Ten Thousand Spirits Incantation

Ban City was a city rebuilt atop ruins. Due to its geography, it was hemmed in by North Mountain Lake and the southern bay, forming a layout resembling a barbell.

North Mountain Lake marked Ban City's northernmost edge, but its southern shore certainly did not. Around the lake's central and southern regions stood a considerable number of residential facilities, many of them upscale housing developments.

Don't wonder why anyone would build luxury homes here with Aberrant Species so close at hand. Essentially, quite a few Big Shots in Ban City had set up residences here as "hunting villas." Especially in the years since the emergence of the Deep Blue Walker, the World Government had largely shifted from defense to offense in the Wilderness. As the danger steadily diminished, "lakeside hunting" had become a fashionable form of high-society networking.

However, this season happened to be the lull between spring hunting and summer hunting. The cluster of lakeside "hunting villas" seemed empty, with few pedestrians and a rather desolate air. When two people passed each other, it was quite difficult to ignore one another.

"Good evening, Kitayama Madam."

"Good evening."

"The wind is pleasantly cool tonight."

"Yes, it is."

The two passed each other, leaving only the housewife's stiff smile in the cool night breeze.

From this small incident, the main topic of conversation in the upscale villa district quickly took shape that night. At the women's dull social gatherings, many commented:

"Kitayama Yukie really is such a rude person!"

"She's just a retired actress. What a mysteriously arrogant woman."

"I heard Mr. Kitayama is some kind of powerful figure in society?"

"Yes, I've heard that too. That's why Kitayama Madam hardly went out for such a long time. But I also heard... that forceful Mr. Kitayama may already be dead!"

"Oh