I was caught. But I'm a ghost right now, so I assumed they couldn't see me. However, a knight charged in with his spear directly in my direction. I shuddered and instinctively bent down, the wall cracked behind me, but there was no time to straighten my posture as another sword pierced my neck.
Holy sh*t! I looked gory! From the faint reflection in the glass encasement, I saw myself stabbed by the sword in the neck, the tip stuck in the floor and the hilt just inches away from the back of my head.
"SHOW YOURSELF! THIEF!"
I'd like to as well, my friend. But my poltergeist's capability can only do scary whispers, for now. I moved my head and slid out of the blade. The sword only passed through me, but I'm still confused about how they attacked me with accuracy.
Can they feel my presence?
I was answered when the knights shifted his attack to where I was. So, it was my presence. My body got swallowed by the wall behind me. I slowly sunk in, my vision darkened, and my hearing was muffled.
The sounds of marching knights disappeared, but it was replaced with grunts and heavy breathing instead. I opened my eyes and looked around, I was inside a dungeon. Prison cells were separated by blocks of thick bricked walls, and enclosed with iron bars.
All of them were occupied. Prisoners were chained to the back wall with their arms hung up and their feet tied. I strolled along the pathway, searching for someone who might be dead already. I couldn't wait to use the ring and see what other things it can do.
I wonder if I can get this item once I leave this place.
"Ngh…"
I turned left and saw a man groaning in pain. I passed through the iron bars and approached the man. He has a smaller build and has very long greyish hair. Wait, don't tell me it's an elderly person?
"Hah….ha…."
The old man was breathing heavily. His body was covered in wounds and blood, and one of his pinky fingers was even missing. I peeked inside the long greyish hair that cascaded over his entire face.
And I was right. It was an old man. He was dying. His lips were already pale and the light on his eyes was dull. His wrinkled face scrunched even greater from the pain he might be feeling. His body was hunched and his limbs were full of cuts and bruises.
Man, he looks pitiful. It makes me think twice about using his body. But, can I even protect myself if I use him? I walked out and looked around once more, but all the other remaining prisoners were still breathing strongly.
That older man was the only one dying. Hah…this is frustrating.
I walked back to the old man. He breathed his last after only a few minutes. Then, a screen popped above the dead man's head.
[Potential Vessel: Butler Gilbert]
I suddenly felt a chilling sensation like it was an indication that I could now try and possess the dead body. It was kind of nerve-wracking. What if my soul got stuck in that body instead? Will I get to live as this old man forever?
I slapped my forehead. I'm overthinking things again. I moved closer; a purple glowing magic circle appeared below the corpse and was accompanied by a screen.
[Fusion Field: An approximate distance to approve the possession. Distance may vary according to the power of the ring user.]
The circle was only four feet in diameter. I have to step in for the possession to enable. As soon as my last foot touched the field, my body got sucked in by a strong force coming from the dead body.
My breath hitched and I felt like vomiting. There was turbulence inside the corpse, probably created by my soul fusing, and it was greatly affecting my head. I felt dizzy and out of breath.
"PWAH!"
I panted heavily. My eyes blinked rapidly. My line of sight was directed at the iron bars, different from where my soul was facing before. Did I succeed? I tried to look at my hands, but the sound of chains stretching and aching feeling was what I heard and felt.
"Oh, I'm shackled."
That means I did it. I blew the long hair obstructing my view and lifted my head. My neck cracked from the simple movement. I felt like all my bones turned crisp and fragile.
"Oh, well. It's better to have a body than not, I guess. Now, let's see, how to escape from this place?"
I pulled both of my sore wrists but to no avail. The chains were deeply fastened on the wall. I manipulated the blood from the old man's wound and I sighed in relief after the skill worked. Now, it was proven that I could also use the skill with anyone's blood.
The sharp blades I created from the blood hit the wall instead. It cracked and the spike buried deep on the wall loosened. I pulled my hand and the chains followed.
Tang!
A loud, heavy noise of metal hitting the ground echoed in the silent dungeon. I saw movement across me. The prisoner in the opposite cell looked up and gasped in shock. He seemed to be mumbling something, but I ignored him and freed my other hand.
"I can't walk around with this," I shook the chains, but it only rattled and made noise. I tried slipping my hands out, but it didn't work. Well, if it did, then this butler would have escaped already.
I took out the sword and slashed the chains, but the thick, heavy metal bands remained on my wrist. I cut the ties on my feet as well, then cut the iron bars next. My movements and speed didn't change it seemed.
The corpse isn't restricting my soul. It's a good thing. It means I won't suddenly stop from having suddenly experiencing aching bones or asthma. On second thought, difficulty in breathing won't matter, the corpse's heart wasn't beating, which means all the organs stopped working as well.
I'm just really occupying an empty vessel.
"H-Help…help…me…"
I turned deaf towards the prisoners who begged me to release them. I'm not in that place to play hero, so I just walked out, not even sparing them a glance. Because of that, they were enraged and shouted profanities.
My eyes widened after hearing heavy footsteps approaching. Knights again?! I quickly fled to the opposite side, but it was foolish of me to think that an underground dungeon had another route aside from the entrance.
Hah. The disadvantage of having a solid body, I can't pass through the wall now. I cursed the grinning faces of the prisoners watching me behind bars. Man, they're ugly, and dirty faces look so funny.
There's no getting away, either way.
A knight wearing a cape, I think he's a leader, emerged from the shadow. His eyes widened after spotting me at the opposite end. Then, his gruff voice reverberated, "How did you get out?!"
"Well, I use the sword…?"
The knight's eyes moved to the black sword I was holding. His face changed, and then he shouted, "Men, capture him!"
These people are ordinary, that's what I thought. But f*ck, their swordsmanship was—
"Report to the lord that the butler is trying to escape! See if anyone has broken out of the dungeon!!"
A knight charged in with a shield, pointing his sword at me. I quickly blocked the sword with mine, but the knight used the shield and slammed it on me. I was fast enough to dodge, allowing the sword to push me back to the wall.
I was cornered.
Another knight raised his sword and stabbed my shoulder. Blood gushed out but I surprisingly did not feel anything. Rather, the stab wound only helped me. The blood of the butler's corpse trickled down.
"Ack!"
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"He's a dark sorcerer! The butler's a—
Thud!
The head rolled to the ground.
Klang!
The sword of the knight pushing me to the wall fell and he stood before me like he'd seen a ghost. I immediately took that generous opportunity and stabbed him in the heart. The blood splurted after I pulled back the sword, painting my raggy body in red.
I waited for that [+1] to appear, but nothing happened.
These people aren't alive, I see. Makes sense, we're inside the dungeon of hells, no way a living human could be here. Then, is this all just a tale? An illusion created by the system again?
However, rather than the symbol of plus one, an entirely different number appeared.
[+10]
[+11]
And the number inside the bracket kept increasing. I was baffled. Another knight attacked, I easily cut him with the obsidian sword, and the same number appeared.
What could be the meaning of this?