I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 391: Loved by the Spirits

She flew close to his face, her tiny finger pointing at him accusingly. ”Who ARE you?! What are you?! How is any of this possible?!”

”I’m Jack Kaiser,” Jack replied with a smirk. ”And I survive because I refuse to die. That’s all there is to it.”

Sylph stared at him. Then she slowly drifted down to sit on Rhys’s head, her tiny form slumping like a puppet with its strings cut. ”I can’t. I just... I can’t anymore. My brain is broken. Everything is broken.”

Rhys looked up at the spirit sitting on his head. ”Are you okay?”

”No,” Sylph said quietly. ”No, I’m really not.”

Jack turned back toward the windows. ”You can explore the floor if you want. But stay alert. There are certain spirits and other creatures that don’t have minds. They’ll attack anything that moves, including you.”

He walked toward the chamber’s exit, a massive door that led outside to the glowing landscape beyond. ”Father Caelen, you’re with me.”

Father Caelen moved immediately, falling into step behind Jack without question. His tranquil demeanor had been restored, accompanied by a newfound glint in his eyes. He was processing everything he’d just learned.

The door opened as Jack approached, swinging outward on hinges that made no sound. Light flooded in, not the natural sunlight one would suspect, but the bioluminescent glow from the grass and flowers that covered the landscape. It was as if the floor shone downward and the sun shone upwards.

Jack stepped through, Father Caelen following a pace behind.

The door closed, leaving Rhys and Sylph alone in the vast chamber.

For several moments, neither one moved.

Then Rhys spoke. His voice sounded so tired. ”I want to go home.”

”We can’t,” Sylph replied quietly. ”We’re stuck here for one hundred and twenty days.”

”I know.” Rhys closed his eyes. ”I just... I need a moment. To process. Everything.”

”Take your time,” Sylph said. ”I’ll be doing the same thing. Probably for the next decade.”

They sat in silence, two beings utterly overwhelmed by revelations that had shattered their understanding of what was possible.

Then something moved in the shadows near the far wall.

Rhys’s eyes snapped open. ”Did you see that?”

”See what?” Sylph lifted her head, her black-and-green eyes scanning the darkness.

A figure stepped forward, walking straight out from a shadow on the wall as if the darkness itself had given birth to him.

Loryn stepped into the light. This was his favorite way to show up. His body looked so gaunt that if you blew on him, one would think he would fall over.

He wore robes that seemed to be made of shadows themselves, constantly shifting and flowing even though no wind existed in the chamber.

Rhys scrambled backward, his winter-ice eyes wide with renewed terror. ”What... who—”

”Greetings,” Loryn said, his raspy voice bellowing as he spoke. ”I am Loryn, Shadow Demon and chief steward of Floor 25 in my master’s absence.”

He swept into a formal bow, his shadow robes flowing dramatically. When he straightened, his purple eyes fixed on Sylph with interest.

”A mythical spirit,” Loryn observed, his tone carrying approval. ”How delightful. We don’t often receive guests of such caliber. Welcome, little one, to the domain of the Soul Warden.”

Sylph’s tiny form vibrated with barely contained panic. ”Demon. You’re a demon. A demon just walked out of a wall.”

”Indeed,” Loryn confirmed. ”Shadow manipulation is one of my particular talents. Among many others.”

He turned his attention to Rhys, who had pressed himself against the far wall like he was trying to phase through it. ”And you must be the elf prince. Lord Rhys of Caeloria, I presume? My master speaks highly of your potential.”

Rhys made a sound that might have been words but came out as terrified gibberish.

Loryn’s expression softened slightly, though his purple eyes never lost their intensity. ”Please, there’s no need for alarm. You are guests here. Companions of my master. No harm will come to you on this floor. I give you my word as a steward.”

”Steward?” Sylph managed to get the word out despite her shock. ”Steward of what?”

”Of this floor,” Loryn replied. ”And its inhabitants. There are nearly thirty thousand demons on Floor 25, all of whom serve Jack Kaiser. I coordinate their activities, manage resources, and ensure smooth operation of the various habitats my master has constructed.”

The silence that followed could have smothered sound itself.

”Thirty...” Rhys’s voice barely qualified as a whisper. ”Thirty thousand?”

”Approximately,” Loryn confirmed. ”The number fluctuates as my master adds new demons to his army or as certain demons are assigned to other floors for specific tasks. But yes, roughly thirty thousand souls currently reside here, all bound to the Soul Warden through contracts of various types.”

Sylph drifted down to sit on the floor, her tiny legs dangling over the edge of what was probably a crack in the stone. ”I can’t. I genuinely cannot process any more information today. My brain has officially stopped functioning.”

Loryn chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm. ”I understand this must be overwhelming. But please, allow me to show you around. Floor 25 is quite beautiful once you adjust to its... unique qualities. And I promise the experience will be fruitful if nothing else.”

Rhys looked at Sylph. Sylph looked at Rhys. Neither seemed capable of making a decision.

”Come,” Loryn said, extending one shadow-wrapped hand in invitation. ”Your master is currently speaking with Emberion. That conversation will take some time. Why not explore while you wait?”

He smiled, and for all his demonic nature, there was something almost reassuring in the expression. ”Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? You’re already on a floor ruled by an Emperor Class dragon, commanded by a chosen one of the Forgotten One, populated by thirty thousand demons. At this point, surprises should be expected rather than feared.”

Sylph made a sound that might have been a laugh or a sob. ”He has a point.”

Rhys slowly stood, his legs still shaking, but they were functional. ”Fine. Show us around. But if anything tries to eat us, I’m blaming you.”

”Fair enough,” Loryn agreed. He turned and began walking toward a different exit, his shadow robes flowing behind him. ”This way, if you please. I’ll start with the forest. They’re quite spectacular this time of... well, it’s always this time here, but the point stands.”

As they followed the demon deeper into the chamber, Rhys leaned close to Sylph and whispered, ”Is this real life?”

”I genuinely don’t know anymore,” Sylph whispered back.

Outside, the landscape of Floor 25 spread before Jack in all its impossible beauty.

The grass glowed beneath his boots, soft light pulsing outward from each step like ripples in a pond.

Flowers burned with colors that shouldn’t exist, their petals radiating bioluminescence that painted the air itself. Spirits drifted through the sky in formations that looked almost choreographed, their white and gold forms weaving between each other with grace.

But they stopped at Father Caelen. For some reason, they followed him and stood close to him.

’System, any idea what’s happening?’

[It seems Father Caelen is loved by the spirits.]

’Loved by the spirits?’

[Yes, any spirits, nymphs, gnomes, etc... all seem to adore him. It’s a shame he’s not an elf.]

’Why is it a shame?’

[Because if he was an Elf, he would be revered for this power he has. It seems to be stronger than any elf in recorded history.]