What a pain.
Sifa sighed inwardly. Even after advancing to Demigod, he still found an Evil Spirit born from a deceased Demigod difficult to deal with. Once again, he recognized the Hunter Pathway's shortcomings when it came to mysticism.
Of course, difficult did not mean Sifa had no way to handle him.
Atwood had used some unknown spell to hide himself in a safe space. Seeing that none of the arms and vines emerging from the mysterious Bronze Gate could catch the Evil Spirit, Sifa suspected his Ash Flame would have trouble reaching him too.
He had to admit that a Mysticologist's abilities were a real headache. After Atwood became an Evil Spirit, his abilities had mutated as well, actually allowing him to become the spell itself.
These mutated spells had most likely diverged from their original versions, becoming distorted to varying degrees.
But in essence, they were still Mystical Reenactment!
While resisting the ability resembling Words of the Dead, Sifa raised a hand and made a grasping motion toward Atwood.
Yet nothing changed about Atwood. Sifa had tried to steal his ability, Mystical Reenactment, but failed.
He kept trying. His second and third attempts failed in succession, and only on his fourth did Sifa succeed. The invisible suction drawing out his spirit vanished, and the darkness surrounding Atwood collapsed, losing its substance.
The cloak on his body disappeared, and his form filled out again, as though illusory flesh and blood had been poured into it. He reverted to a middle-aged man with slightly curled black hair and lifeless, fishlike eyes.
The Evil Spirit was visibly stunned, but Sifa did not stop after successfully stealing Mystical Reenactment. Transparent flames suddenly rose around him, and he transformed into scattered clusters of colorless, barely visible Ash Flame.
After scattering, the colorless flames