Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest Chapter 1999: Strange One

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"Fascinating, right? This is a spell she made and taught me," Blank said with a smile. "Though she lacks the power to use it to its fullest potential, I can reproduce it perfectly. Imagine if this kind of magic became widespread throughout the Netherworld. Chaos would break loose, and you undead would lose much of your advantage and power, wouldn’t you?"

The two Aberrations laughed nervously before they suddenly turned and began running away. Their reaction surprised Blank. Usually, mindless beasts that thrived on death and destruction would rush at him without end. These creatures, however, proved intelligent enough to recognize danger and flee. That intelligence itself made them far more dangerous. They were not simple beasts driven purely by instinct but beings that acted on twisted desires.

This was why they tortured innocent people.

And this was likely why they were running now.

Blank’s sharp, pragmatic mind processed all of this information at incredible speed. He considered himself the smartest being around, after all.

"Well, the fact that you choose to run from danger is the real threat," he murmured. "If Hollows can truly evolve and if beings like you are allowed to grow stronger, that would become extremely troublesome for everyone... But the real question remains..."

He vanished in a burst of white light and instantly reappeared in front of the fleeing Aberrations, choosing instead to pursue Granny Yaga’s safety first. Hovering in midair, he gazed down at the two creatures while his White Void Aura surged powerfully around him. The energy flowed into his long spear as he began channeling its full strength.

"Why?" Blank asked calmly. "Indeed, why would anyone create such dangerous monsters in the first place? For what purpose is there a need to create evolving creatures at this level? Don’t they realize it’s impossible for you to truly serve the Demon King? Eventually, you would choose your own king, right? One of slaughter and destruction on an even higher level than the giant lich."

Tired of his words, the two Aberrations roared in unison and attacked without mercy. In response, Blank’s aura surged outward, transforming into a swirling white mist that rapidly reshaped itself into dozens of deadly spears made of pure white void energy.

The white void spears pierced through the Aberrations relentlessly, riddling their bodies with countless holes. Their broken remains collapsed to the ground, still twitching and moving in a creepy, unnatural manner. Without hesitation or mercy, Blank cast the same spell once more, dispelling their cursed seals and finally allowing the trapped souls to find peace.

"Now then."

He stepped forward and approached the house where Granny Yaga had been hiding.

"Old woman, stop cowering in fear for once," he sighed. "You’re safe. Come out."

"R-Really? You’re not going to act like an asshole anymore?!" Granny Yaga slowly emerged from the building, her eyes filled with tears of relief.

"..." Blank stared at her with a flat expression, though a trace of annoyance leaked through. The look was almost cruel in its coldness, causing Granny Yaga to flinch once again.

White Ghosts were truly among the hardest noble races to get along with because of their detached personalities.

"Elayne would want me to be nice to you," he sighed. "Besides, I don’t truly hold any hatred toward you. As a member of the group I’ve joined, you are important. I will treat you as a coworker."

"Coworker?!" she gasped. "You really are only nice to us when Elayne is around, aren’t you?!"

"Not at all," Blank shook his head. "We White Ghosts simply cannot express many emotions openly."

"Don’t give me that bull!" Granny Yaga groaned. "Well, whatever. None of this matters anyway. Are we going to get moving or what?!"

"Precisely. Let’s move," Blank nodded. "We cannot waste any more time here."

The two quickly headed in the direction where they sensed Elayne’s presence advancing. Along the way, they encountered several giant Aberrations, but they dealt with them efficiently and pressed onward.

However, something began lurking behind them. A shadowy figure trailed them from a distance, leaping silently from building to building as it followed their every move.

Blank’s sharp senses picked up the presence. In the distance, at the center of this warped domain, stood a massive castle—the residence of the domain’s lord. The structure looked strange and twisted, transformed into a towering spire of swirling red and black energies. A powerful, watchful presence observed them from within its depths.

"Is that where the culprit resides?" Blank thought. "You seem quite fond of making your location as obvious as possible. Or perhaps there is something more to it..."

The building behind him suddenly exploded and collapsed as a giant figure descended directly in front of him. Blank had already expected the ambush. He stopped running and kept his composure, with Granny Yaga positioned safely behind him.

"Hm, well," he muttered. "Just as I thought."

The figure had appeared in an instant. The ground shook violently, shattered, and sent dozens of boulders flying in every direction from the force of its landing. Although it was "giant" by normal standards at around three meters tall, it was nowhere near as massive or bulky as the Aberrations Blank had faced earlier.

This being was something else entirely, and far more dangerous.

Yes, it was a person, though as Blank’s narrowed eyes carefully analyzed its form, he found it difficult to classify it strictly as one.

"..."

It did not speak. The creature simply gazed at him with glowing red eyes. Its appearance was mostly feminine, with a powerful body composed of incredibly hard obsidian-like muscle. White bone claws and natural armor protruded from between the dark muscles, while sharp white bone spikes ran along its arms, legs, and back. A very long, skeletal tail swayed behind it.

Its head was humanoid, but only the lower half from the nose down was visible, revealing obsidian lips and smooth charcoal-black skin. The upper portion was covered by a massive skull that seemed to be part of its own body. The skull resembled that of a wyvern, complete with long white horns and empty eye sockets that emitted a faint, eerie light from within.

Blank noticed a hollow cavity in its chest, from which it constantly siphoned dark energy from the surrounding environment.

"W-What is that thing?!" Granny Yaga cried out from behind him. "S-Some kind of modified undead? Again?!"

"Yes, but this one is different," Blank replied, his expression growing serious. "This is an evolution of the previous ones we fought."

"W-What?!" Granny Yaga gasped. "I cannot even feel its power, though. It has no Nether Aura or anything! It’s so strange..."

"That’s because they are only partially undead," Blank explained.

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