Weak.
Pathetically weak.
Looking at the butcher spirit, which couldn't withstand even a single strike before being critically wounded, Ryan simply reached out and seized its neck.
Sacrifice.
A flash of light.
The Butcher Spirit let out a piercing shriek before dissipating into nothingness.
Ryan narrowed his eyes, assessing his gains.
His spiritual energy had increased significantly, though his physical strength remained unchanged.
Evil spirits draw power from the soul. Compared to his physique, his soul was still lacking.
Thus, sacrificing a spirit substantially boosted his spiritual reserves.
The body was the vessel of life, and the soul was the source of the mind. Strengthening the soul naturally enhanced mental power.
Right now, he lacked mental energy the most.
After all, magic, alchemy, and potion-making all required sufficient mana.
The strength of mana depended entirely on the power of the mind.
Feeling the Blades of Chaos tremble in his hands, Ryan ignored it.
Lament of the Dead could grow stronger by devouring the souls of those it killed.
But right now, he didn't even have enough spirits to sacrifice for himself, so why would he share with a weapon?
No matter how powerful an external tool is, it will never surpass the strength of one's own body.
Hum.
With no more souls to absorb, the trembling blades gradually stilled.
"This guy was a chef?"
Ryan's expression suddenly turned odd.
After sacrificing the butcher spirit, he had not only received a boost to his soul but also inherited fragments of the spirit's memories, including some of its skills.
Most of the miscellaneous knowledge was useless.
But its culinary skills were unexpectedly impressive.
As he absorbed the complex techniques flooding his mind, his eyes gleamed with interest.
He wasn't a professional chef, but he could still tell that the spirit had been exceptional, mastering high-end Western cuisine he'd never heard of.
Every intricate step and nuance was etched into its memories.
This butcher spirit had been a chef in life.
And a damn skilled one at that.
Though he had no interest in becoming a cook, having an extra skill set could always come in handy.
Who knew when it might come in handy?
"What was that just now?"
Vanessa's trembling voice came from behind him.
She was pressed so close against Ryan that her softness molded against his back. She stared ahead in terror.
Though she couldn't see the spirit, the bloodcurdling scream was unmistakable.
"Just a regular evil spirit," Ryan replied casually.
He could feel her soft curves pressing against him and her trembling causing certain features to sway.
But he remained unmoved.
After all, he was no longer an inexperienced rookie.
A man who had seen the world naturally developed resistance to such trivial temptations.
"Is it… dead?"
Hearing his confirmation, Vanessa's eyes widened further and her hair stood on end.
"Dead."
Ryan continued forward without pause.
He knew spells to make spirits visible, but there was no need to use them.
There was no point in terrifying the child unnecessarily.
Whoosh!
After just two steps, Ryan suddenly lashed out with his chain blades again.
Another ear-splitting shriek echoed as a second spirit was slain.
Sacrifice!
"There are quite a few evil spirits here."
After searching every room and slaying over a dozen spirits, Ryan was surprised himself.
How could such a small villa contain so many?
Had everyone who died in this haunted villa been transformed into one?
Once he was certain that no more spirits remained, Ryan turned to Vanessa and her daughter, who were huddled behind him.
"I've cleared out all the evil spirits in the villa, but the malevolent energy here hasn't been purified yet. New spirits might still appear in the future."
"Then what should we do?"
Vanessa was panicked. After witnessing him purify over a dozen spirits, she no longer doubted his abilities.
The thought of evil spirits appearing at any moment left her utterly unsettled.
No one wants to live in a house where their life could be in danger at any moment.
"It's not a big problem. We just need to find the source of the evil spirits and eliminate it.
Once that's done, no more spirits will appear in this villa."
Ryan's gaze shifted toward the staircase.
Through his spiritual vision, he saw thick tendrils of black energy seeping up from beneath the floor.
This was the origin of all the villa's supernatural phenomena—the place where every evil spirit had been born.
Without hesitation, Ryan walked over.
A detection spell revealed a massive basement hidden beneath the floor.
"There's a basement under here. Do you know where the entrance is?"
Vanessa blinked, her expression blank.
"Basement? No?"
She had lived there for days and had overseen the renovations personally.
If there had been a basement, how could she not have known about it?
Seeing her genuine confusion, Ryan cast another detection spell.
Whoosh!
A ball of light about the size of a fist materialized in his palm.
It shot out like a living creature, darting around the room at lightning speed.
Vanessa's eyes widened as the glowing orb zipped past her too quickly to track.
After a moment, the light paused near the staircase before dissipating.
Ryan approached the spot and eyed the solid wall beneath the stairs, where a faint magical mark was flickering.
"Mind if I break this open to take a look?"
With Vanessa's permission, the shape of Ryan's Chaos Blade weapon began to shift.
In its place appeared a massive, frost-covered battle axe—jagged and menacing.
Shadowmourne. 🪓
A legendary weapon from a popular game, it radiated sheer brutality.
Ryan swung the axe, channeling all his strength into the blade.
BOOM! 💥
A deep tremor shook the staircase, instantly crumbling the reinforced concrete wall.
Ryan glanced at the axe.
An ordinary weapon would have bent or shattered under such force.
But, blessed by the Lament of the Fallen, his magical artifact, the axe remained unscathed.
"Just as I thought..."
Beyond the shattered wall, a long, dark staircase descended into the abyss.
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