A System That Beats Death 9 Soul Gathering

A battlefield was mired in carca.s.ses yet without blood. What was once a flourishing flower field had now become a ma.s.s graveyard void of burial rites. In the center of all the carnage, a pristine youth not over the age of 8 sat unfazed and seemingly bored on a pile of corpses. Grasping his unique blade which countered logic and had the ability to hone itself. Usually blades would dull after rending flesh for the thousandth time but this one was whet by the blood of the d.a.m.ned and could shatter the hardest of metals.

The piles of corpses included not only treacherous humans but also demons of varying calibers. Innumerable lesser demons, a few formidable ones, and even a bunch of notorious fiends were downed by the youth.

Suddenly, the ground had begun to rumble. The youth calmly and instantly distanced himself from the pile of dead. Similar to a black hole, the pile of dead imploded. A demon emerged from the wreckage and its miasma spread across the battlefield.

It had the appearance of a skeleton but was 8 meters tall and donned the gear of a common footsoldier. It towered above the youth who had not even reached his teenage years. The aura it emitted could compete with the acc.u.mulated aura of a thousand or more lesser demons. The aura partially suppressed people and regular humans would faint from the pressure.

Sensing the youth, it thrust its spear forward. Itsuki sidestepped nonchalantly and avoided the strike. The attack left a giant crater in the ground which clearly indicated that the skeleton was in a league of its own.

Tch. No blood, he thought.

He wouldn't bother with something this troublesome if he had nothing to gain. Blood of this caliber could considerably boost him but alas it was a skeleton.

He began to leave which the skeleton obviously wouldn't allow. He was about to activate Stealth and don the Concealment Mask in order to leave but was interrupted. A thunderous crash sounded behind him and his curiosity caused him to look back.

The skeleton screeched as if despairing. The miasma then began to dissipate and the demonic glow in its eyes faded. It then crumbled and each shard of bone became dust.

"One must finish what they start", a voice suddenly said.

Using Soul Perception, he instantly located the newly arrived individual. It was a man who wore the robes of a monk yet one could readily see that there was far more to him than a caretaker of a temple. The monk then raised his palm which shone. It emitted a blinding light which seemed to sear everything surrounding him.

[Ability Unveiled: Unyielding Soul]

[Ability Unveiled: Resilient Mind]

"It seems I am not the sole defier of fate", the monk said amused and intrigued.

Itsuki stood unfazed by the holy ray and his Spirit Shield pulsated furiously as if irritated by the attack. He merely held onto the hilt of his blade, preparing to retaliate if provoked any further by the monk.

[Rank Quest Path:

Description: Uphold the Holy Supremacy's Will

Current Objective: Become His Disciple

Reward: 50000 Points]

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"CLOSE THE GATES!!!", the guard exclaimed as the sky began to dim.

When the sun sets, residents of every village, town, and even clan would go into hibernation. Nights were dynamic and could last from an hour to an entire month. Extended periods of night were beneficial to those with a Celestial Apt.i.tude such as the Moonsoul but it was disadvantageous to everyone else and especially devastating to the general populace. It instilled a sense of dread and the inevitability of death among the powerless and households often worked to procure endless surpluses of food as demonic nights were unpredictable and occurred sporadically.

Demons would roam the streets at night and unless they were of sufficient strength, they could not enter a household without the explicit consent of the owner. There were also some demons that were strong enough to retain their might in the daytime but they were generally solitary and far more elusive.

A hazy mist descended upon the world and silhouettes of abominations could be seen if one squinted. At this time, only guards and capable warriors remained outside. If they were not one of the two then they were likely dead or about to be dead.

Many watchtowers guarded this one town as it contained a prominent marketplace which was affiliated with both the Yamato and Akagi Clan. Clans housed individuals with great Apt.i.tudes and strength which allowed them to combat the nightly terrors. Many guards in this town were sent from the clans to maintain relations and protect their incentives.

A hideous tongue reached across the fence which protected the town. It latched onto something and was about to propel itself. A blur of moisture suddenly apparated and a swordsman severed the monster's tongue.

Meanwhile in the forest, a couple had fallen asleep in the forest after intercourse. Their relationship was forbidden by their parents but they believed their love to be stronger.

The woman adjusted her clothes as they were lowered during their action which had exposed her collarbone. The man had also awoken and felt greatly rejuvenated. He then realized night had arrived and became incredibly wary.

The female did not understand his apprehension as she was a sheltered young lady. She had not experienced the terrors of night and a.s.sumed they were stories meant to scare children.

The man cautiously lead the way, fearing a high-ranking demon and was determined to make it to safety. After all, he now had a lover which was affluent and could ensure a prosperous future. Not only that but she was also pleasing to the eyes and pa.s.sionate about him.

After nearly an hour of wandering, he stumbled upon a village which somehow had no demons in the vicinity. He went up to one of the houses and knocked on the door. A villager that had decent apparel opened the door. He silently sized up the man before allowing them to live in his house until the night ended.

The man was delighted as the house was of decent size and there were at least 5 separate rooms. He was led to a decently sized room which he noticed emitted less sound.

The villager then winked at the man and he understood. The soundproofing was to allow the couple to enjoy themselves and so they did.

They were lucky that they were copulating as they were killed while still in rapture and did not feel the sensation of pain that would normally come from having one's head separate from one's body.

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The Holy Supremacy had decided to take Itsuki as his disciple. To him, Itsuki was the perfect candidate as he was ruthless but somehow had a pure soul. He had surmised that being ruthless was caused by childhood traumas and that he was not one who bloodl.u.s.ted due to the purity of Itsuki's soul.

When one killed ceaselessly and causelessly, their soul would inevitably be tainted by all the bloodshed. This child had experienced enough bloodshed to last a hundred lifetimes but still maintained a sense of self and a pure soul. If Itsuki was not worthy of being his disciple then no one was.

At this time, Itsuki sat serenely but attentively at the middle of a Heavenly Well. Unlike the Heavenly Spring, the Heavenly Well was natural and was not used to determine Apt.i.tudes. A Heavenly Well could bolster an Apt.i.tude's potency if one bathed in it but that would be a waste of something that was capable of far better.

Itsuki then opened his eyes in shock. As his master had said, there was a way to utilize the soul. He felt a newfound sensation which was kindred to Soul Perception but not entirely. Like how the Darkblood Apt.i.tude was a magnet for blood, he himself became a magnet for souls. After roaming across hundreds of battlefields, the amount of souls severed by Dark Revelation were insane. They had continued to surround him as Dark Revelation's abilities were unique and the souls had lost their own will.

The innumerable quant.i.ty of separate souls then began to condense according to Itsuki's will and it became so powerful that the soul could be seen with the naked eye. He then seized it which caused a chaotic tremor.

[Ability Obtained: Soul Imbuement]

Itsuki had finally left the cave which had held the Heavenly Well. The Holy Supremacy was in shock. Somehow the Heavenly Well had been completely dried up and Itsuki's soul seemed to be magnitudes greater than his own. He sighed in awe. His disciple had surpa.s.sed what he had spent 200 years doing in less than 3 months.

Itsuki greeted the monk happily as the monk truly was a worthy master. Through his tutelage, he now had a new ability which could devastate the world and possibly even alter reality.

The monk responded cheerfully and lightly snacked on a pastry as if to celebrate. He handed one to Itsuki who took a bite and slightly grimaced.

Itsuki then looked at the monk and said, "Allow me to express my grat.i.tude"

He then took out a wok and began to cook a stew.

The monk was ready to mention that regular food was slightly impure and tainted the soul but hesitated due to his disciple's eagerness.

He silently spectated as his disciple cooked and began to feel enticed by the mouthwatering scent.

How tempting, he thought before finally succ.u.mbing and taking a sip of the broth.

"This is like Divine Sustenance", the monk said after being overwhelmed by the fantastic flavor. Not only did it taste heavenly but it was actually beneficial to the soul. The Holy Supremacy then began to understand why his disciple remained pure and how capable his disciple truly was.