My Soul card is a Reaper

A couple of seconds later, he got up. As Azzy followed the suit, the ancestor then spoke, "then, how about I help you out? But, you have to make a choice."

"Make a choice?" Azzy slightly furrowed his brows but then calmed himself and asked about it. "Please explain."

The founder of the death clan raised his two fingers and said, "One, I will impart you the knowledge of how to activate the defensive technique of the clan, which I developed it during my later years and instructed my successor that it can only be learned by the guardian of the clan. This will ensure the survival of the clan but doesn't necessarily ensure your enemy's defeat.

However, this also means that you will have to bear the burden of becoming the guardian of the clan, meaning you can never involve in the affairs of the clan even if it involves your own family.

Two, I will help you in merging with the cosmic jewel of earth and ensure your win, but that also means that you'll have to live rest of your life with two different personalities until you attain the qualifications to ascend to immortality, or should I say the God realm. Both personalities will not only split your Arcana spirits but also your soul energy.

You can avoid this by giving up the Sage core to the Earth Jewel so that your other personality will only use natural energy. However, you can never use the jewel of earth's powers in your current state as before. Fortunately for you, whatever your other personality does, you get to experience as your own.

So, what choice would you like to make? lifetime of solitude or lifetime of struggle with dual personalities?"

Azzy thought just for a single second and answered out loud, "there is no need to ponder on it. I made my choice. I'm ready for the merger."

The ancestor was pleased by his descendant's choice and gave a nod, "good. I will now initiate the process. Keep seated and close your eyes."

As Azzy sat back once again, the ancestor put his palms together and started reciting an incantation in ancient Orlon language.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, the stranger in his grim reaper form saw that his entire surroundings were frozen in time. He could see everything but couldn't move an inch.

His target was in his grasp. However, he couldn't use his strength at all to crush Azzy's throat anymore. It was as if he became completely paralyzed.

Scanning the surroundings, the stranger mumbled, "none of the deities have the power to freeze time, well, except for Lady Moira, the Goddess of Fate. Is her apostle here? Or is it the Znuvo, the time beast? Apart from a few people that were blessed with a little bit of divinity, I cannot sense any divine presence here.

Perhaps, I should contact Lord Thanatos for the answers… Hmm… No, that would be unnecessary. I can't trouble him with every little thing I encounter with. Let's stay vigilant for now and ask for the help if I would face someone from the God rea… Hmm?"

The stranger's attention was shifted from his surroundings to the adolescent boy in his hands, as the adamantine shield floated up on its own.

He was naturally alarmed by this turn of events.

However, before he could think of measures against it, the brown jewel embedded inside of the shield broke up on its own and flew into Azzy's forehead.

"What's happening?" The stranger wondered.

He got his answers very soon as a blinding flash of light enveloped Azzy while the time resumed once again.

"Hmm?"

The stranger still felt his hand on the throat of his enemy but it was different this time. He felt it was too hard for him to crush it with his bare skeletal hand. He applied more pressure but felt like nothing happened.

And when the blinding flash of light returned normal, he saw the forehead on Azzy's head disappeared, replaced by Azzy whose neck turned into pure white unknown metal and his eyes also lacked visible pupils. They are just filled with brilliant white radiance. Your next chapter is on m_vl_em_p_yr

The demigod was stupefied for a second, "this divinity… it is very pure. How is it just possible for one being to have pure divinity and also something very corrupted?" He felt like this target of his was giving him surprises over and over.

Azzy looked at him and spoke in a bit of distorted tone but he appeared quite pleasant to just look at, "Hello there, Mr. Apostle of the Death God. Let us formally introduce ourselves, since I don't want to kill an unnamed enemy. My name is Tellus."

The stranger didn't know why but suddenly, he couldn't hate this fellow. It was as if he was looking at his kin. However, that also increased his motivation to kill him as quickly as possible and take his soul back to the Abode of Death.

He couldn't help but ask, "who are you? Was it you behind the earlier act?"

Tellus replied, "I'm afraid not. That is work of my master's ancestor's remnant spirit. But anyways, you still haven't told me your name."

The stranger tried to strangled Tellus' neck even more but without any success and in end, a growl of frustration escaped from him, throwing him away, "I don't know who you are but either way you will die here and accompany me to my lord, who will torture your soul for eternity."

As Tellus gracefully landed on the ground, the stranger brandished the death scythe and flew toward him.

Tellus stood there like a statue, letting the stranger reach him and swung the scythe.

Tellus' hand then raised slightly and the same whitish unknown metallic block appeared between them. As the scythe's blade struck the unknown metal, it left behind sparks but the attack was nullified in the end.

Unlike when the barrier is made of the adamantine, the stranger, despite raising his strength to the peak stage of the demigod after transforming into a grim reaper, couldn't even push his enemy away.

As the stranger surprised, Tellus then said in a distorted tone once again, "it is useless, mister Apostle. This is Aetherium, the origin of all metals. It is indestructible against those weapons made by Hephaestus and his descendants. You have one last chance, mister Apostle. I don't like killing. Put away your pride and return to your home in peace.

It is not as if you have any personal enmity with my master."

The stranger raise the scythe above his head, "We have personal enmity, Tellus. Your master made a fool out of my lord. A mere mortal dares to insult the God of Death. The punishment is nothing but the death."

Tellus calmly put hands behind the back and commented, "humans make mistakes all the time and my master is just a youngster who is still in his adolescence. Someone who lived for a significant time should be magnificent enough to show them the right path. Instead, you come here with an intention of killing and torturing his soul for eternity.

Moreover, your greed to obtain my power hasn't gone unnoticed either. Your intentions aren't pure for someone who serves a deity."

"Your power?" The stranger suddenly felt like he realized who this new guy is. He also remembered earlier this guy also addressed Azzy as master two times and the fact that he could conjure up a metal stronger than adamantine.

Suddenly, everything made sense for him. He figured out that this is the consciousness of the Jewel of Earth which took over Azzy's body.

If Jewel of Earth didn't have any consciousness, it could be used as a weapon. But, if it has consciousness and free will, by the law of cosmic order, one cannot claim it and can only recruit its avatar as a subordinate.

But that doesn't mean a cosmic jewel's consciousness cannot be wiped off. Thanatos is the God of Death. He could do it. Or at least, that's what this stranger believed, cuz he saw how Thanatos wiped out the consciousness of lots of fragments when they didn't do a good job as the Apostles.

With a firm belief in his strength and in his lord's prowess, the stranger poured death energy into the scythe and swung it down, intending to eliminate everything before his eyes.

Tellus let out a sigh and pushed forth the hand, the block of Aetherium grew bigger and took the attack head on, nullifying it completely, "Why do these mortals won't forgo of the pride for the sake of peace.

Why do they keep rush for the death?" Tellus' words echoed all over the region this time, with a hint of sadness contained in those words and made everyone who heard them feel guilt for no reason.

Meanwhile, the stranger got enraged and raised the scythe above his head once again, shouting, "the Death Miasma."