Mission Start

"Clang... clang... clang..."

These were the chimes of a bell.

The deep bell tolls echoed in the dim space, yet they seemed to strike deep into one's heart. Rhode stood up, warily observing his surroundings while tightening his grip on the cards in his hand.

"Lize."

"Ah, yes!"

"Do you remember what we did in that small town?"

"I remember!"

Lize, who had been uneasy, immediately jumped up upon hearing Rhode's command. Without wasting time, a ball of light, shimmering with a gentle radiance, soon materialized in the girl's hand. After this divine radiance appeared, it was as if something had been provoked, and a strong, eerie wind swept through. Even the blazing bonfire seemed to sway and flicker under this gust of wind.

"Mr. Rhode, is it something like what we encountered in that town?"

"Essentially, there's no difference."

"..."

Hearing Rhode's nonchalant reply, Lize's heart finally eased by half. If it were her in the past, she would likely still be restless. But after the battle in Mist Town, Lize was pleasantly surprised to discover that as a Spirit Master, she actually possessed combat abilities, and could even gain the upper hand when fighting those terrifying undead monsters. This gave the girl unprecedented confidence. In the past, she could only stand at the back, watching her companions fight while she was unable to help. But now, it was different. Under specific circumstances, she could actually join the fight and didn't have to be protected by others all the time. This filled Lize with confidence, and her previous fear of the haunted house diminished significantly upon hearing Rhode's answer.

Because if Rhode could say it, it meant he definitely had a solution!

Unknowingly, Lize had begun to trust and rely on this young man she hadn't known for long.

The battle had begun.

Rhode heightened his vigilance, scanning his surroundings warily. At the same time, he flipped his right hand, and soon, Star Trace once again cut through the darkness, appearing in Rhode's hand. Then, Rhode suddenly swung his long sword, and a blazing Crimson Lotus Fire shot out from the sword. It rolled and condensed on the ground, revealing the figure of a black hound.

Flame Slayer.

The hound, surrounded by flames, immediately displayed extreme tension and sensitivity upon its appearance. It lowered its body, gripping the ground tightly, arching its back, warily facing the darkness before it, and emitting a low growl from its throat. Clearly, as an Elemental Spirit with keen senses, it had already detected the danger present.

"Lize, cast a shield on yourself. Remember, if you encounter any danger, use healing spells immediately... you know what to do."

"Understood, sir."

After receiving a clear reply, Lize quickly calmed down. Just as Rhode had observed, she could achieve perfection in details, but conversely, if she didn't have a definite objective, she would immediately become lost and bewildered. Now, after being given orders, Rhode saw the girl, who had been terrified and trembling as if on a haunted house adventure for a whole day, finally reveal her usual composure.

"Follow me."

Saying this, Rhode turned and walked out of the hall.

The corridor outside was silent.

The tattered windows swayed in the cold wind, opening and closing, their impacts against the walls echoing throughout the silent mansion.

At first glance, it seemed no different from before.

But something was already subtly changing.

Rhode noticed that in the corner, faint shadows were slowly flowing, hidden in the shadows. The black hound grew increasingly agitated, opening its mouth to reveal its sharp white teeth, with sparks spraying from between them, carrying a hint of ferocity.

When the two reached the end of the stairs, no strange occurrences had appeared. However, Rhode's expression grew increasingly solemn. Looking at the stairs before him, he made a gesture, signaling Lize to stay close, then he stepped up.

"Whoosh!!"

Just then, a bust sculpture that had been placed in the hall seemed to be heavily pushed, tumbling towards Rhode.

Here they come!

Facing the incoming attack, Rhode immediately swung his long sword towards the sculpture.

"Boom!"

The rolling sculpture disintegrated. At the same time, Lize felt a chill behind her.

Almost instinctively, she turned her head and saw several blue humanoid figures slowly emerging from the ground at the bottom of the stairs.

"Evil Spirits!"

Unlike Wraiths, which were "products of specific occasions," Evil Spirits were a type of evil monster well-known, or rather, infamous, across the continent. They were the pitiable souls of the deceased, infected by evil forces and unable to leave this world, possessing nothing but hatred for the living and desperate struggles. They could be found in many places, and as a Spirit Master, Lize had certainly encountered knowledge about Evil Spirits.

If it were in the past, Lize might not have known what to do. But after the battle in Mist Town, she had her own ideas. Facing the appearing Evil Spirits, she raised her hand without hesitation.

Just then, Rhode reached out and placed a hand on Lize's shoulder.

"Mr. Rhode?"

Sensing Rhode's strange action, Lize turned her head with surprise and bewilderment.

"You can try a better method."

Facing Lize's questioning gaze, Rhode's expression remained calm and collected. He then lowered his head and whispered something in Lize's ear. Upon hearing Rhode's suggestion, Lize's face first showed a hint of surprise, then turned to astonishment, curiosity, and finally, determination.

"I will do my best, Mr. Rhode."

"Very well, then the upper floor is up to me."

At this moment, over a dozen Evil Spirits appeared from both above and below. They swayed their bodies, floating in mid-air with eerie, agile trajectories, extending their hands and emitting soul-chilling shrieks as they lunged towards the living, intending to tear their flesh apart and turn them into their own kind.

But the Evil Spirits did not achieve their goal.

Rhode was not the first to act.

Accompanied by a loud whistle, the black hound, which had been poised for action, leaped high, opening its ferocious, terrifying maw. In the next instant, blazing flames erupted from it, blasting towards the Evil Spirits.

Undead monsters fear two things: positive energy and fire. Rhode now possessed both, which was exactly why he dared to challenge this special quest. Had he been alone, Rhode would never have risked his life for such a petty gain—five hundred gold coins weren't even enough to buy his own life.

Under the violent torrent of flames, the Evil Spirit creatures shrieked and retreated. Their ethereal bodies might have been immune to ordinary blades, but they were meaningless in the face of magic-infused attacks. Soon, two or three Evil Spirit creatures were engulfed by the erupting fire, screaming as they dissolved into nothingness. The surrounding furniture and decorations, already rotted and decayed, ignited in that same instant.

The formation of the Evil Spirit creatures loosened, and at that very moment, Rhode's Shadow Blink was activated once again.

Propelled by immense momentum, he vaulted over the stairs like a swift, agile swallow, passing through the barrier of flames with a dim, lusterless shadow. Before the Evil Spirit creatures could react, they only saw a pristine blade thrusting out from an angle, striking straight toward them. In a flash, an Evil Spirit creature blocking the path was sliced in two as easily as butter, vanishing into thin air. Seeing the situation turn against them, the remaining Evil Spirit creatures retreated rapidly, merging into the walls and disappearing from sight.

The staircase began to shake.

A long-sealed, rust-covered suit of armor creaked as it stepped toward the support frame. It slowly raised the longsword in its hand and brought it down with force toward Rhode, who had his back turned.

But before the sword could fall, a black hound lunged forward with a roar, pinning the armor firmly beneath it, baring its bloody maw, and spewing out scorching flames once again.

[Experience Gained: 360/2500]

Not enough.

Rhode glanced at the system notification. The experience gain wasn't particularly fast; compared to his time in the Dusk Forest, it was like heaven and earth. This was to be expected, though; after all, this wasn't a dungeon, and these Evil Spirit creatures weren't elite monsters. He could easily take out a dozen, so naturally, he wouldn't receive much experience... but for Rhode, there were more important things to focus on right now.

He turned around and looked at the young girl standing on the stairs.

The shrieks of the Evil Spirit creatures grew clearer.

Watching the figures filled with cold, deathly aura lunging toward her, Lize raised her right hand, her mind echoing with the words Rhode had spoken earlier.

"Healing Light isn't just for treating wounds, Lize. Remember: condense, overlap, compress, and then release. I believe you can do it."

Condense...

Lize could feel the holy power gathering under her will, quickly reaching its limit. Following the original procedure, she only needed a thought to cast Healing Light. But now, Lize didn't do that.

Overlap...

The holy power continued to condense, sending out unstable fluctuations. It felt as if someone who could only steady one bowl of water had been forced to hold another; she gradually felt a sense of powerlessness.

Compress...

The two streams of holy power began to fuse, but at this moment, Lize's mental state was nearly at its limit. Her palms trembled slightly, as if she could no longer hold on.

Just then, the wailing Evil Spirit creatures reached her side.

The moment Lize snapped back to reality, she saw the Evil Spirit creature's face, filled with rage and pain. The young girl couldn't help but subconsciously step back, and the energy that had been teetering in her hand dissipated along with her fright. But before Lize could react, a brilliant sword light flashed past her, piercing the Evil Spirit creatures and stalling their attack. At the same time, Rhode's voice rang out.

"Try again."

"Yes."

Lize bit her lower lip and raised her hand once more. With the previous experience, the holy power condensed in her hand again in no time. Then, staring at the distant Evil Spirit creatures, Lize gritted her teeth and reached forward.

"Whoosh!"

A pillar of light appeared out of thin air, slamming down like a thick, heavy column. The Evil Spirit creatures caught beneath it didn't even have time to react before they were completely wiped out, shattering like fragile glass into fragments.

"Eh?"

Lize withdrew her hand, staring at the scene before her with three parts surprise and seven parts delight. She certainly knew that Healing Light dealt significant damage to undead creatures, but she hadn't expected it to reach this level. Holy Soul preserve her, in terms of sheer power, this had completely surpassed the scope of a healing spell. Even the Judgment Hammer of a Cathedral Bishop probably wouldn't have more power than this.

Before the young girl could express her joy, Rhode's calm voice pulled her back to reality once again.

"Keep working at it. This is only the beginning."