The Invincible Supernatural System: I Can Assimilate All Ghosts

"How long has it been?"

"About an hour…"

It was starting to get late in the night, but the people were gathered on the square.

All of them were waiting for the same thing: Deklan's return along with the good news.

But with each passing minute with no sign of the young master from across the dirt road, the people grew more and more anxious. Though none of them voiced it out, Deklan's reputation was well-known across the March of Tiernan.

So well-known that even a small hamlet like them knew.

A trash young master with no talent.

Deklan might be strong enough against them, but against Ghosts with a body strengthened with mana? It would be a stretch—even for someone trained like him. But even so, hope overpowered doubt at this moment.

Among them was Marsha.

Unlike the others who were hoping for the good news, all she was hoping for was Deklan's safety.

She didn't care if the infestation was handled or not as long as he's safe.

"Disperse!" Granny Linsa's voice reverberated through the air. "Go back to your own houses! Who said you can stay outside?"

Like the landlady, she gestured for the people to go back.

She gave a stern look at them, causing them to shudder, and stepped back.

Reluctantly, the people had no choice but to go back lest they invoke Granny Linsa's anger—which would cause them to lose their rationed meals tomorrow. It wasn't worth the hassle, so all of them decided to go back, including Marsha.

Seeing their shoulders slumped and hope squashed, Granny Linsa smirked.

'By this time, the young master is already dead.' She thought as she headed back to her own house.

Tonight, she could already tell—her sleep would be nothing short of blissful.

She was even thinking of preparing food for when Adrian came back.

"Hey, look! Isn't that the young master?!"

"Young Master Deklan? Where?!"

Granny Linsa halted cold in her tracks the moment she heard the commotion.

Her pupils trembled in shock, refusing to believe what she heard.

It took a moment for her to have the bravery to turn around, and when she did, she finally saw the figure who was certainly Deklan approaching the hamlet. But what caught her breath in her throat was not his figure, but the two men he was dragging behind him.

"No, this can't be…" Granny Linsa swallowed harshly, sweating bullets.

From the other end of the dirt road, Deklan could be seen dragging Adrian and Hendric by their collars.

And his condition showed that he had been through one hell of a fight.

Everyone gathered at the entrance again, ignoring what Granny Linsa had told them earlier, awaiting Deklan to give them the good news. And—as he stepped back into the hamlet, he immediately shouted, "Someone help! Help me bring these two back to my lodging!"

Upon saying that, Deklan fell to his knees.

Marsha was the first one to rush out, catching his body that seemed to weigh a ton.

"Young master, are you okay?" She asked, then turned to Adrian and Hendrick. "What happened?"

"I was dealing with the Ghosts around the bridge, but then I encountered an Alpha Ghost. She's powerful enough to overwhelm me, especially with her minions. But when I almost died—these two came to help me," Deklan announced, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Both of them must've stalked me out of worry, and came to help at the last second."

Almost instantly, the people burst into a discussion.

"Adrian helped the young master? It doesn't sound like him."

"Is that really what happened?"

"It's more believable if those two were trying to stab the young master from the back instead."

"Maybe he's desperate. Look, even Granny doesn't seem to know about this."

Deklan heard everything and smirked inwardly.

"It's the truth!" He continued his performance—his face contorted into one of gratefulness. "And with their sacrifice, I managed to land the killing blow—and take out the Alpha Ghost, wiping the bridge area clean of Ghosts! Both of them… Both of them are true heroes."

As he said the word 'heroes', his gaze met with Granny Linsa in the distance.

His lips curled into a small smile that none of the people noticed, but Granny Linsa noticed it.

Even from where she stood, she could hear and see what was happening.

Deklan glanced over his shoulder sharply—on his back, he was twisting Adrian's finger hard.

A hiss escaped from Adrian's mouth until he finally spoke, "It was mom's idea…"

"Hmm? What did you say?" Deklan asked, pretending to be surprised by what he heard. "It's Granny's idea to stalk me in case I need help?"

"Yes…"

Almost instantly, the people, including Marsha, turned to look at Granny Linsa.

Granny Linsa felt the huge pressure weighing down on her back as she forced a smile under the people's gaze, which the people assumed to be her admitting that she really did do that. Only she knew that what happened was the opposite.

But the people didn't know that.

"As expected, a heroic son stemmed from their parents. Granny Linsa, thank you for helping me."

Deklan announced loudly.

Now, he was opening, smirking condescendingly at Granny Linsa as the people's attention was on her.

For a moment, silence reigned over the entire place.

People couldn't believe that Granny Linsa, the person who had always been treating them badly, took the initiative to send her son and her trusted guard to help Deklan. If anything, the people thought she would rather play it safe than send her son to danger.

But now, Adrian confessed that it was her idea to send him to help Deklan.

Experiencing a change in view, the people went to her side and showed her their gratitude.

All of them thanked her for taking such a big risk for the hamlet, and also apologized for doubting her.

Deklan watched from behind as the people crowded arround Granny Linsa and thanked her for something that she didn't do. In fact, she had done the complete opposite, sending Adrian and Hendrick to kill him, to take him out so that her position wouldn't be shaken again.

From the outside, she looked polite, calm, and even smiled at the people thanking her.

All of them gave her credit for ending the famine.

But inside, she felt humiliated.

Deklan clearly made this stunt to humiliate her.

On top of that, she knew that she was doomed by how Deklan was smiling at her.

Slowly, the world around her was muted and turned into slow motion.

Only her heavy breaths and her pounding heart could be heard.

It was like everything was turning bleak as a sign of death nearing her, nearing to claim her life.

Granny Linsa raised her gaze and saw Deklan, along with Marsha and a few people, bringing Adrian and Hendrick away. Everyone saw this as Deklan bringing those two so that he could help them, but in truth, those two are hostages.

And the only way to get her back was by Granny Linsa coming there to meet with him.

'He wanted to meet with me alone…' She thought as a shiver ran down her spine. 'I'm doomed.'

Moments later.

Deklan was inside his lodging, a small house on the corner of the hamlet, which was abandoned not too long ago, ever since its owner died. Surprisingly, he came back to the entire place cleaner than when he left it.

It was surely Marsha's doing, and he was grateful for it.

Now, he was sitting by the window, chugging water from a tankard and exhaling in satisfaction.

He was exhausted, and he drank like a man who was stranded in a desert for days.

Marsha was in front of him, kneeling between his thighs as she applied the Healing Cream to the claw marks on his stomach, which was the worst wound. Others are bruises. Hurts like hell, but this one was the one that needed to be treated the most.

Haha… I should change position. This position is really thought-provoking.

Even though Marsha was seriously applying the Healing Cream, kneeling between his thighs like this was bad news. Deklan needed to constantly repeat the battle he had—with the Pale Night Lady so that his mind wouldn't wander elsewhere and wake his junior up.

Fortunately, Marsha finished before his willpower could fail.

"It's done, young master." She muttered before turning to the side. "What about them?"

Adrian and Hendrick were sitting against the wall on the side, battered and bruised.

Both of them were wide awake, but none dared to utter a single word or even look in Deklan's direction.

"Don't worry about them," Deklan pinched her cheek, finding it cute for her to still be worried about these people who had done nothing but use her for their own gains. "I'm still not done with them, so it will be a waste to treat them…"

Hearing this, the two shuddered in fear.

Even though it should be obvious, the young master has changed completely.

It was not the same person, or else he'd never be branded as trash even without having any talent.

"Young master…" Marsha looked down at the floor, fidgeting with her fingers. "Thank you for getting rid of the Ghosts around the bridge. I'm sure by tomorrow, the people could finally trade again, ending this famine."

"No need to thank me; I'm also their lord, remember?" Deklan smiled.

[I'm also their Lord, remember? Cringe, host. Cringe.]

What do you want me to say? That I don't give a fuck about the people and am doing this for her?

[Just tell her you want to get into her pants!]

Slander! I would never!

Knock! Knock!

Deklan's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking coming from the door.

He turned his gaze towards the door across the room, already knowing who it was.

It should be the woman of the night!

"Marsha, can you bring me some food? I'm starving." He urged nonchalantly.

Of course, he wasn't hungry as he said, but he wanted Marsha to leave so she wouldn't need to see what he was about to do. Deklan stood up and grabbed Adrian, pulling him towards the chair as he whimpered in panic.

But even as he sat back down again, Marsha was still there.

"Marsha?"

"I… I want to stay."

"Oh, are you sure? You don't have to watch this."

"I'm sure, young master. Can I stay here? I promise I won't get in your way."

"In that case," Deklan gestured—for her to open the door for Granny Linsa as he sat down on the chair again, Adrian was crying by his side. "Open the door for me. It'll be rude not to welcome the mother of the people's hero."

Marsha opened the door as she was told and immediately walked back to Deklan.

She didn't even cast a look at Granny Linsa.

It was as if Granny Linsa wasn't someone she had known for years.

"Granny Linsa!" Deklan spread his arms welcomingly and smirked. "What brings you here this late in the night? Are you worried about your son's health?"