Free Web NovelChapter 9: Genesis (1)
Misha’s body was still hurting but she felt a little better now that she had ranked up. She was not completely healed, but it was enough to keep her going for another day.
The words ’Super Rare’ and ’Soulbinder’ sounded impressive, but honestly, she knew that it was full of limitations, especially when she saw her Soul Inventory.
Misha’s eyes remained fixated on a single line.
「 Leo: Occupied [LOCKED] 」
Misha stared at the line for a while. Then she read it again... and again. "You’re kidding me."
She had an inventory, and something was already inside it.
Her gaze trailed down to the line stating the benefits were unavailable, making her sigh. "You’re telling me I already have something valuable, but I can’t use it?"
That felt suspiciously similar to owning a refrigerator full of food while being told she wasn’t allowed to open the door.
King tilted his head in confusion. [You already have a contracted soul nya?]
"Yes. Can’t you see my status?"
King’s ears twitched. He immediately cleared his throat as he straightened his back and looked at her, mildly offended.
[What are you saying nya? Of course I can see it! What kind of incompetent guide do you take me for nya nya? Hmp!]
He crossed his forelegs and narrowed his eyes. [The contents are another matter, of course. It is private to their owners nya. Guides are forbidden from peering into another’s status. We may stand above humans in all aspects, but that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from restrictions nya.]
"Eh? Should you really be telling that to me?" Cupping her chin, she tilted her head thoughtfully.
Most guides in the comics she read guarded information like an all-knowing being standing above mortals. They didn’t want humans to know that they had restrictions. Yet King had revealed it without the slightest hesitation that’s why it was rather refreshing... or was it rather concerning?
He snorted. [Why wouldn’t I? Anyone with half a brain eventually figures it out nya.]
He flicked his tails dismissively.
"You’re not worried I’ll use that information against you?"
King looked her up and down.
"..."
[Nyauh...]
Why did she feel like she had just been judged by this cat-like creature?
[You should be more offended than I am nya.]
She stared blankly at him. "Wow."
[You’re still struggling with your own restrictions nya nya.]
"That was unnecessarily personal."
[And accurate nye.] He smirked widely.
Misha let out a long sigh. Continuing the conversation would only give King another opportunity to inflate his ego.
"Anyway, can I summon a constellation soul now? I can’t use Leo if it’s locked."
[How should I know?] King looked genuinely confused. [I’m a guide, not a skill manual nya.]
Suppressing another sigh, she turned her attention to the system. "System, I want to summon a constellation spirit."
「 〔 SYSTEM NOTICE 〕
The user is only able to summon the souls of those who have entered into a contract. 」
"Eh?" She stared at the message. Slowly, her brows furrowed. "Contract?"
[Maybe you need to gather them yourself.]
"Gather souls?" She looked at King as if he had suggested collecting stars from the sky. "Gather them from where?"
[The dead nya?]
"..." Was he being serious? Did he think that she actually didn’t know that?
"You do know I can’t see spirits even if there’s a dead body in front of me."
[Then that complicates things nya nya.]
Ding!
「 〔 SOUL DETECTED 〕
—
Name: Forest Goblin
Rank: Common
Condition: Healthy
Constellation Affinity: Libra
Contract Compatibility: 150 %
Recommendation: NOT SUITABLE
—
Would you like to offer a contract?
YES | NO 」
Misha perked up at the message. Immediately, she searched the area for anything unusual.
There was nothing. There were no wandering spirits. No glowing wisps. No ghostly apparitions.
"Huh, that’s weird. Why can’t I see the goblin’s soul?"
King looked up from grooming a paw. [Why do you keep asking me? That’s your problem to solve nya.]
"Helpful as always." She pouted. "I’m not going to offer a contract to a goblin."
The contract compatibility was high, but the recommendation said it was not suitable for her.
As if responding to her rejection, the blue screen vanished.
"Anyway, now that I’ve completed the tutorial stage of this floor, can I move on to the next floor?" freeωebnovēl.c૦m
King froze as if he seemed to realize somthing. He wasn’t expecting her to survive in the first place.
[Since you’re a late arrival, I should probably teleport you outside the Capital...]
Misha blinked a few times. Had she heard that correctly? Capital?
The words sounded less like something intended for her and more like him thinking aloud.
Before she could ask a question, King waved his paw.
≈≈≈
A rush of wind brushed against her skin. When her vision cleared, she found herself standing atop a grassy hill.
The first thing she noticed was the two moons hung high in the evening sky, one was smaller than the other. Then, her gaze drifted downward. Spread out before her was a vast city nestled within a broad valley. Towering stone walls encircled the capital protectively. Framed by rugged mountains and illuminated by twin moons, the city looked less like a settlement and more like a kingdom pulled straight from one of the comics she once read.
Misha could only stare. "That’s... the Capital?"
King puffed out his chest. [One of them nya.]
"One of them?"
[ After the First Generation cleared the first floor, humanity was given the opportunity to build their own settlement. That is Genesis, the oldest and the first Capital of this Tower nya.]
"Wait, what? What do you mean by First Generation?" Misha’s brows knitted together. "It has only been a week since everyone entered the Tower."
King blinked. [Outside, yes.]
He sounded as though he were explaining something obvious. [Inside, time flows differently. One day outside the Tower is equivalent to five years within it nya.]
The words struck her like a hammer. "... What?"
Misha stared at him. Her mind immediately did the calculations.
Seven days. Thirty-five years.
The color drained from her face.
"Thirty-five years?" Her voice came out above a whisper.
No... That couldn’t be right. There was no way.
"You’re joking."
[I’m not nya nya.]
"That’s impossible." She shook her head repeatedly as tears welled up from her eyes. "My brothers would’ve–"
The words caught in her throat. Thirty-five years.
Mateo would be in his 60s and Caleb... He wouldn’t be young anymore. The thought of it felt absurd. Wrong. Impossible.
Yet King’s expression remained completely serious.
