Soul Space

"I noticed you mentioned earlier that the souls you collected transformed into runes? How does that work?" Lei Mo asked, lost in thought.

"On my body, there are many natural runes. I call them Initial Runes, and I've never really kept track of how many there are."

"The experts who observe these runes will find themselves compatible with certain ones here, which then triggers a resonance."

"If they die, their souls are guided by that rune and return to my space. As time passes, the soul is nourished by the space, becoming increasingly compatible with the Initial Rune."

"Eventually, it transforms into a new, simplified rune that manifests on my surface and the surfaces of my corresponding sub-bodies."

"So, many of the runes you see are actually manifested souls. It wouldn't be wrong to call them blessings from the Ancestral Spirit."

"The runes you have gained insight into, Master, also belong to this category; they simply manifest on the main body."

"Does that mean these souls are dead?" Lei Mo asked.

"These souls are not dead; they still possess consciousness, though most are not very clear-headed."

"If my strength, or yours, Master, continues to improve, there should be new changes."

"After all, in the past, once a soul turned into a rune, I could no longer perceive it. But now, I can enter the space and find them."

"Souls of different strengths have different levels of clarity within the space."

"By your definition, Master, the souls of Saint-level experts are much more agile, while those below the ninth rank are quite dull!"

Lei Mo pondered this. "Can these souls still cultivate?"

"They should be able to, Master! The Initial Runes on my body correspond to certain Laws of the world; otherwise, those who study them would not be able to make progress."

"Can you control these rune-souls?" Lei Mo asked again.

"Not only can I control them, but they feel a deep, heartfelt fanaticism and worship toward me—and the same applies to you, Master."

"It was your blood that activated the Soul Space, making you the master of it, while I am something like the spirit of the space."

"This is incredible. This is a massive cheat! Damn, I'm about to take off."

Lei Mo was overcome with extreme ecstasy.

"Do you have a name? I can't keep calling you the Totem Pillar or just 'pillar'; that doesn't sound very good!" Lei Mo asked the totem pillar.

"I have named myself—Franklin. It is a name I sensed in the dark, one that would please you, Master! Though I do not know why."

"Don't worry about the details. Since you call yourself Franklin, I will address you as such from now on. We are partners for life."

Lei Mo kept his expression calm, though he curled his toes, nearly digging a hole into the ground.

"Franklin, are you considered a living being or a weapon now?"

Lei Mo finally asked the critical question.

"I should be considered a living being now, Master! After all, I was able to sign a master-servant contract with you. However, I am also a weapon; the essence of my body has not changed."

"Over these years, as more and more souls have been collected into the space, I feel as though I have vaguely grasped something, though I am not sure what it is."

Franklin himself was filled with doubt.

"Now, I can feel the fluctuations of this world at every moment; they are everywhere."

"You've gained insight into the Laws! That's impressive! I haven't felt a thing yet, Master!"

Lei Mo looked on with envy and jealousy.

"What color are the light motes you perceive most frequently in the air?"

Lei Mo continued to ask.

"The light motes around me are iridescent, but if we are talking about a single color that appears most often, it is a kind of gray. But it's not pure gray; it's more of a grayish-white."

Franklin said uncertainly.

"Grayish-white? That probably isn't one of the seven Laws; it must be Rule energy. Among the Rules, the Life Rule is tinged with green, the Destruction Rule is black, and I don't know what color Fate is."

"This might be the Death Rule! After all, your space is related to souls!"

That was as far as he could deduce; Lei Mo's own knowledge was simply too limited.

"Just follow your instincts, contemplate more, and strive for a breakthrough soon! Are you considered Saint-level now? Can you fly and change your size?" Lei Mo asked.

"I should be considered at the pinnacle of the Saint-level, because I have a feeling that I could easily crush an ordinary Saint-level expert!"

Franklin replied.

"Then don't act unless necessary; just stay in your previous form."

Lei Mo stroked Franklin, feeling the scale-like texture.

As they spoke, Franklin shifted back into the form that was convenient for Lei Mo to carry, and the scale-like texture became a matte finish.

"I was wondering why this matte texture felt so strangely familiar. Why couldn't I guess you were that Purple Totem Pillar back then? Sigh! I should have realized it sooner!"

Lei Mo lamented.

He strapped his animal-hide pack to his back, picked up Franklin, walked out of the cave, and headed deep into the Seti Mountains.

Half a month later, "Thud—Bang—Boom—Do you submit?"

Lei Mo smashed pillar after pillar against the Divine Wind Bear.

This Rank 9 Divine Wind Bear was truly unlucky to run into the freakish duo of Lei Mo and Franklin.

Franklin didn't even dare to use his full strength, otherwise, a single strike would have reduced the Divine Wind Bear to dust.

The Divine Wind Bear couldn't win, so it tried to rely on its wind-element speed to escape, but Lei Mo was a Saint-level expert whose agility and speed were incredibly fast.

Franklin, being a heaven-and-earth wonder that possessed the characteristics of both a weapon and a living being, was exceptionally spiritual; even if Lei Mo's swing was off-target, he could correct it.

There was simply nowhere to hide and nowhere to run, and before long, the beast only had enough strength left to gasp for air.

Unwilling and resentful, it was contracted by Lei Mo and became a glorious mount.

The Divine Wind Bear had sky-blue fur, well-proportioned limbs, and a round, cute head; it didn't look ferocious at all, but rather quite adorable.

Many bear-type Magic Beasts had hind legs that were too long and forelimbs that were too short, making them lurch and bump around when they ran.

The Divine Wind Bear had none of these flaws; with a shoulder height of two and a half meters and a length of five or six meters, it was very comfortable for Lei Mo to ride.

With a mount secured, he could finally leave the mountains.

"Target: human territory, set off!" Lei Mo's middle-schooler syndrome flared up.

With the direction set, seven or eight days later, Lei Mo appeared at the eastern edge of the Seti Mountains, where human adventurers had already begun to appear.

Lei Mo prepared to play the role of the fisherman or the oriole, aiming to score some human equipment.

As for the language, he had long since learned the human common tongue from Yaye and Lade; with the spiritual power of a Saint-level Magus, it wasn't difficult at all. How simple and fast it is for the strong to learn a language.

"Boom—" A male warrior was being besieged by three men in black, covered in blood and riddled with wounds.

"Collison, you are too despicable to hire assassins to ambush me! I am not reconciled—"

The man's eyes were bloodshot, his clothes soaked through with blood, and his heart was filled with utter despair.

"Bang—bang—bang—"

Three flying stones struck in succession, and the heads of the three men in black instantly burst, spraying red and white matter all over the man's face.

Ignoring the man's astonishment, Lei Mo picked up the three parcels belonging to the men in black and turned to leave.

"Benefactor! Please leave your name, Sarich will surely repay you!"

The blood-stained man in tattered clothes pleaded earnestly; he was as surprised now as he had been desperate moments ago.

"Franklin! I don't need your repayment!"

Lei Mo replied dismissively, though he was prepared to use this name to mingle in human territory.

Lei Mo or Nemo didn't sound human enough and were still too conspicuous.

Franklin was much better; he figured Franklin wouldn't object to becoming famous across the continent, right?

"Master, as long as you are happy!" Franklin's voice echoed in Lei Mo's mind.

He found a spot, disposed of the beast-skin wrappings, and changed into human attire.

Dressed in a black tight-fitting outfit, Lei Mo's two-meter-tall frame filled the clothes to the point of bursting.

For the first time, Lei Mo felt the misery of his own burly physique!