The sunlight streaming through the aperture of the room, bathing Marcellus in a warm, golden glow, couldn't quite dispel the chill of unease that had settled in his stomach.
Edwin's words echoed in his mind, his promise of freedom, of protection, of a life beyond the confines of the governor's mansion, tempting yet laced with a subtle undercurrent of deception.
The lack of upfront payment and the vague promise of performance-based rewards raised worries.
A sense of unease settled in Marcellus's stomach.
I'm not a fool, Edwin Marcellus muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the lavish surroundings.
Edwin's proposal was too good to be true. There had to be a catch, a hidden agenda he was failing to see.
Marcellus's mind raced, analyzing every aspect of Edwin's offer, searching for the hidden catch, the unspoken agenda. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being lured into a trap, a web of deceit spun by a manipulator.
Was this an aspect of being a Hallowed? he could easily see through deceptions
Despite his misgivings, Marcellus found himself drawn to the offer.
He decided to take a leap of faith. He would accept Edwin's offer, but he would remain vigilant, his eyes peeled for any signs of deception.
He was a Hallowed, after all. A human with superhuman abilities, including enhanced perception and the ability to detect deception.
Perhaps this is a test, Marcellus thought, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"I accept your proposal," Marcellus said, his voice firm and resolute.
Edwin's face lit up with a smile. "Excellent!" he clamoured. "I knew you would make the right decision."
He clapped his hands, and a servant appeared from the back room, bowing respectfully before Edwin.
"Please show Blackeye to his chambers," Edwin instructed the servant, his voice echoing through the grand halls of the mansion.
The servant bowed and led Marcellus through the grand halls of the mansion, his footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors.
Finally, they arrived at a spacious room with a large bed, a comfortable desk, and a view of the city shoreline.
"This will be your room," the servant said, gesturing towards the bed.
Marcellus nodded curtly, his eyes scanning the room, and thanked the servant who then bowed and left the room.
Marcellus walked over to the window and gazed out at the city. The sun was rising to noon, casting long shadows across the rooftops.
A sense of unease lingered, but it was tempered by a flicker of excitement. He was a long way from his humble beginnings, an innkeeper fighting for scraps.
Now, he was a respected member of the governor's household.
As Marcellus stood at the window, gazing out at the city below, he reflected on his new circumstances.
It was a position many would die for, but to him, it was a burden.
He thought back to his encounter last night and the fact that he had gained no significant boost in strength as a Hallowed.
This was puzzling, but he knew that he would have to experiment and learn more about his new abilities.
He also thought about the ranged barrier spell he had acquired from ritualistic magic. It was a powerful ability, but it had a limited range.
He had gained a few new skills since becoming a Hallowed, but his overall strength had remained relatively unchanged.
He still had his swordsmanship, of course, but he also had a few new tricks up his sleeve.
For example, he could now create a spiritual barrier that could protect him from harm. He could also pass through certain barriers, and he could even absorb the spirits of the dead to strengthen his spiritual body.
Marcellus wasn't sure what to make of his new abilities. He knew that they could be useful, but he also knew that they could be dangerous.
The barrier could be broken as the man pounding on it showed, most people will not notice the barrier unless they directly interact with it.
Marcellus was determined to make the most of his new opportunities. He would train the governor's soldiers, train Finn, and learn more about his Hallowed abilities. He would also use his ritualistic magic to develop new and powerful spells.
He knew that he was facing many challenges ahead, but he was confident that he could overcome them all, with time.
Ritual and Sigil Mastery, Marcellus now a Hallowed had a limited understanding of ritual, but he had a natural aptitude for it. He could channel and bind spiritual energy, and he could understand and replicate any ritual after witnessing it once. This powerful ability would allow him to develop new and powerful spells.
An aspect of that was exorcism, Marcellus could eject possessing entities from people, objects, and locations. This was vital for rituals to prevent unfamiliar entities from tampering with his ritual.
Marcellus closed the door of his room and cast a barrier around it, muffling the sounds from outside. He was eager to experiment with his new abilities, and he wanted to do so in privacy.
He sat down on his bed and began to meditate like he did when mastering the sword. He focused his mind on his spiritual body, and he tried to feel the flow of spiritual energy within him.
After a few moments, he was able to sense the energy coursing through his veins.
He opened his eyes and stood up. He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself concentrating his spirituality on his eyes heightening his vision. His eyes were glowing with a faint blue light.
He raised his hand and concentrated. A tiny orb of spiritual energy appeared in his palm smaller than the size of an eyeball.
It crackled and sparked with energy.
Marcellus smiled. He was getting the hang of it.
He closed his eyes and focused again. This time, he tried to create a barrier around himself as a protective shield.
He felt the spiritual energy flowing out of him and forming a cocoon around him. He opened his eyes and looked down at himself. He was surrounded by a faint blue barrier.
Marcellus grinned.
He decided to test the strength of his barrier. He raised his fist and punched himself in the face with the strength of a first-rate warrior.
The barrier held. Marcellus didn't even feel the impact.
He laughed and punched himself again and again. The barrier eventually broke.
Marcellus was impressed. His barrier was strong.
The smaller the range of the barrier the stronger it became.
He decided to try another ability. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He imagined himself passing through the wall of his room.
Marcellus was disappointed to learn that he could not pass through physical barriers.
He had been hoping that he would be able to use his Phantasmal Walk ability to teleport around the city and move through walls.
But it seemed that his ability was limited to passing through certain esoteric barriers, such as those created by other Hallowed.
This was a setback, but Marcellus was determined to find other ways to use his abilities.
Marcellus's Ranged Barrier, a manifestation of his latent spiritual energy, was a critical asset in his arsenal. Unlike physical combat skills, which rely on muscle memory and reflexes, the mastery of such a supernatural ability requires a different approach.
He would have to ask Finn.