I continue floating through the forest. The leaves grow ever darker as I float past them.

I don’t think this forest should be this dark in the first place. The leaves haven’t become this thick; have they?

I have some ideas that could use lumber, but I would need more strength first. Some of the items in the shop are books by a Dr. Archimedes, and some blueprints as well. Funnily enough, the physical items themselves are ridiculously expensive. A simple stainless steel spoon cost millions of Spirit Tokens, but the various recipes for making stainless steel and shaping it only cost a few hundred. Meanwhile, skills are the cheapest, such as Library which would store any information I’d like.

It also mentions storing the data I can buy from the System, so I will need it eventually. It just costs 20 Spirit Tokens.

At least my nights spent browsing the internet will have some use now.

“Hahahahaha…” I hear a deep, coarse laugh from within the depths of the woods. Not ominous after all.

I glide forward, keeping my current pace. I don’t really fear whatever is making that creepy laughter.

Eventually, a small, red dot can be seen in the distance. As I float forward and it grows bigger, I find something strange.

“Hahahahaha… Oh, a new personage appears,” the laughing creature is a ghastly-looking man. Perhaps ghostly would be more apt with his red, see-through skin which means he’s similar to me. His skin is wrung tight as his gnarled hands clench tight into fists. He appears to be a middle-aged man with noble attire. His waistcoat sports a golden pocket watch that is missing its lid and showcases the broken glass within.

Oh yeah, and his eyes are literally on fire.

“Hmm, do I know you?” The man strokes his chin. Actually, he looks kinda familiar too, but I just can’t place it.

I guess it wasn’t that important.

“Hmm, must have not been all that important then. Well, whoever you are, feel free to kneel down before your new master.”

“Why?”

“Hmph. Glad you asked.” The trees around us begin shaking wildly as he floats up in the air and his body glows brighter. “Fear.”

A log suddenly thrown through the air, straight towards me. I cross my arms, unimpressed, as it flies through my incorporeal body.

The man floats down as he is faced with an unexpected outcome. “Huh. You look more human than the other ghosts I have encountered.”

“Does that mean you won’t throw a tantrum then?”

“TANTRUM?!” He clears his throat and calms down. “No. It just saves me the step of killing you. Now-“

His chest begins growing darker and the black spot formed becomes more swirly.

“Dinner time.”

His dramatic flair is something, I must admit. But his use of the same gag where he transforms and says a short phrase loses its effect when he does it a second time.

The swirl grows strong as it begins to drag me toward it. A glide slightly backward, just out of the reach of the pull. The man gives a disgruntled frown as he glides forward as well.

“Oh, so that is how you would like to do this?” He appears right before me and swipes down on my shoulder. I get knocked away before I can react. Oh, that actually hurts. Status, health.

Oh wait. Status, Spiritual Matter.

[ Spiritual Matter: 110/150 ]

Damn, that’s some damage. I sit up, and see specks of glowing matter in the air. The man is desperately licking these specks up before they float away. Wait, are those parts of my spirit? Strange.

Wouldn’t those be stopped by the barrier surrounding the estate? Couldn’t this guy just get them after the battle? Does he not know about the barrier? Is he even stopped by it?

Might as well attack him while he’s distracted though.

My axe floats up behind him, swiping through his form, surprisingly causing specks to fly out of his back. Hmm, interesting. The log passed through me, but my axe can harm him.

I raise my axe above him and cancel my telekinesis. The axe harmlessly passes through him. So it is my skill.

As he is now enraged, he charges towards me. I reactivate my skill and summon the axe towards me, and parry his swipe with the flat side of my axe. His hand claws through the ground. Literally through as the environment remains unchanged.

Before he can turn to face me, I swing the axe through his neck, decapitating him. A flood of specks bursts out of the neck, but instead of the man dissipating, or anything similar, he effortlessly picks up his head and places it back on.

Shit.

“That’s cheating!” I yell out at the injustice. How can this guy just ignore a fatal attack?!

“I believe that a ranged weapon also gives you an advantage,” he charges towards me to which I jump back. His charge seems slower than before. Is this damage slowing him down?

Sidestepping his next charge to the right, I jump forward while swinging my axe. I chop off his arm which he simply places back on, but not before spewing out those specks.

I continue our dance, but his speed isn’t changing. Perhaps it’s something else that slows him down.

I jump back at his swing again. He’s grown slower now, but why? Hmm, that’s new. Why is he glancing behind him? Unless…

I start walking backwards while maintaining eye contact with the man. As he charges towards me, he noticeably grows slower as he comes towards me. So, he’s probably linked to a place, or perhaps something, and he must stay around that thing. Kinda the inverse of my barrier.

“Get, huff, back here, huff, child!” The man gasps for air as he continues trying to reach me.

“Why?” I taunt.

“I need- *huff*, *huff* to- *huff* kill- *huff*, *huff* you!” The man is really not doing well right now.

“AH!” The man has now collapsed. Oh dear, it would be such a shame if a random axe happened to chop him apart limb from limb.

“AH! AH! STOP!” The man screams for mercy at the axe’s actions.

“Why?”

“PLEASE! IT HURTS!” Is he crying? Didn’t know we can cry.

“No.”

“WAI-“ The axe splits his skull in half, which seems to be the final straw that broke the camel’s back, as he explodes in a flurry of specks.

Hmm, no death notification?

I wander back into the woods where I encountered the man. It’s still filled with the inky darkness, but a faint red glow is emanating from a familiar pocket watch. It’s the man’s watch.

I slam the axe onto the watch, shattering it.

[ You have killed a level 8 “Vengeful Spirit Duke Harrison” x 1. 490 experience points gained. 20 Spirit Tokens gained. ]

[ Your level has increased by 3. ]

[ Your Spiritual Matter has been restored and has increased by 150. ]

[ Your magic has been restored and has increased by 21. ]

[ Your mana regen has increased by 6. ]

[ Your power has increased by 1. ]

[ Your endurance has increased by 1. ]

[ Your intelligence has increased by 5. ]

[ Your wisdom has increased by 5. ]

[ Your agility has increased by 0. ]

[ Your dexterity has increased by 0. ]

[ Due to the defeat of an enemy, you have unlocked the skill: Spiritual Matter Absorption(Minimum, Active) ]

[ Due to the defeat of an enemy, you have unlocked the skill: Possession(Active) ]

[ Due to the defeat of an enemy, you have unlocked the skill: Spirit Projection(Minimum, Active) ]

[ Spiritual Matter Absorption - Allows the user to absorb and convert the remains of Spirits into experience. ]

[ Possession - Allows the user to possess an object. The main spirit is bound to the object and cannot move. Other skills may still be used. The object can be destroyed to permanently destroy a Spirit. The object can permanently bind a spirit to the mortal plane. ]

[ Spirit Projection - A skill to be used in conjunction with Possession. It allows the user to create a projection from an object. This projection is as visible and tangible as the normal body, and can still damage the user’s status. However, if the projection is destroyed, the main spirit will still live. The projection can only move a certain distance from the possessed object. ]

I use Spiritual Matter Absorption and such up all of the specks in the air.

[ You have gained 1 experience point. ]

Wow. That is some really bad mileage. Which begs the question: How many spirits had that man consumed to get to level 8? Perhaps the rest of the mansion staff, and maybe the Ducal family too? I wonder if he consumed the Duke’s soul.

What was the Duke’s name again?