Chapter 114: Reincarnator

Chapter 114: Reincarnator

"You mean? She is the same as me?" Raven asked.

[You are not a reincarnated person, lad. After all, you haven't absorbed even 1% of Runeth's memories yet. But a reincarnated person remembers all their past life memories and retains some of their skills and affinities.]

'Oh? But why did she end up in this state?' Raven furrowed.

[That's because she must've awakened her memories only recently. Didn't you see her acting strange just after the spirit orb exploded? She must have awakened around that time. I still don't understand why the original Jovie came to the enemy nation.]

'Is reincarnation common?' Raven couldn't help but ask.

[It's impossible for the Legendary Beings like Judith, Gavin, etc. But it's more like a walk in the park for Gods, Demon Lords, Devil Kings, Liches, and ancient Wizards. However, if one's soul were damaged before reincarnation, there would be a high chance one might end up completely recycled into a new soul. I suspect she is a reincarnation of a fallen god or an undead Lich. There is a chance of her being an Ancient Wizard, too.]

'God? Lich? Ancient Wizard?' Raven felt like he picked up an Alchemic bomb instead of a treasure!

'What should I do then?' Raven asked stiffly.

[You can't take her in as your subordinate. An existence like her is not going to follow a random kid. Just help her with some money; she will be okay.]

'I just need to help her a bit, huh?' Raven nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Jovie lost consciousness entirely and fell into a deep sleep.

Before long, the carriage reached the market street and stopped in front of an old two-storied Inn.

Raven walked out of the carriage and tried to wake Jovie, but no response came.

Thankfully, the carriage driver helped him carry her into the Inn and even helped with the room booking.

"I hope she does not end up as a bad person," Raven muttered as he locked the door from inside and put her on the wooden bed.

Afterward, he sat on the chair and pondered.

'Can I invite her to the Golden Wheel?' He asked.

[Haa, what a foolish thinking. She is capable of even fooling the 'Eternal River of Life.' Why would she be interested in your offer?]

"What is Golden Wheel?" A cold yet silvery voice came from the bed, causing Raven to widen his eyes.

 'She can read my mind? When did she wake up?' Raven asked as he stood up from the chair and looked at the black-haired girl in surprise.

"I can. But who are you talking to all this time?" Jovie asked while trying to move her body, but she felt weakened.

[It seems she can't hear me.] Zera responded in his head.

Meanwhile, Raven looked at Jovie for a moment and spoke solemnly.

"It's an organization I created to help me become the emperor of this nation."

"Emperor?" She raised her eyebrows and soon nodded.

"That's why you are using a different face, huh? No wonder your soul appearance looks completely different."

Then, she looked at her own hands and muttered.

"If I go out in this condition, I'll be captured by those bastards again and be tortured." A chilling aura appeared in the room as she spoke, causing Raven to feel suffocated.

"Help me once, kid. I'll repay it one day."

'Kid?'

Raven stared at her for a while and asked.

"Who are you? Are you a Reincarnator?"

He wanted to hear her answer directly.

Meanwhile, a smirk appeared on Jovie's face.

"Haa, my identity got exposed just after I regained my memories, huh? Well, it must be that Monocle's doing, right?" Jovie asked.

[Eye of Wisdom, huh? It's impossible to hide anything from her, lad. Her eyes can see through everything.]

As Raven was about to answer, Jovie continued.

"This body belongs to the princess of Viser Kingdom, but the soul belongs-. You don't need to know that. I still haven't read the real owner's memories, but this girl seems to be pursued by a high-rank necromancer. It must be because of the chaos seed in her heart. Hmm, not a bad start for me, though." She said while touching her chest.

'She truly is a Reincarnator!'

"What kind of help do you need?" He asked.

"Some gold? Maybe a little help from time to time in exchange for information? Like the Golden Wheel? But I don't plan on signing a magical contract." She said with a thoughtful look.

'I didn't even mention the Golden Wheel, but she read my mind like an open book!' Raven felt a sense of uneasiness.

"And I take the name 'Evil.' It suits my style."

[Let's leave.] Even Zera was startled by this mysterious existence and urged him to leave.

Meanwhile, Raven took a small leather pouch from the inventory and placed it on the table.

"There are 100 gold coins in this pouch-"

"Can't you at least give me more? You have over 13 million, right?" Jovie asked jokingly and then added.

"In exchange for the help, I give you a present." She closed her eyes and started reciting in a mysterious language as she spoke.

[Nether tongue? She is a being from the Underworld, huh? I'm curious if Titus is doing well there] Zera talked in Nether Tongue.

'Titus?' Raven asked as he only understood that one word. Even that name was pronounced weirdly.

'You mean Jessie's younger brother?' Raven asked as he recalled the memories he read about Charles.

"Oh? Interesting." At that moment, Jovie opened her silver eyes and stared at him for two seconds.

"Take out the compass from that mysterious inventory."

Although confused, Raven didn't say anything and quietly took out the mysterious black compass before giving it to her. 

Meanwhile, Jovie took the compass from his hand and nodded.

"A Paragon's legacy indeed. Don't store this compass inside that inventory space if you want to find the intellectual fragments. That space is isolated from the rest of the world and can even block my eyes. The one who made that artifact must be a Rune Creator or a Divine Smith." At first, Jovie thought of this kid as someone with little secrets. But she now realized this boy wasn't simple at all.

'But his action is similar to that of a small kid. Is there a guide in his soul?' She soon shook her head and returned the compass.

"How can I contact you?" Raven asked.

"The compass has the answer," Jovie said with a mysterious smile.

Raven wanted to ask more questions, but Zera urged him to leave immediately.

With no other choice, Raven said farewell to Jovie and left the room.

As soon as Raven walked out, Jovie took a deep breath and relaxed her guard.

"The guide knows the God of Death Titus? No, it must be a coincidence. Still, why did this boy pronounce 'his' name in Nether tongue?" Although she had lots of questions, she decided to ask them at a later date.

"Haa, I need to resolve this owner's issues. Chaos seed, huh? Thanks to Raven, I will have an easier start." As she spoke, she closed her eyes and sensed the feeling she felt when touching the compass.

"I felt multiple energies from the deepest part of the compass. If I can track the 'Death' energy among those, I can easily get the death fragment."

…

Meanwhile, Raven walked out of the old Inn and soon saw a black-painted carriage parked near the old Inn.

As he moved closer, the blonde-haired coachman, a man in his mid-thirties, put his hat on and greeted him with a nod.

"Where would you like to go, sir?" He asked politely.

Raven pondered for a second and answered.

"Baker Street."

"That would be two silvers, sir." The coachman said while opening the carriage door for him.

Meanwhile, Raven took two silvers from his inventory, passed them to the driver, and stepped into the carriage.

Then, he closed the carriage door and leaned on the leather seat.

'Who the f*ck is she? She reads all my thoughts like an open book!' Raven said as he recalled the conversation he had with Jovie.

[That's how scary the powerful existences are. Compared to them, the Wizards and Walkers of Eclipse World are jokes.] Zera said solemnly.

Raven couldn't deny her words.

Then, he took out the black compass from his pocket and asked.

"Why did she say this compass has the answer?"

At the same time, he looked at the needle and noticed a difference.

At that moment, it was pointing in a western direction!

'It's directly opposite to the direction of the Thornevale Territory!' Raven instantly opened the communication hatch of the carriage and ordered.

"Change of plans. Go to the west."

"You mean West Borough, Sir?" the coachman asked.

"Yes. Until I say so, do not stop the carriage." Raven ordered and continued to look at the carriage.

A few minutes passed.

"We are already at the last street, Sir. Only the city wall is up ahead." The coachman said in a solemn tone.

"Let's stop then," Raven said as he opened the carriage door and noticed they were at the end of the street road. Only a seven-meter-tall stone wall appeared before him, encircling the whole city.

Raven looked at the black compass in his hand and noticed it was still pointing west.

"Can we go outside the city now?" Raven asked as he noticed the sky had long darkened.

"We can leave the city through the west gate, Sir. But I need to return before 9 P.M. Otherwise, my wife will nag me to death." The coachman said with an apologetic bow.

A frown appeared on his forehead.

"What if I give you two gold coins?" Raven said as he took out two gold coins from the inventory and showed them to him.

"Please get inside, Sir. I can tell her I slept in the carriage house tomorrow." The coachman hurriedly opened the carriage door and asked him to get inside.

"We will go right away through the west gate, sir." As he spoke, he moved to the driver's seat, pulled the horse reins, and turned the carriage around.

As the carriage started to move, Raven leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on the black compass in his hand.

Another few minutes later, the carriage stopped as they reached the city's west gate. The guards stationed there approached with lanterns, their faces stern.

"The guards will do a light inspection, Sir. If they ask anything, say you are visiting your uncle in Shepherd's Ville." The coachman spoke through the hatch and closed the small gap.

A few seconds later, someone knocked on the carriage door.

Raven quietly opened the carriage door and looked at the two guards in confusion.

"State your purpose for leaving the city at this hour," one of the guards demanded coldly.

Raven did as the coachman told and also let them check inside.

"Let them through," the guard ordered after a small checkup.

The carriage soon passed through the gates and into the vast expanse beyond. The road ahead was dark, flanked by the silhouettes of trees swaying gently in the night breeze. The distant hoot of an owl echoed through the silence.

Although a small lamp was hung near the driver's seat, it wasn't bright enough to illuminate the surroundings.

"Where is our destination, Sir?" the coachman asked while slowly driving the carriage.

"Just keep moving west. I'll inform you when to stop." Raven said as he took out an Aether Lamp from the inventory, opened the carriage door, and gave it to the coachman.

"Use this instead of the normal lamp."

As soon as the coachman lit the Aether lamp, the 10-meter surroundings appeared bright.

"Thanks, Sir." The coachman thanked him and continued driving.

The carriage moved steadily along the dirt path, the rhythmic clatter of the horse's hooves punctuating the night. The bright glow of the Aether Lamp illuminated the path, giving a good view for the coachman to drive.

After that, the carriage continued moving in the dark path for over three hours.

'Hmm, the needle is tilting towards the southwest.' He noticed a slight change in the compass and felt the destination wasn't too far.

At that moment, the coachman's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Sir, we're approaching a fork in the road. Should we head toward the Shepherd's Ville route or the Vine Forest trail?"

Raven peeked his head out, looked at the fork, and glanced at the compass. The needle was pointing directly toward the Vine Forest trail. He hesitated for a moment and then made his decision.

"Take the Vine Forest trail," he instructed firmly.

The coachman hesitated, glancing nervously toward the shadowed entrance of the trail. "Are you sure, Sir? That path's not well-traveled. Bandits, wild beasts, and monsters like goblins are common."

"I'll pay you double for your trouble," Raven said, pulling another two gold coins and giving them to him while adding.

"And don't worry about the bandits or the monsters. You may not believe it, but I'm a Wizard."

The carriage driver could only show a wry smile at his words and continued to drive.

As the carriage moved further, the trees loomed overhead, their branches intertwining to form a natural canopy blocking the moonlight. Howls of wolves and strange cries of creatures resounded from the deepest part of the woods.

After traveling in the gloomy path encircled by trees for around 2 hours, Raven opened the communication hatch and spoke.

"Stop the carriage."

"A-Are you sure, sir?" The coachman looked nervous as he looked at the dense woods on both sides and felt uneasy. 

Meanwhile, Raven jumped down from the carriage by opening the door and looked in the southern direction.

"Go back to the fork and wait. You can return to the city alone if I don't return before dawn."

"What about you, sir?" The coachman asked with a worried look.

"I'm planning to explore the forest for a while." Raven waved his hand as he gazed in the southern direction and started walking into the dense woods. Countless green vines slithered around the tree trunks, making the forest more eerie.

Although the coachman wanted to stop the young man, he decided to mind his business.

He turned the carriage around without saying a word and drove towards the east.

…