Chapter 260 - A friend of the heart, met once more

Chapter 260 – A friend of the heart, met once more

Races that could not fly without the use of spells or Magic Items were unable to acquire the ‘High-speed Flight’ Skill.

In other words, it was a Skill that could only be acquired by races with wings, such as Drakonids, Harpies, and races with the ability to fly, such as Vampires.

Vandalieu had acquired this Skill through his Demon King fragments and Demon King Familiars. That was how fierce the battle against the Flying Krakens, who were presumed to be Rank 11, was.

Vandalieu’s side, including Borkus, Bone Man and Mikhail, were higher in Rank, but the Flying Krakens had the advantage of numbers and the ‘Physical Resistance’ Skill, as well as an enormous amount of base Vitality.

However, with Darcia and Borkus engaging in close-range combat, Bone Man and Mikhail fighting from mid-range, and Privel and Jeena providing support from the back, they had been able to defeat the Flying Krakens.

The remaining Flying Krakens had fled, and the battle was over.

Vandalieu was on Cuatro’s deck, deftly making some pasta using a viscous substance that looked like pure, liquified darkness.

He had acquired the ‘High-speed Flight’ Skill, and due to the Experience Points he had gained from defeating a swarm of enemies so powerful that a single one of them appearing as the Dungeon Boss of an A-class Dungeon would be a catastrophic disaster, his ‘Dead Spirit Mage’ Job had reached Level 100. But still, there was something that was more important for him to check right now.

“It’s been morning for a while. Don’t we need to submerge underwater?” asked one of the Four Dead Sea Captains.

In order to avoid being seen, Cuatro had been flying by night and traveling more than two hundred meters below the ocean’s surface by day.

“There isn’t anyone who can see us anymore, so I’m sure it’s fine today. It’d be a pain if we were to encounter more Krakens in the ocean, too. I’ll have the ship submerge again when our destination is closer,” said Vandalieu.

“It’s been several days since we’ve seen any ships on the horizon at night,” said Borkus. “There’s nobody around here but us, is there?”

“Even if an ordinary ship were to wander into these waters by mistake, those Flying Krakens would sink them before they could reach where we are now, so I think it’s alright,” said Darcia.

“Very well,” said the Dead Sea Captain. “You lot, we’ll be traveling only in the air and on the sea for a while! Keep doing your work on the deck!” he barked at the Undead crew members.

“Handle the ink sacs with care so that they don’t tear! Those of you who aren’t confident in your fine motor skills with your fingers, take care of the tentacles!” ordered another of the Four Dead Sea Captains, keeping the butchering of the smaller Flying Krakens running smoothly.

Vandalieu and his companions had found an Item Box in the base of the Pure-breed Vampire Birkyne. It was a Magic Item that could store an infinite number of objects and time was frozen inside of it, so it could be used to preserve things for long periods; it was more valuable than the average Orichalcum weapon. This Item Box was being carried by Cuatro, so there was no need to hurry with the butchering of the Krakens.

However, Vandalieu was curious about the Krakens’ ink and their flavor as a food ingredient, so he had decided to process one of them… The option to take a small cut from each body part for sampling, but Vandalieu would eventually be cooking these regularly, so he was doing this with the reason of wanting to get used to the tasks involved.

It seemed that some of the Undead crew had been killed when their ships were sunk by Krakens, so they were happy to get payback.

“Even Krakens, the demons of the deep seas, are just food if they end up like this!”

“Woohoo! We’re lucky to be a part of the Boss’s crew! We got to avenge ourselves!”

The Undead members who had died of causes other than Kraken attacks looked at them disinterestedly and slapped their shoulders to tell them to get on with their work.

“Ooh, we can’t see any ships on the horizon anymore, but there are Krakens flying in the distance,” said Jeena.

“It looks like they’re hunting large bird monsters. Maybe the ones that came after Cuatro mistook it for prey as well,” said Privel.

They were alertly watching the ship’s surroundings, but they sounded somewhat pleased. Their noses were being tickled by a hunger-stimulating aroma.

“I’ve finished up some pasta with squid ink… or rather, Flying Kraken ink,” Vandalieu announced.

Breakfast, which would also be a tasting session, was ready. It was a dish prepared with a smooth sauce containing the Kraken ink, with the ‘Disinfect’ spell applied to remove any toxins.

Its appearance was pitch-black and not appealing at all, but everyone here was familiar with dishes that were made with ink taken from squid monsters in Dungeons, so they took their plates without any hesitation.

“In human nations, only fishermen, adventurers and weird rich people would eat dishes made with ink, or even be able to afford them. To think that I’d get to try it after I died… and a dish made with Kraken ink, at that. I’m so glad I became an Undead!” said one of the Four Dead Sea Captains.

“The ink of monsters is used in the famous dishes of the Merfolk nation, and people apparently eat these dishes commonly in the Demon Continent,” said Zandia.

“I suppose the food culture changes with the environment and how fresh the ingredients are,” said Vandalieu. “In any case, please dig in before it gets cold.”

“Yes! Itadakimasu!” said Darcia.

The Flying Kraken ink turned out to be a superb ingredient containing a great umami flavor once its toxins were removed. The sauce created with this ink had a velvety texture and rich flavor, going perfectly with the pasta.

“Delicious!” said Borkus. “Your cooking is delicious as always, kid! Or is it because of the Flying Kraken ink?!”

“No, I think not,” said Mikhail. “Kraken ink is said to be worth more than its weight in gold, but when I was still alive, I did have one dish made with it. I believe what we are eating now is more delicious than that dish, though the dish I had was soup, not pasta.”

In Lambda, Kraken ink was a precious alchemy ingredient, but it seemed that Mikhail – who had been an A-class adventurer before he died, and had been considered all but destined to become an S-class adventurer – had tasted it before.

Royals and nobles often hosted parties with dishes made using expensive and rare ingredients, as a way to display their wealth and power. Mikhail had likely attended one such event.

“Maybe it’s because of the freshness? I used the ink of freshly-hunted Krakens… And what you had was likely the ink of ordinary Krakens, so perhaps the ingredients I used were of higher quality,” said Vandalieu.

“No, the ink I tasted then had a strong bitterness to it, likely caused by the process of removing the toxins. This pasta does not have that. You have removed the toxins completely with ‘Disinfect,’ which didn’t have any other effect on the flavor, so I believe that is why yours is more delicious, Your Majesty,” said Mikhail.

Vandalieu and his companions nodded, satisfied by this explanation.

“But the toxins in the ink are a part of the reason why it has value as an alchemical ingredient, so I think it would be best if you don’t use ‘Disinfect’ on the ink that you’re not using for cooking,” said Zandia.

“Well, we managed to extract ten large casks’ worth of ink from a single Kraken, so I think we will have enough for the time being,” said Bone Man. “So, My Lord, in summary – how is the Kraken ink as a cooking ingredient?”

“It is more than good enough for regular use. It is even more delicious than the squid ink on Earth… maybe,” said Vandalieu, as he had never tasted squid ink on Earth or in Origin.

Even when Zuruwarn had taken Vandalieu back to Earth in soul form, it wasn’t as if he’d held a particular interest in squid ink, so he hadn’t thought to learn about it in detail.

However, he remembered seeing on a TV program that squid ink was sticky and didn’t spread in water, as squids used it to trick predators into thinking that the ink was prey. In contrast, octopuses used their ink to create smokescreens, so their ink was free-flowing and spread quickly in water.

He also remembered this explanation concluding that for this reason, squid ink was more suitable for use in cooking than octopus ink.

However, one of the Four Dead Sea Captains – the one who had been the captain of a pirate ship – spoke up, disagreeing with that notion. “Perhaps you should consider comparing it to octopus ink rather than squid ink.”

“Octopus ink?” Vandalieu repeated.

“Yes. When I was still alive, we brought down an enormous octopus, you see, though it wasn’t as large as a Kraken. When we used its ink to cook some food, it was incredibly delicious. It tasted even better than squid ink, and all of us were surprised… Well, it wasn’t as delicious as this pasta, however,” the former pirate ship captain said.

“Hey, doesn’t that mean that this pasta should be better than dishes made with octopus ink from Earth as well?” pointed out one of the other Dead Sea Captains.

“I suppose you’re right,” said the former pirate ship captain with a laugh that caused his bones to rattle, resuming his meal.

“It’s my first time hearing that octopus ink is more delicious than squid ink,” said Vandalieu.

“Really? Well then, perhaps squid and octopus ink in this world are different in flavor from squid and octopus ink on Earth,” said Darcia.

“You’re right, it could be because I’m in a completely different world now, but… I’ve never tasted squid ink dishes on Earth, and the time I went to Earth in soul form, I didn’t ask any questions about squid and octopus ink because I wasn’t interested in them at the time,” said Vandalieu. “It’s possible that it’s just a fact that I didn’t know.”

The next day, Vandalieu asked Legion, Kanako and the others about squid and octopus ink. Kanako, who had been an idol in Origin, remembered appearing on a food program on TV.

In Origin, octopus ink contained more umami compounds and was more delicious. However, octopus was more difficult to procure in large quantities, making it more expensive than squid ink. Thus, squid ink was more commonly used in cooking.

Kanako and the others didn’t remember such things from over thirty years ago, but this was also likely the case on Earth.

It seemed that Vandalieu’s memory had been incorrect. He possessed the ‘Perfect Record Technique’ Skill, but his memories from before his acquisition of the Skill remained imperfect.

“Huh, I didn’t know that either,” Privel murmured.

“You have that lower body, but you didn’t know?!” Zandia said in surprise.

“Scylla don’t have a culture of eating their own ink!” said Privel. “You guys don’t gather your own sweat to use in your cooking, do you?”

It seemed that Scylla considered the ink they secreted to be similar to the sweat or tears secreted by people. Indeed, ink was just another bodily fluid to Scylla.

“I see. Well, I’ll leave the investigating of the ink for later… More importantly, how did it feel to use the transformation equipment?” Vandalieu asked. “Lioen and Talos’s Artifacts are finished products number one and two, so I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

Vandalieu had created transformation equipment Artifacts at the suggestion of the gods of Vida’s faction, who had felt competitive and jealous over the fact that he had created a staff by carving the bones of Gyubarzo, the Evil God of Dark Seas.

He was helping Tarea help him in their creation, but progress was slow.

Privel paused to think. “It was my first transformation and it was easy to use, but it kind of felt like something was off, I think? Maybe I’m not a good match with a familiar or spirit clone of Lioen,” she said.

She wasn’t able to converse with the familiar spirit residing in the equipment, but both she and the familiar spirit could sense each other’s confusion over why they had been paired together, which seemed to be the cause of a sense of discomfort.

“I see. Well then, I’ll move Lioen’s familiar spirit to another vessel and match you with another familiar spirit,” said Vandalieu.

“Wow, you can do that?” Privel asked.

“I can,” Vandalieu replied. “To be more precise, it will involve changing the design of the transformation and such. It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it really is,” said Privel.

“Your-Majesty-kun, I didn’t have any discomfort at all! It was just my upper body, but it was just like using ‘Familiar Spirit Descent,’” said Jeena.

It seemed that she was very compatible with Talos’s transformation equipment.

“You looked after my lower body half for me, too,” Jeena said.

“I looked after it; I didn’t do anything to it,” said Vandalieu.

Privel made a dissatisfied noise. “I’ve got the upper hand in leg count, but I can’t detach them from my upper body, I guess,” she sighed in an odd display of competitiveness.

As if to cheer her up, there was a loud splash in the distance as a Flying Kraken leapt into the air and landed back in the sea.

Incidentally, one of Cuatro’s cabins had been converted into a Job-changing room, and Vandalieu had used it to become a ‘String User.’ He had high expectations of this Job, believing that it would help him use his newly acquired Demon King fragment, the silk gland.

《The Levels of the ‘Thread Refining’ and ‘Thread-reeling’ Skills have increased!》

The informal tea party with Duke Alcrem was tomorrow, and while waiting, Vandalieu and his companions were relaxing and sightseeing in Alcrem… or at least, so it appeared to others.

Indeed, some of their activities were for leisure; they loitered around districts that were lined with slave traders, bought and ate items from the Alcrem Food Cart Pentagram whom Vandalieu had dueled with the previous day, and visited the Church of Vida.

But one of these activities was not for leisure.

“It seems that the slaves in this city are lively and none of them are enticed by me. At least, it appears that way on the surface,” said Vandalieu.

People who became slaves and lost their hope in life were often enticed and guided by Vandalieu just by looking at him. Vandalieu had done a quick trip around the slave-trading stores to see if there were any such slaves, but there hadn’t been any.

“Everyone was advertising themselves enthusiastically… And I thought there were quite a few slaves who openly averted their eyes from us,” said Gizania. “I wonder why the slaves behave so differently?”

She was from a nation in the Boundary Mountain Range, where slavery did not exist, so she was confused by the differences in the slaves’ behavior.

“I think it’s because some of them are slaves by debt, and others are ordinary slaves… high-class slaves at that,” said Kachia. “Debt slaves can earn their freedom by paying their debts through labor, so a lot of them want people to buy them as quickly as possible.”

Debt slaves were perceived differently from ordinary slaves; their owners needed to provide certain standards of living, and killing a debt slave would be considered murder.

But since they could never become free until they paid their debts, if they went unpurchased for too long, they would be forced into harsh manual labor such as mining, in workplaces that were highly dangerous for the low wages they paid.

Thus, these slaves had desperately appealed for Vandalieu and his companions to buy them, as they wanted to be sold as soon as possible.

“Those guys were pretty amazing, the ones who said they could handle any kind of manual labor. Rather than them being enticed, Van-kun was the one who was almost enticed by them,” said Privel.

“Privel, my reaction to seeing nice bodies like that is only natural,” said Vandalieu.

The bodies he was referring to were not of the voluptuous type; there were muscular, manly slaves striking poses to attract buyers. Every time he saw them, Vandalieu found his feet stumbling towards them, and it was Privel’s tentacles or Gizania’s spider legs grabbing him to stop him.

“The slaves must be released once their debts are paid, and it is unclear if they can be guided. Purchasing them would come with nothing but downsides. To think that Vandalieu-sama would not listen no matter how many times I tell him this…!” Chipuras lamented.

“It can’t be helped. His Majesty has a weakness for muscles,” Princess Levia sighed, seeming to have given up.

“… I don’t understand. If you really want them, you could brainwash them and turn them into Vampires after you buy them. Then they would certainly be guided, and in the extremely unlikely event they aren’t, it would be impossible for them to leave Vandalieu-sama’s protection at that point. Why won’t Vandalieu-sama listen to me?” said Daroak, unable to see the problem with his dangerous-sounding suggestion.

“I see. I understand the debt slaves, but the harem slaves who averted their gaze from us… Perhaps they saw us with Van-sama and believed that he would have no use for them?” said Myuze.

“… I think you’re misunderstanding. They’re high-class slaves, not harem slaves. They’re expensive slaves, marketed towards merchants running large companies, nobles, and successful adventurers,” said Kachia.

TLN: Harem (後宮) and high-class (高級) are homophones; they are both read koukyuu.

These were trained slaves that not only had attractive appearances, but also were skilled in the art of conversation, proficient at singing and dancing, and possessed talents and special skills that people were willing to pay large sums for.

“I have heard a story of a knight who married a high-class slave that was given to him as a reward for his feats,” said Vandalieu. “I don’t think we look like we have the social standing or funds to buy a high-class slave.”

“I see. It is no wonder that you were not able to guide them like the others,” said Myuze.

‘The others’ that Myuze mentioned were the slaves and captive prisoners that Vandalieu had saved from the criminal organization he had taken over and those taken under his protection as a result of Braga and the other Black Goblins’ activities as the ‘Face-tearing Demon.’

Slaves that had been kidnapped against their will, abused, sexually assaulted, or forced into harsh labor had become guided by Vandalieu at a single glance… and in some cases, just from hearing his voice through the Goblin communication devices.

Those slaves had been moved to Talosheim via teleportation for their bodies and minds to recover.

“Things aren’t going as well as we expected,” said Privel.

“It is a good thing that there aren’t any slaves that are influenced by me at first sight,” said Vandalieu. “It means there isn’t anyone who has given up on life.”

It was possible that Vandalieu and his companions would find some such people if they were to search the slum districts thoroughly, but they didn’t have the time for that.

“So, what are the people around us doing?” Vandalieu asked the Ghosts.

“There are even more people we can assume to be spies than last night, surrounding us from a distance and waiting! Shall we dispose of them?” asked Daroak.

“We shall not,” said Vandalieu.

“The one you spared yesterday, Ralmeya, said something about us! What shall we do?! Shall we spare him?!” asked Berkert, wording his question in the opposite way of Daroak’s.

“We shall not…” Vandalieu replied quickly, shaking his head. “I mean, we shall, we shall indeed, we shall spare him,” he said, hastily correcting himself.

Berkert let out a disappointed shout. “We were so close!”

“You’ll have to wait for another opportunity to make more Ghosts of the same attribute as you,” said Orbia. “By the way, are you done with the Adventurers’ Guild? We left very quickly.”

“Yes, I just needed to show my face there. And I got a pamphlet about the adventurers’ school, so I didn’t have to ask about it,” said Vandalieu.

Vandalieu and his companions’ business at the Adventurers’ Guild had been very simple and short. They had entered the building, and even before they reached the reception counter, a Guild employee had come and handed them several pamphlets and documents.

Among them had been one containing information about the adventurers’ school, which Vandalieu had wanted to ask about. Its contents… informed Vandalieu in plain terms that they would not be able to accommodate him, and there was a recommendation letter along with the suggestion that he go to the adventurers’ school at the Guild in the capital realm at the heart of the Orbaume Kingdom.

80 to 90 per cent of the reason for this was likely the information that Ralmeya had conveyed to the duke… and there was an undeniable possibility that the rest was because of Vandalieu and his companions’ everyday behavior and the things they had done in the past.

There were several high-ranking adventurers at the Guild who detested Vida’s races, so perhaps the Guild wanted to avoid trouble with them.

“In any case, it probably depends on what Duke Alcrem thought about us. At the very least, it does not seem that he wants to give us his full support,” said Vandalieu.

“In fact, it appears that he wishes to maintain a suitable distance from us. The number of spies watching us and the distance from which they are doing so is likely a sign of his wariness,” said Myuze.

“Well, anyway…”

Vandalieu began expelling threads from his mouth, and swiftly knitted them into a fake copy of himself. He had Gizania hold it in her arms, then used ‘Short-Distance Teleportation’ with his space-attribute Ghosts to move and dash into a back alley by himself.

The spies took no notice of this and continued tailing Gizania, who was now holding a soft doll that looked exactly like Vandalieu.

After checking that nobody was following him, Vandalieu headed towards the abandoned house in a back alley that Braga was using as a temporary hideout.

And after he waited there for a while, a large, familiar-looking man entered the abandoned house along with three companions.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” said the large man. “My name is Arthur. This is my younger sister Kalinia, and my friends of the heart, Borzofoy and Miriam.”

“U-umm…” the girl named Miriam said uncertainly.

“Allow me to introduce myself as well,” said Vandalieu. “I am Vandalieu Zakkart. Arthur-san and Kalinia-san, and your friends of the heart, Borzofoy-san and Miriam-san, is it? Nice to meet you.”

As Vandalieu and Arthur exchanged greetings, having met at the location that Vandalieu had given during their exchange at his food cart, Miriam let out a groan, as if begging for help. Vandalieu wondered what was wrong with her.

But Arthur and the others, her friends of the heart, were not paying her any attention, so Vandalieu decided not to either.

“So, it seems that you have some business with me. What might it be?” Vandalieu asked.

“We do. We wanted nothing more than an invitation to speak with you. We have come under instruction by Divine Message from gods who have granted us their divine protections. The gods themselves will say the rest,” said Arthur. “Also, the skewers you made yesterday were very delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Leaving that aside… gods, you say?”

As he finished speaking, Vandalieu’s consciousness left his physical body. It hadn’t been completely cut off from his body, as he was still able to move it like he did with Demon King Familiars, but his soul was simply separated from it.

The Divine Realm that he was summoned to was a dark forest with rain drizzling from above. Awaiting him was a goddess with long black hair who was casting her eyes at the ground, another goddess who had a large, rugged figure and a somewhat dark atmosphere around her, and a third god whose gender could not be determined at first glance.

“Welcome, and thank you for coming to this place… I am Bashas, the Goddess of Rain Clouds. First of all, we would like to apologize for our discourteous act of summoning you here,” said the first goddess.

“I am Zelzeria, the Goddess of Dark Nights. Like Fitun, we are young gods who belong to Alda’s faction,” said the second.

“I am Hamul, the God of Shadows. Regarding our attributes, Zelzeria and I are of the light attribute, and Bashas is of the wind attribute. Thus, we had to be discreet in making contact with you. We hope for your understanding in this matter,” said the third god.

Vandalieu immediately tensed up upon hearing that these three were gods of Alda’s faction, but quickly relaxed. His ‘Danger Sense: Death’ Skill had not reacted a single time since Arthur and his companions first appeared before him, and he sensed no killing intent or hostility from the three gods, either.

In fact, they seemed friendly… or rather, he felt that they held emotions that were similar to Gufadgarn’s towards him.

“We summoned you here today because… we would like to request that you accept and mediate our conversion to Vida’s faction,” said Bashas.

Vandalieu was dumbfounded by this request, unaware that the images painted on Talosheim’s roofs with the effects of the ‘Mental Encroachment’ Skill had affected even the gods.

《The Levels of the ‘Dark Dream Demon Creation Path Enticement’ and ‘Guidance: Dark Dream Demon Creation Path’ Skills have increased!》

Name: Vandalieu Zakkart

Race: Dhampir (Mother: Goddess)

Age: 11 years old

Title: Ghoul Emperor, Eclipse Emperor, Guardian of the Cultivation Villages, Holy Son of Vida, Scaled Emperor, Tentacle Emperor, Champion, Demon King, Oni Emperor, Trial Conqueror, Transgressor, Black Blood Emperor, Elder Dragon Emperor, Food Cart King, Genius Tamer, True Ruler of the Red-light District, Patron Saint of Transformation Equipment (NEW!)

Job: String User

Level: 0

Job history: Death-Attribute Mage, Golem Transmuter, Undead Tamer, Soul Breaker, Venom Fist User, Insect User, Tree Caster, Demon Guider, Archenemy, Zombie Maker, Golem Creator, Corpse Demon Commander, Demon King User, Dark Guider, Labyrinth Creator, Creation Guider, Dark Healer, Disease Demon, Magic Cannoneer, Spirit Warrior, Bestower, Dream Guider, Demon King, Demiurge, Whip Tongue Calamity, Divine Enemy, Dead Spirit Mage

Attributes:

Vitality: 373,162 (Increased by 5,514!)

Mana: 7,440,347,696 (+6,696,312,926) (Increased by 474,552,696 in total!)

Strength: 43,351 (Increased by 535!)

Agility: 39,536 (Increased by 583!)

Stamina: 47,057 (Increased by 694!)

Intelligence: 56,398 (Increased by 1,904!)

Passive skills:

Monstrous Strength: Level 4

Super Rapid Regeneration: Level 1

Dark King Magic: Level 7

Status Effect Immunity

Magic Resistance: Level 9

Dark Vision

Dark Dream Demon Creation Path Enticement: Level 9 (LEVEL UP!)

Chant Revocation: Level 9

Guidance: Dark Dream Demon Creation Path: Level 9 (LEVEL UP!)

Constant Mana Recovery: Level 1

Super Strengthen Subordinates: Level 2

Deadly Venom Secretion (Claws, Fangs, Tongue): Level 3

Enhanced Agility: Level 9

Body Expansion (Tongue): Level 10

Strengthened Attack Power while Unarmed: Very Large

Enhanced Body Part (Hair, Claws, Tongue, Fangs): Level 10

Thread Refining: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Mana Enlargement: Level 9

Increased Mana Recovery Rate: Level 9

Strengthened Attack Power while activating a Magic Cannon: Large

Augmented Vitality: Level 2

Strengthened Attribute Values: Reigning: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Attribute Values: Worshipped: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Attribute Values: Demon Empire of Vidal: Level 1 (NEW!)

Active skills:

Bloodwork: Level 10

Transcend Limits: Level 7

Golem Creation: Level 6

Hollow King Magic: Level 5

Precise Mana Control: Level 1

Cooking: Level 8

Alchemy: Level 10

Soul Destruction Fighting Technique: Level 4

Greater Multi-cast: Level 3

Surgery: Level 8

Embodiment: Level 4

Coordination: Level 10

Super High-speed Thought Processing: Level 6

Commanding: Level 10

Thread-reeling: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)

Throwing: Level 10

Scream: Level 7

God Spirit Magic: Level 1

Demon King Artillery Technique: Level 3

Armor Technique: Level 9

Shield Technique: Level 9

Shadow Group Binding Technique: Level 7

Surpass Limits: Fragments: Level 9

Spirit Therapy: Level 1

Whip Technique: Level 3

Spirit Form Transformation: Lightning

Staff Technique: Level 1

High-speed Flight: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

God Devourer: Level 7

Deformed Soul

Mental Encroachment: Level 9

Labyrinth Creation: Level 4

Demon King: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Abyss: Level 8

Divine Enemy

Soul Devour: Level 8

Vida’s Divine Protection

Earth’s Gods’ Divine Protection

Group Thought Processing: Level 6

Zantark’s Divine Protection

Group Control: Level 7

Soul Form: Level 4

Demon King’s Demon Eyes

Origin’s Gods’ Divine Protection

Ricklent’s Divine Protection

Zuruwarn’s Divine Protection

Perfect Record Technique

Surpass Limits: Soul: Level 1

Mutation Induction

Demon King’s Body (Merged with Demon King’s oviduct and Demon King’s silk gland!)

Demigod

Curses

Experience gained in previous life not carried over

Cannot learn existing jobs

Unable to gain experience independently

Job explanation:

Dead Spirit Mage

The dead spirit version of Spirit Mage. It is a Job that provides bonuses to the ‘Dead Spirit Magic’ Skill, which allows the user to transfer Mana to Ghosts and have them cast spells on the user’s behalf, removing the need for incantations and improving the power and precision of the spells.

However, as Vandalieu’s Mana is simply on another scale from anyone else, rather than improving the power of his spells, this Skill and Job are for casting spells of attributes that he has no affinity for.

Monster explanation:

Flying Kraken

These are Rank 11 monsters that have actually existed since long ago. They inhabit a wide range of waters, from coastal seas near a certain continent to Devil’s Seas in the deep oceans, and unlike ordinary Krakens that live on their own, they are social monsters that live in groups.

Like ordinary Krakens, their weapons are the incredible strength produced by their enormous bodies and the venomous ink they produce, and their most unique characteristic is their ability to leap from the ocean’s surface into the air and glide long distances.

It is thought that they acquired this flight ability in order to prey on large bird monsters and Dragons that inhabit Devils’ Skies – Devils’ Nests in the air.

The reason the existence of Flying Krakens has remained unknown is because their appearance is not much different from ordinary Krakens (the only difference being that their fins are slightly larger), and because they do not need to fly in order to attack ordinary ships, their flying has not been witnessed before.

The other reason their existence was unknown is likely the fact that there isn’t a single person who has reached an ocean inhabited by Flying Krakens and made it back to human society to tell the tale.

Their ink, once detoxified, is more delicious than ordinary Kraken ink, so there is a demand for it as a high-class food ingredient (though only in the Demon Empire of Vidal).