The moment Forest's eyes were gouged out.
Whoosh—!
Golden light burrowed deep into Forest's vision, dyed in pitch-black darkness. Both Suho and Sillad already knew that it was from the Starpieces. The problem was his soul.
Crack! Crack Crack!
As the Starpieces burrowed in, cracks began to appear in his darkened vision from the shock. And…
Snap!
Finally, Forest's soul shattered and fell apart like a broken window.
[The soul is broken.] Sillad gritted his teeth with a fearsome expression.
Forest's soul began to shatter and his memories flickered incessantly. The illusion of the ice flower itself was crumbling like snowflakes. Sillad clicked his tongue as he watched the figures who handed over the Starpieces melt away like a mirage.
[No wonder his soul was so small for a high elf. It seems like Forest's vessel was insufficient to accept the power they handed over.]
'No, maybe they did it with that intention from the beginning. Look...' As soon as Suho finished speaking,
Whoosh—!
Hungry spirits were pouring in like a flood through the cracks in the shattered soul. Perhaps the usual Forest would have struggled to escape this fate But now it was different.
– Aaaaa…! This power…! – He was already blind, and he found new light in the darkness.
– Aaa! Thank you! Thank you! God of the Elves! With this power, I can finally become a Monarch…! – He embraced all those spirits with a joyful expression. He chose to become a Corrupted Ghost of his own free will.
[Tsk. He's completely lost his mind and is bewitched.] Sillad clicked his tongue in regret. Forest didn't realize what they were, even as he heard their giggling laughter, trembling with joy. And when those numerous spirits mixed to the point where Forest's soul couldn't distinguish them,
– You're a good child. Quite an interesting creature. – A voice like a ray of light whispered to him.
– Are there any other children like you?
– Yes! There are! – Forest's joyful voice, worshiping that solemn command, echoed like a hymn.
– Even if they aren't there, I will somehow find and bring them… – Then he stopped abruptly. Forest, who seemed like he would keep talking forever, suddenly stopped. Then his head creaked and turned to the side like that of a soulless doll.
[W-wait.] Sillad's expression hardened.
[Don't tell me?]
His lifeless gaze slowly moved past Suho and Sillad, who were watching him, and found… Sirka.
– Found you. – A bright smile suddenly appeared on the face of the eyeless Forest.
'…?!'
Surprisingly, the illusion was clearly looking at Sirka, who was trapped in ice, and shouted as if screaming,
– I found you!
Flash!
The golden light that suddenly erupted from Forest's illusion rapidly grew and stretched towards her.
[This is crazy! This can't be happening…!] Sillad, horrified, hurriedly tried to dispel the illusion of the ice flower. And a strong resistance came back. His spirit magic was out of control!
[S-stop it…!] Sillad shouted desperately, clenching both hands and pulling the illusion of the ice flower towards him.
Grab!
But before he could even finish speaking, Suho was already springing forward. With Kamish's Wrath in both hands. And at that moment.
Crack—!
The golden light that Forest unleashed broke through the ice protecting Sirka. And it pierced Sirka's chest.
'Where do you think you're going!'
Flash!
Suho's sword barely managed to cut off the golden light.
Flare!
It burned in the black-red flames.
'That was close.' Fortunately, Sirka was safe. But this was only the beginning.
Sillad erupted in anger. [Stop hiding and come out! Who dares covet my successor!]
Whoosh—!
A blizzard raged over the out-of-control illusion of the ice flower. And the figures of the beings hidden beyond the dark abyss were revealed. Countless gazes. The grotesque eyeballs hidden in the abyss spun playfully. Suho realized their identity.
'Spirits.'
[Yes, it was my mistake.] Sillad gritted his teeth.
He was careless. Even though this was the world of a dead Monarch, and even the time was stopped, This place was still an unknown territory to Sillad himself. He was only temporarily summoned here by Suho's 'unknown' ability. But he realized one thing for sure. The fact that he could use spirit magic here meant that at least for this moment, the spirits were also free from the flow of time.
[While we were peeking into Forest's memories, they were also peeking at us.]
Hehehehe!
Kihihihihi—!
The spirits' eyes were spinning around Sirka, growing and shrinking repeatedly. The entire world was covered in grotesque eyeballs, as many as the number of spirits Forest possessed. Their intentions were obvious. Sillad blocked Sirka with a determined expression and said to Suho,
[Sirka's vessel isn't complete yet. If we give her up, her soul will break just like Forest's.] Even though Sillad chose Sirka as his successor, she was still young and weak. Her vessel was far inferior even compared to the high elf Forest.
Crack—!
As Sillad clenched both hands around the blizzard, a long, frost-covered trident was created.
[Suho. You protect Sirka here. I'm much more familiar with dealing with spirits.] And without waiting for an answer, he sprang forward and swung his spear.
[I'll teach you how to hunt spirits.]
Whoosh—!
The spear swirled and struck without hesitation. The spirits froze and shattered from those attacks. But Suho wasn't going to just stand there and watch.
'Rulers Authority'
Whoosh—
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash—!
Suho protected Sirka and attacked the approaching spirits with Kamish's Wrath. But there were too many of them. He wanted to use the Breath of Destruction, but it was inefficient against these chaotic guys because it was a straight-line attack. He had never felt as frustrated as now that he couldn't summon shadow soldiers in this space. But he was able to summon more than just shadow soldiers. He had summoned Gray even in the world of the dead Querehsha, because he was bound by the pet system.
'Gray! Come to me!'
[Grrrr!]
Gray, the fang wolf, enveloped in sacred light, appeared before Suho. There was no need to waste mana on possession. The more hands, the better.
'Gray.' Gray's eyes as he turned his head and met Suho's gaze were intense. Seeing that, he felt a bit emotional. It seemed like just yesterday when he was a weak puppy caught by the Hyena Guild, yet he had grown so much. Suho nodded towards him waiting for his orders, and commanded,
'Eat.' Gray's lips curled up, revealing his fangs. And…
[Grrrr!]
Flash—
The moment Gray kicked off the ground with his four paws, He literally became a gust of wind.
Crack!
Crunch! Crack—!
Kiiiiiik—!
Hiiiiiik—!
He began to chew and swallow the spirits indiscriminately like a beast unleashed in a sheep pen. Of course, the spirits fought back with ferocious momentum, but Gray had the dentures that Suho specially gave him.
[Grrrr!] His roar echoed, and a tremendous killing intent shook the spirits.
[Gray uses Skill: 'Contempt for the Weak'.]
[Effect: 'Fear' is activated.]
[All stats of targets are reduced by 50% for 1 minute.]
Not all spirits would be weaker than him. But for those below his level, Gray was a true predator.
[Krack!]
Crunch! Crack—!
[Gray uses Skill: 'Fatal Strike'.]
[Gray uses Skill: 'Paralysis'.]
Gray, who was getting stronger as he skillfully found and killed the spirits weaker than him, was a true hunter.
[Spirit has been defeated.]
[Spirit has been defeated.]
[Spirit has been defeated.]
[Spirit has been defeated.]
[…]
[Pet: 'Gray' offers 50% of the experience points to the owner as a sacrifice.]
'They said spirits don't die, but it seems like they can be eaten.'
[The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, says the world is a jungle where the strong prey on the weak, and there's nothing you can't eat if you have teeth.]
[The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, says that only elves with high affinity for spirits are eaten by them.] Rakan's pride in the grown-up Gray was conveyed even here.
'Good. Then shall we take care of this side as well?' Suho turned his head and looked at Sirka. Still sleeping peacefully in the broken ice.
Crack!
Suho reached into it without hesitation and pulled Sirka out.
[Wh-what are you doing! I told you to guard her well!] Sillad, who was fighting the spirits, was horrified.
But Suho replied calmly, 'What am I doing? I'm not lazy enough to wait for her to grow up.'
Thud!
'Sirka.' Suho lifted Sirka, who was forcibly asleep.
'How long are you planning to sleep?' He shook her awake and said,
'I've been thinking, and now I understand why Sillad chose you as his successor out of all the high elves.' Suho had watched Sillad's entire life from beginning to end. So he could be sure.
'You're already qualified.' Sirka was an ice elf who was born and raised in a land of bitter cold without any adults. And she was a guardian who fought against spirits to protect her friends despite being a child herself.
'Wake up. Wake up and rule those spirits yourself.'
…Flash!
Sirka's eyes opened and the stopped time began to move again.