Ten seconds before there was a knock at the door, Tris stood from my lap. With a snap of her fingers, her naked body was dressed. Her ears were hidden under her hat, and her clothes hid her tail for a moment before she made a hole for it. Her default attire was malleable since it was formed of the same mana that created her. 

Delouise was there to greet me when I answered the door, but he panicked at an impossibly large lion approaching from behind me. His screams caused my family to rush from their rooms. It took me a while to get through his outburst, but the manager of the Waterdale soon understood that Surtr was a spirit and my protector. Dad helped him to his feet, fixed his tie, and apologized for the trouble.   

Surtr and I did the same.  

Mom, Dad, and the others were wearing casual-looking clothing, so I bet they rang the bells and asked for something that fit. Seeing Mom dressed in a pleasant housewife-esque outfit-- complete with a lengthy skirt and a comfortable shirt-- warmed my heart. Dad had a suitable tunic, and Irisa seemed right at home in her comfy-looking overalls.   

Erin had on a cute skirt that reached her knees and a soft blue blouse, and Niva wore her oversized robe over her clothes. 

If anything, I was glad Niva liked it so much. But Primrose was with her this time, and she introduced herself to the manager and used [Minor Heal] to cure any small blemishes he may have had. I saw his look when he noticed my guns and just told him that these were my weapons.  

“Hrmm—you—you are all such an interesting bunch. I doubt the next two months will be boring. But please pardon my behavior. It was unbecoming of one like myself. If you’ll follow me, we have dinner waiting in the grand dining hall.”   

Lei jumped to Erin’s head as we went downstairs—Surtr following behind after barely squeezing through the door. The other employees stared at the lion, but the manager quelled their unease by saying it was my spirit. The dining room was off to the left, and you had to go through a set of grandiose doors with a green diamond embedded in the front, which led to the lavish hall. An extremely long table sat right in the middle—easily fitting thirty or forty people.   

We sat, with Kokan taking the head, Irisa and Ichiha to his left and right. I suppose the order didn’t matter. It wasn’t like this was a fancy party or noble dinner. But I made sure to sit between Niva and Irisa. Tris sat across and delicately placed her hands in her lap. Surtr found a nice spot near the entrance, which was out of the way, and laid down. Crossing its paws, it stared my way, never blinking or letting me go from its gaze.   

Since there was already one lion, I asked if the others wanted to stretch their legs. Delouise almost seemed to sweat as four more magnificent beasts appeared in a calming whirlwind of mana-infused flames. Since my family didn’t have as much mana as strong as me, their lions had shrunk, with Erin’s barely a hair taller than a large cat. But it was still born from Sekh's mana.  

It wasn't weak. 

The lions joined their leader, remaining completely silent while focused on their primary mission.   

Still, Surtr hadn’t shrunk once it was registered to my mana. But Sekh fueled five of them at once. 

She really was incredible…  

A couple minutes later, a serving tray on wheels was being pushed by a silver-skinned elf with bright green ears. Cautiously, the elf eyed the pride of lions and continued once the obvious was explained. He took off the lid to reveal a perfectly cooked turkey. He grabbed a knife and served the meat while four more similar elves entered the room. They had baked fish, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. The last held a rather exotic salad with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and more colorful fruits, veggies, and aromatic herbs with nuts sprinkled on top. It came with a small cup of sauce made from lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and dried dehydrated oregano.   

“This was short notice, but we all hope it is delectable,” said Delouise. He had a watchful eye over the servers and made sure they did their job. Once our plates were filled, they bowed and left, leaving the covered trays behind.   

I only asked for the salad, and what I was given looked appetizing. I overheard Irisa’s stomach growl. She blushed and looked down, then when she saw me, she broke into a small giggle.   

“It’ll be nice having a good meal, wouldn’t it?” I asked, starting a simple conversation while grabbing a forkful of my salad. The leafy greens were vibrant. Dipping it into the sauce, I bit into it and was immediately impressed by its taste. The sauce wasn’t too overpowering, but it enhanced the lettuce. Next, I tried a thick tomato covered in the dressing. “Oh my! This is delicious…”  

“I thank you for the compliment, Lord Springfield. I shall send them to the chef,” said Delouise. He remained on standby, but otherwise, he kept quiet. Irisa gushed about the fat steak she cut into it, then almost cried when she finally tasted something other than bread and water.   

Primrose helped Niva by cutting off a piece of fish and feeding it to her. Her eye went wide, her face smiling brightly. “Mistress, it’s so good!”  

“Then eat all you want. Erin? How do you like it?”  

“It’s yummy… I can’t stop…” Her tail wagged through the chair’s hole and danced with joy.   

This dinner felt like the first thing we’d done as a family since I told the truth about my past. It felt odd—almost unnerving-- to look back at who I was once. It was only two weeks prior- if even that- but I felt like a totally different person.   

Especially after the lecture Surtr gave me.   

I really needed that. And Tris’s love and care, too.    

Throughout this quaint dinner, the conversation turned to what we would do for money. We had that cargo Gretchen would sell on our behalf, but after that? If Mom’s family weren’t here, we would probably want to head out to find them. But I didn’t think it was that safe. Dad thought the same because he brought that up before me.   

He said with aggression from Atrix, it would be dangerous to travel to another city-state by land or sea. And I agreed. I didn’t know Atrix’s culture. For example, just how devious were they when it came to attacking? Were they fans of false flag attacks to get what they wanted? Or did they prefer a blitzkrieg and wiping out their enemy through rapid strikes designed for total devastation?  

It was probably a mix of both if I had to wager. Captain Caulk commanded a large ship with a ton of cannons. He probably could’ve fought off the three attacking vessels with little issue if the Mengoire had been supplied and staffed. 

“But speaking of money,” I said after my plate was empty. “I’m about to depart.”  

“Eh?! Why? Where are you going?” Irisa asked over the sound of me standing up and pushing my chair in.    

“The Bloodhounds. Captain Caulk gave me the pirate captain’s bounty tag. I think I’ll join up. It pays good money.”  

“But that’s dangerous. Didn’t you agree with Dad that it was—”  

“I did. But you don’t need to worry about me. Surtr and Tris are going with me. And we need money. We’ll get a lot from that shipment, but it'll be expensive to search for Grandma and Grandpa.”  

“But you don’t have to put—Mom, say something to Mila.”  

“Irisa, I need to do this. You know why I need to get stronger. I need that strength more than ever.”  

“But—” 

I walked to her. She stood up and threw her arms around me. Her back trembled as she whispered. “I almost lost you twice, so don’t make me go through that again… We can. Mmnn!!”  

I sealed her lips with mine and stroked her pretty hair, smelling a hint of honeydew and pineapple from her silky locks. “Then let me go with you! I’m your big sister, so I gotta protect you!”  

“I love your overprotectiveness, but you need to rest. A few hours of rest isn’t enough to stave off a week’s exhaustion.”  

“But…”  

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in the morning. I’ll be here when you wake up.”  

“…” Irisa was taller than me, but she looked and felt so fragile and tiny. She nodded and wiped her eyes, then sat down. Mom and Dad told me to be very careful. Erin was worried, but I kissed her head and ruffled her hair.    

“Do not do anything reckless, Lord Springfield,” Primrose remarked, staring me in the eyes.    

“I won’t do anything you wouldn’t, so don’t worry about it. And remember what I said. In the morning, you two need to start training.”  

“Ye—Yes, Mistress! We won’t let you down, right?” Niva turned to Primrose and smiled beautifully. She nodded and said she knew what was expected of her. She had enough time to think about what she needed to do.   

“Tris, Surtr. Come on, it’s time for us to go.”  

“Yes, my lord.”  

“It is about time!” roared Surtr. The four other lions stood and roared as if they were sending their leader off. Delouise seemed kind of…nervous, I guess? I doubted he ever had to play host to a High Elf, her adoptive family, a cyclops, her woodland spirit, and a pride of lions.   

Just wait until a fairy and Lionfolk shows up… 

“Is that a lion?!”  

“Look at how big that thing is!”  

“It’s totally a demon.”  

“No way. Only a spirit could look as regal. Look at how the flames around its neck—”  

“Oh, come on. Don’t start that pretentious bullshit. Demons are just as badass as spirits.”  

It seemed Surtr was attracting attention as we arrived at our destination, which sat on the same street as the adventurer’s guild. Looking at it brought back memories of a simpler time. I still had my guild card, but Sekh and I only used it a handful of times before things got too complicated. With my current strength, I was curious to see the limit of what I could take on.   

If anything, it would still be a good idea to keep it. If nothing else, it could be a way of going up against dangerous monsters. I could steal what I needed, so money was less important than before. But I wouldn’t scoff at a chunk of coin because mom needed money to find her family.    

The Bloodhounds, as a name, was literal. There was a sign hanging above the doors of a particular dog that shared the guild's name.   

Some breeds remained the same in different worlds. 

Surtr was too big to enter, so I had it wait outside. Tris followed me in, and the overall layout looked like the guild, if I was being honest. There wasn’t much to discuss, so I walked past staring eyes and went to the counter in the back.   

The experienced woman with a sharp eye looked me up and down and asked my business. I handed her the pirate captain’s tag and said I was turning it in.   

“This target is wanted dead or alive. Where's the proof?” I nodded, retrieved his head, much to her horror, and plopped it on the table. Whispers sounded from those around me.   

“I know how this game is played. I want my money, and I want to join the Bloodhounds. Can you make it happen for me?” The woman was taken aback. She hastily shouted for a corpse bag and adjusted her glasses while looking sickly.  She took a Scan Stone from under the counter, checked the head’s identity, and filled out a sheet of paperwork while asking for my name and other information.    

Some young kid on the cusp of puberty ran over and used a gloved hand to place the head in a brown bag. Then he ran off to enter through a door in the back before returning with what I assumed to be cleaning supplies.   

There was a little bit of blood left on the table.   

“For future reference, all proof must be stored safely in a designated corpse bag. You would’ve known that if you learned our rules before barging in here with that unprofessionalism. If you wish to join, you must complete a test. You have hunted a bounty and proved your skills capable, so I recognize you as an official member of the Bloodhounds. Work your way from the bottom and rise through the ranks, and you will receive special perks and benefits.” Even though she was pissed, she still took my blood and used a similar method to create a metal membership card like the adventurer’s guild. She handed me my reward, which found a home in [Void Storage]. 

New Title: [Novice Bounty Hunter] 

It's a good thing I can update my identification documents here. I almost completely forgot about them. Huh… That’s another thing I haven’t used that much. 

As with the adventurer’s guide, we were rank I, but rankings didn’t correspond, relate, or transfer between the organizations. Hunting monsters or helping people in need was different than tracking bounties like an animal and ending their lives. And speaking of that, I went to the bounty board with Tris and looked at the available tags. 

People wanted to approach, but a deadly glance and a fierce scowl kept them away.    

“My lord, I recommend this one,” Tris said, picking a tag. The name on it read Randall, a black-haired man missing his top row of teeth. He was a grave robber who killed a little boy when he walked to the cemetery to leave a flower for his baby brother, who died shortly after birth. I didn’t care about the circumstances. Most importantly, Randall was wanted dead or alive, and I focused on the former part. His bounty was 8 silver, and the presumed difficulty was I, which matched my rank. He wouldn’t put up that big of a fight if this info was accurate, but the pay was pretty low. A more powerful bounty hunter would choose to go after bigger game instead of wasting time on a minnow.    

“Then let’s head back to the receptionist,” I said, taking it from her. 

The aged woman who registered me didn’t seem happy to see me back. But it was her job to brief me about the target, and she did that after looking through a nearby filing cabinet. “Where can I find him? The tag didn’t mention a location.”   

“The last reported location was the Hershire Valley dungeon, located approximately 8 hours away to the south. It’s an underground forest that consists of four floors. The monsters range from Lv. 8 to Lv. 19. It is a maze that shifts with every new moon, so we believe the target is inside it.”   

“Got it,” I said, taking ten corpse bags. “I just have to bring the head?”   

“That’s correct. We have a Scan Stone to verify the corpse. But it is easier to use on a head because we can be sure he’s dead. Arms and legs do not count.”   

“Understood,” I replied, turning to leave. It seemed my guns were also a point of regular attention because I was asked multiple times if they were real. And I had no reason to entertain their bullshit. Surtr was waiting outside. People curiously stood around my lion, but no one dared to get too close.   

“Lord Springfield, are we departing?”   

“We are. A dungeon to the south,” I said, leaping to his back after he stood up. I lent a hand to assist Tris in getting on. She wrapped her arms around my stomach. “Come on, let’s go.”   

“At once!” Surtr roared and started to walk. He jumped over the ogling group, and we kept walking, bypassing staring guards and others who couldn’t believe what they saw. After leaving through the city gates, Surtr let loose and showed its speed, zooming down the dirt, arid road. It wasn’t so much a desert as I was surrounded by an environment that almost reminded me of the old images of someone traveling through a rocky, mountainous region. But there was depressingly little greenery other than cacti.   

Which still didn’t make much sense since people in Plymoise’s primary city were partly green. I should’ve asked Delouise or Dad about that before I left.    

But the air was thick with a ‘dusty’ aftertaste that lingered on the tongue. Or maybe I wasn’t used to this type of environment. All of Parthina couldn’t have been like this. And that was another thing. I needed to learn more about this heptarchy and all its seven city-states.   

Information was key.   

Information was needed to dictate the correct choice. You had to have all the facts and knowledge to ensure you were heading down the right path.   

It didn’t matter how childish a fact was. Nor did it matter if something was so insignificant you didn’t think it was worthwhile to investigate.   

At this point in my life... I needed everything that provided even the tiniest advantage.    

After about two hours of non-stop running, we came across a river flowing to our right. It was small and narrow-- a micro-stream since it wasn’t even as wide as me.    

“Surtr, let’s take a break. Drink and recover some mana.”   

“As you wish,” replied my lion. I leapt off its back. Tris followed and held onto her hat, her skirt fluttering up to grant me a peek at her lingerie and garter belt.   

“Yes, it appears as if we are a sufficient distance away. My lord, can you check to see if we’re alone? I have something to discuss with you.”   

“Sure.” Four clones manifested as birds and flew far and fast. When I was at ten percent of my mana, they vanished and died, and while I was feeling groggy, a lot of my map was indexed. And yes, we were alone. Only other animals and monsters were around us. “What’s on your mind?”  

“I…don’t know how to say this. But… When you used [Ira Ignis] on the boat and killed the pirates, that single action came from your culminating desire to acquire real strength. It was there... You fully accepted your role as the Transcendent Dark Lord. My lord, Soul Evolution… You have obtained it.”  

“Okay…? Why are you speaking like this? I don’t get it? If I met the requirements, why hasn’t anything happened?”  

“It is… I withheld the evolution because the timing wasn’t right. I decided it was too risky to allow it to happen on the boat because of the information I gathered after reading Murag’s tomes. It was a matter of personal security, and the attention it would’ve brought would have caused you trouble. I’ll take any punishment you deem fit—”  

“I won’t punish you, Tris. It’s good you delayed it. You’re more knowledgeable about this stuff, so I’ll defer to your judgement in times like this,” I replied, smiling because she cared so much. “So, what do I have to do? What’s going to happen?”   

“In short, it is a spectacle. Soul Evolution occurs when your soul breaks the boundary developed when a Soul Warrior is given their Soul Crystal. Your soul cannot contain the desire or power anymore, so it must break apart and reforge itself using your new dedication as a basis. However, as I said, it is a spectacle. A tremendous beam of destructive mana will shoot up into the sky, and the same will happen to Meruria.”  

She said nothing would happen to Sekh since she was in our [Void Storage]. Although she would still receive the burst of mana, it wouldn’t have an outlet, so it had to go to me or Meruria.  

“[Status Cloak] will prevent Meruria from detecting your mana’s identifying signature. When Soul Evolution occurs, she will only know that one of her warriors has achieved the unthinkable. Due to the process of elimination, she will eventually deduce the truth. However, I do not know if she will believe what she thinks is impossible,” Tris said, continuing. “If it pleases you, I can obscure the procedure and store the energy that would have been released for later use. You could think of it as a trump card—something you can use if you find yourself in danger.”  

Tris nodded when I asked if she could direct the mana that would go to myself and Sekh to Meruria to make it even more explosive.  

“But I highly advise against it, my lord. It’s unlikely to cause any lasting damage to your enemies. Furthermore, the chances of Meruria deflecting it away are high. Based on her personality from your memories, it’s likely she would divert it to her city, then blame the chaos on a neighboring country to have a ‘justified’ reason to go to war.”  

“So, it’ll only help her in the long run?”  

“That’s correct. However, the final decision is up to you.”  

“I know there’s a war between her and me, but the cons far outweigh the pros. It’ll only cause needless death. Go ahead and store the energy, Tris.”  

Tris nodded and held her hands close to her chest. From within her body came a volatile sphere of gray, rampaging mana. It floated a few inches above her palms, and she held it to me.   

The moment I took it, it clashed against some invisible force and transformed into rainbow-colored energy—like the stars that appeared when Tokko and the others broke their crystals.  

Cracks materialized on my skin, causing my body to snap like glass after being hammered with a mallet. My skin and flesh continued to flake off until I was a humanoid version of the same energy I stared at.  

The sphere shattered, leaving me as something I didn’t understand, and that forced itself into the orb.  

That was the container...of my soul. What I used to be... It shattered because it couldn’t sustain my growth.   

Somehow, I saw Tris kneel as my consciousness and vision were returned to the body of Lyudmila Springfield. The flesh I was familiar with once again wrapped around my evolved soul…  

And I felt much stronger…   

Looking at my hands and legs, I still looked the same. The clothing I had on before this ascension wasn’t destroyed. That came back a second later in a dull flash of light—probably Tris’s work to keep this as low-key as possible.  

But I had done it. The bullshit challenge Meruria set up for me that she thought I couldn’t finish… I FUCKING DID IT!!!! 

You have achieved Soul Evolution! Your soul has ascended from a 0-Star into a 1-Star. All accumulated SP before your ascension will be granted to you momentarily.    

Titles will now have an effect.   

Acquisition of skills, spells, and techniques through manual means is possible.   

The ascension of your soul will now grant you your Soul Weapon.   

Error! You already have acquired your Soul Weapon.   

You have gained 178 SP.   

“I must admit the process was lackluster, although I’m sure that’s because you only allowed the bare necessity to occur.”  

“That’s correct.” Tris stood. She held a hand to her chest and retrieved a gray sphere. It rampaged around, threatening to burst free. It was volatile, capable of exploding at any moment. “The three bursts of mana that would’ve shot into the sky after your Soul Evolution are being held within this orb. Its power cannot be understated, my lord. Evolving from a 0-Star to a 1-Star grants more energy than a 4-Star to a 5-Star, and you have two summoners, so the overall destructive intent has been multiplied.”  

“I trust you more than myself. So... I’ll let you decide when the time is right.”  

“Your faith warms my heart, my lord.” Tris smiled... She was so cute. After pressing the angry orb into her chest, her face turned sad-- as if a sudden realization hit her. Tris immediately kneeled. “I must apologize, my lord! If I knew you were this close to evolving your soul, I--”  

“You did nothing wrong. Yes. I’d have learned [Soul Link] upon evolving if you waited, but bullets are fine until I acquire it via the Soul Weapon Evolution Tree. Trust me, it’s not a big deal, okay? I’m glad you gave it to me when you did since it came in handy during the naval battle.”  

“Yes, my lord. I…understand.” I offered a hand, and she took it with a smile. We hugged and kissed, and then it was time to continue to our destination. We hopped on Surtr and resumed. But this time? My face was beaming because I had accomplished the impossible!