Ghost God Power (Weak) Ghost God Power!

Chapter 38 Ghost God Power (Weak) → Ghost God Power!

"Those two little guys look even more delicious than I imagined."

Sitting on the windowsill, Ai Bielie regretfully licked the corner of her lips. "Looks like it'll be hard to savor their flavor with just a clone."

"Oh well. If I can't have them as an appetizer, they'll make fine after-dinner desserts." Ai Bielie turned around and looked at Niijima Yuta, who resembled a muscle monster behind her. "Don't you agree, Niijima?"

Niijima Yuta knelt on one knee. "Indeed."

"Counting the time it took you to adapt, it's about time I gave you the Ghost God Power you've been longing for."

Ai Bielie tapped the ground with her toes and sauntered in front of Niijima Yuta, who was still half her height even while kneeling. She smiled brightly. "I'm not the kind of person who breaks her promises."

Hearing this, Niijima Yuta's massive body trembled. "Niijima will never forget this kindness!"

"It's really nothing."

Ai Bielie took out a glass bottle she had prepared earlier and poured out a small azure-blue sphere. "This is Azure Ghost Essence. Eat it."

Niijima Yuta took a deep breath and swallowed the sphere.

In the next instant, the suit that had already been stretched taut burst apart inch by inch. His skeleton grew taller and thicker, while his muscles rapidly expanded and enlarged, linking his body into a whole brimming with explosive power.

Scalding steam mixed with agonized growls poured out.

In just a few dozen seconds, Niijima Yuta had become a massive Azure Ghost over two meters tall, with a body covered in azure-blue skin and a pair of horns on his head.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists, letting out a chilling chuckle. "Master, I feel... better than ever."

"But it won't be convenient to go out looking like this."

Ai Bielie reached out and placed her fingertips against Niijima Yuta's skin.

In the next few seconds, the Azure Ghost before her—who probably wouldn't survive a day outside—transformed back into a robust human male. However, both his appearance and voice were completely different from before.

"Now that's more like it!" Ai Bielie clapped happily and tossed him a brand-new suit. "Niijima, bring someone in."

"Someone come in!"

The newly reborn Niijima Yuta bellowed toward the door. Moments later, a member who had just been working hard online to spread the Friendship Cult's doctrines walked in.

Ai Bielie touched him with her hand and said, "From now on, you're Niijima Yuta."

"Yes!"

The member, whose mind and body had been twisted and remade simultaneously, shouted and sat down in Niijima Yuta's original seat.

After leaving the Friendship Club headquarters with Niijima Yuta, Ai Bielie suddenly turned around and said, "Niijima, you're free from now on."

Niijima Yuta stared blankly. "Master, why..."

"Shh—"

Ai Bielie raised her index finger to her lips and said softly, "Don't say anything more. I hate relationships that won't let go."

Niijima Yuta immediately shut his mouth.

"If you really feel bad about it, you can go play with those two little friends." Ai Bielie waved at him.

"Okay then, bye-bye."

Thus, under Niijima Yuta's gaze, Ai Bielie gradually walked away and split into countless clones, each transforming into an ordinary person with an unremarkable appearance.

Men, women, the old, the young, students, office workers, vagrants...

Just like that, the white-haired woman disappeared at the end of the road, replaced by a drop of water that had unknowingly blended into Tokyo's sea of people.

Sensing the various wondrous powers within his body, Niijima Yuta closed his eyes.

He felt that he ought to do something to repay, as much as possible, the kindness Ai Bielie had shown him through her generosity.

"Uesugi Tetsu and Tokugawa Ririko, huh."

He murmured, revealing a fiendish smile. "Wait for me."

["Laughing Brahma (Juvenile Form)" upgrading: 100%!]

[Your Demon Incarnation · Laughing Brahma (Juvenile Form) has finished upgrading!]

[You obtained Demon Incarnation · Laughing Brahma (Young Adult Form)!]

With the mindset of opening a blind box, Uesugi Tetsu had deliberately stayed in the safe house at the spawn point. He carefully read downward from the first notification.

[Laughing Brahma (Young Adult Form)]

[Quality: Super Excellent]

[Rank: One Star]

[Rank Limit: One and a Half Stars]

[Talents: Ghost God Power, Fearful Smile, Berserk]

[--The Laughing Brahma that took pleasure in frightening and pranking children has grown considerably, but its potential is far from exhausted.]

[Ghost God Power: A Brahma is a ghost god.]

The first thing that caught his eye was Laughing Brahma's core talent, which had shed the suffix "Weak"—Ghost God Power!

"Let's see how much my physique can increase this time."

Laughing Brahma, incarnate!

In the quiet thatched hut, a Laughing Brahma mask with an even more vicious smile and a more imposing appearance slowly flew out and gently settled over Uesugi Tetsu's face.

Silence.

It wasn't because the increase in power had failed to meet Uesugi Tetsu's expectations and disappointed him. Rather...

It was powerful—far too powerful!

It was so powerful that Uesugi Tetsu didn't even dare breathe loudly, afraid that one breath might blow down this old thatched hut and leave him spawning outdoors the next time he entered the Haunted Village.

Even the Internal Energy generated by his Ki-ai Technique had grown to more than twice its previous thickness!

"Phew..."

Uesugi Tetsu cautiously exhaled. He had yet to adapt to the terrifying increase in power, and the sound that came from him was like the rumble of bellows.

He looked at the attribute panel—

[Uesugi Tetsu]

[Physique: 15→29]

[Willpower: 10→14]

[Charisma: 6→6]

[Spiritual Arts: 3→4]

No wonder.

His Physique attribute had shot up by fourteen points in an instant, an increase of nearly double!

Moreover, attributes didn't grow linearly. Instead, they accumulated through a complex calculation method Uesugi Tetsu didn't understand.

This time, judging by how his body felt, the increase in Physique had made him at least three or four times stronger than before.

He figured that his current self might not be able to fight ten unupgraded versions of himself at once, but beating five of them down in one go shouldn't be much of a problem.

But this also left Uesugi Tetsu rather puzzled.

--Could a mere upgrade from half a star to one star really increase a demon's strength so terrifyingly?

--Laughing Brahma's quality was only [Super Excellent], after all.

If that was the case, wouldn't Twist and Turn be the disgrace of one-star demons? And how did the Onmyoji deal with demons and Supernatural Phenomena that became several times stronger after a single upgrade?

Therefore, that was most likely not the case. Otherwise, Tokyo would already have been overrun by demons. Why would they need to wait for the First Wave?

Uesugi Tetsu recalled the light that had appeared when he first drew the Laughing Brahma incarnation.

It had been purple.

And the only other place he had seen that same purple color was on the weapons in the blacksmith's shop before the blacksmith left—that was the color of epic weapons.

So—

Uesugi Tetsu felt that it wasn't that all demons were this powerful. Rather, his Laughing Brahma was an anomaly among them.

That explanation made far more sense.

He continued reading downward.

There was nothing much to say about the Fearful Smile skill. After his Willpower had increased by four points, its power should have increased as well, but that was all.

The key was the new talent that had appeared after Laughing Brahma reached one star!

Uesugi Tetsu's eyes burned with excitement. There was no talent more suited to a close-combat demon like Laughing Brahma.

--[Berserk]!