Reborn as an Extra Chapter 598: Soul Merge. Part-4.

Rio himself recognized the immense peril inherent in this ability.

Through its use, he holds the capacity to forge entirely fresh 'Souls' without any external aid.

To achieve this, he simply draws out untainted soul essence from fellow beings, then shapes a brand-new 'soul' from that essence into any desired configuration.

Following that, Rio forms an 'Artificial Sea of Consciousness' within this soul and imbues it with any memories he chooses.

He possesses the means to craft 'brainwashed' beings merely by instilling loyalties to himself in these fabricated souls and binding them to his will.

Beyond this, Rio can implant a soul fragment into another's soul, compelling instant loyalty in mere moments.

'This stands as the hallmark ability of an ultimate antagonist in the story...'

Naturally, Rio hasn't yet mastered it fully and requires further refinement, yet he anticipates achieving full command in the near future.

'Could this explain the unwavering devotion of Alverto’s followers? Might he have employed this power within that 'curse' he imposed on others?'

Alverto commanded profound expertise in the realms of souls and the sea of consciousness.

He didn't just enslave individuals via souls; he wielded his sea of consciousness and recollections to dominate the spire of ascension as well!

His defeat stemmed solely from an unforeseen disruption that derailed his scheme; absent that, the world would have transformed utterly on that fateful day.

'Though he wielded 'soul resonance' and possibly brainwashing prowess... he probably lacked the 'soul merging' technique...'

Rio deduced this because Alverto's possession of soul merging would have prevented his loss to Rio during the climactic confrontation.

With it, he could have replenished his soul post those numerous soul sacrifices by siphoning others' soul energy and integrating it into his own.

Moreover, he never deployed such a power in his assaults.

'Maybe his command over that legendary skill hadn't exceeded 90%...'

Achieving 90% mastery in a legendary skill proves nearly as arduous as elevating a 'world authority' beyond level 3.

It hinges greatly on one's grasp of their 'Path' and the 'laws' governing the 'world'.

Rio elevated his so profoundly thanks to his extraordinary insight into his 'Path' and the 'law' of the 'sword.'

Day by day in this realm, he grows more detached emotionally, aligning ever closer with the 'law' of the 'sword'.

Rio's boundless 'sword aptitude,' his nascent 'sword heart,' and his evolving 'sword body' converge to propel his legendary skill toward superior mastery and comprehension.

In contrast, Alverto lacked such an overwhelmingly deep grasp of his legendary skill.

'Had he survived another few decades, he might have ascended to even loftier peaks...'

'Yet time spares no one... with two full centuries at his disposal, he failed to conquer it... His downfall lies in his own shortcomings, I suppose...'

By now, Rio had eclipsed Alverto's proficiency in souls and the sea of consciousness.

Lacking the legendary soul resonance skill, Rio nonetheless executes astonishing feats in the present.

'It's no surprise Miasma obsesses over perfecting soul merge... this ability grants near-limitless possibilities...'

Soul merge serves not only for healing as Rio pursues, but also for perpetrating heinous acts.

It enables the arbitrary creation of beings tailored for utmost agony and torment.

You can reshape others' souls to render them your slaves, twist an enemy's soul to drive them to madness and ignoble deeds that shatter their standing.

You might even alter emotions to forge genuine love from the depths of a heart, secure unbreakable friendships, or ascend as a despot ruling the world through mass brainwashing!

The pinnacle of its dominance lies in ensuring the brainwashed remain oblivious to their alteration.

Their very memories can be reworked so they perceive all inflicted torment as commonplace.

'Soul Resonance' and 'soul merge' rank among the most eerie and supreme powers; in the grasp of an unworthy soul, they could unravel the world with ease.

'I must conceal this skill from everyone... even from Lia...'

Though Rio commands this supreme power with room to expand it further, revealing it would paint him as the globe's greatest foe.

Rio trusts Lia and his companions deeply, but imagine disclosing his ability to reshape their souls and thoughts at mere proximity or touch?

Instinctively, they would harbor fear and wariness toward him.

'Should Lia one day gaze upon me in terror... if my presence instilled fear in her... my heart would crumble utterly...'

Rio fears not the world branding him a fiend, nor the cosmos uniting against him.

He embodies the sort who could raze the world should it plot his demise.

The sole entity Rio dreads disappointing remains Lia, and Lia alone.

'Phew~... enough, Rio... refocus on what's before you... your mind is wandering...'

Having pondered thus deeply, Rio compelled tranquility upon himself, snapping free from the reverie.

Lingering in the shadowy, humid spirit realm had ingrained in him the tendency to overthink and fret over myriad concerns simultaneously.

Devoid of conversation partners, he'd grown habituated to prolonged internal monologues.

'Concentrate on the immediate objective... I've cleared the initial three prerequisites; just one remains...'

The initial prerequisite, soul fluctuation alignment, stood fulfilled thanks to the identical soul fluctuations in Ellie's shards.

The next involved sequencing Ellie's soul fragments correctly; after days of effort, Rio prevailed.

The third required mending the soul and sea of consciousness by bridging voids; Rio managed this via implanting fabricated soul and sea of consciousness elements.

The ultimate and paramount step for restoring Ellie's soul entailed the soul's fusion itself.

Rio had to unite the soul flawlessly, avoiding any disequilibrium in soul fluctuations and attaining a flawlessly stable, seamless whole.

Miasma had notched partial triumphs in the prior stages but faltered at this concluding hurdle.

Rio too had only managed partial successes twice in his trials.

The cause boils down to simplicity.

In the spirit realm, Rio struggled to locate suitably harmonious souls, amid various impediments to his techniques.

Yet the chief obstacle was amassing vast quantities of soul energy.

During soul merging, one must vigilantly regulate their soul energy, upholding impeccable equilibrium to prevent excess or deficit upon fusion.

This explains why Rio lingered in the spirit realm despite arriving at his goal a week prior.

For seven days, he hovered by the frail node, harvesting colossal soul energy through monster slaying while sharpening his technique.

Time pressed urgently; failure to conclude soon would force a perilous solo trek across the human empire on foot.

Should an SS-ranker spot him transporting corpses and souls through their territory, Rio couldn't adequately justify the circumstances.

"No need to worry too much... I have practiced and prepared for this day for months now..."

Rio drew steadying breaths while releasing the seal on the vessel holding Ellie's soul fragments.

Employing soul manipulation, he extracted the fragments and positioned them in a spherical, orb-shaped array, ensuring perfect interlock.

Subsequently, Rio unsheathed his sword, assumed a meditative stance, and channeled his entire sword intent toward a singular purpose.

Manipulate and steer the soul with such exquisite precision that no atom or energy thread strays erroneously.

"I've exhausted every possible preparation... it's do or die now..."

This ritual can't occur in the human empire or elsewhere; the soul fragments still pertain to Elisia and remain bound within the spirit realm.

Post-fusion, they transform into a 'new' soul, whereupon the 'laws' of the spirit realm permit Rio's extraction.

Delving into Ellie's memories revealed that her shadow dragon clan couldn't escape the spirit realm not due to external hunters and slayers.

Rather, they were eternally bound within its confines.