Chapter 477: Specters

Perseus POV

"The prince?! Why is he in my office?!" the chief demanded and took out his spear

"Don't worry, he's breaking off from the human side, I'll vouch for him and Rowan, I need the specters."

"How many?"

"Well, faking someone's death would also need casualties to make it somewhat real, how many do we need to hold clones of these 2 while massacring the rest?"

"2 or 3, depending on whether you want to be directly involved in the act or not."

"2, it'll be more terrifying."

The chief then took out a crystal and called Grandpa Laker to go and check on the specters.

"The fuck? Did you just say specters?" Rowan interjected, "Didn't we already kill them years ago?"

"Well, they're only extinct everywhere else."

*****

I then guided the 2 to our secret dungeon where Grandpa was already waiting with 2 specters. The specters were a haunting sight. They were ghastly figures shrouded in darkness, draped in tattered black rags that seemed to meld seamlessly with the shadows. They floated ominously above the ground, their formless feet trailing a chilling mist in their wake.

Hollow eye sockets, void of any light or life, peered out from beneath hoods that concealed their faces in perpetual darkness. Wisps of ethereal essence trailed from their bony fingers, like tendrils reaching out for the very essence of life itself.

Their presence seemed to sap the warmth from the air, an otherworldly chill emanating from their spectral forms. They moved with an eerie grace, their silent, gliding motions punctuating the silence with an unnerving sense of foreboding.

In my village, we harbored the last remnants of these spectral entities, the final 24 specters in existence. 

"What...what are they?" Reiner asked while slightly quivering in fear.

"They traced back to the ambitious pursuit of the human side." Grandpa explained, "A reckless attempt to emulate the superior prowess of demons, a pursuit that birthed the spectral entities known as specters. In the early days, humans sought to harness the formidable magic and physical prowess inherent in demons, aspiring to level the playing field in the ongoing conflict.

"They studied forbidden rites, spells, and incantations in an endeavor to replicate the innate abilities of their adversaries. However, their efforts proved futile, unable to replicate the intricate magic that defined the demon race. Driven by desperation, they veered towards darker arts, seeking ways to resurrect the strongest humans in history.

"But their experimentation twisted into the birth of the specters. Born from these misguided rituals, the specters emerged as twisted anomalies, imbued with the ability to draw life energy from the living. These spectral entities believed in their own twisted form of rebirth.

"They harbored the notion that by siphoning enough life force from living organisms, they could transcend their spectral form and reincarnate into a different existence, to become human again or something like Perseus here."

"It was a cruel irony." Rowan commented, "A creation intended to grant power but instead cursed with a relentless thirst for life itself...I thought that we finally hunted them to extinction...Alban worked so hard just to hunt and locate these things down...he'll be coming for your head after this."

"Sure, he can try. That siscon ain't doing shit."

In the tumultuous history of conflicts between demons and humans, the specters were not spared from the wrath of both sides. They were hunted down relentlessly, their existence deemed too dangerous to be left unchecked. Demons and humans alike joined forces momentarily, led by the white rose, as they sought to eradicate these haunting entities.

In countless skirmishes, specters were tracked down and systematically exterminated. The combined might of both factions, united in their desire to purge these aberrations, successfully eliminated most of the specters, driving them to the brink of extinction.

My village managed to capture some, and we managed to shield and preserve these spectral entities, ensuring their survival against impossible odds. It was a secret guarded fiercely, known only to a select few, hidden away as a safeguard for dire circumstances.

|Bruh, I tried to use the word insurmountable and it corrected me to use impossible lmao.|

They survived by the life force of some death row prisoners, it's a painless experience for them, but still terrifying as these guys, unlike the shifters(the scarecrows), emit auras of death and fear.

To prevent their escape in the case they somehow disobeyed our orders, the specters were contained within specially crafted, enchanted vessels. Artifacts that housed their spectral forms, preventing them from unleashing their potential killing spree.

Not as powerful in a fight, but...deadlier as people easily lose their mental reasoning in times of fear, the chief made me fight these guys many times before, I'm immune to it at these points while Vince and Reiner had this pale complexion.

"Well, Vince, still wanna accompany me instead of staying home?"

"Do we have more guys like this?" he asked

"Ghost-like creatures? Nah, only the shifters and these guys, others are still strong and deadly though...by the way, can I borrow your dog?"

"Why?"

"These 2 got families that need to be saved, I got a thing for killing family members along with the people I'm trying to kill after all."

"Sure, he's good at saving people after all."

I then turn to the 2.

"List down who you need to be saved, and the king does not count...because...I need him killed for my plans to work as well...don't even fight it...the king is no longer the same, he's more vicious than ever, he is participating in forbidden rituals and isn't willing to stop until his death."

"I...make it painless, Silver." Reiner reluctantly said, "If you can spare him, please do so."

"Even if I do, with your fake death, your half-siblings are going to kill him either way."

"I know, but...he still has a chance to prevent that, so if you can give him any chance, please try."