Chapter 3: The Soul Bound by Hatred Part 1 The moment the wandering spirit appeared... The entire atmosphere changed. The abandoned house that had been silent for years suddenly became filled with an overwhelming pressure. Not the pressure of power. Not the pressure of a higher existence. It was the pressure of emotion. Hatred. A hatred that had been accumulated for years. The figure standing before Adrian was no longer a human. Its body was incomplete. A form created from spiritual energy and negative emotions. Its face was distorted. Its eyes carried endless anger. It was not simply a ghost. It was a soul that had been consumed by the emotion that remained after death. "Leave..." The spirit's voice echoed. But this time... There was no warning. Only hostility. "You are the same as them." The ghost's hatred intensified. "You came here to disturb me." "You came here to destroy me." Adrian frowned slightly. "I didn't come here for that." The moment he finished speaking... The entire yard trembled. The ghost disappeared. Adrian's expression changed. Behind him... A terrifying cold presence appeared. A sharp claw formed from condensed resentment attacked directly toward his back. Bang! A powerful impact exploded. The ground beneath Adrian cracked. But his body had already moved. He avoided the attack at the last moment. The ghost appeared several meters away. Its expression became more distorted. "You avoided it..." "You really are different..." "But you are still human." The surrounding darkness gathered. Countless threads of hatred spread through the air. They moved like chains. Adrian immediately understood. This was not normal spiritual energy. The ghost's power was created from its emotions. Every bit of hatred strengthened its existence. The more it hated... The stronger it became. Adrian raised his hand. A small amount of spiritual energy flowed from his Originless Immortal Core. The energy was weak. Far weaker than what Aetherion once possessed. But the moment it appeared... The ghost froze. "What..." "What is that?" For the first time... Confusion appeared in its eyes. Because it could not understand. The energy was not ghost power. It was not witchcraft. It was not a guardian spirit's force. It did not belong to this world. Adrian noticed its reaction. Even this wandering spirit could feel the difference. "This universe..." "Really has no knowledge of this path." The ghost suddenly became more aggressive. "Stop pretending you are different!" Its hatred exploded. "You are all the same!" "You think you are better!" "You think you can decide the fate of others!" The ghost's voice became louder. The entire house shook. Adrian looked at it carefully. The words were filled with anger. But behind that anger... There was pain. A deep pain that had remained hidden. The ghost attacked again. This time, dozens of dark claws appeared from every direction. Adrian moved. His body was still weak. His physical ability was still human. But his perception was different. Aetherion's memories allowed him to see the structure behind the attack. Not just the movement. The emotion. The connection. The source. He stepped between the attacks. Every movement was precise. The claws passed beside him. The ground shattered behind him. The ghost became more furious. "Why won't you fight back?!" Adrian looked at it. "I am fighting back." His spiritual energy condensed around his hand. He struck. Not the ghost's body. The hatred surrounding it. Boom! The dark energy exploded. The ghost was pushed backward. Its expression changed. "You..." "You attacked my hatred?" Adrian remained silent. He had understood something. The hatred was not the ghost itself. It was a shell. A prison. But the prison had become so strong that even the soul inside had forgotten who it was. The ghost roared. "Don't look at me like that!" "Don't pity me!" "I don't need anyone!" The hatred became even stronger. The entire house began collapsing. The wandering spirit was becoming unstable. Adrian's eyes narrowed. This was dangerous. If the hatred completely consumed the soul... The spirit would no longer be a wandering soul. It would become something closer to a disaster. A monster created only from resentment. Adrian took a deep breath. "Then I will stop you first." The ghost charged. Adrian moved forward as well. For the first time... A human cultivator from another universe... Clashed with a wandering spirit born from this world's emotions. One side was hatred that refused to disappear. The other side was a new path seeking freedom beyond all chains. And this battle... Was the first step in Adrian Voss understanding this mysterious universe.