Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

Chapter 1734: Ghostly Yin Pills

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“You dare ignore a great skeleton of my status, you lowly worm?!”

“Uhh…”

“Tsk, perhaps more torture will make you more obedient…”

The General swung his claw toward Elayne, aiming to leave a permanent scar on her face.

However, a large skeletal hand wreathed in black flames intercepted his arm. Mark had awakened, his empty eye sockets blazing with blue flames.

“You…?!”

The General snarled, retracting his arm before delivering a barrage of kicks and punches that cracked Mark’s bones.

“Mark!”

Elayne cried out, embracing Mark to shield him from the onslaught.

Yet Mark gently pushed her aside, absorbing the full brunt of the attack.

“Damn thing, your bones are tough…! Hahaha! You withstood all that damage?!” the General laughed. “Well! I am thoroughly impressed! And you didn’t choose the Rune of Bones?! Why! What the…?! What runes did you choose?! Pain? Ghost?! The Ghosts Rune is no good for skeletons like you, foolish idiot! Were you trying to mimic this woman? She chose poorly too. She should have picked Flesh or Decay instead. Zombies benefit most from enhancing their decaying flesh and regenerative abilities… tsk, you’re both foolish idiots! But you’re talented…”

The General scrutinized them while they clung to each other, nodding with a sinister smile on his blazing face.

His aim was to transform these two seemingly worthless undead into formidable soldiers for the Eternal Death Kingdom, earning himself merit in the process.

To him, Elayne and Mark were mere tools for advancing his rank.

“Come with me. You haven’t received your other reward, brainless fools.”

He strode away, followed by Mark and Elayne, who glanced around, noticing the stares of other undead still training.

Somehow, Elayne could hear fragments of their inner thoughts.

“They get special treatment again…”

“Why? Why?”

“Why can’t I learn a skill…”

“It’s so hard…”

“I want to die… let me die…!”

“I hate them… I want to eat their souls… Kuku…”

“I want to gnaw at that zombie’s face…”

“Look at that skeleton… his bones are covered in cracks… hehe, he got a fine beating from the General.”

This was an unusual ability, not commonly found among other undead. Elayne began to realize this as her soul expanded slightly, thanks to the Cursed Rune of Ghosts.

“Here.”

The General led them to another site; a grim place filled with burning cauldrons. Massive flesh golems seized struggling undead and hurled them into the cauldrons, where they were burned and pulverized with hammers.

As the undead were crushed and incinerated, their screams were horrific. Elayne, overwhelmed by their thoughts flooding her mind, screamed and recoiled in horror.

Not only were their decayed bodies being processed, but their souls were also being boiled within the cauldrons.

Eventually, the General pulled a lever on a towering cauldron over five meters tall.

A surge of white steam poured from a small opening, followed by clear blue pills that fell into a leather bag, which he promptly seized.

“Here, Ghostly Yin Pills, crafted by crushing the bodies and souls of the weaker, less fortunate ones who lack your talent! Consume them gratefully and honor their sacrifice.”

“…”

“…”

Elayne and Mark stood aghast at what they were given. Mark’s skeletal hands trembled as he reluctantly accepted the leather bag.

Neither knew what to do. They stared at the pills with fear and pity, hearing the anguished wails of trapped souls within.

“Now go, consume them, and return to me tomorrow! You’ll begin training with me. I’ll shape you into proper soldiers for the King.”

“Elay… ne… what… what? Do… what do…?”

“What… do we… do?”

“Hm…”

Mark gazed at the pills, his heart heavy with sorrow for the souls.

Elayne felt the same.

As compassionate beings, consuming pills made from the suffering of innocent souls was unthinkable.

They had defeated undead before, but never consumed their souls, always allowing them to pass peacefully.

This… was something a vile cult like the Black Hand would do.

They couldn’t bear it.

“Let’s go… outside…”

Mark followed Elayne as they attempted to sneak away but were thwarted.

A ghostly barrier blocked their path, and as they tried to breach it, a massive bone golem approached ominously.

“Ugh…”

Elayne abandoned the escape plan, retreating behind a building until the bone golem ceased its pursuit.

“We… can’t… escape…”

“Hm…”

Feeling hopeless, they rested behind the building, staring blankly at the distant Netherworld, yearning to roam freely, find their lost friends, and return home.

“We… we have… to get stronger…”

Elayne’s face contorted with pain and disgust as she picked up a pill, hesitating to place it in her mouth.

The moment it touched her lips she heard the screams.

“GYAAAAAAH!”

“SPARE ME!”

“IT HURTS!”

“MAMA…! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

“Ugh?!”

The thought of consuming them vanished instantly. Elayne dropped the pill, coughing up black miasma.

“I… I… can’t…” she muttered weakly, tears streaming. “I’m… sorry… uuuh…”

“It’s… fine…” Mark gently caressed her face with his skeletal hands. “We… we… should… we should… let them… rest…”

“Yeah…” Elayne managed a faint smile. “Let’s… let… these… souls rest…”

They moved to an abandoned, secluded part of the city, dug into the dry, dead ground, and placed the pills there, crushing them with their hands.

As they crushed the pills, small soul fragments emerged, scattering into the air.

Afterward, they covered the remains with dirt and walked away.

As they departed, they noticed a skeleton watching them from behind a building.

It was unsettling.

“…?”

Elayne looked back in confusion, but the skeleton fled before she could hear its inner voice.

She sighed, recognizing that all undead were peculiar and quirky, and chose not to pursue it.

After all, what more could she do to the poor creature? She had no intention of causing further suffering to any undead.

“Let’s… sleep…?” Elayne asked.

“Hm…” Mark nodded.

They hid in the shadows, embracing each other and falling asleep.

Despite the nightmares, sleep was the only “pleasure” Elayne and Mark could find.

Even after being stripped of life, humanity, and strength, sleep remained a universal constant.

Although undead were technically tireless, the more they used their souls and Nether, the more restless and unhinged they became.

Sleep helped Elayne and Mark preserve their sanity and gradually restore their minds.

The next day arrived.

“Wake up.”

The ominous voice of the General echoed before them, laced with fury.

Dread gripped Mark and Elayne’s souls. For a moment, they longed to remain asleep, escaping reality.

Yet they had to face it.

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