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

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Detecting the presence of a strong Nightmare Beast, I guided my party through the Nightmare Forest, we jumped over strange vegetation, walked past traps set by other creatures, and ignored the annoying trees trying to grab us with their wooden claws, until we finally arrived at the area.

The area in question was a small, a strange swamp with only black mud inside, which looked more like miasma, I think. The miasma was constantly boiling and releasing bubbles, while a foul scent spread everywhere.

"Ugh, this place smells bad!" Emily said. "Is this the place you said there were Nightmare Beasts, Maria? It sure doesn't look that way, it's just black mud…"

"Yeah it is," I nodded. "Perhaps the Nightmare Beasts are under that swamp, we should bring them out somehow…"

"S-So this is a Miasmic Swamp…" Alma said. "I've read how these areas are very dangerous…! Usually people can get dragged inside by tentacled monsters, so we must be careful on our steps… Entering the swamp is usually instant death, the miasma is too dangerous."

"Hmm, it sure doesn't look nice…" Martina looked at the swamp. "I hope the this weird smell won't get stuck into my clothes or my hair, it takes so long to get my hair ready~ I've been careful not to nasty my cute painted nails but I'm at my limit already…"

"Don't worry about it, what could possibly go wrong?" I asked. "I'll use magic to bring whatever is- Oh."

SPLAAASH!

The moment we stepped in front of the swamp, something emerged from it, something huge and monstrous, yet strangely humanoid as well. I had thought there could be a lot of smaller Nightmare Beasts, but what greeted us was something much different.

"Heheheh! I finally found some new, tasty and young dream hearts to devour!"

Its appearance was large, perhaps over five meters in height, its body, although humanoid, was also fat and swollen. It had a large fat face, with several rolls of black colored, slimy flesh. Two giant eyes on its face, black, with red pupils. Its bald head was adorned by a pair of black horns, and it had a long, fat tail behind it.

It was a truly hideous thing, and without a doubt, its ability to speak like this and all told us immediately that this being was in fact nothing else than a damned Nightmare Demon!

"W-What's that ugly thing?!" Emily asked. "It's so fat and disgusting!"

"Eek!" Alma cried as she stepped back. "It's smells so bad!"

"It's a Nightmare Demon?!" Sofia asked, as she held her spear tightly, her Dream Spirit covering her armor and transforming her armor and spear into golden Valkyrie equipment.

"We better get ready for anything!" Martina said, her puppet jester spreading pink and purple clouds around her.

"Yeah it's most likely a Nightmare Demon," I nodded.

"Wow, it's huge and fat, hahaha!" Nyx laughed.

"Doesn't seem to be like the others…" Lucifer said. "Perhaps it's a lower ranked one."

"Lower ranked?!" The Nightmare Demon said angrily. "I am a highly ranked Nightmare Demon, thank you very much! I was sitting here waiting for you to come! It took days! But you're finally here, hehehehe!"

"Huh? Were you part of the attack that happened yesterday?" I asked.

"You're acting way too casually for being in front of my almighty evil presence!" Said the Nightmare Demon. "Yes, I was part of that! So what?! It's not like asking these questions are ever going to save your lives now!"

As the Nightmare Demon laughed, his powers began spreading around his surroundings, he manifested black miasma everywhere, shaped as countless black tentacles.

"{Nightmare Domain}: {Endless Swamp Of Disgust}!"

SPLAAASH!

The Demon laughed as he spread the swamp in all directions. His power wasn't the same as the other Demons, we learned instantly that, although he was stronger than any other fodder out there, he was unable to manifest a reality-warping Nightmare World based in his Authority.

"GYAHAHAHA! DROWN IN THE MIASMA!"

As he laughed monstrously, the girls panicked, looking at the approaching black miasma with eyes full of horror! It was quite clear they didn't want to even get involved or touch this monster or its magic, which made sense.

"Uwah?! The miasma's coming!" Alma cried.

"We have to escape!" Emily said.

"Wait, Maria! Why aren't you doing anything?!" Sofia asked me.

"Calm down!" I said. "This guy isn't even comparable to the Nightmare Demons of Childhood or Self-Hatred. He's most likely the Nightmare Demon of Disgust, right? The fear of being seen as disgusting, ugly, nasty… all of it."

"Hehehehe! That's right! And knowing that won't really matter either! Now drown! My miasma shall consume everything! Disgust, nastiness, terrible odor, all of it! You will drown on it all! Gyahahaha!"

As he laughed, suddenly…

TRUUUM!

"Hm?"

His laughter was interrupted, as a powerful domain of black flames manifested, surrounding us all, the miasma burned into ashes the moment it touched it.

"Papa!"

Nyx got happy as she saw her father in action, Lucifer remained there, expanding his Domain of Abyssal Death Flames, as he looked at the Nightmare Demon with a serious expression.

"It seems this is nothing but a small fry," he said. "Shall we dispose of him quickly, Maria?"

"S-Small fry?! Y-You dare call me a small fry?!" The Nightmare Demon of Disgust screamed, vomiting miasma from his giant mouth. "So you can control flames, so what?! I'll drown you even from above!"

As he roared, he spread his fat arms and unleashed a giant downpour of black miasma coming from above us, splashing over our entire bodies.

SPLAAASH!

"GYAHAHAHA! DIE!"

As he laughed and celebrated, suddenly…

BOOOM!

An explosion of flames erupted from beneath, the miasma was burned into ashes once more, as Lucifer's flames protected us, taking the form of a giant blazing dome.

"How pathetic! If that is the extent of your abilities, then perhaps I don't even need to step up… Sofia and the rest, you're going against that thing," Lucifer said.

"E-Eh? And since when are you the boss, Lucifer?" Sofia asked angrily and still in awe of his strength.

"He used to be just a punk, why is he so strong now?" Emily wondered.

"Don't concentrate on such things!" I said. "He's right, it would be a nice training if you girls kill this guy. Let's do that!"

Also, if my theory is correct, their Dream Weapons need to absorb Nightmare or Dream Energy by killing Nightmare Demons to evolve!

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