Cultivational Rebirth

Attempt

"...Basement?" Nemeris looked around, checking if anyone was there. He couldn't tell if the voice was in his head or if someone was with him. The voice sounded so surreal. Nemeris looked out the window, it was dark. The stars were shimmering, standing out in the dark blue sky like splattered paint on a blank canvas.

Usually, scenes like this weren't noticeable. Nemeris always had a busy life that he passes out in the bed as soon as he gets home everyday. Sighing, he got up and looked around the house once more. Even though Nemeris lived here for many years, he never knew he had a basement.

He went to his kitchen and sighed in frustration. His chances of finding the basement was as low as his hope. Nemeris then opened the fridge, hoping for there to be at least something edible. The fridge was giving off a stench from the expired items sitting in the fridge. Bored and hopeless, Nemeris continued to open and close the fridge a few more times before hearing a click. As if something opened. Cautiously, Nemeris looked behind him, a chill running down his spine as the sound of silence filled the room.

"...Is that you, old friend?" Nemeris exited the kitchen with a gulp. He retraced his memories of where the click sound came from, then realized it came from his mother's bedroom. "The basement must be linked to my mother's bedroom...if it doesn't work, I'll have to try walking outside," Nemeris planned before walking towards his mother's bedroom.

He hid himself behind the wall, peaking as he held the door frame. It was empty. Carefully, Nemeris crept into his mother's bedroom. "Where must it be?" Nemeris muttered to himself. He ran his hand along the walls, trying to find if there's a secret entrance somewhere but none. Next, he tried looking through her stuff, but nothing as well.

Before all hope was lost, he almost stumbled over a dent in the floor. "...Is this it? What has my mother been hiding?" Nemeris crouched down, running his hand over the dent. He pushed it and an entrance flew open, leading towards the basement.

"Here goes nothing..," Nemeris took deep breaths before climbing down the mold-covered ladder. He was greeted with a dark room that had a flickering light as its only light source. "...And I thought mother paid the electricity bills, what's up with the flickering light!?" Nemeris blabbered.

"How can the bills be possibly paid when both you and your mother are dead?"

A chill went down Nemeris' spine as he froze at the voice. "...I know. It just slipped my mind. Who are you?" Nemeris glanced around but saw nothing except a flickering light. "Must you know? I'm here to help you and put you out of your forsaken misery."

"I'm gonna have trouble believing that if you don't show yourself," Nemeris ran himself against a wall with his back facing it. "Show myself? Why must I do such when I helped you find a secret room that may help you?"

"Help me? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do! It'll be easier if I had physical guidance," Nemeris crossed his arms. "Protecting you from what's to come is my only intention. How about this, you may be rewarded with seeing me once you find the source to reincarnate." 

"...Fair, how do I start?" Nemeris asked, looking around the room. Only silence filled the room as no reply was heard from the anonymous voice. Frustrated, Nemeris sighed and walked towards a desk. He opened it and found a flashlight and lighter. On top of the desk sat a slightly burnt candle. Carefully, he stuffed the flashlight into his pocket and grabbed the lighter to light the candle. He picked up the lit candle and started to make his way towards the flickering light.

"Be careful, the light attracts underground ghouls."

"You're telling me that now when I'm directly under the light!?" Nemeris scoffed, finding the anonymous' late warning idiotic. "I only have intentions to protect you, not guide you."

"...A warning can protect me, you know?" Nemeris tightened his grip on the candle holder, glancing around for the 'underground ghouls'. "No need to feel uneasy, I will protect you. I can only permanently protect you on one condition."

"Don't tell me I have to fend off 10 'underground ghouls' and run 85 laps around the basement?" Nemeris groaned. A chuckle was heard from the anonymous voice as it continued, "Of course not, I just need you to wear the Soul-Binding necklace."

"And I need to find it on my own and you won't help me like earlier? No thanks," Nemeris sighed, still glancing around for the 'underground ghouls'. "It will benefit me too. For someone as oblivious as you, it'll make existing easier for the both of us if I give it to you instantly."

"Then where is it?" Nemeris looked at the floor, then at the desk but nothing necklace-like was there. "I already put it on you, oblivious spirit."

Nemeris quickly looked down at his neck, looking at the sudden necklace around his neck. He raised his hand and gently caressed it, testing if it's actually there. The necklace was made with silver chains and had an eye with a yellow pupil as its charm.

"Don't call me that and actually help me," Nemeris spoke quickly as a low groan was heard in the distance. Nemeris looked towards the direction of the noise and saw a decapitated humanoid body that had a mouth on its chest. It had no legs and there were eyes on the back of each hand. The creature was crawling towards Nemeris.

"THAT'S an underground ghoul!?" Nemeris jolted, his eyes widened at the disturbing creature. "Yes, they are pretty weak to me. But alas, an oblivious spirit like you won't survive without powerful protection."

A sudden claw-like shadow swiped at the creature, cutting it into multiple pieces. The remains quickly faded into ashes as faint shrieks were heard. "Wait, don't I just need a corpse to reincarnate?" Nemeris looked around.

"No. That fape was lying. Your mother's corpse was gone because he ate it. You died because of him. He was the creature that killed you. Unfortunately, your left hand faded naturally because it was chopped off your corpse. You need a lost soul to trap and claim as your own to reincarnate. Lost souls are hard to find as a requirement to make a soul lost is for it to be pushed out of its host which only fapes and creature's stronger than spirits can do. The creatures then would eat the soul to get more power. Fortunately, I sense a lost soul somewhere in this basement of yours which is why I guided you here."

"...What's a fape? And what's a lost soul doing in my basement!?" Nemeris asked as if he was only paying attention to the first and last part of the voice's explanation. "You'll find out once you meet the lost soul."

"He doesn't need to meet the lost soul, 'Ashed Blade.'"