"Now let me see that book you"ve been carrying around, I bet it hasn"t said a peep to you while it"s been here right?"

My back drenched with cold sweat. This Satyr knew about the Codex of Souls! Was he going to steal my priceless treasure?

Thinking about it, the Codex had been pretty useless to me for quite some time. I took it out and handed it to Zat to get his expert opinion. If he wanted it, he could simply kill me, there"s nothing I could do to fight this monster, anyway.

~~~

As soon as Zat touched the Codex of Souls a gigantic three-headed dog came out. It had greyish-white eyes that could pierce your very soul. Ma.s.sive ghostly collars tethered around its three necks binding it with ethereal chains to the Codex. Its body was filled with innumerable wounds but still, it"s presence was breathtaking stifling Zat.

"Bark"

The entire Satyr Castle realm shook from one yelp from the ma.s.sive three-headed dog.

"Little Immortal, you dare put your filthy hands on the Codex of Souls?" said the gigantic three-headed dog as it"s presence nearly shattered the realm.

The dog began to growl as s.p.a.ce shattered around it.

"I may be injured but even on my worse day I could chomp a puny Rank 3 Immortal like you," said the ma.s.sive three-headed dog.

"I was just curious," said Zat as he sat there in awe of the dog"s might.

"Curiosity killed the cat little immortal. There are some things you can and can not touch. The Codex of Souls is one of them," said the gigantic three-headed dog as if he was speaking to a child.

"The very karma from daring to touch a G.o.d Artifact as a Rank 3 Immortal could destroy your very existence. I"ll handle your karmic backlash you little fool since it doesn"t seem like you were intentionally being malicious to my master."

"Bark"

Zat watched as a gigantic red line of karma piercing through his being was shattered in front of his eyes. He had no idea it was even there.

"Since you woke me up from my slumber you have to pay the price. The price is everything you own," said the gigantic three-headed dog as he greedily grabbed everything Zat owned stuffing it into the Codex of Souls.

"Bark, Put some clothes on from now on while in front of my master. No one wants to see that thing flailing about!"

"Just make up some stupid story to tell my master about how you helped repair the Codex, no one but you will remember my presence."

The gigantic three-headed dog then disappeared back into the Codex of Souls with his stolen gains, none of the residents of Satyr Castle being the wiser to what had transpired.

~~~

Zat looked at the book for a moment, waved his hand inserting a few things into it, then handed it back to me.

"You probably thought this was some priceless treasure, right?" said Zat.

"Yes Castle Leader," I said.

"I"ll be blunt with you if you never touched that thing you would be further along in your practice in devilry than you were now. Although it has probably helped you a bit, it"s been feeding off you ever since you laid your hands on it. This artifact"s greed knows no bounds!" said Zat.

"Damaged Immortal Artifacts like this care nothing about insects like you, it is damaged from a time long ago losing its former glory, and in its twilight years, it has to hide and keep a low profile with a mortal like you. It"s already bonded with your soul, so the only way someone could take it away from you is over your corpse."

"I have no use for such an artifact, being a dignified Immortal. Once you reach my level, you will understand it"s not too special. You"re a member of my faction, so the more good things you have the better. I fixed the issue of it feeding off you and added a protective layer over it so others at my realm can not detect it."

"From now on it will grow with you on your journey, you"ll know what it needs to increase in strength instead of it just feeding off of you."

[Bark, A trivial immortal thinks he can understand the great Codex of Souls?]

[Free repair job for me. *wags tail*]

[You should thank your Castle Leader, he gave me stuff you couldn"t dream of finding.]

[I"m Dex, the Guardian Aspect.]

[After 108,038,493 years, finally, I"m unleashed!]

[See, I told you there were good things by jumping down that cavern!]

[Even when asleep I can sniff out good things a mile away!]

[Bark, now let"s see what"s been going on.]

[My abilities were almost nonexistent when I was in that comatose state.]

[Bark, this isn"t right. That mischievous cat dare mess with my glorious display?]

[Job: Chef Purged!]

~~~

Back in the Xertzul Abyss, we come to find a fat cat crying in front of a little halfling.

*Sniff* *Sniff*

"Today was a tragic day, Alura," said Jurrath as he bawled his eyes out.

"Something horrible has happened."

*sniff* *sniff*

"What happened, great cat lord," said Alura, wondering why the cat lord was so distraught.

"I lost my cheffff!" said Jurrath as he fell face-first on his desk, defeated.

"Master has died?" said Alura, wondering about the fate of her master.

*sniff* *sniff*

"It"s even worse than that," said Jurrath as he pawed away his tears.

"Some idiot woke up the stupid guard dog!" said Jurrath in fury as he stomped his fat paw on his desk.

~~~

Hmm, interesting. I just played it cool while the shameless Satyr kept droning on and on speaking ill of my Codex. It seemed as if he had a personal vendetta against it.

"Yes, I understand Castle Leader. Thank you for your kind intentions," I said.

"An expert is forged by his own hands. Besides your initial gifts as a new servant, you won"t be getting anything else from Labyrinth Sect without phallic points. You also are not allowed to go showcasing your members.h.i.+p in the Sect. We are a hidden sect, separated from the mortal world after all," said Zat.

"Your long term mission is to establish dominion over a Lower World. Once you complete that task I will promote you to outer disciple. I can create Lower Worlds with the wave of my hands, but for you claiming one is a task as high as the sky. You can accept easier missions from the mission hall for tempering."

"You are free to come and go from Satyr Castle as you please now. You are also allowed to buy and trade resources within the Sect. However, sharing any knowledge learned at the Sect is strictly forbidden, even to your own lackeys. I don"t have to even tell you this, as you can"t bypa.s.s the restrictions on the tomes gotten here."

[Bark, you should buy all the knowledge you can with sect points.]

[How dare an immortal think he could restrict the Codex of Souls from a.s.similating knowledge!]

[Bark Bark]

Shut up, dog!

[Bark, yes, master.]

It seemed the dog was obedient, at least. He was nothing like my shameless fat kitten. I finally had another helpful Aspect.

"Mortal world? I don"t come from a mortal world," I said refuting Zat"s statement.

"Have you ever saw an immortal like me walking on the street?" said Zat.

"No," I said.

"Then you come from a mortal world, move along Soulless, now you"re just wasting my time," said Zat as he shook his head.

"Is a mortal world above a lower world?" I said, trying to figure out what he meant.

"You are correct, mortal worlds can contain existences up until Tier-9 now shoo since you"re a servant of my Satyr Castle now, be glad you don"t have to prostrate before my glorious phallus anymore," said Zat as he put on some pants.

I quickly left my shameless Castle Leader"s quarters to figure out my next plan of action.

I now finally understood why Kingdoms and Empires had similar sized territories in the Xertzul Abyss, even though Empires had higher standing. Emperor must be an immortal devilry realm! But since Xertzul Abyss is a mortal world, their leader"s strength is bound to Tier-9 while in the mortal world. So Empires can"t just overcast Kingdoms!