Free Web NovelChapter 2: Chapter 2: Hidden Within the Soul
Chapter 2: Hidden Within the Soul
Andras sat alone in his dimly lit room.
Silence filled the Darkmoor estate like a living thing.
The mansion’s halls were always quiet, weighed down by a strange pressure that made the entire estate feel cold and lifeless.
He preferred it that way.
Noise was irritating.
People were worse.
His gaze rested on the floating screen before him—the only thing in this world that felt remotely familiar.
A pale blue interface hovered quietly in the darkness.
[Devouring System]
[Name — Andras Darkmoor]
[Race — Human]
[Age — 18]
[Class — Mage]
[Talent — Echo Resonance (A-Rank)]
[Realm — Low 3rd Circle Mage]
Andras studied the information in silence.
His expression barely changed, but his eyes sharpened slightly.
"A-Rank talent..."
He leaned back in his chair and exhaled softly.
"Not bad."
It wasn’t overwhelming, but it certainly wasn’t weak.
A balanced beginning.
That alone already placed him above most people in this world.
Yet he felt no satisfaction.
Strength only had value when compared to something greater.
His gaze drifted toward the final line.
Low 3rd Circle Mage.
A seventeen-year-old Third Circle Mage would already be considered talented within the Empire.
But talented wasn’t enough.
Not in a world where demons, chosen heroes, elves, dragons, and monsters existed.
Andras closed his eyes briefly.
Then—
The system screen flickered.
A distortion spread across the interface like cracks forming through glass. The blue light warped violently before turning crimson.
The air inside the room suddenly grew heavier.
A sharp mechanical sound echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[Error...]
[Error...]
The crimson screen trembled.
Then new words appeared.
[Host has acquired a new talent.]
[Architect of the Eternal Continuum (SS-Rank)]
For the first time since arriving in this world, Andras went completely still.
"...SS-Rank?"
The words left his mouth quietly.
In the original story, even the main character of Rise of the Sword Hero possessed only an S-Rank talent.
There had never been anything above it.
Not once.
Not even near the end of the novel.
And yet the system had displayed something beyond the world’s known limits.
His eyes narrowed.
Not from excitement.
From caution.
Anything abnormal usually came with consequences.
"System."
His voice remained calm.
"What is this talent?"
A brief silence followed.
Then the interface responded.
[Ding!]
[Explanation: The host acquired this talent due to transmigration.]
[Architect of the Eternal Continuum originally belonged to the host’s soul.]
[The talent remained dormant in the host’s previous world due to the absence of mana.]
Andras listened quietly.
More lines appeared.
[The host should have inherited only one talent.]
[The original owner of this body, Andras Darkmoor, died moments before soul integration was completed.]
[Because the host’s soul occupied the body during the death process, the system recognized the event as a successful devouring.]
[The talent "Echo Resonance" has been absorbed instead of disappearing.]
[The memories of Andras Darkmoor were also absorbed instead of disappearing.]
Silence returned to the room.
Only the faint sound of wind brushing against the windows remained.
Andras lowered his gaze slightly as he processed the explanation.
So I devoured him the moment I entered this body...
The thought caused no discomfort.
The original Andras had already been dying.
The owner simply changed before the process finished.
That was all.
After a few moments, he spoke again.
"System."
His voice echoed quietly through the room.
"If this talent belongs to me, then what does it do?"
A brief silence followed.
Then the interface responded.
[Ding!]
[Architect of the Eternal Continuum (SS-Rank) is currently in a locked state.]
Andras’s gaze sharpened.
"Locked?"
[Affirmative.]
[The host does not currently meet the requirements necessary to access the talent’s abilities.]
New lines appeared beneath the previous message.
[Current Status: Sealed]
[Compatibility Requirement: Incomplete]
[Mana Requirement: Incomplete]
[Soul Requirement: Incomplete]
[Further information unavailable.]
Andras stared at the screen.
The system had answered his question while revealing almost nothing useful.
"What requirements?"
[Insufficient authorization.]
[Host must fulfill the necessary conditions to unlock further information.]
For a moment, silence returned.
Then Andras leaned back in his chair.
Interesting.
So even the system was withholding information.
That meant one of two things.
Either the talent was far too powerful for his current state...
Or whatever was hidden behind those requirements would fundamentally change his future.
His gaze lingered on the words SS-Rank.
A talent beyond the limits of the novel.
A talent that had remained dormant inside his soul for an entire lifetime.
A faint smile touched his lips.
No matter how long it took, he would eventually unlock it.
After all, the more secrets something hid...
The more valuable it usually became.
Andras stared at the crimson screen for several moments.
"System."
His voice echoed quietly through the room.
"What exactly can you do?"
The interface flickered once.
[Ding!]
[System Name — Devouring System]
[Primary Function — Devour.]
[The system allows the host to absorb bloodlines, talents, memories, and techniques.]
[Function 1 — Acquire abilities from targets personally killed by the host.]
[Function 2 — Acquire abilities through physical intimacy with female targets.]
[The host can choose what to devour, preventing the system from absorbing anything unnecessary or potentially harmful.]
Andras stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then a quiet sound escaped him.
A laugh.
Low at first.
Controlled.
But gradually deeper.
Not madness.
Not hysteria.
Something colder.
Amusement.
He leaned back slightly, crimson light reflecting faintly in his pale eyes.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"This might actually become interesting."
The laughter faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Then—
A faint sound came from outside the door.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Andras turned his head slightly.
From the other side of the door, a hand touched the handle.
Creak.
The door opened cautiously.
A young maid stepped inside carrying a silver tray.
Her movements were quiet and practiced, as though she feared making unnecessary noise within the Darkmoor estate.
But the moment her eyes landed on Andras—
She froze.
The tray slipped from her hands.
Crash!
Plates shattered across the floor.
The sharp sound echoed throughout the room.
Andras frowned slightly and looked toward her.
The maid stood motionless near the doorway, her face completely pale.
Her trembling eyes stared at him as though she had just witnessed something impossible.
