Chapter 2151 Disciple Test <TOC> Chapter 2153 Obfuscation
Translator: SumTLMan
On the scroll of Soul Trickery training, Freud had once read a record clearly stating that besides the step-by-step learning process, there was another method to assist in the study of Soul Trickery:
By killing and absorbing the unique energy of ghosts, one could enhance their practice of Soul Trickery.
This method had its limitations and could potentially lead to one’s fall due to the chaotic energy emanating from the ghosts.
Moreover, the Soul Trickery absorbed from ghosts had to be consistent with the abilities possessed by the ghost itself.
For instance, if a ghost only possessed the ability to “possess,” then the first Soul Trickery learned through this special method would also be possession.
Most importantly, the effectiveness of the absorbed Soul Trickery wasn’t guaranteed to be strong, and self-cultivation offered more choices and avoided the risk of falling into darkness.
Previously, Freud had never considered using this method.
However, now he had heard about the matter of the Human Face Spider Ghost Lady Sheila.
Human Face Spider Ghosts are unique, signifying their special characteristics distinct from ordinary ghosts, perhaps a stronger influence on the material world or unique abilities different from regular ghosts.
Killing a unique ghost and absorbing its Soul Trickery could likely result in acquiring their special abilities, which would be much stronger than ordinary Soul Trickery!
Of course, the chaotic energy from unique ghosts would be more intense, increasing the likelihood of falling into darkness.
But Freud’s least concern was falling into darkness.
With the Prelude of Reincarnation, even if he fell, he could be brought back. However, it’s better not to fall, as doing so would waste white light bullets and the absorbed abilities wouldn’t return.
Considering the uniqueness of the Human Face Spider Ghost, Freud’s internal scale began to tip.
Angel could discern Freud’s thoughts and was somewhat inclined to let Freud use the unique ghost for a breakthrough in Soul Trickery. However, the final decision still needed to be made by Freud himself.
Angel: “Since you’re considering this, why not wait a bit longer? Let’s see what special abilities this Human Face Spider Ghost actually possesses.”
Freud nodded: “Okay.”
In the following days, Angel and Freud temporarily resided in a forester’s cabin on a highland behind the lake shore, which offered a view of the castle.
To avoid alarming the unique ghost with their strong spiritual sense, both Angel and Freud refrained from using their energies, silently sitting in wait.
Two days passed in a blink.
Freud opened the large door of the cabin to a very clear day. Under the sunlight, the moisture and wood scent in the air were discernible.
Standing at the door, Freud gazed distantly at the Star Lake Castle.
It stood as majestic and serene as ever, its presence magnified by the shadows of the trees, adding a touch of tranquility.
Looking at such a castle, Freud once again doubted: Would the Human Face Spider Ghost really come? The visions and sounds from the talent test in the higher-dimensional spiritual world, could they truly manifest in reality?
“Chirp chirp——”
As Freud gazed into the distance, a black shadow suddenly flashed through the woods, startling a flock of birds. The shadow moved swiftly, heading straight for the cabin.
As the shadow neared the door, Freud shifted slightly, allowing the shadow to dart inside.
With the arrival of the shadow, a series of chirping sounds filled the air.
Freud turned around and saw that the shadow had already reached in front of Angel, stopping on the palm of his hand, revealing its form——a small seabird with grey feathers.
It was Toby, who had slept for many days and was rarely let out.
Toby chirped excitedly, seemingly sharing something. Although Freud had interacted with Toby quite a bit, he still couldn’t understand the bird’s language and could only sense Toby’s excitement.
Recalling that Toby was released to scout for the ghost’s movements in the sky, Freud’s eyes lit up: Could it be that Toby had spotted the traces of the Human Face Spider Ghost?
Freud looked towards Angel, the only one who could understand bird language at its highest level, to discern what Toby was trying to convey.
“It didn’t see the Human Face Spider Ghost. The reason for its excitement is simply because…” Angel paused, lowering his voice a few notches: “Gloria is not here.”
Toby initially thought it would be very free in the Wilderness of Dreams, and it was indeed so at first, following Tulas around and wandering daily. However, one day, Gloria also learned about the existence of the Wilderness of Dreams and entered it.
Since then, Toby has been trapped in a nightmare of training in both reality and the Wilderness of Dreams.
Finally, when Angel left the Savage Grottoes and Toby returned to reality, the absence of Gloria’s tiger-mom education naturally thrilled it. Even flying through the withered forests was a delight.
As the de facto manager of Initial Heart City, Freud was well aware of how strict Gloria was with Toby… It could be said that the Stone Pillar Coliseum in the southern part of the city was almost exclusively booked by Gloria.
Therefore, Freud understood Toby’s feelings: “Ah, it’s not easy for him.”
Hearing Freud’s support, Toby also flew to his side, chirping a few times in empathy.
Angel shook his head, smiling after his laughter, and said, “Although Toby didn’t see the Human Face Spider Ghost and didn’t sense any ghost movements nearby, it told me that there has been a slight change in this forest.”
“Change?” Freud was puzzled.
Toby chirped away, but Freud couldn’t understand a word and had to turn to Angel again.
“Some creatures are exhibiting abnormal behaviors, like natural enemies encountering each other but not fighting, each retreating to their nests; rats and ants start digging deeper holes, disappearing from sight. There’s a noticeable isolation in the middle and lower segments of the ecological cycle.”
Freud: “What does this mean?”
Angel: “Don’t know yet, but it vaguely suggests that a more frenzied predator might be coming.”
A predator? A contemplative look flashed in Freud’s eyes. Many animals and insects, although lacking spiritual intelligence, can sense information in the spiritual world more deeply and purely.
Their reactions largely reflect some kind of message to the outside world.
If we go by Angel’s speculation, a more frenzied predator… Could it be that Lady Sheila is about to arrive?
Angel, seeing what Freud was thinking, stroked Toby’s soft feathers and said, “Let’s wait and see. If, as Toby says, there’s a significant change in the atmosphere of the forest, then the time for change is not far.”
“By tomorrow at the latest, the answer will emerge.”
…
In the secret basement of the Star Lake Castle, Little Seim was organizing the precious originals collected by his mother.
While dusting off the cover cloth on the painting —The Wanderer in the Wheat Field—, he explained the story within and beyond the painting to Alda, who was listening intently.
Little Seim enjoyed Alda’s simplicity and kindness and was happy to share these little stories with him.
As time ticked by, Alda began assisting Little Seim with dusting and arranging the relics.
When the grandfather clock in the basement chimed its “dong dong” sound, Little Seim finally set aside his work.
“It’s already six o’clock; I’ll go out to cook, and we’ll continue later,” Little Seim said.
Alda nodded, understanding that Little Seim, being human, needed food for sustenance.
Following closely behind Little Seim, Alda left the basement and entered the first-floor corridor.
“Do you want to come with me to the kitchen, or play by yourself first?” Little Seim asked.
Alda naturally preferred to accompany Little Seim, but just as he was about to respond, a strange wave of energy silently entered his ears.
“Brother Seim, I… my soul has been a bit unstable these past few days; I might need to go back to my room to rest and recover.”
Little Seim, having read many books on souls, naturally understood how terrible spirit instability could be for a ghost, even leading to corruption. So, he asked worriedly, “Why is your soul unstable, and is there a way to solve it?”
Alda looked down, avoiding Little Seim’s anxious gaze: “The Death Aura of Star Lake Castle is heavy, and I’ve absorbed too much in a short time, causing signs of soul instability.”
Little Seim: “Shall we go to Mr. Pat? He… he should be able to stabilize your soul, right?”
Alda shook his head: “No need, my soul isn’t so unstable that it requires the Lord’s intervention. I just need to sleep for a while, and I’ll be back to normal.”
As he spoke, Alda headed upstairs.
Little Seim hurriedly followed: “Really, just rest and you’ll be okay?”
Alda nodded and repeated the words he heard: “Yes. Mr. Pat has set up a special barrier in mine and Sunny’s room. When we rest, our soul energy slowly recovers.”
Although Little Seim knew some about wizards, he was completely unaware of their methods. Hearing that there was a special barrier in the room, he believed it. He had seen Sunny’s room before, which bore unique light patterns on the door that closed, creating a protected mini-world, inaccessible to anyone except Mr. Pat and Sunny herself.
Mr. Pat had also arranged this special barrier in Alda’s room.
Standing at the bedroom door, Alda said, “I’ll go rest now; I might wake up in a day or two. During this period… it’s best not to disturb me.”
Little Seim nodded, understanding the seriousness of Alda’s soul condition.
Alda: “Then I’m going in.”
After Alda entered, he hesitated, wanting to say something: “Brother Seim…”
Before he could finish, the door closed by itself.
As the door shut, the same light patterns as in Sunny’s room appeared, instantly creating a barrier between inside and outside. Neither sound nor energy could pass through.
Standing in the middle of the room, Alda’s face fell with regret.
“Don’t worry, before the Lord left, he had already reminded Little Seim. Even if you didn’t issue a warning, he has had doubts these past few days,” Freud’s voice echoed in the room.
Alda: “Will Brother Seim be safe?”
“He will. Sleep, and you’ll see him again,” Freud’s voice gradually faded from the room.
Alda sighed, glancing out the window to find that the wind had suddenly picked up.
The nearby tree swayed in the wind, and through the sheer curtain, it looked like ghostly figures, revealing their ferocious claws and teeth.
“Hopefully, everything is alright,” Alda muttered to himself, climbing onto the exquisitely crafted bed and putting on the login device, falling into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, outside the room, Little Seim pondered for a moment at the door before heading towards the kitchen.
Passing the terrace, Little Seim heard the whooshing sound of the wind.
He opened the door and stepped onto the third-floor terrace, leaning on the railing to gaze into the distance.
It was dusk, nearing evening. Normally, the sky would still be tinged with twilight hues. However, looking out from the terrace now, he saw no such colors, only rolling black clouds.
The black clouds, already low, seemed even closer from the vantage point of the Star Lake Castle, situated on the mountainside.
The churning clouds and mist were reflected in Little Seim’s pupils, making him feel oppressed, almost like a frog about to suffocate.
Coupled with the chilly mountain breeze from above, Little Seim’s heart inexplicably began to race.
“I have a bad feeling, as if something terrible is about to happen,” a sudden thought flashed through Little Seim’s mind. It seemed to come out of nowhere, yet it felt like a warning of impending danger.
Little Seim swallowed, and a memory fragment surfaced in his memory box.
“We’ll go first, take care,” Mr. Pat had said when leaving. Little Seim always felt there was a deeper meaning to his words, which had been recurring in his mind these past few days.
Now, recalling it again.
Could there really be some danger? Otherwise, why would Mr. Pat specifically remind him to be careful?
“It must be just scaring myself. All the ghosts here were cleared by Mr. Pat, there shouldn’t be any problems,” Little Seim reassured himself. “Even if there is a danger, it’s nothing more than thieves or wild beasts. There are mechanisms at the door; it should be safe.”
Turning around, Little Seim didn’t want to stay outside and feel the oppressive atmosphere any longer.
The moment he passed through the terrace and stepped into the corridor.
His memory box opened again, revealing a bizarre memory fragment: the scene of his talent test in Mr. Pat’s room.
These fragments, with their intense colors, gradually spread out and left behind a single image.
A woman’s face stuck to the window and the dancing spider legs in the pitch-black world outside.
“Lady Sheila…” Little Seim’s heart skipped a beat: “Could it be that she has really come looking for me?”
If Lady Sheila really did come, he was all alone… What to do?
Little Seim rubbed his somewhat cold hands, not wanting to ponder what might happen. He treated it as just a fantasy and quickly walked through the dark corridor.
But before he had gone far, a strange laughter suddenly echoed from behind.
Little Seim turned around hesitantly, but there was no shadow behind him. There was only a window showing the outside, with tree shadows swaying and the cold wind howling.
Little Seim murmured, “It must just be the wind, don’t overthink it, don’t overthink it…”