Chapter 290 - 290: 290. A real deal

The shadows hadn't just fled with Tama to somewhere nearby.They had carried her to a place she had never seen before; a desolate ruin of blackened stone, its skeletal walls and crumbling towers looming like the remains of a once-mighty castle. Without ceremony, she was dropped into a cold throne of carved granite.

She had no time to study the broken architecture or the strange, silent air. A sudden lance of pain seared through her skull as memories that weren't hers began burning themselves into her mind.

**

She saw a young-looking man with pale skin and golden hair, draped in immaculate white robes. A glowing halo crowned his head.

On the table before him sat a crystal, polished like ice and glowing from within. Images flickered across its surface: images of people dying in countless ways: accidents, murders, sickness, suicides.

"Urgh… none of these mortals are special!" His voice echoed across a vast marble hall, sharp with irritation. Beyond the great double doors, faint murmurs rose, the low hums of waiting souls. They had come for his guidance into their next lives. Instead, he was ignoring them, screening for more "interesting" candidates.

With a growl, he turned toward the doors and flicked his fingers. They swung open soundlessly.

"One at a time," he muttered.

The first soul drifted in. It was just a glowing, amorphous sphere of light with no real limbs, almost slime-like, pulsing faintly with thought. This one had been a salaryman, worn down and killed by overwork. Moriel had seen too many like him lately. His soul energy was unimpressive… but slightly above average.

Moriel's lips curved. Time for an experiment.

"Welcome, mortal! I am Moriel, god of reincarnation, here to guide you to your next life!"

The soul brightened. "Wait… reincarnation's real?"

Moriel nodded. "Yes. But instead of another dull human life… how about l reincarnate you into a beast? Your soul's too weak for a dragon. Not even a behemoth. But… a kobold? Yes… perhaps a kobold general."

The soul recoiled. "No! I want to be human again! I'm not—"

"Too bad. You'll do as I say, mortal." Moriel scrawled something in a ledger and snapped it shut. "Your fate is decided. Off you go!"

A beam of light engulfed the soul, snuffing its protest mid-scream. In an instant, it was gone.

"Oh… forgot to tell Jim to watch for adventurers who hunt down monsters. Ah well, he'll manage. Now on to the next one."

And so it went, one after another, he reincarnated humans into beasts or vermin, curious to see how a mind carrying the memories of its past life might adapt. But the results bored him. No creation yet felt worthy of the title "masterpiece."

Then, one day, the crystal he always used to watch mortal lives showed him him.

Velsvog, a black-cat child with dark skin. Shunned by his people, yet radiating soul energy so immense it put even seasoned warriors to shame. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novelhall.com

Moriel's fascination became obsession. He waited years for Velsvog's death so he could claim the soul… but the man grew stronger and stronger to a point that he felt unkillable.

Frustration twisted into malice. Using his divine influence, Moriel planted false "holy revelations" into mortal churches, declaring those with dark skin cursed bringers of misfortune and bad omens. Prejudice turned to persecution; and so, anyone with a dark skin began being hunted.

But this world had a ruler; Veyra, the goddess I grace. And she did not tolerate his meddling in her domain. For his crimes, tampering with mortal fate, spreading false divinity, and warping the cycle of reincarnation, turning humans into beasts, his transgressions were now too much. So, she tore the halo from his head, branded him a fallen god, and cast him from the heavens.

Moriel didn't despair. Instead, he laughed.

Now, freed from divine law, he could pursue his "masterpiece" unhindered. All he had to do was kill Velsvog, and use his soul as he wanted. After all, he still had his powers intact. Though they weren't as powerful as they were in the heavens, he was still quite strong.

But things didn't go as planned.

Moriel died instead, killed by Velsvog. And the memories ended there.

***

Tama exhaled slowly, her pulse hammering in her ears.

Her ancestor had mentioned that when he killed Moriel, he absorbed the god's shadow, along with fragments of his memories and skills. The events after the god's death weren't here; gods didn't truly die so long as someone, somewhere, still believed in them.

So it's him, she thought bitterly. He's the one who turned the world against us. He's the one experimenting on our kind… turning some into his undead puppets. And now, because I carry Velsvog's soul energy, I'm the prize he's been waiting for. His "masterpiece." If I'm careless, I'll end up as one of his experiments.

Her fist loosened. She slumped back into the throne, drawing in a slow, deliberate breath.

That's when the air before her rippled as black mist began curling into the shape of a hovering, hissing holographic screen.

Tama nearly jumped out of her seat.

[Ding! Hello there, descendant. This is your most charming ancestor!!]

[Hahaha, not really. This is something I programmed to help you get used to my power.]

[Apparently, gods these days make these "systems" to help otherworlders adjust. I picked up the trick during… a little trip to the heavens.]

Tama's brow twitched. Systems?

And judging by the tone, there was no doubt who made it.

[Naturally, all systems need names. And I gave this one a title worthy of yours truly.]

[The Glorious and Unquestionably Supreme Eternal Dominion of Shadows, Conceived by the Incomparable Master Velsvog, Arbiter of Night, Sovereign of All That Lurks and Purrs in the Darkness.]

Tama stared flatly, deadpan expression unblinking. "…Seriously?"

[Uhm… if that's too long, we can just call it Shadow System.]

"…Better."

[Excellent. From today onward, I'm your companion. You can now view your stats, skills, and level, descendant!]

[Your days of power begin now!!]

Tama had no idea what the hell a "system" even was, and she'd never really heard of one before. But if it could help her take down this fallen god masquerading as a human, then she was all in.

Still, a faint smile tugged at her lips. For all his overblown ego, her ancestor Velsvog really did seem like the real deal—someone who had actually transcended into a godlike being.

TBC