Conquering the City's Ghosts

I'd successfully dominated every ghost in the city.

"Ooh... our king..."

"Lead us..."

As I wandered the streets, the ghosts were busy praising me. I'd gained an army of a million phantoms.

But nothing really changed. Most of them were low-grade undead with the physical power of a regular human or less.

'The quality's lower than I expected.'

In wars without special forces like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nukes or airstrikes, numbers often meant victory. But that only held if there were no special forces to overwhelm the masses.

'Even in my past life, just hiring me alone made a war unwinnable for the enemy. I was that kind of special force.'

In my previous life's America, they said I wasn't nuclear-level firepower, but my influence was like a nuke. Anyway, this world had plenty of individuals who could overwhelm numbers single-handedly. Benefict Pendragon, who'd beaten me in our duel, was one such special force, and so were Flamma the Archfiend (?) and the others.

Considering that, my million-ghost army was just for show—nothing more, nothing less. Cannon fodder for handling small fry, at best.

'So I need to crank out some new elite undead, fast.'

With that in mind, I said, "We're heading to the city center."

"Auu!!"

"Uee!!"

"Huaa~"

"Dauu..!!"

My Living Death servants, lined up behind me for inspection, responded. They were dressed in casual combat gear instead of dresses, grabbing their weapons.

Come to think of it, would they even need to fight? I was having trouble gauging just how strong I'd become. To test it properly, I'd have to cut loose, but that would cause massive destruction and draw too much attention. That alone proved how ridiculously powerful I'd gotten.

'Could I take down the Demon King right now?'

The thought flashed through my mind, but I shook my head.

'Don't get cocky. Unlike Earth in my past or current life, this place is crawling with heavy hitters.'

I didn't know the Demon King's forces yet, so the answer was to build up enough power first.

"Um, are you really going? It's d-dangerous..."

The madam asked worriedly.

"It's fine."

And if it got dicey, I'd just bail. Tactical retreats were never cowardly or shameful.

"Don't worry—just hold down the fort."

"Y-yes..."

I wasn't taking her on the hero party quest ahead; she was staying to manage the ghost horde. To that end, I'd assigned a mid-grade ghost undead stronger than her—a Geist—to guard her. It was weak in raw power but skilled in administration and strategy, so I figured it deserved some responsibility.

"Alright, let's go?"

The city was Seoul-sized, so running, flying with magic, or teleporting via scout undead would've been quick.

'But no need ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for those boring tricks. Time to dust off an old mercenary move from my past life.'

I glanced at the cat's remains. Now I knew exactly where they were. Why? Because after subjugating the ghosts...

-Whisper...

-Whisper...

Whisper...

...even grudge spirits too weak to become ghosts started hovering around me. They acted all cutesy, and any that knew the answer would respond if I asked something.

I'd asked why they hadn't approached before. One said my aura used to terrify them—they'd flee every time—but seeing me conquer the ghost legion moved them to draw near. A grudge spirit from the city center even pinpointed the cat's head for me.

Anyway, location confirmed. "Dena, toss me that way."

"Uee!!"

I gave the order to Dena, who vied for top strength with Kangjang among my four Living Death.

I crouched low.

-Swish

-Whoosh!!

Dena grabbed my ankle with one hand while I was crouched, stretching her other arm out to gauge the distance.

"If I need firepower, I'll call. Stand by in combat ready."

"Auu!!"

"Huaa~"

"Dauu!!"

The other three acknowledged. And then...

"Ueeeee!!!"

-Boom!!

Dena roared and hurled me toward the target. Spiderweb cracks spidered across the ground, the air tore, a massive shockwave erupted, and my body rocketed into the sky.

'Ah, nostalgic. Used to ride dedicated catapults for this back in the day.'

Mainly to infiltrate and wreck enemy lines fast. Of course, I was weaker then—no way I reached these speeds or heights. Dena's insane strength launched me straight through the clouds.

And 'There it is.'

Target sighted. I tensed my body.

-Screeeee!!

I arced into a parabola, plummeting toward the mark.

And soon...

-KABOOOM!!

...I landed safely(?) on target. Sure, nearby buildings crumbled, the ground cratered like a meteor strike, and the shockwave razed the area—but no biggie.

I'd adjusted to avoid damaging the cat's head.

-Pat pat

I brushed dust off my clothes, then

-Whoosh

-Thud!!

leapt out of the massive crater.

The cityscape looked the same, but the center was for the ultra-rich elite, so the vibe was different—no ghosts, either. And

-Rustle...

"Hoh. So you're the shadow monster, huh."

Shadows from buildings, dark alleys, even tiny objects writhed toward me. Every shadow in the area was coming.

My senses, sharper than ever, picked up intense malice.

'High-grade undead level, at least.'

Level 50s in game terms. Stronger than that eyeball collector before.

-Sssshhh!!!

Judgment made, the shadows morphed like a giant maw to devour me.

-Swish

I shifted into position: half-fist, thumb and middle finger extended, tips touching.

A technique I'd made on a whim from watching wuxia jiangshi flicks—Heavenly Demon Divine Art, specifically Heavenly Demon Overlord Step. If walking alone pulled off that miracle, why not replicate it with other moves?

-Hummm!!

Death energy gathered at my fingertips, resonating with eerie pale light.

-Sssshhh!!!

Shadows closed in, painting everything black, and

-Hummm!!!

...enough energy built between my fingers. Then

-Snap

I flicked.

-Flash!

The resonating energy exploded in pale light, sweeping shadows away like dawn banishing night.

-KABOOOM!!

"Kieeeek!!!"

-Pop!!

"Kyeeeek!!"

The shockwave followed, shredding the shadows. Incorporeal or not, against a Phantom Sorcerer's power, resistance was futile.

-Rumble!!

The ground shook like an earthquake; already wrecked buildings from my landing collapsed further.

And as the technique's afterglow faded...

-Humm...

"Kii... eek..."

...only a near-dead shadow monster trembled pathetically.

-Grrk... grrk...

"Hoh?"

Despite losing most of its body, it devoured nearby shadows to regenerate fast. My eyes traced its shadow to a distant link.

"Aha, separate main body, huh."

That explained why it survived and healed so quick.

"Kieeeek!!"

Regaining some mobility, it charged again, fearless.

'Use Essence Strike?'

The spell for bosses with separate bodies or immunities to Spirit Strike. But

'Nah... this time,'

I'd test my new power.

"Let me show you something good."

I slowly raised my hand.

-Hummm

My inner self responded. Dead spirit, yet a clear image burned in my mind—forged through two deaths, becoming near-undead. Pure death.

-Hummm!!

That death-image twisted reality impossibly at my will, revealing the world's truth.

My mental death flashed into form; an ominous ring echoed in the void.

-Grip

A pale, translucent black sword materialized in my grasp. One image, one world, one truth—overwhelming all.

"Manifest,"

And

-Slash!!

-Shing!!

The pale blade cleaved the charging shadow monster.

No big boom or shockwave. The mind-sword sliced only what I targeted.

And "Kieeeek!!!"

Death's truth eroded its body, severing its essence.

-Crack!

The principle invaded its link to the main body, infusing death into both.

And "Kiii... eee..."

-Crumble...

The shadow monster disintegrated.

-Flash!!

I released the heart sword.

"Not bad."

Remembered the absurd moment I got it.

"Oook!♥ Oguk!!♥ Hnngh!!♥"

Just another day pounding Kangjang's pussy.

"Cumming."

-Spurt!!

"Haaah!!♥"

As I circulated death energy post-nut like usual...

"Ah..."

Circulating, I inadvertently contemplated myself. Realized my image's existence and power—sudden silence. No breath, no pulse, pure stillness. I grasped it: the death named power in my heart-image.

"I get it... the heart's core..!!"

-Pop pop!!

"Ogok!!"

Coating my dick with the image made Kangjang climax harder than ever; even death energy circulation couldn't wake her—she passed out cold.

That ridiculousness birthed my heart sword.

'Even more absurd than that Rastafarian alien I wrestled barehanded in the Vietnam jungle on a cartel hit...'

"Anyway..."

Nothing left to block me. Just head to the cat.

"One sec first."

-Grind!!

Shadow remnants around me coalesced in my hand; the incorporeal gained form.

-Ting

A gem made of shadow dropped into my palm.

Soul Manipulation let me extract, absorb, split, defend with, control, or materialize incorporeal stuff like this. The resulting items could be potions for undead, or refined, alchemized, cooked(?), or crafted.

For me, it'd be material for undead-ifying the cat.

'Though... could use this other ways too?'

Experiment later. Finished thinking, I traversed the battle-ruined streets.

Finally, under the half-collapsed goddess church's bell tower:

"Found it."

-Whisper...

-Whisper...

Whisper...

The skull the grudge spirits swore shone silver.

"So this was the shadow monster's core."

The ghosts were right. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skull, laced with faint death energy and tarry shadows, was impaled on a long rod-like stake. My heart sword had wrecked its core function.

"Well then..."

Time to make it horny?