10 (10) A year later

Being a transmigrator herself, it wasn't a secret as to how Vousenne could strengthen her soul most efficiently. And that was what she did, she went to the library daily, thinking of moving around her body.

But recently, all the books pertaining to the basics of elemental gods were missing.

She waited thinking the one who took it would return it in a few days.

'However! It still hasn't been returned after a week. Is it Veren? Why though…We don't hold any grudge against each other...or is he petty enough to take them just because I was reading it...?' Vousenne felt dejected.

She could only head to Veren's room to verify if he had the books or not. She shuddered remembering something.

Recalling how soldiers brought in a family every day and sent them to the cellar, Vousenne gulped. She saw Veren walking out of the cellar, his clothes covered in blood. It was easy to tell what happened there.

Vousenne felt a headache thinking of her unfortunate situation. She had to be reborn in such a body, where she suffered from mild pain and fever every day.

She vomited instantly after understanding what Veren had done to the innocent families.

Just living near such a being brought goosebumps all over her body. But...she still had to get back those books, even if it meant she had to meet that monster.

With the fate of this kingdom in mind, Vousenne knew she had to grow stronger.

Hence....

"....."

Feeling the gaze that held no emotions, Vousenne stood her ground.

Veren looked at Vousenne for a few seconds, before turning away. He innately didn't like her, as she made him remember Laila.

Vousenne's purple eyes shook, as the wind brushed past her violet hairs. She took deep breaths like a goldfish out of water.

'What the hell is happening....? Why is my body reacting like this just due to his presence...' Vousenne didn't want to accept her cowardice, blaming the aura of demi-god within Veren.

"What do you want?"

Veren's indifferent voice reached Vousenne, instantly making her fumble a few steps back.

"Tch!" Veren felt further annoyed sensing Vousenne's movement.

'Why the hell does she resemble her so much...' Veren tapped on the bed rim, trying to not lose his patience.

Seeing Veren's impatient behavior, Vousenne hardened her will.

"Did you borrow some books from the library...I mean recently?" Vousenne's voice shook unnaturally, but she still felt relieved being able to tell her thoughts.

"Yeah..." Veren contemplated for a second and then pointed at the books, "You want them? Take anyone you want and go away."

"Ah, Umm..." Vousenne hesitated to go inside the room, thinking of Veren's deeds.

"Sigh...." Veren picked up one of the books and handed it to Vousenne, before closing the door at her face.

Veren, feeling the nuisance to have gone away, sat on his table.

'She must want to learn the water element ritual. Her spirit was the queen of water spirits if I remember correctly. A queen spirit...such an existence isn't far from reaching godhood. But I doubt she can do it, there is already a water god to my knowledge.' Veren stopped his thoughts at this point and continued his training.

.....

Three months passed by.

At this time, Veren didn't see any explosive growth in divinity. He could only wait for the next phase of the dark mask to start before seeing any huge development.

However, he did achieve one of his goals.

With the continuous clash of two opposite divinities, a foreign divinity was born within Veren. A greyish divinity could be felt in his body, it was a divinity belonging to the path of neutrality.

Normally, anyone would have pushed this divinity out of their body. However, Veren fostered it without hesitation.

'I need to think of a way to get my hand on that inheritance later.'

Veren soul might be what had grown the most in the past three months. He could perform small rituals now, like creating a fire equal to a small campfire. Or like moving the wind to clean his room.

Leaving those growths aside, Veren's mentality has grown adjusted to this life too.

"Young master Veren, it's an honor to meet you again."

"...." Veren looked at the uninvited guest. His eyes squinted, feeling that he knew the person before him.

Appearing without a sound and with such brazen attitude. It was apparent that this man belonged to the pale mask church.

A mask with nothing but a plain smile, and an attire that was pristine white – like a holy knight.

'The guy who sacrificed both his eyes to get the soul annihilator...I can't remember his name though...' Veren contemplated.

"I have come to look at the progress of your growth and...not bad, not bad at all." The plain mask man examined Veren by touching his mask without any hesitation.

"Hmm? This…I see, you must be quite talented for your holy divinity to be persisting like that. This might be useful, another spy..."

The plain mask man acted like Veren's will didn't matter at all. Talking and considering by himself.

"Alright. I look forward to working with you then. Haha, I will talk with Duke Walprus and have him be administered to become an inquisitor when he turns 10 years old." The man left cheerfully, vanishing into thin air like a ghost.

"....." Veren didn't know whether he should rejoice or feel irritated by the other person treating him like a doll.

Veren turned to the door, it wasn't touched in any way at all.

'I have felt my body grow stronger considerably, but I don't think I stand a chance against him. If I had some materials, I could at least try the sacrificial act from the novel...'

Veren shook his head, thinking it to be a waste of his time.

After a few days, dozens of books were sent to Veren. They all contained rituals of the holy empire and the pale mask church.

Listening to the maid's instruction to finish reading them within two years, Veren nodded his head.

'It seems like they want to nurture me. The ritual and sacrificial act to make me a spy and the other one from the pale mask church must be to develop faster. This way the demi-gods descend would fasten.'

'Alright...' Veren didn't reject the free knowledge, instead he welcomed it.

....

Time flowed by and Veren neared his 10th birthday. A whole year had passed with him only focusing on absorbing all the new information.

He could feel his dark mask's third phase just around the corner too.

With all that in mind, Veren was riddled with just one worry.

'Vousenne...she didn't do anything to me in the novel, but I can't be sure. If she does something to me while in that state....it would become an irreversible fact.' Veren blankly looked out of the window.