The trio leave the shanty and make their way through the Navaria. They walked for an hour and finally saw the city gate.
"If you have a pass stand in this lane if you don't stand in the other" Shouted the guard
Karthus followed behind the figures as they plowed there way through the crowd. Many people turned around in annoyance but when they recognized them as adepts they swallowed their anger.
The figure on the left of Karthus bumped into a colossus of a man.
"Hey! Watch where you're going brat unless you want a taste of my fist." The man threatened
But as he turned around his eyes bulged and his legs almost gave out.
"I will burn you alive mortal!"
The man completely collapsed.
"Forgive me for my insolence!"
"Humph" the figure let out while continuing forward.
They soon arrived to the front of the line. The guard looked at them cautiously.
"You must have an issued pass apprentice" he said scornfully.
The guard recognized them as mere apprentices and not the supreme beings of legend.
"We have it right here guard" the figure on left then raised a slender hand full of gold.
The guards eyes shined " You may proceed masters"
"It seems like money can get you anything" Karthus thought. But then he shook his head, "while wealth can help you achieve things, the only thing that matters is personal power"
After his realization Karthus was filled with a burning desire for power. He looked ahead and realized he was far behind those apprentices.
Karthus quickened his pace and pushed the cart carrying his sisters corpses faster. When he caught up to them they stood silently.
When he arrived they proceed to take of the hoods of their cloaks. As the talkative figure on the left took of the hood a cascade of hair fell out and landed on the shoulders of the girl. As the hood moved away a beautiful face was revealed.
"I am Safera"
The figure on the right took off their hood and a brute face appeared.
"George" the man said
"You're either very brave or very stupid for coming with us." Safera giggled "I believe it's the later. Anyways we will know make our way to the Barbarossa adept school. We will pass by the villages for supplies, just stay behind us and you should be fine."
Safera started walking on the road and the others followed suit.
Beads of sweat started to roll down Karthus's face as he pushed the heavy cart.
"How long until the next rest point?"
"We're almost there" Safera sighed
Soon after a small village came into sight. Holes adorned the roofs of the huts and rats scurried across the barren ground. Children were seen lying on the ground suffering from hunger.
Karthus's senses tingled, he could see the shadow of death looming across this village, the villagers would soon be welcomed by death's sweet embrace.
Karthus has developed this uncanny ability by spending the majority of his time with those about to pass on. The people he saw with death's shadow rarely survived.
"Kill 10 children and absorb their spirit essence. Reward: The Dark Arts book and soul is strengthed" The system said
Karthus gasped, he has never killed only watched. The others looked at him curiously.
"What's wrong?" Sefera asked.
"Nothing, just tired"
"Let's go get a room, were leaving this forsaken town tomorrow"
As they walked into the village Karthus was strengthening his resolution. After all wasn't death the ultimate reward he would be doing these children a favor.
They walked towards the biggest hut in the center of the village the villagers watched in apprehension. Why would a village like theirs attract any visitors.
They arrived at the hut and judged it. While not appealing It was the hut in the best condition, it even had a door.
"At least this one is livable" Safera remarked.
She proceeded to bang the door of the hut, her tiny arms seemed to have some strength after all.
The door opened slightly a stout middle age man peered into the crack. He stared at them in contempt until his eyes fell on the apprentice's robes.
He quickly opened the door. " What can I help you with distinguished guests"
Safera took a step into the hut "We are borrowing your residence for the night"
Karthus left the cart outside followed after her and George. The man looked dumbfounded, his response was a resigned nod. He could only curse his bad luck that he met these apprentice adepts. The man quickly recovered and closed the door behind him.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning, get some rest" Safera announced.
As Safera and George took the bed Karthus laid on the ground.But his mind was preoccupied with the mission. He waited for hours before cautiously getting up. He stared at the bed, Safera and george seemed to be sleeping.
Karthus slowly walked out the hut. The village was deathly silent. He walked toward the outskirts of the village. Orphans litters the ground to weak to move. Karthus approached the farthest one. The child was pale and his face was sunken in from hunger. He sat next to him and brandished his dagger.
He laid his dagger on the throat off the child. Swiftly slicing his neck. The child opened his eyes but he was too weak to moan. As blood poured out like a cascade the light quickly left the child's eyes.
A translucent light rose from the child, it started swirling around Karthus and nourishing his own soul.
"Agony, ecstasy, peace. Every passing has a beauty all its own." Karthus moaned in pleasure.
"1/10 spirit essence" The system notified.
Karthus gathered more children and repeated the ritual. Each death was more satisfying than the last. Soon he completed the mission.
"10/10 spirit essence host soul is undergoing a qualitative change. Spirit reached 10 host is now a beginner apprentice."
Karthus let out a treacherous grin as he struggled to smile. Smiles are rare for him.
Then countless block dots started to materialise in his hand. He looked curiously and realized it was forming the shape of a book. 'The Dark Arts' title was formed by black snakes.
"This is a lost legendary book that is perfect for spirit attribute and darkness elementium adepts. It has enough magic skills to support you in the adept levels" the system informed him. "The book has two subjects spirit attribute and darkness elementium choose between them."
Karthus naturally choose spirit as it was his highest attribute. After his choice, the book turned Into more translucent hue. Karthus opened the book and looked at the first chapter.
"As a spirit attribute adept you will have control over life and death itself. The very pinnacle adepts of this branch have everlasting lives, some even control armies of spirits and others turn into fiendish existences."
Karthus read on in excitement.
" Beginner adept skills you can learn
Spirit Hand- send a translucent hand towards the enemies soul to corrupt it: estimated time to learn 7 months
Curse of Crimson- curse the enemies soul to constantly decay- estimated time to learn: 3 months
Spirit explosion- Unleashes and delayed blast at a location causing physical and soul damage-Low in power but equally low in spirit use- able to learn immediately but takes months to perfect.
Karthus contemplated before eventually choosing Spirit explosion. He chose it because he would be able to learn it immediately, and unlike the other skills it damages both physical and soul.
"Host has chosen Spirit explosion. Hidden prerequisite met, the system has one more reward to announce.
Dark arts tattoo- Taboo tattoos made from children's souls, that empower the adept with soul power. Other Adepts will feel the dark energy around you and will be wary. Soul use is forbidden in the adept world, if found out you will be killed, so tread wisely. User is also cursed by the spirits it devours"
Karthus contemplated, the reward was a double edged sword. But he choose to accept he wasn't afraid of a challenge and he welcomed anything that could increase his power.
As soon as he accepted screeching faces rose from the children's bodies. This was different from their spirit essence, it was their actual souls. Soul experimentation was prohibited because it damaged or destroyed souls. Prohibiting them from entering reincarnation.
The Souls screamed as they were distorted into extravagant tattoos along Karthus's arms.
"Dark arts tattoo ⅓ incomplete- 10 souls of apprentices needed for next phase."
It seemed like the dark arts tattoo would need more powerful souls for the next phase because adept apprentices or above were the requirement.
Karthus looked at his arms in admiration, the tattoos were dark but had a translucent hue to them. He powerd the tattoos and they brightened up. Karthus pointed his hand at the pile of corpses, than a blast of spirit, the power of a grenade destroyed them.
"System how much was the spirit explosion powered by the tattoos."
"The dark arts tattoos increased the power off spirit explosion by 100% spirit explosion originally had the power of a firecracker now it has the power of a grenade. The spirit use was unaffected so it still has low spirit use."
Kade laughed sadistically. It seemed the tattoos were worth the investment. He was basically a human grenade launcher now with minimum spirit expenditure. Karthus hunched over, his body felt like it was ignited and he heard child like screams in his head.
"Probably the curse, I'll deal with this later" He thought.
Suddenly came the crack of dawn and light peered over the horizon. Karthus looked at the mangled corpses. The villagers would blame the beasts he thought as he ran towards the hut.