Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Today, at the repeated request of the Prisoner, I began my ghost-catching mission. However, I estimate that my current expression could scare even the Faceless Ghost. My body was stiff, and I was walking awkwardly; I could clearly feel my heart beating powerfully and quickly, my hands tightly clasped in front of my chest, with my pulse racing. This place was remote, without streetlights, with only a few dim lights flickering from distant houses. The sound of the cold wind whistled through the old buildings, and occasionally, the howling of dogs echoed from afar. I was the only one walking, and I could even hear my own footsteps.
The Prisoner said that in order for me to become a true Dream Soul Master, he would only give me hints through the Necklace and would not show himself unless it was an extremely urgent situation. I vowed that this would be the last time; I wouldn't come out again next time. Indeed, I couldn't do it. Although this was just my avatar, the fear that night brought me was overwhelming. The voice of the Dream Soul Master—Prisoner interrupted my thoughts.
"Be careful ahead; there’s something unusual," he whispered.
I told myself not to be afraid; it should be the ghosts who were afraid of me. It would be fine; the Prisoner was with me.
"Creak, creak..." I heard a sound coming from behind a pile of grass—it was the sound of something being chewed. I couldn't stop; it felt like some force was driving me forward. There it was—a crouched figure with long black hair cascading down its back. The sound was coming from him; he seemed to sense my presence and slowly turned his head.
"Oh my God!" I screamed.
"Quiet! Do you want to attract other ghosts?"
It wasn't that I was cowardly; anyone would find it hard to remain calm in front of that figure. The ghost stood up, revealing a face with only a mouth dripping with blood. In his pale hands, he clutched a piece of rotten flesh covered in blood. Perhaps sensing that my aura was different from an ordinary person's, he stood still without making any moves. I felt nauseous just looking at him; I truly couldn't take a single step forward.
"This is a low-level ghost; there's nothing to be afraid of. He should be afraid of you instead—act quickly," the Prisoner's voice rang out again.
I remembered what the Prisoner had said: low-level ghosts lack complete facial features and cannot harm humans; they can only enhance their powers by consuming animals from the human world. Sure enough, the Faceless Ghost trembled and made a whimpering sound as he shook his head repeatedly. This type of low-level ghost had just escaped from hell after death, akin to an infant in human terms, so they lacked the ability to speak human language—I couldn't understand what he meant at all.
Just as I was still in a daze, the Faceless Ghost suddenly charged at me as if determined to escape at all costs. He opened his gaping mouth and reached out with his blood-stained hands. I could smell his nauseating stench. I froze, unsure of what to do as the Faceless Ghost rushed toward me.
Suddenly, a burst of silver light surrounded me, blocking the Faceless Ghost's attack. He howled frantically as his outline twisted into a terrifying shape, trying to break through this barrier.
"What are you dawdling for? Don't make such a low-level mistake." The silver light came from the Prisoner protecting me. No! I couldn't let the Faceless Ghost go; it would be too late once he grew stronger—I'd fight back!
"Faceless Ghost! Do you know your wrongs? Ignoring the laws of heaven and earth to harm innocent lives—now I shall punish you and send you back to hell." It became quiet all around; only my voice echoed in that cold night. I startled myself with how powerful my words sounded tonight—they were filled with authority.
Seeing that the ghost had no reaction, I began to chant: "Respectful God of Hell, the one hundredth generation Dream Soul Master Xi Meng fulfills his duty today by sending the Faceless Ghost to hell. The night sings while the moon dances; all things are no longer silent; light covers darkness; dawn is approaching. Gates of Hell, open."
My left eye emitted a green light, splitting the space apart. A door appeared, enclosing the body of the Faceless Ghost. No matter how much it struggled, it was futile. The final scream marked the end of tonight's operation. Did I succeed? My heart raced as I stared blankly at the spot where it had vanished.
"Looks like this little ghost is out of luck," the Prisoner suddenly said.
"What do you mean?"
"It just escaped and hadn't even started hunting before you caught it."
"But it was clearly eating something just now?" The memory of that scene made me feel nauseous.
"No, it was just a stray dog corpse it found by the roadside."
Another burst of green light illuminated the area, revealing a small black-and-white puppy. It wagged its tail at me, seeming very happy as it circled around me. "What's going on, Prisoner?"
"It's your own power. Its soul had been nearly consumed by the Faceless Ghost; you saved its soul. Normally, such a weak soul would have dissipated long ago, but it wanted to see you."
"Will it disappear forever?" I gently stroked the little creature.
"Every being has its own soul; it's just that the species determines the strength of Soul Power. A tiny soul like this one, once consumed, will never be reborn. If it had been earlier, perhaps its soul could have been reborn."
I felt weak; if I had found the Faceless Ghost sooner, then it could have been reborn. "There are countless stray animals in the world; how can you save them all? Don't forget your greatest responsibility—once those ghosts grow up, they'll start eating humans." The Prisoner patted my shoulder without me realizing when he had come out.
Huff... I need to be strong.
"Wake up, Little Dream." I jolted upright. It was my mother calling me to get up for school as usual. Suddenly, I felt as if I were in a different world; everything that had happened before must have been a dream—a figment of my imagination that would vanish upon waking. I kept telling myself that those things weren't real; I just couldn't accept it.
However, the coldness around my neck constantly reminded me of Xi Meng and the Dream Soul Master. Thus, in a daze, I arrived at school, unable to think of anything other than the Dream Soul Master.
"Good morning, Little Dream." I sat down at my desk as my deskmate greeted me. She was aware that I could see anomalies and was the only one who didn't mock me, but that didn't mean she believed what I said.
"Good morning, Xiaoyan."
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well last night? You look sluggish."
"Nothing much, just some things I can't accept right now." I simply closed my eyes and rested my head on the table.
"Come on, is something bothering you?"
After a while, I weakly opened my eyes and asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
"Hard to say. You haven't seen one again, have you?" Xiaoyan's voice rose slightly.
It's almost scarier than actually seeing a ghost, but I didn't say that. Although this wasn't a major secret, I still had some reservations.
"You're overthinking it; I was just asking casually."
"Oh, right. You've always been like this since you were little. Honestly, you think too much. If you really saw a ghost, you'd be scared to death, haha." Please, I really did see one.
"Forget it; just consider me bored." Sighing, I turned to look out the window; it was truly unfathomable.
"Little Dream, it's not that I don't believe you. The world is so vast, and we are so small. It's most important to focus on ourselves. Some things we can only choose to accept when we can't change them; we have to adapt at least and give it a try." Xiaoyan's voice came from behind me. I didn't respond; I wasn't in the right state of mind today, just occasionally recalling those words.
Comment 0 Comment Count