Chapter 478: The Soul Soldier’s Items [2], Soul Soldier Essence

The third item was a skill, and this one actually made Leon lean forward, his interest piqued.

[Skill Book: Soul Chains (Divine)]

’Hell yeah!’ Leon thought, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

That was the skill that he had seen the Soul Soldier use many times to restrain him, but also block attacks, so Leon knew it could be useful either for him or for Celeste.

The fourth and fifth items were more "normal" as they were the armor and sword the Soul Soldier was using, though their stats were anything but ordinary.

[Soul Sword (Divine): +200,000 Attack Power, +200,000 Strength, +200,000 Spirit, +120,000 Agility. You are able to summon this sword in-and-out of existence repeatedly as much as you want, though it can shatter easily.]

[Soul Armor (Divine): +300,000 Constitution, -40,000 Agility. A heavy armor that makes most attacks extremely hard to penetrate it, it will regenerate overtime even if damaged.]

"I could use the Soul Armor," Violet spoke with sparkling eyes, "It looks really good and is way better than mine!"

"Alright," Leon smiled, though he didn’t hand it to her directly.

And finally, he moved to the last two items, the first one being...

[Soul Soldier Head (Trophy): Proof you have beaten the "Soul Soldier".]

’I guess the Hunter would like that...?’ Leon thought, ’Not much use other than that.’

And finally, Leon moved to the very last item, his fists clenched as he got ready to see it and...

[Soul Shard (Divine): A shard from a being enhanced by the God of Soul, fusing with this will make your soul much stronger.]

"Oh?" Leon’s eyes widened with interest, "That thing had three divine items."

The Soul Shard was the most abnormal item of the bunch, it was simply a silver shard, probably extracted from the Soul Soldier’s own soul, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly light.

Leon held it in the palm of his hand, feeling its power course through him even without using it, the energy warm and comforting.

"What’s that?" Emilia asked as she got closer, "Something to make our souls more powerful."

"W-Wow," Emilia gasped, "But wait, what does a powerful soul mean, like, does it actually boost your stats?"

"No," Leon shook his head, "But overall, the stronger your soul becomes, the more resilient and determined you are, able to cast stronger skills and resist more powerful attacks, especially those targeted at the soul."

"In fact, I need all of you to have a stronger soul, as it will allow you not to die instantly if someone like Cavin tried to attack you."

Celeste was the only one who could actually potentially defend her soul using her Darkness Ember, but for Violet and Emilia, even a single attack could kill them.

Emilia’s Constitution was high enough she could resist attacks from enemies above 20 million combat power but that didn’t mean her soul was just as strong, the two being separate from each other.

Thankfully though, right as Leon was about to start using the items...

Ding!

[Celestial Hand has triggered on "Soul Soldier"]

"Oh...!" Leon’s eyes widened.

[Please select one of the items to extract:]

[1. Soul Soldier Essence.]

[2. Skill Book: Soul Chains (Divine)]

[3. Sub-Talent Scroll: Soul Protection (S-Level)]

[4. Soul Armor (Divine)]

[5. Soul Sword (Divine)]

[6. Soul Soldier Head (Trophy)]

[7. Soul Shard (Divine)]

For the first time in a while, Leon actually hesitated between the choices, his mind racing as he weighed the options.

He didn’t need another skill book, sword armor or the trophy, but the three other items really made him hesitate.

’Should I get another sub-talent for one of the girls? Or another essence for me to use as I’m sure it’s gonna be powerful? Or maybe a second Soul Shard, if I can give one to both Emilia and Violet, their souls would get stronger, making our odds much better...’ Leon thought, his mind racing.

Leon kept looking at the panel for a minute, until a sound brought him back to reality, a notification appearing before his eyes.

Ding!

[The "Soul Soldier" has been defeated, as a reward, the Final Wave’s time will be reduced by 30 minutes.]

[Remaining time: 19 minutes 46 seconds.]

It seemed like the Monster Tide was coming to an end after all this time, but that didn’t change what Leon needed to do, his focus remaining sharp.

’Right, I’ll just have to test these items before making a choice!’ he decided.

He didn’t want to use the Soul Shard since it was for one of the girls, but the other two could definitely be used, their effects immediate.

And so, Leon grabbed both the [Soul Protection (S-Level)] sub-talent and the [Soul Soldier Essence] in hand, his fingers tingling with anticipation.

’Here we go,’ he thought, steeling himself for what was to come.

Leon grabbed the sub-talent scroll, pouring his mana into it before tearing it apart, allowing the aura to seep inside of him and integrate with his very being.

Ding!

[You have acquired the S-Level Sub-Talent: Soul Protection.]

[Soul Protection (S-Level): The essence of your soul has been fortified, making it far more durable than before. Even if your soul is cracked by powerful attacks, it will slowly regenerate over time, though this regeneration is not infinite and cannot save you if the damage is too severe.]

Leon could feel his soul pulse inside of him, in a way he could never do it before, a warmth spreading through his chest that he had never experienced.

Then he moved to the second item, his fingers closing around the essence.

And without waiting...

Nom!

He consumed the Soul Soldier Essence, feeling it course through his body like liquid fire.

And the moment it did, he felt a sudden massive pain in his soul, and he fell to his knees, his eyes widening in shock.

The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt, a deep, searing agony that seemed to come from the very core of his being.

"L-LEON!" Emilia, Celeste and Violet quickly rushed to his side to check on him, but Leon was panting heavily, his pupils shaking.

Inside Leon, it felt like his soul was being constantly hit by a hammer, fissures appearing all over it as it was cracking from the strength of the essence. Each impact sent waves of pain through his body, and he could feel his consciousness flickering.

’Is my soul not strong enough to handle it...?’ Leon thought with an alarm in his head, ’But if so that means... that I’m gonna die.’