Chapter 287 - Earthbound Spirit

The tiny ghost girl didn’t speak and, in the end, slowly withdrew her little hand. Under the blazing white light, they seemed almost about to ignite, already half-transparent.The energy from other places continuously surged toward here, as if trying to heal the damage in this area, but was blocked by an invisible force, moving very slowly.

Destroy Evil was not simply about destroying evil artifacts, when necessary, it could also be used as a lethal weapon.

The Evil God Emblem Ring that fell into Gaven’s hands was now in a sorry state.

The blazing white light, as if possessed by a terrifying temperature, was slowly melting the silver ring, from which streams of black mist were extracted and then dissipated into nothingness under the heat of the scorching white light.

In Gaven’s hands, it trembled ceaselessly, as if trying to break free, while a piercingly mournful wail emerged from it.

That woman’s voice, once again, resounded in Gaven’s ears, but this time it was not words of charm, but of pleading.

She promised Gaven endlessly that if he would spare her, she would serve him for eternity, granting him immortality, granting him the power of revenge.

Never to be tempted by evil forces, never to compromise with darkness.

This was the core truth that Gaven had understood a long time ago.

The moment you accept temptation, when you compromise with it, is the moment you fall into darkness and slide into evil, and it will pull you in deeper and deeper.

Because its influence on you is often imperceptible.

It makes you feel that all your thoughts originate from yourself, from your true nature, and that everything is in your best interest.

In the face of darkness, maintaining your true nature is the ultimate talisman.

By the time Gaven snapped back to reality, not only had the woman’s voice disappeared without a trace, but even the Evil God Emblem Ring had turned into a puddle of silver liquid, congealed into a small sphere, wrapped in blazing white light.

With a flash of insight, Gaven directly pressed the silver sphere onto the Crane Beak Hoe.

The silver sphere, as if alive, squirmed and completely enveloped the Crane Beak Hoe, turning it from head to handle into silver.

Then it merged into it, revealing the original material once again.

On the wooden handle, strands of silver wire were wrapped around.

Most parts of the hoe’s head remained the original black color of steel, with only the pointed ends covered in silver.

There was no need for inspection.

The new attributes of the pickaxe directly appeared in Gaven’s mind.

Revenge (Special Ability)—When you hold the pickaxe, everyone who launches an attack on you will automatically receive the ’Enemy’ BUFF, stacking one layer with each attack, you will deal an additional 1D6 of damage when you launch an attack on them, clearing the damage with each hit, up to a maximum of 10 layers.

Revenge Skull Shatter (Special Ability)—When you counterattack your enemy with the pickaxe, there’s a chance to trigger the Skull Shatter effect, which ignores Armor defenses, and the higher the Revenge BUFF layers, the higher the chance of activation.

This pickaxe, named Revenge Pickaxe, had attributes that were too peculiar and overpowered; paired with Gaven’s Combat Armor, it was simply a defensive counterattacking divine artifact.

Especially against enemies with fast attack speed.

They could slash at you seven or eight times, and probably wouldn’t even break through your defense.

A single backhand swing from Gaven could send them packing, either skull-crushing or armor-breaking—with a stack of ten layers of 10D6 damage, it could destroy most plate armors.

I am a Psychic Sorcerer.

A Psychic Sorcerer, hey!

A Psychic Sorcerer who’s taken up a side job as a Mage.

But now my equipment makes me look more like a warrior than a warrior.

When Gaven was inwardly lamenting, it would show more sincerity if he could just hold back the smile on the corners of his mouth.

This was a typical case of being smug about a windfall gain.

Next time I head back to the Dragon Oak Dragon’s Nest, if the Deformed Golden Crown has not been purified, I might as well use this ability.

I believe the equipment produced from recycling and purification there will definitely relate to the Psychic Sorcerer.

Because the recycling ability is not random, but closely related to the original.

Whether it is Revenge or Revenge Skull Shatter, in reality, they are variants of the power of Revenge.

The ability also depends on the chosen equipment.

Had Gaven not chosen the pickaxe as the vessel, but instead a Keen Edge Longspear or Magic Longsword.

It’s likely that the ability unlocked would not be Revenge Skull Shatter, but something like Piercing Skull Shatter or Decapitating Skull Shatter.

However, there’s a greater chance that the ability would simply get consumed, leaving behind only Revenge.

Gaven felt instinctively that the more compatible the object was, the more related to the original item, the stronger and more numerous the abilities unlocked by using it as a vessel. Thɪs chapter is updated by NovᴇlFɪre.nᴇt

Never underestimate intuition, sometimes it’s frighteningly accurate.

If the Deformed Golden Crown were to be recycled, for the related objects, the first thing Gaven thought of was a giant battle-axe, and the second was a beautiful shield.

No, I can’t think about this anymore.

If I think any further, I’ll have to specifically make a trip to the Dragon Oak Territory.

By then, if I don’t find it troublesome, Lord Virginia will likely splash blood on me and charge me for the teleport cost.

Concentrate on the present, focus on what’s right now.

Gaven turned his gaze toward the pair of ghostly mother and daughter, examining them closely.

He had only seen them as passersby in the plot before, sent off without much consideration, naturally not paying too much attention. Now, it’s different, as he might have to deal with them frequently for a while.

Even though they were still in their ghostly states, they were not of the previously vicious and terrifying variety.

Now, their bodies were still filled with powerful negative energy, but their demeanor was incredibly calm, indistinguishable from ordinary people.

Actually, negative energy is not inherently evil, and the Shadow Plane does not belong to a purely evil dimension.

It is simply a type of energy that is opposite to positive energy.

Just like the shadows under the sunlight.

However, negative energy often gets entwined with evil souls that have left the body and with evil creatures, forming various notorious spiritual monsters and malevolent beings.

Over time, many people subconsciously regard negative energy as evil.

Kind souls are more likely to absorb positive energy.

Evil souls are more compatible with negative energy.

It can only be said that negative energy is friendly to evil, providing the original motive force for various kinds of wickedness; by itself, it does not have the ability to lead people to evil—as the powers of Hell and the Abyss do.

Therefore, in Felen, there exist good specters and Bound Spirits, and their numbers are not small.

The most famous is Sheren, the eldest of the seven sisters, who perished together with the ancient Red Dragon in 1356, and then became a kind ghost.

As for these two ladies, it is still unclear whether they are kind, but at least they can control themselves and are no longer swayed by rage and hatred.

Lady Estelle looks young, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, the most beautiful age in a person’s life, with a slender and frail figure. Her appearance couldn’t be considered the most stunning, certainly not on par with the bard outside the manor whose every move exuded infinite charisma.

But she possessed an aristocratic temperament unique to noblewomen, not feigned but ingrained in her bones, which could be discerned from her simple yet tidy attire—of course, what she wore was not real clothes, but the attire from her living days.

Although she had been a ghost for some time, most of that time she was manipulated by the realm of Undead Vengeance, ruled by hatred; she had not yet learned to use her own power, and if she wished, she could change her attire at will according to her desires.

Let me put it this way.

Lady Estelle naturally has a ’good wife and loving mother’ attribute; upon seeing her for the first time, one cannot help but think of this name.

The timid little one hiding behind Lady Estelle, only showing half of her head.

Short, thin, and small, she seemed to be only about seven or eight years old, but Gaven knew she was already thirteen, which was her age before death, and she had been a Bound Spirit for over two years.

Her thinness was due to chronic malnutrition, a sin wrought by Duke Kolonfer.

She had never enjoyed a hint of fatherly love as she grew up.

At the mention of the word ’father’, all that came to her mind were whips and belts.

That she did not become completely twisted into a being that only knew hatred was all thanks to Lady Estelle’s motherly love, nurturing her with tenfold or a hundredfold of care.

Life Force: 68 (Life Dice: 8D8+32)

Attributes: Strength 8, Dexterity 16, Constitution 18, Intelligence 14, Perception 14, Charisma 18

Special Abilities: Sunlight Sensitivity — In incorporeal state, exposure to sunlight leads to a weakened condition, significantly impairing attacks and perception.

Life Absorption — Touch attacks can directly siphon an enemy’s life force for oneself, and the life force taken cannot be restored with a Magic Potion, only through natural recovery.

Create Earthbound Wraith (Special Ability) — Allows for the resurrection of beings who have died within the manor as wraiths in an obedient state, using the Resurrection Spell to resurrect the dead without the ability to kill the wraiths, controlling a number equal to the number of Life Dice (a total of eight).

Earthbound Spirit (Special Ability) — Her essence has merged with Weizemay Manor, and she is unable to leave it. She possesses some capabilities to manipulate the manor, and if killed, she will be reborn inside the manor after one week. Her complete death would result from the destruction of the manor. Within the manor, she possesses unlimited Flash Spell capabilities, allowing her to pass through at will.

Material-Spiritual Conversion (Special Ability) — She can transform between her corporeal and incorporeal forms.

In the incorporeal state, she is akin to a ghost, able to pass freely through living beings and objects. She will take damage from force fields and has undead traits: immunity to effects that influence the mind, poisons, sleep, paralysis, stun, and disease, as well as immunity to death effects caused by crushing blows, contusions, attribute damage, energy drain, and massive injuries.

In the corporeal state, she is like a living person, with the ability to touch incorporeal beings and materialize them, temporarily losing all special abilities associated with the incorporeal form.

This is Estelle’s power.

She is a Bound Spirit, a rather special Earthbound Spirit.

Her situation is quite similar to that of Lord Virginia, her life essence closely tied to the fate of an estate.

This kind of situation is not uncommon in Felen.

These unique forms of life are usually referred to as earth spirits.

However, Estelle’s case is a bit more special. Her original nature was that of a Bound Spirit, but after integrating some earth spirit traits, she became what she is now, an Earthbound Spirit with the characteristics of both.

Sunlight Sensitivity, Life Absorption, and Create Earthbound Wraith all belong to the powers of a Bound Spirit.

Earthbound Spirit and Material-Spiritual Conversion are powers of an earth spirit.

Gaven had already witnessed the power of Material-Spiritual Conversion when Estelle and her daughter attacked Duke Kolonfer, pulling him from a spiritual body back into the physical realm, thus forcing him to relive the agony of his flesh being torn apart.

In terms of special abilities, Amanda is identical to her mother, but her attributes differ slightly.

Life Force: 76 (Life Dice: 12D8+24)

Attributes: Strength 6, Dexterity 18, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Perception 18, Charisma 16

Spiritual beings, such as spirits, sometimes do not have much connection to the strength or weakness of the body, especially Bound Spirits that arise from hatred and resentment.

The petite Amanda, when she was killed, harbored hatred that far exceeded that of her own mother, which directly reflected in her Life Dice.

But out of maternal instinct, Estelle constantly protected her daughter, who was stronger than herself, behind her.

Gaven’s scrutinizing gaze made Estelle uncomfortable, but he had shown them favor, having liberated them from the cycle of revenge.

In the cycle of undead revenge, initially, there is the satisfaction of vengeance being served.

However, when this revenge is played out night after night without change, its nature shifts. They grew to despise this puppet-like existence, hating the repeated gnawing on Duke Kolonfer’s rotten flesh and blood even more.

In the end, when the outpouring of hatred was exhausted, what remained was endless torment, torment without end.

The cycle of undead vengeance was Duke Kolonfer’s prison, but it was theirs as well.

Most importantly, as part of Weizemay Manor, Estelle could sense Gaven’s absolute ownership and dominion over this place.