Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2237: Chapter 2238: The Ghost of the Farmer

Frode himself can also possess, but his possession belongs to a branch of ”Lady Cilla’s Soul Blind” special ability.

He can only possess those whose souls have already left their bodies in the Soul Blind, since the original soul has left, the body he possesses is essentially half-dead. Even if the original soul is summoned back after possession, due to Frode’s ability it would be tainted with a lot of death energy, and if the original owner is not a Transcendent, they basically can’t survive.

Therefore, Frode’s possession is not like Adar’s, who can control it without harming mortals.

Frode is not bloodthirsty either; he couldn’t kill mortals just for a little culinary desire. Moreover, the mortals in Star Lake Castle were sent by Neya.

Thus, Frode can only secretly envy Adar.

However, Frode also knows that Adar’s actions aren’t meant to be malicious pranks, it’s just that as an undead for so long, finally being able to relive the beauty of being alive, he would secretly possess a human body.

Even though Frode understands, Adar’s series of actions have made the people in Star Lake Castle very fearful, so no matter what, Frode still plans to give a little warning to the swelling Adar. It’s just that he needs to wait for the right moment.

Although Adar gives him headaches, it’s ultimately a small matter, Adar won’t harm people.

The real thing that makes Frode feel heart-struck is Shanni. Compared to Adar, Shanni’s mindset is really lacking by more than just one level. Soul Trick’s training is still not finished.

A brutal aura occasionally bursts out, and Shanni is always teetering on the edge of corruption, keeping Frode on tenterhooks.

Therefore, Frode spends almost every day near the altar in the mountains, preparing to use Samsara Overture to pull Shanni back from corruption if necessary.

However, it’s somewhat comforting that, although Shanni often approaches the edge of corruption, she hasn’t truly taken that step into it.

Moreover, recently Shanni’s situation has started to gradually improve. The frequency of her reaching the edge of corruption has gone from daily to once every two days. Because of this, Frode occasionally finds time to return to the Wilderness of Dreams to handle some affairs.

Still, even if Shanni’s condition is improving, Frode doesn’t let his guard down, still remaining tense every day, because improvement doesn’t mean there’s no error, and if Shanni takes a wrong step, it would be a complete failure.

After talking about Shanni and Adar’s recent situation, Frode then mentioned the aftermath of the collective sacrifice in the Silver Heron Duchy.

The source and eventual direction of the sacrifice have not been clarified, so it will not be discussed for now. What Frode mainly talked about was the whereabouts of the soul of a farm owner killed by little Sam.

”Recently, Neya has been conducting controls across the country. Members of the Silver Heron Royal Knight Guard have been distributed to areas organized by settlements, finally gathering some news about the farm owners.”

”The first news came from the border town Ishansberg of the Silver Heron Duchy. A group of students just graduated from the academy went for a picnic in the suburbs and were attacked by an unknown ghost in the Black Forest, resulting in three deaths. The students who returned sought out the Night Knight, and based on the students’ description, the Night Knight judged it might be the farm owner’s ghost. By the time the knights organized to investigate the Black Forest, the other party had vanished.”

”Other reports came from the Euclid Forest Area, White Wood Logging Field, Forest Mist Town, City of Steel... According to local knight reports, there seem to be signs of ghost appearances, some may be misread, but it can be confirmed that the White Wood Logging Field definitely had ghost appearances, as the local knights had face-to-face contact, only the night was too dark, so it could not be determined whether it was the farm owner or not.”

”The latest news is that there have been ghost sightings near the suburbs of Saint Sem City recently. This news is also almost certain, as Neya personally went to investigate and sensed the presence of undead aura.”

Frode detailed the areas where ghost sightings were reported, forming a route almost like a straight line from the Silver Heron Duchy to Saint Sem City.

”If this ghost is indeed the farm owner killed by little Sam, he may have already reached Saint Sem City.”

Upon hearing Frode’s assessment, Angel frowned: ”So fast?”

From the Silver Heron Duchy to the capital of the Central Empire, it would take at least a month and a half to two months by carriage. If Frode’s judgment is correct, it took less than two weeks from discovering the farm owner’s undead to the entity reaching Saint Sem City.

It’s not that the undead can’t reach such speeds, but the undead also have to adhere to the basic law of energy conservation, such high-speed running would definitely deplete energy. How has it been quickly replenishing, running and recovering at the same time?

What makes Angel even more puzzled is that the other party is just a newly arisen undead, with limited energy reserves in its soul body.

Because of this, Angel suspects that the ghost near Saint Sem City may not be the farm owner’s undead. After all, although the chance of a soul emerging from the death of a mortal is low, it isn’t impossible. It could maybe just be a soul that was lucky enough to form from a deceased.

Of course, Frode’s judgment can’t be ruled out; if he’s right and the ghost is indeed the farm owner’s, there’s a probability that the entity might have some special abilities, or there’s someone aiding from behind, perhaps the very instigator of the collective sacrifice.

With this in mind, Angel instructed Frode to keep a close watch on the situation at Star Lake Castle.

If the farm owner truly birthed a soul, it’s basically confirmed to be an undead, created from the proximity to little Sam’s soul entity. The being has traveled a great distance to Saint Sem City with the aim of targeting little Sam.

Hence, it’s crucial to monitor the situation around little Sam.

”I understand this,” Frode replied. ”Neya is also aware, so she’s already stationed the Royal Wizard Group on the mountains surrounding Star Lake Castle, setting up defenses. Neya herself is also active around Star Lake Castle, aiming to protect little Sam.”

As the power behind the Silver Heron royalty, Neya’s actions, though subtle on the surface, undoubtedly galvanize the power of the entire nation.

Neya’s conduct in this matter is both a gesture of goodwill to Angel and a form of compensation for the wrongdoings caused by the lineage of the Silver Heron royal family towards little Sam.

...

After chatting with Frode for a while longer, further inquiring about his recent research topics, Angel bid him farewell and left.

With Sanders absent, Angel initially intended to visit New City to check things out and pass time. However, on his way to the terrace, he caught a glimpse of the dappled sunlight through the window, memories flashing of Dumatin standing under the sun reading documents.

Angel thought about it, and eventually changed his mind, turning back to open the door and went next door to Frode’s office.

Since Dumatin had extended an invitation for communication, Angel also wanted to hear what topics he wanted to discuss.

The door next door was not closed, and as Angel approached, he could see Dumatin’s figure. Just like in Frode’s office earlier, Dumatin wasn’t seated at the desk, still leaning by the window, using the afternoon sunlight as reading light.

Judging from the scene before him, Dumatin very much resembled an Academy Faction professor with a certain self-insistence.

But recalling the rumors about Dumatin, Angel felt that the currently tranquil scene suddenly appeared torn.

Angel shook his head and walked to the door, gently knocking.

”The door’s open, come in.” Dumatin raised his eyebrows, the sunlight poured through the narrow slit, lighting his light brown pupils, yet the pupil’s center appeared even darker and profound.

Angel walked through the door, exchanged nods with Dumatin, and then, at Dumatin’s indication, they each sat at opposite ends of the sofa.

After Dumatin sat down, he placed a stack of documents in his hand onto the coffee table.

Angel glanced at them; the title was ”Record of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents.”

Indeed, as Frode had mentioned, Dumatin seemed to mainly read the personal information of Dream Realm inhabitants.

”You seem very interested in the information on Originheart City residents, are you hoping to see if you recognize anyone?” Angel pointed at the documents on the table, casually striking up a topic.

Dumatin smiled slightly, ”My birthplace is on the Flourish Continent.”

The residents of Originheart City mostly come from the Revelation Continent and Old Earth Continent. In other words, Dumatin was implying he didn’t know anyone in Originheart City.

Dumatin paused for a moment, ”I am indeed very interested in the residents of Originheart City, but I’m not concerned with who they are. What interests me is their bodily structure.”

Angel silently thought to himself: As expected, you’re craving their bodies.

”I have already observed very peculiar structures, clearly identical to humans, with hunger and desires. Yet they can survive even if their desires aren’t fulfilled. The physiological cycle seems to be operating but actually moves extremely slowly, almost stagnant. In reality, if such physiological cycles appeared, it would either be dead or in a prolonged coma...”

When speaking of bodily structures, Dumatin became interested, transforming from the well-mannered noble to an engrossed scholar, appearing calm as he spoke eloquently, but his eyes occasionally revealed a touch of madness.

This madness made Angel feel that the research Dumatin spoke of on the surface was merely uneventful ripples. But beneath the surface, the truth was a constant undercurrent.

”So, you’re looking at their records to study their bodily structures? Forgive me for reminding you, but their bodily structures are nearly identical to yours.” Angel implied that if Dumatin wanted to study bodily structures, he could just look at himself.

”I have indeed studied my body to a certain extent, but I can’t be sure what would happen if I over-researched it. Perhaps I’d spoil this body, and in the future, I won’t be able to enter the Wilderness of Dreams anymore. So...”

Angel: ”So, you decided to shift the harm, making others your research subjects.”

”Exactly, I have thought about it.” Dumatin’s lips curved, and his eyes squinted into slits, ”This is also my primary reason for speaking with you today.”

”You hope for me to join the research too?”

”I hope you can allocate some people to me.” Dumatin pointed at the table’s documents, ”Those will do. Of course, it would be even better if you could join.”

Angel quietly observed Dumatin, ”Is this considered your request?”

The reason Angel asked this was to put on the table the favor he owed Dumatin.

Dumatin understood Angel’s meaning, smiling lightly, ”Consider it a request. But Angel, are you not at all curious about their bodily structures?”

Dumatin tossed the ball back to Angel. He knew that Angel wanted to use this as an opportunity to erase the favor he owed, but Dumatin also could tell that Angel was unclear about the Dream Realm inhabitants’ bodily structures. As the creator of the Wilderness of Dreams, he would certainly want everything to be under his control. If Angel wanted to share the research data with him, he would have to continue owing this favor because mutual benefit would be better.

Angel paused for a moment, ”Are you so certain that I know nothing about their bodily structures?”

Dumatin: ”If you truly knew, you wouldn’t have had Frode detail all the Dream Realm residents’ personal information so thoroughly, including physiological changes. The fact that such details need to be so meticulously noted shows you are also unclear about them.”

”Furthermore, your willingness to discuss this topic with me reveals the answer is already on the table.”

Watching Dumatin’s smiling eyes, Angel showed no emotion on his face, but in his heart, he cursed the old fox.

Indeed, as he had previously told Frode, he supported Dumatin’s research on Dream Realm inhabitants, only initially planning to wait for Dumatin’s research results to use his authority to reveal the research content.

Now that Dumatin had brought the situation to light, Angel couldn’t straightforwardly say he could quietly share Dumatin’s research results.

Although Angel cursed Dumatin as an old fox, he had to admit that the latter’s powers of observation were exceptional, his attention to details, expressions, and psychological analysis was impressive, befitting a monster who had lived for centuries.

Dumatin firmly pressed on the favor, and Angel had no way out, plus he needed Dumatin’s research.

Sighing silently, Angel reluctantly said, ”I am indeed very curious about their bodily structures, I can agree to give you a batch of Dream Realm inhabitants for research. However, not the people listed here.”

Angel pointed at the ”Record of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents,” these people were all good citizens, most suffering from illness in life. Moreover, their experimental data paved the way for Jon entering the Wilderness of Dreams, which was considered meritorious.

For this reason, Angel did not intend to let them become Dumatin’s research subjects.

As for Dumatin’s true research subjects, they were those heinous criminals in prison. Even if there weren’t enough criminals in the Wilderness of Dreams, they could bring some criminals from reality.

After listening to Angel’s account, Dumatin hesitated slightly. The ”Record of the Thirteenth Batch of New Residents” contained more detailed recorded transformations, using these recorded Indigenous People would be more convenient.

But since Angel was unwilling to use these people, Dumatin eventually nodded in acceptance.