Chapter 2237 Dulmatin <TOC> Chapter 2239 Canyon
Translator: SumTLMan
Freud himself is capable of possession, but his ability to do so falls under the special branch known as “Lady Sheila’s Ghostly Obfuscation.”
He can only possess those who have become disembodied within the realm of Ghostly Obfuscation, because the original soul has already departed, making the body he enters essentially half-dead. Even if the original soul is summoned back after the possession ends, the body would be heavily tainted with Death Aura due to Freud’s ability, and if the original owner is not a transcendent being, survival is unlikely.
Thus, Freud’s method of possession is not like Alda’s, who can control the extent of his possession without harming mortals.
Freud is not a person who indulges in murder for mere gustatory satisfaction, nor could he bring himself to kill mortals for such trivial reasons. Moreover, the mortals in Star Lake Castle were sent by Eniya.
Therefore, Freud could only silently envy Alda.
However, Freud knows that Alda’s antics are not malicious, merely the actions of a spirit who has been dead for too long, seizing a rare opportunity to relive the pleasures of living by stealthily possessing others.
Although Freud understands this, Alda’s recent activities have left the people of Star Lake Castle trembling with fear, so, regardless, Freud is prepared to admonish the inflated ego of Alda. He just needs to wait for the right moment.
While Alda gives him headaches, it’s a minor issue as Alda doesn’t intend to harm anyone.
What truly troubles Freud is Sunny. Compared to Alda, Sunny’s state of mind is far from stable. To this day, her training in Soul Trickery is not complete.
Violent auras sporadically emerge, and Sunny constantly teeters on the edge of corruption, leaving Freud in a state of constant fear.
As a result, Freud spends nearly every day near the altar inside the mountain, ready to use the Prelude of Reincarnation to pull Sunny back from the brink of corruption if necessary.
However, there’s a silver lining as Sunny, despite often nearing corruption, has not fully taken that step.
Lately, Sunny’s condition has been improving. The frequency of her reaching the edge of corruption has decreased from daily to possibly once every two days. It is for this reason that Freud can occasionally find time to return to the Wilderness of Dreams to deal with miscellaneous matters.
But even if Sunny’s condition is improving, Freud remains vigilant, aware that improvement does not guarantee safety. A single misstep by Sunny could result in total loss.
After discussing Sunny and Alda’s situation, Freud moves on to talk about the aftermath of the mass sacrifice by the Silvercloud Duchy.
The source and final destination of the sacrifice remain unclear, so Freud focuses on the soul of the farmer killed by Little Seim.
“Recently, Eniya has implemented a nationwide alert. Members of the Silver Heron Royal Knight Guard have been dispatched to all areas based on settlements, and some information about the farmer has been uncovered.”
“The first report came from the border city of Stonespurge in the Silvercloud Duchy. A group of students, just graduated from the academy, were attacked by an unidentified ghost during a picnic in the Black Forest, resulting in three deaths. The surviving students sought the Night Knights, who, based on the students’ descriptions, deduced the ghost might be the farmer’s. By the time a knight squadron was organized to scout the Black Forest, the entity had vanished.”
“Other reports came from various locations like Oshalin District, Whitepine Lumberyard, Mistown, and Steel City… According to local knight reports, there seem to be sightings of ghosts, some of which might be misinterpretations, but it’s confirmed that Whitepine Lumberyard had ghostly presences, as local knights encountered them directly. The darkness of the night made it impossible to confirm if it was indeed the farmer.”
“The latest report comes from the outskirts of Saint Seim City, with confirmed ghost sightings. This report is virtually certain because Eniya personally investigated and sensed the presence of a spirit.”
Freud detailed the locations of these ghost sightings, essentially following a route from the Silvercloud Duchy to Saint Seim City. If connected, the sightings form nearly a straight line.
“If this ghost truly is the farmer killed by Little Seim, he might have already reached Saint Seim City.”
After hearing Freud’s judgment, Angel frowned and said, “So fast?”
From the Silvercloud Duchy to the capital of the Central Empire, if one were to take a carriage the entire way, it would take at least one and a half to two months to arrive. If what Freud has deduced is true, that it took less than two weeks from the discovery of the Farmer’s Ghost to his arrival in Saint Seim City, that’s remarkably fast.
It’s not that a ghost couldn’t achieve such speed, but ghosts must also adhere to the basic law of conservation of energy. Such rapid movement would undoubtedly consume its own energy, so how does it replenish its energy so swiftly while on the move?
What puzzled Angel the most was that the ghost was newly formed, so the energy stored within its soul couldn’t be much.
For this reason, Angel felt it might not be the farmer’s ghost haunting the outskirts of Saint Seim City. After all, though rare, it’s not impossible for a human to become a soul after death. Perhaps it was just a deceased person who was lucky enough to become a soul?
Of course, Freud’s judgment cannot be completely dismissed. If it was indeed as Freud suggested, that it was the farmer’s ghost, then there’s a certain probability that the ghost might possess some special abilities, or there might be a supporter behind the scenes, possibly the instigator of a collective sacrifice.
With this in mind, Angel instructed Freud to pay close attention to the situation around Star Lake Castle.
If the farmer truly became a soul, it could be confirmed to be a ghost, influenced by Little Seim’s Near Spirit Body. The reason for the ghost’s long journey to Saint Seim City was to target Little Seim.
Therefore, it was crucial to monitor the surroundings of Little Seim.
“I understand this,” said Freud. “Eniya is also aware of this, so she has already stationed the Royal Wizard Order around the mountains near Star Lake Castle to set up a defense line. Eniya herself is also active around Star Lake Castle, all to protect Little Seim.”
As the behind-the-scenes controller of the Silver Heron Royal Family, Eniya’s actions, though not overt, definitely represent a national effort.
Eniya’s actions were both an attempt to curry favor with Angel and to compensate for the sins the Silver Heron Royal Family had committed against Little Seim’s lineage.
…
After chatting with Freud for a while longer and inquiring in detail about his recent research topics, Angel bid him farewell and left.
Since Sanders was absent, Angel had initially planned to visit the new city to see the situation and pass some time. However, as he was heading towards the terrace, the mottled sunlight streaming through the window reminded him of the scene where Dulmatin stood in the sunlight, examining documents in his hands.
After some thought, Angel eventually turned back, opened the door, and went to the office next to Freud’s.
Since Dulmatin had initiated a communication invitation, Angel was also interested in hearing what he wanted to discuss.
The door to the next room was not closed, and as Angel approached, he could see Dulmatin’s figure. Like before in Freud’s office, Dulmatin was not sitting at the desk but still leaning by the window, using the afternoon sunlight as his reading light.
From the scene before him, Dulmatin seemed very much like a professor with his own set of firm beliefs.
However, recalling the rumors about Dulmatin, Angel felt a sense of dissonance with the serene scene before him.
Shaking his head, Angel walked to the door and gently knocked.
“The door is open, please come in.” Dulmatin raised his eyebrows, and the sunlight illuminated his narrow eyes, making his light brown pupils shine brightly, but the pupils’ centers remained dark and profound.
Angel entered, nodded to Dulmatin as a greeting, and then, at Dulmatin’s gesture, they both sat at opposite ends of a sofa.
After sitting down, Dulmatin also placed a stack of documents he was holding on the coffee table.
Angel glanced at it; the title of the documents was —Records of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents—.
As Freud had said, Dulmatin was mostly looking at personal information of the residents of the Dream Realm.
“You seem very interested in the data on the residents of Initial Heart City. Are you looking to see if there’s anyone you recognize?” Angel pointed at the documents on the table, casually starting a conversation.
Dulmatin smiled slightly, “My birthplace is on the Vast Continent.”
The residents of Initial Heart City mostly come from the Revelation Continent and the Old Land Continent. In other words, Dulmatin meant he didn’t recognize anyone from Initial Heart City.
Dulmatin paused, “Indeed, I am very interested in the residents of Initial Heart City, but not in their identities. What interests me is their physiological structure.”
Angel silently thought: As expected, you’re coveting their bodies.
“I have observed that their structure is very peculiar. Although completely similar to humans, with hunger and desires, they can survive without satisfying these desires. The physiological cycle seems to be in operation, but in reality, it moves extremely slowly, almost as if it has stalled. If such a physiological cycle appeared in reality, it would mean either death or a long-term coma…”
When it came to physiological structures, Dulmatin became enthusiastic, transforming from a polite noble to a scholar deeply engrossed in research. His calm discourse occasionally revealed a hint of madness in his eyes.
This madness allowed Angel to feel that Dulmatin’s surface-level research talk was just the tip of the iceberg. The truth hidden beneath was turbulent.
“So, you’re looking at their data to study their physiological structure? Let me remind you, their structure is almost identical to yours.” Angel implied that if Dulmatin wanted to study physiological structures, he could simply study himself.
“Indeed, I have conducted some research on my own body to a certain extent. However, I cannot be sure what conditions might arise from over-researching my body. Perhaps I might ruin this body and never be able to enter the Wilderness of Dreams again. So…”
Angel: “So, you decided to transfer the harm, focusing your research on others instead.”
“Correct, I had that in mind.” Dulmatin’s lips curled up, his eyes narrowing, “That is mainly why I wanted to communicate with you this time.”
“You want me to join your research?”
“I hope you can provide me with some subjects.” Dulmatin pointed to the documents on the table, “These will do. Of course, it would be better if you could join.”
Angel quietly observed Dulmatin: “Is this a request from you?”
Angel asked this to bring up the “favor” he owed Dulmatin into the open.
Dulmatin understood Angel’s meaning and smiled lightly, “It is a request. But Angel, aren’t you the slightest bit curious about their physiological structure?”
Dulmatin tossed the ball back. He knew Angel wanted to use this opportunity to settle the favor he owed, but he could also see that Angel’s understanding of the Dream Realm residents’ physiological structures was vague. As the creator of the Wilderness of Dreams, he certainly wanted to keep everything under control. If Angel wanted to share the research findings, he would still owe him, after all, it was mutually beneficial.
Angel was silent for a moment: “Are you so sure that I know nothing about their physiological structure?”
Dulmatin: “If you really knew, you wouldn’t have Freud list all the Dream Realm residents’ personal data in such detail. This includes physiological changes. The fact that even these details need to be recorded so precisely, doesn’t it show that you don’t understand them either?”
“Moreover, the fact that you are willing to discuss this topic with me already gives away the answer.”
Looking at Dulmatin’s smirking eyes, Angel inwardly cursed the old fox.
Indeed, as he had previously told Freud, he supported Dulmatin’s research into the Dream Realm residents. However, Angel had initially thought that once Dulmatin had results, he could display the research content through his powers.
Now that Dulmatin had made his intentions clear, Angel could not openly say he could secretly share the research findings.
Although Angel inwardly cursed Dulmatin as an old fox, he had to admit that the other was not only remarkably observant but also skilled in capturing details and analyzing expressions and psychology, truly a strange creature who had lived for hundreds of years.
Dulmatin stubbornly held onto human sentiments, leaving Angel with no choice, and he also needed Dulmatin’s research.
With a silent sigh in his heart, Angel helplessly said, “I am indeed very curious about their physical structure. I can agree to give you a group of Dream Realm residents for research. However, the people mentioned here are off-limits.”
Angel pointed to the —Record of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents—, who were all good citizens, mostly suffering from the torment of disease and pain in their lives. Moreover, their experimental data had paved the way for Jon to enter the Wilderness of Dreams, thus they had rendered meritorious service.
For this reason, Angel did not intend to let them become subjects of Dulmatin’s research.
As for Dulmatin’s actual research subjects, they were the heinous criminals in prison. Even if the criminals from the Wilderness of Dreams were not enough, some could be captured from reality.
Upon hearing Angel’s explanation, Dulmatin hesitated slightly. The —Record of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents— contained more detailed record changes, and using these recorded natives would be more convenient.
But since Angel was unwilling to use these people, Dulmatin ultimately nodded in agreement.