I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 475 475: 1% Increase

Twin earrings rested in Jackʼs palm, each one a masterpiece of dark craftsmanship that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.

The design started with small, glowing red gemstones.

Teardrops that pulsed with faint rhythmic light, set in dark oxidized metal that looked like gunmetal black or tarnished silver.

The main body of each earring featured a large rhombus-shaped red crystal, diamond-cut and encased in thin metallic filigree that gave it sharp, reinforced edges.

Hanging from the bottom of each crystal was a dagger-like metal point, elongated and tapered like a stiletto blade.

The earrings looked like something a high-ranking demon would wear.

The system notification appeared before Death could launch into what was probably going to be a lengthy explanation:

[Item Acquired: Crimson Sight]

[Rank: Unique]

[Earrings carved from twin teardrops of the Vampire Queen, polished ruby that hums with a faint, rhythmic pulse. They allow the wearer to see the fading light of the soul and the heat of the blood.]

[Effect: Highlights all living and undead entities within a 50-meter radius, even through solid objects or magical invisibility. Enemies below 30% HP are marked with a ”Sanguine Cross,” granting 15% increased Critical Strike chance.]

[3/5 Set Bonus: Crimson Aura]

[Effect: The wearer becomes a living vessel for the departed. Increase Maximum HP and Maximum Mana by 1% for every soul currently bound to the user. This effect has no upper limit.]

”So, these beauties are part of...” Death began, his tone suggesting he was about to launch into a detailed product demonstration.

”I know what they do,” Jack interrupted, already moving to put the earrings on.

Deathʼs skull-helmet somehow conveyed wounded dignity. ”Well, EXCUSE ME for trying to provide customer service! Here I am, being a thoughtful deity, offering cosmic artifacts with helpful explanations, and you just SHUT ME DOWN like Iʼm some door-to-door salesman trying to sell you cursed vacuums!”

The deity crossed his arms. ”You know what? FINE. Next time, Iʼll throw mystical artifacts at your head from a distance and vanish dramatically. BAM, mysterious jewelry, figure it out yourself! See if I care!”

Despite the theatrical offense, Deathʼs tone carried underlying amusement that showed he wasnʼt actually bothered.

Jack ignored the commentary, focusing on the earrings. Heʼd never worn jewelry beyond Dravenʼs Pendant, but these werenʼt decorative. They were tools. Weapons, in their own way.

He pierced his earlobes with the posts, the pain negligible compared to what heʼd endured during the contract transformation.

The metal settled into place with a click that felt almost organic, as if the earrings were synchronizing with his transformed body at a fundamental level.

The effect was overwhelming.

Power flooded Jackʼs system, not the explosive transformation of contracting with Tharaxis, but a steady amplification that expanded his existing reserves exponentially.

He could feel his maximum health and mana increasing with every passing second, the Crimson Aura effect calculating every soul in his bound army and adding one percent per creature.

Three hundred sixty-four bound souls.

Three hundred sixty-four percent increase to his base HP and mana.

The sensation was like feeling his bodyʼs capacity suddenly quadruple, internal reservoirs that had been limited by mortal constraints expanding beyond what should have been possible for someone at his level.

The numbers stabilized, and Jack pulled up his status to confirm:

[HP: 55,680]

[Mana: 12,816]

Jack stared at those numbers, his enhanced mind processing the implications faster than normal consciousness could handle.

His health had more than quadrupled from where it had been before the earrings.

His mana had increased nearly fivefold.

The Crimson Sight earrings had transformed him from durable to nearly unkillable by normal standards.

”Pretty SPECTACULAR boost, yeah?” Death said, his theatrical energy returning now that Jack was clearly impressed by the numbers.

”Thatʼs what happens when you combine Soul Warden mechanics with Vampire Queen artifacts! Itʼs like peanut butter and chocolate, except instead of a delicious snack, you get the ability to survive things that would atomize normal humans!”

The deity moved closer, gesturing at the earrings now adorning Jackʼs ears. ”The more souls you bind, the more powerful you become. No upper limit, like the description helpfully explains. Bind a thousand creatures, get a thousand percent boost. Itʼs BEAUTIFUL synergy! Elegant design! The kind of thing that makes cosmic engineers weep with joy!”

Deathʼs tone became almost professorial. ”The Vampire Queen. Nasty piece of work, by the way, very glad sheʼs dead. She understood something fundamental about power. Itʼs not about raw strength. Itʼs about SCALING. Start small, grow exponentially, become something that breaks the normal rules.”

He gestured at Jack. ”And YOU, little Soul Warden, are following that exact path. Three hundred sixty-four souls now. But in a year? A thousand? Ten thousand? Each one makes you incrementally more powerful until youʼre walking around with health pools that rival ancient dragons!”

Jack looked up from his status, his golden eyes meeting Deathʼs burning sockets. ”This is part of a set. Three out of five pieces. Do you have the other two?”

Deathʼs laugh was knowing, carrying the weight that heʼd been waiting for this exact question. ”Oooh, asking the important questions! I LIKE that! Shows initiative! Shows ambition! Shows youʼre not satisfied with just being ʼpretty powerfulʼ and want to shoot for ʼcosmically terrifying!ʼ”

He waved one gauntleted hand dismissively, his theatrical gestures making the motion seem almost dance-like. ”But the answer is in due time, little Soul Warden. In due TIME.”

Deathʼs tone became more serious, though the theatrical edge never quite disappeared. ”First, you need to repair the Soul Warden items you already have. The mask and the chain are both fractured. Damaged from centuries of neglect after the last user died, probably murdered horribly, definitely not using the items to their full potential when it happened.”

The deityʼs skull-helmet tilted. ”Fix those, prove youʼre invested in the position, show me you actually CARE about maintaining the cosmic artifacts in your possession, and THEN weʼll talk about completing your collection with the remaining set pieces!”

Jackʼs jaw tightened, but he recognized that pushing further would be counterproductive. ”How do I repair them?”

”Figure it out!” Death replied cheerfully, as if heʼd just given the most helpful advice imaginable. ”Part of being Soul Warden is learning how the magic works! Iʼm not going to hold your hand through every little detail like some cosmic tutorial NPC! Youʼve got a brain! Use it! Youʼve got access to the tower. Explore it! The answers are RIGHT THERE if you know where to look!”

The deity began to fade slightly, his form becoming translucent as if he were preparing to depart. ”Though I WILL say, as a tiny hint because Iʼm feeling generous today. The answers are in the tower. Deep in the tower. In places where previous Soul Wardens operated. Where they stored knowledge. Where they kept secrets.”

Deathʼs voice carried weight now, the comedy dropping away to reveal something ancient and knowing beneath.

”The tower never forgets, Jack Kaiser. It remembers everyone whoʼs held your position. Every Soul Warden who claimed the throne, who bound souls, who tried to build something lasting. Their knowledge didnʼt disappear when they died. Itʼs still here. Waiting for someone smart enough to find it.”

Then the levity returned. ”But hey, no pressure! Take your time! Iʼve got millennia! Though the Council is probably mobilizing assassins as we speak, so maybe DONʼT take TOO much time! Just a thought!”

Jack filed that information away, his mind already cataloging the implications. Previous Soul Wardens had left knowledge in the tower. Places where theyʼd operated. Storage locations for secrets.

Another task to add to the growing list.

”Now then,” Death continued, his form solidifying again as his theatrical energy reached new heights, ”youʼve got Floor Four waiting! That young tempest mage has been VERY patient. Seriously, good kid, bit traumatized but who isnʼt these days, and I imagine heʼd like confirmation that his work counted for something!”

The deity gestured dramatically, and reality tore open beside them in a slash of absolute darkness that quickly filled with blue light.

A portal, shimmering with energy that made Jackʼs transformed senses register power beyond normal spatial magic.

”After you!” Death declared with a flourish, as if he were a doorman at some cosmic hotel. ”And try not to give the frost demon a heart attack when we arrive! Heʼs very jumpy! Very ʼattack first, ask questions never!ʼ Reminds me of my early days managing mortality before I learned proper customer service techniques!”

Jack stepped through without hesitation, and Death followed, the portal collapsing behind them as they emerged into Floor Fourʼs forest.

The transition was jarring. From the electric wasteland to the ancient woodland with its moss-covered trees and filtered sunlight.