City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

Cummerbund of Soul’s Enslavement

Further Description Yes/No

Details:

This pretentious formal belt has been created for the sole purpose of enslaving sentient magical creatures. It enforces the owner’s wishes with a combination of horrific pain and vampiric syphoning of the slaves’ life force.

Slots in use: 7/8

Stored Souls: 2/10

Rarity

Magical

Durability

Charge:

Unique

Yes

77/100

N/A

I concentrated on the belt as I held it, and a second notification sprang up.

Do you wish to absorb the enslaved souls at this time?

Yes/No

I selected ‘No’ firmly, and the option I wanted appeared.

Do you wish to release the enslaved souls at this time?

Yes/No

Selecting ‘Yes,’ I was met with a final option as the chains began to shimmer and crackle with energy.

Do you wish to absorb the stored souls at this time?

Yes/No

As the chains fell away from the Djinn, they darted free, vanishing into the fog with whoops and cries of joy.

“Uh, there’s an option to absorb souls here…” I said, then quickly continued, raising my hand from Oracle’s back in an effort to forestall the Clan Mother’s wrath, and my wisp fluttered limply up to sit on my shoulder. “To be clear, I’m not saying I want to do it; I just don’t understand what the hell is going on here,” I said, selecting ‘No’ and reading the final prompt from the item.

Do you wish to release the souls stored inside? Be aware: without the souls to power this item, it will be destroyed.

Yes/No

“It says it’ll be destroyed if I release the souls,” I read aloud, and I felt the room grow noticeably colder as an ominous feeling began to build. “Is it safe to do this here?” I asked cautiously, and Hellenica moved close to me again, her eyes tight.

“Those are the souls of my children, Jax. Please, explain your intentions very carefully,” she said through gritted teeth, with an obviously forced level of patience.

“I want to free them…” I said quickly. “It just warns that the item will be destroyed if I do so. I’m asking whether it’ll simply crack and fall apart, or if the city gets destroyed in an explosion? I don’t know anything about soul energy…” At my admission, she flowed backwards slightly.

“You will free their souls? You will allow them to continue their journey?” she asked me carefully, as Oracle spoke in my mind.

“Souls are powerful sources of energy, Jax. In the past, there were Mages who fed on the souls of their victims, gaining stat points and more. Hellenica is ready to attack you if you say the wrong thing here, so be very, very careful.” I swallowed hard, meeting the penetrating gaze of the creature before me.

“Hellenica, I give you my Oath that I have no intention of harming the souls of your children. I just don’t want us all to die in the process of breaking an obviously powerful magical item; that’s all. I’ll happily give it to you, if you want…”

“I cannot touch it,” she interrupted me quickly. “The item was fashioned to be anathema to my kind. Please, go to the window and hold it out. Order it to release the souls, and I will shield you as best I can. You may receive some minor injuries, but I can heal them… probably.” The last word was whispered, but she waited, staring at me.

“Okay…” I said hesitantly, clambering to my feet and walking to the window. The mist flowed away from the opening, and a Djinn appeared at my side, gesturing for the window to open, which it did with a crash. He nodded solemnly to me as I held the item out and turned half away from it, shielding my face.

I saw other Djinn taking up station all around me, with still more swooping in from the night. Dozens of them hovered around me, taking up station and holding their hands out.

Circles of glowing energy grew from their palms, and their fingers danced across mystical symbols, erupting through the night in colorful light.

“Now.” Hellenica said clearly, hope filing her voice, and I selected ‘Yes.’ I immediately screamed in agony as the resulting explosion ripped my hand apart before the Djinn could close the shield.

A tremendous burst of bright light, sound, and force smashed upwards, drowning out the sound of my screams. An Airship, too close at the time, veered away in panic as the helmsman frantically turned; the sails and engines on the near side of the ship had been torn free in the blast. I moaned brokenly, clutching at the ragged stump of bone and flesh that remained of my right arm. Hellenica’s magic rapidly went to work, causing me to gasp in relief.

First the pain died, as she did something higher up my arm, and then the flesh began to close over the wound, forming a nub of skin that quickly healed. Watching the process in dismay, I gritted my teeth and hissed out swearwords.

I gaped at the stump in shock as thick tendrils of fog, unnoticed in the painful haze , slowly released from my arm, dropping away and flowing back as she sagged, growing less defined.

“My hand…” I whispered, staring at it, or more to the point, where it used to be. “That was my favorite hand…” I said blankly, going into shock. Hellenica spoke up quickly, even as Oracle desperately called out for mana potions.

“I can heal it!” she promised. “Please, Lord Jax; I can rebuild your hand, and return you to what you were, but it will take much out of you, and your body is already at its limit. You need rest and food, and I must face the Skyking yet. I suggest you lead your people out of here, and I will come to you once this is done. You have fulfilled your Oath and freed me.”

“No…” I said thickly, shaking my head and trying to get my brain in gear. “The Skyking is still alive, so we’re not done.”

“Jax, I will honor the Oath my children gave. I give my Oath now that I intend to do so,