"I will subordinate you."
As soon as I spoke, Esther quivered, and the surrounding ether trembled with her.
[What... what are you talking about?]
[That's impossible...]
[Subordinate? Me? How dare you? A mere human?]
If Esther had retained her original strength as a first-class specter, it would have been utterly impossible.
But now, reduced to the level of an eighth-grade specter, it was entirely feasible to completely subordinate her.
[Th-That's... I mean...]
Her voice quivered violently.
She knew all too well what my words meant.
Subordination.
In other words, I intended to make Esther,theOne Who Dwells, a part of my ether.
If that happened, Esther would be forever bound to my will, losing her freedom unless I released her.
Given how she had just promised to do anything, it was no wonder she was hesitating now.
"If you don't want that, just die."
Click.
[W-Wait! Please! Just give me a moment...]
Even if her power had diminished to the level of a Grade-8 specter, her essence remained that of a Grade-1 specter.
Moreover, she wasn't just any Grade-1 specter but one with such a tremendous presence that she was nearly classified as a BOSS monster.
She must have thought that, given enough time, she could still recover her original strength.
Realistically, that could happen.
But if I succeeded in subordinating her, things would be entirely different.
Even if she regained her strength later, it would simply mean that a part of my power became stronger, not that Esther as an independent entity grew stronger.
A wretched life or a dignified death.
It might sound laughable to a half-dead specter, but right now, those were the only choices left for Esther.
'Subordination comes with risks for me as well... but considering it's the Possessor, Esther, I can handle the risk.'
If this method were purely beneficial, I would have already been hunting specters in the Jenolan Cave before.
But subjugating specters comes with significant risks.
First, you must completely suppress the will of the specter. If the specter doesn't possess a coherent will, it will keep attacking relentlessly, making subordination impossible. Second, even if the specter is accepted as part of my ether, I must constantly contend with it rampaging inside me.
That would far exceed mere sleepless nights, like now.
In other words, the only reason I'm taking the risk to subdue Esther is because she holds enough value.
[Urgh...]
Her long, silver lashes trembled slightly.
At a glance, she looked like an angel descended from the heavens.
But I couldn't let myself be fooled by that appearance.
Specters have no physical form, and Esther's choice to look like a young girl was simply to deceive and lower the guard of others.
"Did I give you too much time to think?"
As I gently pressed the trigger, Esther hurriedly waved her hands.
[I-I'll do it! I'll do it...]
"I don't believe you."
[I-I'm serious! Really!]
The One Who Dwells, Esther, was an expert at toying with people's hearts and exploiting them.
If I gave her an opening, she would undoubtedly seize it and infiltrate through the gap.
Therefore, I conveyed my intent without any hint of hesitation or bluffing.
"If you're planning to play tricks, go ahead. But you'll be the one paying the price."
[Urgh...]
Tears formed at the corners of her quivering eyes.
Of course, it was deception.
There was no way that the tears shed by a specter, which lacked biological functions, could be real.
Those tears were nothing but a calculated display.
'Well, then...'
I focused my mind quietly.
The ether that responded to my will began to gradually wrap around Esther.
[Hehe...]
[Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come.]
[We're one now...]
[Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come.]
The surrounding ether started to envelop Esther bit by bit.
But Esther didn't resist.
For a specter, an oath is practically a formal contract.
Once spoken, it's nearly impossible to take it back.
[Urk...!]
Ether wrapped around Esther's body.
A Grade-1 Specter.
With my level of ether resonance, just getting close would normally cause the ether to dissipate.
But the situation was different now.
The One Who Dwells, Esther, was weakened.
Therefore, it was possible to subordinate her using my ether.
[Hehe...]
Whooooosh──!
A small ether storm arose.
Gradually, the presence of The One Who Dwells, Esther, was being absorbed into me.
[Esther...]
Finally sensing something was wrong, Esther's eyes widened.
[...How do you know my name?]
But it was already too late.
[W-Wait─]
She tried to say something, but the surge of ether overwhelmed her spiritual body.
[Kyaaah───]
I could feel it.
Something entirely new was trying to become part of me.
The One Who Dwells, Esther, was merging with me.
Woooooooooosh─────
The surrounding ether swirled violently.
A massive, powerful entity was surrendering its autonomy and becoming subordinate.
The aftermath could never be trivial.
[It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here.]
[Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther. Esther.]
[We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one. We're one.]
Within the violently surging ether, the waves gradually calmed down.
And finally, the presence of The One Who Dwells, Esther, was completely subordinated to me.
[You have subordinated the Grade-1 Specter, 'The One Who Dwells, Esther'!]
[You have subordinated a high-ranking monster feared by all. Souls will look up to you with reverence and fear.]
[Your ether resonance has significantly increased.]
[17 -> 21]
[Your ether resonance has reached 'Lv.3'.]
[You have acquired 'Discharge'.]
──────────────
[Discharge] [Lv.1]
— Instantly releases ether, creating an ether wave in the surroundings.
"View Details"
──────────────
[The rank of 'Steel Body' has increased.]
──────────────
[Steel Body] [Lv.3]
—Enhances the body by absorbing ether.
"View Details"
──────────────
Ho...
As expected, subordinating Esther caused my ether resonance to increase drastically.
I had finally become a Level 3 Ether Adept, comparable to Tatiana Belov.
[Discharge] and [Steel Body].
By becoming a Level 3 Ether Adept, I had finally acquired the [Discharge] ability.
Now, I could emit ether at will, generating ether waves as both an offensive and defensive measure.
And with Fortification reaching Level 3, my body felt noticeably lighter.
'Indeed... the growth of my ether resonance is extraordinary.'
Although other stats were also improving at a good pace, the growth of my ether resonance was on a completely different level.
There was no need to look far to see the difference—Tatiana Belov, a major from the Navy Line and a special strike force coordinator, was a Level 3 Ether Adept.
In other words, at least in terms of ether resonance, I could now be compared to a major from the Navy Line.
Maybe I should look into Carl Marcus as well.
I already knew it, but the more I learned, the more suspicious Carl Marcus became.
Not only because of what Esther said earlier but also because of this absurdly rapid growth in ether resonance.
'Wasn't he supposed to be just a descendant of a barbarian tribe?'
If I ever had the chance, it might be worth visiting Kurilta in the Red Line to find out more.
'Well, it's not a high priority right now... I can look into it later.'
Besides, I didn't necessarily have to go all the way to Kurilta—I could just ask Esther what she saw in my memories and get a few clues.
"Wake up."
As I slowly moved my ether, I could feel the ether that had become part of me start to stir.
It was The One Who Dwells, Esther.
[Ah...]
A voice echoed in my head.
It wasn't the ghastly voice from earlier when she tried to possess me—it was a calm, gentle tone.
[...It's over. I'm doomed.]
Whether she had given up or that was her original tone, Esther sounded unexpectedly composed.
Her adaptability was remarkable, to say the least.
"For someone who's ruined, you seem pretty calm."
[Crying about it won't change anything, will it?]
Resignation dripped from her voice.
As she said, nothing would change.
Unless I released her, Esther would remain a part of me, subordinated and bound to my ether.
Being a Grade-1 Specter by nature, she wouldn't lose herself among other ethers unless she gave up completely.
Still, it's better for me if she maintains her autonomy.
Having a Grade-1 Specter like Esther, a key member of the Shadow Order, would make her an exceptionally useful asset.
"I'm glad you're accepting it so calmly."
[That's not the only reason. You've piqued my interest.]
That was something I couldn't just ignore.
Especially the way she addressed me.
"You're calling me 'you' now?"
Even in this situation, she still sounded as defiant as ever.
It seemed like I needed to establish some ground rules and clarify the hierarchy.
[What are you planning to—]
The ether stirred.
Soon, the ether around us took shape and landed a playful thump on Esther's head.
Thok!
[Ow!]
Specters are nearly immune to physical damage except for Experimental Rounds like GHOST-157.
But an ether-based strike was a different story.
Since she was now subordinated to me, resisting or evading was simply not possible.
[That hurts...]
Esther pouted and made a fuss.
But now, the most she could do was make some noise inside my head.
And even that wouldn't go unchecked unless I was asleep.
[Ugh... then what should I call you?]
"Anything but 'you' is fine."
[Hmm... then how about 'Master'?]
"...What?"
Esther giggled.
[Oh, so that's your preference? Got it, Master.]
"...Just call me by my name."
[Aww, embarrassed?]
Esther kept on babbling for quite a while after that.
It seemed I had picked up a troublesome companion.
Someone might say I was possessed by a ghost.
Unfortunately, they would be right.