Sam stayed in the valley for one week. The ghost chimera also didn't budge for this one week.
He increased the torture levels, used his own mental energy to poke the chimera a bit, and destroyed the undead creatures that are connected to the specter one by one, making its mental energy weaker.
Sam knew better than anyone that he should follow through with this torture. By this point, the specter would be willing to die and if he killed it, then it would be more like a blessing than a punishment. So, he made sure that he brought the specter to the edge of nullifying its existence and then brought it back, never granting that relief.
In this one week, there is something else he has done.
Since he diverted all the torture from the formation to the Dormant soul. It has become weaker than ever.
So weak, that Sam is sure that he would be able to destroy it and absorb it completely in one shot. But he wanted to be sure, so he started wearing it down in the past week and got it ready for absorption.
But he didn't proceed with it, because, when he was busy with the mental battle, the body would be a bit vulnerable. It is okay in the outside world, most creatures could only do slight physical damage, but if he is in that state within this area, he is afraid that any stray specter or a ghost might want to take advantage of that.
He didn't want to leave it to the chance. But he is so eager to give it a try.
Along with that, there is one thing that happened. A nuisance of sorts. The Government Expedition team that followed them had died in the valley because of the undead creatures.
The government couldn't let their disappearance go and came to the valley. They went as far as disturbing Sam and even trying to interrogate him.
Sam could only show his cultivation and oppress him.
Sam is currently meditating as he checked up on the dormant soul. He could see that the dormant soul is ready to give in. Even before it gained any consciousness. This is the perfect absorption method that Sivan wanted to achieve. But Sam knew that things wouldn't be as simple for that guy.
As he thought, he suddenly heard a scream.
"I accept." The scream didn't sound like a scream attack. It is like a loud whisper. Sam knew that the specter became weak. This might even be the weakest the specter has felt in its whole life and even after the death.
"Are you sure you want to surrender now? You are only fifty-one weeks away from the one-year deadline I have set up, I have so many other things planned."
"Yes… Yes, I am sure. I accept."
Sam nodded and started imprinting his soul imprint on the specter. The specter allowed it without any resistance and this made things easier.
After the imprint was done, the specter just stayed attached to Sam's staff after Sam took it out of the formation.
Sam walked out of the dark range with a sigh.
This time, there are no attacks and there are surprises. The specter has called everything to deal with Sam and now everything that is dangerous, except for the undead side, was back inside the valley.
So, the mountain range itself is extremely free and open. Sam came back in half a day in a relaxed pace.
He went to the town and went back to his inn. He meditated as he tried to destroy the dormant soul once and for all and absorb it.
He started poking the soul continuously as he tore one part of the other. The resistance is so futile that within no time, he managed to absorb the whole soul.
He sat there as he digested the newly found mass of mental energy that was being merged into his as well as the memories that are flooding in.
Deepest darkest secrets of Sivan, his insecurities, his backup plans, secret plots, fetishes, kills, concubines, Sam came to know everything. Including the technique, Sivan used to swap their souls. The things that excited him the most are the backup plans he set for himself.
Sivan is a paranoid guy in a way. He is so paranoid that every plan might fail, so he decided to set up a few backup plans and backup organizations that would help him hide deep to bounce back.
Along with that, he also found out something that made him feel surprised. He is the secret controller of intelligence organizations in many realms. He is also the one that hired Vardar to control the Black Ghosts.
It seems like even though they didn't know of each other's existence, they were still on the opposite ends from the beginning. They are destined to become enemies like this.
He didn't rest and just started his journey. Now, he got his required assistant, and all he has to do is destroy every one of Sivan's organizations. He would make sure that Sivan regretted ever getting into Sam's body.
Sam got ready to leave the town and go to the next target.
Meanwhile, something else is happening on the opposite end. Sivan who is inside Sam's body is currently sitting in the middle of a formation.
Souls of many creatures are visibly diving into his head, but inside they are not attacking his soul, rather they are all moving towards the ghost chimera surrounding Sam's dormant soul.
The Ghost Chimera got busy for the first time. On, one hand it is trying to devour the souls that came at it. After all, the souls are its food, on the other hand, it is also trying to resist the attacks of the souls that it could devour.
Sivan is observing the whole thing for quite a while.
At first, he tried to strengthen his own soul, but cultivating mental energy in itself is a torturous thing. He knew that he wouldn't be able to endure it. As for his previous massive mental energy, it was because of his natural talent. His soul was born that way and Sam even thought that Sivan was training and improving his mental energy. But only half of it was true.
Sivan never tried to increase his mental energy, rather he only kept the training limited to using the mental energy as a weapon.
So, he didn't want to start the procedure now and go through that torture, he decided to make Sam's soul weaker.
He has been like this for three days and who knows how many people and beasts they have killed in the process, but they clearly saw the Ghost Chimera Weakening a bit.
And as soon as it weakened and an opening presented itself, Sivan directly went after the dormant soul himself.
He tried to rip a piece and leave the spot immediately.
But to his surprise, the backlash that came from just touching it made him sweat bullets.
This is because of the nature of the dormant soul. Sam's dormant soul is aggressive in nature, in a similar way, Sivan's dormant soul was completely timid in nature.
The aggressive souls don't have direct defense, rather they counteract and the backlash is way too high.
Sivan didn't even know what to say to that. He forcefully took a piece of the soul, even though it is just a tiny fragment, and came back to his senses. The formation was instantly stopped as soon as he opened his eyes.
"Get out, leave me some privacy."
He got rid of all of his subordinates in the room and slowly digested that small piece of the fragment.
Soon, he opened his eyes and was surprised. He hurriedly grabbed a scroll and a brush as he started painting something.
The design of the methane grenade soon took form. Sivan looked at it with surprise and confusion at the same time.
The methane grenade's working was clearly understood, but he couldn't understand the use for it. Because in their realm, the people at the cultivation level of the Novice and Great realm wouldn't even be fighting.
Particularly in their clan, they would just be going through training. Killing the kids is not exactly done by other kids or any other creature of the same level as kids. If any kid dies, it is mostly an elder venting the anger on another elder who might be the parent of the kid.
So, he didn't see the point in this invention.
Luckily, to make sense of it, he has someone to explain. This and along with another piece of information he got.
He called for Dayus.
"What is this? Why did he make something like this?"
Sivan asked in a frown.
Dayus looked at the design and understood that it is the grenade. He was the victim of this thing in the second Palace of inheritance.
"That is the methane grenade. One of the first inventions of Sam. Why are you asking me about this? Did you digest his soul?" Dayus' tone grew more and more surprised as he thought of the possibility.
