- 11 hours ago
From the Underworld(Dubbed)
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I stop repairing his soul, preparing to send him to the underworld.
00:03From his throat to his jaw, I carefully mend his mangled soul.
00:06As I finish the final touch and look at his face, a chill runs down my spine.
00:10That face is identical to my brother's.
00:11Even the beauty mark under his eye is exactly the same.
00:14I stumble back, hitting the stone wall.
00:16As the moonlight shines down, the soul opens its mouth silently,
00:19its hollow throat gaping at me.
00:20If he's my brother, then who is the man in the capital living in luxury,
00:23the prince consort who smiles at me so kindly?
00:25I freeze, nearly collapsing to the ground.
00:27This shattered soul has no limbs.
00:28His arms and legs were brutally crushed.
00:30His flesh and bones mangled into a mess of the stumps,
00:32as if he'd been put through a stone grinder over and over again.
00:35He shows no trace of the strength a warrior like my brother should have,
00:38but that face is unmistakably my brother's.
00:40I stand still for a long time.
00:41Hunter Minos and Calvin Graves, my fellow reapers,
00:43emerge from the shadows in their true forms.
00:44Mistress Aurora, it's getting late.
00:46We need to get moving.
00:48Hunter Minos carries the soul-catching chain and prompts me from behind.
00:51Exactly, ma'am.
00:51This soul is just some stray ghost.
00:54We'll just take him in and deliver him to the underworld.
00:56Calvin Graves chimes in.
00:57Their voices snap me out of it.
00:59My heart aches with a dull pain.
01:01I've served in the underworld for 500 years and seen tens of millions of mangled corpses,
01:04but souls mutilated like this are incredibly rare.
01:07Looking at the familiar face I just mended with my own hands,
01:09a profound sense of pity wells up inside me.
01:11I can't help but shed a tear.
01:12If his soul was tortured this badly,
01:14I can only imagine what his physical body went through.
01:16I desperately try to suppress the inexplicable panic in my heart.
01:19I keep telling myself not to overthink it.
01:21Everyone knows that Princess Lauren Faraday loves my brother more than life itself.
01:24To marry him, she even threatened her own life until his majesty finally gave in,
01:28allowing her to marry a lowly hunter.
01:29He enjoys every luxury imaginable, living a life of glory.
01:32He's the most fortunate man in the world.
01:34How can I decide, based on just a face, that this tortured soul is my brother?
01:37I must just miss him too much.
01:39I'm losing my mind.
01:40I take a deep breath, calming the unnecessary turmoil within.
01:42Our meeting must be fate.
01:43I raise my hand, preparing to fully repair the soul, and send him to be reincarnated.
01:47I focus my mind, channeling soul energy into my fingertips as I slowly reach toward the shattered soul.
01:51Suddenly, my fingers stop at the soul's throat.
01:53My entire body freezes.
01:54Right in the center of the throat bone, there is a hole that goes all the way through.
01:57That exact spot.
01:58That exact shape.
01:59My mind goes blank with a deafening roar.
02:01I can't hear anything.
02:02That winter, my brother and I went to the mountains to gather wood and ran into a starving wolf.
02:05My brother shielded me.
02:06When the wolf lunged, he took the blow from me.
02:08The wolf's fangs pierced through his throat, blood splattering across my face.
02:11He collapsed in my arms, a massive hole in his throat.
02:13No matter how hard I pressed, I couldn't stop the bleeding.
02:15I knelt on the ground sobbing until I couldn't breathe and begged on my knees before Sir Benjamin Thatcher.
02:18I traded all my merit, just to keep him alive.
02:20This secret is known to me and me alone.
02:22I fight to stay calm, forcing myself to examine this shattered soul again.
02:26The black blood of his soul is still seeping from his mangled stumps.
02:30His torso is covered in scars from torture, like he was lashed with a whip or crushed by something heavy.
02:35Even his soul was torn to shreds.
02:36He clearly endured endless agony before he died.
02:38The pain is so intense that his soul is trembling.
02:40No way, I whispered to myself.
02:42My voice is so raspy I don't recognize it.
02:44My heart skips a beat.
02:45I shake my head violently, trying to push that terrifying thought out of my head.
02:48It can't be.
02:49I just attended his wedding to the princess.
02:50Matthew wore his red wedding robes, holding the princess's hand,
02:52smiling as he told me to stay in the capital for a few more days.
02:55Everyone in the capital was talking about him.
02:56They said the prince consort had a bright future, living in perfect harmony with the princess.
03:00A life of wealth and happiness, safe and secure.
03:01How could this be my brother?
03:03Matthew and I grew up together in the highlands.
03:05He was a hunter there.
03:05Once, by chance, he saved the princess from bandits when she was covered in wounds.
03:09He even broke a leg doing it.
03:10The princess fell in love with him instantly and vowed to marry him.
03:13The day she returned to the palace, she begged him through tears to go with her.
03:16Afraid I'd be lonely, he sat by my bed, clumsily combing my hair.
03:20Tiener, I'm not going anywhere.
03:21I'm staying right here with you.
03:23But the princess kept writing, waiting for him year after year.
03:26That's what finally moved him.
03:27I knew he had big dreams, and I didn't want him stuck in the highlands, wasting his talent.
03:30I was also afraid he'd end up alone.
03:32I didn't want him to be lonely.
03:33I kept telling him to go for it, not to worry about me.
03:36That's the only reason he finally agreed to go to the capital.
03:39It's been three years since then.
03:40In that time, he seemed to be doing so well.
03:43He got a position in the government and even pushed for new reforms.
03:45The people of Eagle Crest all loved him.
03:48He'd often send me letters and gifts.
03:49Every word he wrote was full of happiness.
03:51I wanted to visit him in the capital many times, but I was too busy with my work in the
03:54underworld.
03:55I was also afraid my ghostly energy would ruin his happiness.
03:58So I put it out of my mind.
03:59But now, as I look at this shattered soul, it feels like a knife is twisting in my chest.
04:03I remember when we were little and how he'd take care of me.
04:05He'd carry me on his back while hunting, teach me archery, and tuck me in at night.
04:08The spirit's throat is crushed.
04:09He's making a wheezing sound like a broken bellows.
04:12My hands tremble as I reach out.
04:14My fingers glow with spirit energy as I check his lower spine.
04:17The moment I touch the bone, I freeze.
04:19My fingers are shaking so hard that the spirit energy fades away.
04:22The spine of the soul, it has an extra vertebrae.
04:24It's just like my brother's.
04:25When my brother, Matthew Monroe, was 14, he was attacked by a wild animal while hunting.
04:29His spine was completely shattered.
04:30He was on the brink of death.
04:31I took a piece of my own soul bone and used it to save him.
04:33That's the only reason he survived.
04:34That extra piece of bone carries my energy.
04:36I could never mistake it.
04:38It's my brother.
04:39My voice is trembling.
04:40My whole body is trembling.
04:41It's really my brother.
04:43I pull the shattered soul into my arms, holding him tight.
04:45But he's so broken.
04:46He doesn't even have limbs anymore.
04:48I don't even know where to put my hands.
04:49How could this be you?
04:51How did you end up like this?
04:53Tears streamed down my face, landing on his mangled body.
04:56I can't believe it's him.
04:57He was the prince consort.
04:59He should be living a life of luxury in the capital.
05:01How did he become this broken soul?
05:03And where is his body?
05:05Hunter Minos and Calvin Graves see me hesitating, and they urge me impatiently.
05:08Your Excellency, time's up.
05:10We need to report back.
05:12I ignore them, pushing myself off the ground to slowly stand up.
05:15The grief in my eyes turns into a chilling hatred.
05:17I'm not reporting back.
05:18I'm going to the Princess Manor myself.
05:20I want to see for myself who exactly is by the princess's side, that fake husband, and
05:24what he really is.
05:25I look up.
05:26A killing intent I haven't felt in 500 years surges within me.
05:30If my brother was really hurt because of them, I, Aurora Monroe, make him pay in blood.
05:35I carefully put away the half-shattered soul.
05:37I head straight for the Princess Manor in the capital that night.
05:39I'm too afraid to look, and too afraid to think.
05:41I just keep praying in my heart.
05:42I hope I'm wrong, and that I'm just overthinking it.
05:44My brother must still be alive.
05:46I race there as fast as I can, finally arriving in the Princess Manor.
05:49The gates are tightly shut, and the heavy night air is suffocating.
05:52Standing at the entrance, my heart is in a panic, as I remember his wedding to the princess
05:55a few days ago.
05:56Back then, his eyes were full of happiness.
05:58He held my hand, telling me over and over again,
06:01Aurora, come see me if you miss me.
06:03I'll show you around the capital as soon as you arrive, and we'll get something great to eat.
06:07His words are still ringing in my ears.
06:09I clench the hem of my clothes, trying to think positive.
06:11As long as I see him, everything will be clear.
06:13Just as I arrive, a man dressed as a eunuch strolls over toward me.
06:16He sizes me up, his voice high-pitched and mocking.
06:18Where did this brat come from?
06:20You think you can just stand here?
06:21Get lost.
06:22I suppress my rising anger, answering him patiently.
06:25My name is Aurora Monroe.
06:26I'm Matthew Monroe's younger sister.
06:28Go and tell him that I'm here.
06:30He rolls his eyes and scoffs.
06:32Aurora Monroe?
06:32Never heard of her.
06:33Do you think just any random person can cross the threshold of the princess' manor?
06:39All the grief and anger I've been holding back instantly boils over.
06:42A dark energy begins to surround me.
06:44Just as I'm about to kill the eunuch, a palace maid rushes over.
06:48She starts laying into the man.
06:49Are you blind?
06:51This is the younger sister the husband personally mentioned.
06:54Ms. Monroe.
06:55How dare you disrespect her?
06:57Now get out of here!
06:57The man turns pale, and his knees buckle as he falls to the ground.
07:00The palace maid turns to me with a forced smile.
07:02Please forgive him, Ms. Monroe.
07:03There was a fire in the yard recently, so these retainers are all temporary hires.
07:07They don't know who you are.
07:09Please be magnanimous, Your Excellency, and don't take it to heart.
07:12I feel a slight sense of relief.
07:14So that's it.
07:15As long as my brother is okay.
07:16I don't have time for their apologies, so I head straight inside the princess' manor.
07:20Under the osmanthus tree in the backyard, a familiar shirtless figure is practicing with a sword.
07:23The blade flashes like a ribbon of light, his movements sharp and precise.
07:26Every swing cuts through the air.
07:28Beads of sweat glisten on his forehead.
07:30Lauren Faraday stood to the side.
07:31Holding a handkerchief, she waited for him to sheathe his sword.
07:33Then she stepped forward to wipe his sweat.
07:34Matthew, take a break.
07:36The princess's voice, it was as gentle as a March breeze.
07:38My brother sheathed his sword.
07:39He smiled at her.
07:40He took the handkerchief.
07:41He wiped his face haphazardly.
07:42His other hand, it naturally pulled her close by the waist.
07:44I stood behind the moon gate.
07:45I was rooted to the spot.
07:47His demeanor, strength, and habits while fencing, they were exactly as I remembered.
07:50This skill couldn't be learned in a day.
07:52That was the swordplay my brother had practiced since childhood.
07:55Every move was etched into his bones.
07:56A sense of relief surged in my heart.
07:58I breathed a sigh of relief.
07:59It seems I've stayed in the underworld for too long.
08:01Longing had turned into an illness.
08:02I must have misidentified that fragmented soul.
08:04The Matthew Monroe before me.
08:05He was clearly standing right here.
08:06He was happy and in love with the princess, holding the position of the prince consort.
08:09He was living in glory.
08:10How could he be that person?
08:11The one out in the middle of nowhere, with only a fragment of a soul left.
08:14A poor soul who couldn't even make a sound while crying.
08:16The moment he saw me, my brother's eyes lit up.
08:18He tossed aside his sword.
08:19He strode toward me.
08:21His face wore the smile I knew best.
08:23Tiener, you're finally here.
08:25I've missed you.
08:26He grabbed my arm.
08:27He looked me up and down.
08:28His eyes were full of joy.
08:30The princess was just complaining about me.
08:32She said I wasn't being a good brother.
08:33She was upset I didn't keep you here for a few more days.
08:36He took his shirt from the retainer.
08:37He put it on as he spoke.
08:38My gaze instinctively fell on his lower back.
08:40I focused my soul energy into my eyes.
08:42I looked through his flesh at his skeleton.
08:44The outline of that slightly protruding bone was clear.
08:46It looked exactly like it did after I mended his bone back then.
08:48Not a single detail was different.
08:49It still carried my soul energy.
08:50The heart that had been in my throat all this time finally settled down.
08:53It seems I really was mistaken.
08:55I must have been overthinking things lately.
08:56I was worried over nothing.
08:57I finally managed to smile.
08:59I took his arm, just like when we were kids.
09:00I pulled something out from my pocket.
09:02It was a simple hand-stitched cloth doll.
09:03Brother, I saw this little doll at the market.
09:05I liked it a lot.
09:06Think of it as an early gift for your future child.
09:09Just a little toy.
09:10My brother took the doll.
09:11The tips of his ears turned red.
09:12He scratched the back of his head.
09:14He smiled bashfully.
09:15You silly girl.
09:16What are you talking about?
09:17That shy expression.
09:18It was exactly as I remembered.
09:19Lauren Faraday standing nearby.
09:20She immediately approached with a smile.
09:22She turned to tease me.
09:23Younger sister Tiana is certainly impatient.
09:25You're already looking forward to being an aunt.
09:27My brother's face grew even redder at her teasing.
09:29He snatched the doll from the princess.
09:31He tossed it to the retainer nearby.
09:32Keep this safe.
09:33This is a gift for my younger sister.
09:35Don't let it get damaged.
09:36He turned back to look at me.
09:37He still had a smile on his face.
09:38I couldn't smile anymore.
09:39This cloth doll.
09:41It wasn't something I just picked up on the street.
09:42Back then, after I sacrificed 50 years of my life to save him.
09:45He had sewn this for me with his own hands.
09:46I grabbed his wrist.
09:47I pulled him close.
09:48I stared straight at him and demanded an answer.
09:51Brother, look at this doll carefully.
09:53Do you really like it?
09:53A flash of impatience crossed his face.
09:55But it was instantly replaced by a gentle smile.
09:57It's beautiful.
09:58Anything my tinder buys, I'll always love.
10:00Those words made my heart turn to ice.
10:04I walked behind him, pretending to straighten his collar.
10:05My fingers brushed aside the neckline.
10:07Looking past the skin, I saw it in the throat bone, the hole that pierced through.
10:09The position was right.
10:10The shape was right.
10:11Even the tiny scars were right.
10:13But no matter how good the imitation, it's still a fake.
10:15The smile on my face slowly turned cold.
10:17I tilted my head and looked at Lauren Faraday.
10:18Princess, my brother saved your life back then.
10:20You've certainly repaid him well.
10:22Lauren Faraday's expression darkened, instantly showing her displeasure.
10:24Aurora Monroe, what do you mean by that?
10:26My brother grabbed the princess's hand and turned to look at me.
10:29His voice was full of reproach.
10:30Aurora, don't be so rude.
10:31You've grown wild while you were away.
10:33I don't blame you.
10:33But this is the princess's manner.
10:34You can't be so ill-mannered.
10:35Apologize to the princess immediately.
10:36I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.
10:38They rolled down from the corners of my eyes.
10:40My real brother would only ever protect me.
10:42He would never scold me like this, much less make me apologize to someone else.
10:46I wiped away my tears.
10:47When I opened my eyes again, there was only cold hatred left in my gaze.
10:51Stop pretending.
10:52Talk.
10:53Where exactly is my brother Matthew Monroe?
10:55Lauren Faraday laughed in pure fury.
10:57She raised her hand to smooth her hair.
10:59Her tone was mocking.
11:00Aurora, I think you're tired and delusional.
11:02Isn't your brother standing right there in front of you?
11:04I didn't say another word.
11:05With a flick of my fingers, the temperature around me plummeted.
11:08A cold wind instantly swept through the courtyard.
11:10In the darkness, countless green eyes began to glow.
11:12I returned to my true form as Aurora Monroe.
11:15I stood at the very front of the army.
11:16The hem of my robe, signaling my rank as Aurora Monroe, whipped violently in the wind.
11:19My eyes burned with a monstrous rage unlike anything in the last 500 years.
11:23Lauren Faraday.
11:23My brother treated you with nothing but sincerity.
11:25He protected you with his life.
11:26Yet you dared to assassinate him.
11:27His soul was shattered in a foreign land.
11:28I raised my fingertips.
11:3010,000 shadow soldiers behind me stepped forward in unison.
11:33Today, I'll make sure you taste exactly what the 18 pits of damnation are like.
11:38As my words faded, I flicked my wrist.
11:40The dark, gleaming, soul-hooking chain materialized instantly.
11:42It surged toward Lauren Faraday's heart with a chilling, ghostly aura.
11:45But just as the chain was about to touch her clothes, Matthew Monroe grabbed it firmly.
11:49Matthew gripped the middle of the chain, his knuckles turning white.
11:51He looked at me with frustrated anger.
11:53Tanner, stop this at once.
11:54His voice was still so familiar, like he was coaxing a difficult child.
11:58The princess has been nothing but sincere to me.
11:59She has never once mistreated me.
12:01With all this nonsense, what exactly are you trying to do?
12:03He was certain that because I cared for this face and this voice, I would surely soften
12:06and stop.
12:07But the more he put on this act, the hotter the hatred burned in my heart.
12:10I barked at him, stop using my brother's face and don't speak to me with his voice.
12:13You don't deserve to.
12:14I reached out and squeezed his throat hard, my grip tightened with enough force to nearly
12:18crush his neck.
12:19Every word I spoke was filled with agony.
12:22I'll ask you one last time.
12:23Where on earth is my brother, Matthew Monroe?
12:25He was being choked, his face turning deathly pale.
12:27He struggled to breathe, yet he still shook his head desperately, trying to explain.
12:30His voice was hoarse and broken.
12:32Tanner, I'm your brother.
12:33Open your eyes and look at me.
12:34I really am your brother.
12:35His hand covered the back of mine.
12:36His palm was warm.
12:37It was exactly like I remembered.
12:39For a moment, I was dazed.
12:41Just as my grip loosened slightly, a cold glint flashed suddenly.
12:43Matthew Monroe held a sword and lunged, piercing my shoulder.
12:46Blood gushed out instantly.
12:48But I didn't feel any pain.
12:50I only felt a chilling cold in my heart.
12:52I shifted my weight, gripped the hilt with my backhand, and pulled it out forcefully.
12:55The sword went straight through his palm, pinning him to the ground.
12:58He curled up in agony.
12:59His face was contorted, but he was still calling out.
13:02Tanner, Tanner!
13:03I crouched down, looking at his face, which was identical to my brother's, and asked him
13:06word by word.
13:08My brother was the one who adored me most in the world, ever since we were children.
13:12He never once raised his voice at me.
13:13He never let me suffer the slightest grievance.
13:15No matter what I did, he was always the first person to stand up for me.
13:19He would never make me apologize to anyone, let alone turn a weapon against me.
13:22I stood up, no longer looking at him.
13:24My gaze landed on Lauren Faraday.
13:26She was leaning back in her chair, a smirk even playing on her lips.
13:29Lauren Faraday, I'm asking you one last time.
13:31Where on earth is my brother?
13:32Just as my anger boiled over and I was on the verge of a breakdown, a steady yet chilling
13:36voice echoed from the hallway.
13:38I looked up and it was Roger Bennett.
13:40Known for his astrology and divination, he held a high position in the administration.
13:45He was deeply trusted by the elite.
13:46He was dressed in black robes, holding a ritual whisk.
13:49But in his expression, there wasn't a trace of his usual saintly composure.
13:52Instead, there was only a sense of grim triumph.
13:55He walks over slowly.
13:56His gaze fixates on my face like a viper.
13:58He begins to speak slowly and deliberately.
13:59Aurora Monroe, the reincarnation of Aurora Monroe, 500 years of underworld power.
14:04I've truly searched far and wide for this.
14:05Why do you think your brother died?
14:06Why do you think the princess married down to a hunter?
14:08Years ago, I read the stars.
14:10I calculated the reincarnation of Aurora Monroe.
14:11It was right here in the highlands, but the signs were clouded.
14:14I couldn't tell if it was you or Matthew Monroe, so I plotted with the princess.
14:17She married Matthew Monroe, while I stayed in the shadows, testing you both slowly.
14:21To see which of you two siblings was the true reincarnation.
14:24He pauses.
14:25His smile widens.
14:26That fool, Matthew Monroe.
14:27He believed the princess truly loved him until the day he died.
14:30He knelt and bled, praying day and night, draining his very life force.
14:32It was all just a show orchestrated by the princess and me.
14:35We tested you again and again, confirming it every time.
14:37Until your soul's essence was completely stripped from him.
14:40Only then did we realize that you were the true Aurora Monroe all along.
14:43Those words are like a poisoned dagger.
14:45They stab deep into my heart.
14:47I'm shaking all over.
14:49The pain is so sharp I can't breathe.
14:51My devastated appearance only makes Lauren Faraday laugh harder.
14:54She covers her mouth, her eyes filled with malice and delight.
14:56Matthew Monroe is such an insensitive stiff.
14:58He doesn't understand me half as well as Roger Bennett.
15:00I got tired of him, so I crushed his limbs with my own hands.
15:02I forced him to swallow his own flesh piece by piece.
15:04Then I let beasts gnaw on his body.
15:06In the end, I only left him half a face, leaving even his soul incomplete.
15:10I know you're someone special.
15:11I planned to use this imposter to lure you back, to force you to hand over your soul energy.
15:15But that idiot would rather die than cooperate.
15:18But it doesn't matter.
15:19You still ended up walking right into my hands.
15:22She snuggled into Roger Bennett's arms.
15:24Their fingers were interlaced.
15:25Acting intimately, they looked like a perfect loving couple.
15:27Roger Bennett had already set an inescapable trap, just waiting for you to walk right into it.
15:31Your soul energy will be ours in the end.
15:33Eternal life.
15:33Eternal love.
15:34No one can stop us.
15:35I collapsed onto the ground, crying out in heartbreaking agony.
15:38All my questions were answered in an instant.
15:40No wonder my once reserved and quiet brother, after the wedding, always said such unnecessary things in his letters.
15:44No wonder whenever I passed through the Capitol and wanted to visit him, he made up every excuse to keep
15:49me away.
15:49It wasn't that he didn't want to see me.
15:50He was afraid I'd be in danger.
15:52Afraid that Lauren Faraday and Roger Bennett would harm me.
15:54That's why he fought so hard to protect me.
15:56I looked at the person pinned to the floor.
15:57He clearly had the exact same face as my brother.
15:59But my brother was already dead.
16:02I leaned in close to him.
16:04My fingertips rushed across his body.
16:05I could clearly feel it.
16:06The soul inside was unstable, mismatched with the body.
16:09I immediately summoned the soul-hooking whip.
16:10I gathered all my dark energy and lashed out.
16:12A piercing scream instantly rang out.
16:15A translucent soul was forcibly ripped from the body.
16:18A second later, the body that looked exactly like my brother instantly collapsed into a pile of sludge.
16:23It wasn't a body double after all.
16:25This was my brother's actual body.
16:27They had just forcibly replaced it with someone else's soul.
16:30No wonder all the details matched.
16:33The extracted soul trembled in fear, drifting on the ground and bowing repeatedly.
16:36Its voice was filled with desperation.
16:39Aurora Monroe, I'm your brother's best friend.
16:41I came to the city last year to visit him.
16:42Lauren Faraday and Roger Bennett captured me, forced a spell on me, and trapped me in this body.
16:46They forced me to impersonate your brother.
16:48I was forced into this.
16:49I'm shaking with rage.
16:50The soul-extraction ritual causes the victim unbearable agony.
16:53Even the underworld, when punishing the most wicked, has never used such methods.
16:56I can't imagine how much pain my brother felt when they treated him this way.
16:59I kneel down and gather the remains of his broken body piece by piece.
17:02Brother, don't be afraid.
17:04Younger sister is here.
17:05Younger sister is taking you home.
17:06No one can hurt you ever again.
17:08I slowly stand up, dark energy surging around me to the extreme, all emotion gone from my eyes, leaving only
17:13a world-shattering hatred.
17:15This blood debt, I must settle it myself.
17:17I wave my hand and give a sharp command.
17:19The ghost soldiers emerge from the shadows, their eerie green eyes lighting up the courtyard, malice filling the air as
17:23they close in on Lauren Faraday and Roger Bennett.
17:27I snapped my wrist with force.
17:28The pitch-black soul-locking chain, carrying a chilling, sinister energy, tore through the air, aiming straight for Lauren Faraday's
17:33neck.
17:33But just as the chain was about to wrap around her, Roger Bennett flicked his fly whisk.
17:37A blinding golden light suddenly erupted from around Lauren Faraday, violently repelling the soul-locking chain.
17:42The thick, enduring golden glow firmly shielded her entire body, not letting even a shred of sinister energy through.
17:48My pupils constricted.
17:49I was filled with utter disbelief and shock.
17:51My wrist went numb from the impact.
17:52This is Aurora Monroe's own soul-locking chain, meant to reap souls from the underworld and shatter any mortal protection.
17:58How could it be blocked so solidly by a golden light?
18:00I jerked my head up and looked around.
18:02The phantom soldiers, who were just charging forward, seemed frozen by an invisible force, their forest-green eyes dimming as
18:07they completely lost the ability to move.
18:10My heart sank.
18:11I finally caught on.
18:13No wonder.
18:14Even back when my brother was in danger, he was always on guard and wouldn't let me get close.
18:17It turns out Roger Bennett's position as Roger Bennett was never just for show.
18:21On the surface, he's the state's protector, but he secretly uses the royal legacy to practice dark arts specifically to
18:26counter the laws of the dead.
18:28Lauren Faraday stood fearlessly in the golden light, looking down at me.
18:31Roger Bennett just gave a cold glance.
18:32Instantly, countless sages hidden in the shadows emerged, along with guards in golden armor surrounding me in the center.
18:38The dark energy around me was suppressed and began to dissipate.
18:40Roger Bennett looked at my pathetic state, his laughter growing more piercing.
18:43He spoke slowly.
18:44Aurora Monroe, did you think I, Roger Bennett, could have attained the position of Roger Bennett without any defenses?
18:49Your identity.
18:50I figured it out five years ago.
18:52Aurora Monroe of 500 years, wielding the power of the underworld, commanding the spectral army.
18:56With a trump card like that, how could I not prepare in advance?
18:59During these years as Roger Bennett, I've searched the world for artifacts and secret arts to suppress dark magic.
19:03All for the sake of today.
19:04I grit my teeth, struggling to keep myself from collapsing.
19:07So from the very beginning, they were playing the long game.
19:09Roger Bennett had set the trap long ago.
19:11He prepared the means to counter dark magic just to be this fearless.
19:14I was one step too late after all, and fell right into their trap.
19:17The arrogance in Roger Bennett's eyes was almost overflowing.
19:20His voice was full of condescending contempt.
19:22Aurora Monroe, your identity is unique, and you're the reincarnation of Aurora Monroe.
19:26I didn't want to be your enemy, but you just wouldn't stay quiet.
19:30You insisted on coming to Princess Manor to die.
19:33Then don't blame me for being ruthless.
19:34I'm determined to have your soul energy.
19:37I clenched my fists.
19:38The pain couldn't suppress the overwhelming rage in my heart.
19:41I asked hoarsely.
19:41My brother, Matthew Monroe, saved the princess years ago.
19:44He was crippled and broken for her.
19:45He practically traded his life for hers.
19:46You kept talking about repaying the debt.
19:48Is this how you repay him in the end?
19:49You killed my brother.
19:50You stole his body.
19:51You destroyed his soul.
19:53Aren't you afraid of karma?
19:53That it'll come back to haunt you?
19:55That you'll die a miserable death?
19:56Roger Bennett heard this.
19:57He raised his hand and scoffed.
19:58His eyes crinkled.
19:59They were full of malice.
20:00He put his arm around Lauren Faraday's waist.
20:02He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
20:03Karma?
20:04As Roger Bennett, I control the nation's destiny.
20:06The princess is royalty.
20:08She's protected by the country's fate.
20:09Where would this karma even come from?
20:10Blame your idiot brother.
20:12He was so devoted that he was a fool.
20:13He couldn't even see that the princess and I were truly in love.
20:17Lauren Faraday followed his lead.
20:19She spoke up slowly.
20:20When I said I'd been feeling unwell for a long time,
20:22the doctor said I needed blood as a medium.
20:24One bowl every day for 49 days straight,
20:25followed by 77 days of prayer to save my life.
20:28That was just an excuse Roger Bennett and I cooked up.
20:30Every drop of blood and every time you knelt in prayer
20:32was all to send your brother to his grave
20:33and to drain the life out of you.
20:34Aurora Monroe.
20:35I was consumed by immense grief and rage.
20:37My knees gave out and I collapsed onto the cold floor.
20:39Tears of blood welled up in my eyes, streaming down my cheeks.
20:43My brother was such a kind, sincere man
20:44who gave his heart and soul to everyone.
20:46In the end, he gave his heart to a cold-blooded monster like you.
20:49Lauren Faraday looked disgusted.
20:51She frowned and took a step back.
20:52You're filthy.
20:54She turns and nestles back into Roger Bennett's arms.
20:56The two of them look intimate and deeply in love,
20:58flaunting their affection in front of me on purpose.
21:00I really should thank that dear brother of yours.
21:02He did everything for me while he was alive.
21:03He poured his heart and soul into me.
21:05His life force and his soul really helped Roger Bennett and me sustain our power.
21:07Even his body was used after his death to help us lure you into this trap.
21:10Roger Bennett holds her close.
21:11He follows her lead, staring at me with a vicious look.
21:13The princess is right.
21:15Now, as long as we take care of Aurora Monroe
21:17and refine her soul energy and 500 years of power completely,
21:20then, using your brother's lingering soul as a catalyst,
21:22the princess and I can break the shackles of life and death.
21:25We'll have eternal life and be together forever.
21:27No one will be able to stop us.
21:28By then, neither you nor Matthew Monroe's souls will ever find peace.
21:32You'll both suffer endless torment,
21:33wishing for life but unable to live,
21:35wishing for death but unable to die.
21:37Listening to their delusional fantasies and their incredibly malicious words,
21:39I suddenly find myself laughing instead.
21:42You shameless, despicable trash.
21:44You aren't worthy.
21:45As the words leave my lips, I raise my hand,
21:47gathering my remaining spectral energy.
21:49I form the supreme underworld seal with my fingertips
21:52and hurl it into the air.
21:53I shout out,
21:53Elliot Wakefield, general of the underworld,
21:55heed my command.
21:56Appear now.
21:56In an instant, the sky and earth shift.
21:58A spectral wind howls, shaking the layer of golden light.
22:00A general in black armor, wielding a massive axe,
22:03stands tall and imposing.
22:04A murderous aura radiates from him,
22:06his expression fierce and his eyes glowing with a ghostly green light.
22:08The general drops to one knee,
22:10his voice booming like a bell.
22:11I, Elliot Wakefield, by the order of Aurora Monroe,
22:13am here to protect you.
22:14I brace myself and slowly stand up,
22:16looking coldly at the pale Lauren Faraday and Roger Bennett.
22:20Your time is up.
22:22Lauren Faraday's face pales.
22:23She feigns composure and shouts at me.
22:25Aurora Monroe, stop playing tricks.
22:27Don't think summoning ghost soldiers will make me afraid of you.
22:29Roger Bennett, take her down.
22:31I watch her putting on a brave front.
22:32I chuckle softly.
22:34My laughter is laced with bone-chilling coldness.
22:36Elliot Wakefield, leave them alive.
22:38Don't end it too quickly.
22:39With scum like this, I want to take my time.
22:41I'll settle the debt for my brother's murder bit by bit.
22:44Elliot Wakefield gives a low grunt of assent.
22:46His black armor vibrates.
22:47He hoists the giant axe into the air.
22:48A murderous aura sweeps through the courtyard.
22:50The guards around Roger Bennett swarm forward.
22:52Blades are drawn.
22:53Their battle cries are deafening.
22:54But Elliot Wakefield doesn't even spare them a glance.
22:56The giant axe sweeps out.
22:58Boom.
22:58A row of guards is sent flying.
23:00The sound of bones shattering echoes everywhere.
23:0230,000 ghost soldiers, a dark, dense mass,
23:04flood into the princess' manor like a tide.
23:07Roger Bennett, just moments ago so arrogant,
23:09now finds his expression faltering.
23:10He struggles to maintain his composure,
23:12repeatedly waving the fly whisk in his hand,
23:13desperately fueling the golden array.
23:15But his magic, against Elliot Wakefield's ghost soldiers,
23:17is clearly losing ground.
23:18Stop them.
23:19Stop them right now.
23:20Lauren Faraday shrieks.
23:21Her voice cracks from the strain.
23:23Gone is every bit of her princess-like poise.
23:25You useless failures.
23:26Get in there.
23:27Move.
23:27But no one can hold them back.
23:29The ghost soldiers, guards, and sages
23:30instantly collide in a chaotic melee.
23:32Steel and dark energy intertwine.
23:33Within seconds, the sages, Roger Bennett,
23:35meticulously trained, are mostly dead or injured.
23:37They are in full retreat.
23:38Elliot Wakefield raises his massive axe.
23:39He closes in on Roger Bennett and Lauren Faraday,
23:41step by step.
23:42A murderous aura surged around him.
23:44His eyes flared with a brilliant green light.
23:46On the giant axe, the resentment of countless spirits swirled.
23:48Just being near him was terrifying.
23:50Roger Bennett turned deathly pale, stumbling backward.
23:52The whisk in his hand had already lost several golden threads,
23:54and his energy was nearly spent.
23:55The golden array he had painstakingly built
23:57was like paper before Elliot Wakefield's ghost soldiers.
24:00Flimsy as paper, shattering layer by layer.
24:02Lauren Faraday slumped to the ground,
24:04unable to even scream for help.
24:05She gripped Roger Bennett's clothes, shaking uncontrollably.
24:07Roger Bennett, Roger Bennett, save me.
24:09Her voice was barely a whisper,
24:10with none of her royal dignity left.
24:12Roger Bennett gritted his teeth,
24:14desperately channeling his remaining energy.
24:16From his sleeve, he pulled out a dark gold medallion
24:18covered in eerie runes.
24:19He slammed the medallion onto the ground and shouted,
24:22Sacrifice the nation's fate to protect me!
24:24The medallion exploded,
24:25and a beam of golden light barely formed
24:27a thin shield around them.
24:29But that shield,
24:30before Elliot Wakefield's massive axe,
24:31was teetering.
24:32Clearly it wouldn't last long.
24:34Elliot Wakefield sneered and slammed his axe down on the shield.
24:37Crack.
24:38A crack appeared on the shield.
24:40The second strike and the crack widened,
24:42spreading like a spider web.
24:43Elliot Wakefield raised the axe for a third time.
24:45This time, he was going to split the shield
24:46and the person inside cleanly in half.
24:48The axe fell with a world-ending malice.
24:51At that critical moment,
24:52a soul shadow so faint it was nearly invisible
24:54drifted out from my chest.
24:55It had no limbs,
24:57only a broken torso
24:58and a face that was barely discernible.
25:00It drifted slowly,
25:01as if using all its strength.
25:03It was my brother's soul,
25:04the fragmented soul I had repaired myself.
25:06The fragment I had kept safely in my chest,
25:08now for some reason,
25:09broke free from my protection.
25:10Before I could even react,
25:12a three-inch silver nail flew out from my brother's soul
25:14and shot straight toward me.
25:17I instinctively tried to dodge,
25:18but the nail was too fast.
25:20It was so fast that even with my 500 years of power,
25:21I couldn't react in time.
25:22The silver nail pierced my chest,
25:24aimed perfectly.
25:25It struck right where my heart is.
25:27A sharp pain instantly surged through my body.
25:29It felt as if 10,000 ants were devouring my soul.
25:31I looked down at the silver nail.
25:33It was covered in dense runes,
25:35glowing with an eerie light.
25:36This is a soul-locking nail,
25:38I whispered,
25:39my voice filled with disbelief.
25:41The soul-locking nail is a forbidden relic of the underworld.
25:43It's specifically used to seal the powers of the underworld's reapers.
25:45Once struck,
25:46Aurora Monroe's power will vanish completely.
25:48She becomes a plain, ordinary mortal.
25:50I can feel my soul energy draining away.
25:53It's as if something is sucking it out of me.
25:55The strength I've held for 500 years,
25:57the power that allowed me to command the ghost army and harvest souls,
26:00is slowly being stripped from my body.
26:03No, it's impossible.
26:04I try to summon my power to pull out the soul-locking nails,
26:06but from my fingertips,
26:07I can't even gather a wisp of soul energy.
26:09I try to summon the ghost soldiers,
26:10but the thousands of ghosts who just obeyed me
26:12are now like puppets with their strings cut,
26:14standing motionless.
26:15The green light in their eyes slowly fades.
26:17Elliot Wakefield freezes in place, too.
26:19His massive axe hangs in midair,
26:20unable to strike down.
26:22I collapse to the ground.
26:23All my strength drained away.
26:24And just then,
26:25the panic on Roger Bennett and Lauren Faraday's faces vanishes instantly.
26:29In its place is an uncontrollable ecstasy.
26:32Roger Bennett stands up abruptly,
26:33striding right up to me,
26:34looking down at me.
26:35His grin stretches from ear to ear.
26:37It worked.
26:39His voice is trembling with excitement.
26:41The soul-locking spike has pierced her.
26:42Aurora Monroe has lost all her powers.
26:43Aurora Monroe,
26:44you've finally fallen into my hands.
26:46Lauren Faraday scrambles to her feet.
26:47She runs to Roger Bennett's side.
26:48The two embrace and weep.
26:49They look exactly like lovers reunited after a long separation.
26:52Roger Bennett, we did it.
26:54Lauren Faraday cries tears of joy.
26:55Eternal life.
26:56Eternal love.
26:57No one can stop us now.
26:58I lie on the ground.
27:00My whole body is trembling.
27:01It isn't from the pain.
27:02It's because I can't believe it.
27:03I watch my brother's soul,
27:04fragmented and floating in midair.
27:05Since the soul-locking spike flew out of him,
27:07his soul has become even more fractured.
27:09It's about to dissipate completely.
27:11Roger Bennett kneels down.
27:13He grabs my chin,
27:14forcing me to look up at him.
27:15His eyes are filled with triumph and madness.
27:18Aurora Monroe,
27:19you must be very curious about why your brother's soul would help you.
27:22No, or rather, why he would help us.
27:23He lets go and stands up with his hands behind his back,
27:25looking like a king with victory in his grasp.
27:27You thought your brother's soul was beaten into that state by us.
27:30No, you underestimate me.
27:31The forbidden art I practice is called soul grasp.
27:33This technique can forcibly control a person's soul,
27:35turning them into my puppet,
27:37obeying my every command and serving my purposes.
27:38I intended to use soul grasp to control your brother,
27:41to make him cooperate with us and lure you to the capital.
27:43But that idiot brother of yours...
27:44Roger Bennett's tone suddenly becomes resentful.
27:46His willpower was far beyond my imagination.
27:48When I cast the spell to control him,
27:50he actually used his soul's power to resist me,
27:51choosing death over being controlled.
27:53He struggled with all his might to break free,
27:54and as a result,
27:55the soul grasp backfired on his soul,
27:56shattering it into that pathetic state.
27:58I shuddered.
27:59I suddenly looked at my brother's remnant soul.
28:01So that was it.
28:02It turns out my brother's soul broke into pieces like that,
28:04not because of the torture from Roger Bennett and Yao Luoxing.
28:07Although that torture was cruel enough,
28:08it was actually because he used his own soul
28:11to fight Roger Bennett's control.
28:12He refused to be controlled or become a tool to hurt me,
28:15so he'd rather his soul be destroyed than give in.
28:18Brother, I broke down in tears.
28:19Why were you so foolish?
28:21Roger Bennett snorted.
28:22He continued.
28:23But it doesn't matter.
28:24Even though he broke free,
28:25the lingering effects of the soul-snatching spell remain.
28:27I just needed to plant a hidden command deep within his soul.
28:30When the time was right,
28:31the command would trigger automatically.
28:32For example, just now,
28:33when your ghost soldiers were about to kill me,
28:35the command triggered,
28:36his soul uncontrollably charged toward the target,
28:38driving the soul-locking nail hidden in his spirit
28:39straight into your heart.
28:41Roger Bennett leans down.
28:42He leans in close to my ear.
28:43He whispers with a laugh.
28:44So you see,
28:45your brother wasn't trying to save you.
28:46I was controlling him,
28:47and he's the one who hurt you.
28:48I desperately tried to summon my remaining power,
28:50trying to pull out the soul-locking nail.
28:52But that nail feels like it's grown into my soul.
28:54Every time I move,
28:55spasms of pain wrack my body.
28:57Roger Bennett sees my struggle and sneers.
28:59Don't waste your breath.
29:00Once the soul-locking nail is in,
29:01even if Sir Benjamin Thatcher came,
29:02he couldn't pull it out.
29:03Your power,
29:04your cultivation,
29:05your position as Aurora Monroe,
29:06it's all mine starting today.
29:07He waves his hand.
29:08Several sages immediately rush forward.
29:10They tie me up tightly
29:10and drag me into the dungeon of the Princess Manor.
29:13The dungeon was dark and damp.
29:15The stench of decay filled the air.
29:17I was chained to the wall.
29:18My limbs were bound.
29:19I couldn't move.
29:20The soul-locking nail in my chest
29:21throbbed with sharp pain.
29:22It was like countless needles
29:23stabbing my soul.
29:25Roger Bennett and Lauren Faraday
29:26stood before me.
29:27Several sages followed behind them,
29:29carrying various bizarre artifacts.
29:30The days that followed
29:31were my most painful in 500 years.
29:33Roger Bennett tried every method
29:36to extract my soul from my body.
29:38But no matter what,
29:39my soul wouldn't budge.
29:41Roger Bennett's expression
29:42grew increasingly grim.
29:44Impossible.
29:45Roger Bennett finally snapped in a rage
29:47and kicked over the artifacts.
29:50Aurora Monroe's soul.
29:51How could it be so stable?
29:52I've checked all the ancient records.
29:53Aurora Monroe's soul
29:54is just like any other Reapers.
29:56With the right method,
29:56it can definitely be extracted.
29:58Lauren Faraday grew anxious too,
29:59grabbing his sleeve and asking,
30:00Roger Bennett,
30:01what exactly is happening?
30:02Is there another way we haven't tried?
30:04Roger Bennett glared at me,
30:05gritting his teeth.
30:06His eyes were filled with resentment.
30:07I leaned weakly against the wall.
30:09A mocking smile played on my lips.
30:11What?
30:11The great Roger Bennett
30:12can't even extract a mortal soul?
30:13Shut up!
30:14Roger Bennett slapped me across the face,
30:16making the corner of my mouth bleed.
30:17Since I can't break you,
30:19I'll bring in someone who can.
30:20He stared at me for a long time,
30:22then suddenly let out a cold laugh.
30:23Aurora Monroe,
30:24you think you can hold out?
30:25Fine, very well.
30:27He turned and ordered the sages behind him.
30:28Go invite the Lord.
30:31The sage's expression shifted,
30:32showing sheer terror.
30:33Roger Bennett,
30:34that man said only as a last resort.
30:36This is the last resort!
30:37Roger Bennett barked.
30:39The sage didn't dare say another word,
30:41leaving in a hurry.
30:42My heart sank.
30:43I had a nagging sense of dread.
30:45Roger Bennett turned to look at me,
30:46his smile cold and cruel.
30:48Aurora Monroe,
30:49who do you think is backing you?
30:50Sir Benjamin Thatcher?
30:51Hmph.
30:52You'll find out soon enough.
30:53In the underworld,
30:54I'm not the only one after you.
30:56About one chichen later,
30:57the dungeon door was pushed open.
30:58A thick wave of dark energy hit me,
31:00a hundred times more intense
31:01than the malevolence from Elliot Wakefield.
31:03That energy wasn't ordinary ghostly power.
31:05It came from the depths of the underworld,
31:06a sinister force reeking of decay and death.
31:09A figure emerged from the darkness.
31:11He was tall and lean.
31:12He wore a long, off-white robe.
31:14Dark, red runes were embroidered on the hem.
31:16His face was as pale as paper.
31:18His eyes were sunken.
31:19His lips were purple.
31:20He looked like a corpse
31:21crawling out of a coffin.
31:22But his eyes were terrifyingly bright.
31:24They were like two balls of ghost fire
31:26glowing faintly in the dark.
31:27He looked at Roger Bennett.
31:28His voice was as raspy as sandpaper.
31:30You can't even handle one, Aurora Monroe.
31:32This seat has to personally intervene.
31:33Roger Bennett immediately dropped to his knees.
31:35He was deeply respectful.
31:36Please calm your anger, Lord Arbiter.
31:38Aurora Monroe's soul is very strange.
31:40I've tried everything,
31:41but I can't extract it.
31:43That's why I had to trouble you.
31:44An Arbiter?
31:45I was shaken.
31:46I looked closely at the man before me.
31:49Suddenly, I remembered.
31:50A hundred years ago,
31:51a major incident occurred in the underworld.
31:54Donald Whitcomb,
31:54the chief Arbiter of the Office of the Arbiter,
31:56was dissatisfied with Sir Benjamin Thatcher's rule,
31:57so he secretly conspired with the malevolent spirits
31:58of the 18 pits of damnation
31:59and launched a rebellion.
32:00That rebellion nearly overturned the entire underworld.
32:02In the end,
32:03Sir Benjamin Thatcher had to personally intervene
32:05to suppress Donald Whitcomb.
32:06Considering his years of service to the underworld,
32:08Sir Benjamin Thatcher didn't execute him,
32:10but cast him into the deepest level
32:11of the 18 pits of damnation
32:12for all eternity,
32:13with no hope of redemption.
32:14Since then,
32:15the Office of the Arbiter
32:16has had a new chief Arbiter.
32:17Donald Whitcomb,
32:18I blurted out.
32:19The man smiled sinisterly.
32:20Aurora Monroe,
32:21you have a sharp eye.
32:21It's been a century.
32:22It's rare that someone still remembers this seat.
32:24Weren't you cast into the 18 pits of damnation?
32:26How is this possible?
32:28I can't believe it.
32:29Donald Whitcomb scoffs.
32:30The 18 pits of damnation.
32:31As if that loser Sir Benjamin Thatcher
32:32could ever hope to trap me.
32:33I spent a hundred years
32:34in the 18 pits of damnation.
32:36I practice my craft every day and every night.
32:37The resentment,
32:38malice,
32:38and death there
32:38were the perfect nourishment.
32:40A hundred years have passed,
32:41and my powers are ten times stronger
32:42than they were before.
32:43The reason I didn't break out immediately
32:44was because I was waiting
32:45for an opportunity.
32:46An opportunity to take down
32:47Sir Benjamin Thatcher for good.
32:49He looks at Roger Bennett.
32:50A glimmer of approval flashes in his eyes.
32:51Later,
32:52I discovered that Roger Bennett of Eagle Crest
32:53was also searching
32:54for the secrets to immortality.
32:55We hit it off immediately.
32:55He helped me gather artifacts
32:56to suppress the phantom soldiers
32:57while I helped him find
32:58Aurora Monroe's reincarnation.
32:59We each got what we wanted.
33:00It was a match made in heaven.
33:02No wonder Roger Bennett
33:02could block my soul-locking chain
33:03and suppress my phantom soldiers.
33:05Those artifacts
33:06weren't things he found on his own.
33:07Donald Whitcomb gave them to him.
33:09An arbiter who has spent
33:10a millennium in the underworld
33:11naturally knows exactly
33:12where the spectral soldier's weaknesses are.
33:14Donald Whitcomb walks up to me.
33:16Looking down at me
33:16with condescension,
33:17his eyes are filled with contempt.
33:18Aurora Monroe,
33:19you've served in the underworld
33:20for 500 years,
33:20slaving away for Sir Benjamin Thatcher,
33:21waiting on him hand and foot,
33:22brewing soup and guiding souls.
33:23Do you think Sir Benjamin Thatcher
33:24will remember your contributions
33:25or reward you
33:25with a high-ranking position?
33:26He won't.
33:27You'll always just be
33:27a lowly Aurora Monroe
33:28guarding the Crossroads Bridge
33:29and feeding soup to the dead.
33:31While this seat
33:31almost took Sir Benjamin Thatcher's
33:33place back then,
33:34ruling the entire underworld.
33:35Compared to this seat,
33:36what are you even worth?
33:37I look up,
33:38staring directly into his eyes,
33:39saying every single word clearly.
33:41Donald Whitcomb,
33:42when you rebelled back then,
33:43how many innocent guards
33:44and souls did you kill?
33:46The spirits of those people
33:47are still wailing
33:48in the 18 pits of damnation.
33:49For your own ambition,
33:50you were willing to drag
33:51the entire underworld down with you.
33:53What right do you have
33:53to talk to me about worth?
33:56Donald Whitcomb's face
33:57darkened instantly.
33:58You're a tough one.
33:59He let out a cold sneer.
34:00But it doesn't matter.
34:01Once this seat extracts your soul
34:02and refines your cultivation,
34:03you won't even be able
34:04to talk back.
34:05He reached out his hand,
34:06curling his fingers.
34:07A dark red light
34:08flickered at his fingertips.
34:09The light grew brighter,
34:10looking like a ball
34:11of burning blood.
34:12He slammed his palm
34:13onto the crown of my head.
34:14An irresistible force
34:15instantly surged
34:16into my body.
34:16It was like an invisible hand
34:18reaching into the depths
34:19of my soul,
34:20grabbing its core.
34:21That sensation
34:22was 10,000 times more painful
34:24than all previous
34:25torture combined.
34:25I felt my soul
34:26being stripped away
34:27bit by bit
34:28from my physical body.
34:30It felt like someone
34:31was using a dull knife
34:32to carve my flesh
34:32piece by piece.
34:33Ah!
34:34I finally couldn't help
34:34but scream out.
34:35The sound echoed
34:36through the dungeon,
34:36so shrill that even
34:37Roger Bennett and Lauren Faraday
34:38recoiled two steps in fear.
34:39But Donald Whitcomb's smile
34:40grew increasingly hideous.
34:41Yes, just like that.
34:42Hand over your soul.
34:43This seat has waited
34:44a hundred years
34:45for this moment.
34:45His power grew stronger
34:47and stronger.
34:47I felt my soul
34:48leaving my body
34:49bit by bit.
34:50First my limbs,
34:51then my torso
34:52and finally my head.
34:53Just as my soul
34:54was about to be
34:55completely extracted,
34:56a sudden change occurred.
34:57Donald Whitcomb's smile
34:58suddenly froze
34:59on his face.
35:00His eyes snapped wide.
35:01His pupils constricted.
35:02A look of disbelief
35:03appeared on his face.
35:05What...
35:05what is this?
35:06He tries to pull
35:07his hand back,
35:08but his hand,
35:09as if stuck to something,
35:10cannot be pulled out
35:11no matter what.
35:11A force follows
35:12Donald Whitcomb's power,
35:14surging backward.
35:14It rushes directly
35:15into his body.
35:16No!
35:17Donald Whitcomb
35:17lets out a gut-wrenching scream.
35:19He is sent flying backward.
35:21He slams hard
35:22against the dungeon wall,
35:23leaving a massive crater.
35:24His body starts to smoke
35:25as if he's being burned.
35:27His soul is knocked
35:28out of his body.
35:29It twists and deforms
35:30in mid-air,
35:31letting out a piercing shriek.
35:33What is this?
35:34What is hidden in your soul?
35:35Donald Whitcomb's voice
35:36is trembling.
35:37I slowly open my eyes.
35:38I look down at my chest.
35:39The soul-locking nail
35:40is still there,
35:41but its light
35:42has dimmed significantly.
35:44I laughed,
35:45Donald Whitcomb.
35:46Did you think
35:46I really fell into your trap?
35:47Donald Whitcomb froze.
35:49Roger Bennett
35:49and Lauren Faraday
35:49were also stunned.
35:50I straightened up
35:51from the wall.
35:52The iron chains
35:53rattled against my body,
35:54but I can't feel
35:55the pain anymore.
35:56From the moment
35:56I stepped into
35:57Princess Manor,
35:58I knew something was wrong.
35:59My soul-locking chain
36:00never rattles for no reason.
36:02When it first rattled,
36:03I knew you had
36:03a spiritual artifact
36:04that could suppress
36:05shadow soldiers.
36:06But how could a mortal
36:07like Roger Bennett
36:08possibly get his hands
36:09on an artifact
36:09from the underworld?
36:10So I didn't make
36:11a move right away.
36:12Instead,
36:12I tested the waters first.
36:13I let Elliot Wakefield
36:14appear on purpose,
36:15making you think
36:15that I had played
36:16all my cards.
36:16I just wanted to see
36:17who was really
36:18behind all of you.
36:19I looked at Donald Whitcomb,
36:20a cold smile
36:21playing on my lips.
36:22Just as I thought,
36:22you've shown yourself.
36:24Donald Whitcomb's face
36:25turns pale with rage.
36:26You, you did this
36:27on purpose.
36:27You let us catch you
36:28on purpose.
36:28You let me extract
36:29your soul intentionally.
36:30Yes, I admit it freely.
36:31If I hadn't done that,
36:32how else could I have
36:33smoked out a mastermind
36:33like you?
36:34Donald Whitcomb,
36:35you've been hiding
36:35in the 18 pits of damnation
36:36for a century.
36:37You were buried
36:37far too deep.
36:38Sir Benjamin Thatcher
36:38has been looking for you
36:39for a long time.
36:40He couldn't find
36:40a single trace of you.
36:41If you hadn't exposed yourself,
36:42we really wouldn't have
36:42been able to touch you.
36:43You.
36:43Donald Whitcomb trembles
36:44with rage.
36:45Do you think you've won?
36:46I have your soul
36:46in my hands.
36:47I can rip it out
36:48whenever I want.
36:49Is that so?
36:49I tilt my head.
36:50Then what you just extracted,
36:51was that really my soul?
36:53Donald Whitcomb's expression
36:54changes instantly.
36:55He looked down
36:56at his hand abruptly.
36:57In the palm of his hand,
36:58there was still a wisp
36:59of something extracted
37:00from my soul.
37:01It emitted a faint blue glow,
37:02resembling a ball
37:03of liquid fire.
37:04He shuddered,
37:05and his voice began
37:05to tremble.
37:06Hellfire catalyst,
37:07I said calmly.
37:08It's what I spent
37:08500 years brewing
37:09a Roarman Rose soup for
37:10at the Crossroads Bridge
37:10from the resentment
37:11of countless lost souls
37:12to distill this substance.
37:13It looks like a soul,
37:14and it feels like a soul,
37:16but it isn't.
37:17It's resentment.
37:18It's obsession.
37:19It's the souls
37:20who suffered while alive,
37:21who found no peace
37:22after death,
37:22leaving their final hatred
37:23in this world.
37:24This stuff is harmless
37:25to the living and mortals,
37:26but for the officers
37:27of the underworld,
37:28it's a lethal poison.
37:30Underworld officials,
37:31especially the arbiters,
37:32hold the ledger
37:33of life and death.
37:34They judge the life,
37:35death, good,
37:35and evil of countless souls,
37:37of those you sentenced
37:37to the pits of damnation,
37:38which one of them
37:39doesn't hate you.
37:40Their resentment
37:40is all concentrated
37:41within this hellfire silver.
37:42What you just pulled
37:43from my soul
37:44wasn't my soul at all.
37:46It's 500 years
37:47of accumulation,
37:47the hatred
37:48of countless souls
37:48toward you.
37:49Donald Whitcomb
37:50lets out a piercing scream.
37:51His soul begins to burn.
37:52Eerie blue flames
37:53spread from his fingertips
37:54to his arms,
37:55then to his torso,
37:56finally engulfing him entirely.
37:57No!
37:58He struggles frantically,
37:59trying to extinguish the flames.
38:00But the fire seems
38:01to have locked onto him,
38:02burning more fiercely
38:03by the second.
38:03I watch him coldly.
38:05Donald Whitcomb,
38:06a hundred years ago
38:07you led a rebellion.
38:07All the reapers
38:08and souls you killed,
38:09their grievances
38:10can finally be avenged today.
38:12Stay in the hellfire
38:12and feel every bit
38:13of their agony.
38:15Donald Whitcomb's screams
38:16grow fainter.
38:16His soul gradually
38:17dissipates in the flames,
38:18eventually turning
38:19into a wisp of smoke
38:20and vanishing from existence.
38:22The dungeon falls silent.
38:23Liu Zhong
38:23and Lauren Faraday
38:24slump to the floor,
38:25their faces as pale as death.
38:26I look down
38:26at the soul-locking nail
38:27in my chest.
38:28With the hellfire catalyst gone,
38:29the nail's power
38:30has weakened significantly.
38:31I take a deep breath,
38:32channeling what little magic
38:33I have left,
38:34and forcefully pull
38:35the soul-locking nail
38:35straight out of my chest.
38:36Ah, the intense pain
38:38nearly makes me black out,
38:39but I grit my teeth
38:39and wrench the nail out.
38:41The soul-locking nail
38:43hits the floor
38:43with a sharp clatter,
38:44then dissolves into a pool
38:45of black water
38:46and disappears.
38:48My powers are slowly
38:49starting to return,
38:50though they're still faint.
38:51At least I'm no longer
38:52just a helpless mortal.
38:53I walk over to Roger Bennett
38:55and Lauren Faraday,
38:56looking down at them.
38:57What are you doing?
38:59Roger Bennett's voice
38:59is trembling,
39:00devoid of any
39:01of his former dignity.
39:02Lauren Faraday
39:03is even more terrified,
39:04scrambling away
39:04to huddle in the corner,
39:05shaking like a leaf.
39:06I don't say a word,
39:07simply waving my hand.
39:08A surge of dark energy
39:09binds them both tightly.
39:11Three days later,
39:12my brother's soul
39:12is fully restored.
39:13I watch as Sir Benjamin Thatcher
39:15takes wisps of soul energy
39:16and weaves them back together,
39:17like mending a tattered garment.
39:19The shattered pieces of the soul
39:20slowly heal
39:21under Sir Benjamin Thatcher's power.
39:22His limbs regrow,
39:23and his face returns
39:24to its original form.
39:25When my brother's soul
39:26finally stands whole before me,
39:27I can't help but burst into tears.
39:29He's just as I remember,
39:30with thick brows
39:31and bright eyes,
39:31the corners of his mouth
39:32slightly upturned,
39:33and a small beauty mark
39:34under his eye.
39:35His soul is returned
39:36to his body.
39:37That body,
39:38which Roger Bennett
39:39and Lauren Faraday
39:40had desecrated
39:40under Sir Benjamin Thatcher's power,
39:42was restored
39:42to its original state.
39:43His wounds healed,
39:44his severed limbs regrew,
39:45and even the scar across his throat
39:47completely vanished.
39:48Brother's chest began
39:49to rise and fall.
39:50His eyelids flickered,
39:50and then he slowly
39:51opened his eyes.
39:52Tiener.
39:52His voice was very faint,
39:54as if he were afraid
39:54of disturbing something.
39:55I rushed over
39:56and threw my arms around him.
39:57Brother,
39:58you're finally awake.
39:59You're finally back.
40:00Brother was dazed
40:01for a long time,
40:02then he slowly raised his hand,
40:03gently patting my back.
40:04Don't cry.
40:04I'm here.
40:05I cried even harder.
40:06Brother smiled,
40:07his voice raspy.
40:08Tiener,
40:09I'm sorry.
40:09I failed to protect you.
40:11You did protect me.
40:11I shook my head vigorously.
40:13You've been protecting me all along.
40:14From the moment you fought
40:15Roger Bennett's soul-snatching spell,
40:16you've always been protecting me.
40:17Brother didn't say a word.
40:19He just held me even tighter.
40:20The wind blew past,
40:21carrying a hint of warmth.
40:23The pain of the past
40:24finally faded away.
40:25I didn't stay in the underworld.
40:26Instead,
40:26I followed my brother
40:27back to the highlands.
40:28At the foot of the mountain
40:29at our homestead,
40:29we built a small cottage.
40:30The yard was filled
40:31with osmanthus trees.
40:32Brother was no longer
40:32a high society son-in-law,
40:33nor was he a government official.
40:34He became a hunter once again.
40:36Every day he went hunting
40:36in the mountains
40:37and grew vegetables at home.
40:38As for me,
40:38I set up a large pot
40:39in the yard to make soup.
40:40It wasn't Aurora Monroe soup.
40:42It was just an ordinary soup
40:43that tasted of home.
40:44When passing villagers
40:45grew tired,
40:45they could stop in
40:46for a bowl and rest.
40:47Brother always said
40:48my soup didn't taste good,
40:49but he finished
40:49every drop every time.
40:51One day,
40:52after he finished his soup,
40:52he suddenly asked me,
40:53Tenor,
40:54do you still want to go
40:54back to the underworld?
40:55I thought about it.
40:55I shook my head and said,
40:57No, having you here is enough.
40:58Brother smiled.
40:59The beauty mark
41:00at the corner of his eye
41:01shimmered in the sunlight.
41:02After that,
41:03we lived our lives
41:03in peace and joy,
41:04never to be separated again.
41:05I smiled too.
41:06As the wind swept
41:07through the mountains,
41:07the scent of osmanthus
41:08drifted far away.
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