Chapter 1746: Liberation
After hearing the soul’s screams, I dispelled Hellfire. Frankly, I’m not someone who enjoys tormenting enemies. Usharbit and I have no deep-seated hatred for each other; our enmity can only lead to mutual destruction, but there’s no need to burn his soul to ashes.
However, after the flames on the soul vanished, I felt a wave of gratitude directed towards me. It wasn’t just thanks for ceasing the flames and sparing him, but also gratitude for setting him free.
This wasn’t a direct conversation, but rather a transfer of information and emotion. It was only possible because I had gained partial authority from the God of Death, allowing me to perceive such soul-based messages—Lorna should be capable of this as well.
I had intended to ask more questions, but the soul, severely damaged from being bound to the construct and scourged by Hellfire, was at risk of disintegration. It vanished before I could say more, likely ascending.
As I withdrew the Hellfire, the remaining Usharbit charged again, its Soul Blade slashing towards me. I parried it once more with my Death Scythe.
Usharbit attempted to overwhelm my defenses with a rapid onslaught of close-combat attacks. Its calculations suggested that I wasn’t strong in close combat and that, as a controlled entity, it could only fight mechanically.
However, as Usharbit tried to raise its blade, it found its arm stuck. The construct, entirely encased in armor with no skin, lacked tactile sensation. It couldn’t perceive what was restraining it, only that it wasn’t something easily broken.
In reality, Usharbit was ensnared by over a dozen Invisible Hands, their insect legs firmly gripping its arm. A human would have detected this immediately.
Usharbit began to exert its full strength. It was indeed the soul of a powerful warrior within a meticulously crafted construct, possessing enough might to displace mountains and lift tripods. Even the Invisible Hands struggled to hold on. But this brief moment was sufficient.
As it struggled to break free, I had already reverted my Death Scythe into a magic wand and pointed it at Usharbit. Maintaining the Invisible Hands with my right claw, I aimed the magic wand: “Demon’s Fire!”
The scorching Hellfire slammed into Usharbit. Due to its high magic resistance, it didn’t ignite immediately, and the flames only burned on its surface. Meanwhile, Usharbit’s massive blade had already broken free from the Invisible Hands and was strong enough to be raised.
I retreated directly, narrowly dodging its sword strike. I then raised my hand and fired an Ice Ray, which Usharbit blocked with its blade.
“This isn’t working, Parul (Sister)’s magic seems ineffective,” Lorna said with concern. If they had attacked together, she could have subdued Usharbit quickly.
Usharbit pursued me but suddenly stepped into empty space. Without anyone knowing when it appeared, a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth opened on the floor, desperately trying to tear at its leg, sparks flying with each bite.
Usharbit remained unfazed. It felt no pain, no fear, and no hesitation. It raised its scimitar and thrust it into the maw on the ground, shredding flesh and drawing forth copious amounts of blood.
I fired another Demon’s Fire at it, still unable to pierce Usharbit’s armor. But I felt it was close enough; that was my objective.
With a soft “crack,” Usharbit’s armor suddenly fractured. Everyone watched in astonishment. Why had Usharbit, seemingly unharmed moments ago, suddenly cracked?
Usharbit remained oblivious, continuing to stab at the maw and trying to pull its leg free. Its programming was to fight relentlessly until the enemy was eliminated.
However, as Usharbit thrashed violently, more cracks appeared on its body, and pieces of its armor began to fall off. Then, with another loud snap, its thigh broke.
Usharbit fell to the ground. Even though its body was now as fractured as fragile porcelain, it continued to crawl towards me. Constructs lacked self-awareness, and if they had any, it was only to follow commands like war machines. Understanding this filled me with a sense of sorrow.
But I showed no mercy. Raising my magic wand, I fired another Ice Ray, this time freezing Usharbit’s armor and the surrounding floor together.
My companions, who had observed the entire battle, might have wondered why I alternated between these two spells. However, they could all see that when Usharbit desperately tried to get up, it tore off a large, frozen section of its body, leaving it behind on the ground.
Finally, Usharbit’s battered body could no longer contain the warrior’s soul. A faint blue spirit continuously flowed out from the ruptures and dissipated, finally achieving complete liberation. The soul, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, flew out from the Usharbit that was no longer in a recognizable form.
The soul within this Usharbit was also a female warrior. She had not been subjected to the Hellfire, her soul relatively intact. She conveyed more information to me.
She confirmed that she had not become Usharbit willingly. While ancient Egyptian warriors considered this the highest honor, such a death wish was not widely accepted in Europe. Moreover, the truth was far from glorious.
She, along with other undead, were locals who were tricked by the Tomb Master and developed into believers. Instead, they were used as test subjects for Undead Magic. Because her soul was strong enough to withstand the construct’s modifications, she was made into Usharbit and had remained motionless in the tomb for decades.
She suspected her companion had suffered the same fate. That’s why, even after I killed him and touched him with Hellfire, he still expressed gratitude. It was a form of release.
After briefly relaying this information to me, the female warrior dissipated. She couldn’t remain in the mortal realm for too long; otherwise, she would either disintegrate or transform into another type of undead.
Once the scene was quiet and there were no more moving enemies, my companions approached. The Gravedigger, still incredulous, stammered, “I-it’s over?”
He was so shocked he could barely speak. In the Gravedigger’s eyes, fighting Usharbit was a death wish. Let alone taking on two, even a one-on-one fight offered no hope of victory.
Initially, he had seen some strength in my companions and thought that if they all charged together, they might have a chance to defeat the two Usharbiths. He never expected this Witch to deal with both of them alone, and seemingly with ease.
“How did you do it? Your magic is powerful, but it didn’t seem capable of piercing Usharbit’s magic-resistant armor. Why, why…” The Gravedigger trailed off, seemingly struggling to articulate his thoughts.
“Why did it crack and disintegrate after only a few spells?” I asked with a smile. The Gravedigger nodded repeatedly. Usharbit’s magic resistance was indeed its most troublesome aspect.
“It’s a simple principle. Rapid alternation between extreme heat and cold caused its components to deform, leading to cracking and disintegration,” I explained. To achieve its disintegration, I had deliberately targeted different parts with Hellfire and Ice Ray, creating extreme thermal contrast that made it easier for the parts to crack.
