Chapter 6: Crow of the Snow Raven Realm

What... what just happened?

He looked at his own hands and saw his skin had grown paler. He felt strength far beyond what Lily's buff had granted him. His reflection in a nearby mirror showed eyes now glowing in a faintly red tone.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, his voice coming out more hoarse than before.

Alice laughed softly, standing a few meters in front of him.

"I granted you a gift."

Karl clenched his teeth. He knew something more lurked behind this. In the game, her servants proved powerful, but also found themselves condemned to an existence of eternal servitude. However, he wasn't just any character of the game. He knew the future. He knew her weak points.

He just needed time.

"Now, let's test your loyalty." The villainess snapped her fingers.

The mansion's great doors opened, and some lackeys dragged a bound figure inside. A survivor. A human, wearing leather armor. Perhaps someone who, like him, had fallen into this world without explanation and grabbed the first equipment he found. Meanwhile, a larger minion carried a black bag.

"Kill him." The villainess ordered, her cruel gaze accepted no refusal.

A chill traced down Karl's spine. This was the first test.

He knew he had two options: obey blindly and sink into darkness... or find a way to play this deadly game on his own terms.

Meanwhile, the brute behind the other minions, the one that carried a black bag.

He pulled it from his back and shook it forward, dumping out a man in a police uniform, all chopped up. Only the upper half of his body remained, his legs gone, along with one arm.

The remaining stumps of his limbs had been burned to keep him from dying of blood loss.

This guy... looks like I wasn't the only one from that place who got teleported.

Karl still tasted the bitter elixir in his mouth, his body trembling as the transformation slowly overtook him. But despite the new strength pulsing through his veins, the pain from his wounds remained overwhelming. Each breath proved torture, and his muscles seemed ready to give out.

He'd been nearly dead before arriving in this world, having bled so much and endured so many ordeals to reach this point, which now caused him to show signs of nearly losing consciousness.

The transformation occurring in a body with little blood and wounded, he felt lucky he hadn't died.

The villainess observed everything with an analytical gaze. Her sharp eyes captured each tremor, each labored breath, each drop of sweat rolling down his face.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"How pathetic..." she murmured.

In a movement so fast he could barely track, she vanished from his vision and appeared behind him. Before he could react, he felt her cold arms wrapping around his body, supporting him as if he were a fragile doll.

"Poor thing" she whispered in his ear, her tone almost affectionate, but laden with something dark. "I cannot allow you to die like this... so soon."

Karl's chest tightened, panic flooding his veins, but before he could voice a single protest, it was already too late, Alice wrapped her arms around him from behind. Her hands pressed against his ribs, and something surged through his body—sharp, foreign, wrong.

Pain lanced through his muscles, carving paths along his injuries. Yet instead of tearing him apart, his flesh tingled, heat spreading beneath his skin like molten iron poured into a mold.

His wounds knitted together, tissue pulling taut over bone. His skeleton reinforced itself, each fragment snapping into place with dull clicks he felt more than heard. The agony twisted, morphed into something pulsing and alive, a current that thrummed beneath his skin.

Karl gasped, his heart hammering against his ribs as if trying to escape. Power flooded him, invasive and relentless, forced into every corner of his being.

Alice stepped back. Her gaze traced over him, satisfaction curling at the edges of her lips.

"Better." Her head tilted, arms crossing beneath her chest. "But you're still not ready."

Her eyes narrowed, studying him like a sculptor appraising rough marble.

“You need a new name, don't you?” She pressed a finger to her lips, studying him like a sculptor appraising rough marble.

Karl hesitated. His mind churned, grasping for something just beyond reach. He knew who he was, didn't he? But the certainty dissolved the moment he tried to grab it.

His name, his identity before arriving here—all of it drifted in fog, intangible and distant. The blows to his head? The elixir? Too much had happened too fast. He scrambled to piece it together.

Something's wrong... The thought crept through him like ice.

Crow tried to grasp his real name. Nothing. Just static. But Alice's attack patterns, the hero's build, monster weaknesses, all that remained sharp as glass. The elixir hadn't erased knowledge. Just identity.

Alice's smile widened.

"Perfect. A servant without a name is like fresh clay... ready to be shaped."

She examined him for another moment, then lifted her chin, decision already carved into her expression.

"From now on, you'll be called Crow."

The name struck him oddly. Familiar, yet alien. He couldn't tell if he hated it or welcomed it. But the way she spoke it, authority dripping from every syllable, made resistance seem laughable.

One of her subordinates nearby twisted his face into a scowl, disgust radiating from every line.

Looks like I'm not welcome here. The thought settled into Crow's mind after his forced conscription. Then...

Alice snapped her fingers. The sound cracked through the hall, sharp and commanding. The walls began to shift. Or rather, something within them began to crawl.

Crow lifted his head, trying to parse what was happening.

That's when he saw them.

For a moment I forgot how bizarre this place is.

From the shadowed corners of the hall, creatures emerged. Twisted things with hollow eyes and jaws bristling with fangs, their bodies contorting in ways flesh shouldn't allow. They had no business being here.

In the game, these monsters only appeared much later in the story, and he now stood face-to-face with a mid-game boss.

His stomach churned, bile rising in his throat.

Alice stepped back a little and said, “So, Crow, I’ll explain how things will work from now on—”

“Crazy. Completely psycho!” the officer shouted. “Handing out new names, kidnapping an officer, cutting people apart… you have no idea who you’re dealing with. You and your psychopathic followers are going to pay for this. You’ll rot in prison forever. Just wait until they find out you kidnapped an authority figure—”

His head rolled across the floor.

A minion struck him hard enough to send it flying. The big one that brought him there.

Poor guy. Sometimes you just have to stay silent and go with the flow. Wait… I remember this guy. Something’s wrong with me, with my memories.

Alice glanced at the dead officer, one eyebrow arching upward while her smaller minions scuttled about, clearing the mess from the hall. She continued without missing a beat.

"Now, Crow... show me you're worth keeping alive."

No time to hesitate. He realized no other choice existed. Either he fought, or he became the first meal for those things.

He engaged. The shadow creature lunged, its blades hissing through the air like metal teeth.

Crow dodged by a breath, wind from the slashing strikes tearing strands from his hair as he searched for an opening.

They appeared strong, but when he landed several blows against those deformed beings, they collapsed. Energy poured from their dissolving forms, and Crow absorbed it.

I can feel... what is this... power? The thought flickered through his mind as he pulled in the souls of those creatures.

Dark energy spread through Crow's body as he consumed the monster souls. Strange flashes invaded his mind—fractured memories that weren't his own. The pain from his earlier wounds faded into distant echo.

Strength surged through his limbs, speed sharpening his reflexes. Each fragment of life torn from those creatures carved something new inside him, reshaping him piece by piece.

His gaze snapped to a reflective window. Without meaning to, he activated the Ring of Wisdom on himself.

Status:

Name: Crow (former name error) Soul Level 11

Title: The Spared One

Situation: Cautious and tired

STR 42

DEX 33

CON 51

INT 22

WIS 27

***

Learned Skills:

Hand to Hand Combat level 3

Swordsmanship level 1

Persuasion level 1

***

Passive Skills:

Quick Reflex

Enduring Soul

Soul Devourer

Frail Existence

Questionable Charm

ERROR THE USER IS NOT A BEING OF THIS WORLD…

ERROR, A SOUL OF THIS WORLD IS DETECTED *** SOME FUNCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

The Soul within the ring says:

“Bruh, what are you now, you survived so far, maybe you can be useful to me, so, good luck “

Crow froze for a moment, blinking.

“ … “

What?

Hum, I see. So, you were ignoring me before, thought I’d die quickly and wasn’t worth the time. But now it seems you’ve changed your mind and want favors. You’ll keep waiting.

Then

Slice!

One of the creatures slashed his back while he focused on the message.

He spun to face the remaining aberrations. His eyes, once loaded with despair and uncertainty, now gleamed with something different. Hunger.

The creatures hesitated. Even without true consciousness, they seemed to sense he was no longer merely prey.

Crow fought with his bare hands.

Crack!

Alice watched the scene with fascination. Her crimson eyes sparkled like a girl watching her favorite show, analyzing his every movement, her expression laden with curiosity.

Thud!

"So that's it..." she murmured, resting her face in her hand as she reclined on her throne, a smile forming.

Smack!

"The elixir manifested your true nature... what kind of life did you live to manifest this? It’s been so long since the last time.” She said audibly.

Crow lifted his gaze to her, breath still ragged. As he gripped one of the hideous creatures by the throat, he spoke.

"And what does that mean?" The heat from the last soul still fused with his body as he asked.

Alice uncrossed her legs and rose slowly from her throne. Her footsteps echoed through the silent hall.

"It means you're now a Soul Devourer."

The words carried weight that settled into his very skin. Something inside him twisted at hearing them, as if his entire existence was being redefined.

He stared at his own hands. Once weak, trembling... now they were weapons. Each fallen enemy wasn't just a victory, but a step toward something greater.

Alice stopped before him, examining him with predatory eyes.

"You could become the perfect tool... or an uncontrollable monster. Only time will tell."

She circled around him, and when she stood behind him, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"But one thing is certain. Your potential is immense. For now, you're an early version of a reaper, one who strengthens his existence by consuming souls."

She moved to his left side and tilted her head slightly.

"You could grow very powerful... perhaps even slip from my control through unbridled carnage. But for now..."

She drew closer, smiled, and ran her hand along his face. She gripped his chin.

"You belong to me."

A shiver ran through Crow. He didn't know exactly what he was becoming, but one thing was certain.

He would never be weak again.

Crow drew a deep breath, feeling the remnants of the souls he'd consumed still pulsing inside him. His body felt stronger, more resilient. He still didn't fully grasp what he'd become, but he knew something within him had changed forever.

Alice continued circling him slowly, with an appraising gaze, as if studying a rare specimen. She stared at Crow with her crimson eyes gleaming in the hall's shadows.

Hard to tell if the effect was meant to be terrifying because of her aura, or enchanting because of her appearance.

The human in leather armor remained silent, observing everything, practically invisible after standing motionless through all the events.

"You adapted faster than I expected." Her voice carried calm, but a dangerous undertone threaded through it. "But there's still much to discover about your new nature. It's rather rare. Tell me, Crow... what do you feel now?"

Crow clenched his fists, flexing his fingers, feeling newly-acquired power racing through his veins. He lifted his gaze to her, his pupils sharper than before.

"Strength... and hunger."

Her smile widened.

"Excellent answer... after all, it's dinnertime."

She extended her hand in a casual gesture, and the imposing hall doors slammed shut. They'd remained open since the moment the adventurer and officer were brought to the audience chamber. The corridor beyond them was dark, except for blue flames flickering from wall-mounted torches.

"Right. There's much more to learn... and more prey for you to feed on."

The human who'd been standing there as a hostage began to think he'd been forgotten, until a vampire maid asked:

"Your majesty Alice, may I have him? I am hungry"

She glanced back.

"Yes."

The guy tried to talk

"You're human, right? Please, don't let them—"

Chomp!

Fangs sank into the human’s neck immediately.

Karl, now known as Crow, wore an expression of disgust.

If I'd refused to serve, that would be my fate too, but I need more time.

Crow's gaze locked on the body as it crumpled. His stomach churned.

I need more power. He thought while clenching his fist.

"Ugh..."

He didn't feel well, but he could do nothing for the poor guy...

What if he was a normal person like me, isekai’d…

What happened to Lily and her group? I need answers.

Crow hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward. Whatever awaited him on the other side didn't matter. Now, he was no longer a simple human from the modern world without magic, lost in a hostile realm.

He was a Soul Devourer, a rare class with potential to evolve. He could transcend and become a Soul Reaper, an extremely powerful spiritual being. Yet he still possessed physical matter, making him something like a hybrid.

And with each soul absorbed, he drew closer to discovering the true potential of his new power.

The throne room remained in absolute silence. Alice returned to her throne and seated herself, crossing her legs majestically like a true queen. She observed Crow with an intense, enigmatic gaze.

From the moment she'd touched his mind and rifled through his memories, she knew he carried knowledge no one else possessed.

She rested her face in her hand, her subtle smile laden with sharp interest.

"Crow..." her voice echoed through the hall, seductive and commanding. "Tell me... how can I be defeated?"

She continued

“I can read your memories, but I can’t fully understand all these things. Tell me.”

Crow's brow furrowed. He sensed the malice in the question, but also knew this wasn't just any provocation. She genuinely wanted to know.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at her, locking eyes with that glittering crimson gaze. She didn't seem to doubt her own strength. On the contrary.

She'd never been wounded. Never felt pain. Never experienced the fear of death—well, not at this point in the story, at least.

Before he could say anything, the world around them shifted.

The air trembled. The floor vibrated beneath his knees. An invisible force swept through the hall like a silent storm, dense and suffocating.

Then, it happened.