NOVEL WEB Chapter 39: Spirit Light
Lucen's legs shook as Peter's blackened corpse fell to the ground. His body had been healed when he stole Peter's healing magic, but his mind and soul had long reached their breaking point.
But he also had to deal with the consequences of what he had just done. Behind him, Aya's slow breaths were enough for him to know she was still alive. With the Crown of Stars, she would see that he not only used Life mana but also Hunger.
If Life was heresy, Hunger, which was damaged by the golden aura of Peter's spear, had to be the magic of some evil god. Something from the Void.
He turned without looking at her and staggered to Liam. His body was deathly still, and his eyes were distant. Aya's guards seemed to be still conscious, so Liam must have suffered more due to his lack of magic or training.
Lucen ran his fingers through Liam's brown hair. His blue eyes shook for a moment, and his breath returned slowly. Lucen smiled.
[You have devoured two skills from Peter Cross and gained his command of the Spear of Judges. You could gain his Spirit Light. Please return to his body to start the process.]
Lucen glanced between Liam and the charred corpse beside the spear. Aya's guards were helping her stand. Adrian yelled, "Sir Lucen, we will retreat. Warren's battle is still ongoing, but we'd best take our leave."
He nodded. "Please, take Liam with you. I'll meet you guys at the house tomorrow."
He watched them leave for a moment. Aya turned back to him, a conflicted look boiling in her eyes and a million unsaid words on her lips. Lucen smiled, a small assurance that they would talk later.
He walked back to Peter's body after they disappeared and picked up the [Spear of Judges]. Its golden body was glassy, almost jade-like, and its body was segmented into different parts, each telling a story.
He got on his knees and touched Peter's charred corpse, rubbing the soot from his face.
[Absorption started…]
[Insight and Will have reached the minimum threshold…]
[Dominance and Discovery are below the minimum threshold…]
He saw Peter's life in between those seconds. A young boy raised by his father after his mother died. People bullied him in school for his thin frame. Rucia. The dungeons. Chester. The tempting voice of evil speaking to him.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a High-rank Spirit Light, Peter Cross. Spirit Lights made by the Devourer system retain their full prowess and power from just before their death.]
[Hey, don't get attached to him; he's a tool.]
Lucen gasped as he was pulled from Peter's memories. His eyes and lips quivered for a moment. He brought his hands to his face and took a large breath.
"That… that wasn't nice," he said, at a loss for words.
He stood and dragged the burnt corpse behind him. He would need to explain where he had been to Warren. He returned the golden spear to his soul and was slightly glad he wouldn't have to steal it since Warren never arrived.
He had originally planned to kill Peter, gain the spear from the system, let Warren take it away, then summon it back to his soul when no one could suspect him.
He wondered if Warren would suspect some wrongdoing. His body did not have many injuries that weren't already healed, and he was covered in blood. He considered cutting himself, but that sounded stupid and needlessly painful.
[You aren't going to ask about the skills you just got?]
"Just display them," Lucen said as he neared the loud clearing where Set and the others battled the Crunchers.
[Ungrateful much? Here are your current skills]
Night vision(Low)
Wall climbing(Low)
Comprehension (Minor)
Targeting (Minor)
Reading (Minor)
Song of Light (Heroic)
Breath of Mending (Low), Breath of Veil (Low)
Traveller's Aid (Minor)
Sinking Sand (Minor)
Surging Flames (High)
Bone spear(Minor)
Final spark(High)
Blood rebirth(High)
[Final spark is a Wrath magic, used to share pain with enemies. Blood rebirth is a weaker version of Peter's Life magic spell that can heal injuries.]
He stopped just a couple meters from where the fight raged on. He could see Set and Tharic battling three Crunchers.
"No Divine spell? I can't even use Wrath spells without a proper channelling technique."
[The Light spell used by Peter Cross was merely one of the Spear of Judges' skills, so you do have it. As for Wrath mana, you could channel it briefly through me like we did for Hunger, or you could pray to that being for his blessing.]
Lucen was not praying to any god, not to mention an evil one. But now he was curious about the [Spear of Judges] rank.
[Weapon's ranks and skill.]
Barth's treasured spear (High)—Starfall, *unavailable*
Spear of Judges (Ascension)—*unavailable*, *unavailable*, *unavailable*, *unavailable*, *unavailable*, *unavailable*.
Lucen's breath caught in his throat… Maybe this was a bit too much for him to hold on to. In the meantime, he summoned [Barth's treasured spear] and walked into the clearing, leaving Cross' corpse behind a tree.
A Cruncher was strangling a soldier on the ground while the other soldiers beat it with their swords. Its body was a patchwork of shredded clothes and bloodless skin. Its empty eyes and toothless mouth stared into the soldier's horrified eyes.
Lucen carefully aimed his spear at it and let go of it. The spear turned to a beam of silver light and blasted through the Cruncher's head and out of its arse.
The bone-white liquid that made up the Cruncher's true form splattered behind it. The soldiers were, at first, confused but quickly dragged the creature off their friend and helped him off.
The silver spear zipped back into his hand and returned to its solid form. The heads of the horrified soldiers snapped towards him, fear deep in their gazes, but he simply nodded and walked past them.
There weren't many Cruncers left on the field. Patches of upturned earth, strange puddles of ice and water, and long swathes of burnt grass scarred the once well-kept clearing. Lucen recognised the craters in the ground as evidence of Korgath and Warren's fight, but he couldn't see them anywhere.
He reached Areielle first. She was tall, slim, and pretty. Her auburn hair was packed in a tight bun under her steel helmet, and her green eyes shone with recognition as he approached.
She blocked a Cruncher's blow and stepped back. Lucen released his spear once again, the silver beam piercing through the monster's heart. Arielle swooped down on it, her sword glowing red-hot, and, in a flurry of blinding moves, turned the Cruncher to tiny strips of flesh and bone.
She pursed her lips as he approached. "Didn't know you could do that."
"It's the weapon skill," said Lucen casually. Where's Master Warren?"
Arielle looked him over carefully and said tightly.
"After Set cut down the talking monster, it ran into the forest. Warren went to follow it. But where did you run off to? You look like hell."
Lucen didn't know whether to see that as a sign of good luck or not. If Warren had been closer, he might have sensed the surge of magic during the fight with Peter.
Lucen simply nodded and turned to approach the nearest Cruncher.
Arielle glared as he turned, muttering, "Something's wrong with that guy."
Meanwhile, Lucen was putting together the lies he would tell the Lightcloak elders this evening.