Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1784: Meeting The King Of Snugglehold

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"So you guys only eat plastic?" Maria asked.

"We can eat stones and crystals too," Wrecker replied.

"Anything we consume gets absorbed into our bodies, making us stronger," Christine added.

"Interesting. Then try these," Maria said, offering gold, silver, bronze, and elemental spirit stones to the Toykin. "Eat up!"

"Oooh! So colorful!" Wrecker eagerly chewed and swallowed them. "Hmm! Not bad!"

"What’s this tingling energy inside? It kind of makes me feel stronger..." Itsy said with a cute smile.

"It’s spirit energy," Maria explained. "As I suspected, you can adapt and absorb most energies too. You’re like vessels waiting to be filled. Bobby here has plenty of Mana and even some Ki inside him, though he didn’t realize it."

"I do...?" Bobby blinked in surprise.

"That’s how you grew stronger!" Christine exclaimed. "I see!"

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Bobby paid for everything with System Points. He seemed moderately wealthy, likely from hunting beasts and selling them for points across various worlds.

After the meal, Bobby led Maria and her family to a sector inside the couch known as "Snugglehold," home to the Plushdoms. These were plushies of all shapes and sizes, renowned as strong and resilient fighters and guardians.

They had long led the defense against the Wild Beasts from outside, creatures forever hungry for the Ethereal Imagination Soul Cores of the Toykin. Now they also fought the invaders descending from the Upper Floors.

Though most were plushies, plastic and wooden toys lived among them too, forming a community of over fifty in total.

Maria felt a flicker of nervousness as dozens of massive teddy bears and unicorn plushies stared down at her inside a grand hall. They were undeniably adorable, yet their sheer size and presence felt deeply intimidating.

"So these are the saviors you’ve brought to free us from the Pyramids, Bobby?"

A tall lion plushie spoke, gripping a large, enchanted fork that overflowed with magic and imagination power. He wore a cardboard crown painted gold and ruled as the "King of Snugglehold"—Snugglion III, the Lion Plushdom.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Bobby replied with a respectful nod. "They may appear ordinary, but their power is extraordinary. I can personally vouch for it."

"Hmm..." Snugglion rubbed his chin and stroked his fluffy mane. "You’re a hero we all respect, true... but you’ve been gone for nearly two years! You expect me to trust you without question?"

"I-I apologize. It has been far too long—"

"Enough," Snugglion interrupted, raising a paw. "The only way to prove their strength is through battle. Three of my finest against her and two of her choosing. What say you?"

"A battle?!" Bobby exclaimed. "But Your Majesty—"

"You dare question His Majesty Snugglion III?!"

"His word is law here!"

"Bobby, stay out of this!"

Three powerful Plushdoms stepped forward: teddy bears in brown, black, and pink. The black one wore a cute eyepatch over a missing eye. Each wielded a weapon, a fork, a spoon, and a butter knife.

They looked utterly adorable, the kind no one would ever take seriously. Yet everyone present possessed Dream Hearts and could sense the vast Imagination Auras radiating from them.

"They’re all at least SS Rank," Maria assessed quietly. A spark of excitement stirred within her. "All right. This could be fun. Who wants to join?"

"Me! Me!" Nyx shouted eagerly.

"Meeeeee!" Celes bounced with enthusiasm.

"Haha, perfect," Maria giggled. "We have our team. Let’s fight."

"Hmm! Such bravery. I like it!" Snugglion III nodded approvingly. "Now prove that courage with true strength. To the Arena!"

The Arena turned out to be a massive space in the city, surrounded by hundreds of Toykin, Bug People, Dust Bunnies, and Players gathered around a colossal structure built from cardboard.

Snugglion III settled onto his throne high above, watching the scene unfold with a confident smile. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Thank you all for coming! Bobby has brought friends he assures us can defeat the Pyramids, so we will put them to the test. Three battles await, one after another. Enjoy the show!"

"OOOOOHHHHH!"

The crowd erupted, arms raised high, eyes gleaming with anticipation. The first fight began immediately as Celes stepped forward. Gasps rippled through the audience; most had not expected a child.

His opponent was the pink teddy bear known simply as Pinky, wielding her trusty weapon—a large butter knife.

"Sorry about this, kid. Rules are rules. At least try to last a few seconds. The people deserve a show," Pinky said in a soft, feminine voice.

"You’re so cute!" Celes replied brightly. "Don’t worry, Miss Pinky. I’ll be gentle with you."

"Hmph. Calling me cute won’t make me hold back! I stand before the King of all Plushdoms!" Pinky declared. "En garde, boy!"

"BEGIN!" Snugglion roared like a lion.

The instant the battle started, Pinky charged. A powerful pink aura flared around her small body. She swung her knife downward, unleashing a shockwave of ethereal energy that resembled sword ki from the tales of Murim.

"I see!"

Celes nodded calmly and summoned a massive wall of water. The attack sliced through it effortlessly, parting the barrier in a single, clean motion.

SPLASH!

Water rained down as the shockwave continued toward Celes. The boy raised his trident and met it head-on.

BOOOM!

The force struck the ceiling, bursting into a silent explosion of invisible power.

At that moment, Pinky leaped from above, her knife raining down dozens of rapid slashes.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

"Hmmm..."

Celes glided through the air, parrying every strike with precise movements of his trident. Then, spiraling water coiled around the weapon. He drove it gently into Pinky’s stomach.

"Sorry."

BOOOM!

Pinky flew backward, crashing into the cardboard ceiling before tumbling to the floor, soaked and struggling to rise.

Silence blanketed the arena. Pinky was renowned as a fierce warrior.

Yet she had been overwhelmed with ease.

"The winner is... Celes," Snugglion III muttered, voice thick with disbelief.

"WOOOOHH!"

Cheers finally broke out. It was something entirely new, and the spectacle remained thrilling.

"Well done, dear! You held back beautifully," Nia said with a light giggle.

"Yes. I only got the plushie wet," Celes replied with a nod. "I didn’t want to damage her body."

"Heheh, now it’s my turn!" Nyx sprang from her seat and dashed into the arena.

"Ahem! Our next battle is between Nyx and Darky!"

The black teddy bear stepped forward, spoon in paw, an eyepatch adorned with a tiny heart covering one eye.

"Pinky went too easy. I’ll end this quickly and restore our honor!" Darky growled.

"Wow, you’re cute too, mister!" Nyx giggled.

"Hmph!" Darky poured power into his spoon. "Prepare yourself. I am no ordinary warrior!"

"Ooooh! Okay!" Nyx nodded eagerly, her aura flaring with vibrant energy.

Darky’s aura rose in response, waves of power gathering within his spoon, which clearly served as a kind of magic focus. It channeled his Imagination Essence into devastating shockwaves.

"BEGIN!"

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