My Will Rules Another World

Chapter 3: Possessing Another’s Body

Ling Feng followed them deeper into the woods as they knew it. This was not truly the heart of the forest, though. Ordinarily, anyone who ventured this far could press onward no further without overwhelming strength. Everything past this point counted as perilous territory, and that was why people referred to it as the Depths.

Ling Feng followed them deeper into the woods as they knew it. This was not truly the heart of the forest, though. Ordinarily, anyone who ventured this far could press onward no further without overwhelming strength. Everything past this point counted as perilous territory, and that was why people referred to it as the Depths.

“Xuerou, should we keep going deeper tonight?” The odd‑looking man at the front glanced back. Only then did Ling Feng get a clear look at him. If not for his haggard, debauched appearance, he would have been passable‑looking. As things stood, however, he cut a pitiful figure. It was as if the words I am a lecher, ladies stay away were carved right onto his face.

The princess bowed her head, lost in thought. Hearing his voice, she lifted her gaze. “We will push on a little further, then set up camp to rest.”

The odd man thought for a moment. “Very well, let’s keep moving.” With that he strode onward into the woods, not noticing he had drifted a little ahead of the group. The others slowly put more distance between themselves and him.

“Once we travel a bit farther, we will shake him off,” the princess whispered to the three companions. “If we run into a magical beast, we will lure it to fight him and flee. Later we can simply claim we got separated.”

“Understood,” the three replied.

Xin Lei spoke up, sounding worried. “Princess, are you certain he will never find his way out of this forest?”

“He is a typical spoiled noble brat,” she answered. “This is his first time leaving the imperial city, and he has no sense of direction. Neither his spatial pouch nor his spatial ring contains a map. Even if one were there, he would not know how to read it.”

Just as they finished talking, a tiger’s roar echoed through the woods. The four exchanged glances and smiled. Their chance had arrived. The princess said, “Let us go and help him fight the magical beast.”

Xueqing looked confused. “Help fight the beast alongside him?”

The princess gave a cold smirk. “Yes, alongside him. That way nothing can go wrong. Hold back your strength for now. Let him bear the brunt of the battle.”

Eager to prove his bravery, the odd man brandished his greatsword and charged toward the incoming monster. It was a tiger‑like beast covered entirely in jet‑black fur.

“A Dark Tiger!!” the princess rejoiced inwardly. From what she knew, a Dark Tiger was a Rank‑6 magical beast. It possessed immense strength, lightning‑fast reflexes, and could wield dark magic, capable of clashing evenly against a high‑rank Sword Master. Yet the odd man was only a high‑rank Swordsman.

Xin Lei and Lin Wei’er rushed into the fray as well. The princess was a fire‑attribute mage, while Xueqing wielded water‑attribute magic. As mages, they stood far back, chanting incantations to cast their spells.

Ling Feng mused to himself: Mages really do have it easy. They never have to charge in to be cannon fodder.

With five of them fighting, they should have held the upper hand. Instead, the battle remained deadlocked. It was plain to see: aside from the odd man giving it his all, everyone else was holding back. The two warrior companions kept dodging attacks, making no effort to shield him from the Dark Tiger’s blows.

Watching this unfold, Ling Feng saw through their scheme. They intended to use the beast as a knife to murder him. No wonder they had come out here after dark. Forests at night were terrifying even on Earth, let alone this world swarming with ferocious monsters.

The Dark Tiger loosed a Devouring Orb. The odd man leaped sideways to dodge. The beast immediately swiped out with its tiger claws. Mid‑leap, he could not change his trajectory. His old strength had faded, and new power had yet to build. Without assistance, the strike would land for certain.

Xin Lei, standing nearby, raised his greatsword, ready to intercept. Just as the odd man thought he was saved, a voice that sent him plummeting into despair rang out.

“Leave him. We are leaving now,” the princess said coldly, without the faintest trace of emotion.

The Dark Tiger’s claws slammed hard into the odd man’s body. Pfft‑‑‑ He coughed up a mouthful of blood and went flying. The Dark Tiger pounced after him. Since he had dealt the most damage to it, the beast wanted him dead above all else to sate its rage.

Knowing how dire his situation was, the injured man forced himself steady and swung his greatsword at the Dark Tiger.

The other four were already retreating toward the forest’s edge. Before they departed, they tossed out one final remark. “This is the consequence for all your misdeeds over the years. No one will grieve your death. Many will rejoice.”

“You set me up! You came here to kill me!” the odd man shouted in bitter defiance. Deep down, he knew he would not survive this day.

The Dark Tiger struck him once more. He was covered in blood. He bitterly regretted his obsession with taking the princess for himself. The hunter who preys on geese has at last been pecked by one.

He struggled desperately to hold his ground. There was no denying his swordsmanship was solid; it was the only thing about him worthy of respect.

I am finished. Staring at the descending tiger claws, the odd man prepared to meet his end.

At that very moment, he recalled a secret technique from his Proud Dragon Art, a method to forcibly boost his battle qi. The higher one’s cultivation in this art, the milder its side‑effects and the greater the power unleashed. At the second layer of his cultivation, he could temporarily raise himself to the rank of Intermediate Sword Master. Any further boost would cost him his life.

To hell with it! If I die, I am taking someone down with me. I will not go down alone.

He forced his battle qi to surge, nearly reaching the level of Junior Sword Saint. He unleashed the most powerful, final strike of his life. Brilliant light burst forth from his greatsword.

Sensing mortal danger, the Dark Tiger tried to retreat, but it was too late. The blade sliced across its throat and tore into its belly.

Roarrr‑‑‑ With a mournful roar, the Dark Tiger collapsed. Blood gushed from its wounds, pooling across the ground.

“Want me dead? You will have to try harder! My greatsword is no ornament!” the odd man roared triumphantly.

Thud. He too crumpled into the pool of blood.

Ling Feng had watched the whole scene unfold. He did not know what crimes the man had committed, yet he thought that, in his final moments, he had died like a true man.

Meanwhile, the four who had fled were hurrying swiftly toward the outer edge of the forest, following routes they knew to be safe.

The four traveled on in complete silence, not a single word spoken. They all knew they had betrayed a companion. No matter the reason, betraying one’s comrade was a sin, one that no one on this continent would ever respect. Word of this getting out would bring them endless shame, leaving them unable to hold their heads high in public. One thought never crossed their minds: if the Long Clan learned what had happened, it would spell disaster for them all.

Xueqing was the first to break the silence. “What story shall we tell when we get back?”

The princess fell silent for a moment before replying. “Stick to our planned lie. Say we got separated inside the Magical Beast Forest.”

Xueqing pondered. “The Long Clan are no fools. Sooner or later they will suspect the truth.”

“I am well aware of that,” the princess thought to herself. “I knew it from the very start of my plan. Even so, I had to do it. We will keep it hidden for as long as we can. I have dragged all of you into this mess.”

In her heart she added: If I had brought only him alone, everyone would immediately suspect me. No others would dare abandon him, fearing retaliation from the Long Clan. You three were my only possible choice.

Xueqing answered right away. “There is no need to speak of being dragged into trouble. He had his eyes set on me as well. I am merely looking out for myself. Do not blame yourself, Princess.”

The two men kept silent. For knights and swordsmen, betraying a fellow comrade was an unforgivable offense.

Each weighed their own heavy thoughts as the four quietly made their way out of the Magical Beast Forest. They had no idea the odd‑looking man had slain the Dark Tiger, even though he had perished in the fight. Had they known, their opinion of him might have changed.

Ling Feng hovered over the man’s corpse, wondering whether a soul would emerge. He waited for a long while, yet nothing drifted out of the body. He floated close beside it. Could he still be alive? Instinctively he reached toward the nostrils. No breath at all. Ugh, what a stupid mistake. How could my ghostly hands feel breath in the first place?

Just then, a faint magnetic aura emanated from the corpse, which Ling Feng sensed at once. He drifted a short distance away. No distinct soul rose from the remains. Instead, soul essence scattered in every direction and began to fade away. Ling Feng could not see this substance, yet he perceived it with perfect clarity.

Suddenly those wispy fragments seemed to have found a home and drifted straight toward Ling Feng. He tried to pull away, but once they merged into his spirit, a wave of immense comfort washed over him. He stopped resisting and let them fuse into his being. He reasoned these were pure energies released upon death, something scientists had often talked about back on Earth.

After absorbing the energy, Ling Feng mused to himself. Ghosts were supposed to possess bodies, weren’t they? Possessing a fresh corpse like this was the perfect chance. Heh‑heh…

As Ling Feng slipped inside the dead man’s body, his soul was struck by a violent shock. He tried to pull back out, only to find he could not escape. Had those earlier fragments caused this effect, marking him as the body’s true owner? If he had known this would happen, he would never have entered. He had assumed he could come and go freely, yet now he was trapped. Every part of him felt as if it were falling apart.

Slowly, through the painful fusion with the flesh, sensation returned. He gained control of the body, meaning he could command this brain. And at that moment, a brand‑new thought took shape inside Ling Feng’s mind.