Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 208: Soul sealing (III)

Chapter 208: Soul sealing (III)

There seemed to be three demon Champions in the small town, but Freya was not worried as the number of demonic beasts was less than three hundred. She would not drain her energy facing such a low number, and if she still had Force, then defeating the demon Champions would be easy.

The three demon Champions that had taken over Juro Town were impressive, stronger than average Champions, taking the form of a massive black spider, a large spiked wolf, and an enormous eagle. Their power was impressive, and the last one’s aerial abilities made it a very dangerous opponent. Yet, Freya was able to cripple all three, defeating them but not landing a deadly blow, as she was sure Vlad would want to use them for his experiments.

The three demon Champions attempted to stand up, but before they could, arcs of lightning fell from the sky and paralyzed their bodies.

Vlad and Jormungandr had seen the fights from a distance, and the small yellow cat made sure to paralyze the demon Champions once Freya defeated them. The Depravita of Wrath descended from the building and nodded to the viking princess before taking out a new parchment.

Vlad took a deep breath, focused on the massive black spider, and activated the runic formation inside the parchment. Immediately, black and thin tendrils emerged and pierced the body of the demon Champion, causing unbearable agony as they spread across flesh and blood before diving into the brain and Soul Dimension.

Silence reigned as Vlad, Jormungandr, and Freya gazed at the tendrils, watching them grip the demon Champion’s soul before retracting along with every iota of life in the body, going back into the parchment.

Soon, a new rune appeared in the center of the parchment, this one in the form of a massive demonic spider. The soul force it emanated was stronger and more stable than the last time.

[Beep! Soul integrity: 43%]

Vlad showed a small smile and nodded. He used the same cheap materials but improved the integrity of the demon’s soul by 7%. ’According to the A.I. Chip calculation, I need a soul integrity percentage of at least 70% if I want the demon spirit to endure the next step.’

After taking the soul of the demon Champion, Vlad did not immediately proceed to the next one. Instead, he meticulously analyzed the data the A.I. Chip had collected, running countless simulations to refine the runic formation and soul-sealing process.

Jormungandr remained by his side, ensuring the seal on the demon remained stable, while Freya adopted a meditative position, restoring her energy and stamina.

For several hours, Vlad was engrossed in his analysis. His mind was a whirlwind of calculations and theoretical adjustments, each detail scrutinized and re-scrutinized. He observed every variable, considering the potential impact of each minor alteration. During hours, he analyzed the simulation of the A.I. Chip, making tiny adjustments to the runic formation, guided by the data gained in the last experiment.

Finally, after six long hours, Vlad turned his attention to the spiked wolf demon Champion. The creature’s eyes were filled with dread and horror, sensing the impending fate that had befallen its comrade. Vlad’s gaze had no mercy, only a cold determination to perfect his technique.

He took out a parchment inscribed with the runic formation and began to modify it based on the A.I. Chip’s latest simulations. Each stroke of his hand was deliberate, aimed at improving the demon’s soul integrity. Once the modifications were complete, he activated the runic formation, and a new set of thin black tendrils emerged, swiftly piercing the spiked wolf.

The process proceeded methodically: the black tendrils expanded through the demon’s body and spirit, gripping its soul before retracting into the parchment. As the tendrils withdrew, a new rune materialized in the center, depicting the form of the demon Champion.

[Beep! Soul integrity: 47%]

Vlad’s face remained impassive. The improvement in soul integrity was only four percent, a small but significant gain. The higher the percentage, the more challenging it became to enhance further as the flaws grew subtler. Without the recent evolution of the A.I. Chip, Vlad knew this endeavor would have taken decades to yield any meaningful progress, and even with its current computation capabilities, it would not be easy.

Undeterred by the difficulties that might lie in the future, Vlad dove back into his analysis, running more simulations and refining his approach. Each iteration brought him closer to his goal. After hours of meticulous work, he selected a new parchment, altered it based on his latest findings, and turned his focus to the eagle demon Champion.

The black tendrils pierced the eagle demon Champion, spreading through its body and soul before retracting into the parchment. Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he observed the vivid rune that formed inside the parchment, representing the demon’s essence.

[Beep! Soul integrity: 50%]

"50%, not enough to carry on with the next step of my plan, but it should be enough for this." A sharp light appeared in Vlad’s eyes as he placed his hands on the runic formation inside the parchment and began to channel his energy into it.

Freya saw Vlad channel a massive amount of energy into the parchment, and her eyes widened as she saw the black tendrils emerge again, this time forming a physical body.

What appeared in front of the young woman was a massive black eagle. Besides its color, it was identical to the demon Champion eagle, whose soul was sealed by Vlad.

"Amazing. Is this what you were after?" Freya was genuinely impressed by this sight. Such a runic formation would be coveted even in a high realm like Valhalla.

Vlad only smiled at the Viking princess before shaking his head. "This is just a demonic summon and a fragile one. What I want is something much greater. While this form is similar, the strength it can unleash is barely half of what it was when alive, and I have no way to heal any damage it might