Chapter 97: Spirit Dungeon [4]

The moment he stepped forward, the monsters suddenly rushed toward him.

There were dozens of them, and each one looked almost identical to the creature in front of him.

Their bodies were made from pale, decaying flesh stretched over thin skeletal frames, while large flowers had grown from where their heads should have been.

Some carried rusty blades, others held broken spears, and a few dragged strange weapons that looked like they had been made from bones.

Amon looked at the approaching swarm. ’I better finish them quickly.’

One of them swung a large bone sword toward his head.

Amon immediately ducked beneath the attack and stepped backward as another monster stabbed its spear toward his chest.

He moved to the side and grabbed the spear with one hand.

The monster tried to pull it away, but Amon used Mana Thread and wrapped the weapon before pulling the creature toward him.

The monster stumbled forward. Amon kicked it in the stomach and sent it crashing into another creature.

"There’s way too many of you."

More monsters were already coming toward him.

Amon raised both hands. "Mana Thread."

Thin strands of mana shot from his fingers and spread throughout the chamber.

The threads wrapped around several monsters at once, attaching themselves to their arms, legs, and weapons.

Amon pulled his hands toward himself.

The creatures were dragged together and crashed into one another.

Several of them fell to the ground while the others struggled to free themselves from the tangled threads.

Amon immediately used Frost Manipulation.

Ice spread across the floor and froze the legs of several monsters.

He rushed forward and used Spatial Steps.

His body disappeared before appearing beside one of the frozen creatures. Soulpiercer pierced through its chest.

The monster’s body immediately froze as a strange black mist escaped from the flower growing from its neck.

The mist was absorbed into Soulpiercer, and the monster collapsed.

[Spirit-related killing method confirmed.]

[Monster killed.]

[Dungeon Time: 00:19:24]

[Speed Bonus: Moderate.]

Amon glanced at the notification before another monster swung its weapon toward him.

He raised his arm.

The blade struck against the Dragon Emperor’s Scale Armor and bounced away.

Amon grabbed the monster’s wrist and froze its arm. "You should probably pick a better weapon."

He pulled the creature closer with Mana Thread and stabbed Soulpiercer through its chest.

Another monster disappeared into black mist.

The remaining creatures continued attacking.

Amon used Spatial Steps to move through the swarm while Mana Threads constantly wrapped around the monsters.

He would gather several of them together, freeze their movements, and then move between them while using Soulpiercer to deliver the killing blows.

The method worked well at first, but the monsters were becoming more aggressive.

One creature swung a large axe toward him while another attacked his legs with a spear.

Amon crossed his arms and allowed the Dragon Emperor’s Scale Armor to absorb the impact.

The force pushed him toward the ground, but the armor prevented the weapon from breaking through.

Amon looked up at the flower-shaped head above him.

He grabbed the weapon and pulled the monster down.

At the same time, Mana Thread wrapped around its body. Amon used Spatial Steps and appeared behind another monster.

Soulpiercer pierced through its back.

Amon immediately turned toward the one he had pulled down and stabbed it as well.

[Monster killed.]

[Monster killed.]

He raised both hands again as Mana Thread spread across the entire chamber.

This time, Amon didn’t try to control every monster individually; he just connected the threads between them.

One thread wrapped around a monster’s arm before connecting to another creature.

Another thread connected to a third.

Within moments, Amon had created a huge web of mana throughout the swarm.

He pulled backward, and the monsters were dragged toward one another.

Several of them crashed together while others were pulled off balance.

Amon smiled. "Much better."

He immediately covered the floor in frost.

The creatures struggled against the ice, but their movements had become much slower.

Amon stepped forward and began killing them one by one.

Soulpiercer pierced through them one by one.

Black mist continued filling the chamber as the monsters disappeared.

Amon was beginning to get used to their movements.

They weren’t intelligent enough to create complicated strategies, but they were surprisingly good at fighting together.

Whenever he killed one, another would immediately try to take advantage of the opening.

Amon blocked a sword with his armor and kicked the attacker away.

Before he could attack it, another monster appeared behind him.

Amon sensed the movement and immediately used Spatial Steps.

The monster’s weapon passed through empty air.

Amon appeared behind it and drove Soulpiercer through its chest.

The creature dissolved.

When Amon looked around, he noticed their flower-like heads trembling slightly.

’...Are they scared?’

He stopped for a moment and focused on the nearest monster.

He could sense something inside it.

...Fear.

Amon’s eyes widened. ’Since when can I feel that?’

The Spirit Sovereign Scripture began circulating through his body without him consciously forcing it.

The sensation became clearer.

Amon could feel the monster’s fear as if it were a faint presence inside his own mind.

He focused on it, and the feeling suddenly became stronger. The monster took another step backward.

Amon stared at it. ’They’re afraid of me.’

He had killed so many of them that the remaining creatures had begun developing fear toward him.

Amon slowly raised his hand.

The Spirit Sovereign Scripture continued circulating through his body, and the strange sensation inside his mind suddenly became much clearer.

Something seemed to click into place.

[Spirit-related skill awakened.]

[Emotion Amplification.]

[Description: Amplifies an existing emotion within the target’s spirit.]

Amon stared at the notification. "...Finally."

One of the monsters suddenly charged toward him.

Amon focused on the fear inside its spirit, and the emotion suddenly grew stronger.

The creature stopped in the middle of its charge and took several steps backward.

Amon looked toward the rest of the swarm, and he could feel the same emotion inside them.

....They were afraid.

Amon smiled. "Well, this makes things easier."

He used Emotion Amplification again.

The fear inside the surrounding monsters suddenly became much stronger.

Their movements immediately changed.

A monster suddenly turned around and tried to run.

Amon used Spatial Steps and appeared in front of it.

The creature stopped immediately.

Amon raised Soulpiercer, and the blade pierced through its chest.

The monster dissolved into black spiritual mist.

The creatures surrounding Amon watched it disappear, and their fear became stronger.

The remaining monsters began panicking as many tried to run away.

Amon used Mana Thread to pull them back. "You can’t run now."

He gathered several monsters together and froze their legs before moving toward them.

One after another, the monsters disappeared.

The more Amon killed, the more frightened the remaining creatures became.

And the stronger their fear became, the easier it was for Amon to control the battlefield.

He no longer needed to chase them around.

Mana Thread gathered them together while Emotion Amplification kept their fear overwhelming their instincts.

Amon moved through the swarm with Soulpiercer in hand.

Black spiritual mist filled the chamber as the number of monsters continued decreasing.

Eventually, only one remained.

Amon pulled it toward himself and drove Soulpiercer through its chest, and the monster dissolved.

The entire chamber became silent.

Amon stood among the remains of the swarm and slowly lowered Soulpiercer.

[Spirit-related killing method confirmed.]

[All hostile monsters in the area have been eliminated.]

[Dungeon Time: 00:46:27]

[Speed Bonus: High.]

Amon looked at the timer and sighed. "Forty-six minutes."

He rubbed his forehead before looking at the newly awakened skill again.

[Emotion Amplification]

Amon smiled slightly. ’This is definitely useful.’

Amon looked toward the passage leading deeper into the dungeon. ’If I can already amplify fear this much, I wonder what this skill will become once my spirit gets stronger.’

He put Soulpiercer back at his waist and continued walking deeper into the dungeon.