Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1864: A Spar Against Darkbound

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"...A spar with my great lady? I would never dare harm...!" he muttered, but Maria’s intense glare stopped him cold.

"And if I say it’s an order?" Maria asked. "Moreover, are you implying you can actually harm me, Darkbound? I would like you to try!"

"I-I deeply apologize! I never intended to—"

"Don’t be so humble. I know you’re my loyal Death Knight," Maria smiled, taking his skeletal hand in her fair, small, and soft one—full of warmth that made Darkbound feel strangely fuzzy inside. "Come on now, let’s train."

"...Y-Yes," he muttered, stuttering for the first time, utterly overwhelmed by his beloved master’s strength and charisma. He couldn’t even think of defying her. "I shall do whatever you ask of me."

"Good," Maria said gently, caressing his armor. "Let’s fight to the death."

"...?!"

In that instant, Darkbound truly understood the monster his master had become.

If Maria had already been a monster before... now, after returning from exploring the Tower, she had become a true devil!

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"...?! Incredible!"

Darkbound reeled in shock at Maria’s swordsmanship. In just three months it had evolved to a level that surpassed even the greatest sword masters alive.

In pure sword skill alone, not even Jonathan could best her anymore—when the opposite had always been true before.

Though she had practiced for only three months, it felt as if Maria had wielded the sword for thousands of years.

She had poured all her power and talent as an Outer Goddess into this single weapon, forging a complete genius in swordsmanship unlike anything ever born in the Tower.

"Come on, show me everything you’ve got!"

Maria swung her blade—forged from her own soul, another fact that stunned Darkbound—and transformed it into a lightning wasp, striking him from multiple angles.

With gentle pokes she carved massive holes through his ghostly armor. Cracks spiderwebbed across his metallic bones.

"Ngaaah! Oh my great lady, your power is truly admirable...!"

Darkbound screamed in pain and awe, but his empty eye sockets flared with ghostly blue and red flames.

"I shall take you seriously now!"

RUMBLE!

A violent explosion of ghostly and nightmare energies erupted from his body with such force that even Maria was thrown back.

"...What?"

Maria stared in astonishment at what she saw...

She finally began to realize something about Darkbound!

Somehow, he was far more special than she had imagined...

"Every single soul that composes him... has become a small Nightmare Demon?!"

The reason for his sudden transformation and explosive growth in power was clear.

Each soul within him had ascended to a level far surpassing SSS Rank.

Through the condensation of all those powerful beings into one compact entity with its own mind and will...

Darkbound had become a monster rivaling L+ Ranks!

"I shall begin. Please forgive my crude fighting style... I am not yet comparable to the great lady."

"...Hah! You aren’t?!"

Maria laughed as Darkbound surged forward.

"...Fast!"

He moved with terrifying speed despite his giant, bulky frame. His massive sword—three times Maria’s size—descended with the clear intent to cleave her in half.

The immense pressure of converging dark energies forced Maria to instinctively dodge!

CLAAASH!

But how could she continue growing if she only avoided?

With her sword she intercepted his colossal blade. Her own weapon trembled painfully—it was part of her soul, after all.

But that didn’t matter.

"Good. Show me, Darkbound—how strong you are without even learning my Martial Arts or any Cultivation Method!"

"I shall."

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

Each blow felt like a mountain crashing against her. Darkbound’s swordsmanship relied on his enormous great sword and overwhelming brute force—much like Jonathan’s style.

It was simple yet brutally effective at dealing damage and crushing opponents...

Yet with every strike, massive explosions of nightmare ghostly flames erupted, catching Maria off guard again and again.

She dodged swiftly, then grew a little more serious herself.

Unleashing stronger techniques, she surrounded Darkbound with a dancing sword assault—parrying every blow and grinding his armor to dust.

Darkbound remained calm, eyes glowing with golden flames.

FLAAASH!

In the next instant he swung upward. A colossal concentration of nightmare and ghostly energies erupted skyward, piercing the heavens.

"Ascending Heaven?! Did he copy Jonathan’s technique?"

Maria was stunned. Such a powerful move disrupted her rhythm for a moment.

But she quickly regained her momentum and attacked from every angle.

Darkbound fought back as fast as he could. The longer he watched Maria fight, the more he evolved.

His Aura burst with power, and his ghostly fire...

Turned into lightning.

"...No way!"

Maria’s eyes widened as Darkbound matched her movement technique, rushing toward her like a thunderous dragonfly!

"Hah... Is he a genius?!"

Maria was often called a genius, but she achieved everything through relentless effort and madness. Darkbound, on the other hand, was learning her martial arts simply by observing her fight.

It was as if he possessed an innate talent specifically for the martial arts she had created!

"Can you copy this too?!"

Maria suddenly summoned Nine Dream Soul Spheres and fired them at Darkbound.

Unable to react in time, he was bombarded by powerful explosions that shook his composite soul.

"Unnnghh!"

Maria felt a flicker of worry—perhaps she had gone too far!

...However.

"Nnnghh...! Uunngh! L-Like... this?!"

In that moment Maria’s world turned upside down. Darkbound had manifested a Dream Soul Sphere through sheer willpower, his energies coalescing into exactly what he had witnessed.

"...I see."

There was far more to him than she had originally perceived. Every soul that composed him was watching and learning.

The combined perception of roughly two hundred souls merged into one, granting him an astonishing ability to comprehend and adapt—especially to things he had an affinity for!

"Heh, well done. Let’s continue!"

Maria and Darkbound sparred for several more hours until Maria emerged victorious. Darkbound’s armor lay in ruins, and his lower half had been completely destroyed.

But with her Skill to heal undead, Maria swiftly restored him—regenerating even his ghostly armor and shattered sword, as both were extensions of his body.

Though they were part of his physical vessel rather than his soul—unlike Maria’s soul-forged sword—Darkbound still possessed the talent to wield his soul in the same way!

"You grasped the basics in our short spar," Maria explained. "But you still need to build a solid foundation. Here, read this book I wrote. It contains all my insights, how to advance, and the realms I have discovered."

"Thank you, master," Darkbound said.

"Ah, I forgot to ask—do you know how to read?" Maria wondered.

"A few of the souls that compose me do, so please don’t worry," Darkbound replied. He opened the book—tiny in his huge armored hands—and began reading silently inside the castle. "I will read this ten times to grasp the basics properly. Once I finish, I will report my findings to you."

"Good. Take care then, Darkbound," Maria nodded.

She knew he needed no other martial arts manual than the one she had created.

What’s more, Darkbound’s talent was so extraordinary she was certain he could help her refine her own martial arts—offering insights into future realms or new forms.

Afterward, Maria and her family held several classes teaching everyone about Dream Hearts and their manifestations, Dream Weapons, and Dream Spirits—using their own as examples.

Through this knowledge, several members who had yet to awaken these powers finally did. Those who already possessed them polished their strength further or even discovered new abilities.

"As you’ve already noticed, this entire place has evolved. This region has merged with a fragment of my Soul Realm, turning it into a special Spiritual Realm of its own," Maria explained to her village members about the changes outside. "You can still go outside and interact with the world, but visitors will be monitored by my soul fragment here. No one enters unless I allow it."

"Also, there are countless resources here for you to grow incredibly strong—all straight from the Tower’s many worlds!" Maria said. "I will personally help anyone who wants to grow stronger in every way I can... but first, I shall formally introduce you to my friends: the Heavenly Demon, Wu Lieng, and my many other disciples and my sect from Murim."

Maria summoned her ghostly pagoda—a small object some had noticed in her hand—and enlarged it to gigantic size, shocking everyone.

Its gates opened. Countless people stepped out and greeted the villagers. Among them were the Immortals she had "befriended" or turned into Rakshasa—all knowledgeable in martial arts and cultivation, ready to guide everyone according to their talents.

"From now on, my small, beloved village shall continue evolving without limit! We will fight back against the gods, defeat Odin together, and claim our rightful place in this world that has only denied and rejected us!" Maria roared.

Inspired by her bold words, the people cheered as one, steeling themselves for what lay ahead...

As before, Maria used her vast System Points to create quests that helped everyone deepen their understanding of martial arts and cultivation.

At the same time, she organized arena tournaments and sparring matches so everyone could grow accustomed to their Dream Weapons, martial arts, and cultivation techniques.

In that way, a full week passed since Maria’s return to Yggdrasil.

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