He was already prepared to die.

Resolved to buy some time so that the others could flee and regroup with the young lady.

But someone took care of the burning skeleton right before his eyes.

A pale, ghostly spear descended from above and penetrated through the burning skeleton's ribcage and anchored it to the ground. It didn't die. It was still growling and thrashing like a rabid dog, but it couldn't break free.

At the sight of the spear, the leader's pupils dilated.

'This spear…' His brows furrowed. 'It's a normal spear. I can't sense any mana infused in it, and yet it could stop this bronze-rank Ghost? What kind of material is used to make it?'

Tap!

Out of nowhere, a figure landed before the leader like a Ghost.

He landed so lightly that there was barely a sound, and what was more unnerving was that he barely had any presence. Seeing him felt like seeing an illusion, someone who is not real, someone who does not exist.

In fact, other than this figure's appearance, the leader felt like he was seeing a Ghost more than a man.

Deklan looked over his shoulder coolly, his long white hair and clothes fluttering against the night wind.

It almost made him look like he was underwater.

And his posture—straight like an arrow showed clearly that he was on top of the situation.

"Are you okay…?" He asked, his voice sinking into a cool, uncharacteristically low baritone.

"W-Who…?" the leader stammered, not expecting to meet someone in this part of the forest—that was filled with Ghosts. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," Deklan pivoted sideways—quirking a smile. "All you need to know is that I'm the one who saved you."

Hearing this, the leader's frown deepened, but then his eyes shot open.

"Look out!!"

"Hmm?"

Deklan looked back at the burning skeleton and saw it swinging its sword to cleave him in half, but he already sensed this attack coming. His perception was high enough that a cheap, sudden attack like this wouldn't get him.

In the nick of time, he leaped upward, folding both legs to avoid the cleave.

Then, he created a two-handed axe with his Ghost Conqueror skill and hacked the burning skeleton.

He severed its right arm that was holding the sword, causing it to scream in pain.

Giving no time for it to react, Deklan changed the two-handed axe into another spear, and rammed it through the burning skeleton's side, immobilizing it further. And with the forward momentum, he rolled forward and kneed the shield in its other arm.

Clang!

It was knocked away; the heavy metal thudding against the ground.

Everything happened right in front of the leader's eyes—so fast and also decisive enough to provide no fighting chance for the burning skeleton, yet so slow and deliberate enough for the leader to make sense of what had happened.

'Other than that odd ability of his to create those weapons, he didn't use any mana,' the leader thought, finding it impossible for someone who doesn't seem like an Exorcist to possess a physical strength to overpower the burning skeleton. 'Who in the world is he?'

Deklan felt the shocked gaze of the leader and the other two men on his back.

He was facing away, but had he not, those three would've noticed his eerie smile right about now.

Good… Good… Keep admiring me. Praise me in front of your young lady.

[Host, you're so shameless…]

[You used your Breeze Affinity to make your hair flutters to make yourself look cooler, didn't you? And that voice… what even is that? You don't sound like that!]

Sshh… It's necessary for the greater good.

[Greater good, my ass!]

Hmm…? Do you even have an ass? Is it big?

"Don't worry," Deklan turned around to look at the leader again—with the widest smile he could muster to look as innocent and good as possible. "You and your comrades are safe now. This thing is not going to be a problem anymore."

He pointed at the burning skeleton behind him with his thumb.

Of course, he didn't want to kill it, at least not right now.

Other than wanting to devour its skills—Pumple is also complaining that he's hungry. This is going to take out two birds with one stone.

Deklan is a kind person.

He still remembered failing to feel Pumple back in the Shadowed Town because of the sudden situation, and this would be his way of making up for it. Not that it was really his mistake, but he wasn't heartless enough to let his Ghost Residents starve.

But that wasn't what it looked like to the leader and the two men not too far away.

Both of them stopped running when they saw Deklan subdue the burning skeleton.

"Why did you help us, Sir?" the leader asked, eyes narrowing sharply.

Deklan frowned, confused as to why the leader was hostile towards him when all he did was help.

"Seems like there's a misunderstanding. I was only helping because I saw you guys in need of help."

"Really? But I don't think anything good is behind that smile of yours."

Hearing this, Deklan tilted his head.

And it was only then did he realized his Eerie Smile was active again, screwing up his white knight plan.

For shit's sake, system, can you ban this fucking skill?

[Hoho… Did you forget already, host? You got Sasaki because of this skill.]

Fuck… It's like I'm having a love-hate relationship with this damn skill.

"I apologize for the unsightly sight, but this is a unique condition of mine," Deklan scratched the back of his head. "I was born to have a big smile because of how big my heart was. Please, I'm not as bad as I looked."

"In that case, what are you even trying to achieve by letting that Ghost be?" Why didn't you exorcise it if you're really trying to help?" the leader asked again—not convinced by the bravado at all. "If you're a good person, then why leave it?"

A vein bulged on Deklan's forehead.

He went out of his way to help some dudes out of his goodwill, and yet he was treated like this.

As a matter of fact, he didn't even get a thank you.

"I am softie," Deklan raised his hands in a surrendering manner. "I can't bear to kill anyone."

"Lies!" the leader sneered as he pointed his sword forward. "You're after the skull too, aren't you?

This motherfucker… Why is he being difficult?

Deklan came to look cool and meet with the young lady they were serving; perhaps this stunt would make these men talk about him good to the young lady. But the situation went in the opposite direction instead with him being the suspicious guy.

His eyes shifted to the other men, and found that both were looking at him the same way.

A suspicious guy with a suspicious intention.

Not that they were wrong—he indeed has a hidden intention, but he's not suspicious!

I'm too handsome to be categorized as a suspicious guy. Morals have beauty standards, and with a face like mine, even if I were a villain—there'd still be crowds lining up to cheer me on. So why the hell is this bastard acting like I'm some kind of threat?

Deklan's annoyance was already reaching his throat, and crept up to his brain, burning it.

And like anything that burned, it turned to ash.

In this case, his restraint has now turned to ash.

You know what? Screw it.

"You saw through me, I'm surprised," Deklan said, his Eerie Smile skill was let loose.

"I knew it!" The leader went into his battle stance again, eyes narrowing with wariness. "No humans can do what you do, especially put that wide a smile! You're a Ghost, aren't you? I don't know how you looked like that as a Ghost, but I'm not letting you get the skull!"

Hearing this, Deklan was amused.

He didn't want it to come to this, but now that it has, there's no need to hold back.

Besides, I'm starting to get curious as to what this skull they were talking about.

"For someone who struggled against a mere Ghost, who I dispatched easily, you sure talk a lot," Deklan said, smirking as his eyes shimmered with mockery. "Is there nothing inside that head of yours? Do you think you can take me on?"

"Go!" the leader roared. "Run!!"

Realizing that their legs weren't moving, the two men snapped out of their dazes.

But the moment they turned to leave, a light breeze brushed past them.

Crack!

A spear forged entirely from mana slammed into the tree ahead, driving halfway into the trunk—with a deafening crack. Both of the men froze mid-turn, terror rooted their limbs in place as a cold, instinctive dread crawled up from the depths of their bones.

One wrong move and they're dead.

The leader couldn't react and block the spear.

His gaze snapped over his shoulder to check the two men.

Only when he saw that the two men were fine could he breathe more easily.

Roar!!

Looking forward again, the leader gritted his teeth as the burning skeleton struggled to break free harder, and it was breaking out since there was one less spear holding it back. Soon, very soon, it would certainly break free and attack them again.

"Put down the skull…" Deklan's voice sounded again, more rasping than earlier. "Slowly."

"No!" the leader roared. "Take it and run away."

Even though the leader was ordering them to leave, Deklan wasn't worried.

From earlier, he already knew that those two men were willing to ditch the skull as long as they could survive. It was only the leader who was stubborn about it for the sake of the young lady. So—naturally, Deklan was sure that they would choose themselves.

"Let them go and fight me!" The leader's eyes bulged. "Don't kill them!"

"Who said I'm going to kill them? I'm not doing shit," Deklan raised a brow, and then pointed to the burning skeleton again. "But this guy, on the other hand, is eager to do exactly that. So—what is it going to be? Put it down or… death?"

Both men looked at the menacing burning skeleton with orb eyes filled with killing intent.

All of them had been running from it for almost half an hour.

And if they didn't drop the skull, they would be back to square one once again.

But this time, it's worse.

None of them has the stamina to outrun it again.

Having no other choice, the two finally placed the sack they were carrying on the ground.

As soon as the leader heard the thud, he knew that it was his defeat.

"Heh," Deklan sneered. "Should've complied while I'm still nice, but you have to annoy me."

Before he took the bag, he turned to the burning skeleton.

"Oh, and you… I'll be taking you with me."

Swoosh!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.