(Please, if you can, could you donate a few cents? It would help me a lot at this stage of my life. Thank you. paypal.com/paypalme/HectorPikas)
CHAPTER 29.5 – Daniel vs The Dictator. Part 2
Grandma, I know you can't hear my thoughts, but I really need to talk to you right now. Human life is important and beautiful, I know that, but God gave me permission to do this kind of thing. It's not entirely evil. Killing is inhuman and wicked no matter the reason, I know, but I'm going to do it. Leaving them unconscious is just as dangerous—one bad hit and they die. Killing is the fastest, lowest-risk path.
My morals are shattered right now. I don't want to be a murderer, but I'll kill bad people. That's good. I have to kill. I have to do it.
"Everyone is in position," the ghost of a woman told me—an old hero who once fought against the dictatorship.
The plan was simple. I told Nismei to write several messages on sheets of paper and send them to the locations I gave her. The message was clear: "I can see you. I know you're a ghost. If you want revenge on the dictator, gather every ghost in the city."
After reading the message and confirming that I could genuinely see them, they went to round up every ghost they knew in the city. Now I have exactly 89 ghosts under my command—former heroes and ex-members of Froulen's forces. I didn't trust the ex-members, but since 67 of the 89 were real former heroes, I decided to take the risk and include them. The more the better, and if they betray me I can get rid of them without issue—I asked the heroes to keep an eye on them.
Once they were gathered, I sent them to different locations. I sent 15 ghosts to stand behind the people spying on us, 18 to the entrance to kill the guards and then open it, and the rest—except one—to infiltrate the armory, bombs, and other important areas of the base.
I considered putting a ghost behind the dictator to kill him, but I won't risk someone's life in vain. I doubt it would be that easy to kill him even with his power deactivated. Maybe it's always active to some degree. If I were the dictator, I'd keep it permanently on to prevent anyone from shooting me in the back.
Finally, I sent one ghost—whose power is literally to explode—to wherever the largest concentration of Froulen's members is. He can use his power at full strength twice, so we can wipe out 20–30% of the members in seconds.
Everyone is in position. Let's do this.
"D-Daniel, now?" Nismei asked, hiding behind me.
Another world, magic, and now ghosts. She never imagined she'd experience all this in one day.
"Yes."
If everything goes well, I'll be able to use the revived ones' powers to my advantage. Some of them already have tasks assigned based on their abilities—I just hope they stay alive long enough for me to need them.
I closed my eyes. I want to revive them where they are. I want to revive them where they are. I want to revive them all at the same time. I know their names and faces. I want to revive every ghost in the area. I don't remember some faces or names perfectly because I lost my perfect memory, but please—revive every ghost in the area. Use my magical energy to do it. Do it, do it, please do it.
"Spirit Resurrection!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I felt my body burn.
Bravo and Nismei stepped away from me—though I don't know why… Wow. Look at the sky. A gigantic white circle appeared in the sky! An enormous magic circle, bigger than any stadium, opened in the night sky like a second moon. Is this what happens when I use the spell on dozens of ghosts at once?
"Daniel, you're on fire!" Bravo said, terrified.
"Your body is insanely hot!"
"Hehe. Confirmed. What a hot body," the woman said, caressing my chest.
I can feel her. She's no longer a ghost.
Realizing that, she immediately lunged at me with clear intent to kiss me, but I covered her mouth. You're like 40—have some shame… Though I get it. You've been dead for years, and I know how addictive sex and that stuff can be. I wonder what it feels like. I was close several times, but I always backed out at the last second. Sonia and I only kissed—she even groped me. I didn't because I was scared.
… I'm sleepy—so sleepy.
Nismei caught me before I hit the ground, but she let go and I fell anyway.
I can't move at all—I'm about to pass out. The strangest part is that I feel no pain. It doesn't hurt. I thought using all my magical energy on one spell would be extremely dangerous and painful, but I feel nothing. I felt my body burning at first, but now that heat feels like standing in the sun on a warm day. Yet judging by their pained reactions, this heat is supposed to be worse. Why don't I feel that much pain?
"It burns, it burns! I-I'm sorry, but your body is too hot!"
"Don't waste time—do your part," I said, yawning as an explosion sounded in the background. Wow, I can even see it from here.
Bodies flying like broken dolls. I think that 30% is going up.
The second explosion will be our signal—the entrance is opening. Chaos has begun.
The sound of gunfire, the people spying on us dropping dead—everything is going exactly as I imagined.
Dictator, you saw it all, didn't you? Tell me—are you scared of me now?
"With pleasure," the hero said, using her power on me.
"Vitality"—that's the name of her power. She can transform anything in the body into life energy. Her power heals diseases and even regenerates small wounds, but it's not strong enough to regrow fingers or an eye.
Well, well. I already feel better! Though I'm really hungry now. She turned my body fat into energy—I feel thinner.
Anyway, the important thing is I recovered some stamina, but I don't know if I recovered magical energy. That spell drained all my magical energy—I only stayed awake thanks to her. I still don't fully understand magical energy. She gave me energy, I feel awake, no longer sleepy—so that means I have magical energy again, right? If I had no magical energy I'd feel sleepy… Ah, well, well. I need to study more.
Boom—dozens of bodies fly apart in pieces. The second explosion. Let's go!
"The signal!" I shouted, jumping into the car.
We immediately sped toward the open entrance, where all my revived heroes are fighting Froulen's members, and beside us I see the underground organization members joining the fray.
Unfortunately, it's hundreds against fewer than 100—everything is against us. I can see two of my revived already killed—they need to take the illegals' drugs now.
"Seeing and reviving ghosts. You can do anything!" Bravo said as we drove through the artificial path a revived hero who controls earth is creating for us.
"Hand out the drugs."
Bravo nodded. Time to make our team stronger.
I was tempted to take them myself, but drugs are drugs—my grandma would never forgive me if I used them. Plus, I'm from another world—we don't know if they'd have worse side effects on me.
We reached the earth platform I asked him to create and it began to rise. It'll keep us away from the initial attacks—I don't want interruptions.
"Here!"
Bravo stopped the car and we jumped out immediately.
"Good luck, Daniel!"
"Thanks!"
I'll need it.
"Muslar asio! Arches Nexus!"
I flew toward the 10th floor. Tonight one of us ceases to exist.
And it won't be me.
… Hmm. Well, well. I feel a bit tired, but it's like I just went for a run—not so bad that I'd fall asleep any second. Reviving the ghosts was the best idea ever.
Well, well. I still need a ton of training to know my limits.
•
•
Froulen watches him with a wide smile. Suddenly, dozens of people he thought long dead appeared out of nowhere all over the place. He saw most of those heroes die—they were definitely dead—but now they're here, apparently alive.
He had always been watching Daniel. He saw what he did, and now everything made sense. He was talking to nothing—and that nothing was ghosts, now brought back to life.
"Boy, what exactly are you?" he said, genuinely excited as he stepped away from the window.
The hero beside him also moved away from the window, worried about the situation.
"Did they fake their deaths?" she asked, recognizing several heroes who had been dead for years.
The dictator slowly shook his head. He knew they hadn't. He knew exactly what happened. Daniel talking to empty air finally clicked. The woman didn't appear out of nowhere via teleportation—she appeared because Daniel revived her.
"An attack with ghosts."
He laughed, and the laugh was genuine. His excitement was real.
"If I'm honest, I never would've imagined this."
After decades, the dictator was truly excited for a fight.
After so many years sitting on a throne giving orders, after crushing everyone who dared challenge him, he finally had someone in front of him who could make him bleed.
He had never had worthy rivals, and those who seemed powerful turned out to be complete disappointments. Daniel was, without a doubt, the final rival. After defeating him, he would fully confirm his absolute superiority. He would feel he had completed every goal in life. He could die without regrets and in peace… Though of course, that would only happen if he defeated him.