Reincarnated as the Death God's Vessel

Lidien couldn't help but sigh when he remembered the corpses of the two Skinless Leopards he had left at the Bone Orchard, and also the remains of the Relic guardian in the Ancient Hall where everything had started.

'They could have been great test subjects for my experiment, instead of watching these corpses rot and turn to skeletons, for they're all the same.'

Glancing one last time at the corpses, the paradise of flies, Lidien walked out of the cabin, going outside the Rift.

It was already late in the afternoon when Lidien went out of the Rift and was greeted by his clansmen bowing towards him.

'When fear turns to reverence, everyone respects you.'

He walked towards the Knowledge Spire, hoping that he could find a book which could help him decipher the ancient text to be able to read the writings in the Book bound by human skin.

Lidien watched the people passing by him; even children much younger than him bowed and shivered when they met him.

After his Heart Eater title spread throughout the Blood Rose Clan Territory, no one dared to be openly hostile towards him, afraid of their heart being pulled out like that foolish man.

Lidien enjoyed his stroll, as he couldn't hear any murmur related to him every time he was outside the rift.

As he stood in front of the Knowledge Spire, no one stopped to greet him... even the middle-aged man guarding the entrance just bowed without moving upon seeing Lidien.

He proceeded inside and walked up the staircase until he got to the fourth floor.

He then stood in front of the Old man, who stared at him with dead eyes.

The Old man slowly raised his thin arms, as if he were a beggar asking for food.

"Show me your Token."

Lidien pulled out his Identification Token and presented it to the Old man; upon confirming his identity, he merely nodded and smiled at him.

The same smile that sent a shiver down his spine.

Lidien passed by the Old man, then he heard him say.

"...smell of blood," so soft and hoarse.

As the sound of the door lock clicked, Lidien activated his Incite of Blood to its limit.

Surprisingly, he couldn't detect blood in the room, even outside... as if the whole Knowledge Spire blocked his ability to detect blood.

'Smell of blood... I know he was not referring to me... because it was actually a hint...'

Lidien deactivated his Incite of Blood and closed his eyes as he focused all of his senses on his nose.

Yet, no matter what he did, he couldn't smell any distinct metallic smell of blood inside the room.

A few hours passed, the afternoon turned to dusk, and Lidien still couldn't find the smell of blood even though he searched every corner, every floor and wall of the room, including the ceiling.

The books were scattered on the floor, and even some of the wooden shelves were destroyed by Lidien's frustration.

'It is only here... but where?'

Lidien stood at the center of the room, looking at the books and broken wood scattered on the floor...

Pulling out the Book bound by human skin, he placed it just below him, opened to a random crimson page waiting to be read.

Lidien activated his Incite of Blood and stared at the book, before scanning his surroundings... still, no changes occurred.

'Now what? The book should have a lingering smell of blood on its surface... but why? What does the Old man mean...'

Lidien closed his eyes, his eyebrows almost meeting from frustration, then tapped his forehead repetitively with his index finger.

'If it's not the book... if I can't find it... then I'll try producing it.'

He partially transformed the nail on his thumb into a claw and scratched his index finger with it... wounding himself.

Lidien activated his Incite of Blood to its limit and watched his wound slowly form blood.

Then it stopped... and dropped down onto the book just below him.

The book slowly turned its pages by itself... the air inside the room convected, producing a wind that turned the crimson pages so fast, until it grew strong enough to lift the books, splintered wood, and dust.

Lidien stood immobile at the calm center of the conjured storm, his hair and clothes whipping around him as books and splintered wood orbited in a furious vortex and the suspended book glowed bright red.

Lidien watched the book disintegrate the written text of black ink, burning itself... while the crimson pages of different hues turned and twisted, forming a Blood Rune until they were detached from the pages, leaving them blank and dirty.

Hundreds of Blood Runes orbited the book and Lidien, and when the last rune was detached from the book... it lost its control and joined the other debris in the tornado.

The Blood Runes then slowly streamed... and without warning... they flowed into Lidien's head.

Lidien thrashed and shouted from the agony as his body was suspended, his crimson eyes turning bright white... forcing him to enter his Dreamflow.

He watched the Blood Runes try to attach themselves to the Crimson Shard, yet... they were blocked by a thin film surrounding it.

Lidien watched the chaos inside his Dreamflow for an hour, until he noticed that some of the Blood Runes attached themselves to the fragmented shattered shards of the past Lidien orbiting the Crimson Shard with the hundreds of Soul Essences.

The Blood Runes failed to attach themselves to the Crimson Shard, but succeeded in occupying all the fragmented shattered shards of the old Lidien, as they erased the memories shown by the old Lidien and replaced them with memories of experimentations.

"I've waited hundreds of years... and still failed."

All of the fragmented shards showed a man in a black cloak looking at Lidien with dead eyes.

"How can you have two soul shards?"

As his eyes scanned around, an audible sound of a gulp echoed from all the fragments.

"H-how... two soul shards and three paths exist in one body?! T-this is impossible!"