed in bed and circulated his energy, Stigma wasn't aware what was happening to him, but the feeling of lightheadedness overcame him but he subconsciously circulated his Zen until lost conscious.

What felt like moment only made the surrounding changed for him, Stigma felt like he was being pulled but it was only for a moment, slowly when he opened his eyes he saw a familiar black and red room with curtains that reached the ceiling.

Stigma was about to walk up the stair case, when he heard someone laughing from a distance and the sound of rash footsteps was rushing towards him. Stigma didn't need to guess who was coming for him, just the laugh alone was enough for him to realized, the black 'imp' is coming.

”Ha ha ha, Sir I have awaited for your arrival!”

With one powerful stomp, the Imp made a somersault and landed on one knee to great Stigma, nothing had changed from him but it's grin was wider than usual and he could only guess what the smile meant.

***

While Stigma was inside the tent fiddling with the horn eventually falling asleep, outside the tent a ripple could be seen.

The tent was surrounded with multiple trap formation and the one set nearby was meant to capture intruders alive. Unless the formation was tampered from the outside or the one captured was strong enough, no one can leave freely except for the one who made it, namely Veil.

Inside the formation was Veil with a black atmosphere surrounding her, on her left hand was holding a bloodied dagger with jagged edges and on her right hand was a piece of meat with blood dripping from the edges.

A row of knives were one the grass, but those they were all covered in blood along with a several fingers on the ground. Cleary someone had been tortured slowly, starting from the fingers and making its way up to the arm until the edge had met.

In front of her was a body of a man who was still breathing with no limbs, by his side was several bodies who were in a similar state. If one looked closer at their faces, traces of fear can be seen along with the loss of color due to blood loss, it was clear what these victims experienced was considered a nightmare to be explanied.

”P.p.please.....I have told you everything that I now...I meant no harm, I apologize for offending you...please spare me!!!! T-t-take these men I have offered everything in my posession! I hold no more secrets!!!!”

”Lies!!! This man is our captain! He is the one who was ordered us to follow! We have nothing else to hide, no secret!”

”I have no more secrets, take that man's life!!!!”

The rest of them were saying the same contents, but with Veil smiling at them, she looked more like a devil holding their lives like a thread than a merciful saint.

She was showing her usual smile but with streaks of blood covering her face, the contrast of the scene of a beautiful woman smiling at the a bloody bodies in front of her would make anyone feel - unsettled.

”My,my,my, did you ever consider the consequences in trying to hide something from me, you tried to attack not only me but my little friend who I consider my little brother. Hiding your presence and making your way with these knives, that are obviously meant to intimidate us to give up all our possession, if you count the money we earned then you were trying to make a ransom...Did you expect me to believe you have learned enough from my little.....'teasing'.”

In the end the screams of these men reverted throughout the space, yet Veil continued her display of pure smile as these men saw the face of a devil woman.

After another three hours Veil exited the space and exercise her neck but her smile never changed, she had already changed her clothes and used a large water stone to wash off the blood. She continued to display her smile then hid the knife in her space ring, making anyone believe that nothing happened, but she knew all too well what happened three hours ago was, pure - bliss to her.

'Haaa, pure bliss!!!'

Veil wasn't the combatant type or more accurately, wasn't the type who enjoys the front lines for one reason - pure boredom. Unlike her leader who enjoys the thrill of a battle, Veil experiences an increase of blood pressure, when she is torturing/teasing people, making her senses and her mind to accept information faster than normal.

Making her read a person just by a glance, like cold reading. Out of the three, she had the most talent in the cultivation, but chose to support her hyperactive best friend who saved her and prevent her from making rash decisions.

She was about to enter the tent when she realized someone was walking towards her direction, she only smiled and waited for the person to come near.

[1] Pig Iron - crude iron, it's very brittle and has limited uses. Basically it's worthless.

[2] Both means 'be prepared' or 'made sure there is a plan'