Translator: SumTLMan
“What are you doing still sprawled on the ground?” Angel’s voice reached Natasha’s ears. Through her daze, she glanced his way.
“The mournful aura beneath us has not yet dissipated. It seems that the ghostly attack just now was but a fraction of what lies beneath. Perhaps more ghosts are lurking underground… Do you plan to continue lying there as live bait?”
It took Natasha a moment to comprehend. Did he imply that what she experienced was not an illusion?
As Natasha was about to inquire further, a jarring roar echoed from behind her.
It felt as if a cold, spectral wind had grazed her very soul. This dark aura enveloped her, causing shivers to ripple through her being, like being plunged into an icy vault.
“A banshee wail!” The realization that she had been affected by the lament of the dead dawned on Natasha. However, recognizing it didn’t mean she could defend herself. She remained paralyzed, feeling the chill intensifying behind her…
Suddenly, an almost imperceptible sigh reached her ears.
Accompanying it was a silent yet tangible ripple in the air. Facing Angel, Natasha clearly saw the ripple emanating from the weapon in his hand.
As the ripple surged forth, it expanded at an astonishing speed.
Everyone in front of Angel, including Natasha, was enveloped by this radiating ripple. However, within its embrace, Natasha felt no discomfort. In contrast, the chilling ghosts behind her cried out in agony.
The tremoring aura abruptly vanished.
When Natasha felt she could move again, she quickly turned her head, and her eyes reflected an utterly bewildering scene!
Behind her, not far away, a spectral phantom draped in crimson let out a mournful scream. It disintegrated into myriad points of light, reminiscent of an intricately constructed sandcastle facing a fierce hurricane — swiftly scattered and vanishing entirely in a heartbeat.
Natasha gazed at the dissipating ghost, then turned her eyes to the peculiar gun in Angel’s grasp.
“Is this real?” she whispered to herself.
Is this the very reason why all the ghosts disappeared in the blink of an eye? Were they obliterated by this very weapon?
“There are more ghostly presences converging this way. Are you sure you want to keep sitting on the ground?” Angel asked, eyebrow raised in concern.
Shaken from her daze, Natasha stood.
“Lead the way,” Angel’s eyes held a hint of suspicion, as if pondering whether the mechanical part of this semi-mechanical human had affected her cognitive functions in some way.
Natasha could see the skepticism in Angel’s eyes and felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation. But now was not the time for explanations; she simply turned on her heel and continued forward.
They were not far from their destination, and as she had surmised, countless ghosts surged towards them in an overwhelming tide over this short distance.
At first, Natasha was apprehensive. After all, dealing with these ghosts wasn’t a walk in the park. However, as time ticked by, the anxiety that had her heart hovering in mid-air slowly grounded, steadying her nerves.
With every shot Angel fired, it wasn’t just one or two ghosts that were taken down — it was a vast swath of them.
Once, only a few steps into their journey, hundreds of ghosts surged from a nearby cliff. But before their eerie cries could fully form, they were swept away by a ripple of energy, leaving none behind.
Natasha had never witnessed such a swift eradication of ghosts.
Could this gun be an alchemical weapon specifically designed to combat ghosts? The efficiency with which it eradicates is truly spine-chilling!
Once, Natasha had accompanied a formal wizard who employed banishing spells against these ghosts, yet never with such swiftness. Moreover, there was always a limit to the number he could banish at once. Nothing compares to Angel’s current efficiency in sweeping away these ghosts.
Indeed, even Sanders was taken aback by Angel’s rapidity in purging the ghosts.
He was, of course, familiar with the power of the ‘Prelude of Reincarnation’, but this was the first time he had witnessed its effectiveness against such an overwhelming number of ghosts.
Had Sanders been tasked with this, he might have been able to eliminate as many, but at an enormous cost, and not necessarily at a pace faster than Angel’s.
Such is the irreplaceable power of alchemical creations under unique circumstances.
Hordes of ghosts vanished, and by the time Natasha reached the node, the sorrowful aura of the surrounding ghosts had waned considerably.
Witnessing this efficiency, she couldn’t help but ponder: If Angel, with that peculiar gun of his, eradicated all the surrounding ghosts, could the dire situation of Black Castle be instantly alleviated? After all, isn’t that malefactor’s brazen confidence rooted in these ceaseless ghosts?
Eliminate the ghosts, and the shadowy fiend behind the scenes could be vanquished!
The idea exhilarated Natasha. However, she recognized the audacity of unreasonably requesting someone else to undertake such a task. Moreover, by what right or standing could she expect others to heed her?
With these thoughts, Natasha tempered her excitement. She might be powerless, but others might not be. Perhaps, if she informed the Queen, with her majesty’s capabilities, a solution could be found.
In a surge of anticipation, Natasha swiftly approached the magic formation node. She turned and stated, “Given that ghosts have sealed every route outside Black Castle, our only exit lies through these surrounding spatial nodes. I’ll activate it now. Should any ghosts attack, I hope you can aid in fending them off.”
Angel responded with a noncommittal nod.
Natasha immediately set about activating the spatial node. This mechanism, in essence, is similar to short-range teleportation formations but with an added layer of security. Both ends of the node must authenticate to allow for transportation.
Thus, it took Natasha some time to verify her identity and await confirmation from the controller behind the node.
While Natasha was engrossed in her task, a couple of waves of ghosts did approach. However, their numbers were limited, and Angel dispatched them with ease.
Subsequently, no more ghosts appeared until Natasha began communicating with the individual on the other end of the node.
Relief washed over Natasha, but a tinge of regret lingered in Angel’s demeanor. In truth, he enjoyed the cleansing of these ghosts, seizing the opportunity to gather white light bullets.
Back when he endeavored to turn Tulas from a ghost back into a soul, he had exhausted all six white light bullets in his barrel. Since then, opportunities to replenish his stock were rare, due to the scarcity of places teeming with such ghosts.
Angel’s initial plan involved venturing to the Sea of Ghosts to restock his bullets. However, more pressing matters always took precedence, pushing this venture to the backburner. But now, within the confines of Black Castle, hope for a full barrel emerged.
Yet, on this journey, Angel had only dispatched roughly 1,600 ghosts. Considering that one white light bullet requires at least 2,000 ghosts, he hadn’t accumulated enough for even a single bullet.
This was the root of Angel’s lingering regret as the ghosts vanished without a trace.
Natasha’s conversation with the individual at the corresponding node seemed to stretch on for an eternity before this end of the node finally came to life.
However, upon activation, Natasha’s expression was tinged with caution and a hint of helplessness: “I’ve alerted those on the other side, but they’re uncertain about admitting the two of you. They can’t abandon their duties, so they’ve opened only one transmission slot, hoping that I’d go first and then notify the higher-ups for a decision.”
Natasha’s tone was feather-light, threading a careful line. After all, she stood before two significant figures; one renowned in the Southern Region as a mighty War God, while the other’s identity remained undisclosed. Still, his peculiar weapon could very well be the key to lifting the siege on Black Castle. She was wary, fearing a misplaced word might offend them.
Angel cast a glance at Sanders. What Natasha said made Angel somewhat uneasy, but he wasn’t in a position to decide. The ball, undoubtedly, was in Sanders’ court.
Sanders’ demeanor was frosty, radiating a chilling aura that made Natasha inadvertently feel a shiver down her spine.
After what felt like an eternity, Sanders gave a slight nod, “Very well.”
A weight seemed to lift off Natasha’s shoulders, and with palpable relief, she returned to the transmission node. In a flash of light, she vanished from sight.
When Natasha disappeared, both Sanders and Angel simultaneously shifted their gaze to the location of Black Castle.
Sanders shot Angel a surprised glance, “You sensed it too?”
With a faintly bemused expression, Angel nodded, “I can feel it. The direction Natasha was transmitted to — it’s Black Castle. More precisely, it seems to be a unique space beneath it.”
Sanders peered intently at Angel, acknowledging with a nod, “Your judgment is accurate. It appears your aptitude in spatial matters is commendable.”
Upon discovery of Angel’s first Spell Position being akin to unlocking a door to spatial displacement, Sanders had conjectured that perhaps, concealed deep within Angel’s sea of consciousness, lay a natural aptitude towards spatial magic. Now, it seemed his hunch might indeed be on the mark. After all, how could an apprentice like Angel, with his still-developing abilities, discern the fleeting markers of space?
Sanders chose not to delve deeper into the topic. When the time comes for Angel to ascend as a formal wizard, clarity on the second talent can be attained then.
Now aware of the Precise Location of Black Castle, both Sanders and Angel possessed the means to enter it. However, having given Natasha their word, neither of them contemplated that option.
Sanders’ acquiescence to Natasha’s proposition wasn’t arbitrary. He had no intent to declare war with Black Castle. Their very presence near the castle already deviated from conventional visiting norms. Trespassing into the castle’s domain would indeed be an overstepping. To act without restraint would symbolize an outright declaration of war against the castle.
After all, with witches of the caliber of the Twilight Queen residing in Black Castle, Sanders deemed it prudent to tread with utmost caution.