I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 475 475: 1% Increase

Twin earrings rested in Jack's palm, each one a masterpiece of dark craftsmanship that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.

The design started with small, glowing red gemstones.

Teardrops that pulsed with faint rhythmic light, set in dark oxidized metal that looked like gunmetal black or tarnished silver.

The main body of each earring featured a large rhombus-shaped red crystal, diamond-cut and encased in thin metallic filigree that gave it sharp, reinforced edges.

Hanging from the bottom of each crystal was a dagger-like metal point, elongated and tapered like a stiletto blade.

The earrings looked like something a high-ranking demon would wear.

The system notification appeared before Death could launch into what was probably going to be a lengthy explanation:

[Item Acquired: Crimson Sight]

[Rank: Unique]

[Earrings carved from twin teardrops of the Vampire Queen, polished ruby that hums with a faint, rhythmic pulse. They allow the wearer to see the fading light of the soul and the heat of the blood.]

[Effect: Highlights all living and undead entities within a 50-meter radius, even through solid objects or magical invisibility. Enemies below 30% HP are marked with a "Sanguine Cross," granting 15% increased Critical Strike chance.]

[3/5 Set Bonus: Crimson Aura]

[Effect: The wearer becomes a living vessel for the departed. Increase Maximum HP and Maximum Mana by 1% for every soul currently bound to the user. This effect has no upper limit.]

"So, these beauties are part of..." Death began, his tone suggesting he was about to launch into a detailed product demonstration.

"I know what they do," Jack interrupted, already moving to put the earrings on.

Death's skull-helmet somehow conveyed wounded dignity. "Well, EXCUSE ME for trying to provide customer service! Here I am, being a thoughtful deity, offering cosmic artifacts with helpful explanations, and you just SHUT ME DOWN like I'm some door-to-door salesman trying to sell you cursed vacuums!"

The deity crossed his arms. "You know what? FINE. Next time, I'll throw mystical artifacts at your head from a distance and vanish dramatically. BAM, mysterious jewelry, figure it out yourself! See if I care!"

Despite the theatrical offense, Death's tone carried underlying amusement that showed he wasn't actually bothered.

Jack ignored the commentary, focusing on the earrings. He'd never worn jewelry beyond Draven's Pendant, but these weren't decorative. They were tools. Weapons, in their own way.

He pierced his earlobes with the posts, the pain negligible compared to what he'd endured during the contract transformation.

The metal settled into place with a click that felt almost organic, as if the earrings were synchronizing with his transformed body at a fundamental level.

The effect was overwhelming.

Power flooded Jack's system, not the explosive transformation of contracting with Tharaxis, but a steady amplification that expanded his existing reserves exponentially.

He could feel his maximum health and mana increasing with every passing second, the Crimson Aura effect calculating every soul in his bound army and adding one percent per creature.

Three hundred sixty-four bound souls.

Three hundred sixty-four percent increase to his base HP and mana.

The sensation was like feeling his body's capacity suddenly quadruple, internal reservoirs that had been limited by mortal constraints expanding beyond what should have been possible for someone at his level.

The numbers stabilized, and Jack pulled up his status to confirm:

[HP: 55,680]

[Mana: 12,816]

Jack stared at those numbers, his enhanced mind processing the implications faster than normal consciousness could handle.

His health had more than quadrupled from where it had been before the earrings.

His mana had increased nearly fivefold.

The Crimson Sight earrings had transformed him from durable to nearly unkillable by normal standards.

"Pretty SPECTACULAR boost, yeah?" Death said, his theatrical energy returning now that Jack was clearly impressed by the numbers.

"That's what happens when you combine Soul Warden mechanics with Vampire Queen artifacts! It's like peanut butter and chocolate, except instead of a delicious snack, you get the ability to survive things that would atomize normal humans!"

The deity moved closer, gesturing at the earrings now adorning Jack's ears. "The more souls you bind, the more powerful you become. No upper limit, like the description helpfully explains. Bind a thousand creatures, get a thousand percent boost. It's BEAUTIFUL synergy! Elegant design! The kind of thing that makes cosmic engineers weep with joy!"

Death's tone became almost professorial. "The Vampire Queen. Nasty piece of work, by the way, very glad she's dead. She understood something fundamental about power. It's not about raw strength. It's about SCALING. Start small, grow exponentially, become something that breaks the normal rules."

He gestured at Jack. "And YOU, little Soul Warden, are following that exact path. Three hundred sixty-four souls now. But in a year? A thousand? Ten thousand? Each one makes you incrementally more powerful until you're walking around with health pools that rival ancient dragons!"

Jack looked up from his status, his golden eyes meeting Death's burning sockets. "This is part of a set. Three out of five pieces. Do you have the other two?"

Death's laugh was knowing, carrying the weight that he'd been waiting for this exact question. "Oooh, asking the important questions! I LIKE that! Shows initiative! Shows ambition! Shows you're not satisfied with just being 'pretty powerful' and want to shoot for 'cosmically terrifying!'"

He waved one gauntleted hand dismissively, his theatrical gestures making the motion seem almost dance-like. "But the answer is in due time, little Soul Warden. In due TIME."

Death's tone became more serious, though the theatrical edge never quite disappeared. "First, you need to repair the Soul Warden items you already have. The mask and the chain are both fractured. Damaged from centuries of neglect after the last user died, probably murdered horribly, definitely not using the items to their full potential when it happened."

The deity's skull-helmet tilted. "Fix those, prove you're invested in the position, show me you actually CARE about maintaining the cosmic artifacts in your possession, and THEN we'll talk about completing your collection with the remaining set pieces!"

Jack's jaw tightened, but he recognized that pushing further would be counterproductive. "How do I repair them?"

"Figure it out!" Death replied cheerfully, as if he'd just given the most helpful advice imaginable. "Part of being Soul Warden is learning how the magic works! I'm not going to hold your hand through every little detail like some cosmic tutorial NPC! You've got a brain! Use it! You've got access to the tower. Explore it! The answers are RIGHT THERE if you know where to look!"

The deity began to fade slightly, his form becoming translucent as if he were preparing to depart. "Though I WILL say, as a tiny hint because I'm feeling generous today. The answers are in the tower. Deep in the tower. In places where previous Soul Wardens operated. Where they stored knowledge. Where they kept secrets."

Death's voice carried weight now, the comedy dropping away to reveal something ancient and knowing beneath.

"The tower never forgets, Jack Kaiser. It remembers everyone who's held your position. Every Soul Warden who claimed the throne, who bound souls, who tried to build something lasting. Their knowledge didn't disappear when they died. It's still here. Waiting for someone smart enough to find it."

Then the levity returned. "But hey, no pressure! Take your time! I've got millennia! Though the Council is probably mobilizing assassins as we speak, so maybe DON'T take TOO much time! Just a thought!"

Jack filed that information away, his mind already cataloging the implications. Previous Soul Wardens had left knowledge in the tower. Places where they'd operated. Storage locations for secrets.

Another task to add to the growing list.

"Now then," Death continued, his form solidifying again as his theatrical energy reached new heights, "you've got Floor Four waiting! That young tempest mage has been VERY patient. Seriously, good kid, bit traumatized but who isn't these days, and I imagine he'd like confirmation that his work counted for something!"

The deity gestured dramatically, and reality tore open beside them in a slash of absolute darkness that quickly filled with blue light.

A portal, shimmering with energy that made Jack's transformed senses register power beyond normal spatial magic.

"After you!" Death declared with a flourish, as if he were a doorman at some cosmic hotel. "And try not to give the frost demon a heart attack when we arrive! He's very jumpy! Very 'attack first, ask questions never!' Reminds me of my early days managing mortality before I learned proper customer service techniques!"

Jack stepped through without hesitation, and Death followed, the portal collapsing behind them as they emerged into Floor Four's forest.

The transition was jarring. From the electric wasteland to the ancient woodland with its moss-covered trees and filtered sunlight.