deltrittennovels Chapter 148, Section 147: Devouring Souls! The Path to Ascension!
Chapter 148, Section 147: Devouring Souls! The Path to Ascension!
Chapter 148, Section 147: Devouring Souls! The Path to Ascension!
They've come out!
The black-robed skeleton inside the mysterious tower actually followed us out!
Before Ian could even check if the black sand and other items he was carrying had been "intercepted" in the illusion, his stiff neck turned and he saw the guy who made him feel a chill run down his spine.
A mysterious skeleton clad in black robes stood silently behind him, as still as a ghost, its eye sockets burning with deep red soul fire gleaming with a chillingly profound light in the darkness.
Although the strange magical runes that covered its entire skeleton had been extinguished, and its skeletal appearance looked much more normal, the intense sense of oppression emanating from it had only increased. It was unclear whether this was due to leaving the illusionary realm or because all the chains binding it had broken.
"Disarm you!"
Ian almost instinctively wanted to blast the black-robed skeleton away, but the red light emanating from his wand dissipated strangely upon contact with the skeleton.
Like twinkling starlight.
Disappearing.
The black-robed skeleton was not affected by the disarming spell, nor was its clothing torn off or its arms detached—Ian's increasingly refined disarming spell had not achieved its intended effect.
"I refuse to believe it! Pulling out the tongue and slitting the throat! Bah! That won't work!"
"The Divine Blade is Without a Shadow!"
"Extremely painful!"
"The soul leaves the body!"
"A steel pipe got stuck in my front tooth!"
……
Unconvinced, Ian swung his wand at an almost automated speed, casting four spells per second, but none of his magic had any effect on the black-robed skeleton.
It was as if they were about to reach their target when they were directly annihilated by some mysterious force, leaving only the black robes of the mysterious skeleton fluttering in the faint light that dissipated like fireflies.
"Um?"
The mysterious skeleton's ribs were partially obscured by the billowing black robe, and it even seemed to instinctively pull its robe tighter.
"My magic failed because of the clothes?" Ian first looked at the black robe on the mysterious skeleton, which was clearly a magic robe.
It was something extraordinary that it remained nearly intact even after everything else in that tower had decayed; it was covered with many strange magical runes whose effects Ian could not discern.
Now that Ian has taken a closer look, he thinks the structure is somewhat similar to death runes, but it's only structurally similar. He doesn't know if it contains some kind of rule represented by a god.
"No, it's not clothes."
Although Ian couldn't discern the effect of the runes, he could certainly tell whether they were working. His gaze quickly shifted to the chains on the black-robed skeleton's hands.
Although the black-robed skeleton had somehow escaped and broken free from the "imprisonment" and restraints within the tower, many broken chains still remained on its body.
Ian could sense it.
These forged chains still possess magical power.
Rusty chains peeked out from the gaps in the black robe, like shackles from the ancient past, still binding this extraordinary being.
"Is this also a way to suppress magic?"
The curious young wizard felt an urge to investigate, but having already retreated dozens of steps, he dared not approach the black-robed skeleton rashly. This was a creature whose origins and morality were completely unknown.
"I don't know, it has no brain." The black-robed skeleton raised its hand, which was jingling with chains, and pointed to its empty head, perhaps thinking that Ian's mutterings were a question to it.
"We're so far apart, and I'm speaking so softly, how can you still hear me?" Ian asked, somewhat surprised. He deliberately whispered in a voice barely above a mosquito's buzz.
"I was born with the ability to hear the voice of all things."
It's unclear what the black-robed skeleton remembers or doesn't remember, but it actually opened its mouth, which was no longer covered by flesh and blood, and made a loud, guttural sound in front of Ian.
"..."
Ian has a principle of disliking watching others show off, but in situations like this, his principle becomes more flexible. What can he do about something that magic seems unable to harm?
He couldn't hit the skull's head even if he jumped!
"What exactly do you want by following me... This is no longer your world." Ian still couldn't understand why the black-robed skeleton in front of him would follow him across the boundary between life and death.
Did he possess this ability on his own, or did he hitch a ride with Ian? If it's the latter, it's somewhat understandable, but if it's the former, then it's a bit too frightening.
Thinking hard.
Fortunately, the black-robed skeleton did not show any violent tendencies and remained calm. Even after being bombarded with several spells, it did not seem to intend to ambush or attack the young wizard.
"I need to be loved."
Seeing that Ian had asked him a question, the black-robed skeleton finally stopped repeating himself and began to explain his needs in his hoarse, deep voice.
"..."
Ian was speechless once again.
He had absolutely no idea what to say. If there weren't a wizarding version of Hugo, he would have genuinely wanted to post a help request online asking what to do.
A tall, purebred, love-starved, white-skinned man, standing at 1.8 meters, has fallen for me?
"Is it possible that I'm just an underage wizard, unable to give you the love you want?" Ian only emphasized his age and not his gender.
He was afraid of the mysterious black-robed skeleton in front of him, just like the little wizard.
"I need to be loved."
The black-robed skeleton began repeating meaningless words again.
"Can I recommend other people to you? See if you like centaurs. Anyway, it's all interspecies love, and centaurs are definitely more interesting than a human wizard like me."
Ian found that whenever he walked in one direction, the black-robed skeleton would inevitably follow closely behind. The little wizard, whose height was only a couple of legs longer than the other man's, simply couldn't shake off this guy.
"Anti-inflammatory! Anti-inflammatory!"
He felt that this was the moment when he needed the phoenix's help to teleport him, but the black phoenix, still in the hazy illusion, did not respond and come to his side.
"Tiga is definitely the most reliable one!"
Deep within the ancient and dense Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, the night was as dark as ink, and the thin moonlight could barely illuminate the winding path ahead. Ian hurried along the carpet of fallen leaves and withered branches, almost jogging, but he still couldn't shake off the unhurried black-robed skeleton.
soon.
Ian then discovered the reason.
Don't tell me that invisibility doesn't affect the black-robed skeleton's following. Even if he deliberately used magic to knock down some trees to block the black-robed skeleton, the black-robed skeleton would still appear behind him after he ran far away.
"Apparition!?"
As Ian turned around, he saw space distort, and then the black-robed skeleton appeared in a flash of red light, no more than a few meters behind him.
However, it didn't matter how far away he got, as the black-robed skeleton seemed to be able to locate Ian's position and then teleport to Ian's side after being blocked by an obstacle for a period of time.
"This is seriously cheating..."
at last.
Ian abandoned his thoughts of running. He plopped down on a huge rock, panting heavily, his breath forming wisps of white mist in the cold air.
It blended seamlessly with the mist permeating the surrounding silent forest. A proboscis monkey peered from the treetop, its eyes full of vigilance, before leaping with a whoosh to a higher branch.
Even more dangerous and wondrous creatures that hunt at night would peek out from the jungle at the sound, but after a moment's hesitation, they would immediately turn and rush back into the dense forest.
Regardless of the type of magical creature, they all possess a more acute intuition than ordinary animals. Clearly, these magical creatures sensed a strong sense of danger and chose to abandon their ambush or flee as quickly as possible.
The magical creatures weren't afraid of Ian, but rather the black-robed skeleton that had been following him like a persistent ghost. Its black robe fluttered gently in the night wind, like the wings of a ghost in the stillness, blending into the surrounding darkness, yet inadvertently revealing an indescribable eeriness and mystery.
Full of oppression.
As in reality.
This is also why Ian is so wary of it.
"How about I introduce you to some other humans? Don't worry, although England doesn't have a particularly large population, it's absolutely overflowing with talent when it comes to XP!"
Ian didn't know if those seemingly righteous upperclassmen at Hogwarts could win over the black-robed skeleton. He really wanted to get rid of this incredibly dangerous-looking guy.
Better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me.
Ian pondered and weighed the options in his mind, wondering if Grindelwald and Dumbledore could resolve this problem. He tried to reduce the black-robed skeleton's interest in him.
however.
"Your bird has ruined me... so you need to take responsibility for its actions... and give me flesh and blood." The black-robed skeleton, however, had absolutely no interest in other humans.
It finally revealed why it had been following Ian.
"Which bird? The Black Phoenix?"
Ian frowned, looking puzzled.
"Give me flesh and blood, love, need love... your bird said so." The black-robed skeleton did not answer Ian's question, but began to mutter incessantly in Ian's ear.
"..."
Ian attempted to use a Transfiguration Charm to create a device that would jam the black-robed skeleton's jaw; however, the device lost its effectiveness once he magically moved it toward and made contact with the skeleton.
"Splash~"
It turned back into a field of branches.
Even Ian's extraordinary talent for "Shaping All Things" couldn't change this; no matter how much magic he poured in, the collapse of the magic would only happen in an instant.
"If you want that ghost bird, I can give it to you..." Ian's gaze returned to the black-robed skeleton, where the broken chains indeed carried an eerie power.
He found it hard to understand why, despite wearing chains with such terrifying [anti-magic] effects, the black-robed skeleton could still use a teleportation-like spell when trying to catch up with him.
"That's just an empty shell, the result of bio-alchemy... wasn't that your doing?" The black-robed skeleton seemed utterly confused as he raised his finger bones and scratched his head.
"I thought that someone had finally punished that bird." His voice carried a hint of indignation, but his emotions seemed to be more of a lingering fear.
"I just found a Black Phoenix egg, no, it was given to me by my friend... Hmm, you're such a liar. Didn't you just say you couldn't remember anything?"
Ian felt like he had caught the black-robed skeleton by the little chicken's foot, but he didn't know if he could use this to coax the black-robed skeleton away, or better yet, return from the human world to the other side of the dreamlike illusion.
"Brainless, but resentment... has already seeped into my remnant soul." The black-robed skeleton's serious reply left the young wizard at a loss for words.
Ian hadn't lost his mind, nor had he died so badly that only a remnant soul remained, unable to produce any rebuttal evidence. His first thought was of Voldemort's remnant soul. That old senior had lost his mind on every level; who knew if the other soul fragments would "quantum synchronize" with his hatred?
"We still need to find a chance to eliminate him."
Ian was a little worried.
of course.
What worries him most right now is the black-robed skeleton in front of him.
"What do I have to do to stop following me?" Ian tried to negotiate with the black-robed skeleton. Even though the other party didn't seem to have any intention of harming him, he didn't want a tall skeleton staring at him while he ate, slept, or even went to the toilet.
Are we not going to attend class anymore?
Are you going back to the orphanage during the holidays?
Do I still care about my reputation... well, it doesn't seem to matter much right now.
Anyway, he's lost his reputation for various reasons and is now being mistaken for a necromancer or something. Actually, this is one of the better reputations he's gained in recent days.
"Give me flesh and blood."
The black-robed skeleton repeated itself, but this time it didn't mention being loved or not. Perhaps it didn't have much intelligence left, but it clearly belatedly realized that Ian was allergic to the word.
"How about we use some pork or beef to stick it on? Like this... we'll use lamb, focusing on tenderness and youth!" Ian didn't really know much about this kind of life alchemy.
He also strongly doubted that alchemy could work on this guy, since the chains on him could completely neutralize all magical power.
"..."
The black-robed skeleton fell silent again.
Ian felt that it was dissatisfied with the type of succulent it had chosen.
"I don't have the ability to get human flesh for you, but I can write you a list. If you're capable of killing those people, you can stick their flesh onto your own body, okay?" The little wizard began to mentally calculate the names of his enemies, his potential enemies, and the remnants of the Death Eaters.
"I want my own flesh and blood."
The black-robed skeleton finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"You're really putting an eleven-year-old like me in a difficult position."
Ian sighed heavily.
"Eleven years old?"
The black-robed skeleton was puzzled—soulfire was burning in its empty eye sockets, and the image presented in the soulfire was a radiant soul rather than the little wizard's true appearance.
obviously.
The black-robed skeleton could not see life, only the soul of life.
"How about this, we compromise? You swear on your ancestral graves that you won't continue to harass my life, and I promise to help you once I have the ability?" Ian asked tentatively after considering for a moment. He was very good at making such promises.
"We already have a contract."
The black-robed skeleton's voice was as hoarse as ever, as if he had a bunch of fish bones stuck in his throat.
"When?"
Ian blinked, somewhat taken aback.
"The contract was already established when you awakened me." The red patterns on the black-robed skeleton rose again, and it gestured for Ian to look at Ian's wrist.
"..."
As soon as Ian did so, he saw a glowing pattern on his wrist. Countless scarlet lines intertwined and outlined, converging into a pattern that looked like a blood-red sun.
"Is it because the back of my hand isn't enough for you monsters who are getting older and older?" Ian felt a sense of helplessness; he had experienced this feeling of déjà vu three times in the past year.
"What are the contents of this contract? Don't try to lie to me... I have people behind me and above me... no, below me, I will find them to verify whether what you are saying is true or not."
Ian was terrified after being tricked by Slytherin's Ouroboros "curse," and he was filled with unease, worried that the black-robed skeleton in front of him had also dug a huge pit for him.
"You gave me flesh and blood with love, and I will serve you... for ten thousand years." The black-robed skeleton answered succinctly, and after a pause, he spoke again.
"This is not my doing, but a predetermined fact that I sensed when I awoke." The black-robed skeleton's words explained why it had never shown any hostility.
"..."
Ian began to understand.
Perhaps the fact that my [Mystic Realm Experience Card] was being charged so much before was also somewhat related to this contract that was established without my knowledge.
Thinking about this...
He understood more things. No wonder that mongrel black phoenix hadn't shown itself earlier; it had lightly pecked Ian's hand a few times before the black-robed skeleton resurrected.
Ian thought it was just an act of affection, but who would have thought the worst thing was that phoenix! Ian bet Voldemort's entire family that the so-called contract was definitely related to that black phoenix!
"Alright, alright, ten thousand years. You work first, let me think about how to give you flesh and blood." Ian didn't lower his guard much, but if things were really as the skeleton said, that wouldn't be bad.
Ten thousand years.
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He's sure he won't find anything in his great-grandson's grave, so whether he finds anything or not, giving the skeleton flesh and blood is definitely a worthwhile thing for him.
"What... is this called working?"
The black-robed skeleton tilted its head, somewhat confused.
"Working means working without eating, drinking, or sleeping... Of course, there's not much work for you right now. I just want to study the chain on your body first."
Ian hesitated, wondering whether he should move closer.
"Whoosh~"
Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the forest, and a sharp arrow shot out from the darkness. It was as fast as lightning and flew straight toward Ian, who was sitting on a large rock stroking his chin.
"Click~"
Before Ian's protective gear could take effect, the black-robed skeleton suddenly appeared in front of the little wizard and caught the arrow, which was not much slower than a bullet.
"Something dirty is coming..." Ian looked at the broken pieces on the ground, his tone annoyed. He knew that the arrow had been aimed at his head.
"It's a monster."
The black-robed skeleton was truly a linguistic genius.
His words quelled Ian's anger.
"Have you really never looked in a mirror?"
Ian truly admired the black-robed skeleton's utter lack of common sense. Well, with no heart, it seemed normal that he was a bit dim-witted; even Voldemort's remnant soul didn't seem as sinister as this skeleton.
"Da da da~"
Just as Ian was speechless, the archer ambushers appeared. They came in droves, and with the sound of hooves, a group of centaurs slowly emerged from the shadows.
The leader was a burly, but somewhat aged centaur with a gray beard and exaggeratedly large muscles.
The other centaurs were also very robust.
"Evil spirits, and evil wizards... you have trespassed into forbidden territory." The leading centaur spoke in a strangely stern voice.
"That's a skeleton! A moving skeleton!"
"This is a sorcerer who toys with the dead!"
"He's just a little kid, yet he dares to learn such hateful magic. The people in the castle won't blame us; we're helping them rid themselves of oozing maggots!"
"Kill him!"
……
A group of centaurs were also roaring fiercely, and some of them even raised their longbows again—and at that moment, a very sudden fluctuation appeared in the space.
"Hehehehehe~"
A strange cry rang out.
The figure of the Black Phoenix appeared in front of the centaurs.
"Attack!"
"Damn it! This was a sneak attack!"
The chaotic centaurs tried to shoot down the flying black phoenix, but the black phoenix seemed to be constantly shuttling between life and death, its figure appearing and disappearing as it swooped down towards the centaurs.
It pierced straight through the nearest centaur, but when the terrified centaur clutched his chest and looked down, he found no wound on his exposed chest.
"I'm alive! I'm okay!"
The centaur cried out in lingering fear, but when he turned to look at his companions, he saw that their expressions were more terrified than the last.
"What's wrong?"
It looked back.
Instantly.
His face turned pale.
All I saw was...
The black phoenix was holding a dimly colored, slightly transparent figure in its beak. The figure was struggling with its hand raised, and its face was exactly the same as the phoenix's.
As the black phoenix raised its head, it swallowed the entire transparent figure whole.
"No!"
The centaur's voice abruptly ceased, as if choked by an invisible force. Its eyes began to fade, gradually changing from deep amber to a pale gray, as if it had lost all life. This fading process quickly spread throughout its body, and its once robust muscles and smooth skin began to become dull and lifeless.
It's as if it's been eroded by the winds and frosts of time.
As the color faded more intensely, the centaur's body began to become increasingly fragile. Its limbs trembled slightly, as if it could no longer support its massive frame.
Finally, with a muffled roar, the centaur collapsed like an ancient statue, shattering into countless pieces, revealing pale bones and broken muscle fibers.
obviously.
What it was taken away and swallowed—its soul!
"What evil creatures! What terrifying abilities! Notify all our people! Notify that school!" The centaur leader was terrified at the sight of his people's gruesome deaths.
The other centaurs reacted similarly. All centaurs were fearless warriors, but that was all; the horror of their souls being consumed as food still terrified them.
"Don't let these beasts go; they just tried to murder me."
As Ian watched the centaurs begin to scatter and flee, he spoke softly to the black phoenix that had flown back to his arm. He did not take out his wand, because after the centaur's soul was devoured, purple flames reignited on the black phoenix's body, and a surge of magic was fed back to him. Although it was not much, it was definitely better than nothing.
"Hehehehehe~"
The Black Phoenix took flight once more.
however.
Before it could even rush out...
The black-robed skeleton, which had remained standing still, assumed that Ian was speaking to it. So, the mysterious skeleton turned its head slightly and looked at the centaurs who were trying to scatter and escape.
The soul fire flickered slightly in its eye sockets, and its two empty eye sockets seemed to pierce through the darkness, gazing at everything in front of it. The red patterns began to leap on its bones.
They shimmered with an eerie light under the moonlight, as if some mysterious magical power was spreading out from them.
next moment.
"Ahhhhh!"
A series of heart-wrenching screams rang out.
Even though they had separated and fled in different directions, all of these centaurs were simultaneously engulfed in crimson flames.
There was no escape, no prediction; the flames seemed to surge forth from within them. All the centaurs collapsed to the ground, letting out heart-wrenching screams that were almost agonizing.
Those fires.
They did not burn these centaurs to death.
The fire was more like a terrifying magic, gradually eroding their skin and flesh. The centaurs' skin began to dry out, like earth scorched by the blazing sun for days, losing all its luster and elasticity. Their muscles began to atrophy, as if an invisible force was slowly draining away all their blood and moisture.
The surrounding trees seemed to be giving way, swaying gently in the windless environment.
"No!!! I was wrong!!!"
"Kill me! Just kill me!"
"Evil black wizard! Your soul is cursed!"
After a series of painful groans and struggles, the centaurs, like lifeless puppets, slowly collapsed to the ground, their bodies withered like dried corpses. Gone was their former pride and vitality. The flames gradually died down after the centaurs fell, leaving only a charred and desolate scene.
The air was filled with a suffocating smell of burning—the traces of life being ruthlessly taken away.
"What bad luck!"
Ian quickly moved away from the ashes, and as the black phoenix landed on his shoulder, followed by the black-robed skeleton, he decided to share the centaur's curse.
"To be fair, you were the ones who made the move, so you are the black wizards it's talking about." Even though he didn't sense any cursed aura, Ian was still extremely cautious.
"Jie?"
The Black Phoenix seems to be indicating that it is not a wizard.
"Then we're talking about it. It's the only outsider here... an outsider skeleton." Ian and Black Phoenix turned their ears almost simultaneously to look at the silent, black-robed skeleton.
"??????"
The black-robed skeleton remained silent.
But it had clearly realized how treacherous Ian was. It was following Ian's orders to silence people, but in the end, it was ostracized by Ian along with Black Phoenix.
"It's alright, you can handle it, I believe in you... and please help me withstand Voldemort's curse as well." Ian walked along the narrow path towards the secret passage.
In the empty forest, rustling sounds echoed. The white light of the wand illuminated the surrounding scene, and various kinds of slippery moss covered the damp path.
Some strangely shaped fireflies were attracted by the light, but dared not approach.
*Smack*
The black-robed skeleton stepped on a tiny mushroom.
Ian glanced back.
He immediately took off running.
Just as some inexplicably black-robed skeletons were about to leisurely follow, the tiny mushrooms beneath their feet began to expand wildly, exploding in the blink of an eye and spewing out a large cloud of green smoke.
The obviously toxic smoke had turned the black-robed skeleton green, yet it still moved with incredible speed, teleporting to the side of Ian, who had already run quite a distance away.
"This is good stuff, let me scrape some off." Ian had already taken out a bottle and a brush, put on his hazmat suit, and immediately went forward to collect the poison powder as soon as he saw the black-robed skeleton appear.
A short while later.
The black-robed skeleton regained its color.
Ian put away the test tube of powder with satisfaction. Perhaps it was because they had stayed in this place for so long that they had attracted a curious creature that was active at night.
It seemed unafraid of the black-robed skeleton, nor of Ian and the black phoenix, and slowly emerged from the dense forest, resembling a horse but far cleaner and more beautiful.
There were also some brightly colored butterflies, glowing with light, surrounding the magical creature.
"It's a unicorn."
Ian was somewhat surprised by tonight's encounter. He had been in the Forbidden Forest more than once or twice, but he had never encountered a unicorn approaching him on its own initiative.
In fact.
The unicorn that emerged was indeed not there for him. It bypassed Ian and the black phoenix on Ian's shoulder, heading straight for the black-robed skeleton.
Its feet knelt on the ground.
He bowed slightly.
The black-robed skeleton tilted its head, looking somewhat puzzled, but still reached out and touched the unicorn's head—a scene that Ian found rather magical and unbelievable.
"You were so cruel when you killed the centaurs! And yet the unicorn thought you had a holy soul?" Ian felt that either he had gone mad or the unicorn that had appeared had gone mad.
It wasn't because the unicorn would show disgust when he got close. Of course, the unicorn would let him pet it, but it certainly wouldn't be as docile as it was in front of the black-robed skeleton.
This beautiful and magical animal has a very strong temper.
The unicorn even expressed a desire to carry the black-robed skeleton.
Ian looked a little confused.
"You're actually a good skeleton!?"
He couldn't understand why he would see such a bizarre scene.
"Hehehe~"
Black Phoenix was also echoing this sentiment.
The way it looked at the black-robed skeleton was as if it were looking at some enemy who had betrayed the class.
(End of this chapter)