Tải xuống ứng dụng
0.45% Game Master of Souls / Glossary
Game Master of Souls Game Master of Souls original

Game Master of Souls

Tác giả: GD_Cruz

© WebNovel

Glossary

[WARNING! BROWSING THIS GLOSSARY BEFORE READING THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS COULD SPOIL THE STORY FOR YOU. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU READ AT LEAST TEN CHAPTERS BEFORE CHECKING THE GLOSSARY.]

Hey, everyone!

One of my beloved readers suggested I create a kind of roadmap for terminologies that'll help readers keep track of the little details. So here's a glossary for every proper noun in the novel so far.

This section will be edited frequently to reflect what's in the story. Probably every ten chapters or so.

Enjoy!

[GLOSSARY]

[#]

[A]

ABILITIES: The power a soul can learn after it absorbs enough essence from shadow beasts or lessers. Using an ability drains one's soul energy.

ABYSS: Official name of the Underworld, the domain of the Lord of Death where all souls come after death. Here they are processed and judged before moving on to higher realms. It is also the name for the game Leo and Morgana built together.

ADVENTOUR BULLETIN BOARD (A.B.B.): A notification system that alerts players in the mortal plane about news in the Abyss. It is also the name for the giant board found in the Town Square where quests and other activities are posted.

ABYSSAL STEEL: One of the metal alloys found in the Abyss. It is considered a high-tier metal. It is used as crafting material.

ABYSSAL PLAINS: A vast plain in the first layer of the Abyss. It has many regions ripe for exploration and is also the starting location in the Abyss for players. It is where Adventour is built.

ADVENTOUR: The town of Beginnings created by Morgana to serve as a home base for the players.

AGATHA CHRISTOFF: A lesser denizen of the Abyss and a member of Leo's developer team. She is a hag who holds the title the 'Hag of Tales' and holds the role of Lead Scenario Writer in Leo's team.

APOTHECARY HARKNESS: A triple-eyed, hedgewitch, and follower of the Fates. She is a lesser who serves as the local apothecary and healer in Adventour.

ATH3NA: Real name, Zatanna Ziegler. She is a popular Wetube streamer and gaming influencer who was first to complete the secret easter egg hunt in MnMII, making her the first BETA player in the Abyss.

AWAKENING: Soul awakening is the term used when souls learn new abilities from the essence they absorb. Several requirements are needed for a soul to awaken to a new ability.

[B]

BANSHEE: A race of lesser denizen that is prolific in the Abyssal Plains. A female spirit who heralds the death of others, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening.

BEAST HUNTER: Unique title earned by Black Howler after he evolved. Little is known of his evolution and its abilities.

BETA PLAYER: Gamers who have signed the reaper's pact during the beta stage of the Abyss.

BLACK HOWLER: A former athlete, who, after a terrible accident found an escape from his pain in virtual reality games. He is a skilled solo player who became the second player to evolve in the Abyss.

BOUNTIFUL-GRADE SOUL STONE: Highest grade of soul stone. Only Morgana and Leo have seen one among the denizens of Adventour.

BRONT, SON OF BRONTES: A lesser denizen of the Abyss and a member of Leo's developer team. He is a cyclops who holds the role of Quality Control Lead in Leo's team.

[C]

CHIMAERA: Powerful shadow beast known as the guardian of the Dark Forest which it calls home. It has the body of a lion that's the size of a minivan with three heads; a lion's head, a goat head, and a snake head on its tail.

CHIMAERA'S GOAT HORNS: Countless battles have sharpened the chimaera's goat horns enough to penetrate dragon scales. It can be used as a weapon or material for creating rare relics.

CHIMAERA'S LION PELT: The pelt of the Chimaera has endured the assault of countless shadow beasts, making it as sturdy as Abyssal Steel. It can be used as material for creating rare relics. The pelt can also be used to stay warm in cold environments.

CHIMAERA'S SNAKE VENOM: A vial that contains the venom of the chimaera's snake tail. Coating it on a relic during its creation process may give the relic a rare ability. Drinking it may awaken a rare ability in one's soul.

CORRUPTED BRONZE: One of the metal alloys found in the Abyss. It is considered a low-tier metal. It is used as crafting material.

CRAFTING MATERIAL: Materials used for crafting. They can be spoils dropped by shadow beasts or items bought at a merchant's store.

[D]

DARK FOREST: A special location within the Abyssal Plains that is filled with shadow beasts. Only brave players dare to visit.

DANI, THE GHOULIE: A lesser denizen of the Abyss and a member of Leo's developer team. He is a ghoul who holds the role of Marketing Manager in Leo's team.

DANTE'S DRIP: A popular tavern in Adventour. It is owned by Donatella.

DEATHLY RING: Leo's ring that allows him to assume shadow personas like Maestro. The ring can also hide Leo's presence as long as he is standing within a shadow.

DENIZENS: The term used for beings who live in the Abyss.

DONATELLA: She is a maenad who is known to be one of the seven guardians hired by Morgana to protect Adventour. She moonlights as the owner and bartender for Dante's Drip.

DRAGONLING: A low-level shadow beast that is known to the nest by the banks of the river Styx. Lowest ranking member among dragon-type shadow beasts and is about the size of a tiger.

[E]

EASTER EGG: An Easter egg is a hidden video game feature or surprise. Leo used

ESSENCE: The life force that remains in a soul stone after a soul is destroyed. Essence is the stuff soul energy is born from. Absorbing essence can trigger a soul's awakening and its evolution.

EVOLUTION: A state where a soul reaches a higher form, gaining power beyond what they were previously capable of. Often, this means transforming into a new type of being that is different from the base form.

EXCELLENT-GRADE SOUL STONE: Second-highest grade of soul stone. Has only been mentioned but not seen yet.

[F]

FEL IRON: One of the metal alloys found in the Abyss. It is considered a mid-tier metal. It is used as crafting material.

[G]

GAME MASTER: Leo's title.

GAMER: The term used for human beings who enjoy playing video games.

GHOUL: A demon-like lesser denizen with the appearance of a withering human that frequents graveyards and consumes human flesh.

GARGANTUAN GAMES: Leo's game development company. Currently under new management.

[H]

HAG: A powerful fairy disguised as a wizened old woman. Hags are known to be great storytellers and are often the source for all the best literature in the Abyss.

HEARTHSTONE: a large outcropping of crystallized soul energy with the same amount of essence as a bountiful-grade soul stone. It has a unique ability to absorb essence if fed. Morgana used her Hearthstone to build Adventour.

HELL SLIMES: A low-level shadow beast that is known to frequent the Weeping Meadows. It's appearance and abilities are unknown as of now.

HIGH-GRADE SOUL STONE: third-highest grade of soul stone. Has only been mentioned but not seen yet in the novel.

[I]

[J]

[K]

[L]

LAGERTHA: Draugr warrior Lagertha was once a human Viking. After death, she became a lesser denizen of the Abyss and a member of Leo's developer team. She is a Draugr who holds the role of Community Manager in Leo's team.

LEATHER STRIPS: Crafting material created from shadow beast leather.

LEONARDO DANTE (LEO): The greatest game developer in the world, Leo Dante struck a deal with death at a young age in order to have more time to pursue his dream. Ten years after his time finally ran out, he strikes a new deal with the reaper, Morgana, to help her become the next Lord of Death by building a game that will dupe gamers into selling their soul to her. In exchange, Morgana promised to give Leo back his life once she becomes ruler of the Abyss. Leo is the protagonist of the story.

LESSERS: Denizens of the Abyss are divided into two categories: Lesser beings and Higher beings. Lessers are formerly lost souls who have evolved into new beings and found a permanent home in the Abyss.

LIFE-DRAINING LESSER WRAITH: A low-level shadow beast with the appearance of a hooded figure in a tattered cloak. It has a mouth that can suck the life essence out of its target.

LIFE-DRAINING TOUCH: Ath3na's first ability. The touch of any part of her body can siphon off the life force of others to heal her wounds and replenish her soul core.

LORD OF DEATH: The title for the ruler of the Abyss and master of death. The last Lord of Death mysteriously died, triggering the conflict that is currently consuming the Abyss.

LOW-GRADE SOUL STONE: Lowest grade of soul stone. Has a turquoise glow. Dropped by low-ranking shadow beasts.

LYGHTNING: A pretty blonde woman with blue eyes and alabaster skin. She is one of Ath3na's new party mates. Little is known of her as of now.

[M]

MAENAD: maenads are lesser denizens who worship wine and other alcoholic beverages. Once the handmaidens of the Lord of Revelries, they were cast down to the Abyss for an unknown reason. Maenads are all female with long unkempt hair and deer antlers on their heads.

MAESTRO: Leo's alter ego who shows up when Leo wants to interact with players directly. He plays the role of Trainer of Heroes.

MASAMUNE: a lesser denizen of the Abyss who was once a famous Japanese swordsmith. In the afterlife of the Abyss, he has earned the title of Vampyre Smith of Legend in the Abyssal Plains. He is also one of the seven guardians hired by Morgana to protect Adventour.

MASAMUNE'S ARMAMENTS: Masamune's shop that doubles as a weapons and armor shop as well as a smithy.

MERCHANT: Term used for denizens who buy and sell products created or procured in the Abyss.

MID-GRADE SOUL STONE: Second-lowest grade of soul stone. It has a bright electric blue color. Dropped by low-rank and mid-rank shadow beasts like the chimaera.

MYTH AND MAGIC II: The most popular MMORPG out right now. The precursor to Abyss and the last game Leo developed while he was alive.

[N]

[O]

[P]

PLAYER: Term Leo's developer team uses for gamers who have signed the reaper's contract. Alternate term: Substitute Reaper.

PORTAL II: The most popular gaming console on Earth which was developed by Gargantuan Games. Morgana and Leo have adapted the Portal II to act as a portal that separates players' souls from their bodies and sends them into the Abyss.

[Q]

QUEST: Term for activities or tasks players must accomplish in order to get stronger, earn currency, or learn more about the Abyss.

QUEST RANK: a feature that determines the level of difficulty for quests.

[R]

REAPER: A higher form of denizen. Little is known from them besides the fact that they hold great power and serve the Lord of Death. Two of their known tasks is to act as administrators for lesser denizens and as managers for soul contracts. Morgana is the only known reaper at this time.

REAPER'S PACT: A contract that binds a human's soul to a reaper in exchange for favors. An example of a reaper's pact is Leo's contract with the old Lord of Death.

RELIC: Relics are powerful items in the Abyss that can be created, bought, or dropped by fallen denizens. These are often equipment. Morgana's obsidian baseball bat is the only known relic as of this time.

[S]

SHANNON: A banshee who serves as Leo's administrative assistant. She performs any and all jobs that Leo or Morgana require of her.

SHADOW BEAST: Monsters that are born in the Abyss.

SHADOW BEAST LEATHER: material created from the skin or hide of a shadow beast.

SOUL CORE: The soul core acts as a finite container that stores essence and converts its soul energy that the player can use. It's the essence of a player's power given form, the beating heart of your soul.

SOUL ENERGY: Soul energy is the fuel soul uses to empower itself. Whenever a player activates an ability, they use up a portion of their soul energy.

SOUL PULSE: Ath3na's ability. Using soul energy, Ath3na could launch a salvo of spiritual blasts from her weapon to hone in on random targets in front of her.

SOUL STONE: Condensed soul energy manifests as a physical stone of glowing, bluish color. They can be used as currency for trade or consumed by players to earn soul energy.

* A. 1 low-grade SS = lowest monetary value* B. 10 low-grade SS = 1 mid-grade SS* C. 100 low-grade SS or 10 mid-grade SS = 1 high-grade SS* D. 1,000 low-grade SS or 100 mid-grade SS or 10 high-grade SS = 1 Excellent-grade SS* E. 10,000 low-grade SS or 1,000 mid-grade SS or 100 high-grade SS or 10 Excellent-grade SS = 1 Bountiful-grade SS.

SPECTRAL CLOAK: Ath3na's ability. It allows a spiritual body to go incorporeal for two minutes. It provides forty percent magic damage resistance and seventy-five percent physical damage resistance. The player can move through solid objects while activated.

SPIRITUAL BODY: Spiritual bodies are the matter in which all denizens of the Abyss, including players, take form. A spiritual body made of soul energy and its soul core.

STYX: The river Styx is the first of the five rivers of the Underworld. Located in the Abyssal Plains, it is said that the river is where lost souls go to travel to other areas in the Abyss.

SUBSTITUTE REAPER: A term similar to an adventurer in other MMORPGs. The substitute reaper is born of a spiritual body made of soul energy which is taken from the soul of the player.

SUBSTITUTE REAPER SYSTEM (SRS.): The primary system built for player functionality.

SWORD-TAIL DIRE WOLF: A low-level shadow beast that is known to frequent the Dark Forest. It has the appearance of a large wolf that possesses a tail so sharp it is akin to a sharp-edged blade.

[T]

TAINTED CORUNDUM: One of the metal alloys found in the Abyss. It is considered a low-tier metal. It is used as crafting material.

THORMINATOR: A Wetube streamer and personal friend of Ath3na who has the appearance of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger but with red hair. He is one of Ath3na's new party mates.

THOR MCCLOUD: A lesser denizen of the Abyss and a member of Leo's developer team. He is the alpha of the McCloud werewolf clan and holds the role of Lead Programmer in Leo's team.

TOWN HALL: The town center and base of operations for Leo and Morgana's development team.

TOWN SQUARE: Center of town where the bulletin board, central stage, and town hall are located.

[U]

UNDERWORLD: Outdated name for the Abyss.

[V]

VAMPYRE: A powerful denizen that subsists by feeding on the lifeblood of others. Masamune is the only known vampire at this time.

[W]

WEREWOLF: Also known as a lycanthrope, a werewolf is a powerful denizen that is a human-wolf hybrid with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf. Often, they take the shape that is a cross between a human and a wolf.

WOLF'S HOWL: Black Howler's ability. The sound of your howl instills fear into the hearts of your enemies leaving them panicked and too shaken to defend themselves for a short period.

WRAITH WARRIOR: Unique title earned by Ath3na. During her evolution, Ath3na's spiritual body changed. Her hair turned white and her skin has become almost-translucent. There is little information known as to what her new abilities are now that she has evolved.

[X]

[Y]

[Z]

---

END OF GLOSSARY


SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
GD_Cruz GD_Cruz

Greetings, fellow reapers!

Sorry for not posting a chapter today because I wanted to finish this initial glossary by today. There's a lot of info here, and I hope it helps you guys keep track of the little details.

Look forward to the next chapter. It'll be out by tomorrow.

Chương 1: Contract

In the deepest darkest depths devoid of life, a single piercing cry rang forth like the roar of some great beast from the abyss. It was the sound of sharp nails raking across a chalkboard, an adult fist smacking the face of an abused child, the heart-rending wails of a widow at her husband's funeral. Every awful sound ever heard could be found in that one dreadful cry.

Yet when this horror of a note had ended, the crisis did not pass for a fell voice quickly followed with words that cut deep into all who heard it, "The Lord of Death has fallen. The Lord of Death is dead."

And somewhere, in what could relatively be called a brighter slice of that abyss, the sound of tinkling laughter rang out.

"My turn," a girl whispered.

---

"Leonardo Dante," the announcer said in a deep voice that would have felt at home in a nineties movie trailer. "Genius developer and global gaming icon..."

The lights dimmed to give way to the screens on stage which began to feature a photo presentation of a dark-haired man with olive skin, starting from his days as a blue-eyed, pimple-faced youth to the hoodie-wearing twenty-five-year-old on the cover of Time Magazine.

"At the ripe young age of fifteen, the orphan boy from California quickly stole the spotlight of the gaming industry with inspired ideas that gave form to what many now call the modern virtual reality experience," the announcer continued. "Arriving at the doors of MIT with nothing more than his 2nd-hand laptop and a pair of VR goggles in hand, young Leo quickly impressed his peers with the invention of a lifetime, the world's first truly immersive virtual reality game, Magic and Myth."

The crowd started clapping at the mention of the role-playing game that ten years ago changed the lives of anyone who owned a VR console, allowing millions to finally break free from the mundaneness of everyday life to go conquer dungeons and slay dragons with their friends.

"At age sixteen, Leo created the Portal, the groundbreaking VR tool that simulated near-complete sensory immersion," the announcer explained. "At age eighteen, Leo quit MIT to create Gargantuan Games, currently the leading videogame development company in the world."

More scattered clapping ensued.

"And now, ten years after he set forth on this amazing journey, this titan of industry is being honored with the Iwatani Award," the announcer added as he built up to the finale of his introduction. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Leonardo Dante!"

The spotlights flooded the stage, each and every one of them pointing to the right side curtain. But seconds passed into minutes, and minutes passed into that thirty-minute mark where the audience finally realized that Leonardo Dante had just flaked on his own awards ceremony.

In fact, Leo wasn't even in the same Las Vegas hotel where the ceremony was being held. No, at this exact moment in time, Leo Dante was running for his life along a dark alleyway four blocks away from the festivities.

As he navigated his way through the narrow passage, panic kept him from noticing the obvious and his loafers skidded across a wet puddle, sending him crashing into the wall at the far end of the alleyway.

Pain flared into Leo's shoulder as it collided with the cement.

"Sh*t," he gasped through gritted teeth. "It's just my luck… I win the award they named after the guy who made Pacman on the night I'm supposed to die…"

Leo glanced over to the other end of the alleyway. A figure in a tattered cloak was blocking its entrance like a dark silhouette set against the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip behind it.

"Well, sh*t…" he said, leaning on the back wall for support. "I'm not ready to die… not while my dream remains unfinished."

In his rush to escape his pursuer, Leo hadn't realized he'd run into an alleyway with a dead end. Not until it was too late. Yet his desire for life wouldn't allow him to just give up without a fight.

Leo saw the broken pipe at his feet and picked it up. He raised the pipe forward with shaking hands and pointed it at the thing stalking toward him.

It was a tall hooded figure whose cloak billowed behind it as if a breeze were constantly passing underneath.

Despite the pain in his shoulder, Leo pushed himself off the wall. In his mind, he thought about it, the last desperate stand in some unremarkable alley where no one would find him until it was too late.

"I sold my soul to you ten years ago to give me time," Leo whispered. "But ten years was too short to realize my dream, you son of a b***h!"

The hooded figure did not care to respond to Leo's provocations. Silently, it glided toward him like a predator chasing down its prey, and with each inch forward the figure brought with it a cold that seeped into the surrounding air.

Leo could feel the biting cold graze the flesh of his hands, and he remembered that this was what he'd felt ten years ago when the shadow of death first approached him.

He shivered. "Damn… you're that eager to reap my soul, huh?"

The hooded figure was twenty feet away.

It was so cold now that Leo could see the foggy air he'd just exhaled.

The hooded figure was a mere ten feet away.

Leo's hands shook uncontrollably, forcing him to drop the pipe. Fear was slowly creeping in on him, and once more he was reminded of his weak self, the boy at the edge of life grasping for a chance to live.

The hooded figure was five feet away.

Leo stared into the depths of its hood but could see nothing beyond the blackness.

But just as the hooded figure reached out a pale emaciated hand toward Leo, the sound of tinkling laughter rang out.

Suddenly, the hooded figure was violently swept away to the side, its form crashing onto the alleyway's sidewall.

"What the—"

Leo was too surprised by the sight that greeted him to finish his sentence.

There, standing before him, was a teenage girl with chin-length platinum blonde hair and a face as pale as, well, death.

"You're not my long lost kid or something, right?" Leo asked warily.

This type of scam had been tried on him before. But as he looked closer at the girl in her stylish blue coat, he realized he couldn't have been her dad as she must be fifteen or sixteen and nowhere near the appropriate age to be his.

"No, I'm not, you dolt," she frowned.

The hooded figure launched itself off the wall. Its arms flailed wildly toward Leo.

However, the girl simply slapped its hand away from grasping Leo's arm. Then she grabbed onto Leo and unceremoniously tossed him out of the way with a strength no teenage girl had a right to have. Then, while Leo lay sprawled on the dirty floor, the girl turned her soft-glowing violet eyes on the hooded figure.

"This one belongs to me." She smiled at it in a perky way before her face turned dark and menacing. "Now scram!"

The girl raised her right hand, and after a puff of white smoke, a polished obsidian baseball bat appeared where there was none before.

In protest, the hooded figure howled an inhuman howl that was snuffed out rather quickly after the girl took her bat and smashed it onto the side of the hooded figure's hood.

A single strike was all it took for the thing to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces of glass that coalesced together on the floor to form a glowing marble the color of turquoise.

The girl picked up this marble and pocketed it with a smile.

She then turned her face on Leo who had just gotten back on his feet. They each took a few seconds to scrutinize each other.

Leo thought the girl was very beautiful in that perky teenage girl kind of way. She was about his height, so around five-nine, maybe an inch shorter. Her chin-length hair was parted neatly to one side and held in place by a black hairband. Her face was very pale and angular. Dark, bushy eyebrows rose over bright violet eyes. She had a long, straight nose that complimented thin red lips. Lips that were now moving to speak words Leo could barely hear.

A horrible realization struck him then, and this thought sent a deep chill rising up his spine.

"Did you just kill Death?" Leo asked disbelievingly, interrupting whatever it was the girl was saying. He waved a hand at her attire, a red blouse and plaid skirt underneath her blue coat. "Did the girl in the preppy getup just smash Death into pieces with a bat?"

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly, but she'd kept the smile on her face.

"That thing wasn't him… although the Lord of Death is really dead," she answered. "No, I'm his… soon-to-be replacement."

Leo laughed. How else could he respond to such a crazy-sounding declaration?

"Even the Reaper gets reaped, huh," he noted.

"All things end," the girl answered as she walked over to stand before him. "Providing a chance for new beginnings… which is why I'm here."

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

A spark of hope jumped into Leo's chest. After years of failing to find a way out of his contract and raging against the inevitable end of his borrowed time, perhaps a solution had finally arrived.

"Well, Leonardo, I'm here to give you a choice." The girl leaned in toward him. "The Lord of Death never named a successor… and the denizens of the Abyss are currently in an uproar, each and every one of them vying for the biggest slice of pie."

"Ah, and you're one of those opportunists, aren't you?" Leo guessed. "You want to be head honcho, queen of the hill, the lady of the damned."

"You are smarter than you look." She beamed at him before turning around to pace along the alleyway. "Yes, I do recognize an opportunity here, one that could prove beneficial to both of us."

Leo limped over to the wall and leaned his back against it while feigning indifference. But inside him, hope was growing, something he couldn't show her less she took advantage of him somehow. "Go on, I'm listening."

"I want to sit on Death's seat," she said, turning to face him. "You want to escape the death promised you ten years ago. You help me. I help you."

Leo's face was sweating slightly out of nerves. He couldn't help it. This was exactly the thing he was hoping for.

"How will you help me?" he asked.

The girl raised her left hand, and with a poof of white smoke, a scroll appeared. A simple twist of her wrist caused the scroll to unfurl itself, revealing a very detailed contract with absolutely zero loopholes signed in the dried blood of a fifteen-year-old Leonardo Dante.

Leo stared at his contract while his throat went dry, forcing him to gulp visibly.

"As one of the lord's reapers, part of my responsibility is managing soul contracts… and unfortunately, this one can't be voided," she nudged her head toward the scroll in her hand. "You're going to die tonight, Leonardo… However, if you help me get what I want, then your death might just become a temporary situation."

Another puff of smoke and the contract vanished. Yet Leo's eyes stayed glued to the spot where it was only a second ago.

"You'll give me back my life?" he asked, unable to keep the desire from his voice.

"A long and full life, just like you wanted," she answered.

Leo's brow furrowed. "What do you want in return?"

The girl walked over to him and raised his chin with pale fingers — and her touch was as cold as the hooded figure's presence.

"You pollute the minds of people with your… games, yes?" she asked. "Turning them into mindless zombies enslaved to a world that you built."

"That's a harsh way of viewing it," Leo protested. "I build interactive experiences that help people find enjoyment while they escape from their mundane realities."

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "These people, the so-called gamers… I understand they have very poor life skills that make them less than productive members of your society."

That was another harsh view of the gaming community, Leo thought. Not everyone was a NEET. In fact, there were many highly productive people who chose gaming as an outlet for stress relief. It was a fact Leo gladly pointed out.

"Still, we can assume that there are quite a few gamers your world won't miss, yes?" she pressed.

"Maybe…" Leo frowned. He didn't like where this conversation was headed.

The girl let go of his chin and crossed her arms over her above the average chest.

"I would like your help in driving these wayward souls into signing away their lives to me," she said.

If Leo was a cartoon character, his eyes would have popped out of their sockets after what he'd just heard.

"You want my help in fooling gamers to sign a contract that gives you their souls?" Leo confirmed while feeling unsettled by the girl's proposition.

She nodded. "If it helps you sleep at night, I promise to take good care of them."

She made a sign over her chest that suggested she was crossing her heart.

"What'll you do with them?" Leo asked.

Leo couldn't believe he was actually considering it. He was a selfish and indulgent bastard but he never thought he was Lord-Voldemort-level evil. However, this was a second chance at life, so how could he pass it up?

"Not just me, silly," the girl smiled. "I need your help for the next part too."

"My help?" Leo asked confused.

"You can build the prison," she answered.

"I don't build prisons." Leo crossed his arms as well. "I build inter—"

"—Interactive experiences. Yes-yes," the girl said dismissively. "Well, I'll need you to build one that will allow me to keep my new souls without bringing them completely into the Abyss. Otherwise, I would have to give them away to a higher-ranked reaper."

It was Leo's turn to pace, and the seconds ticked by while he considered it.

He could do it, he knew. It would be easy to disguise a reaper's contract as some kind of non-disclosure agreement for signing up to a new game he'd develop to serve as a prison for the gamers' souls.

"This game… how would we build it?" Leo asked.

The girl raised her right hand again so Leo could see her obsidian baseball bat.

"I can make most things happen as long as I have the equivalent soul energy to create them," she explained.

Leo stopped pacing and glanced sideways at the girl. "What's soul energy?"

"In the simplest terms, it's the stuff all power comes from," she said.

"So… if you had enough soul energy, you could actually build an entire game system based on my ideas," Leo reasoned.

"I could manage something like that. Only, I would need your help with the details… I don't have the kind of imagination you have," she said, flattering a man who obviously had a large ego.

The possibilities streaked across Leo's mind. Finally, he had the means to create a fully interactive and immersive virtual experience—the perfect game, the very dream he'd sold his soul for in the first place.

His spine-tingling chills were back, but they were of a more positive vibe now.

Then Leo thought of another idea, "We don't need to kill the gamers whose souls you claim, do we?"

The girl shook her head. "It actually works better for me if they're still anchored to the mortal plane. That way, no one will sense the arrival of new souls in the Abyss."

That was exactly the answer he was looking for. It meant he wasn't completely evil if he did agree to the girl's proposition.

"Can we use my VR tool to keep gamers anchored?" Leo wondered.

"I suppose so," she answered. "I can turn it into a portal for their souls."

Ironic, Leo thought, as his latest VR console was in fact called the Portal II.

Leo swallowed. He knew his next words would change everything. "So, you'll still kill me, but if I help you then you'll resurrect me?"

"After I claim Death's seat," she said, draping her bat over her right shoulder. The girl offered her left hand to Leo. "Well, Leonardo Dante, what will it be — eternal damnation or a chance at developing the ultimate game?"

Leo took her hand and shook it. "Call me Leo, partner."

"I'm Morgana. Glad to be working with you, Leo," she said.

Morgana grinned in a way that was almost evil. Then, without warning, she swung her bat forward and slammed it onto the side of Leo's face.


SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
GD_Cruz GD_Cruz

Hello, fellow reapers!

I call on all denizens of the Abyss to help this new novel win the Spirity Awards. LOL

Jokes aside, I hope you all liked that first chapter. This is only my second novel on Webnovel with the Foolhardies being my first one. As that book is also contracted, I feel like writing daily content for two stories is going to make me bleed words, but hey, I love a challenge.

That said, look forward to chapter 2 tomorrow and find out what happened to Leo after that, um, crunchy ending... :P

Load failed, please RETRY

Quà tặng

Quà tặng -- Nhận quà

    Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần

    Đặt mua hàng loạt

    Mục lục

    Cài đặt hiển thị

    Nền

    Phông

    Kích thước

    Việc quản lý bình luận chương

    Viết đánh giá Trạng thái đọc: C0
    Không đăng được. Vui lòng thử lại
    • Chất lượng bài viết
    • Tính ổn định của các bản cập nhật
    • Phát triển câu chuyện
    • Thiết kế nhân vật
    • Bối cảnh thế giới

    Tổng điểm 0.0

    Đánh giá được đăng thành công! Đọc thêm đánh giá
    Bình chọn với Đá sức mạnh
    Rank 200+ Bảng xếp hạng PS
    Stone 0 Power Stone
    Báo cáo nội dung không phù hợp
    lỗi Mẹo

    Báo cáo hành động bất lương

    Chú thích đoạn văn

    Đăng nhập

    tip bình luận đoạn văn

    Tính năng bình luận đoạn văn hiện đã có trên Web! Di chuyển chuột qua bất kỳ đoạn nào và nhấp vào biểu tượng để thêm nhận xét của bạn.

    Ngoài ra, bạn luôn có thể tắt / bật nó trong Cài đặt.

    ĐÃ NHẬN ĐƯỢC