DCD - B3 - Chapter 45 - Countdown to Execution

Pell led the children out through the orphanage’s back entrance. Everyone had successfully recovered their belongings, including Enya and Pell. Enya had her dress back, Elria had returned to her spider body, and best of all—Enya had extracted an abundant amount of soul-energy from the Veiled Ones.

Soul-Energy: 736/800

It was a hefty harvest. Each dead body had yielded nearly fifty points on its own.

Of course, that also meant Enya had killed every single one of them.

The Wistmere slime was less a poison and more an acidic compound. The Veiled Ones’ organs had melted from the inside, leaving most of them dead—or dying. Two of them hadn’t gone down fast enough. That meant Enya had to cave in their skulls herself.

Mr. Bones had been very happy to help.

Enya, however, was happier still.

Unlike Yhven, none of the other children had assisted with these kills. These were hers alone.

That meant full contribution.

System Notification: You have landed a killing blow on the following creatures:
8 x Human (Level: Various)
You have received 52,509 EXP (-33%)
Your level has increased from level 24 to level 29
You have gained 1 skill point.
Experience Remaining Until Next Level: 1,889/15,803
New Class Quests are now available.

Enya knelt beside one of the corpses, staring at her status screen with the widest grin she’d worn in days. A small, mischievous giggle slipped out as she reread the text.

She vaguely noticed the other children watching her with unsettled expressions.

Enya didn’t mind.

She had gained a massive amount of experience—and with it, new class quests.

Quest: Obtain or craft a container that can hold multiple souls.
Souls are powerful reagents used in necrosmith crafting, as well as many spells and skills. Obtain or craft a medium capable of holding at least ten souls.

Quest: Capture a soul.
Soul manipulation is a fundamental ability for any necrosmith. Use any means necessary to capture an intact, malleable soul.

She blinked.

Then blinked again.

She had received two quests. And for the first time ever—

She had completed them immediately.

Quest Complete:
Obtain or craft a container that can hold multiple souls.
Quest clear item: Dungeon Core.

Quest Complete:
Capture a soul.
Quest clear item: Zerus Lerenune.

Her status screen flickered once more, quickly shifting to her reward screen.

Quest Complete: Obtain or craft a container that can hold multiple souls.
Please choose one skill from the two offered below:

Skill: Soul Battery [Passive]
Removes the user’s ability to use mana. All mana-related functions are replaced by Soul-Energy at a 1:1 ratio. Soul-Energy does not regenerate naturally. It can be absorbed naturally from environments that contain or are saturated with death, including soil or ancient undead spirits.

Skill: Soul Replacement [Active]
You can now swap souls from any minions, constructs, or items in your possession.

Strangely enough, there were only two reward options. Enya didn’t have to read them twice to know which one she wanted.

Skill: Soul Battery [Passive] has been obtained.

The other reward allowed her to swap and move souls around. That wasn’t something she actually needed anymore. She had run into the issue of moving Pell’s soul several times before—but she already had a solution.

The Grim Pullet.

More specifically—Grimmy.

The book could exchange and move souls for her. There was no need to waste a quest reward for this. Wherever she went, The Grim Pullet followed.

Quest Complete: Capture a soul.
Please choose one skill from the two offered below:

Spell: Soul Manipulation [C]
Attempt to extract a target’s soul. Success depends on the target’s will to live. Extraction is guaranteed if the target is dead. The user may also use Soul-Energy to repair or reinforce damaged souls. Effectiveness scales with spell level and soul strength.

Spell: Soul Crush [B]
Target a designated soul in your possession and attempt to crush it. The soul will experience excruciating pain but will always retain a small fragment and never fully dissipate.

Again—only two options.

This set was much more interesting. Both abilities revolved entirely around soul usage.

Soul Manipulation was the more practical choice. It allowed her to target and extract a soul directly. Several recipes in Grimmy’s pages relied on containing souls—but until now, Enya hadn’t actually had a way to obtain them.

The second effect made her think of Zerus.

If she had enough Soul-Energy, maybe she could repair Zerus faster. Maybe even revive her instantly. Zerus was still recovering inside the minor demonic phylactery, her soul mending slowly. Enya could potentially speed that process along.

She missed talking to her.

Zerus’s story—being torn away from her family—still lingered in Enya’s mind.

Soul Crush, on the other hand… felt impractical.

It just caused pain. And she’d need to capture a soul first to even use it. Too many steps. If she wanted to hurt someone, she could simply impale them with a bone spear.

Or break all their limbs.

Or stab an eye socket.

She hadn’t tried that last one yet, but she was confident it would hurt a lot.

Skill: Soul Repair [Active] has been obtained.

The decisions for both quests hadn’t taken long. While the other children gathered their belongings, Enya had spent only a few minutes thinking it through.

When she finally stood, she felt… strange.

Empty.

Her mana.

It was gone.

All that remained inside her was Soul-Energy. But beyond that absence—there was something else.

She could feel it. Everywhere.

It was similar to her passive mana detection, but different. Denser. Heavier.

Soul-Energy.

Enya closed her eyes and focused, spreading her senses outward. The children were still shuffling around the chamber. Pell was checking nearby rooms with Mr. Bones.

But Enya could feel it.

Power. All around her. She gently pulled at it—coaxing it toward herself.

A system notification appeared almost instantly.

Soul-Energy: 800/800

Already?

She was full?

This was ambient Soul-Energy—energy lingering in the environment itself. Beyond what she had absorbed from the bodies, traces of it clung to the walls, the floor, the soil beneath the orphanage. Residue from those who had died here. Or been buried nearby. Or simply… suffered.

It was thin.

But it was everywhere.

If this truly was how the world worked—then she might never run out of Soul-Energy again.

Death was everywhere.

⬥⬥⬥

“So… this is where we part ways, then?” Mirra asked.

They stood behind the orphanage, gathered in the open yard. The children were free now. Their cuffs were gone. Most of their belongings had been recovered.

Most.

Some of the kids had been held here longer than a week. Whatever had been taken from them was gone for good—likely sold off to some merchant already.

It was unfortunate.

But at least they still had their lives.

“Yeah,” Enya said. “Pell and I were actually heading here for a reason. We’ll be staying a bit longer.”

Mirra nodded slowly. “Where are we, anyway?”

“It’s a town called Eiyuria,” Pell said, stepping out of the orphanage last. “Small place. Currently governed by Amberdean.”

“Hmph.” Billy crossed his arms, face twisted with anger. “Once I return to my father and tell him what happened, I’ll have this entire town wiped off the map. It’s poorly maintained, and some bastard noble managed to take control of it. I’ll have my personal army execute him and arrest everyone involved.”

“You,” Pell said calmly. His harvester scythe was gone, and he stood in his regular skeletal form. The pet collar had been stored away, leaving him looking like nothing more than an ordinary skeleton. “You’re the son of a duke, correct?”

“How dare you address me so casually—” Billy began, gearing up for a tirade.

Then Enya glared at him.

Billy stopped.

Only then did it click that the skeleton wasn’t just some undead servant. Whatever their relationship was, it mattered. He’d already figured out Enya was a necromancer—everyone had by now—but this… this was different.

Billy quickly looked away. “Y-Yes. I am the esteemed son of Duke Farseene.”

“I see.” Pell inclined his skull slightly. “Then I have a favor to ask. Don’t destroy the town.”

Billy blinked. “What?”

“Eiyuria hasn’t done anything wrong,” Pell continued. “Amberdean is the problem. Tell your father this request comes from the ones who saved his son. Urge him to change the political structure here. I don’t care if he takes the town over himself or installs another baron. Amberdean is a plague. Nothing more.”

Billy narrowed his eyes. “Saved me? You didn’t do anything. I saved myself. Though… I will admit some of these lesser nobles were useful.”

Pell sighed.

His form shifted in a blur, reforging into his assassin re-role. The harvester scythe appeared in his hands, and the purple soul-flames in his skull burned brighter in the night air.

“If I decide not to kill you,” Pell said quietly, “that makes me a savior. Right?”

Several children instinctively stepped back.

Talon, Mirra, and Ren grabbed onto each other’s arms, eyes flicking between Pell and Enya.

Enya didn’t stop him.

She stepped forward instead—standing at Pell’s side. Spell circuits flared faintly above her palms.

Everyone stared.

She was siding with the skeleton.

Why? Why would she be willing to threaten the son of a duke just to protect this town?

There was no denying it—without Enya, none of them would have escaped that dungeon. And yet here she was, ready to fight for Pell’s request.

Billy clenched his jaw, staring at the two of them.

“Billy,” Talon said carefully, breaking the silence. “If this is what they want… it’s the least you can do. You’re the highest-ranking noble here. And they did save us.”

“Y-yeah,” Ren added hesitantly. “I think we all hate this place, but… if it’s what Enya wants, then…”

“Just do what she says, man,” Mirra chimed in. “The skeleton has a point. It was all Amberdean’s fault.”

Billy grunted, clearly resisting for another moment before finally giving in. “F-Fine! I’ll tell my father what happened. I’ll convince him to have this town reorganized. I don’t know why you’d want such a backwater place to keep existing after all this—I think it’d be better to wipe it out—but I’ll do you this favor out of the kindness of my large heart!”

Pell dismissed his harvester, reverting to his original skeletal form. His skull creaked faintly—almost like a smile. “Thank you.”

“Hmph. I'll be back with my army soon however. I'm going to see to it that the man who kidnapped me pays for attacking the son of a duke.” Billy turned away and stalked toward the largest cluster of children.

“This is where we part ways, then,” Talon said, looking at Enya.

“You sure you’ll be okay here?” Mirra asked worriedly. “Even though you killed the Veiled Ones, that scary noble guy is still around.”

“We’ll be fine,” Enya said cheerfully. “We actually came here to kill him!”

“K-Kill him?” Mirra blinked. “Then… being kidnapped like this—did you expect that to happen?”

Enya shook her head. “Nope. Had no idea.”

“We didn’t know why Amberdean was kidnapping children either,” Pell added. “I’ve known him for years, and even I didn’t know he had such twisted hobbies.”

“Hey! You three!” a voice shouted from across the yard. “The teleport crystal is ready! Hurry up!”

Among the group was the daughter of a cautious merchant. She had been provided a portable warp crystal. One that would teleport her and a party of people within a specific radius to a designated city. This was their escape plan. They would teleport to a major city, where they could contact the information guild or seek aid from nobles connected to their families. From there, they’d reunite with their actual families and inform them of the atrocities happening here.

There were commoner children among them, but teleporting to a large city alone was still better than staying here, in the middle of nowhere, with a deranged noble kidnapping kids.

“We’re coming!” Mirra yelled back.

She stepped forward and hugged Enya tightly. “Thank you… for saving us.”

She pulled away, and Talon and Ren stepped up next, each extending a hand. Enya shook both.

“Hopefully we meet again someday,” Talon said. “What happened here will spread fast—probably across the entire layer within days. Billy’s army might even show up tomorrow to deal with Amberdean, so you may not have much time left.”

“Y-yeah,” Ren added, nodding. “This place is about to get very busy. If you really plan to k-kill Amberdean… do it quickly. And good luck.”

“We will!” Enya said brightly. “That’s why we came here!”

The four of them shared a brief smile before breaking away.

The warp crystal activated with a soft flash in the back courtyard. In the next moment, every child vanished—whisked away to another city in the first layer.

Now, only Enya, Pell, Elria, and Mr. Bones remained.

“So…” Elria said, crawling out from the back of Enya’s dress to perch atop her head. “What now?”

The group turned and walked back into the orphanage.

“Even though we killed the hired assassins,” Pell said, “Amberdean still has guards. Gold-tier War Paragons, at least, if I had to guess. That’s well above our current fighting level. The poison plan worked because of surprise—but in a straight fight, they’d tear us apart.”

“But I’m level twenty-nine now!” Enya protested. “I’m stronger—and so are my minions. You too, Pell!”

Pell shook his head. “I do feel stronger. But levels aren’t everything. Experience and skill matter more. A level one hundred florist isn’t beating a level ten swordsman in a fight.”

“What about that last Veiled guy?” Enya asked. “The one who opened the door. He lost to a bunch of kids.”

“He was confused,” Pell replied. “Didn’t know who was attacking. Let his guard down. You all just happened to have the right plan and skills to capitalize on it.”

Enya pouted. “But—”

“I’m not saying we can’t win,” Pell interrupted. “Just that a direct fight would be risky. And that’s not even considering the defensive artifacts Amberdean probably has.”

They moved into a more open area of the orphanage. At the center of the building was a courtyard—a small square of open air, surrounded on all sides by the orphanage’s stone walls. Wooden training dummies stood in uneven rows, a sword rack rested near one wall, and chalk lines were scrawled across the stone floor alongside other markings.

“What’s this?” Enya asked.

“Training grounds,” Elria clicked. “Apparently, Amberdean’s son comes here every morning to train with a few guards.”

“Son?” Enya repeated.

“We overheard it from the guards,” Pell said. “He knows his father is kidnapping children and bringing them here. But it doesn’t seem like he’s directly involved. Probably just doesn’t care. Should be around fourteen or fifteen now, if I remember correctly..”

“Inaction is still complicity,” Elria added.

Pell nodded. “One option is to set a trap here. Ambush the kid. Use him as leverage.”

“Does he even like his son?” Enya asked, tilting her head. “He looked at one of the children earlier and killed her just by saying a word.”

Pell’s soul-flames thinned as he looked down at her. “He murdered a child?”

Enya nodded. “Billy was being loud, so he picked one of the other kids and killed her by just saying die.” Her mouth pressed into a thin, flat line. “How come he gets an instant death ability and I don’t…”

Elria tapped the top of Enya’s head. “I doubt he has an ability like that. The cuffs you were wearing probably had a built-in enchantment—some kind of execution function. He just activated it. True diction-based or command spells that kill are incredibly rare, even for witches. I’ve only met one other person who could do something like that while interfacing with your system.”

Enya’s eyes lifted, though she kept her head still so Elria wouldn’t fall. “Who?”

“Sable,” Elria said, mandibles clicking. “He could speak a word and instantly kill someone—then reap their soul. I think he knew others who could do similar things, but he’s the only one I personally encountered with that level of control.”

Enya went quiet, thinking.

If Sable—a regular necromancer—could learn a skill like that… then maybe she could too. It would make things much easier if she could just tell people to die.

“So?” Elria continued. “We ambush the son and use him as leverage? Or strike Amberdean at night? Both are viable.”

Pell rubbed beneath his jaw. “Hard to say. A hostage gives leverage—but he might not care about his son at all. If that’s the case, it becomes a liability fast. He did marry into another noble house just to raise his status.”

He continued, pacing slowly. “Attacking at night gives us better odds. Some of his guards might be asleep—maybe even him. But if we can’t kill them in a single blow, it turns into a direct fight. And I don’t know when Amberdean visits the orphanage—morning or night.”

“I say we trap his son and kill him,” Enya said matter-of-factly. “Turn him into a skeleton. I still need practice with skeleton piggies.”

“I think we should move now,” Elria said, raising one crystalline leg. “There’s a chance more Veiled Ones could come to check on this place. We don’t know if they have scheduled check-ins.”

Pell fell silent.

Even if he didn’t kill Amberdean tonight, there was a real chance that armies from the noble families would arrive by morning and execute him. That couldn’t happen.

Pell needed answers.

What happened to Elara.

How she died.

What Amberdean did to her—no matter how cruel the truth was.

There was nothing left in him but hatred and disgust for that man.

And nothing he wouldn’t do to drag the truth out of him. Limb-by-limb, if needed.

Finally, Pell spoke.

“Then we do both,” he said. “We take his son—and we ambush Amberdean at the same time. By morning, I’ll have my answers.” His soul-flames burned brighter. “And hopefully, their bodies will be buried, and the entire estate will be burned to the ground.”

He looked down at Enya. “Is your goliath ready?”