"It's not that zombie hordes are cheap, but that human lives are. This also shows how few people remain in this city."
Nearby, Wu Tong heard Saeko Busujima's complaint and offered an explanation.
"However, once your strength improves, you won't need to retreat from hordes of this scale."
At Wu Tong's words, a glint flashed in Saeko's eyes as she looked down at the blade in her hand.
She had no reason to doubt his words—because of the weapon she now wielded.
Last night, after the banquet, Wu Tong had seized the opportunity to awaken Martial Spirits in Saeko, Rika, and Shizuka, granting them true supernatural power.
As Wu Tong had expected, their innate talents were exceptional. All three had awakened top-tier Martial Spirits:
Saeko's Blood Blade, manifested as a katana.
Rika's Soul Reaper, a sniper rifle she couldn't put down.
Shizuka's Medkit, a medical pack that floated in her hands.
[Top-tier Martial Spirit: Blood Blade (Saeko Busujima)]
Traits: Unmatched sharpness—capable of slicing through steel effortlessly. Even diamonds cannot withstand its edge.
Abilities:
Bloodthirst: Absorbs blood energy through killing, enabling self-healing or even regeneration from a single drop of blood. With sufficient blood energy, the wielder becomes an undying, blood-soaked warrior.
Blood Control: Freely manipulates blood for offense or defense.
Blood Absorption: Repairs the blade by absorbing blood, compensating for its brittleness.
Rank: One-ring Agility Attack Spirit Master.
Spirit Ability: Bloodbane Edge—a Spirit Ring condensed via Wu Tong's Spirit Ring Condensation Method.
Saeko marveled at the Blood Blade materialized in her grip. What warrior wouldn't adore a weapon that perfectly suited them and grew stronger alongside them?
Noticing Saeko's admiration, Rika smirked and stroked her own sniper rifle.
Hmph, my Martial Spirit isn't bad either.
[Top-tier Martial Spirit: Soul Reaper (Rika Minami)]
Traits: Modeled after her favored TAC-50 sniper rifle, this enhanced Martial Spirit boasts immense power and range.
Abilities:
Perfection: The rifle remains in flawless condition—no overheating, barrel wear, or jamming. With enough Spirit Power and firing speed, it can function like a machine gun.
Infinite Ammo: Converts Spirit Power into unlimited bullets.
Soul Mark: Marks a target, guaranteeing the next shot's hit. The mark breaks upon impact, regardless of whether the target survives.
Death Sentence: Channels all power into a single bullet with a 0.1% instant-kill chance.
Rank: One-ring Power Attack Spirit Master.
Spirit Ability: Phantom Shot—condensed via Wu Tong's method.
With this Martial Spirit and a Spirit Ability that enhanced her dynamic vision, Rika was confident she could become a reaper on the battlefield, effortlessly ending any life in her sights.
"Huh?"
Shizuka, who had been playing with Kanna, tilted her head in confusion, sensing the shift in mood.
"Ah! Saeko-chan, you're hurt! Come here, let me treat you!"
Spotting Saeko's injuries, Shizuka immediately perked up, dispelling the tension as she called out.
When Saeko approached, Shizuka summoned her Martial Spirit—a medkit materialized in her hands.
[Top-tier Martial Spirit: Medkit (Shizuka Marikawa)]
Traits: Embodies the properties of a game-style medkit. Though empty inside, it possesses extraordinary healing capabilities.
Abilities:
Conversion: Transforms Spirit Power into specialized healing energy.
Duplication: Can split into clones that merge with patients for continuous healing. One clone per major cultivation stage (current max: 2).
Healing Space: Stores critically injured individuals in a stasis space, preventing death regardless of wounds.
Life Field: Creates a zone that heals allies and amplifies damage to enemies.
Rank: One-ring Support Spirit Master.
Spirit Ability: Eternal Bloom—condensed via Wu Tong's method.
"First Spirit Ability—Eternal Bloom!"
As Shizuka activated her ability, her voice took on a sacred, compassionate tone. A green light surged from the medkit into Saeko, healing her scrapes visibly within moments. Soon, Saeko was fully restored.
Wu Tong observed their Martial Spirits with fascination.
Martial Spirits truly are miraculous.
They were tied not only to bloodline, soul, and innate talent but also—as evidenced here—to one's cognition and absorbed information. In fact, Wu Tong theorized that cognition and soul were the primary factors, with bloodline being secondary.
Rika's Soul Reaper reflected her expertise with sniper rifles, while Shizuka's Medkit mirrored her gaming-influenced perception of healing items. Had it been slightly stronger, Wu Tong might have mistaken it for a divine-tier Martial Spirit.
This phenomenon had precedent in the original Douluo Dalu lore. For instance, in Douluo Dalu 2, He Caitou's Martial Spirit was a cigar—something inconceivable in the first era. Its appearance in the sequel proved that widespread awareness of an object could manifest it as a Martial Spirit.
...
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(End of Chapter)