Chapter 164
Unlike regular spirits, anti-spirits are tethered to his will, making them extensions of his power.
Which basically means that unlike regular spirits, which might have their own consciousness or require a contract, anti-spirits are extensions of the summoner’s power and obey his commands without question. They are bound to his will and cannot act independently.
This connection ensured that the summoner has complete control over their actions and abilities.
Just as there is matter in the universe, with its opposing force being anti-matter, there are spirits, ethereal beings of light and energy, countered by anti-spirits, dark entities born from the Abyss. While spirits embody harmony and life, anti-spirits are manifestations of chaos and death.
They are the shadows cast by the light, existing to counterbalance and consume the energies of their brighter counterparts. Where spirits thrive on purity and connection, anti-spirits draw power from the void, tethered to the summoner’s will and feeding on the essence of the spirits they devour.
He could feel the dark energy thrumming through his veins, a part of him now more than ever.
If spirits were affiliated with the heavens, then anti-spirits were associated with the Abyss.
The more spirits he consumes, the stronger his anti-spirits become. This creates a continuous cycle of power, as each defeated spirit enhances his abyssal spirit’s abilities.
However, summoning them comes at a cost. Prolonged use can strain the summoner’s body and mind, leading to physical and mental fatigue.
His head throbbed slightly, a reminder of the toll this power could take.
In a fight, he would have to be cautious not to harm himself unintentionally instead.
“However, now that I am here…” he paused, glancing around at the countless clusters of light, “Why don’t I make use of it?” His voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed with a dark determination.
His eyes turned cold as a storm of Abyss energy started to brew behind him.
The space trembled, trying to hold onto the manifestation of the abyss. A low, ominous rumble echoed through the realm, the very fabric of reality seeming to stretch and twist.
The spirit clusters burst, scattering in a direction as far as possible from him.
Panic rippled through the spirits, their once serene forms now flickering with fear.
He did not stand by and followed after as many spirits as he saw. His movements were swift, precise, the abyssal energy trailing behind him like a shadow.
Swish!
What transpired next was a mass of reddish-black energy devouring countless colorful balls of light. Each spirit he consumed added to the growing storm of power around him, the reddish darkness becoming more intense with every passing moment.
Time flowed by, and he lost track of time as he hunted down any spirits he saw. It was a pity that this place only held the partial spirits; he would have loved to try against a true spirit.
However, the abundance of the partial spirits made up for that.
Just like that, more and more time passed, and in the end, he finally stopped. His breath came in ragged gasps, the exertion of his power taking its toll.
“Hmm…”
As far as he could see, all he could see now was pitch-black darkness. The earlier space, which was filled with countless bright lights, was now a black realm devoid of light.
The oppressive silence now heavy on his shoulders, the once vibrant realm now eerily still.
“I can’t go on anymore like this.”
He frowned and muttered to himself. This was as far as he could go; all the spirits in this space had mostly been devoured by him, while some of them escaped far away, so he did not chase them too far.
Plus, he felt a restriction on him when he reached a certain point. No matter what, it seemed that he was unable to cross a specific point.
An invisible barrier pulsed at the edge of his consciousness, warning him of the limits of his current power.
It was as if the place, the realm, was able to recognize his abilities and stopped him from going any further.
He did not push it either; he was not overconfident in his abilities. He had only devoured the partial spirits, after all. He could feel the growth in his Abyss energy too.
What Oliver did not know was that these partial spirits were quite powerful, and no normal kid would be able to hunt them down as he was doing. In fact, even proper exorcists would find it difficult to capture spirits.
After making sure there was nothing else to do anymore, he simply focused inside himself and started to leave the spirit realm.
He could not summon an Abyssal creature into this world; not only would it be extremely dangerous, but it could also get him into a lot of trouble with his body and others.
The thought of the chaos and destruction such a creature could cause made him shudder.
Soon, his body disappeared, and he opened his eyes back in the mountain hall. But something was strange; except for the elder, there was no one else present.
The hall was eerily quiet, the faint light casting long shadows of the pillars across the room.
“Damn brat, finally finished?”
Sigfor said in a heavy voice. Oliver looked at him confusedly, “Elder, what do you mean? Where’s everyone?”
“I dismissed them since you were taking so long.”
“Long? Wait, what does that even mean?”
“How long do you think you have been in the spirit realm?” Sigfor questioned him instead of answering.
The elder’s eyes were tired, a hint of impatience in his tone.
“Well, maybe two hours?”
“Haah? Two hours, seriously?” Sigfor pinched his brows in frustration.
“It’s been over five days.”
“What!? HOW?” Oliver lost his composure and asked wide-eyed. He could not believe that he had spent five whole days in that place!
His mind reeled, trying to grasp the enormity of lost time.
What’s going on?
“H-How can it be five days…?”
He could not believe that hunting spirits would take so much time. In that dark realm, he really lost the sense of time.
“How would I know?” Sigfor snorted and then asked, “Did you manage to get a spirit?”