Chapter 612: Spiritual Energy Bequest

Chapter 612 -525: Spiritual Energy Bequest

“Hey! Fellas…”

Holland leaned on his shield, taking a few ragged breaths. Once his breathing evened out, he cautiously shuffled over to the nearest Heartstealer’s remains.

He prodded the lifeless, dark purple tentacles with the edge of his shield, then peered at the shattered skull where the points of Spiritual Energy no longer flickered. Only then did he turn back, his face a mask of lingering fear and caution, and asked in a low voice.

“These damn things… They don’t pull any tricks like ‘coming back from the dead’ or ‘Spiritual Rebirth,’ do they? Like some of those nasty things you find in crypts?”

Ellis had managed to straighten up, though his face was pale and the exhaustion from overusing his Magic Power had yet to fade.

But upon hearing Holland’s question, he instinctively straightened his back a little more and replied in his typical academic, affirmative tone.

“Not usually. A Heartstealer’s life form is highly dependent on the connection between its Spiritual Core and the Main Brain.”

“When their spiritual organs are completely destroyed like this, and they’re clearly outside the Main Brain’s sensory range, their consciousness dissipates permanently.”

“They don’t have a ‘soul’ in the traditional sense that a Resurrection Technique or Rebirth Ceremony could capture, unless…”

He paused, as if recalling some obscure piece of knowledge.

“…unless there’s a Main Brain or a similar High Tier spiritual conglomerate nearby, powerful enough to forcibly collect and reconstruct its consciousness fragments. But the probability of that here is infinitesimal.”

Hearing this clear, methodical explanation, Holland visibly relaxed, his tense shoulders slumping.

He smacked his lips, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Ellis and Roland, who was checking on the Ogre. A signature smile spread across his face—a bit roguish, but genuinely appreciative.

“Not bad, kid!”

He raised an eyebrow at Ellis.

“Those Force Field Waves and the dispel you used earlier—your timing was impeccable! Guess all that academy stuff isn’t just for show after all!”

The praise was blunt, but it held a clear note of approval that had been absent from his previous jabs.

Then, he looked at Roland. His gaze fell upon the Dark Gold Dragon Scales slowly receding on Roland’s arm and the lingering Holy Light Embers. His brown eyes shone with unconcealed amazement and a flicker of deeper curiosity.

“As for you, Rudolph… my god.”

He shook his head, as if at a loss for words.

“I knew you were strong, but I never imagined… this strong.”

“Anyone else would’ve had their head turned to mush by those octopus-heads’ Spiritual Energy blasts, but you just charged right through them. And that Light Saber… Tsk. I’m convinced now. Teaming up with you was the smartest decision of my life!”

“Save the flattery for later.”

After confirming that the Ogre’s breathing was steady and that he was merely unconscious from the severe Spiritual Energy impact, not having suffered any additional harm in the fierce battle, Roland slowly stood up.

His sharp gaze swept over the lavishly dressed corpses on the ground as he spoke with clarity.

“Holland, go check the ‘big shots’ for Relics.”

“They just left the Dark Moon Hall. They might be carrying valuables or some useful Magic Items. Even if not, any coins or tokens they have on them could make things easier for us on the road.”

As he said this, he tilted his head slightly, holding his breath to listen.

From the dark exit of the mine shaft behind them, a clamor of faint noises could be heard.

Roars, explosions of Magic, and short, piercing screams.

The sounds weren’t dying down; instead, they grew more intense and frequent, yet not a single soul was seen fleeing from that direction.

This clearly indicated that the battle deeper in the mines wasn’t over. In fact, it had likely entered an even more frenzied stage.

And at the heart of the battle, most likely, was the Heartstealer with the most terrifying Spiritual Energy pressure—clearly the leader.

Through the recent combat test, Roland had confirmed that even with his damaged soul limiting some of his abilities that relied on precise control, his `Dragonification`, `Supreme Slash`, and the absolute power and resistance of this body still afforded him immense combat strength.

However, just as Ellis had said, the consciousness of a Heartstealer was intimately connected to its “Main Brain.”

If any Heartstealer, before its final demise, managed to transmit what it deemed a “major threat” or “critical intelligence” through its spiritual network…

…then what he would face wouldn’t just be a few scattered hunters, but the endless pursuit and retaliation of the entire Heartstealer race, and perhaps even the vast Spiritual Empire behind them.

The lead Heartstealer, whether in strength or status, was clearly far beyond the three they had just faced.

‘If it gets away and successfully sends that message…’

The thought of the inescapable spiritual scrying and hunting from the depths of the Dark Nether Realm that he might face in the future sent a chill through Roland’s mind.

He turned to the eager Holland, his tone hardening with an undeniable urgency.

“Be quick. Grab anything valuable, but don’t spend too much time searching. We can’t linger here. We need to leave immediately.”

At the command, Holland’s face lit up with excitement, the fatigue from the battle seemingly vanishing in an instant.

He rubbed his hands together, his brown eyes gleaming with a shrewd light, looking for all the world like a tomb raider about to unearth a treasure.

“Don’t you worry, Rudolph! I’m an expert at this!” he said in a hushed, cheerful tone.

Without another word, he crouched down and stealthily made his way toward the area where Grom and the other “big shots” lay.

With practiced movements, he began to inspect the ornate robes and scattered belongings.

Roland, meanwhile, walked over to a relatively intact Heartstealer corpse.

Its dark purple body was slumped on the slag, tentacles curled lifelessly. The carapace that once shimmered with a faint glow was now dull and lusterless.

Only the faint, lingering smell of scorched Spiritual Energy and a cloying, sweet stench in the air proved that, not long ago, it had been a terrifying hunter.

For Roland, the corpses of these aberrations from the depths of the Dark Nether Realm, creatures with close ties to other planes, were far more valuable than those of ordinary Demons.

Back in Wailing Gorge, just a bit of Heartstealer blood on the blade of “Bright Moon” had unexpectedly unlocked the hidden Profession: `Spiritual Master`.

Now, with three relatively complete High Tier specimens before him, the things that could be stripped from them were likely more than just ordinary Magic Materials.

But before trying anything else, the gift from his `Pirate` essence was the first reward to be claimed.

The moment the last Heartstealer had perished under his fist, the `Plundering` Trait, like a silent, giant net unfurling in the Deep Sea, had quietly completed its cold ritual of conquest and greed.

Now, without any further action required, the “gift” from his bloodline instinct had already materialized, lying silently beside the corpse, waiting for its master to collect it.

He first looked toward the Heartstealer that had been purified by the `Supreme Slash`.

Next to its shattered skull lay an irregular, pigeon-egg-sized crystal. It was a deep, ethereal blue, and a liquid mist of light seemed to flow slowly within it, emitting a faint yet pure wave of Spiritual Energy.

The crystal was cool to the touch, clearly a highly concentrated Spiritual Energy Crystal.

Beside the corpse of the Heartstealer whose head had been crushed by his Dragon Claw lay a short spike, about half a foot long. It was entirely dark purple, its texture neither metal nor bone, and its surface was naturally covered in fine spiral patterns.

A cold glint flickered at the spike’s tip, where faint arcs of Spiritual Energy jumped, marking it as a natural weapon for channeling and piercing with Spiritual Energy.

But the most eye-catching item was by the third corpse.

The Heartstealer whose Spiritual Core had been shattered by a heavy punch and thrown the farthest.

Above the shattered carapace on its chest, an Obsidian Thin Slice, no bigger than a thumbnail, hovered an inch off the ground. It had irregular edges, and while its texture was like the purest obsidian, a silvery halo like a nebula flowed within it.

It leaked no Energy, yet it emanated an indescribable, subtle aura that seemed to carry the weight of cold Order and vast knowledge.

Three spoils of war, two tangible and one ethereal, presented themselves there in their own distinct ways.

The ethereal blue crystal and the dark purple spike were clearly rare Spiritual Energy materials and a natural weapon, both of considerable value.

But that nebulous Obsidian Thin Slice…

Roland’s gilded, vertical pupils contracted slightly.

He could clearly perceive that this was no ordinary substance.

It was more like a highly compressed “information carrier” or an “access key.”

Its value and potential significance likely far surpassed the other two items combined, and it might even be related to the deepest secrets of the Heartstealer race—a race centered on Spiritual Energy and knowledge.