Conquering the Stars with the Undead-Chapter 133: Soul Enhancement

Liam's loud voice broke him from his concentration.

"So? Whatdya get?"

Charon blinked and shook his head, uncertain how to answer that question himself.

"An ability, a spell, I think. It's called Soul Enhancement."

Annie's head tilted to the side as her eyes widened.

"Soul Enhancement? A buff ability, perhaps? Something that increases the strength of your summons?"

She began to prattle on about the various kinds of spells summoners usually received, but Charon didn't pay her much mind. Instead, he refocused on the holo-pad and summoned the ability's description.

[Ability Name: Soul Enhancement]

[Ability Element: Soul]

[Ability Description: Crafted by the demi-god $%^!(, Soul Enhancement is a powerful ability that infuses mana into summons to turn them into variant forms. These forms are impossible to predict, being determined by the caster's own soul. Take heed, all who mess with the immortal soul, for all interactions bring repercussions, whether in this life or the next.]

Temporarily ignoring the warning at the end, Charon felt like it was simple enough.

'So it's a buff, like Annie was saying. Is that all, though?'

Believing it would be better to get the others' opinions, he shared the description and allowed them to weigh in, choosing honesty over deceit this time.

The silence stretched just long enough to feel awkward before Liam barked out a laugh.

"Variant forms? Sounds like you're gettin' monsters that can do tricks. Maybe one'll have wings, or hell, maybe a summon that ain't a bag of bones! That'd be a sight!"

He slapped Charon on the back, nearly knocking him forward. His grin was wild, full of energy, but strangely it felt lacking, different than the usual smiles he gave.

'Is Liam okay?'

Emerius, however, frowned. He thumbed the pommel of one of his swords while he grunted in disapproval.

"It mentions your soul. Not mana or something easy to gain, but your soul itself. That is not casual wording. Abilities that meddle with such things are rare, but not unheard of. You should heed the warning, Charon. It is not there for show."

Charon grimaced. He had thought the same thing but hoped someone else wouldn't point it out. The last thing he wanted was the burden spelled out so bluntly.

Darius, sitting stiffly with one hand pressed to his wrapped ribs, nodded at Emerius's words. His tone was low and deliberate.

"He is correct. This soul magic sounds volatile, even more so than necromancy. When a spell claims to alter creations based on the caster's own soul, it is not being poetic. It is literal. You could find yourself slipping into another state of mind, one different than your own."

Annie perked up at that, excitement glimmering across her features.

"That means that we can observe the impact of magic on Charon himself! He could be a look into the intricacies of his element, allowing a level of examination we haven't had access to before. It could be incredible!"

She stopped at Emerius's glare, pouting but falling quiet.

Liam waved her off with a guffaw.

"Don't listen to them, kid! You've got a new toy, and toys are meant to be played with. We'll figure out this soul nonsense later. For now, I just wanna see what comes out when you use it. Maybe we'll get a giant skeleton dragon or somethin'."

Charon forced a smile, but his stomach twisted. He didn't share Liam's unshakable optimism.

'If both Darius and Emerius think it's something to worry about, then it most definitely is. How am I supposed to deal with that? "Sorry, Charon, but your cool new reward is actually a double-edged sword that could seriously hurt you." Just what I needed…'

Darius spoke again, slower this time, his gaze heavy.

"I would advise caution. The demi-god who crafted this ability is not named, but the distortion in the text is telling. It is possible that whatever being forged it did not wish to be remembered, or perhaps their name was deliberately erased. Either case does not bode well."

His words struck true, and Annie's enthusiasm dimmed.

Charon's interest, however, peaked.

'He is right. What demi-god would want to hide their creation, or does the holo-pad simply lack the ability to represent them?'

So far, Charon knew of three demi-gods of Death: Achlys, the Warden of the Acheron, and Alastor. The first two were bonded to him, and the third was dead, so it made sense that the ability would be linked to another, fourth, demi-god.

'I should ask Achlys when I have the chance.'

Emerius straightened, his voice measured.

"Regardless, this is not something to test without preparation. We should establish safeguards before you attempt it in the field. If the summons are truly shaped by your soul, then they could just as easily manifest your weakness as your strength, turning against you or us."

Liam groaned.

"You two worry too much. The kid's stronger now, and that's what matters! We don't need to sit around writin' reports on his soul or whatever. Just let him try it!"

Annie clapped her hands suddenly, a spark returning to her face.

"I agree with Liam! He should test it now, show us all what it does! Worst-case scenario, the rest of us can handle whatever comes. It's not like a single Acolyte summon will be too dangerous, right?"

Darius opened his mouth to object, referencing the recent battle against the cultist, but Charon had already made up his mind.

Activating his Soul Summon ability to summon one of his skeleton infantry, he froze as the ability came without a second thought. It was as if he were born to use it, the skeleton appearing in a purple portal instantly.

'What? I didn't even have to focus on my mana! It just… came!'

Emerius must have noticed his confusion, hurrying to explain as he continued to counsel caution.

"As an Acolyte, you have attuned yourself with the previous ranks' spells. They are second nature now, so long as you have the mana. However, that doesn't mean you are ready to abandon all reason. Reconsider this, we can attempt it later with more safeguards."

Charon turned to him and gave him a soft smile.

"Don't worry, Emerius, I have it handled. I know the description was worrying, but how bad can it be? I've yet to see a spell that was more of a detriment than a positive."

He chose to leave out his minimal experience on the topic, instead whirling to face the skeleton and grinning.

'Okay, now let's get this figured out…'

Just like so many times before, he turned his attention inward and found his core. Inside, mana spun and roiled like a sea, with a few noticeable differences from before.

It moved faster, as if a storm was above it, folding and splashing around with vigor. The orbs of light that represented his summons were still there, being slightly brighter than before.

Their sight made Charon sigh with relief.

'Seeing the skeleton made me feel confident, but it's good to know for sure that all of my summons survived the process.'

He still remembered how it felt when the fire burned through his veins, scouring them clean and making him feel disconnected from his summons. Losing the Warden was the worst of them, a fact that was revealed by the lack of black cloth draped over his shoulders.

'After I test this new spell, I'm getting him right back out here.'

Raising his arm, he allowed instinct to guide him as he planted it on the bony creature's shoulder. It was cool to the touch, and slightly gross, but he ignored that aspect, focusing on properly activating the ability.

The mana came quicker now, as if he had more control over it.

It surged up, flowing down his arm and up his neck, resting in both his palm and brain. It then leaked out, coating the summon entirely and encasing it in a violet cocoon. It glowed lightly, a soft hue that just barely lit up the surroundings.

The others watched in awe as cracks began to appear along the surface, as the shell broke away, revealing a completely reborn summon.

Pale bone was replaced with sleek, gray steel, running up and down every inch of the creature. It was thicker now, easily double the size of before, with ramshackle plates bridging the gaps between ribs, creating a form of extra armor.

Its sword was gone, replaced with a laser rifle, purple coils sparking up and down its barrel, lashing at the air.

In the very center of its chest sat a small glass case, a burning purple sun stuck inside, its power beaming through the transparent material.

Charon stared with mounting dread as he realized what it meant, his hands beginning to shake in fear.

'They look exactly like Alastor's machines!'

Suddenly, he began to reconsider if the hidden demi-god in the description was a fourth, or if the dreadful beast had managed to leave a legacy behind.

One that had infected Charon.