Free Web Novel"Starting from the very bottom?"
Pavela's voice carried a clear note of wariness.
She had only just pulled herself back from that existential crisis, taking a full thirty seconds to convince herself to "shelve" that question.
Now this Gatekeeper, whatever it was, was actually advising her to "add a little something" to her own soul?
"I never agreed to let you touch these souls."
Pavela's tone became cold and hard.
"In fact, I haven't agreed to let you do anything to this space. You say this is my space and I am its master—fine. As the master, I now command you to explain clearly: what exactly do you want me to do?"
The Gatekeeper let out another low chuckle.
"I will do nothing, Master."
There was an unsettling tenderness in its voice.
"I am merely the Gatekeeper. My duty is to tell you the rules, not to make decisions for you."
"Then what did you mean by 'touching souls' earlier?"
"Literally."
The Gatekeeper's form shifted slightly, that mass of constantly disintegrating and reforming void seemingly pointing toward the translucent figures wandering on the plain.
"These souls are yours. They were devoured by you, suppressed by you, and trapped in this space by you. Everything about them belongs to you."
"But you have never truly used them."
"Use?"
"Yes, use."
"You can touch them and then extract what remains... of them."
"What things?"
"Memories. Knowledge. Skills. Talents."
The Gatekeeper's voice became slow and clear, as if explaining a very simple truth.
"Everything they possessed in life is now stored within those shattered consciousnesses. And you, as the master of this space, can... take these things out."
"Claim them as your own."
It paused, the mass of void tilting slightly as if scrutinizing Pavela. freēwēbnovel.com
"In fact, you have already done this."
Pavela frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"In Kaldburg."
There was a hint of playfulness in the Gatekeeper's voice.
"When you first devoured those souls, what did you think happened? Did you think the power surging into your body appeared out of thin air?"
Pavela did not answer.
Because she knew the answer.
She had known for a long time.
"When your body devoured those souls, it instinctively absorbed a portion of the outermost layers."
The Gatekeeper continued.
"But that was only the tip of the iceberg; the true treasures are still buried deep, waiting to be unearthed."
"So, you want me to unearth them?"
"I want you to understand what you possess."
The Gatekeeper's voice became solemn.
"Master, you are now a Sequence V Destroyer."
"But do you know?"
"Right now, you might not even be able to defeat a well-trained Sequence III."
"Because you have never truly learned how to use your power."
Pavela fell silent.
She could recall her clash with Margaret.
If Margaret hadn't been holding back at every turn...
With only her own uncontrollable, destructive fury...
It would likely have taken only a few rounds.
Her head would have rolled.
The Gatekeeper was right.
She was indeed very weak right now.
"So your suggestion is..."
Pavela's voice slowed down.
"To have me touch these souls and absorb their abilities?"
"Not absorb."
The Gatekeeper corrected.
"It is 'extraction'."
"What's the difference?"
"Absorption is passive, unconscious, and uncontrollable. Just like what you did before—souls flood into your consciousness, and your body instinctively grabs some fragments, but most of it is lost."
The Gatekeeper's form expanded slightly, as if emphasizing the words that followed.
"Extraction is active, conscious, and controllable."
"You choose a soul, touch it, and then extract what you need from it."
"Memories, knowledge, skills, talents—anything it possessed in life can become yours."
"Then, what is the price?"
Pavela's voice was frighteningly calm.
"What?"
"Don't play dumb with me."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. You say I can extract abilities from souls, so what is the price? Will the souls disappear? How will I be affected?"
The Gatekeeper fell silent for a moment.
That mass of constantly disintegrating and reforming void seemed to be... thinking?
"You are very cautious."
It finally said, a note of approval in its voice.
"That is good. Caution will allow you to live longer."
"There is a price."
It admitted.
"First, the extracted soul will gradually dissipate. The more you extract from it, the faster it dissipates. Once it has completely dissipated, nothing will remain—not even wandering on this plain."
Pavela nodded.
This was as she expected.
"Secondly..."
The Gatekeeper's voice became subtle.
"The process of extraction is not one-way. When you touch a soul and enter its memories, you will experience its deepest feelings from when it was alive. It could be joy, it could be fear, or it could be the despair of the brink of death."
"And you cannot choose what to experience. The content is completely random."
Pavela's brow furrowed deeper.
"You mean I ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) might be forced to experience someone else's death?"
"Not just death."
There was a certain cruel pleasure in the Gatekeeper's voice.
"Any profound memory is possible. The sweetness of a first love, the grief of losing a child, the rage of betrayal, the ecstasy of madness... everything these souls experienced in life could become your experience."
"It's a gamble."
Pavela summarized.
"It is destiny."
The Gatekeeper corrected her.
"The destiny of a Destroyer. Picking up fragments from the ruins, forging one's own power from the remains of others."
Pavela fell silent.
Her gaze swept past the Gatekeeper toward the gray plain.
Those translucent figures were still wandering. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Some wandered aimlessly, some knelt on the ground, and some looked up at the distant black tower.
They were once people.
Soldiers, farmers, merchants, servants.
They had families, friends, dreams, and fears.
Now they were just... dregs.
The dregs left over after being devoured by her.
"Is there any other price?"
Her voice was very calm.
"There is one."
The Gatekeeper's voice became low.
"Time."
"Time?"
"The flow of time in this space is different from the outside world. One minute here might be only a few seconds outside. But if you stay here for too long..."
It paused.
"Your consciousness will gradually merge with this space. When that happens, you will never wake up again."
Pavela's pupils constricted slightly.
"How long is too long?"
"That depends on your mental strength."
The Gatekeeper's voice became playful.
"In your current state... I suggest you stay no longer than one hour of subjective time per visit."
Pavela calculated quickly in her mind.
One hour of subjective time would correspond to only a few minutes in the outside world.
This meant she had enough time to explore, but she couldn't be greedy.
"One last question."
Her voice regained its composure.
"How do I leave this place?"
"When you want to leave, you will leave naturally."
There was a certain meaningful smile in the Gatekeeper's voice.
"This is your space, Master. You are the sole ruler here."
"But I suggest you..."
Its form drew slightly closer.
"Before you leave, try it at least once. Touch a soul and experience how it feels."
"Only then will you truly understand what it is that you possess."
