- There should be plenty of related research materials at the Magic Tower. In my era, research on gods was quite active as well.
Did it count as a strange phenomenon that Purnell’s words sounded so terribly sweet?
It was a method he had never dared to imagine.
A god who had lost magic and created Skills and Traits as its replacement.
To deceive those eyes?
Was such a thing truly possible?
- Heh heh... What is impossible, really? Do you know who got along with us mages the least in my era? It was the priests who served the gods. Those bastards especially hated us necromancers and black mages. Something about defying the will of the gods.
It seemed more than understandable.
Necromancers who manipulated the undead.
There was no way priests would take a liking to black mages who practiced magic using the energy of death.
- Therefore, I shall remain here and conduct research. While this is also to help you, to be honest, I must say my personal desire for knowledge is greater. And so……
Purnell crept closer to Hio.
- You, extend your hand for a moment.
“Hand?”
- Yes. Quickly. You must receive it well.
Just as Hio cupped both hands and stretched them forward, Purnell flew over them.
A spectral entity about the size of a human head, complete with eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
- Nnngh!
The spectral entity furrowed its features with all its might, as though witnessing some grave affair.
And this was atop Hio’s hands, no less.
“……What are you doing?”
Feeling extremely uneasy, Hio tried to pull his hands away, but—
- Don’t pull away! Nnngh…… Just wait a moment longer.
Purnell kept grunting, insisting he keep his hands still.
Something about it felt incredibly unpleasant and strange, but surely a ghost wouldn’t take a dump, so Hio simply remained still.
How much time passed that way?
- Nnnngh! I-It’s coming out! It’s coming!
Something round began to protrude little by little from beneath Purnell’s hazy body, and soon it dropped onto Hio’s palm with a plop.
A blue bead.
“This is……”
It was definitely an object Hio knew.
- Phew…… It was my first time, and quite difficult indeed.
In the game, this was an Artifact that could be obtained by destroying Purnell, who had lost his sanity.
It was the reason Hio had come to the Ghost House.
[Specter’s Essence - Necromancer’s Soul (???)]
[The essence obtainable when a high-grade soul becomes a Specter.]
[It does not seem to be a complete essence.]
[The results upon consumption cannot be predicted.]
However, its effects were slightly different from what Hio knew.
The same name, but different contents.
The grade, which had been Epic, was displayed as a question mark, accompanied by the phrase that the results could not be predicted.
‘I’ve seen question mark grades before, but……’
It meant the grade could not be accurately measured.
It was a mark that occasionally appeared on growth-type Artifacts or consumable items like this one.
Holding the Specter’s Essence, Hio looked at Purnell, who grinned.
- After becoming a ghost, I instinctively understood. That I could do something like this.
Purnell’s face was now half its size.
It wasn’t any metaphorical expression—his size had truly decreased to half of what it had been before.
“……Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not dying, are you?”
- Hahaha! I’m fine, perfectly fine. It’s merely that my power as a Specter has weakened. It’s not as though I intended to become a Specter Lord anyway—my sole goal is magical research, so it matters not.
Though he spoke thus, Hio’s heart did not grow any lighter.
Was it not as though he had torn off half of his own body to give away?
Granted, the method of delivery had been rather strange.
- Swallow that.
“What happens if I swallow it?”
- Hmm…… I don’t know the exact effects myself, but perhaps a portion of my abilities will pass on to you.
“Abilities.”
Hio looked down at the blue bead in his hand once more.
Then he brought it to his lips and tossed it in without hesitation.
He swallowed it like a pill, and the sensation of the bead sliding distinctly down his throat.
That sensation gradually blurred before, in a flash, an unidentified energy spread throughout his entire body.
[Specter’s Essence - ‘Necromancer’s Soul’ has been successfully absorbed.]
[‘Necromancer’s Soul’ permeates the user.]
[Inheriting a portion of abilities.]
[Constitution changes according to the type of soul.]
[Trait - ‘Eye of the Ghost’ has been acquired.]
[Trait - ‘Spirit Body’ has been acquired.]
[Stat - ‘Spiritual Power’ is generated.]
[Stat - ‘Spiritual Power’ increases by +10.]
Messages scrolled up before his eyes.
‘As expected……’
It was just as he had expected.
The Epic Artifact, Specter’s Essence, which granted new Traits and Stats.
Traits were the very identity of a character.
That was why they couldn’t be purchased from the point shop, either.
But what if there was an item that changed one’s constitution and granted new Traits?
It would cause an uproar.
Hio knew that value all too well, which was why he had chosen Cheongyeom for his second evolution and still come to the Ghost House.
And in the end, he had obtained it.
The Traits he had targeted, and even the new Stat related to them.
The hidden piece belonging solely to the Supreme Heavenly Demon, which no other player had known of.
‘Though the grade does seem to have dropped even lower……’
In the game, the item had raised the Spiritual Power stat higher than now and even granted Skills, but perhaps because this wasn’t a complete essence, it fell somewhat short compared to back then.
But even so, he didn’t particularly feel disappointed.
To Hio, Skills were like candle flames before the wind.
They mercilessly vanished with a single act of violence, so he had no attachment to Skills.
How much better was it to diligently study and master a spell during that time? Even if deleted, it could be registered as a Skill again at any time.
Magic truly was the best.
Trait: Eye of the Ghost
Trait: Spirit Body
Though he knew the effects of the two newly obtained Traits well from having used them in the game, the game and reality were different, were they not?
‘I’ll have to test them.’
The moment Hio attempted to use the Traits—
- Oh-ho, what a strange feeling. It’s as though I have split into two. No, it’s not a feeling—I truly have split into two, haven’t I?
Purnell approached, making a fuss.
“Huh? You split into two?”
- Did you not consume half of my soul? That means my other half has gone to you.
“……That’s rather disgusting.”
Seeing Hio’s extremely disgruntled expression, Purnell giggled.
- Don’t be like that. Hurry along now. Didn’t you say you had much to do?
Purnell urged him to head to the portal quickly.
“I am going, but……”
Being rushed like that made him feel uneasy again.
Standing before the portal and infusing mana, he glanced back and saw Purnell still grinning.
[Confirmed mana is 2nd Circle.]
[There are a total of four accessible regions.]
“……I’m really going?”
- Hurry along. I shall research ways to deceive the eyes of the gods here.
“Alright. If you happen to find another mage’s house on the way, make sure to stop by.”
[Southern Verden Region Necromancer Branch (2) - ‘Mage’s House’ has been selected.]
[The portal is activating.]
The image of Purnell grinning to the end and nodding as if to bid him safe travels gradually scattered.
Bright light blocked his vision, and when he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the fourth underground floor of the Ghost House.
“……It turned out a bit different from the plan, but well, it was fine in its own way.”
He had risen to the 2nd Circle and obtained at least part of the Artifact’s abilities he had targeted.
And above all, the greatest harvest was securing a teacher who could instruct him in magic.
The man had even said he would research a way to escape the non-violence that was like a curse.
“It might be impossible to escape completely…… but who cares?”
Even if he found a method, it would likely be closer to a loophole, but so what?
In a situation where he had no choice but to endure blindly, another option was appearing.
It was bound to be a good thing.
“Good.”
And so Hio tried to step forward with a cheerful heart, but—
- What is so good?
A voice that shouldn’t have been heard echoed through his mind.
“What the hell.”
He looked around, and indeed, there was no one.
He had definitely crossed through the portal alone.
Then just what was that voice—
- Who else? It’s me. Your teacher, Purnell Penchev.
“……Weren’t you staying at the Magic Tower?”
- I am at the Magic Tower. And simultaneously, I am with you.
Purnell’s form was nowhere to be seen, but his voice alone continued to ring in Hio’s mind.
……Don’t tell me.
“When you said you split in two, you meant this?”
- Precisely. Hehehe. One half of me continues research at the Magic Tower, while the other half is attached to you. Of course, since it is the same soul, communication is no problem either? How about it. Isn’t it fascinating?
At Purnell’s innocent voice, an ominous thought crept up.
“Don’t tell me…… you’re not stuck to me for life, are you……?”
Hio asked cautiously, half-hoping.
- Why wouldn’t I be? Half of my soul is now practically yours.
What a terrible answer that came back.
This…… was not part of the plan.
Did this mean he had to be with this ghost wherever he went?
What about his personal life?
What about his privacy?
- Hehehehe. You are with me for life now.
“……Fuck.”
Was there no way to spit the bead back out?
Hio began to contemplate seriously.
* * *
Two figures entering the village of Dubere.
An old man basking in the sun at the village entrance spoke to them.
“Young folks. Travelers?”
They seemed to be taciturn types, for they merely nodded instead of answering.
The old man laughed softly as if it didn’t matter and continued.
“Heh heh heh. Welcome to Dubere Village. It’s a quiet and peaceful village, so rest well before you go.”
The large, bulky man seemed about to say something to the old man, his lips moving, but the old man was a bit faster.
“Ah, and just in case you don’t know, don’t go to the hill behind the village.”
At the old man’s words, the man closed his mouth.
“There is a terrifying house where ghosts appear on that hill, so you must never go there.”
The man and woman gave short nods and promptly crossed through the village.
Only after they passed did the old man tilt his head.
“Hmm……?”
He had seen the face of the bulky man, but thinking back, he couldn’t remember the face of the woman beside him.
He had definitely been facing her just moments ago.
“……Perhaps it’s time for me to go as well.”
The old man, who still had many years left to live, gazed up at the sky with teary eyes.
* * *
“That appears to be the Ghost House, my lady.”
The knight Teoreudo and Princess Silbia.
The two, having arrived at Dubere Village, were able to find the Ghost House behind the village thanks to the talkative old man.
“I shall take the lead.”
Teoreudo began walking two steps ahead.
His hand rested on the hilt, ready to draw his sword at any moment.
The person whom Professor Silbert of the Academy had spoken of so confidently.
Setting aside Silbert’s status and true identity, his skill was genuine.
The kind of person who could make someone like Silbert treat them cautiously should be just ahead.
Even Jason had shown fear of this person’s anger, had he not?
The ruler of the underworld, who supposedly maintained a composed and relaxed demeanor before any high noble or powerful expert.
‘Just who could this person be?’
Teoreudo, too, couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.
A hidden master unknown to the world.
Would they be a knight who handled Aura, one who wielded a peculiar weapon, or an Awakened who used tremendous Skills?
Because there was no information, he had to be all the more careful.
Perhaps they might even be someone who handled both Aura and Skills.
No, if the Professor and Jason feared them that much, it was almost certain.
The Ghost House they arrived at lived up to its name.
Weeds grown long from neglect.
The outer walls of the three-story mansion were covered in vines and moss.
A mansion that somehow felt eerie and foreboding even in broad daylight.
“We shall enter.”
“Be careful, Teoreudo.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The mansion’s front door creaked open.
Sword drawn, Teoreudo took the first step, with Silbia cautiously following behind.
A sinister space where not a single light was lit.
As only the creaking of wooden floorboards echoed in time with the two people’s steps—
"······!"
From deep within the mansion, a faint noise could be heard.
"Theordo······."
The eerie atmosphere and the noise of unknown origin.
A tense Sylvia clutched tightly at Theordo’s collar.
Was it the rumored ghost?
Or was it the person they were searching for?
Their tension mounting, the two slowly moved toward the unidentified sound.
"······stop!"
The farther they walked, the clearer the voice became.
Swallowing hard, Sylvia moved again.
A little closer.
The voice, clearer still.
"······I said I don’t want to!"
But······ its contents were a bit strange.
"Hurry up and come out! Are you not coming out?"
What on earth kind of conversation was that?
The tension that had filled her vanished so completely it felt absurd.
And only after taking a few more steps could Sylvia see it.
"F*ck!"
A ridiculous conical hat, a baggy robe. A large staff lying on the ground, and even a skull-shaped ring fitted on his finger.
Truly the worst fashion sense imaginable.
"This is a scam! I’m more comfortable alone!"
Besides, he was already alone, so what did he mean by wanting to be alone again··· She couldn’t understand the meaning of what he was shouting.
The man clutched his head as if something were terribly unfair and screamed.
"A-are you going to follow me to the bathroom too?"
After saying that to himself, he clutched his head again and shouted for it not to.
As Sylvia stood blankly for a moment at that bizarre sight, Theordo’s mutter reached her ears in a low voice.
"Is he mentally ill?"
Sylvia, too, gave the faintest nod.
The true identity of the infamous ghost, as it turned out, was a lunatic.
How unfortunate.
There was no way the person an academy’s full professor treated with caution and the ruler of the underworld feared could be a madman like that, so that thing’s identity was most likely the rumored ghost.
······It absolutely had to be.
"Hm?"
And only then did the man, who had been clutching his head and screaming, notice Theordo and Sylvia.
Their eyes met in the air.
Sylvia’s shimmering silver eyes turned toward the man.
This was an action born of habit.
Sylvia’s ability, known to almost no one even in the imperial palace, was about to manifest.
Eyes that grasped the essence of the other party.
Mystical eyes that pierced through the soul.
A flash of ash-gray passed across those silver eyes, and it went toward the man before her.
Show me your soul.
What essence do you possess?
Good or evil?
How great is your caliber?
All of it would soon be reflected in Sylvia’s eyes.
For that was a truth that had never once failed until now.
Sylvia did not doubt it.
She believed in her own ability. She waited, certain of the truthful information that would enter her eyes.
But······ no matter how deeply she looked, she could not see the man’s soul. Sylvia’s ability did not reach his essence.
It felt as though something pure white were covering her eyes.
At this phenomenon she was experiencing for the first time, Sylvia frowned and tried to draw up her ability even further.
At that moment—
- How dare you—!
A furious roar struck Sylvia’s mind with violent force.
- What do you dare try to see!
The wrathful voice, like that of a ghost, shook her mind as if making her soul tremble.
- Do not even think of looking within. It is still too soon for you.
That magnificent voice was too much for her to endure any longer.
- Child who sees souls.
And Sylvia collapsed where she stood.