I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 488: Lantern of the Soul Warden

"Loryn," Jack stated. "Open the portal to Floor Twenty-Five. Castle courtyard, near the forges we’ve already established there."

Loryn’s purple eyes gleamed as he reached into space itself, his clawed hands gripping reality’s fabric and tearing it open.

The portal materialized, a shimmering gateway thirty feet wide, showing part of the volcanic landscape of Floor Twenty-Five’s Soul Warden domain on the other side.

Jack commanded, gesturing at the assembled demons. "Form lines. Anyone who dawdles gets left behind."

The Iron Soot Clan moved with military precision, forming three parallel lines that flowed through the portal in steady streams.

Families stayed together, craftsmen helped each other with heavy equipment, and the elderly were supported by younger members.

The Clan Master remained until the end, ensuring every member of his clan had crossed before he stepped through himself.

His somber red eyes met Jack’s golden gaze one final time, conveying a mixture of gratitude and apprehension regarding future prospects.

Then he was through, and the courtyard was empty except for Jack’s party.

Jack stood there for a moment, his golden eyes scanning the abandoned castle one final time.

Then he turned toward where Loryn still held the portal open.

"Close it once we’re through," Jack said, already moving toward the gateway. "This floor’s about to get sealed."

His party followed, Brutus, carrying Rhys, the dragons flanking them, Father Caelen in contemplative silence, and Loryn dragging Marcus Thorne by the collar.

They emerged onto Floor Twenty-Five into organized chaos.

The Iron Soot Clan was already dispersing across the landscape, following directions from demons Jack had left in charge of his domain.

Forges were designated, living quarters assigned, and the logistics of integrating 300 new residents were handled with the utmost care.

The Clan Master stood near the portal’s exit point, his massive frame dwarfing the demons around him as he coordinated the settlement. When he saw Jack emerge, he immediately approached.

"Soul Warden," the Clan Master said, bowing his head in deference. "Everyone’s through. We’ll have the forges operational within..."

"Good," Jack interrupted. "Loryn will provide you with specifications for the project I mentioned. You’ll begin work immediately once your primary forges are established."

The Clan Master nodded, clearly wanting to ask questions but smart enough to recognize when silence was wiser. "Of course. Whatever you require."

Jack dismissed him with a wave of his hand, his attention already shifting to the space around them.

Reality tore open without warning.

Death stepped through the rip in space with his characteristic theatrical flair, armor of nightmare-forged metal gleaming in Floor Twenty-Five’s ambient light.

His skull helmet rotated to observe the Iron Soot Clan with a degree of amusement as they settled.

"Well, well," Death declared, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "You convinced an entire clan to relocate peacefully. I’m impressed! Usually, Soul Wardens bind everyone and call it a day. But you..."

He gestured at the demons establishing forges. "You went for the diplomatic approach! Sort of! If you ignore the part where you ripped someone in half!"

Jack didn’t show any emotion. "You’re here to seal Floor Ten."

"Right to business!" Death replied, spreading his gauntleted hands wide. "No pleasantries! Just straight to the transaction! I respect that!"

He produced a scroll that materialized from absolute nothing, unfurling it with a flourish. "Floor Ten. Previously occupied by the Iron Soot Clan, now vacant and ready for official sealing. Cost is two hundred fifty thousand Death Tokens. Standard rate for a Tier Ten floor with minimal special features."

The system interface appeared before Jack:

[Floor 10: Iron Forge - Seal Available]

[Cost: 250,000 Death Tokens]

[YES] or [NO]

Jack selected yes without hesitation.

[Purchase confirmed: 250,000 Death Tokens spent]

[Current Death Tokens: 38,692,250]

[Floor 10: SEALED]

"Excellent!" Death announced, the scroll vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Floor Ten is officially yours! Add it to the collection! You’re building quite the real estate portfolio!"

Jack’s golden eyes fixed on Death’s burning sockets. "You said you’d tell me something important. How do I repair the Soul Warden items?"

"Did I?" Death tilted his skull helmet, clearly enjoying the theatrical pause. "Oh, right! I did! Well then, let me share some FASCINATING information about your fractured artifacts!"

He gestured dramatically, as if revealing a great secret. "The mask and chain you carry? Both damaged, both operating at maybe thirty percent efficiency? They can only be repaired by finding the final piece of the Soul Warden set. The piece Malakai hid away because he knew future Soul Wardens would need proper motivation to grow strong enough to claim it!"

Jack’s jaw tightened slightly. "What piece?"

"The Lantern of the Soul Warden," Death responded, his demeanor transitioning to a more somber tone beneath the theatrical presentation.

"Contained within the Yellow Soul Key. The most important piece of the entire set. The foundation that makes everything else function at full capacity."

He leaned closer, skull helmet filling Jack’s vision. "And Malakai, clever dead man that he was, locked it away in the Soul Realm. The only place in existence where past Soul Wardens can interact with present ones. Where knowledge flows between those who held the throne across centuries."

Jack processed this information, his mind already connecting it to what he’d learned from Emberion. "The Soul Realm. The place where the keys are accessed."

"Exactly!" Death declared, pulling back. "You’re catching on! The Yellow Soul Key specifically opens the path to where Malakai stored the Lantern. But here’s the fun part. You can’t just use the key. Oh no! That would be too easy!"

His voice took on that theatrical quality again.

"You need a Dark Prism Crystal from an Umbral Lotus inside your body for astral projection to work. The crystal acts as an anchor and a catalyst, letting your consciousness separate from your flesh while maintaining the connection that prevents you from getting lost in the spiritual realm forever!"

Jack’s expression didn’t change, but internally his mind was working through the implications. The Umbral Lotus. The Moonveil Serpent’s blood. The Blood Moon. All of it was necessary to access the Soul Realm and claim the Lantern.

"Where is the Moonveil Serpent?" Jack asked.

Death’s laugh boomed across the courtyard. "Now THAT is the million-dollar question! The Moonveil Serpent isn’t in Tartarus Spire! Never has been! It exists in the outside world, somewhere in the vast expanse of reality beyond these walls!"

He gestured broadly. "Which means when you eventually leave the tower, you’ll need to hunt down a creature whose location even I don’t have mapped!"

"Thank you," Jack said, his tone carrying genuine appreciation despite the clinical delivery. "The information is useful."

"You’re WELCOME!" Death replied, already beginning to fade as reality pulled him back to wherever he managed mortality.

"Keep up the good work! Seal more floors! Bind more creatures! Make my paperwork interesting! And try not to eat too many demon hearts. That’s a habit that gets weird fast!"

His voice carried even as his form became translucent. "Oh, and one more thing! When you DO access the Soul Realm? Say hello to Malakai for me! Tell him Death misses our chess games! He’ll know what that means!"

Jack stood in the courtyard of Floor Twenty-Five, surrounded by the settling Iron Soot Clan, his golden eyes distant as he processed everything he’d learned.

He had already planned to go to the Soul Realm as soon as possible, but the news that the last piece was the key to everything and was locked away in the yellow Soul Key made his journey there even more important.