Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 62: Genesis

Chapter 62: Genesis

After activating his command rune, Briar’s resistance crumbled, and she reluctantly explained what she had been hiding. Apparently, as an additional benefit of being a Master, Klaus could access her information using chaos runes.

This was a result of the Soul Contract Mysticism used by the Demon Race. How could one measure their own strength without knowing the full capabilities of their subordinates? Following that logic, it was a necessary feature in the Master and Servant Contract, preventing Servants from concealing their true abilities from their Masters.

Unfortunately for Briar, she had assumed Klaus already knew this, since it was common knowledge among demons, and had unwittingly exposed the truth.

Not that he was complaining.

Feeling quite curious, Klaus summoned the chaos runes containing Briar’s precious information and data.

[Name: Briareth.]

[Soul Name: Ruinous Flame.]

[Rank: Fiend.]

[Unique Characteristics: Disguise, Siren, Drain.]

[Spirit Core: Dormant.]

[Echo Name: Demoness of Despair.]

[Echo Rank: Transcendent.]

[Mysticism Name: Mind Control.]

[Mysticism Ability Description: The power to manipulate the thoughts and actions of creatures and man, overriding their will.]

’So this is the ability of a succubus, huh? How peculiar.’

Klaus thought as he analyzed the information before him. A succubus with a shrouded spirit core and a mind control ability. Even though it was weak, having the ability to control minds was enough to screw many targets over.

For example, imagine facing against an opponent who possessed the mysticism ability to harden their skin, thereby increasing their defences. But instead of attacking them directly, you penetrated their mental defenses and inputted a command for them to kill themselves or simply deactivate their ability.

Due to the fact that their mental defenses was much weaker than their physical body, they would be easily susceptible to the mental attack and obediently follow the command.

Honestly, this was the exact reason why Psychics were the most feared category of Ascendants. It was no wonder Briar had been reluctant to reveal her secrets!

Hold on, her full name is Briareth, not Briar. How surprising. What a cute name for a demoness.

Klaus suppressed a chuckle.

It would be dangerous if he actually laughed in this situation. After all, there was a rather strong possibility that he would be attacked at once!

Glancing forward, he saw Briar pouting profusely with flushed cheeks, muttering something under her breath. With a glance, he could immediately tell that she was embarrassed. Well, anyone would be upset if someone cheeked their personal information.

But what was with that expression, he wondered. It’s not like he saw her three measurements, right?

... Wait, was that possible?

Overwhelmed by his growing curiousity, Klaus further summoned her additional information.

[Height: 5 feet 5 inches]

[Weight: 155 lbs (70 kg)]

[Three dimensions: 32-26-48]

[Breast size: D cup]

Klaus blinked.

He had expected some revealing details, but this was more than he anticipated. The numbers practically jumped out at him, especially the last one.

"Wait a minute..." He muttered, wide-eyed. "Fifty-five?! That’s crazy. The hell... Even popular models and celebrities aren’t that physically gifted."

His gaze flickered toward Briar, who was now glaring daggers at him. Her face was as red as a ripe apple, and her tail wriggled violently behind her.

"You..." Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Are you seriously looking at that part of my data?"

Klaus coughed into his fist and feigned nonchalance.

"I mean, it’s part of the chaos runes’ access, right? You can’t blame me for being thorough, right?"

Briar’s forehead twitched.

"Thorough?"

Maybe that was not the right thing to say. A dangerous aura seeped from the succubus’ body.

Sensing the impending doom, Klaus felt a terrible premonition rising from his stomach and quickly changed the subject.

"So, you can control minds, huh? That’s really something. Also, I didn’t think you would be a soul name bearer as well. Perhaps you weren’t joking when you said you were special."

"Ughh. Don’t you dare try to change the subject! I’m going to... huh? Did you just say you were a soul name bearer?"

"Ehm... Kinda?"

Briar’s eyes widened.

Just like that, her mood shifted entirely. Her irritation was replaced by intrigue as she held her chin thoughtfully, murmuring something under her breath. Though her voice was low, Klaus, with his enhanced hearing, caught snippets of her words, fragments like "Could this be?" and "Was this possible?"

Whatever she was thinking, it was clear she had stumbled upon something significant.

Then, as if deciding on something, the succubus raised her head and raised an unexpected question.

"Hey, are you perhaps secretly a member of a Great Clan?"

"Huh?" Muttering so, surprised by the sudden question, Klaus quickly addressed the demoness. "Where did that question suddenly come from?"

"Just answer me. Are you part of a Great Clan or not?"

"Obviously, I’m not! If I was part of a Great Imperial Clan, do you think I would have to rent that crappy apartment?! Why are you behaving weird all of a sudden? Did you suddenly remember something important, huh?"

Briar narrowed her eyes and studied him with an intensity that made Klaus feel oddly exposed. Why was he behaving like this, he wondered. Then, with a sigh, she leaned back.

"Hmm... I see. So you’re really not from a Great Clan."

"Yeah. Now, mind telling me why you’re asking?"

Briar hesitated for a moment, tapping her fingers against her arm before finally speaking.

"Because only those with powerful bloodlines or deep ties to an ancient origin can naturally bear a Soul Name."

Klaus blinked.

"Wait, what?"

Briar continued.

"Soul Names aren’t just handed out like candy, you know? Even among high-ranking demons, very few possess them. For a human, especially one not from a Great Clan, to have a Soul Name is... strange, to say the least."

"Woah, woah, woah. Let’s slow down for a second." Klaus raised his hands in a calming gesture. "I get that Soul Names are incredibly rare, but what does this have to do with bloodlines? Don’t Soul Names just represent a soul with high density?"

"You’re partly correct. From the tone of your words, I assume you don’t understand anything about the Great Clans."

"Well, it’s not like a nobody like me would know anything concerning the Imperial Clans."

The succubus sighed, exuding the air of a lecturer disappointed by an ignorant student’s answer.

With a feverish voice, she explained from the beginning:

"Long ago, before the existence of anything and everything, there was only nothingness. An absolute void, devoid of sound, light, or brilliance. No one knows how long this primordial state persisted, but at some point, a star was born and with it, existence began. From that single light, more stars emerged, each one igniting the vast expanse of the void. You must have heard of the term ’Genesis’ at least once. With the birth of these celestial flames, the universe was forged. These stars, the first to shine in the darkness, are what we now call ’Severeigns.’"

"..."

Listening to her explanation, Klaus thought he had heard the word ’Sovereign’ before. A few seconds later, he remembered his Soulbound Echo was a remnant of a Fallen Sovereign.

... At least, it was stated so in the chaos runes.

Briar continued:

"According to the Myth of Creation, as recorded by the Demonic Sage, the Most Ancient Weaver emerged from the chaos of the infinite darkness and became one with everything, thus giving birth to the first ray of light.

"To maintain order and restrain its own madness, it divided its being into Nine Sefirots, each embodying a fundamental principle of itself. The First Sefirot embodied ’Light,’ the Second Sefirot embodied ’Darkness,’ the Third Sefirot embodied ’Creation,’ the Fourth Sefirot embodied ’Destruction,’ the Fifth Sefirot embodied ’Time,’ the Sixth Sefirot embodied ’Space,’ the Seventh Sefirot embodied ’Fate,’ the Eighth Sefirot embodied ’Knowledge,’ and the Ninth Sefirot embodied ’Will.’

"Following that, its eight eyes became the Silver Fate; its heart transformed into Angels; its brain became Asura; its lungs turned into Dryads; its kidneys became the Sea Dwellers; its hair gave birth to the Giants; its ears became the Annihilation Wolves; and its entire stomach and legs were reshaped into Demons and the Seven Sins. Finally, its remaining bodily fluids and blood formed the Crimson Sea, which flowed into the vast waters of the world, nourishing the land and giving rise to life itself."

Klaus, who had been listening to Briar’s uncharacteristically serious explanation, could barely keep up. Truth be told, it was an overwhelming amount of information, and anyone unfamiliar with it beforehand would have struggled to process it all. Despite that, he managed to grasp the key point:

The Sovereigns were the origin of everything — or rather, the oldest Sovereign, the Most Ancient Weaver, brought forth the first spark of existence with its emergence. The rest of the Sovereigns, along with the world itself, were all fragments of its colossal body. According to the Creation Myth, the Oldest Creator was speculated to be an unfathomably vast spider, beyond mortal comprehension.

Whether this was truth or merely a tale spun by demons to instill fear in their subordinates, Klaus couldn’t say. What he did know, however, was that his Soulbound Echo was connected to the Sovereigns in some way and more importantly, the Imperial Clans were also connected to the Severeigns.

What were the odds that everything was just part of one vast being?

What were the odds that everything was merely a fragment of one colossal existence?

The thought unsettled him a little. It was the kind of question that could linger in the back of his mind and gnaw at him in the dead of night for some inexplicable, psychological reason.

But he didn’t have the luxury for that kind of experience.

Another thing he noticed was that Briar was a good teacher. Perhaps she came from a refined background in the Demon Realm as her explanation was structured, precise, and filled with a depth of knowledge that suggested a considerable amount of formal education. If he didn’t know her true personality, he would have really thought she was a scholar. Sadly, her true self wasn’t so refined.

Klaus sighed. He really wanted to scream "Misfortune" but what would be the point of doing so?

Oh, right. I forgot to check her traits.

With that thought, he quickly summoned the chaos runes for Briar’s information once more.

Innate Trait: [Disguise].

Trait Description: [The ability to alter one’s physical appearance at will, allowing the user to take on different forms. This includes changing facial features, body shape, and even voice.

Innate Trait: [Siren].

Trait Description: [The highest classification of a Succubus charm, capable of enthralling even high-level beings. Those affected by this trait experience intense attraction, desire, and submission, making them susceptible to manipulation. Unlike regular charm abilities, this trait can work passively, influencing those in the succubus’ presence without requiring active effort.]

Innate Trait: [Energy Drain]

Trait Description: [Absorbs life force, vitality, or spirit energy of any target through physical contact or sex then converts it into personal power. The drained energy can be used for healing, strengthening abilities, or extending lifespan, but excessive draining can leave the target weak, unconscious, or even dead.]

Klaus inadvertently swallowed and wore a weary smile.

As expected of a succubus, these were some serious, frightening traits, especially Energy Drain, which made him even more cautious. It was common knowledge that Ascendants had longer lifespans than normal humans, but the thought of being squeezed dry of his life essence left him feeling uneasy.

Some might be into being drained like a squeezed lemon, but Klaus wasn’t looking to die young, he liked his life just fine.

... Ah, wait.

Why was he getting so worked up? Didn’t his own trait counter this kind of ability?

Summoning the chaos runes of his personal traits, he quickly selected the one he needed to review.

Innate Trait: [Chaos Blood]

Trait Description: [Offers great resistance against Sorcery and Psychic-Type Mysticism. Furthermore, it also enhances adaptability, making it possible to counteract foreign influences on the body and soul over time.]

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