Second World

Cain appeared to awake from a trance upon Jack's question. His red-smoke face gazed at Jack for a few seconds before saying, "Forgive me. You can't imagine what a thousand-year grudge feels like."

'I can barely imagine what a one-year grudge feels like,' Jack said in his mind. If someone wronged him, he normally just settled the matters on the spot, usually by fists. If he couldn't, then he consciously forgot about it, until he saw said person again. He rarely let a grudge dwell in his mind.

"As for your question," Cain continued. "I've been possessing Arlcard since his birth as a vampire. I might as well be him. I'm also the reason why he was not under Aubelard's influence despite his young age."

"I have all his memories," Arlcard, who had been silent by the side, confirmed the statement. "They were hazy at first, like dreams of distant past. Those memories became clear after I fused with my… his remains under the mausoleum."

"But… You are still two different entities, right?" Jack asked. "Will there be side effects for Arlcard? I mean, will he still have his personality if you continue possessing him?"

Cain chuckled. His creepy voice made the chuckle sound even more eerie. "You are quite concerned about him, aren't you? Well, I have piggybacked inside him since the beginning, so I dare say I know you as well. Don't worry, even if I want, I can't continue possessing him."

"Really?" Jack asked.

"You should have heard my talks with Marcus," Cain replied. "I studied a secret ancient necromancy technique that has something to do with reincarnation…"

Jack threw Peniel a mental message then, "Hah! Who before said there is no such thing as reincarnation?"

Peniel rolled her eyes. Why did this brute remember something from so long ago?

"… Unfortunately, my study was never completed," Cain continued. "Marcus' betrayal came before that happened… Well, to be honest, I'm not so sure now if I could ever master the technique even if I was given the chance. After existing in this spirit form for so long, I understood there is no such thing as immortality. We will expire sooner or later. In my case here, it will be sooner."

"You will leave?" Arlcard asked.

Jack sensed a longing in his companion's voice. Perhaps Cain's claim that they were one was the truth. Perhaps Arlcard saw Cain departing as a part of him leaving.

"I have no say in this matter… Once my essence was freed from under the mausoleum, the clock was already ticking for me. My separation from you during the battle accelerated the process even more."

"We can merge again to slow the process… If that's what you want," Arlcard said.

Cain chuckled again. "It doesn't work like that. Once the link is broken, it is hard to mend it back. I will be gone soon… But I want to leave you a final gift. Consider it my thanks for helping me dispense justice upon my brother."

"Gift…?" Arlcard didn't sound that excited.

Cain nodded. "You drank Marcus' blood during the fight. That is good. Your body has a peculiarity of absorbing the essence of older vampires' blood. I don't understand why you have this ability. Perhaps it's your special talent. Anyway, I can help you process Marcus' essence in your blood, at the same time transferring as much of my power that is still left to you."

"You… You don't have to do that," Arlcard said.

"I don't have to. I want to," Cain said. "It might hurt, though."

Before Arlcard could respond, Cain had rushed to him. Cain entered through Arlcard's mouth and nose as he did to Marcus. Arlcard felt Cain within him again, but the feeling was different this time. Before, they were one. This time, Cain felt like an alien entity. Arlcard understood what Cain meant then, their links had truly been severed.

Even though Cain felt like a foreign object now, Arlcard didn't fight him. He gave Cain free rein over his body. He felt the ancient spirit roaming within him. He felt the pain then.

He endured it, but it came to a point where his will was no longer sufficient. He let out a pained yell as he fell to his knees.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Jack came to him and asked with worry.

Arlcard couldn't hear Jack. His own scream was too loud.

Jack asked a second time, but Arlcard didn't respond. Arlcard just kept on screaming.

Jack understood that there was nothing he could do. At least he knew Arlcard wasn't in any danger. No damage number was coming out of his vampire companion.

He then heard a very loud thump from Arlcard.

"What the…?" Jack didn't know what to make of it. He turned to Peniel who shrugged, indicating that she didn't understand as well.

Jack heard another thump again, and another. The thumping became more frequent. Arlcard's body shook with each thump. It then glowed. Golden threads started to come out of his body.

More and more golden threads appeared. They wrapped around Arlcard who had stopped screaming. Arlcard's face was expressionless and his eyes were closed. He was like someone who was in a coma.

Jack simply watched without knowing what to do. After a period, the process finally stopped. Where Arlcard was a moment ago was now a large golden cocoon.

"Is… Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked.

Peniel didn't answer. She was gaping at the gold cocoon. She was as astonished as Jack.

When Jack wanted to ask her again, he heard a notification, "Congratulations on completing the companion quest, Blood Debt. Receive rewards of 8,000,000 exp, 100 gold coins, and 8,000 mana cores."

He was glad of the rewards from the quest, but he thought the true reward of his companion quest was the golden cocoon in front of him. Peniel finally came out of her daze and confirmed to Jack that what was happening to Arlcard was indeed the process of metamorphosis.

She said for it to happen to the same individual in such a short period was unheard of. A golden cocoon was also a higher grade than the silver cocoon Arlcard and Therras were in. She said that Arlcard was sure to be an Eternal grade when he came out of the cocoon. When would that be? She couldn't tell.