Chapter 2152 Ominous Signs <TOC> Chapter 2154 Copper Bell
Translator: SumTLMan
Little Seim couldn’t help but quicken his steps. He wanted to leave this dim corridor quickly and head towards a brightly lit area——the stairway, hall, or kitchen.
Yet, he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt as though he had been walking for a long time, still shrouded in darkness.
“Not right,” Little Seim stopped and looked towards where the curtains hung. Outside was still the same menacing shadow of a tree.
With trembling steps, he approached and flung open the curtains, immediately hearing the mountain winds banging against the window and seeing that uniquely shaped tree.
This tree was deeply etched in his memory, near the patio.
And yet, he had left the patio some time ago. This meant that he hadn’t actually moved at all.
But Little Seim could hear his own frantic heartbeat and his breathing, the aftermath of his quick walking. With such intense physical feedback but no actual movement, what was going on?
“Ghostly Obfuscation?” Little Seim unconsciously uttered the term.
This was something he had read in a book at the orphanage a few days ago. It was a unique ability of ghosts. It appeared to be illusionary, but in reality, it directly influenced the mind through a specific frequency, guiding and misleading internal choices, leading to abilities resembling illusions.
The most famous aspect of Ghostly Obfuscation was the loss of distance perception, trapping one in an endless loop of confusion.
This situation was eerily similar to what Little Seim was currently experiencing.
“If it really is Ghostly Obfuscation, it implies a high likelihood of a ghostly attacks…” Little Seim’s heart pounded. He decided to test his theory.
To check if he was under the effect of Ghostly Obfuscation, the simplest method was to make a mark and walk forward. If he returned to the mark, he was likely obfuscated.
Little Seim fiercely carved a mark on the wall with the dagger he carried, then took a deep breath and quickly walked forward.
Minutes later, Little Seim was still in the dark corridor, and once again, he saw the mark of the knife.
“It really is Ghostly Obfuscation!” His expression darkened: “Ordinary souls couldn’t possibly possess such power. Alda, Sunny, and even Freud haven’t learned it yet. This is likely a ghostly creation. If it truly is from a ghost… then the probability of it being Lady Sheila is extremely high.”
Little Seim couldn’t help but recall the eerie laughter he had heard before.
At the time, he thought it was just the strange wind outside, but now it seemed that the abnormality in the corridor appeared right after that laughter. Perhaps, that laughter was a psychological hint directed at him.
He remembered the sharp, grating laughter, distinctly feminine in tone.
He didn’t know what Lady Sheila’s voice was like, but he had an intuition that the eerie laughter was probably hers.
If it really was Lady Sheila, then he had no means to confront her. Currently devoid of any extraordinary powers, he couldn’t even handle an ordinary ghost, let alone a full-strength special one!
“No, if it really is Lady Sheila, it’s not entirely hopeless. The —Book of the Dead— mentioned some clues…” Little Seim clenched the fist hidden in his sleeve: “Even if this method could be used, I must first see her.”
Lady Sheila set up a Ghostly Obfuscation for him, undoubtedly intending to torment him, to watch his despair. In the short term, she definitely wouldn’t appear herself.
The only way to confront Lady Sheila was to break the Ghostly Obfuscation!
Little Seim was a very decisive person. Although he was extremely frightened, he understood that self-rescue was the only option in a life-and-death situation. Once he settled on self-rescue, he would use all his strength to implement it.
Just like when he first discovered the farm owner secretly observing him, intending to use him as a living sacrifice for an offering, he immediately made a decision.
His character is not one to hesitate, and reality does not allow him to.
Little Seim suppressed his wildly beating heart and looked again towards the deep, dark corridor.
“The book recorded that Ghostly Obfuscation is a misguidance of the soul, a blinding of intuition. Then I shall not rely on intuition, nor follow the choices of my heart.” Closing his eyes, Little Seim imagined the scene of him killing the farm owner, a memory he could not forget and least likely to be misled.
He recalled every detail of killing the farm owner, the emotions, actions, language, and mindset of that time, meticulously in his mind.
As he meticulously recalled these details, Little Seim’s feet began to move.
His body moved forward unconsciously, while his mind pondered another unforgettable thing from the book——the solution to break the Ghostly Obfuscation.
When Little Seim had recalled all the details of killing the farm owner, he then opened his eyes.
This time, he found himself standing under a lit wall lamp.
On the third floor corridor, only one wall lamp was lit, right near the staircase!
No matter how he walked before, he could never reach the staircase. This time, seeing the lamp meant the staircase was nearby!
Little Seim looked ahead and indeed saw a dark corner.
“I’ve escaped!” He rejoiced, but before he could be happy, a cold wind accompanied by a sinister laugh attacked from behind.
Little Seim didn’t dare look back. He just ran towards the corner staircase, heading to the first-floor hall, where the lights were brightest, then think long-term from there.
As Little Seim passed the corner and began to descend, he caught a glimpse of something in the depths of the corridor.
A huge dark shadow loomed at the end of the hallway.
He could vaguely make out the silhouette of the shadow, resembling a… giant spider!
…
On the high ground of the hill behind the lake, Angel and Freud stood there, looking into the distance.
Freud was looking at the castle, sensing the dense chaos and Death Aura within.
“Lady Sheila has arrived.” Freud said with certainty, his eyes harboring inscrutable depths.
“Yes, she went to the third floor of the castle.”
Although Angel was responding to Freud, his gaze was not on the castle, but rather on the distant sky. The churning low-hanging dark clouds not only enveloped the entire forest but also obscured Saint Seim City and the surrounding towns in the distance.
This vast dark celestial phenomenon, though a prelude to Lady Sheila’s appearance, was not created by her.
Lady Sheila merely took advantage of the situation, taking over the castle amidst the widespread clouds.
However, while the black clouds were not of Lady Sheila’s making, she likely had a hand in them, with the rolling waves of death extending to the very end of the clouds.
The region shrouded by these clouds was filled with Lady Sheila’s violent, cruel chaotic energy.
She was using the spread of the clouds to create panic, attracting ghosts to Star Lake Castle, preparing to turn it into a haven for evil spirits again.
Freud, too, noticed the hint of Lady Sheila’s presence in the clouds. Looking at the edge of the sky, he said softly, “The vast Death Aura indicates that Lady Sheila is powerful.”
“It also indicates she’s foolish,” Angel added.
Freud nodded in agreement, seeing from the spread of the dark clouds that in distant Saint Seim City, several lights had risen and were rapidly approaching the mountain range.
Saint Seim City, the fundamental stronghold of the Silver Heron Royal Family, renowned for its Royal Wizard Order, was not particularly strong. Comprised mostly of first and second level apprentices, with only one third level apprentice, Eniya, its strength was modest at best. But backed by Hurricane Tower, their knowledge was unparalleled.
Even if they couldn’t annihilate the ghosts, they could suppress and drive them away to some extent. If all else failed, they could still seek help from Hurricane Tower.
This was why Angel had said Lady Sheila, despite her strength, was foolish. Without Angel, she could have come and gone unnoticed and achieved her goals. Now, even without Angel again, escaping would be difficult.
During their exchange, Eniya, the chief wizard of the Silver Heron Royal Family, had already flown out of Saint Seim City on a broom.
Her face was pale, her gaze shifting from the dark clouds above to the distant mountains, the source of the terrifying Death Aura filling the clouds.
“What place is that?” Eniya asked an elderly apprentice behind her with white hair and beard, who wore glasses with a golden chain, resembling an old scholar.
“That’s Star Lake Castle, the residence of that lady,” the old apprentice replied, without mentioning any names, but Eniya understood, recalling the history and feeling a tinge of sympathy for the family that was massacred. She chose not to involve herself in worldly conflicts.
“Is the source of this at Star Lake Castle? Is someone from that family transformed into a vengeful ghost?”
While Eniya speculated, a spark erupted in a distant town, followed by a blast.
Sensing something wrong, she flew towards it. Shortly after the explosion, a man in the uniform of the Silver Heron Royal Knight Order appeared on a rooftop, looking towards the elegant Chief Wizard.
“What happened?” Eniya asked, not turning back but focusing on the town.
The spark that erupted had spread rapidly, engulfing several buildings in flames.
“There was a series of violent incidents in Arlette Town, the largest being the arson of the art gallery. Due to numerous paintings and dry air, the fire spread quickly,” the knight reported, kneeling.
Eniya, squinting her eyes, murmured, “Simultaneous violent incidents…”
The old apprentice added, “It’s the influence of the Death Aura from the clouds. While it hasn’t touched mortals directly, its presence alone can provoke the vilest desires in extreme human hearts.”
The scenes unfolding were the result of such desires being awakened.
Arlette Town was just the beginning. In the few minutes Eniya stayed, more bad news arrived from other towns. Not only the surrounding towns had issues, but Saint Seim City, under the influence of the dark clouds, had also begun to descend into chaos.
However, Saint Seim City is, after all, the capital, with a large stationed army and the Royal Knight Academy. The majority of knights are steadfast and loyal, making the situation in Saint Seim City much better than in other towns. But even so, if the dark clouds continue to surge, they won’t last for long.
“These ghosts are too arrogant,” the old apprentice complained with disgust.
“The ghosts never held the consciousness of arrogance; it’s just their instinct. But even with instincts, it’s rare for the ghosts to make such big movements. This is an uncommon situation, perhaps something has angered them,” Eniya said. “Regardless, let’s head to Star Lake Castle first.”
Eniya signaled the other members of the wizard group to assist the royal knights in various places, while she, accompanied by the experienced old apprentice, quickly approached Star Lake Castle.
Soon, Eniya saw the abandoned castle hidden in the gloomy forest.
Just by looking at the castle from a distance, Eniya’s mental perception sensed a threat.
“The ghosts are in the castle, and they are… very strong,” Eniya whispered.
The old apprentice nodded, his voice trembling, “I haven’t even approached yet, and my heartbeat is pounding like drums. This doesn’t feel like a newly born ghosts…”
Perhaps it is a ghosts with multiple layers of Soul Trickery, accumulated over many years!
Such a ghosts, even if the entire Royal Wizard Order came, might not be able to capture it.
The old apprentice looked at Eniya somewhat shakily, “What should we do now?”
Eniya’s face darkened a bit, “Let’s first see the situation. If it really doesn’t work out, I will ask for help from my mentor.”
Eniya’s mentor is a white witch who adores her. If she reports the situation here, someone who has taken the mission should come to handle it… However, Eniya does not want to bother her mentor if she can help it.
“Let’s go outside the castle.” Eniya moved her feet, and her broom immediately turned into an arc, flying towards Star Lake Castle.
Just as they were about to reach Star Lake Castle, a whisper suddenly came to Eniya’s ear.
“It’s Freud’s voice; is he here too?” Eniya paused for a moment, turned her broom, and flew towards the hill behind the lake.
On the hill, she saw a small wooden cabin with lights on and two people standing in front of the house.
One was her old friend Freud, floating like a phantom, and the other, a man with red hair and golden eyes, was unknown to Eniya. He emitted no aura, appearing like an ordinary person. But since Freud was standing with him in such a place rich in Death Aura, Eniya found it hard to believe the man was just a regular person.
“Freud, what are you doing here?” Eniya flew up to the hill, stood near Freud, and asked with confusion, “You just told me not to approach the castle; do you know something?”