60. Do you remember how many souls you’ve eaten?
“Oh, it’s coming!”
“Watch out, they are spirits!”
The specters gathered like a cloud flew towards their prey. It was as if the whole cloud caught on the tip of the sword rose up and attacked the demon-like figure.
However, the opponent’s response was also not easy.
“Prepare for bombardment!”
As one of the members of the secret society, apparently the leader, calmly gave the order, several of those whose robes were pulled over her face, whose faces were indistinguishable, raised their hands.
The stigmata that bloomed all over their bodies shone in various colors. The moment the commander’s command was given, waves of all kinds of power came out and swept away the ghosts as they were.
Unlike its menacing momentum, the specter could not stand in front of the divine power. The ghosts honestly threw themselves into the wave of holy power without trying to escape, and many of them disappeared into nothingness.
“What is it, isn’t it fresher than I thought?”
I giggled inwardly when I heard one of the members of the secret society murmur indifferently. Yes, in the first place, each specter is not very strong.
Until I devour the holy relic of the evil god and become stronger, the physical power that the specter can project is only that of a child or a goblin. However, I have defeated countless formidable enemies with that feeble power.
“Come again!”
In order to dominate a large number of specters, my traits deliberately damage many parts of their souls. Ordinary people’s souls and great heroes’ souls are not much different after they are subordinated to me.
The important thing is quantity, not quality. What they annihilated was only a small part of the specter lurking within me.
“Stop it!”
“Damn it, the holy power…”
The stigmata of the priests were temporarily stopped, perhaps because they were frightened by the force of the specter, or because they unreasonably poured out their holy power. Those who stood in the front line had no choice but to face the specter of the second wave.
“Cut!”
“What is it, the sword doesn’t work?”
Those who rejoice after cutting down the ghost with a single blow, and those who cut the air in vain even though they swung their swords at the ghost. The reactions of those dealing with the specter were divided into two categories.
That’s because when a specter projects physical force, the specter is also affected by the physical force. The laws of the world are not so easy. Still, just by freely crossing the material world and the spiritual world.
“Keah!”
The specter was a being that ordinary people could not dare to deal with.
Now, with the strength comparable to that of an adult man, and the sum of several ghosts, the leather on the warrior’s face, which showed a crack, was ripped off. He hugged my face and screamed.
Blood runs down between the gaps in my hands. And through that gap, spiritized ghosts rush in. It longs for the warmth of the living, and follows the sound of their hearts to erode into the deepest depths of the body and spirit.
“No, my body is…!”
The tattoo on the back of his hand glows to see what kind of protection the warrior has, and the specter is thrown back. However, the shattering of that light came into my eyes.
Bounce one, bounce two, bounce three. However, the moment the four specters attacked at once, the warrior could not stand it any longer. The moment the engraved tattoo turns completely black.
“Warm, warm, warm.”
“Ah, this sense… How much.”
“I don’t want to go back to that darkness. I don’t want to go back!”
The warrior’s body stood still. Soon, the ‘what was a warrior’ started moving again. Staggering as if intoxicated, several voices roared out of one mouth at the same time.
The ghosts occupying various parts of the warrior’s body fight each other over the initiative. However, even though they were hostile to each other, the nature of the ghosts was not that different.
“Hey, are you okay?”
The moment one of his unwitting comrades approaches, the wills of the specters who just a moment ago were biting and fighting are united. The warrior threw away his sword and charged towards his comrade.
In an instant, the warrior and his comrades roll across the ground. As the warrior bites his neck with abnormally enhanced jaw strength, blood gushes out, and aura is sucked into the wound.
Wraiths roaming the surroundings seek opportunities and infiltrate the bodies of their comrades. Soon, with unfocused eyes and creaking gestures, the colleague stood up and raised his weapon with convulsive hands.
“Captain, that’s…!”
“Is this your first time seeing Possession? I mean stop everyone!”
The boss also lost his composure and started screaming. One possessed by a specter runs like a beast, while the other swings his sword madly in all directions and pounces on his comrades.
And, the moment the surroundings are distracted, those whose bodies have been eaten by the specter convulse and rise again. By then, the stigma of the priests had also returned to light.
“Quaaagh!”
[Quaaah!]
Those who handle the divine power of the source might be able to drive out the ghosts without harming the body, but it seemed impossible for those combat priests. Divine power swept over those who were once their allies.
The owner of the body and the ghost that ate the body screamed at the same time. When the specter that escaped over the charred body disappeared, the priest let out a sigh of relief.
But it’s been a long time since the whole forest has been infested with ghosts. The animals get scared and run away, and the weather in early summer becomes shiveringly cold. And, new specters dwell on the charred body.
[Yes, this is it.]
In all the mayhem, I haven’t been swung once. It just kept pulling out the ghosts quietly while holding it in Cream’s hand.
[You…]
[Uh-huh, no nagging.]
[No, it’s not like that.]
This feat of mine seemed to impress even the holy sword. Choco, hiding behind Cream’s back, was also glaring at me with his ears and tail stiffly erect.
[Then what is it?]
[It’s strange. We are Ego. A fragment of an imperfect soul that was once a human but is now trapped in an object.]
[No, why are you talking about something you already know?]
Cream was also looking at me, but now I couldn’t read the complex emotions in her eyes.
[How can only one mortal soul fragment control so many souls?]
[Again, if I had to argue, a specter is also a piece of the soul, right? It was damaged and deformed like that.]
[······That’s not wrong. Yes, because you also have the power to control spirits. It’s definitely a convincing explanation.]
However, the tone of the holy sword was not that of a person who understood it at all.
[Even if there were dozens or hundreds of those ghosts. Do you still have a lot left?]
[Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about?]
[······The ghost that sleeps inside you. Although you have produced so many souls, there is no disturbance in the momentum of your power.]
Well, the entire forest is now covered with ectoplasm because of so many specters spewing out, but the holy sword is right.
I don’t know how many souls sleep inside me. How could the sword remember how many people it’s killed? I just know that there are so many awesome things.
Sometimes that’s enough.
[There must be at least thousands of poor souls writhing in pain in your belly. But how do you…
[Hey, didn’t you decide not to give such an admonition?]
[How can you not be crazy?]
Responding to my emotions, the specters rampage. I wonder if he decided to curse now that he stopped admonishing me, I replied in a brusque tone.
[Hey, does that matter?]
[Yes?]
[Why is it important? I can, so I did. Or what, are you worried about a demonic sword like me by becoming a holy sword? This is embarrassing, so I don’t know what to do.]
In the first place, after being suddenly kidnapped into another world one day, I decided not to be rational in this world anymore. It’s not even a day or two that I’ve been embracing my soul.
Before meeting the hero, before meeting the holy sword, before being sealed in Vigo. For hundreds of years I have harbored countless colonies of souls. Of course, it wasn’t without a crisis in the middle of the day.
[Cleaning up, let’s go.]
I have won the battle of all spirits, and the specters are completely under my control.
There was no longer any survivors in the forest thickly covered with specter’s energy. All that remains are dead bodies that have lost their lives and become chilled, and ghosts fighting to covet even the slightest bit of warmth left.
From noble mtl dot com
Cream walked between them, still holding me up. There was no one who dared to invade the hero wearing God’s protection, and I leisurely exercised my strength.
[aaah.]
[It’s getting farther away… It seems…]
Following Cream’s steps, the wandering ghosts and materialized auras that made the entire forest cold were sucked into my sword body. The holy sword was silently looking at it.
The temperature in the forest was still cool, but the sun was shining again from the smoke-cleared sky. The aftermath of the large-scale spiritual phenomena will soon subside.
There’s no need to dig through the corpses anyway. The real treasure will be inside. We ignored the dead combatants and stepped inside, into the hideout they were guarding.
[Certainly, it seems to be a temporary base.]
And it wasn’t long before people came. Somewhat sloppy texture or things that roll around without stains on their hands. It must have been gathered after receiving some urgent news.
For example, the death of a carrier carrying important items. No, wait. So, why did a guy with such an important role carelessly attack the hero?
[······Ew, I don’t know.]
There were two signs of life at the base. Well, the remaining questions can be answered by him.
“Sniff sniff, master. It smells like people!”
“Yes. Here, hide, stay.”
Those who survived hid themselves in secret places, but their camouflage was poor in many ways. Cream and Choco, who have sensitive senses, found the survivor’s hiding place without difficulty.
That place is under the bed in a room that looks like a bedroom. Choco displayed his superpowers and tore off the metal bed as it was, and Cream fired a controlled electric current towards the exposed floor.
“Empty!”
As if he had no fighting ability, he was lightly suppressed. Cream and Choco got along with the two people hiding in the secret room. Hey, what about this guy?
[Hogu·······. No, he is the Viscount’s son.]
But seeing that he fainted, it would be difficult to get any information out of him. Well, no matter how hard it is, you can’t handle the water supply harshly.
But the other story is different. Cream slaps the guy who was expressionlessly chewing on the crab foam. How many times has his head swung around.
“Kreukreuk······. Ugh, what the hell is it?”
Finally, he opened his eyes. When the man of the secret society met Cream’s emotionless eyes, he gasped in amazement.
In the black universe, countless starlight shines through the eyes. It may be beautiful just by looking at the eyes, but when the momentum of a strong man like a hero is added, it strikes with unknown fear.
“What are you, what are you…?”
Even though he was slapped on the cheek, Cream didn’t trample on him or release any force, but the man was overly frightened. Look at me stuttering and not being able to get up properly.
“The effect should be off.”
[Oops.]
I was so excited, but the effect of the darkness unique to a demonic sword still emanating from my sword body. By the way, did Cream learn those words too? It’s a bit arrogant.
It was only after I completely absorbed the darkness flowing through the sword and even the remaining spirit energy in the air that the man finally made an expression of relief. Of course, he wasn’t at the stage where he was relieved yet.
“Everything, blow.”
“Yes?”
“Attack, reason, purpose, motive, everything.”
Cream’s ability to learn was definitely excellent, seeing as he followed my threats. Well, emotional cultivation is important for children… Eh, since when did I care about that?
Aside from her appearance of her cream, the air pressure she exuded was overbearing. Her weak-looking man trembled, then slowly opened his mouth.
“I wonder if I should tell you guys!”
And the man immediately tried to bite the thing in her mouth. Still, she’s a b*tch like a member of a secret society, right? However, all of those actions were being read by Cream in the first place.
She has now sharpened her senses so that her man can determine the truth of what she is saying. As much as I could understand it through the movement of her muscles and blood vessels, I was able to read her man’s behavior as well.
So Cream lifted her man’s chin and slapped it. As she continued to forcefully slap her man in the abdomen, her man bent her back like a shrimp and coughed with a gasp, and then she vomited something out of her.
“······· Huh? I don’t think it’s poisonous.”
Choco, who smelled her, tilted her head curiously. Although she was crumpled and mangled with drool, her man’s spit was familiar to us.
[Hey, I never thought of writing it that way.]
The leaves of the World Tree. It was perhaps even more lethal than dogma. If the man tore it with his teeth, he would immediately escape by moving through space, and instead of reaping our harvest, the information would be exposed.
However, Cream quelled his altercation with quick movements. His face darkened with despair, as if he had no other means.
“After that, I will tell you everything.”
[Short words?]
“I will tell you.”
Still, he had quite a bit of grit, but when I threatened to bring out a specter and make you look the same, the man couldn’t stand it any longer.
Although the existence of God has been proven, the existence of heaven has not been proven, but the desire of believers for salvation is very great. But if you get beaten by me, the ticket to salvation will be cut off.
You don’t have to be afraid of death, but after that you are afraid.
“This is the reason why we attacked Jajac Castle and Wizard’s Tower… We couldn’t help it either. Comrades were killed, and according to an insider’s source, they were even accused of being the devil’s pawns.”
“So, revenge?”
“I didn’t have that intention, but…. Even if you pretend to be a noble, there are things you must retrieve.”
After lying a few times and being caught by Cream, and having three of his fingers cut off, he’s completely compliant and has become a puppet that answers as we wish.
[Solium, right?]
“・・・・・・That’s right.”
The body of the World Tree is of course precious, but it continues to be produced from the World Tree. However, Solium is limited in quantity throughout the world. Of course, even a very small piece is valuable.
Well, it turns out I was sprinting! It was force majeure. I couldn’t help it either.
“Do you want to eat, just wash your mouth?”
“Yes?”
Damn, I didn’t mean to think of this! Ignoring the man who looked at us in a puzzled way, I escaped Cream’s silent pressure and squeezed out my words.
[Ha ha ha. No way. Instead, I’ll tell you where there are much more Solium later.]
“Really?”
It may be a little different from what I thought, but I didn’t lie. We passed the crisis lightly and looked back at the man with a shocked face.
“Do you know where the precious Solium is buried…?”
“I am a warrior.”
And Cream swung his sword lightly and struck the man’s neck.
I figured out the circumstances and also saved our water owner. It bothered me a little that a new organization like the Golden Cross appeared, but there was no reason to let him live.
Then shall we return soon? As Choco, like a faithful slave, roughly lifted up Alud, who was bewildered, she opened her mouth with a quiet voice.
[Hero.]