Chapter 1483 Murder Cases in Ghust Town <TOC> Chapter 1485 A Cage
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Translator: SumTLMan
“Not curious?” Angel seemed surprised by Alex’s response.
“I just find it odd,” Alex mumbled, lowering his head.
“What’s odd?”
Alex didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at the words on the paper, his eyes flickering as if seeing beyond the literal text.
Observing Alex’s silence, Angel decided not to press further and changed the subject: “Aren’t you the least bit curious why they die when they leave Ghust Town? And aren’t you wondering what lies beyond the boundaries of Ghust Town?”
After a long pause, Alex finally spoke, “I’m not curious about what’s outside Ghust Town; what intrigues me more is…”
Alex looked up towards the pitch-black ceiling of the confessional, as if staring at an invisible cage. Yet his gaze didn’t linger on this confinement; it reached into the farthest reaches of the void.
“This world.”
…
Angel exited from the Church of Kruja, having gained little information from Alex. Alex had spent his entire life within the confines of the church, never fully exploring even Ghust Town, let alone other places. The texts mostly contained vague details about the Holy City.
So, Angel temporarily left the church to explore the outside world himself.
The style of Ghust Town closely resembled that of Ghust Town. Although small, it had mountains, fields, and a creek running through it, enough for a self-sustaining lifestyle.
The architecture of the town was mostly wooden, and perhaps due to the residents’ lack of attention to maintenance, many of the wooden walls bore signs of weathering — some had termite damage, while others were stained by moisture.
The air was thick with a musty, moldy smell.
Angel roamed around the town, even specifically locating the rooms of the sheriff and the mayor. Much to his disappointment, however, he found no further information about the area.
In the mayor’s room was a rather rudimentary terrain map. The scope of the drawing only included the town of Ghust and the nearby regions; anything beyond that was blank.
Upon exiting the mayor’s room, Angel turned his gaze toward the distant mountains.
It was said that in that direction lay the Holy City, hundreds of miles away.
Since he couldn’t find any leads in Ghust, Angel decided to go check out the situation in the Holy City.
Angel took to the sky, flying towards the distant mountains. He didn’t have a physical body to hold him back anymore, so he was able to float purely on the power of illusion, at a speed that was by no means slow.
After flying for a few minutes, Angel had already distanced himself more than ten miles from Ghust. Here he encountered a turbulent, roaring river. The river was at least several dozens of meters wide, its middle choked with jutting rocks that caused the waters to eddy and whirl, throwing up sprays that even formed a layer of white mist over the river’s surface.
This river was one that had to be crossed on the way from Ghust to the Holy City.
Angel descended and slowly walked to the edge of the only stone bridge over this river.
If he remembered correctly, the skull of a knight named Reven was discovered on this very bridge pier.
Angel looked at the piers of the stone bridge, and among them, he saw that one of the piers had a protruding section where a rope was hanging. Below the rope was the turbulent river water.
Angel flew to the side of the rope and upon closer examination, he found dark, dried bloodstains on it.
Due to the mist rising from the water below, the rope was even damp to the touch.
It seemed this was the place where the skull of Knight Reven was discovered.
Angel glanced at the rope and surveyed the surrounding environment. Finding nothing amiss, he continued to fly forward. Although somewhat intrigued by the series of events in Ghust Town, his primary concern at the moment was to ascertain his current location. As for this case, which seemed tinged with otherworldly secrets, he could always investigate it later, if time allowed.
After all, he was just a manifestation of an illusion now; without a physical body and an established location, even uncovering supernatural secrets would be pointless.
With that thought, Angel didn’t linger and continued to fly forward.
After crossing the river, Angel followed the main road and flew straight ahead. However, not even a minute had passed when he suddenly came to a halt, his eyes fixed on the distant mountains; something felt off.
In his line of sight, lush trees and abundant flowers painted the landscape, with rolling green hills sketching a mesmerizing curve.
But Angel noticed something distinctly odd.
In the realm where he currently hovered, he could hear the whooshing of the wind, the leaves in the large trees swaying, some even blown away.
Yet, in the not-so-distant area ahead, everything was utterly still, devoid of any signs of the wind’s movement.
It was as if he was looking at a static painting.
Something is definitely wrong. A sense of caution surged within Angel. However, he didn’t retreat but proceeded even more carefully.
When Angel reached a certain threshold, he stopped.
Cautiously, he extended his illusionary power to make contact…
When he received the feedback, Angel’s pupils suddenly contracted. The power of illusion wasn’t as sensitive as mental power, but Angel still distinctly sensed that his illusory power had encountered a formidable barrier. When he tried to break through forcefully, the energy of the illusion simply bounced him back.
Summoning even greater strength this time, Angel found that the barrier remained impassive; he still couldn’t leave.
Angel flew quickly along the extent of the barrier, covering more than ten miles before finally confirming that the entire area was enclosed by this wall. As for the landscape behind him, it was either the true scenery behind the barrier or perhaps just a projection.
His expression became rather odd as he lifted his eyes to the sky. If this place was bounded by a barrier, what about the higher heavens? Carrying this question, Angel flew upwards for about a kilometer only to encounter the barrier once again.
He descended slowly, finding himself near the surging river he had noticed earlier; he could even faintly see a stone bridge in the distance.
Looking at the distant bridge piers, Angel suddenly recalled what Alex had said earlier — The entire town of Ghust is like an inescapable birdcage. Any bird attempting to fly away will have its wings broken by an unseen hand.
Angel muttered, “Is this the reason?”
——Perhaps Ghust Town was truly just a cage, and all the serial killings had occurred because people within this cage had discovered its secret. Realizing they lived in a fabricated world, they were eliminated by some shadowy puppet master.
But what was the point of doing this?
Reeds disperse in the wind to take root; wild animals kill to satisfy hunger. There should be a purpose for any action. Even if it’s some trifling game contrived by a capricious deity, there must be a meaning… like seeking amusement.
So, what was the hidden puppeteer trying to accomplish by going to such great lengths to turn this place into an inescapable birdcage?
Angel turned his head, looking toward the distant and dimly visible Ghust Town.
“What meaning does that place hold?”
……
The curtain of daylight was slowly replaced by the darkness of night, hanging stars in the sky.
In this tranquil night, Alex held a holy book, reading it word for word. When he had sincerely and steadfastly finished reading, the priest opposite him, Father Bertrand, flashed a contented smile.
“In your words, I can already sense divine power. I believe that when you become a priest, you will surely bring the gospel of the Father God to the suffering masses.”
In the dim glow of an oil lamp, Bertrand’s smile seemed slightly distorted due to the play of light and shadow.
Alex, however, pretended not to notice and stood up to bow respectfully: “In the name of the Father God.”
When Alex looked up, the Father Bertrand in front of him had vanished. In his place was a dark silhouette extending a hand from the shadows, emitting an eerie laugh.
The hand broke free from the shackles of darkness, transforming into a fair and tender hand, most striking of which were the vibrant purple nails.
“Come, take my hand, and let us plunge into the Abyss together…” The enchanting voice brushed past Alex’s ears like a gentle breeze.
Alex remained expressionless, showing no reaction and not taking the hand offered.
After a few seconds, the scene before him abruptly vanished, and Alex found himself back in the dimly lit cottage. However, a hand was still before him, but this hand was filled with the wrinkles of age.
Father Bertrand extended his hand to gently stroke Alex’s snow-white hair that fell to his shoulders: “What are you daydreaming about?”
“No, I’m merely contemplating the contents of the Holy Scriptures, which have given me new insights,” Alex said, not betraying any emotion.
Father Bertrand was none the wiser and even nodded approvingly. “Keeping the Holy Scriptures in mind at all times is foundational to the discipline of a priest. You’re doing well.”
After saying this, Bertrand’s gaze fell upon Alex’s white hair, a look of envy in his eyes. “The scriptures say that the Father God was born with white hair. Yours is equally pristine, devoid of any impurities; it might truly be a sign of the Father God’s favor. I believe you’re destined to be an exceptional priest.”
Alex nodded, “That is my hope.”
Bertrand left the room, his face adorned with a satisfied and comforting smile.
Once Bertrand had gone, Alex sank into a bout of contemplation, his eyes flickering continuously. Half an hour later, Bertrand’s ears suddenly twitched, and he turned his head toward the window.
At some point, a shadow had appeared outside, visible through the white window curtains.
“Is it Sister Tessa?”
There was no response.
Alex hesitated for a moment, “Mr. Pat?”
The window opened in answer, revealing the face of Angel.
As Angel stepped into the room, he looked at Alex’s undisturbed demeanor. “You don’t seem surprised by my appearance.”
Alex looked calmly at Angel, and countered, “In every hour, a myriad of events large and small unfold. So, I would not find it surprising for anyone to visit at any time.”
After a brief pause, Alex continued, “More importantly, Mr. Pat, why aren’t you dead?”
Chapter 1483 Murder Cases in Ghust Town <TOC> Chapter 1485 A Cage