"I understand how I got here. What I don’t understand is why you never brought an end to the Spawn of the Eternal Warlock of War by yourself instead of creating a whole entire realm, just for something you could have easily ended yourself?" Ryuk asked.
"I can’t kill him, as I’ve been cursed by the true Eternal Warlock of War. This realm is a domain of mine that was once locked under a seal, and the Warlock of War placed his spawn here—like his stamp—to ensure I could never recall my domain. I was trapped here in another pocket of the world."
"I needed someone to defeat the spawn, hence removing the stamp placed by the Warlock of War."
"So now, you’re free," Ryuk completed as she nodded her head.
"Yes, I am, thanks to your skill that erased the Warlock of War’s existence out of my domain," she said.
Ryuk furrowed his eyebrows, but his attention was soon diverted to his body. Right now, he looked almost like a holograph.
A strange particle oozed out of him continuously, and his form flickered between gaseous and solid.
"Your attack didn’t just wipe out the spawn of the Warlock of War. It also wiped out your soul body too."
"But… you’re not dead yet."
"The body you use now is the little soul that remains anchored to your physical form."
"If a soul is completely removed from its body, it dies except for a minority few."
"But if the soul is still tethered, it can undergo a partial separation."
"The Warlock of War’s domain involves defeating a body, summoning its astral body, and then taking control of its will."
"A little soul will always be left in the body so that when the true soul is defeated, he will also have access to the tethered soul within it, which he can then use to control the body."
She explained as Ryuk’s eyes flashed, remembering how those skeleton warriors had attacked him.
’So, the remainder of their souls was still being controlled.’
He had defeated the Warlock of War, but doing so meant perishing alongside him.
However, the flaw that usually worked in his adversaries’ favour ended up working in his. Now, only a small fragment of his soul remained in his body, ensuring he was still alive.
"But still, your soul power is too low—just about 30% of your true soul’s strength. You’re closer to death than ever in this state..."
The lady as they arrived at the edge of the garden.
Below, a vast sea stretched out.
A sea of blue liquid, flickering with specks of light, danced on the surface. The sight immediately captured Ryuk’s attention.
"This is the Soul Flora Sea—a natural resource that revitalizes even the faintest soul spark. For you, it won’t just restore your soul but even strengthen it further."
She spoke as Ryuk’s gaze locked onto something, his pupils dilating. Ryuk saw his own bloodied figure suspended in the air, blood still dripping down, looking as tattered as ever.
"It also rejuvenates the body using the power of Aetheris within."
She gestured toward him as Ryuk’s body suddenly plunged into the sea, sinking deep into its depths.
Instantly, Ryuk felt the connection between him and his body solidify, slowly increasing, awakening in him an urge to jump after it.
"You can take this as my reward for passing the second and third phases of the test," she said to him.
Ryuk looked at her suspiciously for a moment.
She had been the one that had almost led him to death—twice now. And now, she was now asking him to jump into some Soul Flora Sea?
Should he trust her?
The same woman whose ambition had nearly led to the deaths of thousands of test-takers?
The same woman who had almost cost him his own life?
Before the lady could react, Ryuk’s hand suddenly shot out, gripping her wrist.
Then—
FLUUNG!
He flung her forward, sending her flying straight into the sea.
A loud gasp echoed through the realm as her body splashed into the liquid.
With cautious eyes, Ryuk watched as she disappeared beneath the surface.
’Tch, just as I thought. She’s just deceiving me…’
He was still thinking this when, suddenly, a head burst out of the sea.
She emerged, looking at Ryuk with a clearly annoyed expression.
"That was uncalled for, wasn’t it?" she asked.
Ryuk shrugged before finally jumping in after her.
"It would be foolish of me to listen to the words of someone who sent hundreds of warriors to their deaths—damning them to an eternal torment of body and soul," Ryuk said as he dived in.
The moment his body touched the liquid, he felt something.
A strange sensation surged through him, his connection increasing even more.
He allowed himself to sink deeper, following the pull.
But then, the wave shifted and he saw a figure swimming alongside him.
"I didn’t send anyone to their death," the lady’s voice resounded through the waters.
"They came to this realm searching for worth, and they met their end. Is it my fault they weren’t strong enough to get what they wanted?"
Ryuk raised an eyebrow at her before replying.
"Sounds like you’re just trying to convince yourself that you did the right thing..."
He mused before soaring down with even more speed, but she kept after him,
’Just what does she want?’ Ryuk wondered.
But before she could question further, a force overtook him.
His body twisted in an instant, and before he knew it, he was inside his physical body once again.
The moment he merged, his body started regenerating itself.
A few seconds passed before a sudden burst of energy rippled outward. The lady winced as the shockwave sent distortions rippling through the entire sea.
In an instant, a massive whirlpool descended.
Ryuk’s body suddenly started emitting a powerful drag force, causing all the surrounding liquid to be pulled toward him.
Her eyes widened in shock as she witnessed the unthinkable—
The entire Soul Flora Sea began draining into Ryuk’s body like an endless pit, enveloping him in a cocoon of pure Aetheris energy.
’Just… what is happening?’