Chapter 143: Demons and The Vanquisher

Elias gazed at the Sword Spirit, and although he had already grown accustomed to her existence, he still found it somewhat uncomfortable to look at someone who possessed the same face and body as his third wife.

However, that discomfort was insignificant compared to the question occupying his mind.

As far as he knew, there were only two people who might know anything about demons. One was Monica, who had spent years studying magic and countless arcane texts, while the other was the Sword Spirit standing before him.

For some inexplicable reason, Elias felt that he should ask the Sword Spirit first.

He took a slow breath before raising his eyes toward her.

[What is a demon?] he asked somberly.

The moment those words left his mouth, the Sword Spirit’s expression changed.

Her previously calm eyes became razor-sharp, and an intense coldness suddenly swept through the corridor. Elias felt goosebumps rise across his body as his blood seemed to grow colder from nothing more than her voice.

"Where did you hear that word?" she asked in a chilling tone.

Elias’s expression remained serious despite the pressure.

He had no intention of allowing her to intimidate him into answering when she was the one who had constantly told him to defy the men and the world.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he responded through Mental Whisper.

[I asked you so you can answer me, not so you can question me.]

The Sword Spirit stared down at him without saying anything.

She floated several meters above the wooden floor, her long crimson hair drifting around her ethereal body while the lavender fabric of her dress moved gently despite the complete absence of wind.

The corridor remained silent for several seconds.

Then, unexpectedly, the Sword Spirit chuckled.

"Good," she said with an amused smile. "Very good."

Her sharp expression softened slightly, and the cold surrounding him vanished.

"It seems I had thought wrong about you."

He frowned.

[What do you mean?]

"I had believed you had simply gotten lucky with the treasure and were unworthy of the little strength you possess," she explained calmly.

Elias blinked.

The statement left him more surprised than offended.

[Are you telling me that your previous judgment about me... was wrong?] he asked.

The Sword Spirit nodded.

"Yes. You do not lack defiance. You are simply not allowing it to grow."

Elias lowered his gaze and stared at his hands.

He clenched and unclenched his fists several times as he considered her words, and the corners of his lips slowly curled upward.

[I see...]

The smile lasted only a moment before disappearing.

Elias raised his head again and asked, [So? What is a demon?]

"I never thought I would hear that word from someone who is not a spiritualist..." the Sword Spirit mumbled.

Elias blinked.

’Spiritualist...’

His thoughts immediately turned toward Natasha.

’Does that mean Natasha knows?’

Natasha was indeed walking the path of Spirit, although she had lost her spiritual veins before she had awakened even a single spiritual star.

Before Elias could dwell on the thought any further, the Sword Spirit looked at him and asked, "You know what spirit beings are, yes?"

He nodded.

[The inhabitants of the Spirit Realm.]

"That is correct, but that is not all of it," she said calmly.

Elias furrowed his brows.

[There is more?]

"Of course."

The Sword Spirit nodded before shifting through the air until she was lying horizontally, supporting her head with one hand as though she were resting on an invisible bed.

"We, spirit beings, are lifeless entities that take birth in the Spirit Realm. Unlike mortals, we have no natural lifespan, and we are theoretically immortal because we are simply ideas and imaginations given form."

Elias’s expression became increasingly confused.

[What?]

The Sword Spirit smiled at his reaction before continuing.

"Yes. We are not living beings. We are simply ideas, imaginations, dreams, and concepts that have taken shape because they have existed so vividly within the minds of countless mortals."

Elias stared at her.

The explanation sounded completely absurd, yet coming from a spirit being who could read his thoughts and phase through walls, he could hardly dismiss it as impossible.

His expression slowly became serious again.

[Are demons also spirit beings?]

He was almost certain they were; otherwise, the Sword Spirit would not have brought up spirit beings in the first place.

The Sword Spirit turned around in the air and stared toward the ceiling before answering.

"They are, and they are not."

Elias frowned.

[What? I do not get it. How can they be spirit beings while not being spirit beings at the same time?]

The Sword Spirit glanced at him before chuckling softly.

"They are spirit beings because they take birth in the Spirit Realm, but they are not like us because they are not embodiments of ideas or imaginations. Rather, they are embodiments of fear born from those ideas."

Elias’s brows drew together.

[Explain...]

"Think of it this way."

The Sword Spirit turned her face toward him and continued, "You imagine yourself becoming strong, but at the same time, you fear that you will never reach that strength, or that you will lose it after finally obtaining it. If countless people imagined the same thing, their collective idea could eventually give birth to a spirit being."

She paused for a moment before adding, "However, the fear surrounding that idea would give birth to something else."

Elias’s eyes widened slightly.

[A demon.]

"Exactly."

[Oh...]

Understanding finally dawned on him, although his expression soon became troubled again.

[But why do we not know about demons?]

The Sword Spirit smiled as though the answer were obvious.

"It is simple, really."

She slowly lowered herself until she was floating directly in front of him, then met his eyes.

"Just as we spirit beings need a connection to appear in this world, demons require a physical vessel."

Elias’s eyes widened.

[So demons may already be secretly roaming the world?]

The Sword Spirit immediately shook her head.

"Nope."

Elias tilted his head.

[How are you so sure?]

A sharp glint passed through the Sword Spirit’s eyes as her smile widened.

"Because I killed every last one of them and sent them back to the Spirit Realm."