"Oh, come on, I wasn't intimidated when you were alive. Why do you think I would care now?"
Tiredly Hal stated the facts to the goblin's soul.
"BOOO! BOOOOOOO!!!!"
Ignoring Hal's logic the soul tried to make a different noise.
"That's enough."
Swatting his hand through the red stuff to disperse it Hal was surprised when the system prompted him.
[Health -1]
A chill ran down Hal's back.
'Wait the little red ghosty and hurt me? How is this fair?! Why??'
It was just one point of health, but it seemed that the goblin soul received some feedback of its own. Zipping it jumped through Hal's body three times in less than a second.
[Health -1]
[Health -1]
[Health -1]
[Hal! On this higher plane souls are have more power. You have to do something! Run!!]
But Hal was not about to run. He had beaten this goblin once before and he wasn't about to be beaten after its death.
"Ah, ha! I know what to do."
And true to his statement Hal did know what to do intuitively. Since the ghost was gaily zooming in and out of his body it was the simplest of actions to put his left hand in front of his chest the next time the ghosty came through.
The bone hand was not the same as his body. It was being sustained by death magic and it was the simplest thing to grasp on to the soul body and hold tight.
"Are you ready to talk?"
It took another ten minutes for the goblin soul to really discover that it was stuck. Once it did it bowed its head.
(What do you want? Let me go!)
Somehow the goblin was able to make itself understandable to Hal. Fortunately for Hal since the goblin language had sounded like it would destroy his vocal chords.
'Serve me.'
Hal made it simple.
[It is not that simple! Unless you form a contract he can betray you at any time. Even completely benign souls must have a contract to be recognized by the system. Please listen to me this time!]
Begging Hal, Flo desperately tried to get him to listen.
'Of course, Flo, when have I not listened? So, how do I make a contract?'
Startled Flo thought there was a couple things wrong with Hal's reply!
[!!!]
Scrunching his eyebrows down Hal didn't know what '!!!' meant and then just shrugged when Flo explained contracts.
[You can set up a contract easily, once you have the magic to bind a soul. I am happy to help. But I suggest that you kill this soul for now!]
Making some completely logical suggestions Flo hoped that he would just get rid of this soul.
'Oh, that does sound easy. I was able to connect to Ankou pretty easily and gain [Bone Realm]. Which God should I pray to now to get soul binding magic?'
For Hal suggesting that he contract with another god seemed pretty natural.
[What?? Connect to another god? Are you crazy!! God's are jealous, you can't connect to another God!! I meant that you should buy an ankh or other similar soul binding object. This is so much better than connecting to a god!]
Flo started to panic. It had seemed like Hal was conversing normally just a moment ago.
'I don't agree. I want to contract this soul, I can't do that if I have to go buy some kind of soul binding stone or whatever. Which gods deal in soul contracts. I will see if I can connect to one of them.'
Hal thought that this was an easy thing to do after working all day to reanimate the skeletons.
[No, I won't tell you anything about any of the gods! They are too dangerous!!]
Putting her foot down Flo refused to accommodate Hal this time.
{That's okay, I am here child. Do you wish to form a contract with me?}
Directionless a voice intruded on Hal's text conversation with Flo.
A crow flew down from the tree above Hal's head and landing on the ground it shape-shifted into a ethereal woman. Dressed only in her black hair that came down to the middle of her thighs, her skin was white as snow seemingly whiter than the bone. There was something mysterious about her as her tangled and matted hair should have been heavy and dangling. Instead the hair floated as if wispy hiding nothing.
'You can grant me the power to contract souls?'
Hal asked trying to be very clear. This woman reminded him of Harumi, showing off her feminine attributes. He immediately was wary of her charms. Trying not to compare her curves with Harumi's Hal swallowed. Yet it was clear this Goddess was clearly more well endowed than his cube mate. Which was a tough thing to do considering that Harumi had that terrible condition where her sexual attributes were terribly enlarged. Combined with her anorexia Harumi made the boys go crazy.
It had been completely off putting for Hal to see Harumi obsessing over not eating. She was sick and often listless as a result. But this Goddess was different. Her bones were not sticking out and while pale and almost translucent her skin seemed to scream health.
{Hmmm, you can appreciate me? I did not expect a mortal to be able to judge so delicately.}
The goddess smiled and then shyly twirled a lock of hair with the index finger of her left hand. The pale pink of her lips quivered as she parted her lips for a moment.
Confused, all Hal knew was that this woman was trying to pull one over his head. Frustrated he pushed his pumping blood and eager thoughts down. And then when she still aroused him he pushed those thoughts even farther down and kept at it. Refusing to stop.
{Perhaps, I made the right choice. I will give you power over souls, in exchange you will appreciate me and ply me with sweet words.}
She spoke as if Hal was doomed to obey her.
"No, I will never make a contract with someone like you. Never!"
Resolute, Hal made his stand.
[Good for you! Stay strong!!]
Flo put in her bit.
{Be gone, system AI. You have no place in this discussion.}
The dark succubus waved her hand and just like when Ankou dismissed Flo she was just gone.
Thankfully this time Hal knew that she would be back as soon as this Goddess had left him alone.
{Now, my dear, sweet one. You will contract with me. I will give you the power to contract souls and in return you will seduce me! I have had enough of those sobs who think that love is an image!}
She started sweet, but ended by screaming at him.
'No, I will not.'
Again Hal gave his intention.
{Oh, you think this is just some test of your will? Your will is nothing, precious. My name is Morrigan and you are already mine. You just don't know it yet!}
Morrigan hissed and spat in reaction to Hal's defiance.
(Morrigan, what are you doing to my chosen one?)
Another god arrived on the scene. This time it was Ankou.
{Hello, little Ankou, I want this one. He is mine.}
Suddenly the hate and the hiss left Morrigan's voice. Instead she just spoke in a matter of fact tone.
(No, he will be mine. I have laid claim.)
Ankou replied easily.
{Hiss, you dare to gainsay me? Who do you work for these days? Are they more powerful than I?}
(You wouldn't threaten Cernunnos would you?)
But Morrigan just laughed.
{What that weak fool? Don't make me laugh. Him with his high ideals... I could crush him in moments. Do you really want to test me?}
Surprise emanated from the black cowled skeleton.
(You would begin a war of the God's over a simpleton like this?)
Pointing to Hal, the mortal started to feel like this demi god didn't think he was that smart.
{No, of course not. ... I don't need to worry about any war! I could crush Cernunnos because no god is going to care. Silly thing that Cernunnos is.}
The suddenly harshly whistling wind was all that existed between the Gods for a long time.
(Alright, he is still mine. My primary chosen, but you may chose him as well. Is that a deal?)
Relenting Ankou made an offer.
{You may have him as primary, but I will be able to do anything I want with him. And my price is his soul. When he dies, I get him, not you, and not Cernunnos. Is that clear?}
Smiling now the Morrigan knew that she had won.
The demi god visibly shook for a moment before stabilizing himself.
(That is a deal.)
As soon as Ankou spoke two system contracts appeared in the air before Hal.
(Sign them mortal.)
This was all Ankou said, and to Hal's horror his right hand rose of it own accord. Quickly signing both contracts Hal's resistance to the deed was meritless. He was forced and nothing he did changed the fact that moments later both contracts were gone and Ankou and disappeared again.
[An new talent has been acquired, [Soul Requiem]]
An automatic system prompt appeared with no sign of Flo's usual spunky personality.
{Sigh, now that wasn't so hard, was it?}
The Morrigan whispered into his ear from behind him and then she pressed her body against him. Bringing one leg around to intertwine with his own.
{I love that you have a bone arm. So delightful!}
She stroked his arm bones and for the first time he felt something, her touch, on his bone.
'What??'
The confusing feeling of her touch on his left arm suddenly overwhelmed him. All he could do was fall forward away from her onto the ground and groan trying to get away from her cloying touch.
{This is too much fun.}
For a moment it seemed like she was going to continue her games, but instead she looked off into the distance.
{Fine, this is enough for now, I will come again soon! Take this soul for now.}
As if in a hurry, Morrigan grasped the red soul of the goblin, did something to it that caused its dusty red color to flame into bright red, and then thrust it into its old skull.
It all happened to fast to process and the Goddess was gone. For a moment Hal thought he saw her again peaking from behind a tree farther into the forest and then again squatting on a tree branch not even ten meters away. But finally a crow cawing like mad broke through the leaves of the trees on the other side of the clearing and tore away like the wind.
"So creepy!"
[I told you not to get the gods involved! Now you went and did it!!]
Flo was back again and welcome.
'I am so sorry Flo. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. That was crazy. What am I going to do??'
[What are you going to do? Well the best thing to do with gods is ignore them and stay far away. Are you willing to think twice before acting in the future?]
Flo's text box had no emotion, but Hal could feel both her genuine intent to aid and also her derision.
'Yes, it will be easy to think twice in the future. Thank you Flo for all your help. I really appreciate it!'
[Good.]
The goblin skeleton shook its head and then slowly rose to a sitting position
[Name: Hal Genisfelt
Level: 0
Class: None
Title: None
Health points: 53/100
Stamina points: 20/100
Mana points: -5/10
Will points: 0/2
Physical: 1
Mental: 1
Soul: 1
Will: .4
Talent: None
Ability: Bone Realm, Soul Requiem
Magic: None
Skills: None
Pets: Goblin Soul
]
Taking a look at his stat screen Hal was gratified to see his health points rise up about fifty and was concerned to see that his mana was back in the negatives again.
'Why is it so hard to increase my mana regen? Oh, and isn't it nice to have another ability! [Soul Requiem] sounds so emo, though.]'
Down at the bottom he saw something interesting. It looked like the goblin soul counted as a pet.
'Is the goblin soul a pet? I wouldn't think of it as a pet, normally. I mean shouldn't it be a summon or something?'
Asking Flo, a couple of questions, Hal was a little confused.
[Technically it should be a summon, but you are so weak right now. You really wouldn't be able to summon an ant, let alone a goblin. So I guess Morrigan made it into a pet? I have no idea what that goddess sees in you.]
Hal ignored Flo's derogatory statement and just focused on what needed to be understood.
'So what does that mean? Since it is a pet now, can I feed it and evolve it like those manga characters do?'
[I am not sure. I am sure you are already thinking weird thoughts. Don't you always get yourself into trouble!]
It was amusing for Flo to realize that she could sum up Hal's personality already and she had only known him for a day.
'Fine, I won't do what I was about to do. But wouldn't it be good if I could extend this goblin's soul into a few skeletons?'
Mischievously Hal said what he would have wanted to do.
[No, no, no, that is a horrible idea. If the skeleton dies then the goblin's soul will be partly destroyed!]
'Oh, yeah, that sounds like a bad idea. Wait! My soul is in these skeletons! Does that mean that my soul will be destroyed if they are killed?'
Hal had a blinding realization.
[Yes.]
That was all that Flo said, trying to keep it simple for him.
'Then I need to get my soul back!'
Moving to the first skeleton he put his boney palm down on its forehead and proceeded to try to pull back his soul
[It won't work. Once your soul bonded with the skeleton it became separated from your body for good.]
'What?! I never expected that to happen!'
Hal innocently said.
[Yeah, we all regret making rash decisions don't we. I tried to stop you.]
Indeed Flo had tried to prevent him from making most of his terrible decisions.
[Really, I can't believe that you are still alive!]
This was just a comment that wasn't supposed to mean anything, yet a system prompt appeared.
[Talent recognized. [Survival Instinct]]
Calmly Hal read the short prompt and then pulled up his stats again.
[Name: Hal Genisfelt
Level: 0
Class: None
Title: None
Health points: 53/100
Stamina points: 20/100
Mana points: -4/10
Will points: 0/2
Physical: 1
Mental: 1
Soul: 1
Will: .4
Talent: Survival Instinct
Ability: Bone Realm, Soul Requiem
Magic: None
Skills: None
Pets: Goblin Soul
]
'Flo, what is this talent?'
Hal asked curiously.
[You can't see it, but I am rolling my eyes, if I had eyes. Whenever a certain number of gods agree that a specific mortal has a talent that talent can become instantized as part of the system. Usually this can only happen when a god pays for the talent through the system, but they still have to have a certain amount of gods approve.]
Flo gave a very standard answer.
'So one of my gods sponsored me?'
He asked trying to work it out in his head.
[In your case I don't think Ankou, Cernunnos, or Morrigan would have paid that much. This is one of the rare cases when a quorum of gods just decided to recognize your talent.]
'Oh. Well I suppose that is fair. Do I need to thank them or something?'
Hal said uncertain how this was supposed to go.
[No, no, no, no!!! What did I tell you before. Just ignore the gods. Their meddling is just to tease you and everything they do always just makes it worse. Please, please, ignore them.]
Hal was starting to get the picture that Flo didn't like the gods!
'Okay, okay, let me just read what the talent says.'
[Survival Instincts
Acknowledgment - Twenty gods acknowledge your survival instincts after living through more than ten near death experiences.
Description - If you pay attention to your feelings you will be able to tell when there is a chance of reaping extra benefits.]
'Well that is very vague and not very helpful. Doesn't everyone already have survival instincts. Can't everyone else figure out when their actions will result in bad outcomes? And since when was I in ten near death experiences? As far as I know I only had one while attacking the goblin. Maybe when I almost died afterward?'
Thinking a lot of weird things in his head Hal started to confuse even himself.
[You don't even want to know. But that is not the important part. This talent is a little weird!]
If Flo could smile she would be smiling right now, because true to form Hal ignored how strange the description of the talent was and refocused back on the goblin.
Its soul flame was much brighter and livelier than the soul flame of the other five skeletons. It was no bigger than them, but it seemed to have a mischievous air about it.
'Should we go hunting?'
(Yes, hunt, we hunt!)
The goblin skeleton's soul flame burned brighter for a moment and then set off without taking any direction from Hal.
Not caring at all that the goblin didn't care to wait for instructions, Hal was happy to have another citizen that took initiative on its own.
It wasn't until Hal had gone more than twenty meters that he realized he had to come back and painstakingly move his small army of five skeletons one leg bone at a time. These other five were completely dependent on him for any action. He had to tell them everything!