Victory

Junieles moved her body urgently, dodging Si-eun’s fireball. Even though the fireball didn’t have much power, it was still quite threatening in her current condition.

Si-eun kept firing fireballs one after another, and Junieles twisted and turned her body to evade every single one. Eventually, no more fireballs flew out from the Cradle of Rest. Si-eun had completely exhausted her mana.

While Junieles was warily staring in the direction of the Cradle of Rest, I began to move.

This really was my last bit of strength. I had no power left to move anymore.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I picked up the nunchaku and charged straight at Junieles. Seeing me rush toward her, she grabbed her hand axe again and got into a combat stance.

As I ran at her, I muttered under my breath.

Black energy surged from my body and flowed into Ji-yun’s corpse at Junieles’s feet.

“Grab that bitch!”

At my command, Ji-yun rose and immediately latched onto Junieles, holding her down.

“W-what the—?!”

Junieles looked at Ji-yun with a panicked expression as the girl clung to her. Of course she was shocked. Who wouldn’t be when a corpse suddenly stood up and started grappling them?

That was exactly why I had lured her toward Ji-yun’s body.

Normally, Junieles would have been able to shake off someone like Ji-yun without much effort, but right now? No chance.

I spun the nunchaku rapidly and raised it high above my head.

“N-no—!”

The shadow of death fell across Junieles’s face as she flailed helplessly in Ji-yun’s grasp.

I brought the nunchaku down with every ounce of strength I had left, smashing it into her skull.

Crack!

I definitely felt the sensation of bone shattering. Blood poured from Junieles’s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Then she went limp in Ji-yun’s arms.

At the same time, a refreshing wave of energy washed over me and my body began to glow. Messages flashed rapidly before my eyes.

Whoa, this is chaotic. How many levels did I just gain?

When the light finally faded from my body, I was completely healed. I rolled my newly restored shoulder in a circle, then touched my face where it had been deeply sliced open and bleeding profusely.

The level-up effect is seriously amazing. It healed even injuries this severe in one go.

As I checked over my body, the voice of the Great Soul echoed in my mind.

“Ah… thank you.”

In truth, using Rise on Ji-yun had been a gamble. Her stats were higher than mine, so normally the skill shouldn’t have worked. But my stats had skyrocketed thanks to the Great Soul’s power. I had bet everything on that and it paid off.

Luckily, the system seemed to recognize the Great Soul’s stats as part of my own. The skill activated perfectly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and I was able to make Ji-yun my third thrall.

I looked at Ji-yun with pity. She stood there blankly, still holding Junieles’s corpse in her arms.

I don’t think I’ll be able to treat her as harshly as I did with Ji-su. After all, she died trying to protect me…

I clicked my tongue and turned my gaze to Junieles’s body.

Right. There was still you.

I remembered the promise I had made to her.

As I stared silently at the corpse, the Great Soul’s voice rang in my head again.

“Ah… yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

This soul really loves his wise sayings until the very end. I wonder who he really was?

“W-wait! Could you hold on just a moment?”

“I still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have some skills I need to use. Could you stay until I’m done?”

I hurriedly opened my status window.

“Status window.”

“Huk…”

The level-ups and stat increases were insane. Every number had shot up dramatically. But I didn’t have time to examine them one by one. The Great Soul was about to leave.

I quickly dumped my skill points into Rise.

Perfect!

Just two skill level-ups and I got exactly what I wanted.

I used the skill on Junieles’s corpse, which Ji-yun was still holding.

“Rise.”

Black energy rose from my body and was sucked into Junieles. Then she stood up.

Success!!

I did it! That insanely strong Junieles was now mine!!!

This was only possible because my stats had been boosted by the Great Soul. Normally, even if I had found her corpse, my stats would have been nowhere near enough to raise her as a thrall.

I clenched my fist and let out a silent cheer of victory.

“Ah, you’re leaving. Thank you so much. I hope we meet again someday.”

The white orb of light burst out of my chest once more. The Great Soul gave me one final farewell and slowly faded away on the spot.

He must have returned to the Underworld.

As soon as the Great Soul left, my stats plummeted to less than half. A massive wave of exhaustion crashed over me. I opened my status window again.

“Status window.”

“Hmm, those flashy stats have become pretty shabby.”

If this were before, I would have thought these stats were incredibly high. Every single one had broken past 40. But after experiencing the Great Soul’s overwhelming power, they honestly felt rather weak.

The Soul Jar had been at 70, but it’s back to zero. It must be because Junieles’s soul, which was stored inside it, has now been bound to me through Rise.

I looked proudly at the four names listed as my thralls.

Junieles de Guz? What the hell is that long name? Did she go by Juniel for short?

As I continued scanning the status window, something unusual caught my eye.

“Huh? Nunchaku Summon? Why is this skill still here?”

Even though the level had dropped from 9 to 1, the skill was definitely still in my status window. I decided to test it.

“Nunchaku Summon.”

Light flashed in my hand, and a nunchaku appeared. It was crudely made of rough wood and looked quite shabby. The quality was worlds apart from the one I had summoned while the Great Soul was with me.

The nunchaku itself isn’t the important part. The fact that the skill remained with me even after the level dropped—that’s what matters. Does this mean I can keep the skills of the Great Souls that stay with me? If so, this is a huge jackpot.

I swung the nunchaku around a few times. When I had fought Junieles with the Great Soul, it had felt like an extension of my own body. Now it felt clumsy and awkward. Using it properly seemed nearly impossible.

It won’t be very useful for me. This skill would only be useful to that martial artist. For someone like me who doesn’t know how to wield it properly, it doesn’t mean much. I hope the next Great Soul gives me a more useful skill.

I dismissed the Nunchaku Summon skill. The nunchaku in my hand turned into light and scattered into the air.

I closed the status window and looked at Ji-yun and Junieles in front of me. Ji-yun was still holding Junieles. I ordered her to let go.

Junieles’s appearance was absolutely gruesome. All the wounds from the fight remained, and the final blow had left a massive dent in her skull. The blood trails from her eyes, nose, and mouth were still there too.

Looking at the grotesque figure standing before me, I frowned. These were wounds she had received before dying, so Siphon Hand couldn’t heal them.

But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had gained Form Restoration as a sub-effect of Rise.

I used Form Restoration on Junieles. Black energy flowed from my hand and wrapped around her entire body. Once it was absorbed, what remained was a perfectly restored Junieles—exactly as she had looked before the fight. Even her broken horn had been completely repaired.

“Kuh, the effect is solid.”

I grabbed Junieles by the chin. She was a crazy bitch, but she really was beautiful.

Looking at her face, I gave her my most mocking grin.

“I told you, didn’t I? That you’d end up on your back under me, squealing like a whore. Look forward to it, Juniel.”

Even at my taunt, Junieles just stood there with vacant eyes, completely motionless.

I left her like that and used Form Restoration on Ji-yun as well. The axe wound in her chest vanished in an instant.

I felt especially sorry toward Ji-yun compared to the others.

I’m sorry. In return, I’ll make sure to thoroughly torment the one who killed you.

After making that silent vow, I gently stroked Ji-yun’s hair as she stood there with empty eyes.

Sigh… she’s the worst off.

I clicked my tongue as I looked at Ji-su. Her entire body was charred black, and she was twitching on the ground.

Ji-su had fought desperately for me. She had burned herself this badly.

I reached out and used Siphon Hand on her. I felt my life force draining away as Ji-su’s body began to heal. Because the injuries were so severe, I had to expend a considerable amount of my own life force before she was fully restored.

I also brought Si-eun out of the Cradle of Rest and used Form Restoration to cleanly erase the goblin poison needle marks on all of them.

Ji-su, Si-eun, Ji-yun. If even one of the three hadn’t been here, I would have died.

Ji-su, who had coordinated with me from the start to fight Junieles. Si-eun, who had launched fireballs from inside the Cradle of Rest. And Ji-yun, who had grabbed Junieles at the final moment and created the decisive opening.

I looked at my three women standing there blankly and sent them a heartfelt thank you in my mind.

(Junieles excluded, of course.)