Lein furrowed his brows, his mind filled with worries about how difficult it was to obtain an S-rank soul fragment. He felt as if something bad was about to happen, as though danger was creeping toward him incessantly.
His gaze swept across his clones, trying to find the source of the unease that had suddenly taken over his thoughts. Every clone gave off a similar vibe—a sense of helplessness surfacing. Lein's brows knitted tighter, and his lips thinned as his gaze landed on one specific clone.
In front of that clone, a vast void stretched out, filled with large floating rocks drifting aimlessly. Beams of starlight occasionally shot across the scene, adding a touch of mystery to the silence that enveloped the space. Soundlessly, the void emitted a coldness that was hard to describe. Lein focused his attention on the clone, trying to recall what had happened earlier.
He remembered that this clone had entered an S-rank portal for the very first time.
A while ago, the clone had successfully cleared a portal guarded by a B-rank soul. After completing his mission, the clone searched for another portal and stumbled upon one that looked unusual.
Unlike the previous portals, which were semicircular and slightly oval-shaped, this one was different. It was a perfect circle, hovering above the ground. The edge of the portal was pitch black, as was the center—like thick, dark liquid, ready to swallow anything daring enough to enter its darkness.
Without fear, Lein's clone stepped inside without much thought and eventually found himself in the void.
[You have entered the Soul Gate]
Apart from the initial warning upon entry, no further information was provided by the system.
"Hmm... Where's the guardian soul?" Lein murmured, narrowing his eyes in caution. The feeling of danger that had haunted him since earlier hadn't subsided, and this was the first time he had felt such anxiety since his clone entered the portal.
"Alright, let's search for it," he said determinedly.
Lein pulled out a vortex plate, mounted it, and began to explore the area.
He pointed in a random direction and sped off, hoping to discover something as he moved further. Flying at a speed of 1 kilometer per second, Lein traversed the void, going up and down in search of any boundaries. Yet, all his efforts were in vain—nothing could be found.
"Damn... No guardian soul. But why do I still feel uneasy?" Lein stopped at one point, trying to reassess the situation.
Suddenly, a deep and heart-wrenching voice echoed, reverberating through the silent space.
"Child... leave before your soul is destroyed."
The voice sent ripples through the void as if the universe itself responded. Lein, standing atop the vortex plate, suddenly dropped to his knees. His heart trembled, and his pulse raced.
"Ugh..." Lein felt a tightness in his chest, trying to take a deep breath even though it felt constricted.
The impact of the voice affected not only the clone but also Lein's real body, which was observing from the soul trial chamber. Although the effects were weaker due to the indirect experience, a sense of anxiety still lingered.
Lein let out a bitter laugh. Moments ago, he had cursed the system for making it so hard to find an S-rank soul, but now it was he who felt worried. There was no doubt—the guardian within this space was an S-rank soul.
It wasn't just the guardian's strength that was intimidating; the very sound of its voice made Lein feel afraid.
"My soul... destroyed?" he muttered in concern.
Honestly, Lein was scared. He knew little about souls. While he could rely on his items and clones to fight powerful beings, dealing with souls stirred a lurking fear that gnawed at him.
"Hey, system... Is this trial capable of threatening my life for real?"
Lein spoke into the empty air, hoping the system would show some mercy and provide him with answers.
[The trial space is specially designed not to directly threaten the user's life. However, the user may experience real consequences, such as attribute reduction, lifespan depletion, and even soul death.]
"What?" Lein was stunned, shocked for two reasons—first, because the system actually answered him; second, because the information it provided was horrifying.
"Soul death? What is that?" he asked again, his voice lowered, afraid that the system might think he was being too demanding with his questions.
Contrary to his expectations, the system responded once more, this time with a detailed explanation.
[Yes, soul death is a condition in which the host will no longer possess a soul, leaving only the physical body. This effect will drastically reduce the host's combat power by more than 90%.]
"What? 90%?" Lein shouted in disbelief. "Isn't that the same as being dead?" he thought.
It was clear that if his soul were destroyed in this trial, his life would effectively end.
Lein considered the possibility of facing the S-rank guardian soul, but his focus shifted back to his clone. At the same time, something began to stir within the void.
Lein saw a jet-black tentacle suddenly emerge from the emptiness, writhing wildly toward him. The tentacle appeared to be made of thin, dark fibers, radiating a menacing aura of darkness, moving with a threatening force, ready to pierce Lein's body.
With quick reflexes, Lein dodged to the side, his body moving swiftly like a shadow. He spun around instantly, unwilling to take his eyes off the black tentacle, his sharp gaze tracking every deadly movement the mysterious entity made.
"Damn..." he muttered. Lein's eyes remained fixed on the first tentacle, which continued to lash out as if expending the momentum of its ferocious attack. However, a sudden sense of danger surged from behind, catching him off guard. He turned and found another tentacle already speeding toward him, aiming to pierce his body without mercy.
Reacting swiftly, Lein shifted positions again, moving like lightning to create more distance. This time, he flew further away, ensuring that he could monitor both tentacles, which now floated wildly like predators hunting their prey.