Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

Chapter 162: Second Weapon Modification

"You want to hunt with us?" Lora asked, listing the words one at a time as though unsure she had heard right.

"Yes," Evian answered earnestly, "While you all interfered in a hunt I had under control, I am glad to have people to hunt with so I'd like for this arrangement to continue."

Five days had gone by and as the week they had to rest at East City drew to a close, Evian decided he was quite about done with hunting so he needed a massive horde of Soul Points which would be better gotten from Fitlfth Rank Beasts that were apparently much more common to run into closer to the center of the Forest.

Hunting such powerful Beasts was best done in a party of capable individuals such as this so he had no reason to turn them away.

"So, let me get this straight," Lora said still looking unconvinced, "Although you dealt the final blow, you don't want any part of this Beast whose resources will sell for thousands of gold and instead want a chance to do more work?"

"Exactly," Evian said with a hand stretched out.

Lora looked from the hand to Evian's face and then back before she grabbed it in a firm handshake.

"You are a peculiar fellow, Evian," she said with a smile, "But I have no reason to refuse such a fruitful proposition."

"Excellent!" Evian told her with a perfect smile that struck the hearts of the gathered ladies hard, causing them to wonder who this man was to possess such charm.

"Ahem. Alright, let's get to dissecting the loot."

Cutting up the Beast, large as it was took about half an hour and immediately it was over, Evian ushered the group on their way,

"Let's go," he said boisterously, "We're losing daylight."

Whatever mystery already shrouded Evian's identity and his inexplicable decisions got even deeper when he didn't bat his eyes at all at the Fourth Rank Beasts they met on the way.

"Leave them," he almost always said, "From experience, if these are here, there is a stronger Beast farther within they are trying to stay away from."

'Annoyingly though, it usually turns out the stronger beast these weaklings run from is still in their same rank but a few steps above or purposing a more ferocious nature and harder exterior which results in similar low Soul Points gains anyway but they don't need to know that." Evian added in his mind.

"We're leaving behind Fourth Rank Beasts? Do you only want the hunt Fifth Rank Beasts?" Dana asked the question on the lips of everyone else in the group.

"Of course," Evian said, "That's why I needed to be in a party. If it were Fourth Rank Beasts, I wouldn't need any help at all."

"Arrogance!" Xania said with a deep frown.

Evian heard and ignored her.

Of course, although no one else in the group accused Evian outright, they had similar thoughts and it was to the point where Lora was starting to reconsider the arrangement,

"Evian—" She started when Evian stretched out a hand to call for silence.

Right ahead was a herd of Killer-bulls so named for their larger sizes, killer instincts, and carnivorous traits as opposed to their herbivorous domesticated counterparts. With powerful horns with sharp points and their moving together in a herd that made them difficult to battle at once, they were certainly a test.

"Alright, Formation—" Lora started to say, her mind already working out a strategy to make sure no one in her group got injured but before she even got her words out, Evian had already charged out.

"Hey, wait!" she called out in a loud voice that especially called the attention of the Killer Bull herd toward Evian, and while scratching their hooves against the first floor, the Bulls readied to attack.

*Whoosh*

With a running forward leap, Evian crossed the rest of the distance between himself and the first Bull, stabbing his Spear into its head with such power, that it thrust out of the Beast's throat.

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

Before his victim's carcass even hit the floor, Evian had used it as a platform to leap toward another, delivering yet another stab that reaped delicious essence.

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

With two down, the Herd, of course, decided to act like a group. They charged at Evian from all sides with the clear intent to goad him with their horns and crush him with their strength. The move was incredibly predictable to Evian who had faced many such herds this past week.

This was the first time he would face a group made up entirely of Fourth Rank Beasts and although he had appeared uninterested in Fourth Rank Beasts so far, those were the ones who wandered on their own and very much different from a large group such as this.

Also, the other reason he stayed away from the Fourth Rank today was because he knew the group would always spend time picking apart the kill which wasted time when there were better targets to kill and better Soul Points to reap. However, this herd was different. He needed to show his worth to this doubting group and this was the best way to put on a show and still get gains along the way.

Evian used Wraithic Phasing and vanished from the center of the impending Collison, letting his targets slam into each other and making things even easier for him.

*BANG!!!*

The collision of the Killer bulls was not only so loud ans powerful as to send shockwaves all around, it also caused them to stab each other. Lucky for Evian, as the injured Beasts staggered away from the collision, they still possessed impressive vitality as Fifth Rank Beasts and did not yet fall until Evian had the chance to get in the final strikes.

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

"Are- Are you guys seeing this?" Thana asked with her mouth wide open in shock.

"Oh, I'm seeing it alright," Dana said, "I'm just not believing it."

"I don't blame you," Xania added with eyes sparkling in awe.

Lora couldn't even speak. The speed, the ease of his kills… At the peak of the Fourth Order, Lora knew she did not dare to expose herself to Beasts of the Fourth Rank and she was definitely not crazy enough to get herself encircled but this man— This lunatic did it and used it to his advantage.

"That ability of his— The ability to 'vanish', I think that's what he used to save me from the Fifth Rank Serpent," Thana mumbled, "Who the hell is he? Really!"

Meanwhile, Evian continued his Essence Reaping. At the peak of the Wraith Noble level of Decadence, he was invincible and his strength was not something Fourth Rank Beasts could contend with and on that note, he ended them all quickly—Never losing his smile as his Soul Points ticked up.

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1000 Soul Points]

"Mmm," Evian mumbled now standing amidst multiple Beasts carcasses, "Thirteen in the Herd huh? Not bad. That was 13 kills and a total of 13,000 Soul Points so it's not bad at all."

'Update.'

[Balance: 25,587 Soul Points]

The ladies were now emerging from the cover of trees they had been in and Evian looked over at them,

"That proves my capabilities, does it not?" he asked.

The group just watched him with a mixture of awe and fear that Evian recognized from the Eastern Sect Disciples.

It was a feeling of knowing they were likely not a challenge if Evian decided to view them as enemies except that in the case of this group, they were quickly coming up with contingencies they could potentially use to survive should they had to fight against Evian. After all, they were not Beasts and possessed the ability to innovate so why not make good use of it?

"I'll take your silence as a 'Yes'," Evian said with a chuckle before gesturing at the carcasses that littered the ground, "Harvest away. I'll be busy for a while anyway."

Without waiting for a response, Evian walked many paces away and sat on the ground, cross-legged.

'Open the Decadence Store!'

The Decadent Store opened in its usual holographic screen and knowing exactly what had brought him there, Evian clicked the [Manuscript] tab and scrolled to his target;

---

-Wraithic Weapon Modification Manuscript: Learn how to give your chosen mortal weapon the aura and identity of a soul reaper that it clearly needs to match your Decadence.

Current Level Of Decadence- Wraith Noble

Cost: 10,000 Soul Points.

---

As a weapon that was crafted to be wielded with Spiritual Energy, Evian's Spear required what could best be described as a regular Tune-up. It was because he had not yet given it the required Tune-up to bring it to the level of a Wraith Noble that he could not use the Spear to channel his Eldritch energy as he had done when he was just a Wraith.

It was also why the Weapon was starting to resist his wield.

Well, that would now be no more…

[Confirm the Purchase?]

'Yes!'