SWNOVELXO Chapter 509
Chapter 509. Seasoned Hunter
……A heavy silence.
Naturally, everyone’s gaze gathers on me.
“To be honest, it’s unfathomable. What I learned from Enma mainly involves methods of interfering with souls and the creation techniques of tangible undead like skeletons and ghouls…”
I haven’t yet been taught how to impose complex restrictions on souls (I’ve learned how to force will or guide thoughts on the spot, but I don’t know how to impose lasting bindings), and it’s needless to mention the disparity in techniques for creating undead bodies.
“And since I can’t perform astral projection myself, I know almost nothing about techniques used in spirit form.”
I’ve opened the gates to the spirit realm multiple times, but I can’t enter it myself.
By the way, what would happen if beings like Arthur or Bishop Lexar entered the spirit realm? Would they be able to maintain their existence there without succumbing to the pressure of the spirit realm?
‘Why don’t you just try it?’
Because failure means obliteration, so it’s not something I can just do lightly!!
‘Just like when we defeated the Kraken at Aulitos Lake, I sensed the absorption of their magical power after taking down a vampire… We’re somewhat like the mutated variants of the Undead King, aren’t we?’
Arthur spins a magical blade on his fingertips like he’s juggling a pen.
‘What we can do should naturally be something they can do too.’
“…That’s true. And their weaknesses are shared as well. They’re weak to direct magical interference, and if their spiritual body is destroyed, they incur irreversible damage— and because they dislike that, Enma has been developing a powerful magic-resistant body and has learned techniques to quickly retreat to the spirit realm in emergencies, along with a magical barrier to protect the soul in layers…”
‘We no longer have to worry about being drained by vampires, but we can’t carelessly receive their blood magic either. It’s amusing how you can defeat a vampire in its mist form by hammering them with magic, but the same could happen to us.’
Bishop Lexar strokes his goatee in agreement.
‘In desperate times, our ability to hide within walls and the ground is a strength we have that we didn’t possess while alive.’
‘Exactly so, Arthur-kun.’
“There may be battle tactics unique to spiritual bodies, but as a trend, I don’t think Enma will fight on the battlefield in spiritual form.”
Typically, a necromancer would hide in a safe zone and unleash pre-prepared troops upon the enemy.
“Also, both Enma and their subordinates primarily wield dark attribute magic. Unlike Bishop Lexar, who can leap out from walls to unleash lightning strikes, I think it’s difficult for them to perform such feats.”
I can’t make definitive statements about Enma’s subordinates aside from Claire, having no acquaintance with them.
‘Oh? If we were originally magic users like you, wouldn’t we end up with multiple attributes?’
“Enma’s style of necromancy reshapes souls into other forms. Since dark magic is infused during the processing stage, the attributes get completely overwritten by darkness.”
As I shrug while saying this, Arthur and the others—no, even Orderju and Helena from the Forest Elf group shudder slightly. Liliana, having learned the basics of necromancy from the notebook I handed her, doesn’t seem surprised.
‘So if we were captured by Enma, we’d end up like that?’
A young vampire hunter murmurs, but—no, that’s not the case.
“Sainthood means— the holy attribute doesn’t burn you because the holy attribute recognizes you as ‘humans.'”
Warriors who returned from the afterlife to fight humanity’s enemies.
“If Enma tried to reshape your souls into something convenient for them—”
‘We would cease to be human and be burned by this silver glow…’
Bishop Lexar once more raises his translucent silver hand and laughs.
‘That’s reassuring.’
With a grin that’s dangerously confident.
Yes—this is the strength of Sainthood.
Enma’s style of necromancy is fundamentally incompatible with it.
“I want to share information on the basics of necromancy gradually.”
“That’s true. It may not have much meaning for us as we can’t handle dark attributes…”
“Oh, well, opening the gates to the spirit realm can be done with light attributes too. If those with multiple attributes handle their magic carefully, there should theoretically be some techniques they can use.”
‘What?’
‘Really? I’m intrigued now…’
I cast a glance at Liliana, whose ears twitch enthusiastically with a determined expression. Maybe we should hold a study session together next time.
However, at the very least, it wasn’t a conversation that should be held in a cave that was just recently the lair of vampires.
“Should we return to the village and report the subjugation to Lord Valentius?”
That noble who had almost been turned into a thrall. Since we dismissed him with a secrecy clause, he probably doesn’t feel good about it either, so we should at least bring him some good news…
‘That sounds good… But it might be a bit too early for them to believe us.’
“At worst, we could leave someone to guard the village until they are convinced and depart ourselves.”
I shrugged and glanced around at the faces of the vampire hunters, starting with Bishop Lexar.
“—We’re going hunting, right? For the next vampire?”
For a moment, the cave glimmered silver.
‘Of course…!!’
An overflowing fighting spirit—!
‘Good things come to those who hurry! Let’s move on to the next one!’
‘Odigos! Count on you again!’
‘Woooooah!’
‘Kieeeeeahhh!’
One after another, the vampire hunters unleash battle cries as they’re absorbed into the remains in my waist pouch.
‘It’s a sight I’ve gotten used to, but it’s still quite bizarre…’
Yeah… I’ve become accustomed to it.
Oh, by the way.
“I heard that vampires have suddenly increased in this area—do you have any information on that?”
As I casually asked.
‘Eh?’
Bishop Lexar, who was just about to return to his remains in a ‘Kieeeeeah’ mode, abruptly halted with a bewildered expression.
‘Information gathering…?’
Oh no…
Well, I can’t exactly interrogate a monster in mist form…
Vampire hunters usually operate under a kill-on-sight policy, so… it can’t be helped…