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"Ying Shang, that bastard… He was a monster that killed my friend in one of the trials, despite that not being necessary for him to win. He was a well-known psychopath that enjoyed hunting Players. The Tower's rule incentivizes that too, as it rewards you with Experience, Special Titles, and even Skills." Eustace said. "I had thought we escaped from him forever, but he appeared again, taking on the bounty the Water Goddess left, and chasing us both."
"So this guy was a martial artist from this Chinese cultivation world?!" Maria asked in surprise. "Wait, so that's Murim?"
"Sothing like that…" Eustace sighed. "It isn't a bad place, although there are many evils, there are also righteous people that welcod us when we visited it. It is the world right below Yggdrasil. So of the people that live in Murim hate Yggdrasil because it holds a higher position than them, finding it unbelievable when they gauge the strength of the average person from here compared to their world… Nonetheless, he was a monster. We discovered that he had captured a Fragnt of this World's Evil God, and assimilated it into his own Physique, evolving all his Martial Arts through this power."
"And that's when you fought him?" Celes asked shyly.
"Yes, that's when everything happened." Eustace nodded. "I fought him with everything I had, but I realized I had grown weak, my growth halted for too many years, and he had already fully surpassed , and beco soone overwhelming. He mocked my techniques, he mocked my guild, and then he killed , cursing my Origin so I wouldn't even be able to rest in peace… Naiad managed to escape and then returned to my corpse, and building a temple for my corpse to rest in peace. She sealed with spirit crystals, hoping that I could rest at ease, until she ca back for one day, to revive … But I guess, she was never able to do so."
"T-This is so sad…" Nia, Celes' mother, continued sobbing as she heard the sorrowful story. "I'm so sorry for you, Eustace…"
"It's fine… I've been dead for a long while now." Eustace said. "But even now, what pains the most is knowing my dear Naiad died by the hands of that monster. And because of that, I simply cannot pass away peacefully. If that monster is about to be revived, if Naiad's sacrifice was for nothing, then I must slay him myself, or at the very least, help you do so."
"Eustace!" Maria smiled, feeling relieved the soul was willing to fight, even after death.
"But… I've lost most of my powers after being purified." He felt sorry. "I don't know how much of a help I could be."
"Maybe we can do sothing about it." Maria smiled. "Celes, dear, co with ."
"Huh?" He was confused but followed her and reached Eustace. "What are we doing with mister Eustace?"
"We will make him a ghost, but a special one." Maria said. "One with a blessing and not a curse. He will beco sothing close to a spirit. I will use my powers, and you will imbue him with yours. Alright?"
"Oooh! Okay!" Celes nodded happily.
"W-Wait a second! W-What do you an by- Uwaah!" Eustace was confused, but they started right away. Maria grasped his soul tightly and imbued her powers into him.
For a second, he felt the darkness and coldness of death more strongly than ever before, almost as asphyxiating as his curse before. His soul started to transform, mutating and becoming phantasmal. However, that's where Celes entered.
Using the divine power of his soul, which had developed a lot after absorbing the three fragnts of divinity left by Naiad in those spirit crystals, and with the aid of her three new Divine Spirits of Water, a miracle happened.
"[Divine Spirit Blessing of the Oasis]!"
FLUOSH!
The power washed over his soul, the darkness and coldness Eustace felt disappeared, as he felt the warmth and the love of Naiad, still present within the powers of Celes. The fear he felt faded away, as he smiled calmly, letting the two combined powers change him.
"T-This is… My body, it feels like I am becoming water itself." Eustace thought, looking at his own hands, legs, and torso. "I feel so free, so… happy. This presence, it is as Naiad… Lives within as well. My dear Naiad…" He shed a tear, as he was reborn.
FLAAASH!
His body appearance changed, as he grew a long fish-like tail instead of his two legs, gills adorned his neck, and his arms, chest, and neck gained an armor of draconian azure scales, while armor further covered his body.
His blade ca back to him out of his very soul, shaping out of the azure spiritual water, into a glorious azure sword, beautifully decorated with fish-like gills and a fish-like tail at the handle. His eyes shone with golden light, as his hair turned azure colored.
He was reborn anew, even after death.
"W-What is this form?" He wondered, looking at himself. "Is this truly ? I feel like… Naiad, she has blessed with her powers. I've beco like her own tribe."
"Wooow…" Celes was amazed. "Y-You're a Water Ghost now, mister Eustace!"
"Incredible, it worked!" Maria smiled fascinatedly.
A thread of azure light connected Eustace with Celes, becoming his new familiar a powerful ghost that would protect him from all harm with his sword and his shield.
FLAAASH!
"I'll protect you, little Celes. I am sure that's what Naiad would have wanted to do."
"A ghost no longer bound by a curse and hatred, but bound by love and bonds, and a blessing…" She quickly started to think about her own situation. "I wonder… if I could ever beco like him one day? No longer bound by my endless hatred and guilt?"
Although everyone seed happy and amazed, she looked slightly lancholic. Her curse only grew stronger the more she evolved… She wondered if she could truly beco like Eustace, or if she simply had to continue walking down the path she had chosen once she died.
However, she felt the warm hand of Lucifer patting her shoulders, and then that of Eraldine, Partner, and lastly, Jonathan. She smiled faintly, deciding to leave those thoughts for another ti.
"That's right… I am not alone either."
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