Ed inspected Herewaruk's body and it seemed to be in clean condition. The time flow of stored items might be slowed or not existent all together, Ed would need to test that, however.
Having taken it out, Ed returned into the system space. He was still in the storeroom. He swept his gaze all around the room scanning the many consciousnesses that awaited him in there.
He had never finished moving the consciousnesses collected through his passive soul calling. After the inclusion of the spirit room, the souls were automatically stored there but Vorgarag's and many others were still floating around the storeroom.
[Vorgarag's piece of consciousness]
'There it is…!' Ed thought with a mix of emotion and shock. He felt as if they would soon be united which was touching but for some reason, Vorgarag's mind was also listed as a piece of consciousness. Most of the other orcs were mere wisps, however.
Ed didn't think Vorgarag was dumb but he also didn't expect him to harbor so much natural potential. He was the first dungeon mob he had seen with such strong mental faculties.
'Let's get you out of here' This only made Ed feel more yearning, Vorgarag was not a mere wish but a necessity. The lives of the enemy orcs were not only being sacrificed for his selfish ideals.
Ed stopped idling and instructed the system to let the consciousnesses loose into the hallway. There he had to audit each consciousness as they entered the spirit room.
'I already have Vorgarag but who knows if there are any other surprising orcs' If the orcs already started as a piece of consciousness they were valuable. Ed was also keeping an eye out for Durgash, the tribal leader had left a deep impression on him though their meetings were few and brief.
'My eardrums remember him particularly well' The plus side of a new body would be that Durgash would be able to speak at a normal level!
But… not every consciousness lost in that battle had made it into Ed's mind, and Durgash's was seemingly part of that group…
'The system space might not be able to recall too many at once…' There was also the possibility that the system deliberately let some escape as to not alert the dungeon. It would make lots of sense since Ed found it to be near impossible for the matter to had been concealed for so long otherwise.
Though disappointed, Ed quickly left the system space and awakened from his short dream. Herewaruk's body was still there waiting for him, lying lifelessly on the cold dark prison floor.
Ed wondered if it might be a better idea to provide Vorgarg with a more welcoming scenery.
'Let's do that' He definitely couldn't picture doing so inside of the prison where some of the captives that had witnessed his experiments still remained. There was nothing to brag about in the methods he used to make sure it was safe for Vorgarag to return.
'Some lives are just worth more than others' Everyone was born equal, that was a fact. Each person's intrinsic value was the same. In the grand scheme of things, everyone is equally worthless. A speck of dust in an unimaginably large world.
Those were all true, at least until people assigned themselves and others value. People value their friends, they value their family. They value their pets, they value celebrities. But… they are not worth anything, only as much value as one was willing to give them.
Ed left the cold dark prison carrying Herewaruk's body. Some of the sanctuary orcs shot him curious stares but no one dared to ask. They could care less for the foreign tribesmen, Ed had the right to do whatever he pleased with them. In the first place, were it not for Ed they would have been long since killed.
Thus Ed was able to climb the settlement wall and leave for the woods with a body in tow while receiving nothing but cursory glances. No one thought he might harbor nefarious motives.
Ed didn't wander too far from the wall though, what he was going to perform wasn't of utmost secrecy. He only wanted nice scenery. The unkempt grass blown by the soft wind and the woods in the background was ideal for this.
He carefully placed down the body on the soft grass and though feeling a sense of incongruency, Ed didn't choose to go for a younger target.
'Maybe in the future' Once he revived Vorgarag he would also be able to make his own decisions.
Ed crouched down and placed his palm on the top of Herewaruk's head, soon the time he would call him Vorgarag would come. Ed let out a small breath and then activated the sub-skill.
The spirit insertion that he had been dreaming of, the one-loss he suffered that truly pained him. The one that taught him a lesson.
'Ill conquer this dungeon but I need your help' The consciousness had already gone into Herewaruk's body. For Ed, it was only a time to wait. He backed off and watched silently, he listened to the blowing wind and observed the body's peaceful expression. He felt something.
'This isn't wrong' There was nothing wrong! Was there serenity in death? He wasn't certain. No, in fact, he couldn't say there was. Only while living could one know if it was their time to rest.
Herewaruk's body twitched. Ed grew unknowingly tense, he gulped nervously while the body continued to show signs of movements. Then finally… the eyes opened. They shot open!
Herewaruk, no, Vorgarag, laid up with widened eyes. Those same widened eyes scanned the immediate vicinity. He saw the green grass and the dark woods, he also saw the only visible figure.
"Ed…" Vorgarag mumbled. Ed held back a wide smile and simply remained silent. The two of them simply watched one another for a brief couple of seconds.
"You are not going to ask why you are still alive?" Ed said curiously breaking the stalemate.
"I already answered that" Vorgarag responded finding it curious. He could only say that Ed was a box full of surprises as he examined the body he found himself in.
Herewaruk was still wearing the tattered old robes that he may or may not have inherited from an important figure. He still carried the same tired muscles from the battle with Ed and his brain carried the same alertness it had before being stuffed into the storeroom.
"This isn't my body" Vorgarag then said with a frown as he tried to slowly stand up. He felt queasy about the implications, he darted Ed a glance.
"How long has it been?" Vorgarag then proceeded to ask leaving Ed somewhat at a loss for words. He had let dictate the conversation's entire flow. The smile that previously threatened to sneak in had been cruelly subdued by reality.
Vorgarag didn't show excitement, nor did he react with incredulity. His nonchalance almost intimidated Ed.
"I'm not sure, a week?" Ed nevertheless seriously answered the question. There was no way for him to know since there weren't any calendars. The crypt also didn't have any sun and since he didn't always use assimilation right away it made for an inaccurate metric.
"I see. What happened in my absence?" Vorgarag found it to be hard to swallow that Ed could revive the dead in a mere week.
"Many things but... you don't have any other questions?" Ed asked doubtfully.
"Do you want me to ask how?" Vorgarag shot back while massaging his temple. His brain's alert state was finally calming down and Vorgarag's transition was being slowly more set in stone.
"Well… I- I suppose" Ed's first impression of Vorgarag was a funny guy. He acted in an amicable way, in a way that aroused interest. As they got to know each other more Ed then realized that he wasn't always smiling or messing around. He was a reliable leader and passionate to boot.
Looking back, Vorgarag also showed great self-control. There were many instances where he showed jealousy or where he seemed on edge yet… he never lashed out. He always prioritized his responsibilities, and each time their differences were settled with a conversation.
At some point, Vorgarag finally accepted Ed. Though it was a rocky road, they had both bonded over the experience. They grew to be more than just friends, they were… best friends.
"Sigh… Ed you are one stupid bastard" Vorgarag said with a tired sigh. Was it possible that Ed actually never learned?
Ed on the other hand stayed silent. He wasn't sure what to say about the sudden insult.
"I don't care" Vorgarag simply declared. Why was he able to put aside his suspicion and wariness towards Ed? Why was he able to look past the jealousy and rage? The secret frustrations that came with the expectations of others? That came with the expectations of those that relied on you?
He didn't. To be more precise, he learned not to care. To keep an open mind.
"You are related to God or something. Personally, I still don't like you for that but…! There is nothing I can do about it, is there?" Vorgarag said and shrugged with a rueful smile.
There wasn't. There were things that were beyond one's control, things that happened against one interests or beliefs, they were things that once you took a step back, once you to a deep breath and made a decision, they were things that wouldn't bother you.
"I- That's right... " Ed muttered letting go of his previous nervosity. He loosened his muscles and looked up at the clear blue sky.
What did it matter to die a second time? Though he would try his hardest to leave the weird situation he was placed in alive, he shouldn't mind the outcome.
'I've overworked myself' To the point that he didn't have time for any sort of relationship. Be that relationship intimate in nature or a casual friendship.
'I've only been looking at the usefulness of each person' Perhaps the worry of losing others had caused this but he only knew the orcs strong in combat or those with wit. He didn't know the name of any other.
Ed settled his hidden turmoil and looked at the Vorgarag in a body that wasn't his own.
"You know… I wanted to apologize to you but… Thank you" Ed's previous regret for failing to keep Vorgarag alive was replaced with gratitude.
"It's no problem" Vorgarag replied.
The two stayed there for a while, Ed had plenty of things to catch him up on.