I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 329: [Current status: Requirement not met]

He looked down at the gray key, its surface seeming to pulse faintly in his grip.

Dark magic.

The element he’d been drawn to for some time now. The power that Malakai had apparently mastered alongside six others.

”The phoenix binding,” Jack said slowly, working through implications. ”Is that something that can be replicated? Could another Soul Warden do what Malakai did?”

Emberion’s laugh was like distant eruptions. ”In theory? Perhaps. In practice? The process would likely be fatal to anyone who attempted it. Malakai succeeded because of unique circumstances. The specific phoenix he bound, his mysterious bloodline, centuries of preparation, and quite possibly pure luck that the attempt didn’t simply obliterate his soul.”

”But it’s possible,” Jack pressed.

”Many things are possible, Soul Warden,” Emberion replied, his tone carrying warning. ”That doesn’t make them advisable. Malakai was one in a million. Perhaps one in ten million. The odds of another Soul Warden successfully replicating his achievements are...”

The dragon trailed off, but the implication was clear. Astronomically low.

Malakai had left behind more than just a domain and a throne. He’d left behind a roadmap to power that transcended usual limitations. And Jack now held the first piece of that map.

”Thank you,” Jack said finally, meeting Emberion’s molten gaze. ”For the information. And for the phoenix feathers.”

”Use both wisely,” Emberion replied. ”Malakai’s legacy is powerful, but it’s also dangerous. Many Soul Wardens came after him, seeking to replicate his achievements. Most died trying. A few simply disappeared, consumed by ambitions they couldn’t control.”

Jack nodded, absorbing the warning. Then he turned, preparing to leave the summit.

”Soul Warden,” Emberion called out, stopping him. ”One more thing. The keys can only be used once you’ve proven yourself worthy. Simply possessing them isn’t enough. Each key has requirements that must be met before it will activate.”

”What requirements?” Jack asked.

Emberion’s smile showed far too many teeth. ”That’s something you’ll discover when you attempt to use the gray key. Consider it Malakai’s final test for those who would seek his knowledge.”

Jack filed that information away, then continued toward the summit’s edge. His mind churned with theories and possibilities.

Jack erupted in red lightning before flying through the sky towards the castle.

-----

Jack landed in the courtyard, red lightning dissipating as his boots hit the stone. The castle doors opened at his approach, responding to his status as Soul Warden with automatic deference.

He moved through familiar corridors, past the portrait hall where previous Soul Wardens watched from their frames, toward the throne room.

His mind still churned through everything Emberion had revealed: seven keys, seven elements, Malakai’s impossible mastery, and the mystery of his bloodline.

The massive doors of the throne room swung open. Jack crossed the polished floor, his footsteps echoing in the vast space, and climbed the steps to the throne itself.

He sat; the stone felt cool to the touch, a pleasant feeling when your body was constantly getting hot. He reached into his system storage.

The gray key materialized in his hand, its dark metal gleaming in the ambient light. Intricate engravings covered its surface, symbols that puzzled his mind, but he felt like he could stare at them all day.

’Time to see what requirements Malakai set,’ Jack thought, studying the key. ’Emberion said I’d discover them when I tried to use it.’

He pressed the key against his chest, directly over his heart.

The sensation was unexpected. Pleasant warmth spread from the point of contact, and his skin opened. Parting like water, making way for something meant to pass through it.

The key slid in smoothly, phasing through flesh and bone without resistance. Jack felt it settle somewhere deep, not physically present in his organs but existing in a space that transcended normal anatomy. The warmth intensified, spreading through his chest cavity like heated honey flowing through his veins.

It felt right. Natural. As if the key belonged there, as if his soul had been waiting for exactly this insertion.

He turned the key.

The warmth pulsed once, twice, then settled into a steady rhythm that matched his heartbeat. For a moment, nothing else happened. Then a notification materialized in his vision, golden text appearing with unusual clarity.

[Dark Prism Crystal from Umbral Lotus required inside your body for astral projection to the Warden Realm]

[Current status: Requirement not met]

[Key cannot activate until condition are fulfilled]

Jack stared at the notification, his hand still resting on his chest where the key protruded from his skin like some strange surgical implement.

’Dark Prism Crystal,’ he thought, processing the information. ’The one that blooms during a Blood Moon with Moonvein Serpent blood. The same crystal I need for Corvin’s evolution.’

He pulled the key out carefully. The pleasant warmth faded as the metal withdrew, and the hole in his chest sealed immediately, flesh knitting back together as if it had never been separated. It wasn’t painful, the pleasant feeling dissipated. Even though a key had been inserted directly into his soul.

Jack stored the key back in his system, his mind already working through all the thoughts running through his head.

’I need to find the Moonvein Serpent,’ he concluded. ’Kill it, harvest its blood, wait for the Blood Moon, apply the blood to the Umbral Lotus, harvest the Dark Prism Crystal, and somehow get it inside my body. Is that even safe? Hmmm..... I guess it doesn’t matter. If I want answers I have to do it.’

The process seemed straightforward in concept, if not in execution. Finding a creature whose location the System itself didn’t have data on would be challenging. But it was a concrete goal, which was more than he’d had before.

Then another thought struck him, one that made his eyes narrow.

’If not for the System, I’d never have known the requirement,’ Jack realized. ’The notification told me exactly what I needed. But Emberion said I’d discover the answer when I tried to use the key. He knew I’d find out. He was confident I’d learn what was required.’

Jack leaned back in the throne, his mind racing through the only possible answer.

’Does Emberion know about the System?’ The question felt significant, heavy with consequences he couldn’t fully map yet. ’And if he does, how? Did Malakai have access to something similar? Is the System connected to being Soul Warden, or is it unique to me?’

He thought back to every interaction with Emberion. The dragon had been forthcoming with information, but also carefully measured in his responses. He’d known about the keys’ requirements without explaining how that knowledge was possible. He’d mentioned that Jack would discover what was needed, implying without a shadow of a doubt he knew Jack would find out.

’Either Emberion knows about the System specifically,’ Jack reasoned, ’or he knows about something similar that Malakai used. Which means the System might not be as unique to me as I thought. Maybe every Soul Warden gets access to something like this. Maybe it’s part of the position itself, a tool provided to whoever claims the throne.’

’But if that’s the case, was it destined from the moment I was born in this world to become the Soul Warden? What if I never bought the mask from Death? Would the system force me to get the mask? Would things be different?’