Episode 1089 Soul – 3
Flies are swarming in the alleys of Roberton, a city in the southern part of the Western Continent—the country of Barimtiel. Summer is the season of stench and decay for the slums.
Waaah… … buzz… … .
A girl sat with her belly skin pressed against her stomach, her bones clearly visible through her skin. Having not washed for a long time, she was a worthless orphan with neither the charm to be forcibly violated nor even a market value worth a pittance in the underworld.
It was a day when the street outside the alley was bustling with activity.
The girl was picking up and eating discarded food and insects when she was beaten by passing thugs for the sake of amusement.Her wounds became infected, and unable to find anything to eat, she quietly starved to death.
For some, death can be this light.
But… … I’m alive… … .
The girl was hungry and her body ached, but she was still breathing. It was strange. She had felt her breathing stop before her eyes closed.She had absolutely no strength in her body, yet strangely, she could move her arms and legs.
Could it be like a dream I’m having after death?
With her limbs hanging low, the girl gazed at the sunny street visible beyond the alley. To her, it was a world she dared not cross in broad daylight. The sunlight does not welcome an orphan who has never been protected.
Longing for and envying the daily lives of others, and dreaming of becoming ordinary—this was the girl’s joy.
I rested my head against the stone wall.I raised my gaze.
The sky was visible between the narrow buildings. It was a bright sky with pure white clouds drifting leisurely and the sun peeking through the gaps.
“to…….”
Perhaps out of thirst, her mouth opened involuntarily. There was no reason for it to pour rain. The girl’s eyes followed the shadow of the sun cast by the clouds, and her mouth gasped for breath with a hunger that seemed eternal.
It was after I had been staring blankly up at the sky for several tens of minutes whena captivating voice was heard.
───It was supposed to possess a corpse, but it entered a living body. Was the soul in a state where it hadn’t left even after dying? Ah, I see.
“uh?”
───You have a unique trait, don’t you?
The girl hurriedly looked around, but as expected, there was no one beside her.The girl in the alley was alone, as always.
───A case of a unique trait but unaware because the magic circuit hasn’t been awakened. Good. It’s better than corpse possession. Well, even if it’s a coincidence, seeing that it ‘unlocked the memories I sealed,’ it seems like we’re a good match.
“Wh-who are you? A ghost?”
───Transcendent.
A flash of insight pierced the crown of my head.
───The one who will change your wretched life.
The girl collapsed.
Water soon streamed down from my dry, parched eyes, nose, and mouth.My vision shook wildly. It was only after the sun had begun to set that the dizziness subsided and I was barely able to stand up.
With such a destitute body, Rank 1 is all I can manage. This is a problem that can be solved by replenishing nutrition later, so let’s move on.
“Ugh……!”
You are my servant now.
Magical power began to flow within the girl’s body.
So, from now on, you just need to carry out my orders. It is dangerous, but worth it. Just doing that will raise your rank and the dignity of your soul exponentially. Think of it as a kind of employment contract. However… as your master, I will give you the opportunity to make a special proposal.
Sweet whispers.
Tell me what you want.
The girl was extremely disoriented. She didn’t even have time to wipe away the tears clinging to her cheeks. The voice of the female ghost gave her a terrible headache, and hunger contributed to confusing her already weak mind.
Thump, thump, thump.
A shadow fell at the entrance of the alley.The sound of many footsteps.The girl turned her head in that direction.
The thugs of the alley are trying to pass through the alley where the girl is. The outlines of their bodies and their numbers. Their faces are not visible as they are backed by the light, but the girl clearly remembers who they are.For they were the men who had injured her with a merciless beating and ultimately starved her to death.
However, the girl did not hate them.
The pitch-black eyes stained with desire were fixed on the paper bags held by the thugs. The scent of golden-brown bread and meat stung the nose.
Gulp!
“hungry.”
The salivary glands forcibly squeezed out saliva.
That’s primal. The contract is established.
The girl’s hair spiked for a moment and then subsided.
I will let you enjoy wealth and glory you could never even dream of. So that your hunger will be consumed endlessly.
The girl smiled like Lunesica and reached out to the trash in the slums.Her entire magical circuits were activated.
“Anyway, medicine isn’t selling like hell these days. We’re not the only ones, right? Have you heard anything?”“It’s just a rumor, but… I heard some new drug came out in the Arnach Empire. It has far fewer side effects than other drugs, and the effects are stronger—ah, it’s just a rumor. A rumor.”“Right, where would you find a drug like that? Let’s just wait a little longer. The war hasn’t been out for long, so it’ll probably sell like hotcakes soon. Stimulants are essential in war, absolutely essential.”“Fuck off. We’re starving to death right now, so what are you… huh?”
It was then that the young street drug dealers saw the girl with the eerie smile.
“you…….”
Bang!
The drug dealer behind us pulled out a crude blade and stabbed my friend in the back of the neck. He gritted his teeth as if he were an enemy and repeatedly dug between the vertebrae.
“W-what!!”“Die.”“Ugh…”“You crazy bastard! Fuck, why aren’t you stopping him!”“Why should I stop him? Hmph.”
Puff puff puff puff!Crunch! Smack! Crack!
The drug dealers, engulfed in mental derangement, tangled together before finally separating. Four corpses, battered by knives and clubs, were twisted grotesquely like sculptures.
“Even though I am the one wielding the magic, your unique traits are truly remarkable. It is almost as if you are manipulating sorcery. And its power isn’t significantly limited to the lower tiers.”
The girl used her
Eat up.
The girl blinked.
“……!”
The control of her body, which had been briefly taken away, returned. An intense gaze directed into the envelope. The girl immediately and frantically stuffed bread and meat into her mouth.Oops!As her esophagus got blocked halfway through… … the girl rushed to the drug dealer’s corpse without delay and buried her lips in the pool of blood.
───Ho, I like how tenacious you are. Even though it’s dirty.
I finished eating solid food and moistened my throat with blood.
It was a gluttonous and meager meal, but to the girl, it was truly a feast.
“Phew…….”
The girl wiped the blood-stained corners of her mouth with her forearm and asked.
Uh, over there.
───I can hear it even with just a thought.
“Ah… um… if I just do as I say. Really… will there be food in the future too…?”
The girl moved her lips, unfamiliar with the way to converse through thoughts.
“Will you… protect me…?”
It was a question from a girl who had realized early on that she could not live alone for long.
Well, I guess I’ll have to keep doing that until I’m definitely useful as a servant.
“ah……!”
The girl clasped her hands together tightly. It was very different from the image she had dreamed of all this time, but… she tried hard to project herself onto the sight of the boys and girls walking hand in hand with their parents, just like the boys and girls on the street.
The girl’s imagination was conveyed to Lunesica in its entirety, but she did not bother to point it out. Shemerely assessed the girl as being a bit lacking. Still, it was much better than constantly making a fuss and freaking out every time someone mentioned a ghost.
The destination is the ritual hall of the ancient Xerion Empire. I need to hurry as much as possible to synchronize with the King of the Dead, so I will leave the city as soon as I am ready.
“The city…… Yes.”
The girl nodded vigorously.Obeying without question.The girl had quite the qualities of a servant.
Lunesica asks.
───What’s your name?
“It’s not here…….”
I knew it. Given your appearance. Your name is ‘Lucy’ from now on.
Lucy, taken from the letters of Lunesica.
It was a simple name, but for the girl, Lucy, it was the first beautiful name she had ever received.
“Lucy. Yes, I am Lucy, Ghost.”
───Master.
Master.
Lucy, stained with the drug dealer’s blood, smiled shyly.
A new dark sorcerer has entered the Glory of the Dead, who desire a world where souls do not suffer.
* * *
The boundary of the four gates is the passage of the soul.
The functional characteristic of the Four Gates is that the body moves in accordance with the lead of the soul.
“…….”
Akhand let out a deep breath as he returned to the Citadel through the final gate.
Tiazra Morton knelt on one knee and raised her head to welcome the return.Her pupils dilated greatly.
“Your Majesty, your health…!”“It is a needless worry.”
Akhand scattered the armor into the darkness. Emperor Xerion’s robes adorned his entire body. The small wound remaining on his chest slowly filled in.
Crunch.
Tiazra glared at the Empire’s commanders, tensing the veins in his jaw. It was a look that seemed to ask just how on earth they had served Emperor Pyeolha, who had overcome death, to have his body damaged.
The Transcendent of the Glory of the Dead and the retinue of the Sixth Apostle confronted each other with only their gazes.
This was an inevitable conflict.
The living cannot understand the dead, andthe dead have no need to understand the living.
thud.
Akand received the Dragon Sword from Rakdion and draped it over the throne.The audience chamber vibrated slightly at its heavy weight.
“As for Lunesica.”“She has recovered about 20%. However, she is still far from regaining consciousness.”“Let’s go to the Soul Chamber.”“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Tiaz followed behind Akhand, inwardly mocking the undead of the apocalypse. Regardless, Rakdion and Sarkanon ignored them as if they were ignorant fools and moved on to their respective roles.
A dark hallway with no light.
Tiazra reported to Akand.
“The servants have been sent to the ritual halls of the Xerion Empire located throughout the continent. Although many ritual halls have been destroyed by the machinations of the Luas Cult, if the void is filled by the undead legions that have spread following the collapse of the Delharun Gate, the World Alliance will be engulfed in chaos, in accordance with His Imperial Majesty’s will.”
The Glory of the Dead took charge of the Duke.Because they are human, unlike the undead legion, they can infiltrate human society.
“Internal division is also proceeding smoothly.”“Start with the small things.”“However… if we do that, we might lack the military strength to occupy the major cities. It would hinder our efforts to weaken the World Alliance…”“That would be the case in a conventional war.”
Akand stopped walking.
“The leader of the World Union is Verden.”“……I will obey your will.”
Tiazra took a step back without raising any further questions.
The Soul Chamber has been opened.
Akhand passed straight through the wall and entered the Soul Chamber where the foremost of the Six Great Legends resided. The flickering light of the soul in the middle of the dark space shone upon him.
animus.
Lunesica’s soul fragments were slowly being restored inside. Half of the left leg, part of the right arm, the right shoulder, the left side, and the right face.That was the extent of the soul parts that had been restored so far.
Although it consumes some resources, Lunesica’s role is immense. To completely dominate the current glory of the corpse, a second servant must serve as a medium.An intermediary.Just like an apostle.
“’You,’ who desire the infinite in a finite world, are a heretic and a revolutionary. The soul is a great blessing for the infinite.”
Akhand muttered as if reciting a prayer and stared directly at Animus.The souls contained within were reflected in his eyes.
“I understand your desire to persuade a fate destroyer who should not exist in the first place, but the mission you gave me is war. So do not intervene. Do not try to help me.”
Despite being an Apostle, Akhand spoke harshly to ‘you’.He realized that ‘you’ had contacted Verden through him in Delharun. He could not witness the scene. In fact, he had no interest in what was discussed.
“War is my suffering.”
Akhand asserted the power bestowed by ‘you’. It was an external force, but it was also a great power that Akhand had voluntarily claimed and obtained.
So wait.
The transcendent being who massacred the most people in long history asserted.
“Until I exterminate all life for ‘you’.”
800 years ago, it only burned half the continent.
I am not satisfied with that right now.
Not just humans, but beastmen, elves, and dwarves. Akhand intended to exterminate every single one of them—the human race, the异形种 (abnormal races), and even the demi-human races.
I will sacrifice my life before eternal destiny.
* * *
It has been officially confirmed that the Gates of Delharun have been completely sealed. The undead legions remaining after the old king’s departure were annihilated by the Alliance’s full-scale destruction formation.
The punitive force is currently cleaning up the mess.
“……The total casualties of the punitive expedition are about 70%, but the proportion of deaths is very low. Most of the wounded are physically contaminated by morale or have damaged mental systems. Given enough time, the legion will function again.”“What about thanks?” “It is the result of deploying asymmetric forces at the right time. Damn it.”“Forget thanks.”
Antias slyly patted Gareth’s shoulder and nodded. Gareth, who had reported directly to Verden as the Legion Commander, knocked his arm away.
Reindel said.
“Although the front line has expanded, we have closed the gate with this level of damage, so we have gained the upper hand.”“It is merely a small victory.”
Verden affirmed it but left room for doubt.
By reversing the coordinates input into the source body of the Four Gates, direct
There are eight remaining gates.
Seven, excluding Arkand.
The Delharun Extermination Corps can now deploy almost its entire strength elsewhere, but… … at the cost of this, casualties will occur throughout the continent.
Can this be weighed solely in terms of gains and losses?
Verden was in a bad mood, hoping for a near-perfect victory even though he knew that such a thing as perfection did not exist. If Akand’s goal was to make Verden uncomfortable, then it could be said that he had succeeded.
So, I will respond to the best of my ability.
Verden established the core of his strategy on how to deal with the undead rampaging across the continent. Alpha and Beta must have reached the same conclusion.
However, there is a problem that needs to be dealt with before that.
Could you please step aside for a moment?
It was a message directed at Reindel, but also at Antias.
Reindel answered.
“If you say you will have a conversation about the ecological reconstruction you just performed.”
Reindel seemed to have a deep interest in the power of the World Tree. Verden did not know the details either, but he nodded for now.
“……Understood.”“I’ll wait outside.”
Reindel stepped out of the tent.
Antias showed strong curiosity toward Gareth rather than Verden and followed Reindel without a word.
At the same time, the space was magically sealed off.
Thus, only Verden and Gareth remained in Commander Delharun’s tent.
“I have absolutely no prejudice against demons. Even if they are contractors of that Great Demon, I have no intention of foaming at the mouth and going berserk like the Luas Cult.”“……So.”“Bring out Ifeakarn.”
Verden intended to speak directly with Ifeakarn without going through Gareth. He waited for an answer while gulping down cold tea.
“…….”
When Gareth could not answer immediately and showed signs of hesitation, Verden put down the teacup.
“You’re deep in thought.”“……”“If you don’t like it, die.”
As you can see, it was Verden who reached out first.
But you’re ignoring it completely?
Then there is no reason for Verden to be patient either.
