Lowly Ascent

During his last four days, until he was to be sacrificed, Cain consolidated his soul, stabilizing it.

'The burst of power caused some instability but some rest fixed it. But before I attempt to reach the next level on this path, I have to escape far away from this place. And what better time to do so than as they try to give me to some crazed deity that makes its followers turn themselves into voodoo dolls.'

Cain tried not to focus on the experience with the voice in the void, he had many encounters like it throughout his life and they never ended well to date. But still, Cain felt that the voice was so high and mighty it didn't care for him, only speaking to him to fill its own "time" and enjoyment. He knew all too well what boredom does to someone.

"Raven, the Counselor will be taking you soon, I am to watch with the rest. Will you not try to escape? Hello? I know you can hear me." Darla tried to get Cain's attention but he ignored her.

In the last month, Darla was like a child that reached adulthood. She was deprived of education and didn't access it when it was finally available. But with Cain's mark, she learned without end, absorbing everything in her cult's library and even her father's private collection. 

This was the age of technology after all, lots of things were accessible, but Darla was never inclined to it due to the nature of her environment.

'Hard to believe she's in her teens. She acted like a six-year-old before. She's ready to help me get out of here.' The raven was proud of his work, even if he only branded the poor girl.

...

Laimir walked over to Isaac's desk and plopped down a sealed document.

"The cults have been making strange movements recently. We also had a spike in energy a few days ago, it's believed to be from a Sacrifice. It was hard to pick up since it was so subtle but we have reason to connect it to the cults. Four days from now we're to search the sewers with a group of other teams. It will be a real mission so read everything."

"Why four days?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know either, could be intel, but I know we have people that use Minor paths related to divination, could be that too."

Isaac didn't ask any more questions and Laimir walked out.

Picking up the document, he opened it and read through it. 'So the sewers are the playground this time...we knew the cults operated down there but only the weak ones. Why are all the cults acting for something in here? Could that thief have something to do with this?'

Reading through everything, Isaac finished up his other work before heading back to his quarters.

'It doesn't matter if that bastard is a part of it, I have to get stronger first. Although I reached fullness yesterday because of ample resources, I can't advance in such a short time. It seems it's time to start my minor path.'

The Minor Path of Magi was under the category of perquisite. It needed one of the Main Paths to operate or at least another path that filled the requirement.

For the Path of Magi, the requirement was a strong soul, as it was required to harness magic.

The Path of Magi used the soul to cultivate, using the radiation of the soul and purifying it into a type of magical energy that could be used for the path's spells. A single Moon Magi could use Rank 1 spells. Such spells would be a weak fireball, a stream of water, or a small ice spike. It was more of a utility, but it was helpful. In addition, if the soul was strong enough, even as a One Moon Magi, their Rank one spells could reach the power of Rank 2.

Unfortunately for Isaac, he didn't have that bonus, he was still too weak in both paths.

For the next four days, he meditated using the technique of the nameless cult leader. By the fourth day, he succeeded in creating a moon within his soul. The moon hungrily took in the energy radiating from Isaac's soul while turning it into another kind of energy he would be able to use to cast spells.

'It's time. I wonder how this mission will go.'

He got dressed, wearing all-black military clothes with armor built-in, making him look a bit bulky. With his gun on his hip and more ready than ever, Isaac headed towards the briefing room where he was to be assigned a team.

Then all that was left was the mission itself.

...

"Raven, everyone's been anxious since yesterday, is something bad happening? My father hasn't said anything and I can't find the Counselor. People say he's very busy."

Cain ignored Darla like always, pretending she didn't exist. To the raven's treatment of her, Darla could only sign and lower her head back to her book thinking, 'Today's the day, Raven must know that...'

Although Darla saw Cain as despondent, it was really because he was going over everything in his head.

'I know this is a sewer so I won't find an exit easily, but if I can escape into the sewers I'll be able to hide. The city is large and the sewers will no doubt be just as big. It will be hard but I'm sure I'll live. All that's left is how I'm going to accomplish an escape. I can't plan that because I don't know what this ritual entails...'

Cain looked up and stared at Darla. His soul energy spread out and touched upon the human before him. 

(Do you know about the sacrifice? How will it be held out, will I be constricted?)

Darla jumped in shock, she looked around before looking back at Cain.

"Y-You can speak!? Why didn't you speak before?!"

(Just answer my question.)

Cain's words triggered the mark, in that moment, Darla felt strange, as if she had a connection to the Raven. She always liked him, but it was more intimate now as if she gave him her body and soul. It was much like how she felt during mass when everyone prayed to their god.

"Okay, it's like this..."

Darla betrayed her people, while Cain gained a useful asset. After all, he was only a bird, how much damage could he cause anyway?