The Darkness was Comfortable for me

I had a feeling that would be the case.

I may have beheaded her, but if a Great Spirit were a being that can be defeated with just that, there’s no way it would be able to defeat a Demon Lord that has come out from the dungeon.

That’s because the endurance of a Demon Lord -or HP if we are to put it in game terms- is on a whole other level after all.

There may be Demon Lords that don’t fit that, but they don’t have such paper resistance that would allow a gold rank explorer like me to kill them in one hit.

That said, the strength of darkness is to hit the weak point in one surprise strike.

In a way, you could say that you can defeat a human with one accurate strike no matter how high their level is…it is that kind of attack.

That’s why, I did have a feeling this would happen, but I thought I could defeat it with this and thought I had defeated it.

“[Fear]!” (Hikaru)

A wave that instills fear spreads.

“O-Ooooh?! I feel goosebumps-ja?! Disgusting!”

If Dispel works (technically doesn’t), I thought that this Chaotic Ability would work too. It seems like that was the case.

It is a means to immobilize humans and monsters, but it seems like it doesn’t have that much effect here. She pretty much just faltered for a bit, but creating that opening is enough.

I took out a Barrier Stone and broke it.

It is going to be penetrated in an instant, but what I need right now is time.

If I can’t defeat it, I have no choice but to buy time.

I opened the Status Board, bought 2 more Barrier Stones, changed 3 Points to 90 Crystals, and bought 9 High Spirit Energy Potions for 10 Crystals each.

I still have leeway in Spirit Energy, but Chaotic Abilities consume an unbelievable amount of Spirit Energy compared to Spirit Abilities.

On top of that, I bought Stamina Potions with the little remaining Crystals I had and drank them right there.

It is because I felt the exhaustion from being exposed to a tense situation for a long period of time.

(If I knew this would happen, I would have investigated Great Spirits more…) (Hikaru)

Great Spirits should die too.

I have heard about them fighting Demon Lords, and also about how Demon Lords can win.

In that case, I think there’s no doubt they are weak against Chaos…in other words, the Chaos Element.

It seems like the Great Spirit (Small) doesn’t plan on killing me at once, but I am sure she will easily incapacitate me if I get caught.

(Whichever the case, I have no choice but to do this with the cards I have in hand right now.) (Hikaru)

I confirm the Spirit Abilities I can use through the Status Board.

-

[Dark Spirit Ability]

Tier 3 Ability

?View of Darkness [Dark Sense] Proficiency 91

?Falsehood of Darkness [Shadow Morph] Proficiency 0

?Transformation of Darkness [Phantom Warrior] Proficiency 77

?Casket of Darkness [Dark Coffin] Proficiency 21

?Call of Darkness [Summon: Dark Knight] Proficiency 27

Tier 4 Ability

?Deposition of Darkness [Shadow Storage] Proficiency 5

Tier 5 Ability

?Revelation of Darkness [Darkness Fog] Proficiency 6

Special Technique

?Return of Darkness [Create: Undead] Proficiency 16

-

[Chaotic Ability]

?Terror of Chaos [Fear] Proficiency 2

?Shatter of Chaos [Dispel] Proficiency 2

-

It is unknown how to get new Chaotic Abilities.

I currently have Fear and Dispel. They showed up after all of my Spirit Abilities reached Tier 3 (aside from Create Undead).

Is it related to me being a Loved One or not? I don’t know. It might even be something that’s normally used within the Spirit Ability Users in this world. I don’t have the information.

Whichever the case, Abilities work in a Proficiency system.

By using Spirit Abilities, new abilities appeared. It is most likely the same for this one too.

(I should continue using Chaotic Abilities as much as my Points allow to buy time.) (Hikaru)

No matter how you see it, the Great Spirit (Small) isn’t fighting seriously here.

It should be easy for her to knock me out if she wanted to. That’s how much of a power difference there should be.

It is to the point where I am wondering why she is holding back this much. Judging from the Great Water Spirit, she felt like she didn’t break her calm demeanor, but if that’s just her personality, that would be the end of it though…

“Brought it out again! What’s this-ja? Is this also a Chaotic Ability? There should not be an ability this one doesn’t know though…”

The Great Spirit (Small) was already clear of the Fear a long time ago, and she said this as she stretched her hand to the barrier.

I don’t know how that works, but the barrier is being slowly broken. Even so, it still proves to be a little difficult.

It is painful to bring out something worth 1 Point when it gets broken this fast, but it still can be used for an emergency escape. If it were erased in an instant, the barrier would be completely ineffective against a Great Spirit, but that’s not the case which is the fortune within the misfortune.

Buying 1 minute in battle can become a lifeline.

It is currently 3 am.

I would like to defeat it at night if possible.

Dark Spirit Abilities show their real potential in dark places, and it consumes less from me. The Spirit Energy consumption is pretty different when you use Dark Spirit Abilities in bright places and when in dark places.

The Great Spirit groaned with a ‘nununu?’ while breaking the barrier slowly but surely.

“[Darkness Fog].” (Hikaru)

I would just be caught if I were to stay in an already broken barrier.

I spread darkness again and jumped backwards.

(I should try it out.) (Hikaru)

“[Shadow Morph].” (Hikaru)

I chant the Ability I learned recently, and my perspective changed into that of when I am lying face up.

It is as if I myself have become a shadow.

At the place where I was originally standing, there’s my ‘shadow’ standing there.

The Great Spirit hasn’t noticed this state of mine.

She doesn’t know where I am since the moment I used Darkness Fog, so that’s a given though.

“Muh, can’t see anything. Dark Spirit Abilities are a hassle. Let’s see…”

The Great Spirit raised her hand, Spirit Energy swirled, and a water gun of around 50 centimeters was sprayed.

I could tell from the sound and distance traveled that it has far more fearsome power than the hoses used to suppress riots that I saw a long time ago on TV.

There’s no doubt it would turn out terrible if I were to get hit by that.

She is shooting 5 of those at the same time and shooting them blindly in the darkness.

Of course, my ‘shadow’ was directly hit by this, but I am unharmed since I have become a shadow in the ground.

“Umu…? Don’t feel like it hit-ja?”

It took me time to increase the Proficiency because the scenarios where I could use Shadow Morph were too limited, but it is the higher tier version of Shade Shift.

The effect is to switch my real body and shadow.

I am currently the shadow on the ground.

There’s only the moonlight, and it is currently pitch dark due to Darkness Fog, so a ‘shadow’ is a contradiction here, but it is basically a substitution jutsu.

I had a dummy take my place and I myself hid in the ground. Or more like, this is completely a ninjutsu. I feel like Jeanne would be happy about that.

Moreover, I can still move in my shadow state.

Moving as a shadow is a bit of a new experience, but I can unexpectedly move normally. The speed is merely as if walking fast, but it might have quite the use for emergency escapes.

I entered the plantations in a way that the Great Spirit won’t notice me, and took a long detour to move to the outside of the city.

If it were against a human, I could have crossed the fields and run away, but against a Great Spirit, bad footing will definitely be a disadvantage. ｆ𝘳e𝒆w𝗲𝐛𝘯𝐨νe𝚕.cｏ𝓶

I returned to the highway, undid the switch, and ran at full speed.

Just like with the Demon Lord, I can tell the presence of the Great Spirit because of its massive Spirit Energy.

I have created a bit of distance. The summoning ability of a Great Spirit is on a different level, but the distance it can be away from the summoner shouldn’t be infinite…I think.

Also, the time it can stay summoned should be limited…I hope.

In the case these 2 are infinite, I would have no other choice but to defeat her.

A night with only the moonlight.

For someone like me who has Night Vision, there’s practically no difference from daylight.

The highway is wide, and there’s no difficulties in running here even if there are wagon tracks. With the increase in Tier and the Physical Strength Up, I can bring out quite the speed, but even with that, it is probably negligible for the Great Spirit.

“That’s impressive. It has been centuries since I have seen an Ability User like you. This one loves humans who work hard to train themselves. Hence, this is regrettable.”

The Great Spirit that was several hundreds of meters away was now in front of me as if she had warped.

I don’t know how she can pull a stunt like this.

There might be a Water Spirit Ability like that.

I don’t know how warping and water are related, but I have to acknowledge that’s just how it is.

“[Darkness Fog]!”

“[Phantom Warrior]!”

“[Summon: Dark Knight]!”

“[Fear]!”

I use several abilities at once in one breath.

The Great Spirit was distracted by the warrior that appeared from the darkness.

The Great Spirit’s movements were dulled for sure because of Fear. Or more like, it would be better for me to assume that, in the case I fight her, I would lose in 10 or so seconds if she were to manage a single clean hit.

I won’t allow that clean hit. I will always go for a one-sided attack, and if that’s not possible, I retreat.

Those are my only options.

In the instant where the Great Spirit began attacking the Dark Knight and the Phantom Warrior, I used Shadow Morph to move to the back of the Great Spirit, undo the ability, and beheaded her.

Her head rolled again.

I can’t kill her like this, but I can buy quite a lot of time with that.

“Dark Knight, slice this one in fine pieces!” (Hikaru)

It should be a bit effective to damage her body.

I used that opportunity to drink a Spirit Energy Potion, and take out a Lizardman Chaotic Spirit Stone from the Shadow Storage.

The more moves I have the better.

“[Create: Undead]!” (Hikaru)

This ability takes a bit of time and requires concentration.

It can’t be used in mid battle, but it is possible now that I have bought time.

The Chaotic Spirit Stone with stars scattered shone, and visibly began to take shape.

It creates the form of its past life.

The Great Spirit must have given up on picking up its head. It dealt with the attacks of the Dark Knight while headless by using her hands, and grew a new head.

The severed head slowly disappeared.

(Hm? That just now…) (Hikaru)

“Hohohoho! 8th Ability! I have certainly seen it-ja! So you were one who has mastered the secrets of darkness!”

She severed the head of the Dark Knight with a knife hand and laughed.

It is true that Create Undead is the 8th Ability, but…

“What’s this about the secrets of darkness? I learned it like normal though.” (Hikaru)

“Normally? That’s weird. The 8th Ability is a secret Spirit Ability. It can’t be learned normally. In the past, there would be at least 1 every 10 years who would be able to touch upon this secret because they would devote their lives to Spirit Abilities, but…they are rarely seen now -especially of darkness. There shouldn’t be any since several centuries even in the nation of everlasting darkness.”

The Great Spirit laughed happily as she stabbed the chest of the Undead Lizardman with a knife hand.

The reinforcements I call with Abilities literally can only serve to buy time.

It would be another story if I could call a Great Dark Spirit again, but now that the barrier has been broken through, that would be impossible.

“You really know a lot.” (Hikaru)

“Muh hoho. Despite appearances, this one is still a Great Spirit after all.”

“How do you learn those ‘secrets’…normally?” (Hikaru)

“As I said, there’s no normal. In order to be able to use all Spirit Abilities, you must become empty. We only answer to pure children and those who wish and worship dearly-ja. Well, you are a Loved One, so you might be a special case.”

I was on the verge of dying at that time in the forest.

No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I was pretty much dead.

If I hadn’t been able to use Create Undead at that time, there’s no doubt I would have been devoured by wolves.

Does that mean…it was good that I was single-mindedly wishing I didn’t want to die?

I feel like that wouldn’t be so difficult…no, being on the verge of death isn’t something that happens often…

“[Dispel]!” (Hikaru)

“Gih! Attacking all of a sudden is underhanded! But I won’t get erased so easily-ja!”

“It just has to work a bit!” (Hikaru)

The Great Water Spirit’s movements seem to lack grace.

She is probably not the warrior type. She is just a Water God, has power, infinite Spirit Energy, and can use Spirit Abilities as she pleases, but it seems like that doesn’t equate to special battle skills.

“[Fear]!” (Hikaru)

This Chaotic Ability can practically force your enemy to be immobilized, so in that sense, it is pretty strong.

I didn’t let this small opening escape and beheaded the Great Spirit from the front again.

The head fell and I took distance.

I summoned a Dark Knight and one more Undead Lizardman.

I kept the Chaotic Spirit Stones as much as possible without selling them, so it should be okay to use them in a drawn battle.

The Great Spirit was repelling the attacks of the Dark Knight and Lizardman with her hands, but because of this, the Great Spirit couldn’t put its head back and had to grow a new head.

The 2 get defeated immediately when she has her head, but…

(So it really is like that. When it regenerates its head, its Spirit Energy goes down a bit.) (Hikaru)

It is not on the level of just a bit.

I can tell clearly here maybe because of its originally massive amount. She is most likely using 3-5% of her Spirit Energy to regenerate her head.

In the first place, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to pick up her head and put it back on if there weren’t any downsides to just growing it back.

This is the first chance for victory I see since encountering the Great Spirit.