Chapter 487: I am fire
"Do you really want me to be the one to give you a name?" Vlad asked. Although intangible, his eyes held a solemn sharpness. He recognized this wasn’t just a name; it would be the first genuine choice the newborn Depravita made, a choice that would shape its future identity.
"My soul was born thanks to yours," the new being replied, voice calm yet firm. "That makes you my progenitor. And in most civilizations, it is the progenitor who chooses the name."
A subtle hush spread in the dimension as Vlad studied the entity’s "expression." He could sense no hesitation in its words. Only a sober resolution was evident. Slowly, a small smile crossed Vlad’s lips.
"All right, then. Believe it or not, you’re in luck. Everyone always told me I’m really good at coming up with names," Vlad said with a hint of wry amusement. In that instant, he felt an odd itch where his nose should have been, a reflex that made no sense given he no longer possessed a physical form. He suppressed the bizarre moment of near-laughter and focused on the task at hand.
"First," he continued, "I want to know: how do you envision your body?" To craft a fitting name, he needed to understand the shape or essence this new Depravita wished to assume. "If I’m to create a name that suits you, I must understand what you see yourself becoming."
The Depravita paused in contemplative silence as though sifting through the raw impulses and knowledge gleaned from merging Leviathan remnants with Vlad’s own spirit. Eventually, it offered an answer.
"I see myself as fire. A force capable of consuming everything and using it for fuel." Its words brimmed with somber resolve, but moments later, a kind of fervor overtook its tone.
"A force that can raze entire forests, yet also give birth to even greater wonders. A power of destruction leading to new creation. A being that soars to the highest heaven and splits the sky in two!"
Vlad’s grin widened in response. He heard in those words the essence of a true Depravita: a creature many might dismiss as pure destruction but one that could be more nuanced, even a potential harbinger of renewal.
"Excellent," he said, his voice warm with approval. "I’ve got all I need. While I think of a name, you should start constructing your body. This obelisk shape isn’t exactly ideal for us, Depravitas. We must travel the world, face wonders, and refine our minds and wills to advance in our path."