Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1853: The Next Morning

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Nyx slowly opened her eyes, stirred by the bright sunlight streaming through the window.

She noticed her mama and her auntie were still fast asleep.

But her grandma was nowhere to be seen.

"Sniff, sniff…"

She also caught a delicious scent. Slowly crawling out of bed, she padded toward the kitchen.

There, she heard the soft, melodious humming of a young-looking woman.

She was cooking eggs and bacon.

At the same time, she prepared stacks of toast, pancakes, and waffles.

"Hm, hm~"

She hummed happily, smiling with relief.

Maria's work on her mind had succeeded. She had awakened much more at ease.

The madness that once consumed her was completely gone, and she had regained her sanity.

Part of the guilt, shame, and self-hatred had been lifted as well, helping her avoid slipping back into that darkness.

"Grandma…!"

"Hm?"

Jessica looked down and saw a little girl with silvery-white hair, red eyes, horns, scales, tail, and wings…

Standing behind her with a cute smile.

"…Fran?"

For a moment, she saw her little Fran in the child.

But quickly she realized this was someone entirely different!

"W-Wait a second, who are you?! Where did you come from?! How did…! Ehhh?"

She hadn't noticed her earlier because Nyx had been completely buried under blankets while sleeping.

"I'm Nyx! I'm mama's daughter."

"Mama?"

"Mama Fran!"

"You're Fran's daughter?!"

"Yes, you're my grandma! Heheh!"

"N-Nyx? You…! What…! Oh my goodness! My daughter… has a kid already?! Ohhh! Oh my god, how?! I thought she woke up just recently?!"

"It's a long story!" Nyx giggled. "Ummm, what are you cooking!"

"Ahh… this is your mommy's favorite breakfast," Jessica said, accepting it all surprisingly quickly. "It's a big breakfast buffet! Eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, waffles! Ah right, go wake up your mom and your auntie and tell them the food is ready! And later, please explain what's going on, okay?"

"Okay!" Nyx dashed back to the room. "Mama! Mamamamamamama!"

"N-Nyx…? NYX! What are you doing here dear!" Maria panicked. "Did mom see you?"

"Yes!" Nyx said.

"Aahh…" Maria sighed. "Okay…"

Slowly she rose from bed and went to greet her mother.

"There's a lot we need to talk about, mom… but I'm glad to see you well."

"Yes… you even helped me feel better somehow, dear… I don't know what you did but… it feels nice. To have a clear mind…"

"Don't think about it too much… You're still recovering— Woah! You cooked?!"

"I haven't cooked in years… And I can finally taste things! I wanted to share a meal with everyone."

"Aw… mom…"

Maria hugged her mother tightly and kissed her face repeatedly, rubbing her cheek against her mother's chest.

"I love you mom…"

"I… I love you too… my dear… it feels like a dream even now."

"It really does… Even for me."

After shedding many tears, they enjoyed breakfast together and caught up with their mother, each sharing memories and experiences they had endured.

Jessica's mind had been gently altered by Maria's powerful magic, done with masterful care. She felt much more at ease.

The sorrow remained—she still remembered everything—but it no longer cut as deeply, and most of the accumulated madness had faded.

Maria had also given her mother a Dream Heart, which stabilized her mind and soul and helped her recover rapidly from the "scars" left by being forcibly returned to human form after enduring the Vampire Curse.

"So you used magic to help me recover from being a Vampire, Fran? So incredible, to think my little baby woke up all strong and gained so many magic abilities," Jessica smiled warmly. "Maybe all the effort we put in paid off really well, right Laura?"

"Yeah, she has been of great help," Laura nodded. "It makes everything we went through feel like it was worth something."

Throughout it all, Nyx happily ate pancakes—her existence still unexplained.

"So regarding Nyx here, a lot more happened when I was in a coma," Maria began. "First— Hm?"

Maria stopped speaking and looked out the window.

Several figures overflowing with divine auras floated outside.

And they were not her family.

"Mama!" Nyx panicked. "They're—"

TRUUUM!

A powerful divine pressure crashed over the entire building in an instant. Multiple layers of divine power deployed around them.

Maria sensed dozens of divine sources converging from every direction with bright flashes of light, forming a dense formation that sealed them inside.

"Uuggh!"

Jessica struggled to stay conscious under the immense divine pressure bearing down on her body, mind, and soul.

Laura and Maria withstood it without issue, but Nyx looked slightly bothered.

"They're trying to trap us inside!" Nyx said.

"I know," Maria said, staring outside.

"What the hell is going on?! Is this divine power…? Wait! Olympus?!" Laura asked angrily.

"B Rank Hunter Laura, F Rank Hunter Francisca, step out of your houses right now. Your power is now sealed under the Seven Elemental Divinities Formation of the Olympus Higher Floors. By the decree of the Father of Gods, Lord Zeus himself, you two are to be captured by our guild and disciplined!"

"W-What nonsense are they speaking about?!" Laura demanded furiously. "Disciplined?! Who…! Who the hell do these bastards think they are?"

"It's infuriating, right?" Maria asked. "Supposedly Olympus is a world filled with dozens or perhaps hundreds of gods. That's how they're so strong, but it's also why they're so prideful and believe everyone is beneath them."

"Why…! What do they want from us?!" Jessica cried in despair. "Why…! Why can't we be left alone… Ahhh…"

Seeing their dear mother in tears once more…

Both sisters—and her granddaughter—burned with fury.

"No mom, we won't let anybody trample on us ever again," Laura said with a fierce smile.

"Let's go, Laura," Maria said. "Nyx, dear, protect your grandma, alright?"

"Okay!" Nyx nodded. She enveloped her grandmother in her Ghostly Dream Aura, easing her distress. "Grandma, it's going to be ok! Mama and auntie are super-duper strong."

"W-What?"

Jessica's hand was gently held by Nyx's tiny ones. She felt the child's warmth and saw her sweet smile.

Wherever this adorable little angel had come from… she felt like a guardian angel. She reminded Jessica so much of Fran when she was small.

"I REPEAT! BY THE DIVINE DECREE OF LORD ZEUS, KING AND FATHER OF ALL GODS, YOU MUST STEP OUTSIDE THIS VERY INSTANT, OR ELSE…!"

A giant, muscular god bellowed from the skies, commanding with fury. Nearly everyone in the large apartment building had already fainted from the overwhelming divine pressure, but he cared nothing for casualties.

"Or else what?"

"…?!"

The god turned toward the voice. Behind him, a huge slash tore through empty space, and a small young woman stepped out.

Her black hair now held strands of white, and her green eyes gleamed with red.

"You're…! That girl! Fran, right? Come…! Come to me and I won't harm your sister!"

Maria studied him carefully.

He was enormous—four meters tall, a muscular monster.

Clear white skin, long blonde hair, glowing blue eyes.

Thunderous divine energy surged from his body.

"Maybe a son of Zeus or whatever… I don't care. He's dead for daring to make my mother cry."

FLASH!

Maria vanished.

The god's thunderous eyes tracked her movements.

"I see you're using a movement technique of Murim, huh?! Just how many talents do you have, girl?! Come at me! Hah! I'll take you on and then put a baby on you! I bet that kid will be strong!"

"Disgusting piece of shit, die."

"Hahah! I got you! I love women that fight back!"

The god laughed with depravity as Maria surged toward him like a dragonfly of lightning.

His divine hands exploded with thunder, seizing her and dragging her toward his face.

"Now let me see that pretty face again—Ungh?!"

But what he grabbed was not Fran, but a strange, ghostly figure resembling her.

BOOOM!

"Aaaagghh!"

The Dream Ghost detonated with the same force as a Dream Soul Sphere, unleashing a devastating fusion of Sword Ki, Nightmare Ki, Dream Ki, Phantom Ki, and Void Ki.

The bizarre combination nearly proved lethal. It tore into his soul and scorched half his divine body. Purple flames engulfed him as he writhed in agony.

"AAAGH! GET EM OFF! GET EM OFF!"

He endured thousands of nightmares as his soul and mind were tortured.

Explosions of lightning and thunder erupted from his body in all directions. Nearby guild members burned to ashes one by one.

Laura descended from above; her fists transformed into sharp dragon claws.

"DIEEEE!"

With a furious roar, her Aura exploded like a dragon's. Her claws ripped through the god's body, tearing him into dozens of pieces!

Blood, flesh, innards, and bones rained down over the building. The remaining guild members stared in utter disbelief.

"T-The God…!"

"He was a Son of Zeus!"

"Stronger than S Rank hunters…!"

"How…!"

"How is this possible?!"

As their entire reality shattered, Laura turned to glare at them with burning anger.

"You recognize me, don't you?"

"Wait…!"

"Is that you, Laura?"

"It's her!"

"What…! You killed our guild master!"

"Was he the real guild master then? Huh," Laura rubbed her chin. "Well, whatever."

She looked back at them, brows furrowed.

Her transformation had been so drastic that it was hard for them to accept it was truly Laura.

She looked more like a goddess than the god she had just slain.

"I will give you some mercy… like my master taught me," Laura said. "Forfeit all of your divine blessings right now, or I will tear you to pieces and splatter you across the damn city!"

Her eyes glowed with draconic rage. The people trembled in horror, lowered their heads, and immediately surrendered their divine blessings willingly.

"Good."

Maria smiled viciously as she instantly bound them in ghostly chains for the time being while reviving those who had died… except the god.

For the god…

"P-PLEASE…! AAGGH…! AGAAAGGHGHG!"

She healed his soul over and over, then shattered it again.

Over time, his ego and personality crumbled. His mind twisted into something mindless and broken.

"AHUGH…! AAAUGH…"

He could only produce strange, stupid noises, making Maria and her sister laugh like true villainesses.

Then…

"Good, you've suffered enough."

The soul quivered for a moment, clinging to a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps he would finally be spared from this torment?

And yet…

"Now die."

Maria crushed his soul tightly. His divine soul—so strong it could kill mortals with its pressure alone—was nothing but a fragile thing to her.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

CRAAASH!

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