{Argus's POV}
Argus returned to the village with Astrea by his side. He noticed that the villagers had begun cleaning up, trying to restore some normalcy. The air was still a bit heavy with sadness, but some people had already recovered, while others, especially those who had lost family members, carried a deeper sorrow.
"Master, the undead did not reach this village or even the other villages. I just saw them wandering, but not too far from the dungeon entrance," Astrea reported.
Argus nodded, gently patting her head. He knew the village would soon return to its bustling self, especially since the festival was still ongoing. The villagers had faced challenges like this before, enduring them annually. They had learned to move on quickly, realizing that dwelling on the gloom wouldn't help them rebuild or celebrate life again.
Argus made his way to the village inn and rented two rooms. Despite Astrea's protests about wanting to stay with him, he ignored her complaints and remained firm in his decision.
"Master, I want to stay beside you!"(Astrea)
She pout, clearly unhappy.
Without looking at her, Argus handed her the key to her own room. Their rooms were side by side, and though she continued to pout, Astrea eventually gave in and entered her own room, still grumbling under her breath.
Argus, now alone, stepped into his room. It was modest but comfortable, with a small bed and a window that allowed a soft glow from the evening sky to filter in. He sighed in relief as he sat on the bed, finally allowing himself a moment to relax. His eyes drifted down to his feet, then settled on his shadow on the floor.
"You can come out now."(Argus)
Argus said softly, though he was speaking to no one in particular.
Almost immediately, his shadow began to move on its own, as if it had a life of its own. Argus watched calmly, his expression unreadable. The shadow wiggled and twisted, and from it, a dark-colored bone started to emerge. The bone slowly took shape, forming a full skeleton that seemed to be made of pure darkness. The skeleton was so dark that it absorbed any light that touched it.
The skeleton's eye sockets glowed with a light purple soul fire, adding a haunting contrast to its shadowy form. Despite its eerie appearance, the figure moved with a certain grace. It knelt on one knee before Argus, the purple flames in its eye sockets fixated on him. The room seemed to hold its breath as the dark figure waited silently.
Argus had noticed something unusual hiding within his shadow for a while, especially after their recent fight. His intuition had told him that it was not a threat and that the creature was not hostile, so he decided to leave it alone. He assumed that once they were out of the dungeon, the creature would leave his shadow. However, it had followed him continuously, which sparked his interest.
Now that the creature had fully emerged and was kneeling in front of him, Argus wanted to understand its intentions. The dark skeleton, with its light purple soul fire glowing in its eye sockets, remained silent and still.
Argus looked at the creature with curiosity.
"Why are you doing that? Do you want to serve me or something?"(Argus)
Argus had asked the question jokingly, not expecting the creature to respond. To his surprise, the dark skeleton in front of him nodded. This response made Argus's expression turn serious.
"Are you sure?"(Argus)
Argus asked, his tone now stern.
"The only way you can follow me is if you are a Unique Monster."
He checked the status of the skeleton and confirmed that it was indeed a Unique Monster. His gaze returned to the skeleton, and he continued.
"You need to sign a Life and Death contract with me if you really want to follow me. This means your freedom and life will be under my control. I won't stop you if you decide to leave right now. It's entirely up to you."
Argus spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure the skeleton understood the gravity of the decision. Despite the serious nature of his words, the skeleton remained steadfast and unflinching. As Argus finished speaking, he received a notification from his status window, further confirming the situation.
[Congratulations for taming a new Soulbound(Life and Death)]
[Please name your new Soulbound]
Name: [Please name your new Soulbound]
Race: Shadow Brawn Skeleton
Realm: Beginner Realm
Level: 0(0%)
Attribute: ???
HP:100%/100%
MP:20
VIT:20
STR:20
AGI:20
INT:20
Skill:
«Shadowborne Skeletal Battle Physique Lv.1»
•Rank: Unique
•Grants the ability to blend into shadows.
•Absorbs the shadows of dead enemies.
•???
«Shadow Manipulation Lv.1»(Locked)
•Rank: Unique
•Allows the user to form shadow constructs for offense and defense.
«Life Bane Lv.1»
•Rank: Special
•Increases damage dealt by 20% if enemy has life.
•Decrease Healing Effects of enemies by 5%
«Blade Specialization Lv.1»
•Rank: Elite
•Increase 10% damage when using scythe weapons.
"No turning back, huh?"(Argus)
Argus said with a serious tone.
"I like you. From now on, I will be your master. I will entrust you with my back as you entrust me with your life. But I want to make it clear that I do not need a Soulbound who does not follow my orders. Do you understand?"(Argus)
The dark skeleton nodded solemnly and bowed its head in acknowledgment. Seeing this, Argus nodded back and allowed a smile to appear on his face. He was pleased to have gained another strong Soulbound.
"Hmm... I need to think of a name for you."(Argus)
Argus muttered, his smile fading into a thoughtful expression.
"Sigh... I have to come up with another name."(Argus)
Although he spoke with a hint of frustration, Argus understood the importance of naming his Soulbounds. A name was not just a label; it was a permanent identity and symbol for them. It held significant meaning and needed to be chosen with care and consideration. He would take his time to think of a name that would truly fit the new addition to his team.
"Okay, from now on, your name will be... Yǐng Zhǔ. It means 'Shadow Lord' in one of the ancient human languages. How do you like it?"
Argus announced after a few minutes of deep thought. He wanted the name to be a translation from a human language, and he felt that Yǐng Zhǔ was fitting. It had a strong, commanding presence, much like the name Wudi.
The dark skeleton—now officially known as Yǐng Zhǔ—felt a flicker of excitement in its soul fire. It bowed deeply once again, showing its gratitude and happiness at receiving such a meaningful name from its new master. The new soul connection between them felt solidified with the name, affirming Yǐng Zhǔ's commitment and loyalty.
"Sigh... I'm glad you like the name."(Argus)
Argus said with a hint of relief.
"Anyway, I feel like you have something to tell me. Don't be shy—just let me know what you want. I won't treat you like anyone else since you're basically part of the family."(Argus)
Yǐng Zhǔ did not hesitate and promptly asked Argus to return a weapon to him. Argus's eyes widened in surprise as he realized that the weapon in question was a very large butcher knife. He had not expected the original owner of the butcher knife to be Yǐng Zhǔ.
Curious, Argus first checked the information on the butcher knife. As he read the details, his shock grew.
Name: Reaver
Race: Bone Eater Knife(Universal Armament)
Realm: Beginner
«Bone Eater»
•Rank: Unique
•Eat bones to increase Realm
«Bone Crusher»
•Rank: Unique
•Increase damage by 200% to creatures with bones
«Mass Reversal»
•Rank: Special
•Alters the weight of a weapon, making it either lighter or heavier depending on the energy.
«Size Shift»
•Rank: Special
•Alters the size of a weapon depending on the energy.
Argus's face twitched as he read Yǐng Zhǔ's weapon stats.
'Another Universal Armament. If I hadn't gotten Zhuanyi as my reward, I'd be jealous of my Soulbound's item. Sigh...'(Argus)
Looking at his new soulbound, a thought appeared on his mind.
'Do you have a deep history or something?But having this kind of weapon at his current power seems out of the picture. A powerful background? The possibility is high. Well, I won't ask him or anything as long as he doesn't betray me then that's fine.'
Yǐng Zhǔ tilted his head, observing his master's reaction with curiosity. However, the skeleton's focus soon returned to the large butcher knife in front of him. If Argus hadn't been there, Yǐng Zhǔ would have embraced the knife with great enthusiasm.
Argus noticed how happy and eager Yǐng Zhǔ was to hold the weapon.
"Okay, you can have it. It wasn't mine to begin with."(Argus)
Yǐng Zhǔ's joy was palpable as he immediately hugged the butcher knife, caressing it as though it were a long-lost relative. Argus speculated that there might be a deeper story behind Yǐng Zhǔ's reaction but decided not to pry.
'If he wants to share his story, I'm all ears. If not, that's fine too. Everyone has their secrets.'(Argus)
Seeing Yǐng Zhǔ's intense focus on the weapon, Argus realized that his Soulbound was very grateful. When Yǐng Zhǔ noticed Argus watching him, he stopped and knelt with both knees on the ground, beginning to kowtow in gratitude. Argus quickly intervened.
"Do not do that. We are family. No need for such formalities. Understood?"(Argus)
Yǐng Zhǔ tilted his head in understanding and nodded.
Argus calmly accepted all that's happening in front of him. Having tamed three soulbounds in the span of a month after being awakened was unprecedented.