A Tragic Way to Die

Until the Ghost Sparrow swallowed the last mote of light, the Ancestor Spirit made no further attempt to retaliate beyond its screams. The lava below continued to churn, but it seemed more like it had fallen into some uncontrolled state, no longer able to coil into pillars and attack.

The Ancestor Spirit's screams gradually faded as well...

At last, as the Ghost Sparrow swallowed the final red mote of light, the Ancestor Spirit's voice vanished completely, and the lava suddenly fell still. The entire cavern sank into deathly silence.

Benjamin stared motionlessly at the girl.

The atmosphere was tense. The boy could not help holding his breath, his palms damp with sweat.

"Phew... It looks like it worked?"

Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes, looking somewhat weary. The Ghost Sparrow also flew back from below and came before the three of them. Aside from its eyes being as red as fire alarms, it otherwise seemed perfectly normal.

Benjamin frowned.

"...How do you feel? What about the Ancestor Spirit's presence? Has it disappeared?"

Hearing this, the girl hesitated before saying, "The Ancestor Spirit... seems to have really been eaten by Sparrow. I don't think the Ancestor Spirit has been destroyed, but it also seems completely unable to resist. I don't know why."

Benjamin stroked his chin. Rather than speaking immediately, he turned and questioned the system in his mind.

The system replied, "The Ancestor Spirit's power has indeed all been swallowed by that ghost pet. It is currently still inside its stomach, with no signs of leaking out. This girl's mind is also clear, and her mental structure is stable. There are no signs that she has been invaded."

"That's good..."

Benjamin let out a breath of relief.

Though he had prepared himself mentally, if the girl had truly been possessed,