2 Soul

Liam was suddenly pierced by intense pain, causing him to jerk and clutch the aching area of his body. His body contorted, and his face was covered in profuse sweat. Despite pressing his hand against the painful spot in an attempt to alleviate the agony, the pain did not subside. It hurt so much that Liam's face froze in a grimace, and he took deep, labored breaths. With every inhalation, he felt a slight relief from the pain.

After a while, Liam released his grip on the bedsheet that he had been holding tightly. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, and in the early morning sunlight, he looked like a corpse on the verge of death.

When the pain in Liam's body finally subsided, he lay back down on the bed, ready to take a great risk to extend his life, as he felt like he could die at any moment. In less than a day, he had taken over the original Liam's body, and it was likely that the original Liam had already died.

Liam began to contemplate the various methods he had learned from the game to extend his life. There were ways to do it, but he didn't have the necessary materials for any of them.

As he pondered his options, the bird he had secretly feeded in his room came to mind. Without hurting himself, Liam got out of bed and walked over to the window. He opened the window, and a blue bird immediately landed in front of him.

Apart from its color, it was an ordinary bird. Without wasting any time, Liam caught the bird, gently suppressing its beak with his hand to prevent it from making any noise. Before the blue bird could realize what was happening, Liam had already closed the window.

Liam slowly returned to the bed with the bird in his hand. The blue bird was frantically flapping its wings, trying to escape, but Liam held it tightly, causing even more pain to his already aching muscles.

With a pale expression on his face, Liam sat on the bed and closed his eyes. As he did, the surroundings plunged into darkness again, but he could still feel the bird's vitality.

Liam tried to focus even more on the vitality of the bird, attempting to sense its essence, its soul. At first, he felt nothing, but then he began to rapidly perceive a blue energy fragment pulsating like a heart.

A smile formed on Liam's face as he vividly imagined the blue energy fragment being absorbed and devoured by his own soul. He envisioned the fragment shattering into pieces and being drawn into a pitch-black singularity in his hands before being consumed.

He imagined every vein in his body forcibly breaking down and devouring this soul. Slowly, he felt the blue energy fragment disintegrate, being pulled into the black abyss within him, and ultimately consumed. As the last remnants of the bird's vitality faded, Liam began to feel more energetic and revitalized.

Once the last piece of the bird's soul had been consumed, Liam opened his eyes and found the lifeless bird in his palm. Without wasting any time, he started to eat the bird, beginning with its head. As he bit into it, feathers and flesh spread into his mouth, mingling with the taste of blood. There was no sign of him resisting the urge to vomit.

On the contrary, with each bite of the bird, the pallor in his face decreased further, and after consuming the final piece of the bird, only its claws remained. Liam considered them insignificant and tossed them into the burning fireplace.

Liam stared indifferently at the roaring flames in the fireplace, realizing that someone had entered his room secretly last night. The fireplace had not been lit yesterday, but now it blazed with burning logs stacked to provide ample warmth.

"I was sick, and I had a fever," Liam muttered to himself. "My dear stepmother must have seized this opportunity, or perhaps someone trying to gain her favor, attempted to kill me again. How tiresome..."

Liam attempted to remove a feather that had become lodged between his teeth with his tongue, his thoughts returning to the technique he had just used. "In every living being, there is internal energy and a soul. The source of internal energy is the soul, and the cleaner and more balanced one's soul is, the cleaner and more balanced their internal energy will be. Furthermore, internal energy nourishes the soul. As internal energy strengthens, so does the soul. They are directly proportional to each other."

The method I used on the bird is a sinister technique I learned while playing the game in hard mode. It forcibly absorbs the soul and inner energy of a being, extending one's lifespan. Liam, however, obtained this method through the system. The logic behind it is to delve deep into the essence of a living being, sensing its soul, and then gradually consuming this soul from its inner energy points.

This method doesn't provide the person with inner energy; it merely prolongs their life based on the amount and size of the consumed soul. That's why I don't need to worry about being caught in inner energy checks by my stepmother. If I consume the soul along with the body, I'll gain more life force."

Liam lay back on his bed and gazed at the ceiling. "Maybe I should leave some food crumbs in front of the window to catch more birds," he thought.

Closing his eyes again, Liam drifted back to sleep. When he woke up, he saw a maid entering his room, placing the food on the table. The red-haired servant gave Liam a disgusted look and said, "Come and have your meal."

Recalling how he treated this servant before, Liam smiled politely. However, his smile appeared deadly due to his pale complexion. "Thank you," he replied.

The red-haired servant clicked her tongue and left the room. Liam had anticipated the servant's condescending behavior but was surprised that she hadn't openly insulted him. Perhaps his extensive reading of webtoons and novels had influenced his perception. In those stories, it was common for servants to demean unwanted nobles.

However, in the real world, despite being unwanted, he was still a noble, and the servant, no matter how lowly, wouldn't dare openly insult him. Even if Liam were to falsely accuse her of insulting him, the servant would be executed without question. After all, what value could a servant's testimony have in the presence of a noble? Would it benefit him? No, of course not. So, there was no point in defending himself.

Liam slowly prepared to eat his meal, still unsure if there was poison in it. He was hesitant at first but eventually succumbed to the hunger pangs in his stomach and began to eat. The food was delicious, and there was no sign of poison.

Later, Liam scattered the remaining crumbs by the window and waited for a bird to come. He couldn't go outside due to his illness, and he couldn't engage in any activities to improve himself.

Liam rested on his bed and soon spotted the image of a bird. The gray bird quickly flew away after picking up the food crumbs. Liam smiled at the bird.

Knock, knock.

Then, there was a knock at his door, and a woman dressed in an elegant blue dress, with a hint of sadness in her demeanor, entered. Liam prepared to speak with a smile, but the woman immediately knelt beside him and took his hand, saying:

"My son, are you okay? I rushed here as soon as I heard you were ill. I apologize for not coming yesterday."

The woman held Liam's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. Liam, looking at the weeping woman with compassionate and loving eyes, responded:

"Mother, there's no need for you to worry so much. After all, I'm constantly falling ill. You should also take care of your own health... Cough."

As soon as Liam finished speaking, the woman became increasingly worried and clung to Liam. "Are you okay? I'll call the doctor right away..."

"No need, Mother. You don't have to strain yourself so much and worry..."

Before the woman could respond, Liam continued, "Besides, Father, my older brother, and I are all concerned about you. You're also helping Father manage this estate, which truly lightens his load and eases his mind... Speaking of Father, why did he have that old tree in the garden uprooted?"

"..."

"Oh right, Father doesn't really like old and worn-out things. I guess he decided that the tree had aged and had it uprooted. This tree has been in the garden for a long time, and I heard he ordered a new one. It's true that it had aged. But, Mother, I love old and aged things. Just like a tree, their roots grow deeper and stronger over time, and they hold a special place in my heart. Besides, their history leaves an impact on everyone. Even if something new comes in, it can't replace the old one because both the soil and the people who have memories associated with it miss them and reminisce about them."

Liam then smiled at his mother and said, "Don't you think it's quite easy to get rid of new things, even before their roots have settled into the soil, and even if they do, it takes a long time for them to adapt? Meanwhile, the disappearance of the new one, as if it never existed, piques people's curiosity about where it went. Besides, it's quickly forgotten, unlike the old, aged tree with its history!"

With closed eyes, Liam held his mother's hand in a peaceful manner. His mother, enlightened by Liam's last words, wore a sly smile for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. She stood up and patted Liam's head, saying, "Now, rest well. I don't want to disturb you any longer."

"Mother, you're not disturbing me at all. I'm worried that I might make you sick as well... Once I recover, I'll come to visit you."

With a merciful smile, the woman left Liam's room. As soon as she was out of the room, the smile froze on her face, and she muttered to herself while wiping her hand on the towel the servant had offered.

"If I am Mary, I will get rid of that woman eventually. After all, it's easy to get rid of something new in the Duchy before its roots have even settled..."

A sly expression crossed Mary's face as she quickly walked in one direction.

Meanwhile, Liam's room was filled with a joyful smile as he muttered, "What a huge soul! Even a tiny part of it has rejuvenated my lifespan more than the entire bird."

Liam closed his eyes and wished for a swift recovery before mealtime. "If she interprets my words and decides to get rid of me during the time the Duke's new concubine arrives, she probably won't bother with me. I'm sick, and I could die at any moment. Why would she pay attention to me, right?"

Liam began to feel somewhat at ease, knowing that he might finally get some relief. If Liam had allowed the concubine to come, Mary would likely have to compete with her for Liam's favor for a while, but once she got rid of her, she would return to haunt Liam.

So, he made sure to rid himself of her before she even arrived. Moreover, more concubines would eventually come to the Duchy, as the Duchess aged. Until she became an old woman, Liam would devour her soul bit by bit, and the Duke would most likely bring in younger concubines. This would make Mary feel inadequate, question the Duke's love for her, and break her heart.

Thus, inadvertently, seeds of discord would be sown, slowly growing into a full-fledged tree. Liam would get rid of Mary and regain his freedom, maybe even convince his father to allow him to receive proper cultivation if he played his cards right.

Furthermore, it was uncertain whether the new concubine would immediately dispose of Liam once she became the favorite. Mary might even try to kill Liam and may try to slander the new concubine. Liam didn't want more intrigue in the house, and he didn't want to be part of any faction when the outcome was uncertain.