Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 191

Chapter 191: Explorer III

Ignoring the spirit beasts known for their illusions, Aiden continued ahead.

He walked up the overgrown path leading to the mansion’s front door. As he pushed it open, he was greeted by a grand hall, its former glory now shrouded in dust and decay. Broken furniture lay scattered on the floor, and cobwebs hung from the high ceiling like ghostly drapes.

Taking in the moldy smell, Aiden covered his nose and muttered, “Well, should I find that treasure, or will it find me?”

Protected by a divine spell, Aiden wandered aimlessly through the mansion. His touch sometimes caused things to shatter into pieces, and occasionally objects fell on him. It soon became evident that an entity was trying to scare him away, moving chairs or dropping things.

Aiden played along, pretending to be frightened and running away. The doors began to close and lock with every echoing laugh in the surroundings. “What the heck is this place?” Aiden shouted desperately, banging on the door leading outside.

Step… Step… Step…

Footsteps and eerie laughter echoed, growing closer. “Damn it, open up!” Aiden yelled, kicking the door, the door molted and broken too, as if it would broke the moment one touches it, but it wouldn’t budge as if reinforced by some unseen force.

“Heh heh, you are now my foo— Argh, WHAT IS THIS?” An old man with blackened skin emerged from behind Aiden, intending to scare him, but was instead bound by golden chains.

“So, it was you,” Aiden turned around and looked at him.

“You were just acting all along?” the old ghost shouted in disbelief.

“What else?” Aiden shrugged.

The old ghost pointed at him in frustration. “What do you want?” the ghost asked.

“Why do you think I want something from you?” Aiden asked, sitting down in front of the old ghost.

The ghost, now looking more like a pale spirit than a menacing apparition, said, “Isn’t it obvious? Your aim was me from the start.”

Aiden seeing the smug and arrogant old ghost, decided to mess with him. “No, you weren’t my goal.”

“Lying won’t get you anywhere,” the old ghost sneered, he didnt believe Aiden, after all who carries such chains that can binds souls, with them all along.

“Well, whatever. If you’re of no use, I’ll just exorcise you now,” Aiden said, his hands glowing with a golden light that intensified the chains’ glow.

“Wait! I know something… Wait!” the old ghost screamed as the chains began to burn him.

“What do you know?” Aiden stopped the chains.

“I know about the treasure you’re seeking here,” the ghost said reluctantly.

“What kind of treasure?” Aiden asked.

The old ghost’s mouth widened in surprise. “You aren’t here for any treasure?”

“No… I just wandered here, looking for a mansion to buy,” Aiden replied, tilting his head.

The ghost fell silent, then finally said, “Then you shouldn’t buy this place. As you can see, it’s haunted. Buy another one.” He began to explain how each previous owner had died horribly, especially the last one, who was hanged with his own intestines. “Such a horrible death,” the old ghost shook his head.

“And who killed them?” Aiden asked.

The ghost remained silent.

“Fine, whatever. Just tell me the location of the treasure,” Aiden demanded.

“I can’t tell you,” the ghost hesitated.

Aiden’s hand began to glow again.

“Wait! I mean, the thing that killed the other owners guards the treasure. Going there means your death,” the ghost said hastily.

“Explain,” Aiden sat back in the chair, crossing his arms.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Antony von Lier,” the ghost said.

“This Mansion originally was mine”

“So, you are the original owner?” Aiden asked.

The ghost nodded. “Yes, I was. After my death, I began to wander here aimlessly, enslaved to that ‘thing.'”

“What is this ‘thing’?” Aiden asked.

Antony sighed. “That ‘thing’ was originally my wife. After our child died and we couldn’t have another, she fell into demonism, contacting an evil spirit.”

“Demonism? You mean she contacted a demonic cultivator?” Aiden asked.

“Yes, demonists create their own spirit core through unorthodox means,” Antony explained.

“Like sacrificing stuff or such evil acts”

“My wife, Shelly, was lured by the promise of a child. That bastard not only played with her body but also her emotions, leaving nothing but a monster. A monster i wasnt able to kill with my own hands, a monster i protected, I nurtured it in the basement, but one day it got free, killed me, and enslaved my soul,” Antony sighed and said.

“So, this monster is your wife and can manipulate souls?” Aiden asked.

“It’s her spirit, called the Book of Souls. She can summon beings she has killed and enslave their souls,” Antony replied.

“Such a powerful spirit,” Aiden remarked.

“Right? But she never used it for nefarious purposes, and the thing in the basement is not my wife,” the old ghost said seriously.

“Yet you nurtured it,” Aiden said, causing the old ghost to flinch.

“I understand it was my fault, but how could I kill her?” the old ghost nodded and replied.

“You know, I think that spirit led your wife down the path to demonism. It’s a perfect tool for demonic cultivators,” Aiden said.

Antony fell silent, then bitterly smiled. “Maybe you’re right.”

“So, can you use these chains to kill her and free her?” the old ghost asked.

“Weren’t you just stopping me? So what now?” Aiden asked.

“I think you are strong enough, that’s why,” the ghost said.

Aiden shrugged and then told him to lead the way.

The old ghost, still bound, began to lead him towards the basement. Taking intricate stairs, locked by strange mechanisms that the old ghost opened, they arrived at the basement.

Standing outside the door, Aiden could hear strange noises, like someone crying in great pain.

“Okay, then you can now die,” Aiden said coldly as the golden chains began to burn with hell flames.

“Arghhhhh… Why?” the old ghost asked, amidst its screams.

“Do you think I am a fool? I know it was you who contacted the demonic cultivator after they offered you eternal life for your wife’s spirit,” Aiden replied with no expression, and the old ghost was burned to oblivion by the hell flames.

“Fortunately, I learned everything from chronicles, or I might have believed him,” Aiden thought, and then, removing his gaze from the old ghost, he looked ahead.

“Now to save another soul,” Aiden mumbled to himself as he looked at the big door hiding a monstrosity.

Opening the door, Aiden sidestepped as a big iron sword fell where he had just stood. “What a quick greeting,” Aiden said.

Aiden looked at the massive female figure with long black hair covering her face, showing only a mouth full of jagged teeth and a long spiky tongue. Her body was bent as she crawled on all fours, wielding a broken piece of iron shaped like a sword, and wearing a long white dress like those of ghosts.

She growled at Aiden and swept her claws at him. Aiden jumped aside, and calling forth the golden chain, it changed shape and formed a greatsword.

It was his first spirit, the Golden Sword. After reaching Spirit Lord, it could now change its shape into various forms.

Forming

Forming a greatsword, Aiden descended from the sky. Enveloping the blade in hell flames, he struck precisely at her chest, aiming to burn the demonic core that had transformed her into this monster.

Shelly began to scream and flail as the flames consumed the demonic core, the seed of her cursed state. Soon, the core was reduced to cinders.

Aiden then summoned several divine crystals and healed her using Saint’s Blessing. Her deformed body began to shrink, revealing a beautiful woman with black hair like a starry sky, soft white skin, and a figure that could be mistaken for a succubus.

As the saint healing light faded, she frowned, opened her eyes, and looked around. “Where am I?” she mumbled, then her gaze settled on Aiden.

Aiden asked instead of answering ” Do you remember anything? ”

Shelly frowned and then said ” My name is Shelly , I am daughter of baker Rais” she replied.

” I see ” Aiden nodded and then pointed his finger at her forehead ” I am going to send you some memories, memories that you have forgotten”

Shelly frowned but sensing no malicious intent in Aiden she allowed him.

Aiden nodded and then began to tranfer her memories that he saved while she was an monster.

Slowly She felt like watching a movie, and the movie was about her, she watched aa she git marries ro her childhood friend, how together they ascend to rank of nobles, how then she wasn’t able to conceive child as Antony was too weak to pierce her hymen, how his pride didnt allowed her to help hom, how later he got jealous of her and sold her to demonic cultivator, how she was experimented upon for her Spirit, how she died.

As the memories ended, tears began to fall her eyes ” you are lying right? , TELL ME YOU ARE LYING!” she said weakly first and then grabbing Aiden’s collar she said harshly.