Chapter 27: Poem of the Void
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Poem of the Void
Xie Bai looked at the Gray Horse Knight.
"Are you sure?"
Faced with Xie Bai’s eager inquiry, the Gray Horse Knight nodded.
"This place has existed for thirty million years. It is not unusual for there to be a hundred million lost souls here."
After confirming she hadn't misheard, Xie Bai let out a long sigh of relief.
"I’ve hit the jackpot."
Once her excitement settled, Xie Bai looked at the village with a solemn gaze.
A hundred million lost souls—what did that even mean in practical terms?
Even if she wanted to go all-in, she would first need to produce a million Spirit Masses. And producing a million Spirit Masses was currently unrealistic.
How many did she have right now?
[Spirit Masses * 4,518]
A mere four thousand-plus Spirit Masses. She could only go all-in on four hundred thousand souls. Compared to the total of a hundred million, that was barely a drop in the bucket.
By the time Xie Bai could actually produce a million Spirit Masses, her current Divine Artifacts would probably be considered bottom-tier trash by the game's meta.
In other words, this single trip to the abandoned village had provided her with all the lost souls she would ever need. She might not even be able to use them all.
"Sigh, if it’s like this, does that mean I can just dump any Spirit Masses I get in the future into rolling for new Divine Artifacts?"
The moment those words left her mouth, she felt a wave of displeasure emanating from Funeral Rites.
"Alright, alright. In the future, whenever I get Spirit Masses, I’ll definitely set aside a portion to upgrade you."
The next second, the artifact's displeasure vanished completely.
"Wait, that’s all it took to appease it?"
Xie Bai found it a bit hard to believe, but she didn't dwell on it. She raised Funeral Rites high, and a massive vortex appeared above her, covering nearly half the village.
Instantly, the souls that had been drifting aimlessly through the village were forcibly sucked into the body of Funeral Rites. Even the souls that hadn't yet crawled out from underground were yanked out by the artifact.
In less than a few minutes, the hundred million souls contained within the abandoned village were completely absorbed.
Xie Bai excitedly opened the Funeral Affix, ready to go all-in and craft a Divine Artifact immediately. However, the number of souls displayed on the panel left her stunned.
[Remaining Lost Souls: 50.2483 million]
Xie Bai: "?"
What the hell?
Didn't he say there were a hundred million? Why was there only half left?
Could it be...
Xie Bai looked at Funeral Rites.
[Funeral Rites]
[Quality: Divine Artifact]
[Type: Scythe]
[...]
[Evolving. Time remaining until next stage: 23h 59min]
Hiss...
Are you telling me this thing just pocketed fifty million souls for itself?
Xie Bai was left utterly speechless. She now had a piece of good news and a piece of bad news.
The good news: Funeral Rites could now upgrade itself without her intervention.
The bad news: It cost fifty million souls to do it.
"Fine, fine. You’ve been with me from the start, and I might not have used that many anyway."
Then, Xie Bai’s tone shifted. "But you... you’d better actually be worth fifty million souls."
After grumbling at her weapon, Xie Bai prepared to test the waters by going all-in with four thousand Spirit Masses.
[Are you sure you wish to hold a Great Funeral for 400,000 Lost Souls?]
"Confirm."
As the four thousand Spirit Masses were consumed, a magnificent Thirteen-Layer Magic Circle abruptly manifested in the air.
Vroom—!
The four hundred thousand souls that had just been absorbed were dragged back out, flying toward the magic circle in the sky. As the souls ascended, specks of golden light rose from the ground to join them. The scale of the event was like a grand, unfolding scroll of art.
Watching this scene, the Gray Horse Knight felt his heart tremble.
"Such a miracle... indeed, only my Master could achieve this."
As all four hundred thousand souls reached the Thirteen-Layer Magic Circle, Xie Bai finally understood the true meaning of a Great Funeral. It was to use a massive quantity of souls as fuel to pry open a profound Black Gate.
In a sense, this did allow the lost souls to find rest. It just looked... somewhat hellish.
Clang—!
The Black Gate was forced open. Just as it was about to slam shut again, a purplish-black book slipped out.
A moment later, the Great Funeral concluded, and the mysterious book landed in Xie Bai’s hands.
[Poem of the Void]
[Quality: Divine Artifact]
[Type: Catalyst]
[Requirement: Lv.300 (Ignored)]
[Intelligence Bonus: Doubled]
[Chant: Any Void race or faction will obey you unconditionally. Your Void-series skills are automatically upgraded to Lv.13.]
[Return: While located within the Void, ignore all Void environmental effects and receive the Blessing of the Void. All attributes are increased by 100x. You cannot die while within the Void.]
[Description: Records the past of the Void King. The holder of this book shall receive the recognition of the Void.]
The moment the Gray Horse Knight saw the book, he cried out in shock.
"The Poem of the Void?!"
Faced with this familiar object, the Knight immediately dismounted.
"Welcome back, my Master."
The Gray Horse Knight knelt respectfully on the ground. Even the tall gray horse behind him knelt as well.
This sudden turn of events left Xie Bai feeling a bit overwhelmed. She blinked, then pointed at herself.
"Who, me?"
The Gray Horse Knight replied respectfully, "Yes."
"Though your form is vastly different from the past and you are somewhat... small, you possess an aura nearly identical to my Master. Furthermore, you can perform the Great Funeral and have gained the recognition of the Poem of the Void. You are undoubtedly my Master."
"Huh?"
Xie Bai was dazed. Did she really have some hidden identity?
She asked tentatively, "Then tell me, what was I like before?"
Faced with her question, the Gray Horse Knight answered calmly, "I do not know."
Xie Bai: "?"
The Knight added, "The Master of the past has lost the very concept of existence. I cannot speak of it."
So the previous owner is so dead they don't even exist anymore? Xie Bai clicked her tongue inwardly.
However, hearing the Knight say this actually made her feel a bit better. At least it confirmed she was just some kind of successor. She didn't need to get bogged down in deep philosophical questions about her own identity.
Xie Bai looked at the Knight. "So, do you wish to swear fealty to me?"
The Gray Horse Knight lowered his head. "It would be my honor. If my Master is willing, please return my True Name to me."
Xie Bai was confused. "True Name? How would I know—"
Before she could finish, the Poem of the Void flew up in front of her and flipped to a specific page.
[Do you wish to release the True Name: Thanatos?]
This is his True Name? It’s the same as the Greek God of Death. What a coincidence.
After a brief thought, Xie Bai followed the book's prompt and selected confirm.
[True Name Released.]
["Thanatos" has Returned.]
["Thanatos" loyalty has increased to 1,000.]
[Lust's Blessing triggered: "Thanatos" loyalty is now locked at 1,000.]
With the release of his True Name, the Knight’s name changed.
[Thanatos Lv.99]
With this, the Authority of Death returned. Thanatos unlocked all his former abilities. However, restricted by his current level, he had not yet returned to the status of a Demigod.
Still, it was enough.
While reviewing Thanatos’s character panel, Xie Bai noticed two familiar entries.
[...Shadow Return Lv.13, Soul Capture Lv.13...]
"You know Shadow Return too?"
Thanatos replied, "Yes. I can use this skill to hide within my Master’s shadow. Simultaneously, my Master can use the shadows I project to perform Shadow Return."
Xie Bai fell into thought. "That feels a bit like trying to lift yourself up by your own bootstraps."
Setting aside that strange thought, Xie Bai had essentially unlocked the ability to use Shadow Return from anywhere.
"Alright then. It’s perfect timing, since I need to head back now."
Thanatos bowed. "As you command."
He then merged into Xie Bai’s shadow.
"Hmm, if I’m going back to the city, I should exit through Edward’s shadow."
Having decided on her exit point, Xie Bai activated Shadow Return. After navigating through the pitch-black world of shadows for a short while, she quickly emerged.
"Whew, that was fast... wait, why am I still in the village?"