Chapter 142: Brain and Fists
Saul hid among the numerous spirit bodies, pretending to be one of the chaotic entities.
However, watching Byron deceive the vengeful spirits stirred something inside him once again.
Since when did Senior Byron become such a good actor?
Where was that straightforward and honest senior from back then?
Was the world outside the tower really this complicated?
Despite his turbulent emotions, Saul's actions remained precise. He concealed himself behind a soul with a chaotic consciousness, following it toward the central area.
The spirits surrounding the round platform all moved forward in a daze. Only their last trace of survival instinct drove them to follow their instincts and approach Morton at the center.
The last remnants of their consciousness told them: They must kill Morton, or they would disappear forever.
Watching these unclear-minded souls struggle to move their limbs and charge at Morton while howling, Saul felt as if he were in an apocalyptic zombie movie.
Unfortunately, he was also one of the "zombies."
As he ran, Saul spotted a few familiar figures among the spirit bodies.
Leading the charge was Herman, his face full of rage, limbs twisted as he lunged toward Morton.
However, Morton was still absorbing the fragments of wandering souls and paid no attention to anyone else.
Saul then noticed Bill among the spirits.
Perhaps because he had only recently died, or maybe his spirit was naturally stronger, Bill seemed more lucid than the others.
He was even secretly observing his surroundings, just like Saul.
That clear awareness lasted until Bill suddenly turned his head—locking eyes with Saul.
Although there were many spirits around, they weren’t packed closely together, leaving Saul with nowhere to hide.
The next second, Bill, who had previously been cold and calculating, suddenly lost control.
With a beastly roar, he abandoned his advance toward the center, cutting straight across the round platform and charging at Saul.
His eyes widened in fury, the corners of his mouth twitched violently, pulling the muscles in his cheeks into spasms.
This powerful Third-Level Apprentice barreled through anyone in his way and reached Saul in no time.
Saul hadn’t expected Bill’s hatred for him to outweigh his hatred for the vengeful spirit that killed him.
"You were the one who attacked first, yet you act like the victim!"
Though the situation was unexpected, Saul saw Bill raising his fists and wasn’t about to hold back.
In this mental space, there was no witchcraft or magic—only spiritual power, which determined how spirits fought.
The magic array transformed their mental strength into tangible physical attacks within this space.
Essentially, a fight of raw, spiritual hand-to-hand combat.
Bill, using his momentum, threw a straight punch.
However, Saul, with his clear mind and sharp reflexes, effortlessly dodged with a sidestep.
Bill swung again—missed again.
After just two brief exchanges, Saul immediately grasped the battle mechanics of this space.
"Bill is a Third-Level Apprentice with a powerful spirit, meaning his punches are extremely strong here. But because he was consumed by Morton, his consciousness is already unstable. His agitation is making him even more reckless—his attacks are straightforward but not fast."
"But I am different!"
"My mind is clear, and I haven't suffered any mental damage. So to me, everyone else moves like slow-motion children."
As he analyzed, Saul dodged Bill’s headbutt and quickly pulled back some distance.
Looking down at his hands, he clenched them into fists.
They were still the same hands, yet they felt brimming with power.
"Master Gorsa always said my spiritual talent was exceptional. He even secretly taught me because of it. But I never truly understood just how high my spiritual talent was."
Saul looked up. Bill had already caught up again, roaring as he attacked.
"Now, let me test it for myself."
Saul threw his first punch!
No tricks, no dodging—just a straightforward, full-force punch.
In midair, his fist suddenly accelerated.
Even though this was an intangible mental space, the air itself howled as if torn apart.
Boom!
Saul’s fist collided directly with Bill’s punch—and shattered Bill’s fist upon impact.
The attack continued, grazing Bill’s arm and tearing through his spiritual flesh before landing brutally on his jaw!
Boom—
Bill was sent flying.
His head twisted 180 degrees, his neck and shoulders tearing apart as he crashed into two unfortunate spirits before hitting the platform heavily.
Unfortunately, since spirits lacked flesh and blood, there wasn’t any gruesome gore—just a slight lack of satisfaction.
"I really am strong!"
Saul was first pleased but quickly grew serious.
He turned toward Morton, who was still clashing with countless spirits. With a casual swipe, Morton easily sent Herman flying.
"Even though I'm this strong in this mental space, the diary still thinks I have little chance against Morton."
Saul stopped attacking and took three strides toward Bill, flipping him over.
Bill’s left cheek had caved in, his jaw and mouth collapsed inward, making him look like a dented ping-pong ball.
"So, spirits can deform when hit?"
Bill saw Saul’s face and flinched in fear, but his fear was quickly replaced by madness and rage.
"The more injured he is, the more his consciousness deteriorates?"
Bill tried to attack Saul again—but forgot his head was still twisted backward, causing all his punches to land on the ground instead.
Saul stepped on Bill’s back, grabbed his head with both hands, and forcefully twisted it back into place.
Even after having his head fixed, Bill wasn’t grateful and still tried to attack. But Saul pinned his arms down, rendering him immobile, then forcibly turned Bill’s gaze toward the center.
"Do you see that man? Kill him, and you can come back to life."
Bill, who had been struggling violently, suddenly froze.
Saul, standing behind him, lowered his voice persuasively:
"Don’t let anger control you, Bill. Is killing a mere Second-Level Apprentice really more important than your own resurrection?"
Before seeing Saul, Bill had still retained some sanity, meaning he wasn’t completely lost yet.
Saul needed to pull him out of his rage and restore his survival instinct.
At the same time, he remained behind Bill, avoiding his direct line of sight to prevent reigniting his blind fury.
As expected, upon hearing Saul’s words and looking at the vengeful spirit at the platform’s center, Bill remembered his own death.
Only by defeating the vengeful spirit and becoming the ruler of this space could he continue existing—even if as a vengeful spirit himself!
With another roar, Bill charged at Morton.
"Even though my fists are strong, a true wizard should still fight with brains." Saul grinned, cracking his knuckles against his chest.
However, Bill was immediately knocked away again.
This time, he landed headfirst. After suffering both Saul and Morton’s attacks, when he got back up, his head just dangled on his shoulder, almost falling off as he ran.
Watching the battlefield turn into an absurd farce, Saul shook his head helplessly.
"Bill and Herman can distract Morton, but their usefulness is limited. In this space, the only real threat to Morton… is me."
"Since becoming an apprentice, I haven’t had a proper fight. No, actually… ever since I graduated, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a real fight."
Saul stretched his limbs, cracking his knuckles.
"Looks like it’s time to beat him up!"
Comments
Post a Comment