Chapter 98: Oathbound

"Are the scripts in your fatemarks the same?"

"They are similar, but not the same, like a different set of it," June said. "They are not endless like this, but they grow larger and larger as time progresses."

"Does your fatemarks give you empathic abilities?" Wardon asked. After thinking for a moment, he added, "You don't have to answer me if it's a touchy subject."

"You know, we should make an oath to each other," June said, remembering. "Through coincidences, I already know about some of your secrets, that anyone would be willing to mention to others. Not to mention anything related to fatemarks is highly confidential to exchange." She added, "And no, my empathetic abilities are something of my path; I was born with them.

"Oaths, huh," Warden sighed. "Fine. Let's just not make it complicated, like only exchanging and keeping everything between ourselves. Among the few instincts I have, I seem to take oaths very seriously,

"As you should too," June said. "An oath is a weight on the soul. If you can't bear it, it will crush your soul. I just want to reassure you with all the confidence shown in me. Of course, on the occasion, you weren't aware those needed to be kept as a secret."

"Weird how I came to trust you so easily," Warden mused. "I guess I'm pretty good at judging character. I guess most of it comes from reading aura."

"You can see the aura in others?" June said hesitantly. "Of course, you can. Why am I even surprised now, with everything you mentioned today?"

"Why is it so unnatural?"

"It is more than you can believe. No low rankers could, and I barely manage with my eye ability," June said. "Even with that, I cannot judge character through their aura. Only their intention and emotions of relative present. Judging someone's character is near impossible. You probably just took a gamble on me."

"Maybe, maybe not," Warden replied. "I have not made a mistake once in judging someone's character."

"Is it still in effect when you are not wearing it?"

"I guess it is legendary rank for a reason," Warden said, chuckling. "My roommate called the cloak a soul relic. Do you know what that's about? Like, is it related because it is bound to my soul?"

As June knew of his condition, she explained it to him, not showing any bit of annoyance. Warden guessed her job as a professor made her resistant to that.

"Soul relics are something left behind when a transcendent ranker dies," June said, giving him a suspicious look. "It's naturally in the legendary rank and related to some of dead transcendent ranker's power. It is also seen as an inheritance of that fallen ranker's power, as whoever gets that sole relic could cultivate that power to reach the transcendent rank.

"At least that's what common rankers believe. The truth is that a soul relic makes it more difficult for one to become a transcendent ranker, as the prior transcendent rankers live on in the relic. However, to those that are close to reaching the rank, it is a gift of heaven."

Warden processed all the information into his memories and couldn't help but ask, "My cloak's description did not have any mention of a soul relic, though."

June shrugged, unable to offer any reply to that. "I have never inspected the description of a soul relic to have a say in this matter."

"Would you like to?" Warden asked.

"I would like to study them at some time," June said. "But I feel the system inspection won't give me any information with it being warded as you said."

Warden thought for a second and nodded.

"Also, it is better if you keep the knowledge of it being a soul relic or legendary-grade equipment to yourself. Don't even show their unique powers if you can," she said.