SSS-Knight in a Hero World-Chapter 99: Bathe in gold

In every essence layer unlocked, it always comes with one aspect that's unique to every individual.

One would receive the ability to heal at a certain layer, and some get the same ability at a different layer. As for others, they get completely different abilities.

But there is a layer in which all individuals who have reached it get the same ability.

The 4th layer is where individuals start to get in touch with the divine.

Essence is the art of manifesting one's thoughts into reality, but at this stage, one can manifest their very soul into the world in the form of a physical object.

Knights call this ability soul essence manifestation.

And Ferris was holding it in his hand!

This is... way too much.

Ferris observed his right hand, which was now engulfed with a yellow, flame-like essence.

It didn't hurt him. Rather, it felt a bit warm and had a rejuvenating effect on whatever was near it.

This is definitely soul essence manifestation, but is this even supposed to happen?

Soul essence manifestation is the manifestation of one's soul into the form of an object, but the problem is that this manifestation didn't belong to him. It belonged to Judas!

It's incomplete too... does Judas want me to shape it myself?

As someone who already knew his soul essence manifestation, it felt a bit wrong to handle someone else's manifestation. It was as if he was desecrating his friend's most personal possession.

Ferris sighed and smiled.

Just touching this flame gave back half my strength. I do not wish to accept more, Judas.

After a long while of staring at the flame, he decided to let Judas be the one to manifest it and help him accelerate the process too, since in the distance he could see aberrants forming out of sprouting trees that had grown from the fragments he threw before.

Ferris tried to remember the process of manifesting his soul into an object. It was a relatively simple process, as he only needed to imagine a formless object, pour his essence out, and whatever appeared would be his soul essence manifestation.

Ferris focused his mind. I'm not even at the 4th layer. This is way more than simply imagining!

But if Judas could even manifest it, then he should be the one to do it anyway.

. . .

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands into a prayer.

Resonate with the flames and tell the flames to show their true self.

That's all Ferris needed to do, and he was sure that whatever form it took, he would be grateful to Judas.

The bright flames surged upward and shone once more.

Only then did Ferris feel a solid object.

Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted with a thin but long sword that was covered in a thin layer of golden essence. Compared to the formless flames a second ago, this manifestation was dense in essence, sharp enough to even feel it from a distance.

Ferris chuckled and remembered something similar that happened days ago.

Is this like the bone sword you created?

Instinctively, my ass. You really wanted this one to be a sword, didn't you.

It's a bit too long for my taste... and holding it with two hands feels a bit tight since the handle lacks room.

The essence of the sword dimmed slightly.

Ah... well, this is normal. Don't worry.

Ferris recalled the moment when his former teachers received their own manifestations.

Yaromech was more of a brawler at heart. He preferred using his body more in conjunction with his swordplay, so he preferred wielding a one-handed sword with the length of a two-handed sword that had the width of a claymore.

He used it more as a finishing tool rather than his main weapon, but when Yaromech got his manifestation, he received a sword that was similar in shape to the one Ferris was holding now. Long, awkward, and uncomfortable to use unless he fully focused on wielding it by itself.

For Alaric, it was even worse.

He was a master of swordsmanship and was one of the best swordsmen even among the famous knight orders. He utilized speed and agility to quite literally vaporize his enemies in under a second with his rapier.

Yet when he received his manifestation, it took the shape of an overly oversized curved sword, with a handle as long as his torso and a blade length triple his height.

Ferris remembered those days vividly.

They both received their manifestations on the same day, and he could recall how disappointed they were with their own swords, and how jealous they became when they saw each other's.

Although their swords mismatched their existing styles, it turned out to have the opposite effect.

In the end, Yaromech combined absolute precision with overwhelming power.

And Alaric combined speed with absolute destruction.

Manifestations were commonly well accepted by most people, but cases like these were the best possible outcome for an individual.

In Ferris' situation, this might be a similar case.

I guess I'll have to learn how to wield this guy for the time being.

Although it wasn't his original soul essence manifestation, Ferris was sure of one thing.

This sword he wielded was downright...

"Sweet."

After adjusting to the weight, balance, and handle, Ferris looked onward toward the aberrants in the distance.

It looks like a forest now... but I can sense hundreds of creatures within it.

Where the hell did the essence come from to create such a big construct in the first place?

A string of thoughts ran through his mind, trying to explain the phenomenon before him. The kidnappers he killed a month ago had started turning into fauna out of nowhere, but comparing that case to the present situation didn't yield any new ideas.

Despite the lack of answers, it didn't matter to Ferris.

All he needed to do was burn everything down in front of him and think about the important questions tomorrow.

As he walked forward into the putrid forest, Ferris felt that rush again.

The joy of exterminating the spawns of Jörmungandr by the thousands.

It was just a shame that this was such a tiny forest.