League..
A secret group formed of specters that occupied the body of living, then roamed around the society in a riddle to find the best human talents, then devour them.
Similar to Linden there were many hidden spectres roaming on the premises with designated goals. The spectre occupied Linden couldn’t sustain more days as Professor Linden’s body was old.
So, he targeted the top students to kill to occupy their bodies whom he would be going after would be decided by a small event that was held outside the temple.
He would wait outside the gate and the moment someone stepped out, he would disrupt it by detonating a carefully crafted magic spell and on the excuse of going inside for investigation, he would finish the job.
And this was a very good opportunity for me.
While Freya and Linden engaged, I opened my eyes scanning the scene.
In this event if Specter goes after it will be beaten to dust but in the case of Freya, all other members would die and she would only manage to get out by using the artifact.
"Knowing her, she would soon be in trouble. And with her arrogance, it wouldn’t be shocking if she didn’t even have healing spells."
Keeping an eye on them, I scanned around searching for Ryan. And as expected he was dead.
Using the shadow step, I sneaked near and rolling on the ground crawled toward the boy who died with his eyes wide open. His body had been badly burnt with a part of his smithereens broken into pieces.
"Sorry pal, I don’t have any enmity with you but you shouldn’t have tried to kill me."
I placed my hands on the guy and started using the skill [Soul Reap]
A small suction force emerged from my hands,
Dark, deathly mana began to seep out of Ryan’s broken body, swirling in the air like a ghostly mist. It hovered for a moment, almost resisting, before being drawn toward my hands by the force of the skill [Soul Reap].
As the mana flowed into me, a chilling cold spread through my body. It was like icy needles piercing every inch of my skin, a sharp and stinging pain that made my muscles tense. My breaths became shallow, each one hitching as I struggled to keep the flow steady.
The dark mana was wild, almost alive, writhing like a caged beast as it entered my veins. It burned cold, an unnatural contradiction that sent shivers down my spine. My fingers trembled, but I clenched my jaw and forced myself to endure it.
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With every ounce of focus, I guided the mana toward my core. Located in the center of my torso, it was the one place strong enough to hold the chaotic energy. The process wasn’t smooth. The mana pushed against my control, trying to escape and wreak havoc within me. But I tightened my grip, forcing it to obey.
As the core began to absorb the mana, a strange calm spread through me. The cold shifted, no longer biting but soothing, as the core encompassed the mana like a container sealing poison. The sharp, stabbing pain dulled into a steady ache.
Then, something miraculous happened.
The wounds on my body, the cuts and bruises from earlier, began to close. The skin knitted itself back together, the torn flesh mending as though time itself had reversed. Even the deep gashes left by earlier battles disappeared, leaving only faint marks where they had once been.
My breathing steadied, and the pain faded into a strange warmth as the dark mana settled into my core. For a moment, I stayed still, my hands resting on Ryan’s lifeless body, feeling the echoes of the power I had just absorbed.
I opened my eyes and looked down at him, his face still frozen in fear and agony. The sight of him, even in death, sent a flicker of regret through me, but I pushed it aside. I had no choice. His death had given me the strength to continue.
Standing up, I flexed my fingers, testing my restored strength. The dark mana pulsed faintly within me, a reminder of the power I had taken. My body was whole again, but the cost of that miracle weighed heavily in my chest.
It was time to move forward. Freya was still fighting, and the battle was far from over and she was in the worst situation.
The spectre was of Sentinent rank but due to the old decaying body, it was reduced to Warden rank.
My heart skipped a beat the moment I saw Freya. She was crouched on the ground, her appearance ragged and blood staining her side. She was gasping, struggling to even stay upright. For a moment, I stood frozen, the sight of her stealing my breath.
But then I saw it—the shadow flickering in front of her. The specter was readying its next attack.
I didn’t waste time. Using Shadow Jump, I vanished into the nearest shadow and reappeared directly in front of her, just as the specter’s bony tongue shot toward her head. My blades flashed as I swung, deflecting the grotesque appendage away from her.
"It seems you have a thing for getting sneak attacked," I said, my voice cold and calm as I stared at the specter.
Freya looked up at me, her wide, shocked eyes meeting mine. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a small vial, and handed it to her without taking my eyes off the creature.
"Hey, stop wasting time and take this," I said firmly. "I’ll cover you."
Freya blinked, snapping out of her daze, and grabbed the potion. While she quickly drowned it, I raised my twin blades, both pointed directly at the specter.
The specter’s eerie gaze shifted from Freya to me. Its twisted, elongated face stretched into a disturbing grin as it spoke, its voice dripping with mockery.
"You’ve gotten better at controlling your loathing," it said, almost as if amused.
"Inside the calm stare, you hide a deep hatred and loathing for us."
I ignored the taunt, keeping my focus sharp.
"What a sad thing," it continued. "You could have pretended to be dead, or even used your ability to slip past the gate while I wasn’t paying attention."
It sighed dramatically, as if truly disappointed. "Alas."
A small smile crept onto my lips, though I didn’t let it grow too wide. It was exactly the opening I’d been waiting for.
"I might have," I said, my voice steady and cold. My gaze flicked briefly to Freya before returning to the specter. "But I don’t have a habit of leaving my friends behind."
The specter tilted its head, its curiosity evident. "Interesting."
I shifted my stance, the blades in my hands gleaming faintly under the eerie light. "Enough talk," I muttered, the cold edge of determination settling over me. It was time to end this.