Chapter 8: Soul Channel

Constantine seemed to have a dream.

The surrounding scenery appeared blurry in his vision, as if separated by a thin veil. Even his other senses felt somewhat dulled. But this didn’t quite feel like a dream. At the very least, the boy could still clearly sense his own existence. It was just that the place he was in now was not the noisy street, but a strange dimness. In the hazy light, the sloping ground beneath his feet stretched forward endlessly, seemingly leading all the way to the deepest level of the Nine Hells. A damp, cold airflow, as if blowing from the darkness, carried with it the rotten smell of a freshly opened grave, making Constantine feel the urge to sneeze.

The boy, puzzled, tried to raise a hand to rub his eyes. But he was surprised to discover that what appeared before him was a blurry ball of light. Only after moving it a few times did he confirm that this blurry, glowing image was his own “hand.” Naturally, his body had also become a similar ball of white light. His hand, now like a ball of light, groped over his body a couple of times. Though the sensation felt strange, he still retained a basic sense of touch and pain.

“Am I dreaming? Or have I died again?”

The boy anxiously examined his surroundings. Grotesque associations flashed through his mind. Compared to his own body, the scenery revealed by the dim light around him was somewhat clearer, but it presented bizarre sights he had never seen before. The dark, shadowy walls seemed formed from solidified lava, preserving flowing patterns that solidified into uneven, varying thicknesses of twisted shapes. Thick stone pillars with distinct segmented structures protruded halfway from the walls, providing unbreakable support for the curved walls… Combined with the black-gray material filling the gaps, whose composition was indistinguishable, the architectural style grew increasingly familiar to the boy.

It was like the shape of human ribs he had once drawn for a school assignment. Only magnified countless times.

The boy shook his head. His previous death and rebirth had not left him with similar memories. However, this scene before him did bear some resemblance to the descriptions of the afterlife he recalled from books and movies. He tried to turn around, wanting to get as far away from this terrifying place as possible. But he soon found it futile. No matter which direction he turned, the scenery before him remained exactly the same: only the black passageway shrouded in mist.

“Nothing is worse than death, and the poorest worry is having no food. So what else can happen?”

Constantine stood still for a long while. Finally, he gritted his teeth fiercely and began striding forward. Trouble couldn’t be avoided. Even if he had to descend into the eighteen layers of hell, he should first see if the Lord of Hell’s steed truly had three eyes.

Unexpectedly, this passage shrouded in chaos wasn’t very long. After advancing several hundred feet, the boy’s view suddenly opened up. The dim light seemed to brighten a little, illuminating a large empty area underfoot. Though the distant scenery was still hidden in the chaos, the boy could at least extend his gaze further.

Then, the next second, Constantine swallowed hard. At some point, a section of shadow in the room had disappeared, and the light had grown brighter. The boy’s gaze fixed on the center of this vast space. On the dark rock and metallic floor, a high-backed chair and table had somehow been constructed. A dried-up skeleton was seated upon it. Actually, calling it a skeleton wasn’t entirely accurate. It was closer to a corpse dried by nature. The face and hands exposed from the tattered, black-gray robe were completely withered, leaving only pale, twisted, paper-like things tightly wrapped around the bones. Constantine guessed it was desiccated skin, but the muscle, fat, and sinew between them had long since perished completely in the passage of time.

Apart from lacking the iconic sickle, this figure bore a considerable resemblance to the God of Death he imagined. What terrified Constantine even more was that as he looked at the skeleton, he noticed a tiny, needle-point gleam of orange-red light appearing within the empty eye sockets. It flickered within those two deep, dark holes, fixing a gaze-like attention directly upon him.

“Lost soul, you have completely lost your way. Open your mind. Confess. Your sins and burdensome curses will vanish. Empty your mind and obey my will. You will receive a chance for salvation…”

A voice rang in the boy’s ears, immense as thunder. He instinctively covered his ears… but this reaction proved useless. The voice seemed to penetrate any barrier, still making Constantine’s ears ring and even leaving him feeling nauseous.

In the echoing voice, the skeleton-like figure rose from the enormous high-backed chair and began moving toward the boy. With his movement, the air around him seemed to form small whirlwinds, slowly tugging at his tattered black robe. As he drew closer, Constantine felt an intangible pressure radiating from him. It not only instilled fear but also felt like a mountain of infinite weight, almost forcing him to prostrate himself on the ground. So, the boy could only retreat, trying his best to distance himself from this source of terror.

In response to the boy’s retreat, the skeleton casually extended a hand. As a dim, colorful light ignited in his palm, more than a dozen huge black chains suddenly appeared around Constantine. He only heard a series of grinding, clanking sounds, and then his entire body was completely immobilized. The chains abruptly pulled taut, suspending the boy in mid-air.

“Abandon your meaningless obstinacy. Open your mind…”

The voice repeated. But intense fear prevented Constantine from calmly considering the words. He had only grasped one meaning from the lengthy speech: the voice wanted him to open his mind. But what exactly “opening your mind” meant, the boy couldn’t comprehend at all. So, though the voice repeated, poor Constantine could only struggle uselessly in response, the clattering of chains his only answer.

“Stubborn fool!”

This stalemate lasted for an unknown duration. The skeleton finally seemed to grow impatient. He let out an even greater roar, then extended a hand. A terrifying, twisted monster leaped from between his fingers. The monster’s skin resembled melted mud; countless particles of varying sizes flowed over its white-and-red flesh, each looking like an eyeball or some other organ. Then, its body abruptly split open, revealing a circular mouth full of writhing teeth, like a bloody, spiked tunnel of flesh.

Constantine let out a scream. An indescribable, excruciating pain spread from every part of his body, making the poor boy feel the world spin. He felt this pain even shook his soul. Then, a sense of paralysis rapidly spread, and the world before his eyes slowly darkened.

“I curse your ancestors! What do you want? Let me go!”

Even as the world turned pitch black, the very next second, the boy discovered his mind remained incredibly clear. That excruciating pain still tortured every nerve. He couldn’t help but curse loudly. Even though he might be dead, there was no reason to accept such punishment. He had read some descriptions about the God of Death and the afterlife in this world’s books, but never heard of any deity who enjoyed tormenting a dead soul without reason, unless it was some kind of demon.

Something rather dramatic happened the next moment.

The instant the curse left his mouth, Constantine’s vision abruptly widened. The sight before him stunned the boy. The space around him seemed to undergo a massive tremor. Ripple-like waves spread from the black, twisted floor near him, curling out into the surrounding deep darkness. This bizarre distortion felt as if his location wasn’t a stable space but something soft, like inside a jelly pudding?

With this tremor, the monster that had pounced on him splattered apart!

Yes, it scattered like a liquid in one direction, forming a disgusting black puddle on the ground, emitting billowing smoke.

“What happened… did it really let go?” The boy, whose brain was almost frozen by the pain, began to function again. He shook his head, staring confusedly at the now-vanished monster. Some nerve in his mind seemed to twitch. So, trembling, he made another attempt. “If possible, take away this pain and these chains too!”

This wish wasn’t fully granted this time. Though the pain receded like a tide, and his body gradually emerged from its soft, glowing form, the black chains binding him didn’t seem so easy to undo. They only twitched symbolically a couple of times, still tightly restraining the boy’s body in the air.

“Brilliant! Truly astonishing mental power… For your age, it’s truly remarkable.” A voice of praise sounded alongside slight clapping noises. The robed skeleton was gently applauding. His thinly skinned cheeks showed no expression, but the orange-red light in his eyes flickered incessantly with the movement of his jawbone, seemingly conveying a specific emotion.

Though this voice was low, raspy, and grating like scraping rusted iron, it was no longer overwhelmingly loud. So, the boy immediately thought of something. “This voice… you’re the one who…”

“The one who just guided you to release a Magic Missile? Correct. But you needn’t feel grateful. That was an ability you inherently possess. I didn’t actually do anything… at most, I merely guided you a bit.” The skeleton interjected. His tone softened considerably, even revealing a hint of mockery. “I don’t know what they’re thinking outside now. Someone with talent like yours hasn’t yet awakened your proper power. It’s an extreme waste!”

“Whether I’m talented or not isn’t for you to judge. I just want to know, who exactly are you? Why did you bring me to this ghostly place? What do you want?” A trace of laughter mixed into Constantine’s voice, but it definitely wasn’t friendly. It was more like bitter laughter born from extreme anger. Anyone who was suddenly subjected to excruciating torture would find their fury not easily dissipated.

“No, no, no. This isn’t a ghostly place… It’s a great achievement of soul magic. To be precise, this is a purely mental world connected by the Soul Channel, young one…” The skeleton extended a pale, fleshless bone finger, shaking it before him. Then, he spoke leisurely. “As for the reason for establishing this channel… Ah, forgive my rudeness. First, allow me to introduce myself.”

He very deliberately straightened his tattered gray-black Robe of Magic. Then, with politeness, he performed a gesture that seemed like a mage’s salute and uttered a string of titles long enough to make the boy’s whole body shudder. “Kotelo de Hartdiel. Archmage of the Dawn, Elder of the Three-leaf Violets, Mestalia Mage Association. Also a member of the Shadow Mage Guild, Seventh Rank Neckbone.”

“Mestalia… a Lich from the age of the Undead War?” The boy’s jaw dropped in shock. Only after a long moment did he realize the seriousness of the situation. “What do you mean by ‘established a Soul Channel’? Did you manipulate my… Soul?”

Constantine couldn’t fully understand the meanings behind all those titles. The only thing he knew for certain was the name Mestalia. It was one of the few nations on the Continent that had existed for over five hundred years. But if the boy’s memory served him correctly, that unfortunate country had supported the Undead side in the Second Undead War and was subsequently destroyed during the conflict.

The Second Undead War was four centuries ago. That great war lasted twenty years, consuming numerous kingdoms. Many once-glorious civilizations vanished completely into the river of history, and many heroes’ names were buried forever in historical texts. But this war still affects the entire Western Continent to this day. This human catastrophe utterly changed the original political landscape of the continent, and its effects continue to evolve.

Even now, many countries in the northern part of the continent don’t reject dark Mages and Necromancers, because many of their founding emperors and pioneers came from the evil armies of the Undead War. Though the number of Liches and Necromancers has dwindled to a pitiful few, the terror they caused still lingers in people’s hearts. Countless children, crying and making noise, are often silenced by adults threatening them with tales of evil Necromancers.

The boy felt his heart sinking. If someone told him a poor fellow had his soul stolen or was turned into an Undead by a Lich, he might have laughed it off as a story. But having it happen to himself was a serious matter. Necromancers were legendary symbols of terror. For a Lich to talk about destroying or casually toying with someone’s soul was no joking matter.

“Heh heh heh heh… You’re not entirely correct. I should say, I am going to suppress your soul and control your body…” The once-Archmage let out a burst of laughter, seeming pleased with the boy’s terror. “Due to certain reasons, I lost my physical body. My soul was sealed into a Soul Gem. Therefore, to be reborn into the world again, I must obtain a body… So I chose you. Feel proud?”

The red light in the skeleton’s eyes flickered, his voice brimming with undeniable smugness. “And this here is the world constructed by my spell, the Soul Channel. It’s formed by the connection between my mind and yours, a world governed purely by mind. It’s also an arena of the mind. As long as my mental power suppresses yours, I can replace you and fully control your body… This is my invented spell. Although more troublesome than a Soul Jar spell, the control is permanent…”

“So, in this world, if my mental power is stronger than yours, then your soul could also be imprisoned by me?” Constantine tilted his head. He didn’t understand the effects of spells like the ‘Soul Jar’ the other mentioned, but he keenly grasped a potential loophole in the other’s words.

“Essentially correct, young one. Your comprehension is truly something I admire. If not for the current circumstances, I would absolutely take you as my disciple…” The boy’s sharpness made the Lich pause. Then, he shook his skull and sighed. “…Actually, it’s not just a contest of mental power. Imagination, knowledge, and other things serve as support. But in any aspect, I’m afraid you…”

The Lich’s speech halted. He noticed that while he was delivering this lengthy explanation, the black chains binding the boy’s body had melted away like snow under sunlight. The glowing white body was now surrounded by a ring of snow-white feathers and, feather-like, slowly descended to the ground. He then habitually stretched his limbs, a movement that looked somewhat comical with his glowing form.

But the Lich had no time for mockery. He even felt his confidence diminished by the boy’s actions. This youth was a prodigy unlike any he had ever seen. In such a short time, he had grasped some of the rules of the Soul Channel. The Lich took a slight step back and began focusing his mind. Several strange purple and green Gemstones suddenly appeared in the air, floating and orbiting about a foot around his head. Every finely cut facet reflected the orange-red light in his eyes.

Simultaneously, fire that could melt steel churned in the air, coalescing into over a dozen clusters that charged toward the Lich. Even before hitting their target, the scorching light rays illuminated the surroundings brilliantly and blindingly, as if several Suns had suddenly risen in this dark space. Following this light were dozens of huge ice spears. Each crystalline blue spear was as thick as a pillar!

“Not bad…” the Lich uttered a soft exclamation. But faced with this terrifying dual assault of ice and fire, his movements showed no hesitation. He merely waved a hand lightly, as if shooing away bothersome insects. With this effortless gesture, countless ice fragments materialized in the air. They tangled and fused together, instantly forming a thick ice wall massive enough to fill the gap between them.

The violent collision of elements produced muffled thunderous booms. But the ice wall couldn’t be easily shattered. The concentrated Fireballs and ice spears ultimately dissipated into fragments against the thick barrier, dozens of feet thick, failing to even touch a corner of the Lich’s robe.

But Constantine’s attack didn’t end there. The previously chaotic area above the passage had somehow become a sky heavy with dark clouds. The thick clouds churned unnaturally, turning increasingly black, with flashes of Lightning and fire bursting between them. Amidst rumbling roars, the rolling black clouds suddenly stilled. A group of four fearsome meteors, trailing raging flames, descended from the sky. Then a second group, a third…

It was a Meteor Swarm, the most formidable spell Constantine had ever witnessed. The Duke’s spellcasting advisor had used this spell to easily destroy an Orc stronghold.

“What a pity. Both your knowledge and mental power are top-notch, yet you’re still too naive! To think you could use such half-baked efforts against a true Mage!”

Facing the meteors from the sky, the skeleton let out a chilling, cackling laugh. One of the gems orbiting his head suddenly glowed. The erupting meteors in the sky collided with a thin, multicolored halo of light and vanished without a trace! Then, leisurely adjusting his skeletal hand, the Lich lectured like an elder: “Did you think, in this world of the mind, you could compete with a true Spellcaster skilled in controlling souls?”

Naturally, there was no answer to this question. The next wave of attack from the other side had already arrived. The dark clouds in the sky emitted a low, moaning rumble. The Lich looked up slightly. He noticed the clouds had transformed into countless boulders several times larger than city gates! These immense objects carried terrifying wind pressure as they plummeted straight down toward his Prismatic Wall!

The Lich waved a hand again. Dozens of invisible force fields appeared in the air, redirecting the giant boulders. But by now, his surprise had turned to a tinge of alarm! This boy’s mental power and imagination were truly formidable, almost rivaling a true Spellcaster’s! The only comforting thought now was that even with the rules of this space explained in detail, in the Lich’s eyes, Constantine still seemed to have little chance of turning the tables. A youth’s understanding and experience with magic still couldn’t compare to a true Mage’s.

But letting this continue indefinitely wouldn’t do. So, as the boulders were redirected, the Lich launched his counterattack!

Suddenly, a majestic voice echoed through the air. The voice resonated with immense power, as if a supreme king in a palace bellowed in wrath. The voice roared: “Command: Petrify!”

In an instant, Constantine trembled. His brain felt as if struck by a massive hammer. He could only stand dumbfounded, his will overwhelmed by the voice, unable to make any move. Then, without warning, a black mist billowed up from beneath the boy’s feet, etching an intricate black Magic Array that transformed into thick Black Flames. In a flash, intense black fire enveloped his entire form.

In this world, the fire’s temperature was unimaginably high. In an instant, Constantine’s flesh and blood were consumed in a nauseating sizzle, leaving behind only a charred skeleton.

“Now, do you understand?” The Lich leisurely brushed off his Robe of Magic, even though no dust existed in this space.

“Indeed, if it’s a contest of magical knowledge, even a hundred of me wouldn’t be your match…”

The charred skeleton suddenly moved. Flesh rapidly regrew over the dry bones, the body writhed in a bloody mess, then returned to normal… Now Constantine was no longer a white ball of light, but a true human form. However, he clearly hadn’t successfully deflected this attack. The boy breathed heavily, ultimately kneeling on one knee. After a long while, he sighed deeply and slowly lowered his hands.

“Giving up? To have resisted to this extent is quite remarkable for a child your age…”

The boy’s reaction slightly altered the Lich’s tone. If Constantine gave up resistance, he could smoothly take over the boy’s body… The thought of having a body to control again after over a century naturally filled him with immense joy. “Don’t worry, young one. Your soul won’t vanish. I’ll let you see, from time to time, the great achievements I accomplish with your body…”

This smug voice suddenly cut off again. What interrupted the Lich’s speech was a strange scene he had never witnessed in his hundreds of years of existence.

A huge octagonal Magic Array was slowly traced out in white light, appearing beneath the boy’s feet. Simple, long, and short lines grouped in threes formed eight magnificent, awe-inspiring Runes in the air. Crisscrossing Lightning, rolling dark clouds, blazing fire, trickling streams of water… countless natural phenomena whirled around it. The air trembled violently. In the space, only the boy’s voice echoed like a great bell.

“Dragon-Tiger River Cart, Crimson Warrior’s Cycle! Summon! Furnace of the Eight Trigrams!!”

What were these strange incantations? Even though the Soul Channel imposed no language barriers, the Lich couldn’t comprehend the meaning within those phrases… But that didn’t stop a sudden wave of alertness from flaring within him.

With a slight thought, a white light enveloped him. When he reappeared, he was thousands of feet away. Though he didn’t know what attack the boy was preparing, evading was undoubtedly the best strategy.

But clearly, he still underestimated the power of this attack…

Just as he completed his Spatial Spell, these strange symbols expanded, stretching out infinitely, instantly encompassing the entire space. When the Lich stepped out of the Portal, the symbols on the ground followed him like clinging parasites. Then came a rumbling roar… The ground heaved violently, rising into thick walls that trapped him inside a deep, well-like enclosure!

Qian! Dui! Li! Zhen! Xun! Kan! Gen! Kun!

The increasingly loud, incomprehensible words sounding above made the Lich look up. In his view, the boy’s body had somehow come to a stop in mid-air.

But now his appearance had changed so much the Lich could barely recognize him. His entire body was covered in what seemed like substantial blue-and-gold Armor. Long, burning wings even extended from his back! As he made strange gestures with his hands, countless bolts of Lightning churned in the air, connecting into a great web of light around him. Tremendous, terrifying energy ultimately gathered at the tip of his upraised index finger. Then, with a downward sweep, it transformed into countless dazzling white beams that blasted toward the enclosing walls!

Crimson Warrior charges, all demons submit! Sever the wicked, expel the monstrous, break the evil, quickly as the law commands!

Simultaneously, pillars of light as bright as the blazing Sun erupted from the ground beneath the Lich’s feet. The connection from above and below completely engulfed the Lich’s body! His thin, multicolored Prismatic Wall struggled weakly for a moment before dissolving into the white light. The rumbling tremors in the entire space seemed to vanish, becoming too overwhelmingly loud to perceive, leaving only Constantine’s clear voice echoing in the Lich’s consciousness…

True Dragon-Tiger King Secret Technique! Four Divine Guardians! True Flame! Eight Trigrams Formation!