Entering the cell, Saun honestly hoped that the young ones would talk for a while longer. He also hoped that the saleswoman wouldn’t tell anyone that he had bought almost all the local mudles. Even though he wanted to enjoy these delicious snacks more than he could admit, he immediately went to the first tests and emitted a little bit of his aura toward the boy.

  But he reacted correctly. He tried to hide his fear, but being almost three ranks above him, the slightest mood swings of the young man were as clear to Saun as Taulos in the sky. Even before he entered the room, sensing him and listening to the conversations, what he found could only be described as unstable.

  If he were to decide now, he would judge this person as an unfortunate individual who had experienced more than he could bear. In his career, Saun had seen thousands of such individuals. Those fortunately rescued from the clutches of demons usually had a long road to recovery, and many simply decided to end their lives. Among such people, there were also cases that showed bodily changes associated with soul mutations, but these were kept secret from the public.

  In such cases, it was explained that they were the result of disgusting magic applied to a person’s body. The reason was simple; they didn’t want to encourage anyone in any way to be interested in experimenting on other people’s souls. In this respect, the meager wealth of knowledge in their world was rather a blessing.

  Due to his position, he had access to a wider range of information originally purchased from cosmic traders. He knew that in the multiverse, there were countless researchers working on this subject. In extremely rare, best-case scenarios, people who were subjected to these kinds of experiments ended up as empty shells of their former selves. Usually, however, they simply died, enduring unimaginable torment.

  Naturally, with such great responsibility, he wouldn’t leave anything like that to speculation, especially since several factors weighed against the suspect. Among the victims, he hadn’t yet encountered such a significant change in the appearance of the eyes, which means that they were either demonic eyes, the result of mutation, or of some unusual ability.

  The survivors may have lost the color of their eyes, hair, or even skin, but he had never seen such a change in the structure. Nor did he encounter this kind of passive luminescence from the irises. Glowing eyes during the use of skills were relatively common. Most often, this effect simply meant someone was using a significant pool of their mana or activating a skill that affects vision, but it was temporary.

  More importantly, a person with a first level should have no mana control, and especially not enough to deceive him. The young man, however, neither emitted any particles from his body nor attracted any neutral mana to himself. It was a natural process that the body performed without any active involvement. If there was a lack of mana in your core, it would just slowly pour into you, while the worn-out mana was exhaled for decomposition and then neutralization.

  To show no movement of energy around you in this way, you would have to be a master in the field of control. Still, even if he was an expert, this procedure just wouldn’t make sense. Demons acquired the ability to imitate the mana characteristics of the individual they possessed quite early on in their path. After all, it was a necessary element that determined their survival in the presence of higher-level opponents.

  After asking the adventurers to leave, he blocked the sounds coming out of the room to give himself and the subject as much privacy as possible. He also used a device to test the young man’s reaction. Saun still didn’t feel any mana activity around him, and his gaze didn’t track actual energy movements but followed the visual effect.

  “My name is Saun Otter. I am the Inquisitor of the Church of Liberty.” he introduced himself.

  “I’m Orion. I’m... I used to be a programmer.” the boy replied, this time in a monotonous voice that didn’t match his smile at all.

  Once again, Saun noticed the young man’s inner struggle with fear, but he focused more on unfamiliar terminology.

  “Oh? And what is that?” he asked, genuinely curious, while beginning to configure the emitters. They talked for a while while he was working. During the exchange, he tried to detect the tension accompanying the lie, but he didn’t sense anything suspicious beyond the usual dose of uncertainty. At one point, he felt an intense rush of mixed emotions in the young man. Judging it as a fear of jumping to conclusions, he reassured him. “However, I know that the world is not that simple. That is why we are here, and I will find out if the claims from the young ones are true.”

  After a moment, he injected some mana into the emitters to activate them. When the saturation intensity reached the required level, he also activated the Vitrum Animae and looked directly into the man’s soul.

  Seeing the scene in front of him, he turned pale, and his back sweated cold. Dozens of essences, looking like parts of souls of random creatures, carelessly stitched into one, cracked, and marked with hundreds of scars. At least the matter of the host’s level has been largely confirmed. There was no sign of the Soul Tree, or even a seedling, which meant he had to be below level sixty. However, there was still the possibility that something more powerful was lurking deep in this mess.

  Staring at the sight, he could only imagine what a potential possessed must have gone through, as just looking at it made him sick. He persevered, however, searching for any resemblance to demonic spawn. Having seen the message the adventurers had conveyed earlier, he knew they were dealing with an unusual case. This kind of soul destruction could have been done deliberately, with the intent of arousing empathy and lowering one’s guard, although that was unlikely. To perform this kind of modification would require a much higher level than they’re dealing with in this world.

  Assuming that it wasn’t caused by demonic forces, the boy’s soul looked like the result of atrocious experiments conducted by some unhinged lunatic, which, at the time, was the highest probability. In such a scenario, how could such a person still be alive, let alone formulate coherent sentences? People of lesser mentality lost their minds at the slightest scratch on their souls, yet the man before him stared at him curiously.

  Saun pulled out a notebook and mana-imbued ink from his inventory, then he began to write out the unique patterns discerned within this terrifying mixture. He also slightly increased the intensity of the aura he emitted.

  Souls had a number of schematic fragments inside of them that were common to every member of a given race. While you could tell which race you were dealing with from the aura itself, it could be modified. The patterns themselves were impossible to fake but were neither visible nor sensible. Only by saturating the space with an amalgamation of unreactive but highly opposing energies could patterns be discerned from their background, and this was only possible with a specialized device.

  Finishing his data collection, he pulled from inventory a crystal that contained information about known demonic patterns. He couldn’t help but glance at the man across from him as he felt his… relief? Perhaps he was genuinely worried they wouldn’t undertake this examination with due diligence.

  Leaving these thoughts aside for later, he poured a bit of mana into the notebook and crystal, allowing him to visualize them precisely and pick up any similarities. An empty zone, divided by a vertical blue line, formed in his mind, and against the black background were the comparative information and his notes, floating on both sides.

  Even as he was writing down the patterns, he could see roughly that none of these creatures belonged to a race he knew. There were some similarities in one or the other entry, but he couldn’t make any definitive connection. Yet still, he moved the fractals in his mind, arranging those that showed any common traits with the demonic ones.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  There were several patterns that had some matching aspects, but these were limited to similar sharp edges or pathway thicknesses. Saving the selected patterns for later, he explored others. Finally, rejecting those with no similarities, he focused on those that had been marked for further analysis.

  ***

  After a few minutes with his eyes closed, the Inquisitor sighed and asked.

  “Has anyone experimented on your soul?”

  “Ugh. I don’t really know if I can call it that.” he answered honestly. Although in his opinion it would be quite a stretch, in fact, one could say that he himself, unconsciously, performed such ‘experiments’ on himself.

  “Then, before you answer, know that the higher-ranking clergy have access to a richer knowledge of the multiverse than other people. We know there are lunatics out there who, no matter how much harm they do, experiment on the souls of others, thereby condemning their victims to… I do not think I need to explain. I want you to know that any attempt or encouragement of this kind of experimentation on other people’s souls is strictly forbidden in this world.”

  Orion nodded, but before he said anything, he decided to think it over. From the Inquisitor’s statement, several theories could be drawn.

  Primarily, the older man was probably aware of the fact that wounding the soul resulted in an entirely different level of suffering. Orion remembered how long it had taken him to get used to the pain, and it was after a year of ‘training’. He had a theory that if he hadn’t voluntarily injured himself earlier, the first wound he received in combat would have been too shocking for him to survive.

  The first time he cut his arm to feed Martha with his blood, he flopped around like a fish out of water, and it had only been a shallow cut. Nevertheless, this experience allowed him to harden himself enough to overcome subsequent ones, to the point that during his later fights he felt as if he were receiving ordinary wounds.

  At one point, Orion involuntarily imagined a situation where some mad scientist lays hands on someone in his family and conducts these kinds of experiments. At that thought, a sudden wave of anger came over him. Unforgivable, he thought. If anyone on Earth comes up with this idea, such a situation might actually come to pass, and he couldn’t let it happen. Now, however, he didn’t even know if he’d have a chance to return. Realizing that his thoughts were moving away from the present, he calmed down.

  The next thing he thought about was the fact that he had acquired a skill by eating the beasts. The System told him that this was because his soul had physical properties at the time and constituted his body itself. The question was, could this effect be replicated, and does this knowledge exist in the multiverse, much less on this planet? It was possible that telling the Inquisitor about it would put both himself and him in some kind of danger. On the other hand, this kind of information could be common knowledge, but he would prefer to operate on the assumption that it’s not.

  Apparently, Orion’s thoughts were dragging on, as the Inquisitor spoke again.

  “Working on the development of your body and soul is an everyday reality for someone trying to climb the ladder of power. You are free to do whatever you please with your soul. However, if you are caught studying or influencing the souls of others or encouraging them to do so; even if you were to volunteer as an experimental subject; you will face severe consequences. Having said that, I would also suggest keeping the details of this conversation confidential. Now. Do you remember what happened to you before you came to our world?”

  Orion was already wondering if he should mention the quarantine. The System didn’t mention to him that the topic of the universe’s garbage dump is some forbidden knowledge, though. All it said was that he was one of the few people to have ever entered it. The question was, has anyone else in the history of the multiverse come back from quarantine? If it weren’t for Neru, he’d have absolutely no chance to do so.

  If there were other people who had their own means and managed to get out of such a place, knowledge of it would probably be known, especially considering the hypothetical size of the multiverse.

  According to the System, the physicality of a soul lasted a fraction of a second. Following this line of reasoning and basing on the fact that there could be several people dying every second in the world, he suspected that there could be a few or even a dozen people in quarantine, and that’s just counting the Earth. He didn’t know how many universes had been integrated before the one he came from, but it was safe to assume that someone had managed to escape.

  Nonetheless, how he survived and how he acquired his first skill was another matter.

  “I remember.” Orion replied, thinking of his next words. “But I’m not sure if I want to talk about it or if you want to know. There’s a chance I could accidentally share with you some information that the ‘lunatics’, as you call them, might desire.”

  As someone who currently on many topics had only theories, not actual knowledge, he concluded that defining it this way would be the most reasonable course of action. If the Inquisitor wishes, he can persuade him with arguments while also taking responsibility for the knowledge acquired. Orion was certain that the man before him knew the dangers of it far better than he did, and seeing the state of his soul, he would have to draw his own conclusions and make his own decisions.

  The Inquisitor sighed and tapped the table with his index finger. To Orion’s surprise, the gesture caused his shackles to snap open.

  “Then keep any details you consider sensitive to yourself. Do not share them with me or anyone else. Can I count on that?” the Inquisitor asked, his gaze, amplified by the deadly pressure, utterly convincing. Not that this additional incentive to remain silent was even necessary.

  “Understood.”

  “Good. Before we get to that, I checked your soul, and it looks… bad. It’s a mixture of different existences, but there are no decisive similarities with the demonic race. So I can clear you of suspicion.”

  “Well, one problem solved.” Orion said. It would be hard to say whether he himself would have known he was possessed if that had happened. Besides, he was concerned about the possibility that the beasts he devoured might be demons or something close to them. But apparently, he worried needlessly.

  ***

  “I have to admit, though, your situation is quite unique. If you were experimented on, why are you here, and how were you captured?” Saun asked, then added. “From the information you provided to the adventurers, it appears that you are from a newly integrated universe, which means you should be under the System’s protection.”

  “I think you’re making theories based on flawed assumptions. Uhm. Let me ask you this. Did you know that when integration happens, some people don’t make it to the tutorials?”

  “In the information crystals that were purchased in this world after the assimilation, there were indeed notes about this. According to available information, these are more speculations than evidence-based facts. The System has never explained this phenomenon, but it is claimed to be a kind of final judgment for people who are near death.” Saun said slowly, partly to answer, partly to remember the details. “Some of the people who were not spotted in any of the tutorial instances came back with no memory of what happened, and some just disappeared without a trace. Wait… since you said you remember, do you mean…?”

  “Yeah. I know what this place is and what it looks like, or at least part of it. The System also didn’t mention that this is forbidden knowledge, so I think I can share some of it.” said the young man, and then he was silent for a moment, tapping his finger on his chin. “I think I also know what brought my soul to this state, but I’d rather keep that part to myself.”

  Saun didn’t answer, deciding to take a moment to think. And what could be more thought-provoking than delicious mudles? He took a couple from his inventory and handed one to the young man. The suspicion of possession may have been dispelled, but he still hadn’t determined what kind of person this Orion truly was. Now it was time for the final test.

  The youngster raised his eyebrows at the sight of the food, then he accepted it and took a bite. Even Saun hadn’t expected such a reaction. The young man lifted his head, savoring the taste, tears streaming from his eyes.

  ***

  A heavenly sweetness spread across his palate. Orion had thought the fruit, the drinkable jam, or the succulent meat he’d eaten earlier had been some kind of peak experience, but now he wondered if perhaps six months without the sense of taste had somehow enhanced his taste buds. Or perhaps the food itself was magical? Either way, it was phenomenal, and he certainly wanted to know where he could get some more. But leaving the matter for later, he looked at the Inquisitor.

  The Inquisitor thought in silence for a moment, but there was a smile on his face. Finally, the older man replied.

  “General knowledge of that should not be dangerous. Many things in the multiverse that were once great mysteries have been discovered over time. However, from what I know, this field is still largely unexplored, and to be honest, I do not know if sharing knowledge about it should not be rewarded in some way. “ The Inquisitor thought for a moment, a gentle smile still present.” So how about you explain what it looks like, and I will pay you for it? Since you claim that you skipped the tutorial, I am guessing you have no means of survival currently.”

  “Sounds good. However, please include information on where I can get more of these in your payment.” Orion said, pointing to the leftovers of the magic donut.