CHAPTER 17: SOUL

Not long after, Mr. Joe patted his back and said, "That’s the library. Take the path beside it."

The old man pointed toward a circular building that rose five stories high.

Richard saw its door was open, though only a few people went in or out.

He was tempted to enter the library to expand his knowledge, but right now Mr. Joe’s book mattered more.

Turning down the path beside the library, Richard found many old but fairly large houses.

"There, that’s my house!" Mr. Joe pointed at one whose yard was overgrown with weeds, completely unkempt.

Richard stopped in front of it, dismounted Athena, and the horse immediately began munching on the wild grass.

Though poorly maintained, Richard had to admit the house was quite nice—far better than any in Purple Rose Village.

"Mr. Joe, why don’t you live here?" Richard asked.

"It’s easier in the village, farming. I can earn plenty without having to do hard labor in this city," the old man replied, holding his torch as he pushed through the weeds.

In his hand was a large key, fitting for the oversized padlock on the door.

Mr. Joe unlocked it with ease, then pushed the door open.

Screech! Screech! Screech!

Suddenly, a swarm of bats burst out of the house, several smacking into Mr. Joe’s face.

Luckily, Richard ducked in reflex, though a few brushed past his hair.

"Damn it!" Mr. Joe cursed angrily, thrusting his torch inside, lighting up the living room.

Richard saw a sofa, a table, and cabinets filled with various tools.

Mr. Joe tossed the sack of wine onto the sofa, motioning for Richard to come in.

Then he entered one of the rooms, leaving Richard alone in the darkened living room.

Richard didn’t mind waiting. He stood beside the sofa, trying to sense the Aether around him—wondering if it felt the same here as in the village.

’What?’ he was startled to find the city’s Aether was denser, enough that he estimated training speed here would be about fifteen percent faster.

This surprised him, since he had thought the natural countryside would have richer Aether than a city.

"Richard, come here!" Mr. Joe’s voice suddenly called from the room.

Richard quickly ran in, spotting an old bed that still looked comfortable.

Mr. Joe sat on it, holding a thin, ancient-looking book.

Its cover was pitch black, so dark it resembled a night without light.

But upon closer look, Richard noticed a symbol etched into the cover—also pure black, barely visible, its form difficult to decipher.

Richard instantly felt sure this was no ordinary book.

He took it from Mr. Joe’s hands without a word.

"Stay here, and hold the torch," Mr. Joe said.

Then he dashed out of the room in a hurry.

Richard stared after him, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.

Honestly, he’d prefer the old man come back furious rather than leap into a river somewhere.

Shaking his head, Richard focused on the black book in his hands. He opened it casually, finding its title:

(Black Heart Soul!)

The final word made his expression shift from curiosity to disbelief.

He had expected a Codex or Arcane Art, but it was neither—perhaps something even more valuable.

Dragon Knights possessed the Black Heart Soul, a secret they relied on both in training and in hidden power.

Since the book bore that title, Richard immediately guessed it might contain the method to acquire such a soul.

’Mr. Joe had something that belonged to the Dragon Knights. Could he really be one of their descendants?’ Richard wondered.

DING!

(Your mastery of 100 Shadow Monster has increased from 4% to 8%!)

[Arcane Art:

100 Shadow Monster (8%)

Lighting of Darkness (4%)]

Richard received a System notification even as he pondered Mr. Joe.

This time, all of the progress had gone to 100 Shadow Monster.

He barely paid attention, though—his thoughts remained fixed on the book.

Flipping to the next page, he found an illustration of a black heart that seemed to radiate a strange aura.

Beneath it was a short description:

(Black Heart Soul; a soul that transforms your heart into a vessel for hidden power—a power you must feed with rage and grudges born of battle and slaughter. For you alone who revel in carnage!)

Richard frowned deeply at the last line.

For you who revel in carnage.

It made him question whether this was really meant for him.

’Maybe I don’t need to think too hard about it. What matters is gaining the Black Heart Soul itself. That alone will raise my talent drastically. Perhaps the System will boost its growth further—even without me resorting to slaughter.’

For someone who had never killed—only fought childish scuffles—massacre was far beyond his experience.

He couldn’t say what kind of person he would become in this harsh world. Would he remain a kind-hearted angel, or turn into a cruel demon? It was impossible to predict.

BANG!

Suddenly, the door slammed open.

"Richard, you little brat! How dare you trick me!" Mr. Joe’s furious voice thundered, making Richard’s back stiffen.

’Damn, how did he return so fast? Is that woman’s house really so close?’ Richard thought in disbelief.

Moments later, Mr. Joe appeared at the doorway, clutching a long iron rod.

"You brat, damn you!" he roared, charging and swinging it toward Richard.

"Old man, don’t go crazy," Richard snapped back, leaping aside to dodge.

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