It was only when Julius finished selecting his rewards that Thorik came over to him.
“Did ya get everything?” Thorik asked him.
Julius nodded. “Yeah.”
“Any problems with the evolution or your soul?”
Julius inspected his soul and noticed that, while there were some points of instability, the overall increase in his soul's strength more than made up for them. It was incomparable to what it had been just a few hours before, and he suspected that some time would help with the instability part on its own. That or consuming that token.
That being said, there were a few issues he was immediately aware of. First of all, his body and mind seemed to struggle slightly with containing the power of his soul. If his soul was the core of his existence, then his body was the container holding it all together, and his mind the circuits.
And at the moment, his core was too powerful for his body, and his circuits were too fragile for his soul.
It wasn’t like he had a weak body either. Far from it. He had one of the strongest bodies you would ever see from a Tier 4. He would be surprised if anyone other than people like Isaac or prodigies completely devoted to the physical side of skills could outclass him. Even then, he had a Ruinous Phoenix Body, undoubtedly more resilient than any other.
Thankfully, he was managing for the moment. But he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold out indefinitely. He had a feeling he would need to upgrade his body-enhancement skills pretty soon. In the meantime, [Phoenix Incarnate] would be his best friend. It should help heal whatever damage his domineering soul might inflict on his body.
He also took some time to look at the notifications he received while consuming the Draught of the Golden Soulspring.
[Calm Before Ruin lvl 5 -> lvl 6]
[Phoenix Incarnate lvl 2 -> lvl 3]
[Harmonic Balance lvl 8 -> lvl 9]
He received more levels than he anticipated. The pain he experienced seemed to get more than just a more powerful soul out of it.
That wasn’t the only notification he received, either. He’d missed one that surprised him.
Congratulations. You have undergone a Third Soul Evolution before advancing to Tier 5. [Feat of Enduring Resolve] has been upgraded to reflect this rare achievement.
[Feat of Enduring Resolve lvl 1 -> lvl 2]
That wasn’t something he’d been expecting at all. He’d sort of forgotten all about it. All he knew about Feats was that they were something important to his advancement to Tier 5. Apparently, they were required, and those without them were unable to proceed further along their paths.
However, he had zero idea what it would mean now that he had gained an extra level in it. Did level 2 signify something different? Something important? Or was it something he didn’t have to worry about until he advanced to Tier 5?
He wished he could have asked Cain or Freya, but to be honest, he didn’t even know if they would tell him if they were around. They had already been quite tight-lipped about it when he first mentioned it to them.
However, he had a Tier 6 right next to him. He didn’t know if he wanted to discuss important things like Feats with the grumpy dwarf, but he felt like he really needed to get some answers.
“Hey, what’s a Feat?” he asked casually, turning to stare at Thorik with a curious expression.
Thorik, on the other hand, froze and snapped his head to stare intensely at Julius.
“You got a Feat?” he asked in disbelief.
“I didn’t say that. I heard about it from one of my friends and wondered what they had to do with advancing to Tier 5,” Julius lied.
Thorik didn’t believe him for a moment and scoffed. “Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised. If undergoing a Third Soul Evolution at Tier 4 wasn’t enough to gain you a Feat, then I don’t know what else would qualify you for one. God’s beard, you’re a lucky little shit, you know that?”
“So what are they? Are they important?”
Thorik barked out a laugh. “Important? They are essential for anyone trying to advance to Tier 5 and beyond. Having one basically ensures you will advance without any issues. It is something that almost everyone hopes to get.”
“But you can still advance without one right?”
“Sure, but those who do so almost never reach Tier 6. They are almost always the people who paid their way up to Tier 5. Oftentimes nobles or snobby rich weaklings.”
“What are they?” Julius pressed, still not quite understanding what a Feat was.
Thork sighed and rubbed his beard before taking another sip of ale. “They are recognition from the gods, the Words of the World, or whoever the fuck you believe controls this world and reality. It is them, quite literally stamping their approval on your soul. It is a declaration recognizing your achievement and potential. Something that not everyone gets.”
Julius frowned. “Wait, so if they are so important, why doesn’t everyone try to get them before they advance to Tier 5?”
He didn’t see it coming, but Thorik swatted him across the back. “You idiot. If you were to explain to every stuck-up little shit stain the importance of Feats, they would try everything in their power to get one. Especially a little masochistic bastard like you. I bet whoever hid it from you was scared of you going off and trying to see how many limbs you needed to cut off before the Words of the World gave you one.”
“I’m not that bad,” Julius mumbled. However, he admitted to himself that it was probably exactly what Freya was thinking when she didn’t explain the details to him. She was probably scared he’d go off and try to advance it, even though he knew just how important they were.
That being said, he was curious about whether setting a world record for the most severed limbs within a day would actually get him a feat. Would the Words of the World recognize it as something impressive?
“See? You’re already thinking about it,” Thorik said with a bothered frown on his face.
“Nope, just thinking about something else,” Julius lied.
Thorik rubbed his nose in exasperation. “But it’s essential to understand that simply knowing about Feats and their importance directly interferes with gaining one. The Words of the World will not just give out Feats to anyone chasing them. They have to happen naturally and without any direct manipulation.”
“Direct manipulation?” Julius noticed the emphasis on this term.
Thorik shrugged. “People are cunning, and they understand that they can’t just tell their children about Feats. But they can push them, give them opportunities to gain one.”
“So what happens if I do get one?” Julius asked.
“You're still pretending that you don’t have one?” Thorik asked him blandly.
“But I don’t,” Julius replied with what he hoped looked like a genuine expression. “But in the case that I do gain one, what should I do with it?”
“Fine, do what you want. If you don’t have one, then me telling you just significantly lowered your chances of getting one. “ If you do get one—” Thorik said sarcastically. “— then you don’t need to do anything.” It won’t show its value until you advance anyway.”
“Okay,” Julius said with a pleased nod. He was glad that he learned something about it. He still didn’t know anything about getting a Feat to level 2, but sharing that information with Thorik would be too much.
“Okay, now that your curiosity is satisfied, follow me. Let’s get started on this soul-sucking business. I’m tired of being in this sorry state,” Thorik grumbled.
Julius followed right behind the dwarf, and while he did so, he also took a look at his status. He wanted to see what it looked like now.
Name: Julius Von Hyperius
Tier: 4
Skills:
[Calm Before Ruin lvl 6] (Legendary)
[Phoenix Incarnate lvl 3] (Legendary+)
[Armaments of the Arcane lvl 29] (Epic)
[Pyrokinetic Embodiment of Ruin lvl 30] (Epic+)
[Inexorable Aura of Ruin lvl 29] (Epic)
[Absolute Spatial Perception lvl 25] (Epic)
[Void Step lvl 23] (Epic+)
[Void Strike lvl 21] (Epic+)
[Spirit Fortification lvl 28] (Epic)
[Field of the Shattered Will lvl 21] (Epic+)
[Phoenix’s Mark lvl 8] (Epic+)
[Harmonic Balance lvl 9] (Epic)
Current Skill Slots: 12/14
Seed of Authority: Seed of Phoenix’s Ruin
Concepts:
[Concept of Sharpness]
[Pure Severance]
[Concept of Will]
[Inexorable Resolve]
[Concept of Phoenix]
[Ashen Rebirth]
[Concept of Force]
[Resonating Burst]
[Concept of Space]
[Chaotic Space]
[Concept of Balance]
[Burning Serenity]
Feats:
[Feat of Enduring Resolve lvl 2]
Soul Bound Items:
Fledgling Phoenix’s Lunch Box (Growth Type)
Ruinous Crown (Growth Type)
Lightweave Necklace
Blanket of Gluttonous Renewal (Growth Type)
It was quite a nice little upgrade from the last time he checked it out.
While he was examining and admiring his status, he followed Thorik back towards his shop. The city, which had been bustling with people before, was silent. He didn’t know whether the people were gone or had ceased to exist now that the trial was over.
When he walked back into the shop, he paused as several very subtle enchantments slammed into place. Frowning, he turned to Thorik. “What was that?”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you activate those enchantments? What is their purpose?”
Thorik chuckled, though it was a bit sad for some reason. “Yeah, I should have expected you to sense that. But don’t blame me, I have to take precautions.”
Julius felt the air become a bit eerie, and he glanced at the door. He also felt a number of powerful enchantments slam into place. “Precautions against what?”
“Well, we made an agreement, right? I help you evolve your soul, and you will let me siphon your soul to help heal me.”
“Yeah, but I was going to do that regardless. So I don’t understand the need for precaution,” Julius said with a furrowing of his brows.
“I know, that’s why I only said as a precaution.”
Julius wasn’t comfortable with all of this and began channeling some mana into [Void Step]. But something interfered with his mana and his skill. It was ripped away before he even had a chance to start its activation sequence.
“What is going on?” Julius turned and asked Thorik with an accusatory glare.
Thorik, to his credit, seemed genuinely contrite. He was frowning and tugging on his beard harshly.
“I was wrong with my calculations,” Thorik said in a pained voice.
“What do you mean you were wrong?”
“Your soul is much stronger than I originally anticipated. I thought I had tested it extensively, but I was wrong. It is even stronger now that you have gone through a third soul evolution,” Thorik said in a calmer tone, as if coming to grips with something.
“Why does that matter?” Julius asked, sending every ounce of willpower at whatever was disrupting him. He also tried to channel his mana through his body, but an unknown force tore his efforts apart. He couldn’t weave anything together, and Thorik was clearly the reason.
“I need to get back to my people,” Thorik said with a resolute clench of his hands.
“And me?”
“You won’t die. I promise you that.” Thorik seemed genuinely serious about this.
Julius scoffed and lashed out with every ounce of strength he had. But it was to no avail. “Yeah, and I believe you because you are so trustworthy.”
“I can’t emphasize the kind of danger my people are in. When I left them, they were almost on the verge of getting overrun by the Noble Demon Houses. I’ve been gone for years. I can’t imagine what kind of state it is in now. I really hoped to have already found a successor, or at least to have gained enough soul energy to heal, but it’s taking far too long. I can’t waste any more time.”
“And so you’re willing to sacrifice me to do that?”
“I’m not killing you, but I am willing to sacrifice a mere couple of years of your young life to save my people. You’re only just a kid, so you wouldn’t understand the responsibilities that weigh on my shoulders.”
“I don’t have to understand to know that this is seriously messed up,” Julius snapped back, straining his soul to its limit as he desperately tried to escape.
Thorik seemed genuinely ashamed. “Yes, I’m a terrible person, and I’m certain to regret this in the future, especially knowing that you will become a truly terrifying person in the years to come. You are one of the most talented people I’ve come across. So when the day comes when you finally heal and leave this place, I will gladly accept whatever punishment you wish to inflict on me… If I’m still alive, that is.”
Julius clenched his jaw. “Trust me, it won’t be years.”
“Perhaps not. I wouldn't be surprised if you recover faster than my estimation. You seem to have a knack for it," Thorik said with a sad chuckle, and then with a wave of his hands, black chains made of the same obsidian material as those Obsidian Horrors spawned from every direction. Julius tried to escape, but with every one of his skills being disrupted, there was nothing he could do. Not even his anti-domain technique helped him out.
He could only struggle futilely as these chains pinned him down to the floor and wrapped around his body. All the while, he glared at Thorik with undisguised anger.