The battle between the spirits and the corpses was brutal. The energy of corruption spread wildly through the atmosphere as Roto Night said,
"Even though you possess the power to face me, you are simply too weak."
Solan Neumann didn't answer him and struggled to keep the puppet under control. The scroll glowed in the air, shaping the Spirit World and summoning all kinds of spirits. But the problem was the corruption spell cast by the puppet. Although she could purify spirits, her strength was incomparable to Roto's.
As there was a gap between their levels.
Polter and Bloom were also in terrible condition. Despite wielding high-level weapons, they could not even reach Roto, whose puppet body had magic circles engraved upon it and had existed for countless unknown years.
Roto said,
"You two possess power… so why follow a little girl?"
Polter answered while launching his attacks,
"That's none of your business! Unlike a sick monster like you, our lady never killed someone she loved."
The moment Roto remembered his wife and daughter, he roared in rage and fury.
"I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"
Although Bloom did not know why she had been dragged into the argument, she still used her power.
"(Blood Spirits)!"
The atmosphere changed instantly. Veins glowed crimson as blood-soaked spirits emerged and rushed toward the corpses. A violent clash erupted between both sides.
Roto looked at Bloom and said,
"I never expected such trash among the valuable ones."
He activated his domain and cast another spell.
"(Corrupted Hand)!"
The domain surrounding him transformed into a gigantic hand that attacked the blood spirit. Solan immediately summoned Bloom back.
"Return now!"
Bloom returned to the Spirit World while the corrupted energy rushed toward it, only for the scroll to repel it completely.
Roto's eyes widened.
"That scroll… it's a ninth-level treasure!"
Solan remembered how Shiu Won Lan had suppressed everyone effortlessly before. Unlike him, she could not use those tools with the same efficiency. And unlike him, she was fighting only a puppet.
Still, she shouted,
"Polter! Now!"
Roto realized he had been exposed for a brief moment—but that was enough.
Polter unleashed a lethal slashing attack using the Neumann Family Swordsmanship. His strike split open the puppet's entire chest before following it with a stab straight into the heart.
Roto screamed from the blow, yet he did not die.
He retreated and cursed,
"You bastard! That hurts immensely even though I'm already dead!"
Polter was shocked that the puppet had survived, but before he could attack again, he found himself transported back into the Spirit World.
Solan frowned anxiously.
"How is he unaffected by these attacks?!"
Roto laughed.
"My regeneration is extremely powerful—both for my body and my soul. So surrender while you still can!"
He unleashed his domain again, destroying everything in its path as he attempted to climb toward Solan and pierce through her world. But as expected from a ninth-level treasure, the scroll remained overwhelmingly powerful, forcing Roto to retreat once more.
Then he smiled.
"You want to protect that boy, don't you?"
Solan replied coldly,
"I saw that girl heading toward him and realized you were trying to get rid of him."
Roto looked surprised.
"How? You never even looked toward his room!"
Solan answered with disdain,
"Do you think I care about your existence or anything you do? If I had to place your worth anywhere, it would be in the garbage where you belong. The only reason I came here was to kill you while he recovered."
Before Roto could respond, he suddenly sensed something wrong inside the veins that had entered Shion's room.
He shouted,
"You blood spirit! Are you trying to control my veins?!"
"Huh?!"
Bloom had no idea what he meant. But Solan's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the traces of death she knew better than anyone inside those veins.
They were being destroyed.
She immediately realized Bloom could no longer help in battle.
After calming herself, she said,
"Bloom, you can't control the blood. Give me the lantern now."
Bloom did not understand her lady's words, but Polter did.
The mark Shi Yun Lan had left inside his soul had slightly reacted with the veins.
Solan prepared herself for another round against Roto.
'I left a healing spirit behind to save Shion… I hope he wakes up soon.'
...
Inside the Vein Realm, Shion Lan looked toward Shi Yun Lan, who greeted him calmly.
"That gentle spirit wants to heal you."
Behind him, the veins restrained a tiny healing spirit trembling in fear.
Shion sighed.
"I kept myself awake for only a few seconds and came back to find you doing this?"
Shi Yun Lan answered,
"I simply wanted her to forget this place. So I'll handle a few things and let her heal you."
Shion asked,
"Who would've thought the only thing capable of killing me… is myself? Yet nobody else can kill me. I want an explanation."
"Your curse."
That was Shi Yun Lan's answer.
"I believe you heard my master's words…"
Shion interrupted him in shock.
"The arrogant narcissist who sees nobody but himself actually admits someone else was his master?! That's a once-in-a-lifetime event!"
Shi Yun Lan gritted his teeth.
"It seems I was mistaken to discuss something important with trash like you!"
Noticing his anger, Shion took a deep breath.
"I didn't realize you respected him that much. My apologies."
Shi Yun Lan replied,
"You could say he was my guide in life before he was my master. Around him, I felt human emotions… and understood many things I could never grasp because of this curse that made me dead while breathing. Meanwhile, you are alive… yet dead."
"What?!!"
As the healing spirit began restoring Shion who was shocked, Shi Yun Lan released it and continued,
"We are opposites. Yet neither of us can live without the other. Through my master, I regained my humanity… and now I'm beginning to feel it again through your company."
He snapped his fingers, revealing the thread connecting him and Shion.
Shion asked,
"What about you? Were you influenced by me too?"
Shi Yun Lan nodded.
"I was. I want to kill that puppet desperately."
Shion looked stunned.
"Well… everyone wants to kill the puppet. But I feel a strange anger I've never experienced before. Is there a reason?"
Shi Yun Lan answered,
"The Art of Annihilation. Despite its terrifying reputation, I never used my power the way that bastard does."
He continued coldly,
"When I use my art, I intimidate, punish, and kill my enemies. But he kills, mutilates, and leaves neither the living nor the dead in peace."
He clenched his fist and continued,
"If he uses corruption magic, the enemy dies from agony more than from the destruction itself. Unlike me, who kills directly, he corrupts souls after death and enslaves them. I only summon souls temporarily before letting them leave."
Shion said indifferently as he wasn't touched by his reason,
"Both of you killing people. People feel despair and terror before dieing. The only difference is the period of time. You are cruel people."
Shi Yun Lan said,
"But the cruelest thing of all is regeneration. He restores the bodies of his victims only to control them longer. They obey in hatred and agony… unable to die and unable to be saved."
"..."
After speaking so much, Shi Yun Lan paused.
"I never expected myself to open up like this. Perhaps it's because my master now exists within my veins. I no longer care."
Shion stared silently at this unfamiliar side of him before finally asking,
"So now we have a filthy puppet with a corrupted soul we both want dead. What's the plan?"
Shi Yun Lan replied,
"I already did something."
Shion frowned.
"Don't tell me it's (Blood of the Dead). That's only a fourth-level technique—it won't work against something like this!"
"As I said… it was merely 'something.'"
"???"
Shion didn't understand so he asked,
"What do you mean?"
"If Am Wish was alive, I would've needed to think harder. But a puppet like her is not truly dangerous by itself."
"Please explain in words I can understand! What did you do?!"
Shi Yun Lan smirked.
"Did you forget what kind of blood filled those veins the idiot displayed earlier?"
Shion froze.
"Blood of the Dead…"
"Now you understand. Anything dead belongs to me. Before those veins became corrupted… they were already dead. And that is where my power lies."
He continued with his perfect smile,
"Now we simply wait a little longer… and those veins will stop functioning."
Shion nodded.
"I'll see you later."
Shion regained consciousness in reality and saw Jina Joul breathing heavily nearby.
"How is Your Highness?"
Jina was startled before quickly regaining composure.
"No more corpses came here. We can leave now!"
Shion shook his head.
"That's a good plan… but I intend to kill that cursed puppet."
Jina stared at him in disbelief.
"Do you realize how difficult it was just to survive?! And now you want to attack?!"
"Yes," Shion answered calmly. "And if you don't want to, then unfortunately we have no other option. If we jump from the balcony, the corrupted energy will surround us immediately. If we stay here, we'll remain safe… but Solan won't last much longer. Despite her talent, she's still only a spirit—and only at the fourth level."
"That's even more reason not to stay here!" Jina argued. "Even if the outside is filled with corruption energy, there's still a chance we won't be harmed!"
Shion replied,
"There's something else you forgot, Your Highness. Our enemy is a puppet wielding a legacy."
"Yes, and that alone makes him terrifying!"
"How long can a legacy use its full power before entering dormancy?"
That question struck Jina completely silent.
Then Celicia Joul spoke through her.
"What about regeneration? Won't Roto simply continue fighting endlessly while using the legacy?"
Shion answered,
"So his name is Roto Night. Then don't worry."
"And how exactly am I supposed not to worry?!"
"In the first place, his wife was the one who possessed that regeneration power. Regeneration restores the body only—the soul belongs to Solan's domain."
Celesia said,
"It can heal the souls as well."
"And even if the puppet can heal souls, the source of regeneration is still the puppet itself."
Shion raised his hand and moved his fingers simply saying,
"All I need… is to touch him once with my forbidden technique.
And then I'll destroy her completely."
"No!!"
Jina shouted in panic getting the control back,
"That technique will kill you! Why won't you understand?!"
Shion answered sharply,
"You are the princess of this kingdom. You must look at the bigger picture. If I get injured a little, then so be it. Leaving a monster like that alive is the real danger."
He continued with a cold tone,
"And if Solan gets hurt, it'll be an enormous loss for us. We cannot afford either of those outcomes!"
"That's true, Your Highness."
A familiar figure entered through the window.
Asin Night had arrived safely.
Jina sighed in relief.
"Great, Instructor Asin! You can get us out of here!"
But he shook his head.
"I can't. My body contains a similar power, so I'm fine. But unlike me, the two of you won't endure it even if I protect you. You'll still be corrupted."
At that moment—
Shion's eyes darkened.