Chapter 56 [Volume 1 Epilogue]: Soul Bringer.

The dimly lit sky was now a grey maze of giant clouds. The sun was strong enough to penetrate little light to be seen, but it would soon be subdued. Walls were shattered and crates marked ground. It was a  battleground that didn't went through a war. The air reeked of decay and death. That was for Jayoung.

He sighed as he slowly walked through the destroyed city. "I can just smell all those how have died here. Those that are still tormented from their past."

"However.."

Kris charged forward from out of nowhere. His sword, Transcendent, was flashing in the faint sunlight. Jayoung stood still, his eyes glowing with malevolent energy.

His gaze was now on Kris. "I can sense someone that have died many times. An unusual amount."

"You're a fool, Kris," Jayoung said softly, his voice dampen with pity.

Kris swung his sword in a wide arc, but Jayoung dodged with ease. Suddenly, dark shadows came from underneath Jayoung's sleeves and they began swirl around him like a shields.

"You can't defeat me," said Jayoung.

Jayoung retaliated with a wave of his hand, sending a horde of razor-sharp beings hurtling towards Kris. They were souls, Kris realized.

Kris leapt back, avoiding the attacks of the souls by mere inches. He landed hard on the pavement, creating a small crate, and his sword scraping against the ground, making sparks. The impact sent shockwaves through the alleyway, toppling nearby buildings and sending debris flying.

"So his class is soul-based related," said Kris, observing Jayoung with a keen eye. "But I shouldn't be pondering as I can get insight."

[Active Skill:

Status Check -  Epic/Lvl 1]

[Error!]

[ Stats, Skills and overall Level is too high to be seen by the user!]

"What?" Kris inquired on shock and confusion.

Jayoung seized the opportunity, summoning a massive dark soul that towered over Kris like a specter of death. It was tall with large limbs but a small abdomen. It skin was black with a misty form and it's eyes were bright blue.

Jayoung had a little smile on his face as he said, "I you have a skill that allows you to see others Systems. But the System itself as its limits which is represented by the Players."

Kris inquired. "What are you trying to say?"

The smile on Jayoung's face disappeared. "I'm not trying to tease or.. worsen your mood, but.. you are far too weak to face me."

The dark soul's ethereal claws swiped at Kris, who raised his sword to block the attack. The force of the blow sent Kris stumbling back, his sword arm trembling with fatigue.

"See," said Jayoung. "You can even hold a candle against one of my low-level minions."

Kris gritted his teeth, but his face stayed null as always. "Stop talking. Or you'll die with your head burnt."

He launched himself at Jayoung soul, and swung Transcendent at the soul. The dark soul blocked the attack with its large and thick right arm, however, Kris slashed diagonally at souls lower half, defeating it.

Jayoung smiled. "I see. You are quite determined, aren't you? The school would be pleased to have a student like- -"

"Didn't I say shut up?" Kris asked in a serious tune.

He was right infront of Jayoung and was about to slash the top his, who was materializing his own sword in his right hand. The blades clashed, sparks flying as they exchanged blows.

The battle raged on, the sky descending into darkness, due to thick clouds and rain began to pour. Crates made, walls cracked, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

"(What is this thi- guy?)" Kris pondered in his head. "(His so toying with me. His obviously faster and stronger than I am yet, he isn't even trying to kill me.)"

Kris stopped his assault. He lowered his sword and stared at the ground.

"Huh? What happened to that firey determination?" Jayoung inquired.

Kris stayed silent for a minute. "...What do you fight for?"

Jayoung was taken aback. He was caught off guard by this inquiry.

He smiled as he said, "For things that I have lost.. long ago."

Kris raised his head and stared at Jayoung. "I.. respect you. You have qualities that I respect. You fight against the system, you assert your dominance over those who are weaker than you. These qualities show that you deserve your strength."

"Oh, thanks," said Jayoung.

"The only thing that I don't like about you is your willing heart," Kris said while pointing at Jayoung's chest with blank expression.

Jayoung scratched the back of his head in confusion. "I thought that was my best quality. That's nice for you to say- -"

"Kris.."

"What is it?" Kris inquired.

Jayoung began to approach Kris. "For some reason my dearest friend of died due to something that is linked towards your soul. And other. The two of them are dead now."

"So, I'll have to punish you. But don't worry. I am a Soul Bringer after all," Jayoung said in a serious and dark manner. "It would be weird if I couldn't bring back people from the dead."

Kris could sense Jayoung's malice, so he ready himself to attack and defend himself. Kris's sword sliced through Jayoung's defenses, cutting deep gashes in his arms and chest.   

"That's too bad," said Jayoung in a low tune. "I can't be injured by mere attacks such as that."

Jayoung wounds began to heal. He then retaliated with a wave of dark souls, but Kris stood firm, his sword slicing through them like butter.

Jayoung, seeing his souls begin hacked down, prepared another which made a ball of dark energy over his finger tip. "Guess those were too weak for you. Let's turn things up a notch."

In a simple bid to turn the tide, Jayoung summoned a colossal dark sphere. He shoot out the attack from his finger and it pierced and engulfed Kris in black.

"You should feel like you've died three times around. You see, that ability allows me to condense some of my tamed souls into a single force. This allows me to attack a person's soul directly," Jayoung explained.

He then snapped his fingers and two glowing, blue balls appeared out of tine air and dropped into his hands.

Jayoung continued. "But it seems to me that you have experienced many deaths. As well, you didn't simply revive but your body was recreated from nothing as your previous soul no longer exist."

"To be precise, it like I shouldn't be questioning to existence of your previous being."

Kris was on top of a building, and for some reason he was panting. He seemed to have received damage despite not taking any hits after his death.

"But my powers are strong enough to stink itself into your whole being," said Jayoung while looking at Kris's location.

But Kris refused to yield. He jumped of the building and revealed his location willing. He then charge at Jayoung, his sword flashing with a fierce light.

Jayoung stood still, letting himself to be stabbed deep into the heart by Kris.

Jayoung stumbled back, his eyes filled with both rage and pity.

"I gave you a free attack, and that's all you could do with it?" Jayoung inquired.

Kris took advantage of his opponents vulnerability, his sword sliced through Jayoung's jugular.

"That doesn't hurt either," said Jayoung.

He delivered a swift and deadly uppercut to Kris's gut.

"Ahhh!" Kris groaned in pain and agony.

Jayoung then summoned his dark souls that dissipated around Kris and seep into his body, and he crumpled to the ground, his lifeblood pouring onto the pavement.

Kris died once again with Jayoung in the victor position.

"I'm not done yet," said Jayoung.

He pointed his finger at Kris, who was about to respawn once again. As he appeared, Jayoung shot out another ball of dark energy.

Kris once again died. The next time he arrived, he wasted no time and charged forward with his sword' Transcendent. The blade's edge was miraculously glowed with a faint white glow, even though the sun was being blocked by the thick and heavy grey clouds. His footsteps echoed through the desolate landscape as he closed in on Jayoung, his eyes fixed intently on his opponent.

"(I don't believe I'll be able to defeat him.)" Kris said inwardly. "(But I must try.)"

Jayoung, a master of soul manipulation, his eyes silently blazing with an otherworldly energy that seemed to pierce through Kris soul as he gaze at them. He raised a hand, and a dark soul burst forth, its ethereal form coalescing into a twisted, humanoid shape that intercepted Kris.

Jayoung said, "I'm at the advantage here."

The soul, its presence like a dark vortex, encased him. But with a simply slash he was able to destroy the being, making it disappear into nothingness. Jayoung slowly walked towards Kris, with a aura like a cold wind, as he summoned a horde of evil souls behind.

The souls swirled around him, their ghostly forms biting and clawing at him like a maelstrom of vengeful spirits.

"And I think my minions agree."

The souls attacked Kris, their misty, dark bodies moving and shifting strangely. Kris swung his sword at one of the souls, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly whoosh. And then, a powerful burst of lightning emerged from the blades, engulfing the surrounding in light. But Kris was relentless, as he began to swing more rapid blast of lightning at Jayoung, the numbers seemingly endless.

Jayoung watched with a blank expression, his eyes gleaming with malevolence as he orchestrated the other army of souls behind.

"I should stop playing around now," said Jayoung.

Focusing his thoughts, Jayoung called upon the power of his mid-level minions. They had a warm, golden light enveloping him like a shield. This light repelled seem to be opposite of the evil souls that Jayoung was previously using. Sending them reeling towards his foe, Kris charged forward.

The blade sliced through Jayoung's minions, its edge leaving trails of glittering, silver light as trying to vanquish the souls into nothingness. It tried to, at least.

Kris blade didn't do much damage to the soul due to its healing factor. Its arm covered and it slammed Kris back with a powerful blow.

Jayoung summoned another massive, dark soul. This soul, however, towered over both Kris and Jayoung, its presence like a dark mountain. And currently felt like one when it fell and hit Kris on the top of his head.

In the end, Kris was out matched and Jayoung was victorious.

"You... win," Kris stammered, his voice barely audible.

Jayoung smiled glee. Changing his dark face to the embodiment of happiness. "Good, now let's go."

Suddenly, shade was casted on the whole area. Kris looked up and saw a gigantic creature in the sky that resembled a fish. It was as large or larger than the whole planet.

"I don't think my friends want to be packed in these things like sardines," said Jayoung with a smile.

End of Volume 1.