Ultimate Rice System - Chapter 67 Lost Soul

Old Bones stared at the sky and the ever changing constellations of the stars. Underground, the stars would move quickly, almost as if it is in a time lapse. The stars came in a variety of colors from red ranging to blue. Each star moved in their own directions undeterred by those around it. Old Bones seemed to be in a sense of contemplation.

“If I could go back in time…I would have chosen to live a quiet life.”

There was a hint of sadness in the skeleton’s ‘eyes’. He appeared to be a fallen warrior worn out by the elements of life.

“If I could go back in time… I would have not have taken up the rifle. I could have simply lived a farmers life, forgotten for centuries to come. Yet here I am, unsure of whether I would move on or not.”

Old Bones mournfully drank another cup of tea throwing back his head as he did so. A single black drop of tea leaked out of his eye socket while the rest flowed down through the ribs and onto the ground.

“Unable to touch. Unable to taste this. Unable to smell the aroma. Unable to live. In the end, what is the point. Is it simply my fate to be stuck here for eternity?”

Old Bones slammed his hand against his coffin in anger. A piercing crack of bones could be heard as a line slowly climbed across his radius and ulna*.

“Old Bones!”

“Don’t worry about this farmer, it’ll heal…Look at the time, it’s getting late. Then again, it’s always night time anyway ohoho~.”

Old Bones stared gloomily at the children before getting up and climbing into the decorated coffin in the center of the room.

“You can sleep in those coffins.”

Old Bones pointed at the coffins at the coffins and waved them goodnight before shutting the lid of the coffin.

*Thunk*

Now the team was all alone. They stared at each other for a moment before nodding.

*Thunk*Thunk*Thunk*

The sounds of closing coffins resonated throughout the necropolis. The night wind howled against the graves of many who’s names have long been forgotten.

*Step*Step*Step*Bang*

There stood a figure bare to the bones, literally, pointing a rifle at the head of the coffins on the sides. Smoke slowly sizzled out of the end as the wind whistled ominously around his jaw.

“One down…It is but a shame…”

“Indeed it is a shame.”

A flash of light appeared from behind the pillars. All the skeleton saw was a blade of energy to which he attempted to block with his arm. Bones shattered as the blade of energy sliced right through to the arm. From behind the pillar, a girl in a thin black robe emerged lightly hopping into view.

“It’s you…Glutton.”

“I’m sorry Old Bones.”

The skeleton paused for a moment before pointing his rifle at the girl.

“How did you know…”

“No lies can go through me.”

The girl disappeared in a flash, and from behind, shot a small ball of electricity at the skeleton. The skeleton ducked and using his rifle, shot a bolt of electricity back at the girl barely missing and shattering one of the pillars supporting the shrine.

*Bang*Bang*Bang*

The skeleton shot three consecutive shots in the path of the girl to which she dodged in quick flashes. As he did so, a tooth started to fall out.

*Bang*

A shot of flame exploded scotching the hem of Tianfei’s robe. The skeleton shot another one this time landing a clean shot. The embroidery glowed once before Tianfei disappeared into the shadows of the shrine.

“Looks like you are getting slower.”

A spectral glow emerged from the skeleton’s eyes as he raised his rifle shooting each and every one of the pillars. A black shadow shot out form the darkness launching into the sky. The skeleton pointed his rifle in the air aiming at it’s trajectory. Another tooth fell off his jaw.

“Found~You!”

*Thump*Thump*

Before he could even shoot, he felt his legs getting ripped apart. He aimed at the ground shooting a strong blast of wind neatly landing on a ledge. As of now, he was simply a single armed torso and head. Old Bones looked behind him two of the coffins that were remaining had their lids shifted to the sides. A wind blow past as two boys stood at the ledge opposite of him, one wielding a scythe and the other an axe.

“How did you…If I shot any of the others, you’d be dead…”

The scythe wielding boy rested the scythe around the back of his neck and stared back at the skeleton.

“Honestly it was just luck…We just chose the coffins furthest away.”

Old bones rubbed his skull with his rifle in thought. He seemed to be blaming himself for his miscalculation.

“Ah…must be getting old. Well, guess I have no choice.”

Old Bones straightened up his back and looked at the stars. The red stars started to shift forming a circle, then the blues around it. He raised the rifle and pointed at the sky shooting a single shot in the middle.

“Soldiers of mine, hear my call. Your king calls upon your power, your body and your blood. Unite together and fight as one.”

*Grrr*

“We should get out!”

Slowly one by one, the undead ambled congregating around the shrine. From the maze hundreds if not thousands of them slowly filled up the necropolis. Even the coffins near the center began to open up with more intact corpses crawling out. As they neared their king, their bones dissolved into a substance resembling neither gas nor solid shooting slowly fixing up the broken bones in his body. The flesh and blood were next as body parts floated in the air shrouding Old Bones completely.

“Harvest Slash”

A blade of energy shot forwards in attempt to harm what was within however only to be blocked by hordes of loyal followers. From this shell of body parts, a man stepped out. He looked around 20 years of age. His red eyes glowed in the dark as the moon reflected against his chiseled face. He wore a black coat with golden trimmings that only added onto his regal appearance. In his hand was a different rifle, one that looks untarnished by time and in brand new condition. Constructed of mostly of black steel, there were golden engravings the wooden handle spelling out the words,’Time Taker’. The man stretched his neck slightly cracking it as he twisted it.

“It’s been a millennia or so since I have been in this form.”

The handsome face smiled proudly as he watched the children look back in awe.

“Do you like what you see?” he said as he lifted his rifle up to his face.

–

“Who is he?”

Wang Mei looked at the old man in confusion. Although she was told to not be surprised, it was a feeling she couldn’t help.

“Actually, I don’t know. Every time it was fought, it was defeated before this happens. If I were to guess, he probably is one of the lost souls of the abyss.”

“Lost soul?”

“A soul captured by the abyss to use as its own. However, there has been little to no documentation of any of the souls being freed.”

The old man took out a notebook and a pen and stared intently at the screen. He didn’t want to lose any of the precious data.

“Such a handsome man…what a shame…”

“Did you say something?”

“Oh it’s nothing.”

Wang Mei shut her mouth quickly. It seems like she blurted out her thoughts unconsciously.

–

“Farmer…Dragon…and of course Glutton…Be ready for I am not going to go easy.”

The man aimed his rifle at one of them and pulled the trigger.

*Bang*