Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!

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The giant white cocoon that had formed within Maria's Soulscape was rapidly developing and shaking. Cracks appeared across it.

Someone was beginning to emerge from within, someone of immense power.

Lucifer's evolution was about to end!

"IT'S FUTILE, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY TO DELAY THE INEVITABLE!"

Both the Nightmare Curse's main body and its avatar roared as they faced Maria and Cheng Xie. The young Chinese man smirked, his aura growing larger and stronger. The trust, hope, and dreams of the people empowered him, amplified even more by Maria and her squad cheering and believing in him.

"YOU'RE OUT OF ENERGY, MONKEY!"

The Avatar rushed toward Cheng Xie again. The bleeding young man smiled, pushing forward as well, his power surging, growing stronger and stronger. His Aura of the Monkey King expanded mightily, clashing against his dark clone.

"Nah, that's where you're wrong!"

Their Nyoibo met, with clashes and explosions of light and darkness erupting. Whenever their pole was broken, the Nightmare Curse Avatar would simply create a new one and even wield two at the same time sometimes.

And yet.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"Why…?! YOU'RE…! WHERE IS THAT STRENGTH COMING FROM?!"

The Nightmare Curse roared angrily, realizing that Cheng Xie still had strength within him. His aura shaped itself not just as a monkey but as the faces of all his friends, his grandpa, his late parents, his late brother, the classmates he loved, and even Maria and her group of friends. Even his crush Emeraldine was there. Although it was a futile love, he still held her within his heart as someone he admired.

"Don't you understand? I am special. Those like me are not just an individual Dream! We are the embodiments of the Collective Dreams, Hopes, and Emotions of people!" Cheng Xie said. "As long as they believe in me…!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"As long as they cheer for me, and as long as they keep believing in the Monkey King's Myth, his Legend, and even the Fairy Tale…!"

Cheng Xie stepped forward. His Nyoibo barely missed a strike to the head as his foe attacked him, striking his two shoulders and pushing him into the ground. Heavenly Void began trying to consume him.

And yet.

He smiled.

FLAAASH!

White light surged from his body as he began pushing back against the Heavenly Void itself. His eyes glowed with fiery determination.

"AS LONG AS THESE PEOPLE KEEP DREAMING!"

CRAAASH!

"UGH?!"

He roared, his fist punching his clone in the face, sending it flying away and crashing into a building. Cheng Xie chased after him. His clone attacked furiously, but he intercepted it, though his shoulder bones were nearly broken.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"GO DOWN ALREADY!"

"As long as people keep dreaming, I CANNOT!"

Those who embodied the Myths of Humanity were incredible individuals among individuals, truly gifted with immense power, but they also bore a terrifying responsibility: that of the masses. Their power didn't truly depend on them but on the belief of everyone.

"BASTARD!"

"RAAAAHHHH!"

Both roared at one another. Explosions of darkness and light erupted as their fists constantly exchanged blows, their faces becoming more and more battered.

The Nightmare Curse's avatar gained cracks, beginning to fall apart, while Cheng Xie's face was covered in bruises.

"SCREW YOUR WEAPON!"

The Nightmare Curse roared, punching Cheng Xie's arm and making him drop his weapon. His eyes widened as another punch reached his gut, forcing him to fall down.

"Now that your Dream Weapon isn't in your hands, what else can you even do… 'Monkey King'?!"

Cheng Xie slowly stood up, barely gasping for air, covered in bruises and blood. Everyone could see him at that moment. Their hero would not go down, no matter what.

"C-Cheng Xie…!"

Ming Lee cried, gritting her teeth. Her golden aura overflowed and rushed toward him.

"DON'T GIVE UP!!!"

The cry of that child, one of his friends, echoed through the young man. Cheng Xie's hands glowed brightly. The White Heaven Clouds of Ming Lee appeared around his hands and then his body, giving him new strength.

"W-WHAT?! ANOTHER DREAM WEAPON?!"

The Nightmare Curse could not believe it.

He had never seen something like this happen.

This was the power of belief.

This was the power of Dreams!

Those who held Myths within their Dream Hearts were not just super-powered gifted people.

They were vessels not only for their own Dreams but for the Dreams of everyone else.

Therefore.

"Looks like this isn't over yet, demon."

Cheng Xie stepped forward. The white clouds constantly floated around him, serving as shields and platforms as he moved dexterously, letting his body move by instinct, letting his own instinct take over.

"Think less, let your internal energy flow."

"Let your body decide what to do."

"It knows more than you do, Cheng Xie."

These words resonated within him, his grandfather's words.

Cheng Xie punched the false Monkey King in the chin, shattering its head even further. Half of its face fell away and disappeared into particles of darkness.

CRAAASH!

"I-Impossible…! You're…! You're nothing but a damn human! A DAMN HUMANNNNNN!!!"

The Nightmare Curse screamed in frustration, exploding as black flames encompassed everything. Yet a jab to the face reached him again. The white clouds of Ming Lee protected Cheng Xie from damage, even as they exploded and dissipated.

"Yeah, and a damn human is going to beat you… TWICE!!!"

With a furious barrage of blows, the Nightmare Curse's avatar screamed in agony. Its entire body was pulverized as Cheng Xie's hands, wrapped in Ming Lee's white clouds, constantly exploded. Sometimes his fists would bleed as he gained more and more bruises.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

"BASTARD…! CURSE YOUUUUUU! DAMN HUMANNNNN!!!"

The Nightmare Curse Avatar screamed, trying to fight back, only to ultimately explode into pieces as Cheng Xie's fist pierced its soul.

And then, as its soul shattered into pieces once more, its entire avatar disappeared in a large explosion of darkness and light!

B O O O M M M !!!

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