NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26: A Butler of Shadow
Returning to the reassuring familiarity of [The Veiled Path], with Kaelen a tired but content weight trotting at my side, was like breathing fresh, clean air after an eternity underwater. The Primal Essence harvested from the Stormwing Sky-Reaver thrummed within me — a concentrated reservoir of potent, storm-charged power far exceeding anything I had yet absorbed. I immediately sank into the meditative embrace of my Sanctum's [Concentrative Aura], eager to convert this raw potential into tangible, lasting strength.
The cultivation was intense, a focused battle of will against my own internal limits. Days passed in this deep state. The world outside the small circle of my internal focus faded as I guided the potent energies. Directing it into my Body felt like infusing my very sinews with resilient, lightning-quick vitality. For Mana, it was like deepening a vast, turbulent ocean, feeling its capacity swell. And for Spirit, it was like forging my will in a star's heart, tempering it to a razor sharpness. My status confirmed the significant gains: Body had risen to 262, now feeling truly robust, movements imbued with a coiled power. Mana climbed to 273, a deep well I could draw from with greater ease. My Spirit, benefiting most from the mental rigors of the Sky-Reaver fight and the subsequent intense cultivation, now stood at an impressive 282. All were now solidly, comfortably, within Tier 2, a foundation that felt vastly more stable and capable than before.
With my own immediate growth stabilized, my attention turned to the rewards of my Sanctum's evolution to Level Two. The most enticing by far was the newly unlocked feature: [Animus Forging] — the ability to create a Soul-Tethered Anima. My Sanctum now felt different, more… alive. The ambient Essence within its stone walls hummed with a deeper, more complex resonance, as if it were now capable of hosting or birthing something truly unique, something intrinsically tied to me.
"System," I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the now more potent Sanctum, "about this [Animus Forging]. Explain the process in detail."
[Animus Forging requires User Eren Kai to define a core 'Intent Profile' — the overarching purpose, desired fundamental characteristics, and archetypal nature of the Anima — through deep mental projection and focused visualization. This process is highly intuitive and directly draws upon your Soul Strength, Soul Gate Integrity, and the unique harmonic resonances of your Level 2 Sanctum; it operates largely outside standard System quantifiable parameters. The Prime System can facilitate the final anchoring and energetic imprinting but cannot directly guide the conceptualization or 'soul-echo' selection, as this is a deeply personal expression of your Soul's will resonating with the broader Essence patterns of the Great Confluence.]
[When your Intent Profile is clearly envisioned and projected with sufficient spiritual force, a compatible soul-echo — a latent pattern of a pre-existing sentient entity that has passed from its previous cycle but whose fundamental essence-pathway and experiential matrix remain as a resonant imprint within the Confluence — may be drawn forth. This echo, stripped of its individuated consciousness but retaining its foundational power pathway, core skills, and experiential imprint, will be tethered to your soul via the Sanctum's enhanced energetic matrix. Its inherent strength and initial manifested capabilities will be harmonically modulated in relation to your own soul signature's qualitative potential. Initial forging requires a significant voluntary contribution of your personal Primal Essence reserves to act as the binding and animating agent. Do you wish to begin the conceptualization process?]
So, the System wasn't choosing a template from a predefined list; I was. Or rather, my soul's intent would find a compatible echo in the vastness of existence, a pattern that matched my deepest needs. This felt far more profound, more personal, than just picking a pre-made construct. It required my Sanctum to be at Level 2 because the cave itself needed to be potent enough, its connection to the Confluence deep enough, to act as the forge for such a unique creation.
I sat for a long time, feeling the quiet power of [The Veiled Path] around me. Kaelen, a warm, reassuring presence curled at my feet, his soft breathing a counterpoint to the Sanctum's hum. I let my mind drift, focusing on the qualities I most needed, most desired, in a companion, a guardian, an ally. I thought of the dangers faced, the loneliness of this path, the overwhelming power of entities like the Site Overseer, and the immense responsibility I felt for Kaelen and the distant hope of finding my family.
My Intent Profile solidified, born from these reflections:
First, a steadfast guardian, absolutely loyal, possessed of unwavering resolve, capable of defending this place, and those I cared for, against any threat.
Second, a highly capable assistant, possessing not just brute strength but keen intellect, able to understand complex tasks, to learn rapidly, perhaps even to manage aspects of the Sanctum itself, freeing me for other vital endeavors.
Third, a versatile and reliable ally, one who could adapt to any situation, who could fill multiple roles as needed — not just a fighter, but also a confidant, a strategic mind, someone to share the burdens of this existence.
And finally, permeating all these traits, an unshakeable, intrinsic integrity. An almost… sophisticated competence. A quiet confidence that inspired trust.
"System," I stated clearly, projecting my mental construct with all the focus I could muster, pouring my intent into the very stones of the Sanctum, "I am ready to begin the Animus Forging."
[Acknowledged. Focus your Intent. Visualize the desired Anima with clarity and conviction. Allow your soul to resonate with the Essence of the Sanctum and the Great Confluence beyond. The process may be psychically taxing.]
I closed my eyes, pouring my will, my desire, my very essence into the vision. The Sanctum around me seemed to respond. The faint hum of its ambient Essence intensified into a palpable thrum. The air grew thick and charged, tasting of ozone and something ancient. I held my envisioned profile steadfastly in my mind — the loyal guardian, the intelligent aide, the adaptable ally, all wrapped in an aura of unwavering, refined competence and unyielding loyalty.
In the center of my Sanctum, before the simple stone hearth, the air began to shimmer and coalesce. It wasn't the Prime System's cool blue light, but a deeper, more foundational energy drawn from the Sanctum itself and my own projected soul-force. Tendrils of shadow, deep and comforting, and a pure, almost silver light, cool and analytical, wove together like smoke and starlight, gradually taking on a tall, slender humanoid form. Impeccably dressed in what appeared to be a perfectly tailored, dark charcoal gray uniform of a material I didn't recognize — subdued, elegant, practical — complete with a pristine white shirt and a meticulously knotted cravat, the figure solidified. His features were sharp, almost aristocratic. His silver eyes held a calm, knowing intelligence and a hint of wry, almost detached amusement. He possessed an almost unnatural stillness, an aura of quiet, unshakeable competence that radiated from him like a physical force. When the manifestation completed, the resonant hum within the Sanctum faded slightly, and he executed a flawless, graceful bow from the waist.
"You summoned, Master?" His voice was a smooth, cultured baritone, infused with a dry wit and a profound sense of presence that seemed to fill the Sanctum.
I stared, momentarily speechless. Kaelen, who had been watching with wide, curious amber eyes, his head cocked, let out a soft, questioning whuff. A butler. An immaculately dressed, silver-eyed butler radiating an aura of serene capability and quiet lethality. This was the manifestation of my deeply envisioned desire for a multi-talented guardian-assistant-ally. It was… unexpected, yet somehow perfectly fitting.
"You're… Jeeves?" I managed. The name I'd subconsciously attached to the mental image of perfect, unflappable competence somehow fit him perfectly.
"Indeed, Master Eren Kai," he replied, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. "Though such a familiar name from the one whose very soul now anchors my existence is… unexpectedly charming. It will suffice admirably. I await your direction."
My connection to him felt different from my bond with Kaelen, which was one of mutual rescue and growing camaraderie. This was less a companionship of equals and more an intrinsic extension of myself, a reflection of my will. Yet Jeeves clearly possessed his own distinct… personality echo, a pre-existing framework of experience and character.
I quickly asked the System for his status. My curiosity and intrigue battled with a sense of profound awe at what had just occurred.
[Soul-Tethered Anima: Jeeves]
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
[Primary Intent Alignment: Versatile Custodian, Erudite Support, Shadow Guardian]
[CORE ATTRIBUTES (Resonant Imprint):]
[SOUL STRENGTH (Imprint): S+]
[SOUL GATE INTEGRITY (Imprint): Grade A]
[ESSENCE MANIFESTATION (Current Manifested Tier):]
[BODY: 420 (Tier 4)]
[MANA: 415 (Tier 4)]
[SPIRIT: 435 (Tier 4)]
[Known Skills (Echoed Proficiency): [Stealth Arts (Legendary)], [Precise Combat Application – Blades (Epic)], [Strategic Analysis & Logistics (Epic)], [Attentive Service Protocols (Innate)], [Sanctum Attunement (Innate)], numerous other conceptual pathways and dormant skill expressions accessible based on progenitor 'echo's' extensive experiential matrix, currently requiring conscious integration and direction by User Eren Kai to fully activate.]
[Note: Due to the unique soul-tethered bond and the shared foundational Soul Strength, User Eren Kai may choose to impart one (1) personally mastered System Skill to this Anima. The chosen skill's efficacy within the Anima will be scaled according to its inherent compatibility with the Anima's core design and progenitor echo. Shared skills still occupy one of the User's primary skill slots. Impart Skill?]
My jaw practically hit the stone floor. Tier Four? Immediately? And Soul Strength S+, just like mine, along with an array of incredibly potent-sounding skills, one of them Legendary. My own S+ Soul felt like a distant, abstract concept; seeing it imprinted on another being, one I had created, made its significance terrifyingly real.
"System!" I mentally exclaimed, reeling from the implications. "His attributes! His Soul Strength! How can his manifested stats be so high, already at Tier 4, when he's meant to be harmonically modulated to my own soul potential, and I'm only just consolidating Tier 2? And another S+ Soul Strength – how can this be?"
[The harmonic modulation ensures the Anima's foundational energetic capacity and overall power ceiling does not exceed a tethered potential relative to your own eventual growth. However, its actual manifested attributes and the inherent qualitative designation of its Soul Strength/Gate Integrity are derived directly from the resonated soul-echo you successfully drew forth and bound. The entity whose echo now forms 'Jeeves' originally possessed an S+ Soul Strength classification. 'S+' itself is a Prime System designator for souls whose intrinsic qualitative potential, energetic efficiency, and structural complexity reside beyond the standard quantifiable metrics applicable to most observed entities, including those utilized by subordinate polities like the Kyorian Empire; such souls operate on principles of energetic interaction and manifestation that defy simple linear scaling.]
[Furthermore, this specific progenitor echo possessed a highly developed and extensively integrated experiential matrix from a lifetime of high-level operation. The Anima 'Jeeves' thus manifests with this advanced baseline of inherent skill expressions and optimized attribute distribution, reflecting a lifetime of prior, sophisticated development and combat refinement. Your own progression, while extraordinarily rapid for a Terran operating under unique circumstances, began from a vastly different starting point, with no such pre-existing matrix. The Anima benefits from an exceptionally potent and refined foundational template, a well-honed instrument awaiting a conductor.]
So, Jeeves wasn't just starting out. He was the echo of someone already incredibly accomplished, someone whose very soul was classified as beyond normal measure, just like mine. He was scaled down in overall raw power to be tethered to me, perhaps, but not in the quality of his soul, his ingrained experience, or the sophistication of his inherent abilities. And the ability to share a skill… only one choice felt right for a versatile guardian who needed to operate with discretion, someone who could be both a visible presence and an unseen protector. "[Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil]," I mentally designated. I felt a subtle pull, a sharing of understanding, a conceptual link forming and then solidifying. Jeeves gave a nearly imperceptible nod. His silver eyes flickered with a new depth of understanding, a faint shimmer briefly enveloping him before fading.
Jeeves, meanwhile, seemingly unfazed by his own miraculous creation or the impartation of a Mythic skill, had produced a feather duster — from where, I had no idea, it simply appeared in his hand — and was delicately, almost artistically, flicking imaginary dust from a perfectly clean section of cave wall. His movements were precise, economical, and utterly out of place.
"Alright, Jeeves," I said, deciding a practical demonstration was essential. The idea of this composed, formal individual facing down the kind of horrors this Gauntlet threw at me was compelling. "You have [Precise Combat Application – Blades] at Epic and Legendary [Stealth Arts], among other things. A light spar? Outside, if you please. I need to understand your capabilities directly."
A genuine, brilliant smile transformed Jeeves' usually composed features, making him look suddenly younger, almost boyish, yet no less dangerous. "Ah, Master. A most practical and, if I may be so bold, stimulating suggestion. One does find that extended periods of… let us call it 'conceptual stasis'… can leave one's more kinetic talents feeling somewhat underutilized. It would be a distinct pleasure to engage." He gracefully inclined his head. "After you."
Outside [The Veiled Path], in the stark, twilit landscape of the Confluence Zone, I faced him, spear held ready. Kaelen watched from a safe distance, his plumed tail twitching with keen interest, his head cocked. Jeeves stood calmly, hands clasped loosely behind his back, presenting no obvious weapon, his posture relaxed yet perfectly balanced.
"Commence when ready, Jeeves," I stated, bracing myself.
The shift was startling, absolute, like a switch being flipped. One moment, he was the picture of courteous formality; the next, he was a whisper of displaced air, a phantom of pure, focused intent. He didn't explode with the overt speed of Kaelen's teleports or my own [Fleetfoot Dash]; he simply… flowed, like water finding its inevitable path. A shadow merging with shadows, his movements utterly silent, perfectly economical. My spear thrust, aimed to test his defenses, a move I thought was fast and precise, met only empty space. He was suddenly at my flank, far closer than I was comfortable with, having bypassed my guard as if it weren't there. Something impossibly sharp and cold brushed against my throat. A perfectly balanced, exquisitely thin stiletto, its metal dark as a starless night, seemingly drawn from the very air itself, was held with unwavering, lethal precision against my pulse. His silver eyes, no longer holding their customary amusement, now glinted with the focused, predatory calm of a seasoned killer who had ended countless lives.
I froze. My own considerable speed and enhanced senses were utterly, completely outmaneuvered. The sheer difference in refined technique, in ingrained combat intuition, in the pure, deadly artistry of his movement, was breathtaking and terrifying. I hadn't even seen him draw the blade.
Just as quickly, the cold pressure vanished. Jeeves stepped back, the stiletto dematerializing as silently and mysteriously as it had appeared. He was once again the impeccable butler, offering a slight, almost apologetic inclination of his head.
"A most illuminating initial exchange, Master," he said, his voice regaining its smooth, cultured tone, though a spark of something keen and satisfied lingered in his eyes. "Perhaps for future assessments, a slightly more graduated scale of engagement might prove beneficial? It would be most regrettable to inadvertently cause any… undue operational impediment to my esteemed employer during a calibration exercise."
I let out a slow, shaky breath, lowering my spear, my palms sweating. Undue operational impediment. He'd had me. Completely. Without effort. This… this was the versatile guardian, the shadow tactician, I had unknowingly called forth. Kaelen let out an impressed series of sharp barks, his tail thumping against the ground. He clearly approved of this new, surprisingly deadly addition to our small, strange family.
My mind raced. A Tier 4 butler with an S+ Soul Strength imprint, Legendary stealth, Epic-level blade skills, and now, a shared [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil]. This changed everything. The Gauntlet's Level Three, the mysterious "The Silent Crypts of Nur-Hazzan," suddenly felt significantly more approachable, no longer a distant, terrifying prospect.
My gaze drifted to the modest crafting station in the Sanctum, still mostly untouched, a collection of basic tools I'd barely used. I possessed three precious crafting components: the [Rune-Etched Sentinel Heartstone], the [Aegis of the Obsidian Heart], and the [Heart of the Tempest]. My earlier thoughts of a Sanctum guardian… Jeeves filled that role, and so much more. But these components still sang of potential, of power waiting to be unleashed.
"Jeeves," I said, a new, even more ambitious plan beginning to solidify, a path to truly fortifying our position opening up before me, "it seems we have significant resources and a formidable new talent among us. Our next major project, I believe, will involve understanding the principles of Golemancy, and constructing something truly exceptional for the long-term defense and augmentation of [The Veiled Path]."
Jeeves' silver eyes gleamed with an almost boyish, scholarly enthusiasm. "Ah, a Golem, Master? A construct of artifice and imbued Essence, animated by will and arcane principle? A most fascinating and worthy endeavor. Such a creation could indeed prove an invaluable asset to the… domestic tranquility and operational security of this establishment. I eagerly await the opportunity to contribute my modest archival knowledge of theoretical constructs and organizational talents to such a project."
It was finally time to use my dungeon rewards, to delve into the mysteries of creation itself, and forge a Golem. The future of [The Veiled Path], and perhaps our own, had just taken a very interesting turn.