“Alright.” He nodded.
“Then let’s exorcise them.” Then, he turned to look at Wiz.
“Wiz, step back a bit first.” “Huh?
Why?” “Because things might get a little messy next.” “Mr.
Ash, you really won’t hurt them, right?” “I said, it’s an exorcism.” Ash walked to a slightly flat open area and surveyed his surroundings.
Wiz blinked.
Though she didn’t understand what Ash was about to do, she obediently retreated outside the cemetery.
“Should I step back too?” Aqua asked.
“You don’t need to.” “Why not!” “Because you’re a goddess.
For a scene like this, you should stand at the forefront.” “But…” “Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt.” “By the way, Aqua.” “What?” “Guess, do I seem like the kind of person who would disturb the dead for money?” Aqua glanced at him and chuckled.
“Yes!” “Good!” Ash nodded.
“Correct answer!” He raised his right hand.
Golden ripples unfolded beside him.
The Ea slowly emerged, grasped in his hand.
Wiz’s eyes widened.
“Mr.
Ash, what are you doing!” Ash didn’t answer.
He raised the Ea, pointing its tip toward the sky, and then!
Brought it down.
He didn’t slash at any specific target, merely directed the blade toward the ground.
Wind pressure.
Purplish-black air currents erupted from the sword’s body, like an invisible giant hand, overturning the entire wasteland.
Dirt, gravel, weeds, dead branches—everything was swept into the sky.
Tombstones shattered, earthen mounds collapsed, an entire layer of ground was scraped away.
Wiz’s scream was swallowed by the wind pressure.
Aqua was also blown back several steps, shielding her face with her hands, her blue long hair whipped into a mess by the wind.
“Ash!
You’re insane!” She shouted loudly.
“What are you doing!” “Waking up the downstairs neighbors for an exorcism!
How can we exorcise them without calling them out?” Ash’s voice was clearly audible amidst the wind pressure.
He put away the Ea, took two steps back, and looked at the overturned ground.
Beneath the soil, pale white bones were exposed.
One, two, ten, dozens of sets…
The bones began to tremble.
A faint green light ignited within their hollow eye sockets.
A skeletal hand reached out from the soil, clawing at the sky.
Then a second, a third, a fourth…
The undead crawled out from the earth.
Some were mere skeletons, others still clung to withered flesh and skin, some were just wraith-like masses of black mist.
Their numbers were astonishing.
Looking around, there were at least seventy or eighty of them.
The faint green lights densely illuminated this wasteland.
“ROAR——!!!” A massive skeletal warrior opened its jaw, emitting a soundless roar.
The wraiths let out sharp shrieks as they pounced toward Ash and Aqua.
“Wahhhh!” Aqua screamed and backed away.
“Ash!
They’re coming!
So many!
Let me purify them quickly!” “No.” Ash took a step forward, blocking Aqua’s path.
“Why not!” “Don’t steal my mobs.” Ash raised his right hand, then took a deep breath, his body sinking slightly.
“Nine Lives…” He didn’t use any weapon, merely assumed a starting stance—feet apart, body leaning slightly forward, right hand clenched in a fist, left hand open.
It was a martial art obtained from the system’s rewards, the technique Heracles used to slay the Hydra.
But Ash had added a suffix to it.
“—Purification Form!” His body moved, so fast it left only an afterimage.
This wasn’t an ordinary physical attack; this was “purification,” purification achieved through pure power.
This wasn’t a whip dipped in iodine; this was fists dipped in holy light!
In an instant, Ash’s fists, elbows, knees, feet—every part of his body became a weapon.
One, two, three…
The entire process took less than three seconds.
The cemetery had already returned to calm.
Dirt was scattered, tombstones were shattered, but all those undead creatures had vanished.
Ash withdrew his hand, straightened up, and let out a breath.
“Whew—!
Done.” [Ding!
Chain quest, progress updated.] [Quest Two: Defeat enemies with the ‘Demonic’ trait (10/10).
Complete!] [Reward distributed: The Noble Phantasm ‘dōjigiri yasutsuna’ has been added to the gate of babylon.] [Quest Five: Defeat enemies with the ‘Undead’ trait (10/10).
Complete!] [Reward distributed: The Noble Phantasm ‘Harpe, the Slayer of Immortals’ has been added to the gate of babylon.] Ash sank into his consciousness and glanced at the two newly unlocked weapons in the treasury.
Tachi—dōjigiri yasutsuna.
A long, slender blade with patterns like flowing water.
Effective against demonic beings, imbued with Indra’s thunder.
Harpe, the Slayer of Immortals—a strangely shaped scimitar, its blade sickle-shaped, its edge shimmering with a faint light.
Effective against undead.
Undead struck by it cannot regenerate.
“Not bad!” Ash withdrew from his consciousness, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Aqua stood behind him, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.
“You…
what did you just use?” “Nine Lives—Purification Form.” “What kind of nonsense is that!” “Just a physical attack with purification attached.” “That’s possible?!” “Yes, it is.”