“Hey, Itarr, didn’t you say I absorbed a skill to make water?” Servi asked, breaking the growing awkward silence.

It’s called Create Water, and yes, I did. All I know is that it does what the name says.  

Thinking of the name ‘Create Water’ forced knowledge to flow into her mind. Just like with Fire Wall, Servi instinctively knew how the skill worked. First, she had to set a point called an anchor, then water would flow from that point. If she used more or less Skill Energy, she could control the temperature, the purity, and the force of the water released.  

“Alright, so I’ll set the anchor above me, and I want the water hot… And let’s go for a medium amount of force. Oh, and let’s make it pure as it could be.”  

What Servi did was incredible. Though it wasn’t known to her, Create Water was a skill that used up a massive amount of Skill Energy. Even non-pure cold water that flowed lightly would use enough Skill Energy to knock out a lesser person.  Servi, able to absorb souls via Itarr, had five peoples' worth of Skill Energy inside her. And of the five, one was a prestigious warrior with an above-average amount of Skill Energy who rose through the ranks of Warden. 

Following the advice from Itarr, Servi used her ring to absorb her clothes. Now naked and bare as the day of her birth, she slowly walked over to the flowing water and stood underneath it.  

Warm relief flowed all over her body as the water fell, almost akin to being touch by a fairy. The blood and dirt accumulated on Servi's body and hair washed away with such ease. She used her hands to rub the hot water all over her chest and stomach, slipping in between her rich bosom and massaging her neck and throat. The little rock she stood on prevented the mud from splashing up and dirtying her legs and thighs.

Such a good time had to eventually come to an end, and soon the Create Water skill ended. Servi didn’t run out of Skill Energy, but rather, the ability itself was designed to end after a certain amount of time.  

As Servi used Fire Wall to dry herself off, she and Itarr had a conversation. It was still nighttime, and the moon gave off a faint white glow that clashed against the vibrant orange radiance of the fire. In a way, it was like the two light sources were competing for the naked girl's affection.

Now, it is a matter of getting you dressed. You could put your old clothes back on.  

“I don’t wanna stay nude, but I don’t want to wear those clothes. They’re practically falling apart.” 

How about this: why don’t you wear that breastplate over your torn shirt? If I’m remembering right, your pants and boots were still in decent shape.  

“Alright,” instead of putting on her clothes manually, Servi tried to do the opposite of what Itarr suggested earlier. If she could remove clothes using her ring, then couldn’t she do the opposite?  

It took a bit of time, but she pulled it off. Her black pants and boots suddenly appeared on her body, as if she put them on manually. They were covered in mud and blood, but at least her skin was clean.  

“I can see this being very useful if I can master this switching technique,” now that her lower body was covered, she focused on her upper body next.  

First, she put on that torn and bloody white shirt. The dried blood flaked against her still damp skin and rubbed off, leaving bloody red marks that dirtied her body a second time.

“Shit. I just cleaned up.” 

Worry not. Once we find some new clothes, you can get clean again. There is no worry about a lack of water, thanks to this skill.   

“You’re right, but…” Still complaining, Servi then moved on to putting on the breastplate by using her ring, but that was a small mistake.  

“Kyaa!” A cute scream escaped Servi's lips as she fell to the ground, dirtying her even more. The sudden appearance and weight of the armor was a little bit too much for her to bear.

After a bit of struggling, she managed to get back to her feet.

“Why…is this……so…heavy!” Servi moved her legs, trying to walk, but that was challenging in its own right. The breastplate Servi attempted to wear weighed a little less than four kilograms, but it was made from a dense metal.  

How strange, this should be easy since you absorbed the souls of the men who wore this……. Ahhh, I see the problem now.  

“Care to let me know?” 

For some reason, while the entirety of the soul is absorbed, you can only access a slight fraction of the physical power stored within. On the other hand, their Skill Energy Reservoir was automatically added to your own Skill Energy Reservoir.

“Physically, I’m a tiny bit stronger, but I’ve grown dramatically as a skill user?” Servi asked, wanting Itarr to clarify.  

That is correct. If I were to put it into numbers, let’s say that each of the five Human souls you absorbed has a physical and skill stat of 200.  And let’s say you have a value of 100 as well in both stats. After absorbing the five souls, your physical stat is 110, and your skill stat is 1100.   That is only for Humans. The insects and the animals, while they made you stronger, only added a fraction of power. It would seem that you gain more strength from humanoid souls than you do from other sources.  I don’t think there is anything such as a physical or skill stat, mind you, so I wouldn’t trust the numbers. I only used them as an example.

“I see. So I guess I should focus on using skills?” Servi asked as she walked down the road back towards the city.

She had a plan in mind.  

That is what I recommend, but ultimately, it is up to you. Might I ask where we are going? 

“Back to the city. Since I was able to talk to those guards earlier, I bet I can talk to others. I don’t know what happened, but I understand them. And they can understand me.” 

That was not the case before? 

“Nope.” 

I see. Do you have a plan in mind after we arrive? 

“That I do. You get some of your memory back whenever I absorb souls, right? Then all I have to do is get stronger. That should be my goal for right now. And besides, if you get your memory back, there’s a chance I can get mine back as well.” 

That makes sense. I swear to you that I will do whatever I can to help you.  

“Thank you, Itarr, but do you really mean that? What if I turn evil and start killing?” 

That does not matter to me, but I sense something is amiss. Is something wrong? 

Servi stopped walking and stared at the sky before talking to Itarr. “Earlier, when I first arrived, I found myself in a city, and that place was horrible! The first guy I killed? I saw him stab a young boy in the foot...and all he wanted to do was give a bandage to this girl, who I assume was his sister. She was bleeding from a wound, and I’m sure that the guard I killed caused it. He probably also had something to do with her missing ear as well.” 

Did you kill him for revenge? 

Servi took a deep breath before continuing. “I did. And now, with this power, I want to take revenge for those who don’t have the power to do it themselves. Would you allow that?” 

Your actions are your actions, and my power is your power. Whatever you want to do, I will support you with all I have.  

“Thank you.” 

You are most welcome.  

The sun started to rise as the sky slowly turned from black to red to blue. The moon was no longer in the sky as the sun rose to take its place, its light shining down on the world and illuminating it.

The Human and Goddess soon reached the gruesome sight of the battle between the guards and the bees. Countless pieces of meat and flesh were all over the place. The bodies were so damaged and battered, they were unrecognizable.  Servi took the time to absorb each and every corpse that wasn’t just a piece of flesh, along with the armor and weapons that littered the ground. She tried to store the blood staining the soil as well, but it was too difficult. For some odd reason, Servi just couldn’t grasp the mechanics behind it.  Itarr later reassured her it was because she was brand new to Absorption.  Servi only needed to train until she was able to do it.

I understand absorbing the weapons and armor, but why the corpses? 

“You never know when something like that would come in handy. Remember your plan? There may come a time in which we have to do that again."

Very well.  

They walked a bit in silence before a realization from Servi broke the silence.  

“You know, I just realized this, but I haven’t felt hungry or thirsty. Or even tired.” 

That is a byproduct of Immortality. Never again shall you feel hunger, thirst, fatigue.  Now, that does not mean you can’t eat or drink or sleep, just that you do not require it. Also, you will never age, nor will you be affected by disease.  

“I can still eat and sleep? That's good to know."

Incidentally, a small fragment of my memory has returned to me. Tell me, have you heard of the word ‘Jōtai’? It’s something that keeps popping up in my mind.  

“Actually, I have. Jōtai,” Servi spoke the word, and a red stone tablet appeared floating in front of her.  

I see.  

“Did you remember anything else?” 

Yes. Though it’s all jumbled in my mind, the word ‘Jōtai’ and the term ‘Potential’ kept appearing. Since you can speak the language, see if you can read it as well.  

Servi glanced over the tablet and gasped. Near the top was a label called ‘Name,’ and next to it was the word ‘Servi.’

She could read the language now. But since it had her name on it, did that mean that her name was Servi?

“So my name is on here,” She kept reading, and below her name, she found the words ‘Warden: Have Not Joined’.  

“Warden? Does that ring any bells?” 

No, it does not.  

“Well, below that Warden stuff is a word that says ‘Blessed By,’ and your name is beside it,” Servi scratched her head as she kept walking and reading. She could hardly feel the weight of the breastplate now that she was used to it.  

Touch your finger to my name.  

Servi was confused but did so anyway. The red tablet went blank, and a moment later, two columns appeared. The left one was titled ‘Learned,’ and the one on the right was titled ‘Unlearned.’ The number 78 sat beside the latter.  

In the Learned category, Servi could see Absorption, Create Water, Fire Wall, True Immortality, Remedium, Shadow Bind, Shadow Shot, and Shadow Trap. In the Unlearned category, the skills were broken into different ranks. From Rank 10 all the way to Rank 0. Servi pressed her finger to Rank 10, and a list of skills appeared underneath it. She touched it again, and the list disappeared. Rank 10 to Rank 0 appeared in its place.  

Pressing on Rank 9, Servi read the list of skills that appeared. Her eyes fell to one called Earth Wall, and she tapped on it. A small box appeared on the tablet, and she read it aloud.  

“Earth Wall, a skill used to create a wall of dirt that is used to defend against attacks. Do you wish to spend 5 Potential to learn it?”  

There were two boxes below the message labeled ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ Servi touched the box marked  ‘No,’ and the tablet went back to displaying the two columns.  

“This is such a strange object.” 

I agree.  

Suddenly, the two columns disappeared, and Servi was back at what she assumed to be the main menu. It only had her name and her Warden status. The line that said ‘Blessed By’ had disappeared.  

Sorry if I startled you, but it appears I can hide and display information at will on that stone tablet. Maybe it would be wise to keep it hidden?  

“I agree, but can you display it again? I want to keep looking around.” 

Of course.

With the ‘Blessed By’ line back on the tablet, Servi tapped Itarr’s name again. This time, she pressed on Absorption. Like with Earth Wall, a box popped up, and she read it out loud.  

“Absorption, the forbidden skill to absorb the soul and gain the power of those who die in your vicinity. This skill also allows the user to store an unlimited amount of items within the ring. Do you wish to spend 10 Potential to increase the physical absorption efficiency from 1% to 2% and increase the range from 3 meters to 4 meters?” two boxes appeared underneath the message.  

How utterly strange. It appears we have to spend this so-called ‘Potential’ to increase the amount of physical strength gained and the range. And forbidden?  

“It would be nice, but what's Potential? Is that number right there?” Servi pointed with her finger to the number 78 that was beside the word ‘Unlearned.’  

That would be my guess. Press the box that says ‘Yes,’ and let's see what happens.  

Servi did as she was asked and pressed the button. The number immediately decreased by 10 to 68, and the tablet glowed red. When it stopped shining, Servi noticed that Absorption now had a +1 beside it. She pressed on it again, and it asked if she wanted to spend 20 Potential to go from 2% to 3% and increase the range from 4 meters to 5 meters.  

Can you feel a difference? Itarr asked.  

“It’s very slight, but I do feel tougher. What about you?” 

I can confirm that you are more powerful than you were a moment ago. From what I understand, we can only tap into a small fragment of physical power stored within each soul. Only two percent is unlocked and available for use. And it appears that every soul absorbed, no matter if it’s Humanoid or animal, is equal to one Potential.  

“I see. Should I spend or save these points?” 

It is up to you, but I would recommend you hold off on spending anything. At least until we find out more about it.   

“I agree.” 

Servi continued exploring the stone tablet, and she clicked on the skill ‘True Immortality’ and read the description.  

“True Immortality, the forbidden skill that locks the user’s soul in time, making it impossible to die from attacks that target the soul. Furthermore, the user cannot die by physical attacks, disease, or old age. This skill is at max level and cannot be enhanced further.” 

Servi then noticed something strange. “Wait, True Immortality?” 

I’m just as confused as you are. Not even I know why ‘True’ is in front of it. But on the other hand,  I do wonder why my skills are forbidden? 

“Maybe that has something to do with you being sealed up?” Servi shrugged her shoulders. 

Quite possibly, but I do not remember.  

After Itarr spoke, the two stayed silent as Servi dropped her stone tablet to the ground. The red dust it transformed into flowed into her body.  

 After some more walking, Servi broke the silence. “It looks like we made it to the city,” up ahead, the towering walls came into view. Servi was so captivated by her tablet and Itarr that she walked right past the fork in the road. Somewhere along the way, she had met up with people walking with her, and it was almost a repeat of the previous day.

To her left and right, people stared at her unsightly appearance and grimaced. They shook their heads, and Servi overheard what they were saying.  

“How filthy.” 

“She smells terrible. Is that blood?” 

“Is she a member of Warden?” 

“I don’t think so. That girl doesn’t have a weapon. What kind of idiot fights with only her bare hands and armor? And she doesn’t look tough, either. ” 

Ignore them, and don’t let their words taint your heart. If you like, just remember their voice and face, then kill them later. The choice is yours to make.  

“Right,” Servi said as she looked down. Eventually, the crowd walking with her grew bigger and bigger, and she reached the entrance. Just like before, there were two lines. One for vehicles and one for people.  

Glancing around, Servi could spot a few people known as Singi. From her conversation with the guards before she killed them, that was the name for the people who looked like humans but had cat ears and a tail. They were of different colors, but black and brown seemed to be the most common. Other than that, she saw one or two people with alligator-like mouths and some with scales. It was quite a diverse amount of people all waiting to enter the city.  

Since it was early morning, the lines weren’t too bad. Servi had to wait for ten minutes before she was at the front.  

The guard in front wasn’t the same one as yesterday.  

“Welcome to the City of Canary. I need to see your ID.” 

By ID, he meant the tablet Servi looked at earlier. She found that out by watching the people in front of her.  

She said the word and handed it over.  

“Servi, huh? A bit of a weird name. Not a member of Warden, and you aren’t blessed. Well, your info checks out. You’re free to pass. Up ahead, there’s a welcome building you can stop in to learn more about the city.” 

Servi asked Itarr to hide the fact that she was blessed. It probably would have been okay, but that was a risk she wasn't willing to take. After all, neither of them fully understood the system.  Itarr didn't want to believe her own sparse knowledge of the subject since it could be faulty. 

Servi was surprised, though. Though she got dirty stares for the way she was dressed, the guard didn’t even bat an eye. Maybe it was a bit normal? Perhaps he didn’t care? Either way, Servi was thankful he didn’t make a scene.  

The guard motioned Servi to enter, and she did. It felt strange that she was walking back through the city that tried to kill her hours before. The woman they were after had only one hand, and since Servi now had two, she figured they wouldn’t bother her.   

She walked through the street, all the while receiving stares, and eventually reached the building she went into the day before. Now that she could read, the sign said ‘Welcome Center.’  

“This must be the place,” Servi grabbed hold of the wooden handle and pulled open the door.  

When she entered, she realized that she didn’t get a good look at the place yesterday. Probably too stressed out from her situation to focus. Cabinets lined the back of the building, filled to the brim with various objects like rocks and shells. Servi didn’t know what they were for. To her front left sat a woman in a blue and black uniform behind a desk. Servi recognized her from yesterday. Scattered around the building and standing on shelves were books and maps. It was, indeed, a welcome center.  A few people inside all turned and looked when Servi opened the door but quickly turned back around and continued what they were doing.  

A small black cat meowed when Servi walked further in.  She smiled and bent down, scratching the cat’s chin, who responded by purring affectionately. With a flick of its tail, the feline walked away.  

That beast is quite adorable.

“I agree,” Servi said with a smile.  

Servi went around to the shelves and read the titles of the books.  

“Best places to eat while in the city, top-secret date spots, blah blah blah,” Servi spoke quietly to herself as she riffled through the pages. Just being able to read the previously unknown words brought a joyous sensation to her heart. It was like a veil of obfuscation had been lifted from her eyes. She looked over at the woman behind the desk and started walking over to her.    

The woman looked up from her desk. A small pencil sat gripped in her hand. She had black hair that stopped above her eyes, and the back was tied in a bun. The smile that was plastered across her face disappeared, and a mixture of disgust and wariness remained. As if she had just remembered her job, a perfect smile reappeared on her face.  

“Welcome to the City of Canary. This is the welcome center for those new to the city, and my name is Aier. How can I help you?” She had a pleasant voice, and none of the disgust that was on her face moments ago showed through it.   

“Hello. My name is Servi. This is my first time here in the city. I’m basically lost.” 

“Well, Miss Servi, that is why were are here. If you can tell me where you would like to go, I can help you. Please, have a seat,” she motioned to a chair in front of her, and Servi sat down. The chair slightly creaked underneath the weight of both Servi and the armor breastplate.  

“That has to be uncomfortable. You can take it off if you like,” Aier said.  

“I would like to, but due to my current situation, my shirt's ripped. This armor is the only thing stopping me from being topless.” 

Aier put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my, were you attacked?” 

Servi nodded. “Yes, I was. A crazy woman with one hand ambushed me. A few men in armor rescued me, and one gave me this to cover myself,” Servi tapped on her breastplate as she lied.  

“Ah, wasn’t that sweet? You know, it was probably Ben who gave that to you. He’s one of the nicest guys I know.” 

“He didn’t tell me his name. Just handed it to me and ran after the woman with three or four other people.” 

I wonder if he was one of the ones we killed? said Itarr.

Aier smiled. “That sounds like Ben. I bet he was as red as a rose when he handed that to you. Anyway, what would you like to do.” 

“Well, I’m currently broke, and what I’m wearing is all that I have. Do you know how I can make some money?” 

“Do you mind if I take a glance at your ID?” 

Servi said no and handed it to her.

“Well, you aren’t blessed, so that limits what you can do,” Aier said after looking at it.  

“What about that Warden thing? I heard people talking about.” 

Aier’s eyes went wide. “You never heard of Warden before?” 

Servi shook her head.  

“Warden is like a peacekeeping organization. Members who join can take on quests like defeating monsters, escorting a merchant or family to a new city, and everything in between."

“I see. Does it pay well?” 

“It does if you get promoted. It’s not easy, though, and it can be dangerous. I only managed to get to Rank 7 and stopped because I became injured.  My arm isn't what it used to be,” Aier subtly rubbed her arm, and she continued speaking. “While anyone can join Warden, most people who do are those who are blessed by a God. Do you still want to signup?” 

“That I do. I need some money to find a place to stay and replace my luggage. What you see on me is what I have left,” Servi glanced down at current attire as if to emphasize the point.  

“Very well. If you want to join, then you need to head on over to the Warden office. Just talk to a receptionist next to a sign that says ‘Sign Up Here’  and follow their instructions. You’ll be a member in no time. To get there, take a right when you leave this building and walk. You will reach a large intersection. Look for a wooden sign that says ‘Warden’ and follow the arrow. Let’s see… It’s currently 10:34 am, so there shouldn’t be that much of a wait.” 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re very welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with today?” Aier said with a pretty smile.  

Servi thought to herself for a few moments but shook her head.   

“I don’t think so. Thank you for your help,” Servi said as she stood up. She smiled and waved to Aier before leaving the building.  

Perhaps you should have asked about a potential place to sleep? 

“Probably, but you said I don’t require sleep, correct? I can focus on that later. Right now, my goal should be to acquire a source of income and buy some clothes. The dried blood feels weird and sickening.” 

That makes sense.  

A young girl, probably around the age of ten or eleven, absentmindedly stared as Servi talked to herself. The only one that could hear Itarr was Servi, and the only way for Itarr to hear Servi was by talking out loud. While walking to the city, Servi attempted to speak to her by thinking, but that didn’t work out. Yes, she looked weird talking to herself, but Servi didn’t care.  

Shall we head to the Warden office? 

“Alright.” With that, Servi took a right and started walking. She soon found herself in an intersection that was unlike the small one she was in before. This one was much bigger, with far more people rushing around. They all were trying to hastily reach their destination by any means necessary. It was hectic, but that didn’t include the sheer amount of wagons vying for an opportunity to move while monopolizing most of the road. Horses and oxen tumbled and clashed body to body, getting their harnesses mixed up. The time spent undoing the ropes and untangling the animals resulted in impatient carriages trying to squeeze through what gaps they could find. And, of course, the chaos wasn't complete without a barrage of curses and insults being thrown around.

Servi avoided that whole mess by walking around the outside. It took a few minutes longer, but it saved her a headache.

She found the sign after a few minutes of searching and followed it. After about ten or so minutes of walking, she found the building. It was the same one she fell in front of yesterday, the one with the wooden steps and handrails.  

I do believe this is the place. Itarr said to Servi as she gripped the rails, walked up the stairs, and pulled open the door.