Chapter 76: The Return of the Doom-Grade Death Knight

Chapter 76: She (1)

The Murder Hope Ghost was a master shrouded in mystery. Nothing was known about his origin, past, or even his name.

The first appearance of the Murder Hope Ghost was during Demian's active days as a mercenary. A terrifying and brutal incident occurred in a city of a neighboring kingdom.

Citizens began to be murdered one by one, and eventually, even knights were attacked.

Those who examined the bodies of the knights were shocked. Numerous cuts were found all over the bodies.

The depth, shape, and size of the cuts varied, as if a child had played with them.

As the number of victims increased, some knights could no longer stand by and decided to join forces to catch the murderer.

The knights set a trap to lure the murderer and then attacked.

The result was shocking. Instead, the knights were counterattacked, and the murderer killed all of them and calmly left the scene.

The knights of the neighboring kingdom were deeply shocked. They realized that the murderer was not an ordinary person and more knights were mobilized.

From this point on, the murderer began to be called the Murder Hope Ghost.

After a long time of tracking, the knights finally cornered the Murder Hope Ghost.

Many knights, including high-class ones, joined forces to attack the Murder Hope Ghost.

However, the result was the same. All the knights who attacked the Murder Hope Ghost never returned, not even the high-class ones.

The Murder Hope Ghost continued to evade capture, wandering the continent and killing people.

Not long after, rumors began to spread that the Murder Hope Ghost was estimated to be a master class, and his name was added to the list of continent-wide public enemies.

'The face is the same.'

Demian met the Murder Hope Ghost after he had transformed into a Death Knight.

At that time, the Murder Hope Ghost, despite being a master class, looked like a beggar.

'His eyes are better now.'

The eyes of the future Murder Hope Ghost were much more dull and stagnant, like a rotten swamp.

In comparison, the eyes of the present Murder Hope Ghost were... too clear and clean, almost to the point of being uncomfortable.

"Are you going to ignore my greeting?"

The Murder Hope Ghost tilted his head and asked. The thieves around him spat curses.

"What, what is this crazy woman saying now!"

The thieves were about to attack the Murder Hope Ghost. Just before that, the Murder Hope Ghost drew two swords with both hands.

Both swords were heavily rusted and looked like they would break at any moment.

However, when the Murder Hope Ghost swung them, they cut through the thieves' bodies as if they were fine swords.

The speed of the strikes was so fast that it seemed as if the thieves were standing still.

"Wh... wha...?"

"Cu... cough..."

Bloodstains appeared all over the thieves' bodies, and they were cut into pieces.

'From this point on, the foundation was already laid.'

Demian was amazed at the Murder Hope Ghost's sword skills. He had already established his own unique style.

'Furthermore, he is aiming for the mid-class.'

The Murder Hope Ghost was already at the end of the low-class and was on the verge of reaching the mid-class.

Though not as rare as Michael Ryanbloom, his talent was still uncommon.

"Changed the angle of the cut, but the feel isn't good."

The Murder Hope Ghost squatted down and looked at the bodies. He poked the cut surfaces with his fingertips.

"It should be cut more smoothly and cleanly. Should I narrow the angle?"

The Murder Hope Ghost in Demian's previous life also did similar things. After killing someone, he would ponder if there was a better way.

'How can he do that?'

Thinking about what the Murder Hope Ghost would do in the future, it would be right to kill her immediately. The number of knights she would kill would exceed three digits.

However, Demian found the Murder Hope Ghost's talent to be a pity. Such a genius was hard to find even among master classes.

With the dangerous existence of Dorgo, it would be foolish to let such a powerful force disappear.

It would be much better to make her useful.

'Besides, she hasn't committed any crimes yet.'

The serial murders committed by the Murder Hope Ghost would happen a few years from now.

The current Murder Hope Ghost could not even be called the Murder Hope Ghost. The title was created due to those incidents.

Demian only called her the Murder Hope Ghost because of his memories from his previous life.

'Should I try to reform her?'

It would be good if it were possible, but it wouldn't be easy. The Murder Hope Ghost was a person with a strong rebellious nature.

In his previous life, Dorgo, who also admired the Murder Hope Ghost's abilities, tried to recruit her to his side.

Dorgo, who wanted to destroy humanity, and the Murder Hope Ghost, who was obsessed with killing, had many things in common.

-What? Destroy humanity? Then who should I kill?

However, the negotiation broke down immediately. The Murder Hope Ghost was not the type to follow anyone obediently.

'Although Dorgo failed, there is one method.'

Among the masters Demian fought in his previous life, there was one called the 'Personality Reformer.'

He was probably the most absurd master Demian knew.

He became a master by reforming criminals.

The method the Personality Reformer used to reform criminals was extremely simple.

At first, he beat the criminal for an hour.

If the criminal did not repent, he doubled the beating time.

From one hour to two hours, two hours to four hours, four hours to eight hours.

According to rumors, he once beat a criminal for 512 hours.

Moreover, the Personality Reformer had a unique realm that allowed him to reform anyone.

Using the Personality Reformer's techniques, could the Murder Hope Ghost be reformed?

Just as Demian was thinking this,

"Now I get it! I've figured out the angle to cut!"

The Murder Hope Ghost excitedly stood up and looked at Demian with a smile.

"Hey? I just thought of something really fun! Will you all help me?"

The Murder Hope Ghost, holding her rusty dual swords, approached. The mercenaries were startled and took a step back.

"Just let me use your body. It won't hurt at all? It'll be over quickly? So there's no need to be scared... What are you doing now?"

The Murder Hope Ghost asked, puzzled. She was puzzled because Demian had cut a thick branch and started to shape it into a dagger.

A suitable club was made. Demian tapped the club on his palm and said,

"What's your name?"

Before the title of Murder Hope Ghost was created, it was impossible to keep calling her that. The Murder Hope Ghost tilted her head and replied to Demian's question.

"Me? I'm called Veronica Sanché."

"Good. Veronica Sanché. From now on, I will reform you."

"Reform? Why me?"

"Why not? Because you've done something wrong."

"Wrong? I've never done anything wrong."

"No, you have."

Demian recalled the Personality Reformer he had seen in the past.

The Personality Reformer never tried to persuade his opponents. The reason was simple.

I am right, and he is wrong. It's too obvious, so why bother persuading?

"From now on, I will make you accept that fact."

* * *

"What a crazy guy."

Veronica Sanché spat.

"Then I'll kill you first!"

The rusty dual swords aimed at Demian. Though they were almost scrap, they could not be ignored.

As seen earlier, the Murder Hope Ghost could slice through a person's body with those broken swords.

'That bizarre footwork was already created at this point.'

Veronica Sanché's footwork was very peculiar.

She approached with her arms hanging down, swaying her whole body. It was as if only her head was fixed in the air.

It looked ridiculous, but it could not be underestimated. Veronica Sanché was a madman who loved killing and only thought about how to do it.

In other words, that footwork was optimized for killing.

In fact, most of the knights killed by the future Murder Hope Ghost were deceived by that footwork.

Veronica Sanché, swaying, approached Demian and swung her dual swords.

Veronica Sanché's dual sword technique had no rhythm or rules. At first glance, it looked like a beginner swinging wildly.

However, the sharpness and weight of the strikes were not ordinary.

Demian blocked the Murder Hope Ghost's attacks with the club. Sparks flew several times in the air.

"Wow? You're good at blocking?"

Veronica Sanché's face showed surprise, which soon turned into a smile.

"You have the right to talk to me like that!"

Veronica Sanché swayed and moved around, continuously swinging her dual swords.

When it seemed like a frontal strike was coming, she was already behind.

If you turned to look behind, she had already moved to the left.

'She's moving exactly where the human eye can't reach.'

Veronica Sanché was swinging her weapons outside the range of human vision.

This was a technique only someone who had studied humans to the extreme for the purpose of killing could do.

If it were another mid-class, they would have been helpless.

But the one here was Demian Haksen.

His experience and skills were far superior to Veronica Sanché's. Moreover, Demian had fought the future Murder Hope Ghost directly.

'Behind.'

Demian turned his body first and blocked the dual swords aimed at his neck.

"…Huh?"

Veronica Sanché's face showed confusion. But she quickly disappeared from sight, stepping into her footwork.

'Left.'

Demian moved first again.

He blocked the dual swords falling from the left. Veronica Sanché's expression changed from surprise to shock.

"You, you! How, how?"

Veronica Sanché shouted, greatly shaken. The shock quickly turned into a weakness.

Showing a weakness in front of someone of Demian's caliber was like asking to be killed.

Demian struck Veronica Sanché's head with the club. With a cracking sound, Veronica Sanché fell to the ground.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! My head! My head!"

Veronica Sanché clutched her head and rolled on the ground.

To her, Demian said coldly,

"Stop whining. You're fine."

Veronica Sanché, feeling her head, muttered,

"How... How? I thought it was broken..."

Criminals who were beaten for hours by the Personality Reformer did not even have a bruise, let alone a life-threatening injury.

This was possible due to the realm the Personality Reformer had achieved, 'Whining' (奄摋).

A realm where no injury would occur no matter how hard you hit.

A realm to safely inflict pain without causing injury.

This bizarre realm was said to have been created because the Personality Reformer felt 'compassion' for the criminals.

"Now, repeat after me. Killing people is bad."

"What nonsense!"

Veronica Sanché, holding her dual swords, charged again. But it was useless since Demian had already read all her movements.

Demian dodged her attack and struck her head again. With a terrible sound, Veronica Sanché fell to the ground.

"Again, again! You hit me again!"

"Repeat after me. Killing people is bad."

"Who would follow such nonsense!"

Veronica Sanché, holding her dual swords, stood up again. But before she could, Demian struck her head.

"Ouch!"

With a strange sound, Veronica Sanché's head hit the ground. She sobbed, stroking her head.

"Why... Why do you only hit my head! Do you think I'm a dog!"

"You are a dog. A dog that kills people."

"I'm not a dog!"

As Demian raised the club, Veronica Sanché covered her head with both hands.

"Repeat after me. Killing people is bad."

"K, killing people... is... bad? What's bad about it! It's so much fun!"

Veronica Sanché grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and scattered it. Then she swung her dual swords...

"Ugh!"

Demian struck Veronica Sanché's head through the scattered sand