I saw many other souls' memories afterward. They were all from different time periods, but their ends were universally the same: death by soul extraction. I felt deeply wary, going through so many lifetimes leaving me feeling ancient. Despite experiencing those numerous memories, I still hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of their leader's face. All I knew was that the organization had already existed for more than a thousand years.
I retracted my consciousness, and Chloe looked at me expectantly.
Lost in thought, I didn't react immediately, which made her assume something had gone wrong.
"You can't free them?"
"Oh... yes, I mean no, I can free them now. I just got lost in their memories."
"What did you learn from them? Anything useful?"
"Well, kind of. They use a green serpent for a symbol, and their leader seemed to be pretty powerful from what I sensed. They've been operating for much longer than we thought—many centuries ago, judging by the memories of their victims."
Chloe looked pensive, staying silent for a moment.
"I don't recall any group within the supernatural world using that type of symbol, but I could be wrong. We should look into it when we get back to Nebula City; my father's library should have records on them. He has accumulated a massive collection of scrolls and ancient books."
"That would be really helpful. We should try to find their base in this city soon, before the number of casualties escalates. After witnessing those memories, I believe this isn't just a small operation. The group we are tracking is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Whatever their ultimate goal is, I doubt it's anything good for the rest of us," I said seriously.
"You're right, but that's easier said than done. We haven't managed to find them this entire time; they're sneakier than rats. Or do you already have a plan?"
"Yes, I've thought of something. Do you remember how I communicated with you all the way from Nebula City? I think I can do the exact same thing with them. Before, I couldn't because I wasn't strong enough and didn't have anything linked to them. But this time, I'm stronger, plus I have these souls. I think I can follow their collective resentment to track down where those bastards are hiding."
"Will it work?"
"I'm not 100% sure, but I've got a good feeling about it."
Without wasting any more time, I gathered my Willpower, shaped it like a blade, and slashed down at the glowing stone.
CRACK.
The stone exploded into countless sparkling dots of light, creating a breathtaking scene. Then, the temperature in the room began to plummet violently. It went from slightly warm to unbelievably cold in a matter of seconds, and I could see both of our breaths pluming out as thick white mist. I knew immediately that I had succeeded—this unnatural chill wasn't caused by the weather, but by ghosts.
Before us, numerous individuals materialized. They wore drastically different apparel from various eras, but they all shared the exact same crazed expression on their faces. The room suddenly felt cramped and suffocating.
"I truly hope you know what you're doing," Chloe said, looking a bit pale.
"Yes... don't worry," I answered, feeling a bit pale myself. To be fair, this was the first time I had ever had to deal with ghosts face-to-face. Sure, I had seen them trapped inside the stone earlier, but not in this terrifying physical manifestation. Seeing them all appear together in the room in all their phantom glory was a genuine horror-show vision.
The ghosts finally noticed our presence. They turned as one and fixed their hollow gazes directly on us. Feeling the heavy, menacing vibes radiating from them, I decided to erect a protective barrier between them and us, just in case. Having all those dead eyes locked onto my skin gave me severe goosebumps.
Trying to ignore them, I focused my Willpower entirely on my eyes, causing them to flare with a mystical aqua-blue light as the world around me shifted.
Through that enhanced sight, I could see a thick, roiling black gas surrounding the room. A conspicuous black pillar extended upward from the group, piercing out of the room and stretching far away toward the distant horizon. I instinctively knew that must be their concentrated resentment. I hadn't been entirely sure if I would actually be able to perceive it, but it turned out I could.
Truly, imagination is the only limit when it comes to what Willpower can accomplish, I marveled to myself.
Covering my consciousness in a protective film of Will, I sent my thoughts hurtling straight down that black line of agony. The moment I made contact with the stream, a cacophony of freakish, tormented sounds filled my mind, and I did my absolute best to tune them out.
It felt like I was speeding down a highway behind the wheel of a race car. My thoughts blurred forward, giving me barely any time to appreciate the flashing scenery. In the blink of an eye, I arrived at my destination: outside the city limits, standing in front of an abandoned industrial factory situated in the middle of nowhere. Men dressed in black robes marked with a green serpent pattern were actively patrolling the perimeter. When I focused my perception inward to scan the interior of the factory, I suddenly slammed into an invisible barrier. An immense wave of white-hot pain flooded my senses, snapping my consciousness right back to my physical body.
Opening my eyes, I found the ghosts still surrounding us and Chloe looking tense. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, fighting off an incoming migraine caused by the brutal aftereffects of colliding with that barrier.
Noticing I was back to myself, Chloe let out a slow breath and asked:
"So?"
"Found them. Now I need to do something about them," I answered, looking back at the restless spirits.
With a sweep of my hand, I dispelled our protective barrier. Instantly, the ghosts pounced on us like blood-starved bats. I cast my Will outward like a wide net, catching every single one of them. I felt an immediate, crushing strain; I knew my raw Willpower wouldn't be enough to hold them indefinitely, so I had to act fast.
YOU HAVE SUFFERED FOR TOO LONG. DO NOT LINGER HERE ON EARTH; I WILL BRING HELL DOWN UPON THOSE WHO DID THIS TO YOU. LET GO OF YOUR RESENTMENT—IT IS TIME TO MOVE ON.
I poured every ounce of my remaining Willpower into the mental compulsion and broadcasted it across the web of energy straight to all the ghosts. Their angry, distorted faces instantly went blank. Following that, the suffocating black haze surrounding them began to evaporate, and their expressions smoothed out into absolute peace and freedom. They all looked at me with an emotion so powerful it didn't require words. I felt it washing over me in rolling waves through our established connection.
Gratitude.
As they began to fade away one by one, they each released a soothing wave of energy. It made me feel utterly at ease, wrapped in warmth, and suddenly overwhelmingly tired. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
I woke up gradually, realizing I felt unspeakably comfortable—largely because I was resting my head on a pair of shapely thighs. I looked up and saw Chloe gently playing with the locks of my hair. Looking around the room, I breathed a massive sigh of relief when I saw that all the ghosts were completely gone, which meant I had pulled it off.
Standing up, I felt remarkably energized, as though I had just slept for an entire day. But the setting sun outside the window told me I had only been out for an hour. Curious, I mentally summoned my status screen:
STATUS
Name: Samsara Yu
Age: 17 years old
Race: ???
Willpower: (Affectation)
Unique ability: Death with benefits
Hmm... My Willpower received a massive boost, and there also seems to be something else... Just like I thought, something changed. It looks like my luck stat updated!
Focusing inward on the strange new sensation, the relevant information instantly flooded my mind:
Karmic Luck (Rare): Gained through karmic virtue. Those who possess it are deeply blessed by Fate.
I don't yet know how practical it'll be, but it sure sounds amazing.