I Got A Title: Lord Of The Time!-Chapter 59: Using Low Soul Shard

Sitting by the campfire, Lin was roasting a rabbit alongside Aran, and the two were discussing the day’s fight:

"Ha-ha-ha! That was really interesting. I never thought there was someone my age in this world who’s also skilled in martial arts... Lin, you’re a very interesting person, you know that? For someone like you to have close ties with Silia, to know swordsmanship and martial arts that well — it’s unnatural. If you don’t come from a big family, then you’re either a mistake... or have an interesting past," Aran smiled faintly and looked at Lin with great curiosity, waiting for his reply.

Lin nodded and slightly raised his head with pride, replying:

"I’m aware of all that, no need to praise me so highly."

Aran’s smile froze. He slowly closed and reopened his eyes, changing his gaze. He nodded at Lin and snapped his fingers in his direction.

"Looks like we’ve gone back to the beginning... As you say, "Mister who dislikes cannibalism for some reason."

Lin frowned.

"Didn’t expect "Annoying martial arts maniac cannibal" to have a voice in the matter."

Aran laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, cannibal... Cannibal... What made you think I’m a cannibal in the first place? Just because Kaely disappeared and you saw a drop of blood near my lips? That makes me a cannibal? How interesting..."

"Then be careful, or I might just "eat you" too... Ha-ha-ha!" he laughed loudly.

Lin snorted and looked at the purple crystal in his hand — the Low Soul Shard he had earned by winning the duel against Aran. He hadn’t used it yet, needing to decide how best to spend it.

"A Low Soul Shard has many uses: with it, I can reduce my Distortion. I can also use it to increase my rank, though that would require nineteen more... There’s also the option of skill enhancement..."

"When I checked how much it would cost to level up a skill to level two, the Title System said five Low Soul Shards... That seems a lot more promising than saving up twenty."

Lin sat thinking about how to spend his only Low Soul Shard, when he heard Aran’s voice:

"Not sure what to spend the Low Soul Shard on?"

Lin looked at him and asked:

"Planning to give some advice?"

Aran laughed and nodded.

"Of course, of course. Though it may seem strange for you — getting advice from the great heir of house Mort, who has more Soul Shards than drops in the sea, on how to use a single Low Soul Shard. But alright, I’ll tell you."

Lin sharpened his ears and began listening to Aran.

Aran raised one finger and began:

"First: you need to assess your situation and what’s most important to you at the moment."

"Again. Right now, we’re in an unusual situation, stuck in an unknown part of the Dead Lands. What does that mean? Exactly — that there may be Distorted creatures around us, and we need to grow stronger to avoid dying somewhere out here."

"If you look at it this way, then yes. It would be better for you to use the Low Soul Shard on a skill."

Aran smiled and raised a second finger, continuing:

"Second: the necessity of rank advancement and whether or not you need it."

"If you’re not in a dangerous place or situation where strength matters, then you should use the Low Soul Shard to raise your rank, even if it takes nineteen or fewer more."

"In any case, that decision must be made by the Awakened themselves — everyone’s situation and skills are different..."

Aran smiled slightly and asked:

"But, if you’re willing to share more info about your Title and skill, I think I could really help you..."

Lin smiled.

"That’s genuinely helpful info. I’ve already decided how I’ll use the Low Soul Shard."

"Oh? And what’s your choice?"

"That’s not something you need to know," Lin smiled and wished to use the Low Soul Shard for skill enhancement.

Yes, he had decided to use his only Low Soul Shard to upgrade his skill: "Slow Motion Perception" — he chose this because upgrading a skill cost far less than a rank-up. Besides, using twenty Low Soul Shards didn’t even guarantee rank advancement — one still had to awaken the Echo of the Title, and that wasn’t something quick.

But five Low Soul Shards seemed much more promising, and he could feel the change in himself much sooner.

Wishing to use the Low Soul Shard, Lin brought the crystal to his forehead and slowly closed his eyes, focusing and waiting.

The crystal began to glow with a violet light, growing brighter and brighter like a lantern within a lighthouse, until it slowly dimmed and began to shrink.

Aran watched with a smile, feeling a powerful urge to kill Lin while he was in this "vulnerable" state. But then he heard Lin’s voice:

"I know perfectly well you want to kill me, but I’d suggest you don’t. The next fight won’t be anything like the last one..."

Aran smiled awkwardly and replied:

"Lin, do you really think I’m that kind of guy?"

Lin looked into Aran’s eyes, and Aran just grinned foolishly.

Soon, the crystal completely disappeared, and Lin absorbed all its power. A window appeared before him:

[1/5]

"One down, four to go..." Lin smiled slightly and felt that his journey was only beginning.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Aran clapped his hands and celebrated for Lin:

"As I understand, you haven’t reached level two yet — good."

Lin rolled his eyes and slowly stood up, heading into the deeper part of the forest to sleep.

"Watching people grow is such a joy," Aran smiled.

...

The next day, Aran and Lin resumed their journey.

The scenery remained ordinary; there were no changes in nature that could inspire awe. But there was no need — neither of them was traveling for the sights or relaxation, but to get back as soon as possible and not die somewhere along the way.

As Aran and Lin walked through the dense forest, they didn’t encounter a single Distorted creature, which was rare for the Dead Lands.

"Strange that no Distorted creatures are attacking us," Aran looked around and saw no one within a hundred meters.

"We’re just lucky," Lin replied simply.

After walking another few hundred meters, Lin and Aran spotted several corpses of various Distorted creatures. They had been completely killed and sliced to pieces — clear signs that the one who killed them was a swordsman.

"Corpses... Someone was definitely here," Lin frowned.

Aran knelt and examined the corpses, quickly realizing who had killed them so brutally. He smiled faintly and ran ahead, not waiting for Lin.

"You know who did this?"

Aran nodded and said:

"Yeah. It was our king."

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