Soul Absorption was a level 20 Dark Priest Skill. I assumed it worked much like absorption, although while absorption took life force, a mixture of the physical body, mana, and soul… a Dark Priest was able to specifically pull out a soul. Of course, like all of my other abilities of recent, it wasn’t something that could be done on normal targets. You needed close proximity, and the target needed to be incapable of resisting.
Aberis let out a blood-curdling scream as I pulled his soul out of his body. I didn’t do this out of some kind of maliciousness. Rather, the only way I would feel comfortable that Demon Lord Aberis’s soul was gone and he wouldn’t be resurrecting was if I absorbed and digested the soul myself. In general, it might be quite an evil ability, but I didn’t feel that much remorse when doing it to a man like him. He had done so much bad in his life, that this little bit of pain would never be enough.
Mind you, this pain was likely excruciating. I was tearing a soul apart from the body. However, after feeling the pain of chopping a soul so many times with Alysia, I only considered the intent and mind-shattering pain to be a little uncomfortable. Demon lord Aberis tried to fight, but he was unable to mount any resistance. Alysia had locked down the body, soul, and also mana.
Demon Lord Aberis had likely tried to utilize some mana to escape his situation. It was only when he realized he couldn’t even mobilize mana that he truly started to panic.
There was one other reason I decided to absorb his soul. As I consumed the last bit of tainted soul, purifying it and then storing it someplace safe in my body, separate from my soul, the man slouched over against the sword. Although he was a fit Osterian, he looked frail now. He had a haggard appearance, covered in blood, and gasping for the last vestiges of life.
“S-sister…” He breathed. “
“King… Xerin?” Alysia’s spoke out loud.
“Yes… I’m free. You’ve saved me, sister.” He smiled. “Thank you! Thank both of you.”
“Deek?” Alysia spoke between us this time, keeping the frail Osterian out of the conversation.
“I have removed the tainted soul and removed as much of the corruption as I could.”
“The Demon Lord Aberis possessed him as an infant. The truth is, the only memories this body could possibly contain…”
“Would be the memories of Demon Lord Aberis…” Alysia finished with a sigh.
I nodded sadly. I was able to save her brother. I did this partially because I just wanted to see if I could. He may not have the soul of the demon lord Aberis, but he was still a being created by him. There was no reversing such a history.
“Why did you leave him alive?” Alysia asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I shrugged. “He’s… family, I guess.”
“Deek…” Alysia’s voice grew rich with emotion. “He’s a risk.”
“Alysia, this is your choice.”
Alysia was silent for a moment. “Deek, you are my family. You are what matters most to me. I won’t let anyone threaten that. Anyone.”
“Then you’ve decided?”
“Can you… pull the sword out of me and heal me now?” The man asked. “I might really die-ahhhhhh!”
The sword began to glow with multi-shades of light, targeting whatever shriveled up thing of a soul remained in this body.
“I’m sorry, King Xerin.” I shrugged. “The lady has spoken.”
His eyes widened, and then narrowed and he let out a vulgar curse. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill both of you!”
“Too late” I responded. “There is only one more thing you will do, and that is die!”
I threw up the blade as Alysia transformed back into her normal sword form. King Xerin flew off the tip of the blade and up into the air. As he let out a shrill final scream, I lifted the blade.
“Incinerate!” I used the level 10 Magic Swordsman ability.
As he fell back down, he met my descending blade. A pillar of light arose in front of us, and everything that remained of both the king and Demon Lord Aberis turned to ash, body, and soul. He was gone, for good this time.