Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44: Mighty Figures from a Past Life
While Stephanie was secretly cursing the girls, Kevin had already cleared the battlefield.
On the third day of the Eldritch descent, the night invaders had turned into spirit-type Eldritch Entities. This was unthinkable in his past life. freewebnoveℓ.com
However, due to the unusually special situation tonight, Kevin had first gone on a killing spree, slaughtering a large number of human Survivors, and at the same time four ships had drawn close together, so Kevin was actually facing four times the usual number of monsters.
Adding to this, Leo mutated before his death, and the Eldritch Entities attracted by his flesh and blood also improved by one tier, which is what caused the scene of countless spirit-type Eldritch surrounding Kevin tonight.
However, these spirit-type Eldritch might be an unbeatable disaster for other Survivors, but for Kevin holding the Lance of Longinus, they were just some troublesome bugs.
With the "Radiant Grace" possessing the "Lance of Condemnation" Talent, Kevin wasn’t afraid of these Mist Phantoms’ mental attacks at all.
On the contrary, Kevin was more afraid of physical attack-type Eldritch Entities like Fish Fiends and Frog Monsters.
Therefore, the coincidences of this night gave Kevin the opportunity to frantically farm battle records.
Thinking of these coincidences, Kevin smiled slightly, picked up a crystal core, and began to study it carefully.
[Bloodmist Crystal (Hawk Type): C-Tier Eldritch Artifact | Consumable | 99% chance to significantly reduce Sanity by 80 points | 1% chance to permanently increase 1 random stat | 0.01% chance to unlock the Mist Phantom Mark, allowing you to summon a duplicate to fight by your side]
Reading the description, Kevin spat on the ground. "Damn it. All gambling trash."
Back in his past life, there were tons of Eldritch Artifacts like this.
Most of them dropped from energy-type or spirit-type Eldritch Entities.
Since they held the creature’s entire life force, Survivors had a shot at getting superpowers if they consumed them.
But more often than not, the toxins and curses inside them would drive a Survivor straight into a breakdown.
A C-Tier item like the Bloodmist Crystal would instantly slash your Sanity by 80 the moment you swallowed it.
For most people, that was a death sentence. Dropping Sanity that fast in a short time would likely shatter a person’s mind for good.
So, popping one of these was literally a life-or-death gamble.
Hit the jackpot, and you’d get a huge power boost. Stats would go up, or you might unlock a new ability. But if you lost the bet, you’d face a total mental meltdown. You could turn into a drooling idiot, a complete psycho, or worst of all, mutate into a Grotesque.
In his past life, countless Survivors popped these crystals to get stronger. In the end, most of them just died for it.
Kevin thought about this and quietly slipped the crystals from his chest into his pocket.
A sharp, excited smile crossed his face. "For everyone else, popping these is a roll of the dice. But for me? It’s a guaranteed win."
He had the "Lance of Condemnation" Talent. It made him completely immune to any Eldritch curses.
So even if his Sanity hit zero, he might go feral or black out. But he wouldn’t get cursed. He wouldn’t poison himself. He wouldn’t mutate. And he’d never turn into a monster.
Still, he needed to seek out potions or Talents that enhanced mental fortitude. He couldn’t afford to lose his sanity and act in ways that would undermine his own survival.
As he spoke, Kevin turned back toward the helm. His eyes locked onto Nova standing by the window. "If she really is that legendary ’Cantor’ from my past life," he murmured, "perhaps I could forge a Covenant of the Saint with her... and draw that mythical power through her."
The words hung in the air as Kevin slowly turned around. The girls were already beginning to descend from the helm.
"Captain, you’re incredible!" Celula was the first to break into a run, darting toward Kevin. After surviving a night of life-and-death terror, she was desperate for a moment of comfort—something to ground her in his presence.
But just as she leapt forward, arms outstretched, a pale hand gripped her collar and yanked her sideways. Oof! Celula collapsed onto the deck in a heap.
Monchhichi stepped forward, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She offered a deep bow. "Captain, thank you for saving us. From now on, my sister and I serve under your command. I apologize... she was reckless, but she never meant to harass you." Without waiting for a reply, she scooped Celula up by the back of her shirt and stepped quietly to the periphery.
Celula opened her mouth to protest, but the moment she caught the side-eyes of the other girls—sharp, unamused, and deeply territorial—she shrank back. She stuck her tongue out and muttered under her breath, "We literally just said ’fair competition.’ I was just a few seconds faster. Why are they looking at me like I committed murder? They’re just jealous."
Monchhichi immediately clapped a hand over her sister’s mouth. "Quiet."
Nova’s clicks of heels echoed as she glided to a stop in front of him. A sultry smile played on her lips, and she let her fingers trail lightly over his collarbone. "You had me waiting forever," she purred, her voice rough from earlier. "How are you so... resilient? Is it one of your Talents?"
Kevin caught her wrist, halting her advance. His voice dropped, cold and direct. "Before you keep flirting, maybe you should tell your savior exactly what you are. What’s your Talent?"
As he spoke, Kevin’s eyes flicked to Nova’s forehead. Through the activation of his `Covenant of the Saint` Talent, a stream of data scrolled into his vision.
[Name: Nova]
[Age: 23]
[Class: Singer]
[Affection: 50]
[Purity: Body +150 / Spirit -200]
A body purity of +150. A spiritual purity of -200.
Kevin’s breath hitched. Those numbers defied everything he knew to be possible.
Until this moment, he had operated under the assumption that a woman’s purity—physical or spiritual—capped at +100 or dipped to -100. Nova’s metrics shattered that baseline. She wasn’t just different; she was the polar opposite of Luna, dialed to an extreme.
In Kevin’s memory, Luna had been a paradox: a soul steeped in corruption, yet physically pristine. Nova was the inverse of that paradox. Her body was immaculate, untouched, yet her spirit radiated a profound, almost sentient rot. If Luna was a fractured mirror, Nova was a bottomless abyss wearing a flawless surface.
That thought alone made Kevin extremely interested in Nova.
Suddenly, a soft laugh pulled him back to the present.
Watching Kevin stare off into space, Nova burst into giggles. "Come on, Captain. You’ve got plenty of beauties around you. Surely you’re not going to hold my hand and refuse to let go? My wrist’s starting to hurt."
Nova’s voice was sweet as a bell. Hearing it sent a pleasant tingle through Kevin’s ears and lifted his mood instantly.
Just as Kevin looked puzzled, Nova leaned in close to his ear and whispered so only he could hear, "My Talent is called Cursed Wraith Songstress. I can absorb and store people’s resentment and negative feelings. When I need to, I can use my voice to mess with their emotions—or even control their minds and senses."
Leaning in, Nova brushed her tongue lightly against Kevin’s earlobe and whispered in a sultry tone, "My moans will let you last a full twelve hours before you reach your peak."
Feeling the wetness on his ear, Kevin quickly stepped back to avoid her lips. His voice turned cold. "Drop the act. Your Talent won’t work on me."
The moment he spoke, a faint holy glow shimmered around Kevin. That sacred light cut off any chance of Nova trying to control his mind.
Nova’s eyes went wide. "Wait, you’re not affected at all? But you definitely got a boost from my singing during the fight."
Kevin just grinned. "My Talent’s different. It tells the difference between a helpful mental buff and a mind-control attempt."
Kevin took a step back, putting some distance between them. His tone turned sincere. "Look, we fought side by side just now, so I’ll let your little prank slide. Head back to your ship. Once it’s daylight, we’re splitting up. Hope we cross paths again sometime."
With that, Kevin turned and walked past Nova straight toward Luna and Amelia.
Luna and Amelia had been fuming with jealousy when they saw Nova trying to seduce Kevin.
But once they realized Kevin actually held his ground—and had zero plans to let Nova board—their anger turned to pure relief.
They even shot Nova a smug look right as Nova’s confused gaze landed on them.
Even Stephanie, watching from a few yards away, couldn’t hide a grin. "Perfect. Nova staying off this ship means my spot’s safe."
Nova hadn’t expected Kevin to just wave her off and leave her alone on her own ship.
She stomped her foot, marched straight back to Kevin, and grabbed his arm. Looking him in the eye, she pleaded, "My whole crew is dead. You’re really just going to leave me out here alone?"
Kevin nodded, dead serious. "No, you’re not alone. You’ve got your ship. You’ve got your freedom, your soul, and you’re the captain. Isn’t that exactly what you want?"
Kevin’s words left Nova speechless. Her face flushed red, and she locked eyes with him, searching for even a crack in his resolve. "You’re seriously not taking me on? I’m gorgeous. I’m strong."
