Selene

In the south, both the Sword Domain and the Song Domain bordered the Stormsea, which was ruled by the House of Night. In the north, the Hollow Mountains stood like an impregnable wall in the path of human expansion.

The two Domains were separated by a Death Zone — or rather, several of them, stretching from the Hollow Mountains all the way to the Stormsea. This deadly territory widened in the south, but was comparatively narrow in the north. Which meant that if the two enclaves were to be connected by land, the narrowest and northernmost region separating them had to be conquered.

...to the Death Zone far in the north. This place, which had taken the lives of many powerful Awakened, had no official name. However, people often called it the Godgrave.

Klaus had no interest in joining the citadels of the great clans. He wanted something of his own. And he found it—a magnificent temple hidden on the eastern edge of the Chain Isles, near a vast, moonlit lake.

The temple stood in eerie solitude, surrounded by glowing white flowers that bathed the area in an ethereal aura. Their soft luminescence cast ghostly reflections on the dark waters, making the entire place feel like something out of a dream. The temple itself was a masterpiece of obsidian, its walls sleek and polished, the warm glow of lanterns flickering inside, creating a haunting contrast of shadow and light.

Klaus had wanted to name it the House of Night—it fit his aesthetic perfectly—but, unfortunately, Nightwalker had beaten him to it. So, instead, he named it Selene, in honor of the goddess of the moon.

This wasn't just his sanctuary. His siblings were tethered here as well. The temple itself was secure, well-guarded, but step beyond its sacred ground, and the world turned into a nightmare. The land surrounding Selene was crawling with abominations—twisted, fallen creatures that made even seasoned warriors shudder.

The first were the Horned Stalkers—eight-foot-tall humanoid beasts with jagged, stag-like antlers. Their fangs were as sharp as a wolf's, their claws razor-like, perfect for tearing through flesh. Their glowing yellow eyes burned with endless hunger, and their muscular bodies made them terrifying predators.

Then there were the Shrike-Horrors—birds that defied logic. Their skeletal bodies were wrapped in rusted armor, their rotting feathers hanging from their wings like decayed funeral garb. Their beaks weren't beaks at all, but jagged maws filled with rows of fangs. Their heads were comically oversized compared to their thin, bony frames, yet they still managed to fly. Klaus had no idea how. The laws of physics certainly didn't apply to them.

The Widows were perhaps the most unsettling. Spiders, but not quite. Their lower bodies were that of monstrous arachnids, but from the waist up, they were disturbingly humanoid. They resembled women, eerily beautiful and utterly wrong, their elongated fingers twitching as they spun silk-like webs laced with paralytic venom. Their whispers in the night were enough to unnerve even the bravest fighters.

Among the flora were Veilblossoms, plants that appeared as breathtakingly beautiful flowers—until they bloomed. When they did, they released a thick, toxic gas that induced hallucinations so vivid they could drive a man mad. Victims would see their loved ones beckoning them closer, only to walk willingly into the plant's gaping maw.

And then there were the worst of them—the Skinners.

These abominations stood over ten feet tall, their grotesque bodies stitched together like patchwork dolls. Their faces were nothing but gaping mouths, jagged and grinning. Their hands had no fingers, only gory sockets filled with unblinking eyes. But the most revolting thing about them was their skin—because it wasn't theirs.

Klaus had dissected one out of morbid curiosity, peeling back its layers only to confirm his suspicions. These creatures wore their victims. Their entire bodies were wrapped in stolen flesh, stacked in layers like grotesque armor.

"Disgusting bastards," Klaus muttered, tossing the scalpel aside after another grim dissection.

Still, this land—brimming with nightmares—was the perfect place for growth. The temple of Selene was a sanctuary, but everything beyond its walls was a battlefield.

Klaus needed to reach the Chain Isles. It wouldn't take long. So he wasn't worried.

He had only come here for one reason—to continue his experiments.

The air was thick with the scent of iron and decay as he stood in the dim glow of his lanterns, a scalpel gleaming in his gloved hand. He looked down at the Widow, a monstrous, humanoid arachnid hybrid. The creature was chained to the ground, its eight clawed fingers scraping at the obsidian floor, its grotesque face contorted in rage.

A Fallen Beast.

The Widow snarled, its inhuman voice a rasping shriek, its half-humanoid body twisting against the chains that pinned it to the obsidian table. Its legs had already been severed, leaving jagged, twitching stumps where thick black blood oozed like tar.

Klaus smiled, running his gloved fingers down its pale, contorted face. Its humanoid half was eerily beautiful, framed by long, silken hair—though its multiple black, beady eyes twitched in mindless terror.

"Shhh, shhh now, love," he cooed, pressing a gentle kiss to its clammy forehead. "I promise to be gentle."

The Widow let out a choked wail, its fangs bared in a silent plea.

Then the screams began.

Klaus worked with methodical precision, slicing through its flesh, prying apart its insides, pulling at muscles to see how they contracted in pain. The Widow writhed, its body convulsing violently as he stripped it down, layer by layer.

After lasting for entire day, The Widow's body jerked one final time, then stilled.

[You have slain Fallen Beast, Widow.]

[Your Spirit Becomes Vaster.]

Klaus let out an appreciative hum. Impressive. He dug his fingers into its ruined chest, grasping onto the trembling soul shard nestled within. With one harsh tug, he ripped it free.

"Hmm… Well done, love. I'm proud of you," he murmured, tossing the shard into a pouch.

The corpse was useless now. Klaus discarded it like trash, hauling it up with one arm and flinging it into the black lake outside the temple. The runes along the shoreline shimmered faintly as the body sank beneath the water. The wards ensured nothing would fester.

He removed his gloves, stretching his fingers before settling onto a nearby chair. The crimson light of the lanterns flickered across his face, casting long shadows as he traced the glowing runes along the stone floor.

---

Name: Lich

Spirit: Undead King

Spirit Description: A relic from the Old Empire. In those days, there was a group of unorthodox mages—scholars who sought knowledge, no matter how forbidden. They called themselves the Seekers of Truth. Most were wiped from history. But Lich survived. He was one of the last.

Spirit Rank: Transcendent

Spirit Class: Tyrant

Attributes:

Hermit – A vast reservoir of knowledge, particularly in the dark and arcane arts.

Heretic – A scholar versed in forbidden, demonic magic.

Immortal – His soul is bound to his Heart. Destroying his body means nothing unless the heart is found.

Seeker – He sees through deception and possesses a frightening level of intelligence.

Aspect Abilities:

1. Dungeoner – Creates dungeons where his and his allies' abilities are enhanced.

2. Trapper – Lays out intricate and lethal traps.

3. Master of Barriers – Given time, can construct immensely powerful barriers.

4. Necromantica – Summons the dead, ghosts, ghouls, and binds curses.

5. Misty Ways – Weaves an illusionary mist that distorts reality.

Klaus stared blankly at the inscriptions, his mind running through calculations. Years. That's how long he had spent preparing, strengthening his spirits, expanding his knowledge.

Lich had been an Ascended Devil when he first found him. The battle should have been impossible—Klaus had nearly died trying to subdue him. But, strangely enough, halfway through their fight, the Lich surrendered.

That made the process easier.

Creating a spirit wasn't a simple matter. First, you had to kill the being. Then you had to fuse its body, spirit, and mind, tying it to your Soul Sea. Once inside, if the spirit submitted, it would become your servant. If not, a Soul Battle was required. A test of power and will. If you lost, you died. If you won… you gained a powerful new ally.

Klaus ran his fingers through his hair, smirking in amusement.

He still didn't fully understand why Lich had given up. Maybe the old monster had been bored. Maybe he saw something in Klaus that intrigued him. Whatever the case, he now served.

But was it enough?

Could Lich counter Asterion when the time came?

Klaus exhaled sharply. He didn't know. No one truly knew Asterion's full abilities. When the bastard fought, Klaus and Mordret never got close. Just being near Asterion's battlefield was enough to kill them.

He knew the man's Domain was tied to Memory—the more people knew of him, the stronger he became. It made sense. After all, Asterion carried the bloodline of the Heart God.

As for his experiments... Pain. Fear. Wrath. Hunger. Those were emotions Nightmare Creatures felt in abundance. And yet, some of the Nightmare Creatures… had their own goals. Their own desires. It was more than simple bloodlust. More powerful it is, more intelligence it has.

He also studied corruption... How did it infect souls? How seeds of corruption bloomed? What seed of corruption does to Soul Sea? How it spreads?

Thanks to Lich, he knew lot of things. Corruption was the influence of the Void seeping through the walls of existence that caged it. Therefore, knowledge of the Void was the source of Corruption as well. That's why Lich didn't shared some of his knowledge with him. It was dangerous.

The first way for a soul to be cleansed of Corruption is death. Awakened was used to collect soul shards from Nightmare Creatures, but the remnant fragments of corrupted souls were pure and untainted. It was because death was a weapon to destroy Corruption.

Second way to do so is simple, simply by awakening. His eyes weren't for decoration. When he once accompanied Jet when some kid was infected by nightmare spell. Klaus experienced something marvelous. in boy's soul, sparks of light fused under pressure, forming a luminous sea. The bead of darkness dissolved in the light, destroying it. That's how awakening destroyed corruption.

He sighed, leaning on his chair. There was still so much to learn...

Klaus turned his gaze to the Skinner chained nearby.

"Lich, i leave that one to you. I need some rest."

Klaus waves hand and left underground, leaving Lich who just nodded and glanced at Skinner with pure indifference, enchanted scalpel in his skeletal hands. Tilting his head, Lich took step forward. And soon, beastial screams penetrated underground.