Epic of Caterpillar

375 Morpheus's Life-Attribute Dungeon Conquest 20/?: Souls and the Soul Attribute

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As Vajrara body began to appear, I wondered why I have not gotten any event notifications regarding my Epic Skill… Perhaps what I have been doing recently is not even written in the 'fate' that I am supposed to go through?

Vajrara soul, which I was grabbing with my Aura, released a moan of pleasure as she saw her new body being slowly degenerated into a strange new appearance.

"Aah~! P-Please, Megusan-sama, grab me harder! Tighter! Ooof! This pain, it is so delicious! Your venomous Soul is so toxic, I feel as if I'm melting in pleasure and pain!"

Amiphossia glared at me as if I were doing something to her.

"I'm not really doing anything; my Aura isn't damaging her either!"

"Oh?"

"Really! It must be because I ate Megusan, my soul has similar properties… Vajrara, I am not the god you worshiped, he's dead"

Vajrara released another moan.

"Aaah~! I don't understand what you're saying, Megusan-sama, but you're right in front of me, no matter the form you take, Megusan-sama is Megusan-sama!"

"She's completely nuts, mom," said Amiphossia.

"Yeah, well, its good that she sees me as her god, so she won't disobey me, and I won't have converted her into a braindead slave"

"Ah! It is forming! I have never seen such an amazing sight, mom! Can we really create new races like this?!"

"Well, yes, in a way… Though they always end as Undead and Chimera, so they could all be classified in that category"

"I still find it amazing! Isn't it, Geraldine-chan?" said Amiphossia as she glanced at Geraldine, who was floating beside her.

"Nya! That's right… so that's how I was reborn?" asked Geraldine

Flash!

Suddenly, the ritual circle shined brightly as Vajrara's new body was done. I released her as she instinctively flew towards the new body made out of her remains.

"Thanks for granting me a new body, Megusan-sama~! Uwaaah! I'm being born anew, by Megusan-sama grace!" moaned Vajrara as she merged with her new body.

Vajrara new body was a combination between Cat Beastmen and Lamia. Her upper body was that of a beautiful and devilish-looking woman, with chocolate-colored skin, her arms were slender yet contained tight muscles. Her neck, chest, and arms were covered in fluffy black hair. Her hands had long cat-like black nails coated in poison.

Her right eye was golden while the left eye was crimson red, she had long black hair and two cat ears over the top of her head. Her lower body was that of a dark snake, covered in fluffy black fur.

Incidentally, a big chunk of the population was spectating this scene, calling me and my daughter Goddesses of Death and Rebirth.

"Incredible!"

"She had revived Vajrara-sama, who was brainwashed by that evil Demon!"

"Such an interesting new appearance…"

"A new race has been born by the Goddesses grace!"

"I'm so fortunate to spectate such a great event in history!"

Vajrara was then given clothes by Geraldine, as she rushed towards me, ignoring her husband, whose I parasitized with my Slime Clones to regain his sanity back from Megusan's own brainwashing. The rest of her cult were also parasitized and brainwashed into my loyal subordinates, but I did not feel the necessity to do the same with the rest of the city, which were thousands of people, as they already worshiped me.

"Aah! Megusan-sama! I have been reborn! Poison Bunyip, such a mystical-sounding name!"

"Vajrara, don't call me by that name, my new name is Kireina!" I said, acting a little bit as Megusan so she does not make a fuss over me not making any sense for her.

"Oh! Megu- Kireina-sama! Such a wonderful new name, it really is beautiful, just like your new vessel!" she said, with an almost fanatical eye as she rubbed her face over my body, like a cat marking its scent in someone else. My wives who were at my sides did not like this behavior.

Nesiphae grabbed Vajrara with her large hands like a kitten, by grabbing her from the fur in the back of her lower body.

"Gyah! Y-You! Who are you?! Could you be one of Kireina-sama's believers?! Let me tell you that I have worshiped her for years! So, I deserve such attention from her! I should become her concubine, just as she promised me back then…!"

"Such a little kitten, you talk a lot of nonsense… Give me a reason not to just swallow you whole!" roared Nesiphae.

"Nesiphae, don't eat her, I just resurrected her… Also, it is fine if she clings on me, I just see her as a pet… She is my creation…" I said, calming down Nesiphae and my other wives, who were about to kill Vajrara over their insolence.

"B-But Kireina…!" said Nesiphae, changing her demeanor immediately and acting like a spoiled little girl.

Bronte's patted Nesiphae's tail.

"Let her go, she is just a new specimen in Big sis experiments"

"Oh… so that's how it is, alright then…" Nesiphae said as she freed Vajrara from her grasp. The later hissed at her and then ran towards me again.

"Kireina-sama, you should educate better your servants!" she said.

"They're my wives, and my beloved family, not my servants… and you are just an experiment that I did at the moment, now move aside, I have a dinner to prepare"

I was trying to be harsh on her so she would not bother me, but it ended backfiring badly.

"Ooh~! Such harsh, vile words! Ooh, Kireina-sama, please, be harsher!"

"Sigh… Manipulation Master" I said, as I moved my hands towards the wicked Vajrara, and invisible threads made out of magic took a hold of her entire body.

"Ooh! W-What is thiiisssss…?!" she moaned.

"An ability that I possess, I can Easily manipulate those who have submitted to me through this, although I barely use it… but I guess you deserve such treatment, I just revived you and you're already being overly annoying, now go with your husband and explain things to the Shadow Sphinx" I ordered, as the threads taking control of her moved her body against her will, however, Vajrara only moaned in even more pleasure as she went towards the Sphinx…

"Mom, perhaps you shouldn't have revived her," said Amiphossia, who was butchering the meat with a giant knife.

"Mommy why is that woman so crazy?" asked Vudia.

"Mommy revived her, so she became another worshipper of her, Vudia. See, mommy is amazing!" Ailine cheered.

"Another crazy old hag, I hope she doesn't stay in the castle, though," said Ryo, as he sliced big pieces of flesh from the corpse.

"Ryo don't be so rude! You can call her crazy old hag, but you said 'another'! Are you implying that someone else is a crazy old hag?!" Zehe said, reprimanding our insolent son.

"Uwah… Okay, okay, sorry… relax… Your Shadow Aura is leaking everywhere mom" he said.

Zehe was butchering things with her Aura, shapeshifting them into giant tentacles and sharp knives.

"Well, as long as you're sorry my son… Hm, I wonder how your little sister is doing" she asked, tearing apart a large piece of red flesh.

"Yiksukesh? She must be with Nereid and the others," I said, as shapeshifted an arm into a mass of flesh covered in hard and sharp scales, which I used to cut the large corpse into pieces.

We spent a few minutes having a family conversation until the entire corpse was butchered, the giant Amiphossia, Nesiphae, Valentia, and Nixephine carried most of it towards the city, which was already preparing things to celebrate our victory, due to my children and other wives doing.

The people murmured about all of the events that transpired in such a short amount of time, some people were still shocked after knowing the truth about the royal family that they have been worshiping, which was brainwashed for years.

"To think that a Demon God was lurking in the shadows of our city?"

"I would have never guessed… they were too hidden!"

"Even Vajrara-sama seemed to have been brainwashed by it"

"Thankfully, she has been freed from it and reborn thanks to the Goddess's grace"

"Although she still seems kind of weird…"

"Hey, don't talk like that about our governor's wife, you insolent kitten!"

"But it has been thanks to Morpheus-sama and Mohini-sama grace that this Goddess has descended with her family to save us!"

"Yes, yes, we are truly blessed"

"Prosperity awaits us!"

"I heard that the Goddess said something about us migrating to her Empire. I can't wait!"

"Really? Is that true?! We will live in an Empire ruled by Gods?! How wonderful! With their divine protection, prosperity awaits us without a doubt!"

"I'll miss the city and the desert… but I can't wait either!"

"She said that we don't have to necessarily leave, Teleportation Gates will soon be installed, so we will be able to travel to her Empire and come back to our original homes at any time!"

"Then it is really convenient!"

"To be honest, I'm tired of this desert, I want a place with better weather…"

The Shadow Sphinx was very talkative people and shamelessly talked their opinions out loud with each other, even when I was hearing everything.

A large feast was then made through most of the city, the grilled meat of the former Giant Snake Empress who had become Megusan's physical vessel was delicious. Completely coated in salty and greasy juice, the meat was tender and flavorful, the salty juices filling one's mouth as we munched on it hastily.

The people surrounding us were skeptical about eating the meat at first.

"Are we really allowed to eat the flesh of Demon God?"

"Wouldn't it be bad for our health…?"

"Don't worry, the Goddess and her daughter had personality purified it of any venom, it is safe to eat, and delicious!"

But as the night went by and we made more and more preparations, everyone ended up eating to their heart's content.

As a happy and cheering atmosphere surrounded us, I glanced at the watermelon-sized egg that I just found after butchering Megusan's physical vessel.

There was a faint sign of life on it, and it seemed to be born just after I killed him. I sensed a faint presence of his soul as well. It seems that I didn't eat him entirely, perhaps 99% of his soul was eaten, but a small piece managed to escape and rested inside this egg, being reborn.

I pondered if I should just eat it or give it a second chance as an adoptive child.

Adopting… wait, why I'm considering this? Since when did I obtain such a maternal instinct?

Is this because of being pregnant? Or my Title as a Holy Mother of Chimera? Or both…?

Sigh…

The possibility of it gaining its memories back was faint, as I had already devoured most of its Soul, where memories are stored.

To put it simply it was as if I had eaten someone's entire body, but a small finger survived, and from that finger, a new body grew back.

The finger did not contain any memories, perhaps some reflexes and abilities, but it would be someone completely new at that point.

I had already done such a thing with the souls I ate using my Inner Realm: Soul World Skill.

I suppose it could be a nice gift for Redgaria, the reincarnation of a small piece of the soul of a former Demon God, he will most likely make a lot of experiments with it, I could also play around with it and convert it into a Chimera.

I haven't experimented in affecting a fetus while it is still growing, and this seemed like a nice subject. If he survives in the end, I will allow it to have a second chance. Enslaved, of course.

I saved the egg inside of my Item Box and moved such thoughts for another occasion as I enjoyed the rest of the night with my family.

[Kireina] gained +120 Blood Strength, +70 Magic and Resistance, and +50 Charisma for drinking a Strong Being's blood!]

[Kireina] learned the following Skills]

[Divine Lineage of Venomous Critters; Megusan's Demonic Bloodline] (Assimilated by Superior Skill!)

[Venomous God Incarnation's Toxic Scales] (Assimilated by Superior Skill!)

[Devilish Horns of the Venom Deity]

[The Levels of the [Deviant Follower of the Dark Ones; Level 8], [Eldritch Follower; Level 7], [Charming Empress of Lust Insatiable Appetite: Countless Gluttonous Fangs and Tentacles of Obliteration; Level 8], and [Etheric Blood Vigor; Level 7] Skills have increased by three!]

[The Levels of the [Calamity Abyss Demon Skin; Indestructible Armor of the Six Chaotic Fiends; Level 1], and [Abyss Chimeric Lineage; Divine Bloodline of Calamity Bringers; Level 8] Skills have increased by two!]

[Kireina] acquired the Titles [An Existence Between Mortals and Gods] and [Shadow Sphinx Savior]!]

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[Lore Explanations] (New Section!)

[Souls and Soul Attribute]

Souls can be described as several things. One could say that they are the representation of one's true 'self'. Others say that it is the ethereal organ that stores information such as the mind, emotions, memories, and will. And others say that it's the amalgamation of the Soul Attribute in the World of Genesis and that such phenomena do not exist in other universes or worlds.

However, in truth, the existence of the 'soul' is real in every world, not just Genesis. Kireina and other reincarnation from different worlds were reincarnated through bringing the souls of their original worlds and putting them into a newborn body through the actions of existence capable of manipulating them.

In most worlds where Magic or the Soul Attribute does not exist, the soul is often limited to its original form, and it may grow stronger or weaker as the individual grows up through the years of its life.

In worlds such as Genesis, where the amount of Magic Energy and Life Energy is so vast that it freely flows through its atmosphere, the strengthening of one's soul using such energies is possible.

The Soul Attribute was then naturally born as it held an important position on the existence of large amounts of Souls, its strengthening and its components, which can affect the world and interact with other more common Attributes such as Fire, Water or Life.

The soul of someone who reincarnates from another world will immediately receive a large increase in its richness when it is reborn in Genesis as a new living being.

Usually, due to this 'boost', the soul of someone who reincarnates from another world will end up becoming stronger than the average living being's soul, and may be able to recall information from its previous life and even possess intelligence and advanced memory storage abilities even when it is born as a mere Caterpillar, whose brain wouldn't be capable of rationalizing such complex thoughts and store vast amounts of memory as Kireina when she was reborn.

Souls have a unique component named Soul Energy, which is a special type of energy that can bypass the barriers of worlds (dimensions), it is often said that such Energy is deeply connected with Divine Energy, the power capable of breaking the bonds of reality, that only Gods wield.

In most worlds were the power level of people is often exceptionally low, such as Earth, the Soul barely has any uses, and its existence is so faint that it's incredibly hard to notice.

However, in worlds such as Genesis, where the Soul Attribute exists as a natural component of existence, the Souls are naturally stronger and are capable of exercising a varied array of abilities and powers.

By consuming other beings Souls, through the refined use of Soul Attribute in Spells such as Soul Devour, one's soul can be strengthened to greater heights. Becoming stronger, faster, richer, and in later stages even capable of becoming physical.

Souls in Genesis have nine known Ranks, each rank showcases an 'evolution' within one's soul. It does not imply that the soul becomes stronger in the ways of offense, but that its components become of higher quality. A strong being could have a soul rank of 2, but still be capable of defeating someone with a soul rank of 6, as there are several other factors than the use of one's soul in battle.

However, usually, those who reach high ranks of the soul are already very strong, due to the difficulty of the task alone.

Increasing one's rank brings benefits such as the ability to consciously manipulate the soul, mold it, move it, and even add other attributes to it. The advanced use of a soul will lead to one of the most used techniques in Genesis for beings of higher realms of power such as gods, Auras.

An Aura is the representation of one's soul and also it becomes stronger based on Soul Stats, a new feature brought by the System in Genesis. Also, the rank of the soul represents how many Skill Points can someone get through leveling up, the higher the Rank, the more points are gained per level.

With the ability to use Auras, livings beings are capable of using their Souls as weapons, mold them with even more ease, make them physical, cast spells with them, enhance one's physical body, or magic power with it, and so on.

Beings of a Soul Rank of 9 are usually Demi-Gods or above, and they have managed to reach something named Divine Soul.

A Soul can keep growing stronger aside from the Ranks through Soul Mutation, a special ability of the Souls in Genesis and similar worlds where a Soul will undergo an automatic mutation on its components after the user had grown strong enough, usually happening when they obtain a powerful Attribute or evolve Skills related to the Soul.

The strongest souls are those of Supreme Gods, whose souls are said to be so vast that they could easily cover the entire world of Genesis. Their abilities and powers using their Auras are incredibly strong as well. And it is said that the World's Will entire existence is a powerful Soul made entirely out of Divine Energy.

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