Chapter 1423 (2/2)

“For this part,” The Ghosthound continued. “All you need to do is stand your ground and attempt to endure my image. Ready? Let’s begin.”

There wasn’t enough time after he said ready to respond at all! Elmer thought in alarm. He had been planning on clarifying the task, but the Ghosthound moved too quickly; he began to smile at Kharon’s police force. And then the air around their leader warped.

The change was instantaneous. One second a slim and athletic-looking Randidly Ghosthound was standing in front of them, regarding them critically. Then the air around him shimmered and his form seemed to become increasingly intense. The corner of his smile kept curling upward. There was so much weight to his presence that an onlooker’s eyes were dragged toward him.

His hair flashed and lightened to emerald and stirred as though it was being toyed with by a spring breeze. His right eye began to glow with an emerald light and his left eye… seemed to become a hole in the world. Light bent and twisted as though it was literally being drained away by that hungry eye. A long, dark tail that looked segmented like a spine flicked back and forth behind the Ghosthound. The muscles and tendons of his arms seemed to strain and flex. His hands shimmered and were covered in warped, blackened flesh. His toes flexed and dug into the ground as they were also shifting to that strange flesh.

The pressure smashed into Elmer with a physical force. Elmer Arrietti couldn’t breathe. His entire body locked up, one joint at a time until he was a sweaty statue. Behind him, he could distantly hear his force groan and shudder beneath that abrupt pressure. But perhaps because Elmer was at the front, his consciousness was directly smashed to the side.

Goddamnit it knees, just collapse and let me fall over! Elmer roared in panic at his unresponsive body. A second wave of pressure spread outward from the Ghosthound. It seemed Kharon’s creator was laughing hysterically, raising his head and daring the world to stand in his way. That laughter ripped into Elmer’s vulnerable thoughts, wiping everything away.

Then all he could hear was a strange buzzing and all he could feel was sweat trickling down his back in a small stream. His eyes remained locked on the Ghosthound in front of him. Specifically, his gaze was drawn into that intense darkness that grew from his left eye. But the more he looked, the more Elmer began to understand that he had severely underestimated their leader. He had always known the man was powerful… he had been at the Ghosthound’s birthday celebration. He had felt the pressure that he could casually unleash.

And yet…

In front of him, the Ghosthound’s skin of his shoulders and torso was translucent. Although most of it was covered up by the dark grey armor he wore, within the small amount of exposed skin Elmer could see pulsing golden veins. His pale neck was filled with thick, flexing topaz serpents. The Ghosthound’s smile stretched wider and wider. He took a step forward and the pressure that Elmer endured intensified. His entire body began to tremble.

Randidly Ghosthound wasn’t powerful because of his images. He was powerful because he was his images, personified. The surrounding air began to howl. Elmer’s muscles continued to spasm. As much as he wanted to flee from the powerful figure in front of him, he was too scared to move.

He was a mouse before a leviathan. Randidly Ghosthound was a monster that had once worn human skin.

Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Image Resistance (Ru)!

Image Resistance (Ru): Slightly decreases the influence that images have on your body and mind. A Skill that only emerges under extreme circumstances. Power of own images will slightly increase with Skill Level. Amount of resistance increases with Skill Level.

Congratulations! Your Skill Image Resistance (Ru) has grown to Level 2!

Randidly Ghosthound took an extremely heavy step forward. The amount of light swirling around his eye increased. Almost the entirety of the left side of his face was obscured by the swirling, liquid light and that pitch darkness at the core of it. He became a faceless horror, stalking forward toward Kharon’s police force.

Elmer’s entire body shuddered. The twitches wracking his body became increasingly erratic. Behind him, he could distantly make out panting and low cries. But Elmer didn’t have any spare attention to focus on the people behind him. His own body continued to betray him, barely allowing himself to move.

Please… just...

Congratulations! Your Skill Image Resistance (Ru) has grown to Level 3!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Image Resistance (Ru) has grown to Level 19!

Elmer’s breath was stuck in his throat. His constricted organs writhed in agony as his muscles refused to relax. It was like his subconscious was locked in a wrestling match with itself. Half of him wanted to turn and run away while the other half wanted him to avoid detection by remaining exactly still. Neither was able to grasp an advantage. Each remained determined to succeed. So Elmer stood still and trembled.

The Ghosthound took another step forward. A strange, desperate howling arrived at Elmer’s ears. The very air around this avatar of power seemed to seethe and scream in agony. The darkness in the Ghosthound’s left eye seemed to round until Elmer could see the faintest shimmer of an egg.

Congratulations! Your Skill Image Resistance (Ru) has grown to Level 23!

After the third step, Elmer went unconscious. His eyelids fluttered and closed with the most reassuring sense of relief that he had ever experienced.

The fourth step woke him back up to find that his traitorous body had remained standing even after he had been knocked out. The strange wind that was blowing the Ghosthound’s hair finally reached Elmer, somehow chilling him to the bone and scouring his skin like a raging sandstorm.

Small wounds appeared up and down Elmer’s arms. As soon as he bled the liquid of life was whisked away into the deadly maelstrom around the Ghosthound.

Congratulations! Your Skill Image Resistance (Ru) has grown to Level 40!

“Oh? Interesting. Considering your determination… I’ll have Helen design a private training program for you, Commissioner Arrietti. Good job.” The Ghosthound’s voice rumbled. He released his image. “That’s all for today. I feel like I have a good understanding of what you are all capable of.”

Even now, Elmer couldn’t move. His muscles had strained themselves to the point that he didn’t have the strength to relax them. He remained locked in place even as the Ghosthound turned and walked away. Behind him, most of his police force was unconscious, unable to help him.

Six months…

Tears silently coursed down Elmer’s cheeks.