Chapter 273: 271
Genichi stood at the center of the void, silver-white light pouring from his body and enveloping him in a sacred radiance.
He closed his eyes and felt the newborn power surging through him. This was not merely an increase in quantity, but a fundamental leap in quality.
Satan class.
He had finally reached that realm.
The gulf between an Ultimate-class Devil and a Satan-class being was a chasm countless people could never cross in their entire lives.
Yet he had done it.
Genichi did not allow himself to bask in his joy for long.
The instant he reached Satan class, an overwhelming flood of information poured into his mind: the laws governing the afterlife, the proper use of its Authority, and a terrifying truth that left him shaken.
He opened his eyes, a complicated emotion flickering within them.
"So that's how it was."
His voice was quiet, yet filled with the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped disaster.
Only after reaching Satan class did he realize just how lucky he had been.
His attempt to create the Ghost Tamer profession had been nothing more than a reckless fantasy.
He had assumed that with enough experiments, enough volunteers, and enough failures, he would eventually discover the correct method.
But the truth was that without that first success, he might never have found the right path at all.
Kirari Momobami, that insane woman, had become the first Ghost Tamer.
It was not because she was more talented than the others, nor because her will was stronger. It was because she possessed Devour, the skill that child had granted her.
Devour allowed her to survive failure, struggle against the backlash, and return after being dragged to the brink of death.
The others did not possess that skill, so they died.
Ririka Momobami, the second Ghost Tamer, did not have Devour. But she had something else: Kirari's success.
The birth of the first Ghost Tamer had opened a breach in the laws of the afterlife, like the first crack in a dam.
Ririka squeezed through that crack, which was why she succeeded.
If Kirari had failed, if the first Ghost Tamer had never been born, that breach would never have opened. Every experiment afterward would have ended in failure.
Ririka would have died, and everyone who came after her would have died as well.
Genichi lightly tapped his fingers against his side as memories of the volunteers who had died on the operating table drifted through his mind.
Each and every one of them had served as a stepping stone on his path to the throne.
At the time, he had believed it was merely a matter of probability. He had thought that if he made enough attempts, he would eventually discover a successful method.
Now he understood. Without Kirari's success, even a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand attempts would have produced nothing.
The obstacle had never been the method.
It had been the laws themselves.
Only by ascending the throne and becoming its master would someone possess the power and authority to alter those laws.
Genichi raised one hand, and a sphere of silver-white light appeared in his palm.
This was the power of Authority, the core of the afterlife and the source of both creation and destruction.
He could sense every law of this world contained within that light.
Now, if he wanted to create the Ghost Tamer profession, all it would take was a single thought.
He no longer needed volunteers, experiments, or deaths. With nothing more than an act of will, he could rewrite the laws and make Ghost Tamers a natural part of this world, as ordinary as breathing, eating, or sleeping.
The corners of Genichi's lips rose slightly, but he did not do it immediately.
Once he opened that path, people would eventually become Ghost Tamers through sheer coincidence.
They would not necessarily be people he had chosen or trusted. Some might simply be lucky, strong-willed, and fortunate enough to meet the conditions.
He did not want that.
Genichi withdrew the power of Authority into his body and began considering another matter: transforming this world into a true realm of supernatural horrors.
He would turn its evil spirits into genuine horrors, creatures far stronger and more valuable than mere vengeful spirits or frenzied spirits, beings capable of providing him with even greater power.
The stronger this world became and the stronger its evil spirits grew, the more benefits he would receive as the throne's master.
This was not an expenditure. It was an investment.
He would invest laws and Authority, then reap power and growth in return.
Genichi closed his eyes and extended his senses into every corner of the world.
Vengeful spirits wandered through the wastelands. Frenzied spirits roared. The native inhabitants struggled to survive.
They were all part of this world.
They were all his subjects.
They were all sources of his power.
If he could make them stronger, his power would increase alongside theirs.
He would not need to fight or devour anything himself. This world would continuously supply him with an endless stream of power.
Genichi opened his eyes, a gleam flashing within them.
He had already outlined a new set of laws in his mind. He would draw people from the real world into the afterlife in the form of dungeon instances.
Those people would then be forced to conquer the dungeons. Those who cleared them would receive rewards, while those who failed would naturally become subjects of the afterlife.
He would transform this world into an enormous millstone, grinding out the strongest evil spirits, the strongest Ghost Tamers, and the greatest power.
Meanwhile, he would sit upon his throne, looking down upon everything and reaping all that it produced.
Then another thought occurred to him.
Before reaching Satan class, he had believed he possessed a seventy to eighty percent chance of killing a Satan-class opponent.
He had been far too naive.
He had assumed Satan-class beings were merely somewhat stronger than Ultimate-class Devils. With enough preparation and hidden trump cards, he thought he could overcome the difference in rank.
Now he knew that was impossible.
A Satan-class being who had ascended to a throne was simply beyond the reach of anyone below Satan class.
The difference could not be overcome by numbers, crossed through strategy, or narrowed by any amount of skill.
A single Satan-class powerhouse could effortlessly slaughter a hundred Ultimate-class Devils, as easily as a person crushing a hundred ants beneath their feet.
Without a Sacred Gear capable of unleashing Satan-class power for a short period, there would not even be a chance to fight back.
Even possessing such a Sacred Gear would merely grant someone the qualifications to challenge a Satan-class opponent. It would not guarantee victory.
When two Satan-class beings fought, the outcome often depended on who possessed more hidden trump cards and who had accumulated more experience.
Killing a Satan-class opponent in a short period was nearly impossible.
Unless one possessed a Longinus.
Longinus-class Sacred Gears forged from Transcendent-class souls, such as Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, Albion, the White Dragon Emperor, or even the soul of the God of the Bible, could briefly unleash power at the Transcendent level, enough to crush an ordinary Satan-class opponent.
But Transcendent-class power was not something just anyone could control.
Those who failed to master it would suffer backlash, be devoured, and ultimately destroyed.
Genichi lowered his gaze to his right hand. The Boosted Gear rested silently on his arm, its green jewel gleaming strangely beneath the silver-white light.
He had already devoured Ddraig's soul, but the Sacred Gear's framework remained.
Its power remained.
Its potential remained.
Now that he had ascended the throne and reached Satan class, could he integrate his newfound power into the Longinus and turn it into something he could rely on after leaving this world?
Genichi raised his hand and channeled his Satan-class power into the Boosted Gear.
The green jewel began to glow.
This was nothing like its usual faint radiance. The light was scorching and dazzling, so intense that the jewel seemed on the verge of exploding.
It grew brighter and stronger until the entire void was illuminated as clearly as day.
Genichi could feel the Sacred Gear's framework expanding, evolving, and adapting to this new power.
Ddraig's soul was gone, but a shadow born from Genichi's throne still lingered within the Sacred Gear.
Now he was pouring his own Satan-class power into it.
The shadow began devouring that power, digesting and absorbing it.
It grew increasingly solid, increasingly powerful, and increasingly similar to a true dragon soul.
Genichi closed his eyes and sensed the transformation.
The Boosted Gear was becoming something new.
It was no longer merely Ddraig's legacy. It was becoming Genichi's own weapon.
It carried his power, his will, and his throne.
Even after leaving this world and losing the throne's support, this Longinus would still allow him to unleash Satan-class power.
Not Ultimate class.
Not pseudo-Satan class.
True Satan-class power.
This would be his trump card.
His strength would plummet once he left this world, but with this Sacred Gear, he would still be capable of fighting a Satan-class opponent.
He would not be able to sustain that power for long, and the cost would be enormous, but at the very least, he would possess the ability to protect himself.
Genichi opened his eyes and lowered his hand.
The radiance surrounding the Boosted Gear gradually faded, returning it to its usual appearance. But Genichi knew it was no longer the same.
A tremendous power now slumbered within it, waiting to be awakened.
He lifted his head and gazed into the depths of the void.
Silver-white light flowed around him like countless fireflies dancing through the air.
He could feel the world rejoicing, celebrating the birth of its new king.
The vengeful spirits prostrated themselves upon the ground. The frenzied spirits ceased their roaring. The native inhabitants fell to their knees and bowed in his direction.
The corners of Genichi's lips curved upward.
From this day forward, he was the true king of this world.
(End of Chapter)
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