Chapter 17: First Evolution (II)
Malrik stared at the translucent screen, trying to keep his breathing steady. The anticipation was eating at him.
This was the moment he’d been waiting for ever since he unlocked his SSS-Rank Talent. If his math was right, everything was about to change.
A second ticked by. Then another.
Nothing happened.
Malrik frowned, the silence in the room suddenly feeling a bit heavy. "...That’s it?"
He waited. Five seconds. Ten seconds. The screen just hovered there, completely blank. A bitter taste formed in his mouth. *Don’t tell me I just threw away a thousand points for a glitch.*
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the air shifted.
It was tiny at first. So subtle he thought he was just paranoid. Then it hit again—a sudden, invisible weight dropping straight into his chest.
"...?"
Malrik clapped a hand over his heart. His pulse was normal. His body felt fine, his bones weren’t breaking, and there was no blood. The pressure wasn’t coming from his flesh. It was coming from somewhere much deeper.
His soul.
Before he could even process the thought, an absolute explosion of agony ripped through him.
"F–Fuck!"
His knees hit the marble floor with a loud crack. It felt like his entire existence was being shredded into confetti, hastily stitched back together with rusty needles, and then torn apart all over again. There was no visible wound, but the sheer, blinding pain was unlike anything he’d ever felt.
"Shit...!"
His fingers dug into the marble, his nails scraping violently against the stone as he tried to find an anchor. Breathing wasn’t an option anymore. Thinking was out the window. There was only the pain.
Outside the door, Eliza’s head snapped up.
The sound that slipped through the cracks of the door wasn’t a shout of anger or surprise. It was a suffocating, guttural sound—the kind a person makes when their reality is collapsing.
She didn’t hesitate. She threw the door open and rushed in. "Young Master!"
Panic completely shattered her usual calm posture as she dropped beside him. "What’s happening?!"
Malrik forced his head up, his vision swimming in a blurry mess of colors. "...Leave..."
He didn’t even recognize his own voice. It sounded like grinding stones.
Eliza froze, looking at him in shock. "...Young Master?"
"Get... out..."
Another wave of agony crashed into his mind. He clamped his jaw shut so hard he tasted copper as blood filled his mouth. "Don’t.... let.... anyone.... enter..."
The last words were barely a gasp.
Eliza bit her lip, her instincts screaming at her to stay and help. But she wasn’t stupid. If Malrik was forcing orders out while looking like he was being tortured by invisible demons, there was a damn good reason for it.
She lowered her head. "...Understood."
She backed out quickly, pulling the heavy door shut. The lock clicked, and Malrik was left alone with his ragged, desperate breathing.
The torment dragged on. Objectively, it probably lasted about sixty seconds, but to Malrik, it felt like a couple of decades. His perception of time completely shattered. Every single heartbeat felt like a grueling eternity.
And then, just as he felt his mind was about to snap, the pain vanished. Cleanly. Completely.
Malrik slumped against the floor, panting heavily as cold sweat soaked right through his clothes. He slowly dragged his head up. The familiar blue screen was floating quietly in front of his face.
---
[ Class Evolution Successful. ]
[ Necromancer Class has evolved. ]
[ New Class Obtained: Soul Binder ]
[ Class Rank: Epic ★ ]
---
Malrik stared at the text, his mind gradually clearing. Epic rank. That part made sense. But his eyes locked onto the small symbol next to it.
"...A star?"
He’d never seen a star rating on a class description before. Not in the novels of his past life, and definitely not in the memories of the real Seventh Young Master. Classes were straightforward: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary.
He knit his brows. "So it’s not a standard evolution..."
He read it again. Epic ★.
His mind immediately went to the only unfair advantage he had in this world—his Talent.
"...Did you do this?"
The system didn’t answer, remaining as quiet as ever. Malrik let out a slow, exhausted breath, pushing himself up into a sitting position. *If my hunch is right... every time I evolve this thing, another star is going to pop up.* It was just a theory for now, but it felt right.
Before he could dig deeper, another wall of text flashed open.
---
[ Description ]
A class that governs, refines, and binds souls through eternal Soul Contracts.
Unlike ordinary Necromancers who temporarily puppet the dead, a Soul Binder establishes permanent bonds. Bound souls grow alongside their master through Soul Resonance. Their loyalty can never be broken.
The Soul Binder holds the authority to summon wandering souls from the Realm of Souls and offer them a contract. Once accepted, the soul is eternally bound, recognizing only one master.
---
Right underneath it, his skill adjustments popped up.
---
[ Skill Evolved: Raise Dead → Soul Resurrection ]
[ New Skill Acquired: Soul Contract ]
Grants the authority to summon a random wandering soul from the Realm of Souls to establish an eternal bond.
*Note: If the summoned soul exceeds the Soul Binder’s rank by more than one tier, its power will be forcibly suppressed to one rank above the master’s current level. Attempting to command a soul beyond your contract’s threshold significantly increases the risk of a backlash/loss of control.*
Cooldown: One Soul Contract every 3 months.
Bound souls manifest as physical entities capable of independent combat.
---
Malrik read through the fine print slowly, letting the details sink in.
A slow, tired smile finally broke through his exhausted face. "Right. So this is what a Soul Binder actually does."
A random soul from the Realm of Souls. Permanent loyalty. Growth.
His heart started beating a bit faster again, but this time it wasn’t from fear. The horrific pain he had just endured suddenly felt like a very cheap price to pay.
He leaned back against the chest, his eyes locked on the prompt.
"...Well, should I give it a shot?"
_________________________
Hey everyone!
First of all, I want to give a massive shout-out to all of you for the incredible feedback. Based on your suggestions, I’ve officially overhauled the writing style to make it hit harder, flow better, and feel way more natural.
If you’re enjoying this new direction, please consider supporting the story! Dropping a comment with your thoughts or recommending the novel to your friends helps out immensely and keeps the Chapters coming.
Let me know what you think of the new style in the comments below! Your support means everything.
Comments