{"id":3522,"date":"2017-12-16T11:49:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-16T11:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/?p=3522"},"modified":"2023-02-20T06:10:44","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T11:10:44","slug":"basilisks-creed-chapter-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/basilisks-creed-chapter-ten\/","title":{"rendered":"The Basilisk’s Creed: Chapter Ten"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u201cSoul Shark\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two hours earlier\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tedious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monotonous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boring as fuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Somehow, all three have become the sum of my existence; the very definition of my life<\/em>\u2014if you can even call it that.<\/span><\/p>\n

I wade through countless files and backed up inventory, resisting the urge to gouge my eyes out as I try to finish up seemingly unending paperwork \u548c <\/em>listen to the tell-tale venting of a buddy who\u2019s currently suffering from a case of soul-overload:<\/span><\/p>\n

A Reaper\u2019s worst nightmare.<\/span><\/p>\n

The long hours\u2014actually, more like the long weeks<\/em>\u2014and crappy working conditions, not to mention the constant mandatory travelling, almost don\u2019t seem to be worth the pay off when you\u2019re responsible for thousands or even tens of thousands of souls at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u6211<\/em> would know.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve dealt with soul-overload three times in my existence, and every single, excruciating one I had to handle by myself, without any help whatsoever.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno \u5982\u4f55 <\/em>you did it, Matt,\u201d Ozar mutters, pacing back and forth like a restless cricket. \u201cThis shit is off the wall!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I feel the poor bastard\u2019s pain, thinking back to my own times as a standard Golden Reaper. I almost physically recoil at the unpleasant memories.<\/span><\/p>\n

They obviously aren\u2019t distant enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

I certainly don\u2019t miss those days, and I\u2019m beyond ecstatic that I\u2019ll never have to experience anything as shitty as that ever again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how I did it either, dude,\u201d I admit, extending my empathy and trying to offer him some type of assurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

I look through some more of the documentation he\u2019d given me, my brows furrowing as I continue to flip through the pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGeez, Oz, you have to get all this done by Sunday<\/em>?\u201d I sigh. \u201cThat\u2019s only two <\/em>fucking days away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He nods somberly. \u201cYup.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With a deep sigh of his own, he places his hands on top of his head as if he\u2019s under arrest. \u201cI don\u2019t even know how the fuck I got caught up in this shit storm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I scan over his Reaper Prospectus as I try to reassure him despite how bad I know this really is. \u201cIt\u2019s not exactly something anyone sees coming, Ozar,\u201d I say. \u201cHell, with everything I know now, I\u2019d still <\/em>be caught with my pants down if I ever found myself in that crummy situation again. Doesn\u2019t matter how many times you\u2019ve done it before. It never gets easier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just the truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

It honestly never does.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soul-overload is an excruciating experience at best, taxing in every way imaginable and then <\/em>some.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only upside presents itself if you manage to single-handedly pull one off successfully, each case guaranteeing a host of rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Major <\/em>rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, only two <\/em>Reapers have ever been able to accomplish that task. I happen to be one of them, and the only one who\u2019s done it more than once.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of my \u2018victories\u2019 have subsequently gotten me to my current position as the Golden First in Command. They also unwittingly landed me the nickname \u201cDrago the Soul Shark\u201d, a reflection of my veteran status in soul-harvesting. Drago is my middle name. I still have no clue where they got the \u2018Shark\u2019 part from, though. All my teeth are symmetrically aligned as far as my dentist is concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in spite of all the promotions and privileges my soul-overload cases have afforded me, I\u2019d opt out without hesitation if I were asked to do it all over again. I\u2019d probably give up an arm before agreeing to switch places with Ozar, as would any other Reaper. Hell, he\u2019d <\/em>probably give both legs away to get out of the predicament.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why he came to me twenty minutes ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

To ask for my help.<\/span><\/p>\n

If it were anyone else, I\u2019d probably tell them to get in line. However, and as much as I know <\/em>I\u2019ll hate my guts for it later, I simply can\u2019t let him deal with it on his own in good conscience, not only because he\u2019s a good soldier, but because he\u2019s my friend; one of the few I have left.<\/span><\/p>\n

So in the minutes that follow, I officially agree to take full responsibility for a quarter of his workload and delegate another quarter to two of my best resident Reapers, Porr and Kesser. Fortunately, I have the authority to make such a reassignment; one of my many privileges as First in Command.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ozar all but physically kisses my ass in gratitude for literally halving his burden before he leaves, a lot more motivated to finish the remainder of his daunting task.<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as he\u2019s out of sight, I lock the door to my office and get back to the slush pile of paperwork on my desk, deciding not to take any breaks until I get all of it done and out of the way so I can get started on Ozar\u2019s stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll probably end up sleeping here tonight again, after all,<\/em> I think to myself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not that I mind it.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a workaholic.<\/span><\/p>\n

At least, that\u2019s what everyone says.<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t necessarily disagree but it\u2019s not like I can help it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being busy is expected with my position. Keeping the multiverse in check isn\u2019t exactly your regular nine-to-five. I don\u2019t just get to go home for the holidays or weekend, and I do my best not to take any time off unless I absolutely have to. Doing that just piles more work on that I\u2019ll have to end up doing anyway. It\u2019s inefficient and only makes things harder and more overwhelming in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, my family and non-soldier friends don\u2019t seem\u2014or \u60f3<\/em>\u2014to understand that, constantly complaining that they never see me enough and that I work way too much.<\/span><\/p>\n

My mother in particular won\u2019t stop claiming that \u90a3\u662f <\/em>the reason I\u2019m still single.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well\u2026that \u548c <\/em>my inability to commit to anyone ever since my ex left me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think about her\u2026 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I shove the unwelcomed thought from my mind and force myself to focus on the tasks ahead, eventually falling into my typical \u201cworkaholic trance\u201d and losing track of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

At some point, however, I notice this\u2026scent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or, more accurately, I\u2019m distracted <\/em>by it.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s odd and distinct and\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know.<\/span><\/p>\n

Different<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not even sure there\u2019s anything I can compare it to.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right at that moment, I realize something isn\u2019t right; even before an unfamiliar voice echoes from above, catching my full attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

What the hell\u2026?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I hear it again through my office ceiling; a makeshift barrier and false floor separating the main assembly hall from the rest of the underground asylum.<\/span><\/p>\n

The words sound clearer now, as if its bearer is getting closer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello? Is anyone here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I frown, unable to place the raspy voice. I don\u2019t recognize it at all, and that\u2019s more than enough confirmation that something is definitely off.<\/span><\/p>\n

I can always tell whenever anyone comes into the Arkadi, even without seeing them, as I\u2019ve memorized the energies of any and everyone who\u2019s allowed in and has access to it: Golden Reapers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Period.<\/span><\/p>\n

No one else can phase into this facility.<\/span><\/p>\n

No one else has the ability<\/em> \u81f3\u3002<\/span><\/p>\n

And this stranger is definitely \u4e0d\u662f <\/em>one of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

I emerge from under the secret floor, swiftly and stealthily moving in the direction of the voice, trying to pinpoint its origin.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not long before my eyes land on its source, confirming that there \u662f<\/em>, in fact, an intruder:<\/span><\/p>\n

A girl.<\/span><\/p>\n

A human <\/em>girl.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cSoul Shark\u201d     Two hours earlier\u2026   Tedious. Monotonous. Boring as fuck. Somehow, all three have become the sum of my existence; the very definition of my life\u2014if you can even call it that. I wade through countless files and backed up inventory, resisting the urge to gouge my eyes out as I try to finish up seemingly unending paperwork and listen to the tell-tale venting of a buddy who\u2019s currently suffering from a case of soul-overload: A Reaper\u2019s worst nightmare. The long hours\u2014actually, more like the long… \u9605\u8bfb\u66f4\u591a<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"series":[101],"class_list":["post-3522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ongoing","series-the-basilisks-creed"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/TBC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg","blog_images":{"medium":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/TBC-Wattpad-Header-300x100.jpg","large":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/TBC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg"},"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3522"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=3522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}