When Viel invoked Ferto's soul something similar to a Will-O-Wisp left his body as it positioned itself in the palm of his hand. Viel could feel the pressure it was emitting.
Not wanting to lose more time that he has already lost, he controlled his soul energy; something he discovered he had after creating Ferto's soul, to wrap it.
Viel could already begin to feel the resistance from Ferto's soul, so he started to exercise his own soul pressure on it. Before, he couldn't do it due to the low level of his soul, but now, thanks to the Phoenix Ashes, his soul was more powerful than ever.
If someone were to run into Viel's room they would see two auras clashing, one coming from the Will-O-Wisp in Viel's hand and another from Viel. Both were fighting for supremacy, trying to overcome one another.
As Viel exerted more pressure on Ferto's soul, the Will-O-Wisp flickered and dimmed, struggling to resist the animancer's will. Viel could feel the strain on his own soul, but he was determined to overpower the Deimos-rank soul and prove he is worthy of its loyalty.
The clash of auras intensified, sparks of energy flying off from the Will-O-Wisp as it struggled against Viel's control. Viel gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his forehead as he poured all his soul energy into the effort.
Finally, with a burst of energy, the Will-O-Wisp vanished, absorbed into Viel's own soul. Viel slumped back, panting heavily, feeling the strain of the effort.
But he had done it. He had proven himself worthy of the Deimos-rank soul's loyalty, and now he could use its power to further his animancy. With a satisfied smirk, he stowed the soul away, ready to use it when needed.
As he sat there, catching his breath, Viel noticed a strange sensation in his chest, a warmth that spread through his body. He recognized it as the feeling of his own soul growing stronger, expanding in power and potential. The Phoenix Ashes had truly been a game-changer for him.
Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of him.
—-
< Special Quest: Loyalty's Trial Completed! >
—-
But Viel couldn't shake the feeling that he had pushed himself too far in his attempt to overpower Ferto's soul. He knew he had to be more careful in the future, lest he risks damaging his own soul in the process.
With a deep breath, Viel stood up, feeling his muscles ache from the strain of the effort. He knew he needed rest, but he also knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time. There were more beasts to hunt and more power to attain.
As he headed towards his bed to sleep, Viel couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation; after all, he just needed the armor that Uncle Rainer was making to be ready to set foot in Elysium for the first time.
--------
The next morning Viel woke up pretty early to prepare for his departure back to Wildgarde Stronghold. After taking a shower and getting dressed he decided to check the rewards from the quest.
—-
< Special Quest: Loyalty's Trial Completed! >
< Rewards >
– Your named creature, Ferto, loyalty
– 5 Free Stats Points
– 5 Soul Stats Points
– 10 Body Constitution Points
– 10 Skill Points
– 50 Gaming Divine energy
< Bonus Reward >
Skill: Soul Order
—-
Viel summoned his Soul Book to distribute his newly gained Stat and Skill Points as well as to check his newly gained skill.
Viel added two of his stat points into Dexterity, two into Intelligence, and one into Agility, increasing his speed, accuracy, and Mana Points.
—--
Name: Viel Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Health: 85 / 85
Mana: 100 / 100
(One Vitality Point is equivalent to five Health Points, and one Intelligence Point is equivalent to five Mana Points)
Strength: 12
Intelligence: 18 → 20 (!)
Vitality: 17
Agility: 10 → 11 (!)
Dexterity: 8 → 10 (!)
〚 Luck: 9998〛
Soul: 100 → 355 (!)
Special Abilities: Jack-of-All-Trades [EX] Blessing of the OGU [???] [Absorb (4/5) Devour (Unused) Copy (3/4) Steal (3/3)] Blessing of the OGH [???] Gaming Energy-Ticket of Eriol [Divine] (50/5000) (!) Soul Creation [Ex] (1/100)
—--
Special Body Constitution: Crimson Canvas' Legacy (11/100) (!)
Title: None
—--
He didn't use his Skill Points as he wanted to use them on Forte after he imbued its soul into the armor.
Finally, he checked the skill he received as a Bonus Reward from the Special Quest.
—-
< Soul Order >
"Joined with your soul, eternally loyal to you."
– As an Animancer, you hold dominion over Souls and Life. Because of this, some of them will be attracted to you and would wish to serve by your side. While some others may resist your dominance, for you to exert your dominion over them.
– Up to fifteen souls can be accepted in your Soul Order, but this is not limited to pure souls. Even if it is a living creature, as long as they offer its soul as a symbol of loyalty to you, it will become part of your Soul Order.
– Any creature who joins the Soul Order will be forever loyal to the Animancer.
– The Rank of all creatures joining the Soul Order will always be locked. The Animancer should use Beast Cores to unlock their original rank and make them progress.
– Each of the fifteen creatures serving the Animancer will be called Acolytes of the Order, and are allowed to have subordinates of their own. However, there will be a limit to the number of subordinates they can have, and their subordinates must pledge their loyalty to you offering your souls.
– Each Acolyte can make Monsters forcefully submit to them if they wish. Any method is acceptable!
– Once the contract is established, these minions can only be summoned by the Acolytes that subjugated them and the Animancer.
– The maximum number of subordinates each Acolyte can have is 5. This number will increase as their Rank increases.
Initiate Rank = 10 Subordinates
E-Ranker = 50 Subordinates
D-Ranker = 100 Subordinates
C-Ranker = 200 Subordinates
B-Ranker = 500 Subordinates
A-Ranker = 1,000 Subordinates
S-Ranker = 5,000 Subordinates
SS-Ranker = 10,000 Subordinates
SSS Ranker = 50,000 Subordinates
Saint = 250,000 Subordinates
—-----
– If an Acolyte dies, it can be revived by paying an adequate number of Beast Cores.
– You may choose to give your Acolyte a different form by sacrificing Beast Cores or Monster Parts to get their ideal profession. The rarer the profession is, the greater the sacrifice needed.
– An Acolyte can undergo transformation more than once. You will be able to customize them according to your desire. It doesn't matter if they have a hundred arms or legs. As long as you are able to provide the necessary materials, anything is possible!
– All materials used in the transformation are non-refundable. Once they are used, they are gone, so choose your Acolyte's transformation wisely!
—-
"Whoa! This is incredible, it's a pity that I cannot add Forte to the Soul Order. Even so, it's still an incredible ability. What's strange is that Skill Evolution [Ex] doesn't evolve it…"
While Viel was lost in his thoughts, a knock was heard on the door.
"Good morning Young Master Viel. Your horse has been prepared for your departure. Young Lady Iris is waiting for you to bid her farewell."
Alicia woke up Viel, scaring him in the process. He was so immersed in thinking about his future, that he stopped listening to his surroundings.
"Good morning Alicia, I'm about to finish getting ready, I'll be right out." As Viel said this, he put on his shoes and left the room.
Outside, Alicia was waiting for him. When she saw him, specifically his right eye, she was taken aback for a moment. But she recomposed herself instantly, not letting anyone notice it.
"I will guide you to the exit." Said Alicia respectfully and elegantly.
After a few minutes of walking through the Academy, they arrived at the exit. There, Iris was waiting for him accompanied by all her Beats Companions and Viel's horse. Iris' Beasts Companions were a Blue Dragon, a White Tiger, a Red Phoenix, a Black Turtle, and a Unicorn. They all got along well with Viel. When Viel approached them, Iris' Phoenix became uneasy and headed toward Viel.
"What happens?" asked Viel confused.
"CHIRP! CHIRP!" The phoenix was surrounding Viel time and time again without stopping while making a sound that Viel couldn't distinguish from it being happy or angry.
Iris got near the Phoenix and petted its head.
"What it's the matter?" Iris asked.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!" The phoenix continued chirping as if answering Iris question. When it ended, Iris couldn't help but be surprised.
"Viel, it says that it can smell the essence of a Phoenix in you. It should only happen if you received the blood essence of a Phoenix or absorbed the ashes of one. The latter is considered a sin and the biggest offense for phoenixes, as it means cutting the rebirth cycle of them." Iris did not know how to react. Viel was his brother and lover, but the Phoenix was her companion and thus also part of her family.
When Viel heard Iris explanation, he was surprised as the chance of someone discovering it didn't cross his mind.
"Let me explain myself. A friend of mine gave me the ashes of a Phoenix which decided to stop reincarnating. They helped me increase my Soul Power, something I needed to solve a problem I had, and I obtained from them also a trait." Viel said as he signaled his right eye that has turned orange.
"Chirp, chirp." The phoenix heard Viel answer and told something to Iris.
"It says that what you are saying it's true. You can only receive a trait from the ashes if the Phoenix didn't want to continue living."
'True my ass. I just invented whatever excuse I came up with. Fortunately, it seems that Iris' luck will continue helping me.' thought Viel.
"Also, that new eye is very cool! Do you know what it does?" Iris was curious about what new power his brother has obtained. He was full of surprises.
"I don't know, maybe I will discover it when I need it." Viel answered sincerely.
"Do you know it?" asked Iris to her Phoenix.
"Chirp…"
"It says it doesn't. It's completely random. Not even the Phoenix from which the ashes originated can decide it."
"Well, I obtained far more than what I expected." Viel reassured Iris, he truly didn't care as he was more than happy with what he had. "Anyway, it has been a pleasure seeing you again Iris. Bid farewell to father for me. And Alicia, thanks for all of your services during my short visit."
He gave Iris a kiss on the cheek, but he didn't kiss her lips as they were at the exit of the Academy surrounded by a lot of people, the majority Iris' fans who upon seeing this, burst out in anger.
He also kissed Alicia, only that he didn't kiss her cheek as that would truly make Troy burn. He gave her a kiss on the hand as a gentleman would do.
"Thanks for all. I'm waiting to meet you again, not being just a Beginner, but an Apostle."
Viel mounted his horse and indicated him to move forward.
"Bye Brother Viel. Give my regards to Brother Lux and Grandma Vera."
"Bye Young Master Viel, I hope that my presence has served as help to you."
Iris and Alicia dismissed Viel respectively as his image faded as he receded into the distance.