Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1889: All Against One Vampire

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"You damn vampire!"

"How are you this strong?!"

"You’re like a demon! Demon!"

"Die, demon!"

Dozens of elemental divine attacks surged toward Hercules—beams of holy light, scorching sun flames, moonlight rays, slicing winds, and crackling thunder.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Yet they barely scratched him. Hercules stood completely unscathed, his long red hair billowing in the wind as a calm smile curved beneath his mask.

"My turn."

FLASH!

In an instant he vanished and reappeared before all four god vessels.

"{Heavenly Blood Demon Style}: {First Form – Absolute Oppression}"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Hundreds of crimson fists hammered the four god vessels at once.

Unable to react in time, their bodies burst apart. The souls possessing them suffered massive damage, fracturing into pieces.

"Bastard!"

"Die!"

"Kill him!"

But more gods poured in endlessly.

Jonathan watched from atop a pile of rubble. His body had mostly healed thanks to Alma’s efforts and his own magic, yet he could not regrow his missing limbs—their power simply wasn’t strong enough for that level of regeneration.

Only Emeraldine and Maria could achieve such feats.

Still, with their combined help, Nia had barely survived. Brunhild and Violet clung to life through sheer draconic vitality, even after their hearts were destroyed.

They had all drunk the elixirs Maria provided, recovering further... and yet Jonathan remained with only one arm, his body crisscrossed with hideous scars.

And yet... despite everything...

"..."

His gaze never left the monster. His eyes glowed like twin stars.

Analyze!

Analyze every single movement of this madman!

That single thought consumed him.

Every minute detail.

Jonathan fused all nine of his Dream Soul Spheres into his brain, multiplying his processing speed ninefold!

"J-Jonathan? Your arm..." Alma muttered. "Ahh! And where’s Celes?!"

"Celes! CELES?!" Nia kept calling desperately.

"He’s... not dead..." Takeshi shook his head after his wounds closed. "Ahhh... I can feel him... everywhere."

"Everywhere?" Alma asked. "Huh? Ah...!"

She realized it too. Humidity hung thick in the air.

This "humidity"...

It was Celes.

"W-What? He turned into water and exploded? How can he come back?!" Nia asked, voice cracking with panic.

"If he stays unconscious in that state, he’ll probably die for real," Brunhild said. "But... we have to wake him. If he’s a spirit now, spirit energy should work."

"Spirit Energy?" Nia echoed.

"Spread it everywhere—infuse it into the world around us!" Violet urged. "We have to pour it into him and revive the boy! Who knows... maybe this time he’ll be able to do more than just become rain."

"...!" Nia felt a flash of anger at the remark but bit her tongue. "I told Maria she didn’t have to worry about me... I can’t run back to her for help now—not when she’s facing someone as terrifying as that man!"

"We’ll hold Veredorr...!" Tear muttered, coughing blood. "Ah, damn it! If he weren’t so tough and so fast, I could have done something... Does he have no openings at all?! He’s invincible!"

"..."

Jonathan kept staring. His aura surged, fluctuated, compressed tightly around his body.

Suddenly Alma noticed something.

Golden tattoos resembling constellations began to emerge across his skin as he maintained absolute focus.

This relentless concentration had inadvertently become a meditation and cultivation technique he had created on the spot.

The more he focused, the faster his mind raced, the more his energy and aura fused and compressed.

He had only one arm.

So what?

FLUOSH!

His aura gathered around the missing limb, forming a new arm of pure light.

He had no armor left; his sword had been destroyed.

So what?

His Dream Heart remained. His sword—a Dream Weapon—was already regenerating.

But instead of manifesting it fully...

Jonathan began merging with every tiny fragment as it reformed, reinforcing his body, forging and refining it without pause.

The longer he watched Hercules fight... the wider his mind expanded.

What had seemed like a straightforward fighting style revealed itself as something utterly ridiculous and impossibly complex the deeper he analyzed.

"Jonathan!" Tear called. "Are you going to fight? What’s gotten into you?"

"He’s analyzing," Darkbound said, his skull already reforming as he summoned a new sword from his soul. "Hercules’s movements are incredibly strong, but it’s impossible for him to be perfect. Everything and everyone has flaws. He’s searching for them. Don’t speak to him while his eyes glow."

"...?" Tear raised an eyebrow. She joined Alma and the others in a spiritual formation, releasing spirit energy in waves around them.

Meanwhile, Hercules continued massacring god vessels while laughing.

Every time more arrived.

Their attacks only tickled his divine body.

He punched them away—and they exploded.

"How boring. I should go help Annette then... Hm?"

He suddenly sensed a massive wave of spirit energy spreading outward.

"What is this?!"

He looked down. The group below had formed a spiritual formation, infusing spirit energy into the surrounding world.

"What are they trying to do— Ah, they aren’t dead yet? Okay, let’s fix that."

Hercules descended with a wide smile.

Darkbound and Tear—fused with Veredorr—stepped forward.

Seeing the threat descending, Darkbound unleashed his aura. A small phantasmal soul opened, and two allies emerged.

A large metal slime radiating rainbow light from its silver body.

And a fierce black lion with enormous black wings.

Mercury and Kuro.

But that wasn’t all.

Two more blazing figures surged forth, overflowing with fire-element spiritual energy.

With them came a huge, blazing infernal spider.

Silvio, Francisco, and Pyro.

All of Maria’s first Undead Familiars—some no longer undead yet still radiating an aura of death—advanced.

Alone, they stood no chance against Hercules.

Together? That was different.

Darkbound had mastered a unique technique from the Nether Harbor Sect during his training in Murim.

Now, making intricate hand signs with his giant hands, he began absorbing the power of all these beings caught between life and death.

Phantasmal and nightmare threads linked to their Nightmare Hearts.

And then...

Darkbound opened his armor and ribs, allowing them all to enter his colossal soul—already composed of hundreds of smaller souls, each transformed into Nightmare Demons.

"{Nether Ghost Ultimate Technique}: {Thousand Ghost Vessel}!"

FLAAASH! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

By fusing this technique with the power of a Nightmare Demon...

Darkbound temporarily merged with every one of them at once!

RUMBLE!

An immense surge of power erupted from his body and soul. Giant metallic wings sprouted from his armor as flames wreathed his form and demonic horns grew.

At the same time, his body became "flexible"—liquid metal that could harden or soften at will.

Thus... Darkbound’s Ultimate Form was born.

"Ohooo! Now that’s interesting! Come!"

Hercules halted his charge, spreading his arms wide as his demonic runes flared menacingly.

Tear clicked her tongue and spoke to Veredorr through their bond.

"Dear, it’s time."

"I know... for our daughter..."

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