Chapter 14 — The Door of Souls
The battlefield remained locked in chaos.
The massive underworld monster roared as it clashed with Lucas. Each strike tore gashes in the earth, claws ripping through soil like fragile paper.
Not far away, Kashihero lay motionless. Dust settled slowly around his body.
Lucas stood guard over his unconscious master, black flames flickering along his form. His crimson eyes tracked every movement of the enemies encircling them.
High above, Seraphel Vayden—the Wind Spirit Elder—circled on invisible currents, robes whipping in the gale he commanded.
On the ground, Varkul Nocthra—the Dark Spirit Elder—stood motionless, shadows coiling and twisting at his feet like living serpents.
The fifteen remaining elite members of the Hollow Sigil held formation at a distance, waiting for the elders' signal.
But none of them could see what was happening inside Kashihero's mind.
At that moment—
Kashihero opened his eyes.
Not on the battlefield.
But somewhere else.
A place he recognized.
Endless darkness stretched in every direction—no sky, no ground, no horizon.
The Black Domain.
He rose slowly. The sensation of weight returned, as though his consciousness had been dragged back into form.
“…So I’m here again.”
The last time he had entered this void was when the system first awakened.
He knew what it meant.
Whenever he appeared here… something inside him was changing.
A quiet voice cut through the silence.
“You really never learn.”
Kashihero turned.
A figure stood several meters away.
It was him—exactly.
Same face, same eyes, same presence.
But colder. Harder. Carrying the weight of a lifetime spent in merciless war.
The Kashihero of his previous life.
The past self crossed his arms, observing him with detached scrutiny.
“You’re doing the same thing again.”
His voice held quiet criticism.
“You haven’t changed.”
Kashihero frowned. “What do you mean?”
The past self sighed.
“You’re too soft.”
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He stepped forward. The darkness rippled faintly beneath his feet.
“You trust people too easily.”
His gaze sharpened.
“That child.”
Kashihero knew instantly who he meant.
Arin.
“You let him stay close the moment he approached.”
The past self’s tone grew colder.
“If you truly wanted safety, you should have ended him right there.”
“No one would have known your secret.”
The words hung heavy in the void.
Kashihero’s expression darkened. “Enough.”
The past self tilted his head.
“Am I wrong?”
His eyes burned with ruthless logic.
“In your previous life, you trusted people. They betrayed you.”
“You showed mercy. It nearly destroyed you.”
He stepped closer.
“So why repeat the mistake?”
The darkness thickened, pressing in.
Kashihero stayed silent for a long moment.
Then he answered quietly.
“…Because I saw myself in him.”
The past self paused.
“When I looked at that kid, I remembered something.”
“A boy with nothing. No power. No protection. No one willing to stand beside him.”
His gaze hardened.
“That boy was me once.”
The past self stared at him in silence.
Kashihero clenched his fists.
“And now you’re trying to make me kill innocents again.”
Frustration edged his voice.
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
The past self did not answer immediately.
The two versions of the same soul faced each other in the endless black.
Finally, the past self spoke.
“…Lucas.”
Kashihero’s eyes widened slightly.
The past self continued calmly.
“Your servant is in danger.”
Fragments of the battlefield appeared in the darkness around them—like shattered memories.
Lucas fighting the monster.
Lucas standing against two elders.
Lucas shielding Kashihero’s body.
“You want to help him.”
Kashihero stepped forward instantly.
“Yes.”
“I have to go back.”
The past self watched him carefully.
“You really have changed.”
For a brief moment, something almost like a smile touched his lips.
“…Fine.”
He turned away.
“I’ll leave this time.”
Kashihero blinked in surprise.
The past self paused and glanced back over his shoulder.
“But remember this.”
His voice grew grave.
“You still don’t know the full truth about this world.”
“The deeper you go… the more dangerous it becomes.”
His form began to fade into the void.
“And when the time comes… you may regret becoming soft.”
The Black Domain shattered like broken glass.
And the next moment—
Kashihero opened his eyes.
Back in reality.
The battlefield.
The sky above.
The monster’s distant roar.
Lucas’s overwhelming aura.
He sat up slowly, echoes of the conversation still ringing in his mind.
Then—
A familiar chime.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
A glowing blue interface materialized before him.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Kashihero Draven
Level: 38
Spirit Energy: 1,000,000,000
Skills:
Carnivorous (Evolved)
Shadow Perception
Soul Contract
New Ability Unlocked:
Soul Door
Kashihero stared at the numbers.
“…One billion?”
The energy coursing through him felt different—deeper, denser, more stable.
Another message appeared.
[CARNIVOROUS SKILL HAS EVOLVED]
New Function Unlocked: SOUL DOOR
A strange sensation bloomed in his chest.
A connection.
A spiritual link between himself and Lucas.
Like a door between two souls.
Kashihero raised his hand slowly.
“…So this is it.”
He closed his eyes.
Focused on the link.
And gently—
He opened the Soul Door.
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At that exact moment on the battlefield—
Lucas froze mid-motion.
A massive surge of power flooded through him.
His eyes widened.
“…Master?”
The connection deepened instantly.
A portion of Kashihero’s spirit energy flowed into him—not forced, not violent, but controlled.
Even that small share felt overwhelming.
The Demonic Contract Mark across Lucas’s body flared brighter, symbols spreading further across his skin.
His aura erupted violently.
Seraphel’s smirk faltered. “What is happening?”
Varkul’s eyes narrowed.
Lucas slowly lifted his head.
He felt it clearly now.
Kashihero—alive. Awake. Connected.
A system message appeared in Lucas’s mind as well.
[SOUL CONTRACT EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
New Ability: Shared Authority
Lucas can now use Kashihero’s abilities with permission.
Lucas can access a portion of Kashihero’s spirit energy.
Lucas’s overall stats have increased.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
The power was far greater than before.
He looked across the battlefield at the enemies.
His crimson eyes glowed with quiet intensity.
“…You made a mistake.”
Seraphel smirked again. “Oh?”
Lucas took one step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his foot.
“You attacked my master.”
The underworld monster roared once more.
Wind surged violently around Seraphel.
Shadows twisted across the field from Varkul.
But Lucas no longer looked like the same servant.
His presence had transformed.
Behind him—
Kashihero rose to his feet.
The air around him grew heavier.
The battlefield had entered a new phase.
And this time—
The hunters might become the hunted.
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End of Chapter 14
