The distant howls of wolves and hooting of owls woke me up from my slumber. My eyelids fluttered open, and I ended up staring at the night sky, waiting for my brain to load what happened.
Oh, I remember getting stuck inside the lotus head, and then the escape system appeared. It meant I almost died again. And what about that loaning of stars? Damn, I hate owing something to someone.
"Hey, Caelum, so how am I going to pay you for that 1000 stars you lent me? 1000 coins for 1 star, right? How many coins do I need? Hundred thousand…no, a million! F*ck! How many do I have right now?!"
[>>>>Bank
>>>Coins
>>5600 ]
Hm? It was 1200 before, how did it increase?
"Hey, Guardian of All Skies, tell me how to earn coins. If I know how this number increases, then I can pay you in no time."
No answer. Well, that's expected. They did say I wouldn't be able to talk with them once the story begins. I still hoped but I guess it can't be helped.
But, where am I this time?
I looked around. The tip of my eyebrow twitched after seeing the huge ghastly mansion before me. As it turns out, I was lying next to a huge fountain with a statue of an angel carrying a jug where the water poured. Its head was tilted and eyes closed, yet the lips were curved slightly and it hugged the jug as if it was something very precious to it.
It's wings…well, how should I put it? It was a statue painted gray and sculpted very intricately, but the wings looked burned. The angel statue was old, it had cracks but wasn't blackened. It wasn't burned literally, but…the wings, appeared as if the feathers were torn from it.
Why did I think it was burned?
Ting!
[Due to the Stars being loaned to the user, the System Penalty will increase difficulty.]
"WHAT?! HEY! CAELUM, IT'S NOT FAIR! I'LL PAY IT BACK! DON'T YOU DARE MA—
[System Penalty: Clear the Seven Dungeons of Lucifer!]
My head spun to the water-pouring angel statue, my eyes widening with horror. How did he become a bartender? Or a water bearer?!
[The Dungeons of Lucifer are dungeons of eternal suffering. Unless you free your soul from the chains that bind you in these hellholes, you will never die and repeat the agonizing cycle of death.]
[You are currently inside the Dungeon of Wrath]
WHAT? Seven dungeons?! By myself alone? If dungeons are comparable to Doors, then that would mean I have to defeat seven gigantic monsters or worse, all alone?!
My body didn't sustain all the injuries I acquired in that battle. It was completely healed. Even when I checked my user profile, everything was back to normal. My speed and strength increased, as well as my skills and the time limit to use Blood Manipulation.
And there are still three remaining supporting characters I need to get. Hah…let's get this over with. If I die in this dungeon, does that mean I will only return to the starting point?
I got up from the ground and looked at myself in the water. The statue looked eerie so I was on guard as I peeked into the fountain. What if it suddenly moved and grinned eerily at me? I might pee my pants.
The water on the fountain was clear, thus, I could see my reflection vividly. The ripples are gentle, but there was something strange in my image. What was it? I fixed my disheveled hair and froze upon seeing something wrong with my hands.
I looked at my palms and gasped after still seeing the water beyond them.
"What is this?! Why are my hands transparent?"
I scooped the water frantically, but the water only stirred as if a dew dropped.
I checked my whole body. I was wearing the same clothes, but I looked like a ghost. I decided to enter the mansion after some thought. If I don't move forward, I'll get stuck in this place. If an hour here is equivalent to a day in the real world. Then, I must hurry.
The huge metal doors of the gothic mansion creaked as I pushed it open. A dark hallway greeted me, with tall doric columns on both sides and medieval paintings hung in every space between the columns, guarded with armored statues of knights holding spears.
[Welcome to the Mansion of the Vengeful Ghost]
Oh, f*ck. Another ghostly place I hate. Why is the system always picking on me?
"But what should I do? How do I clear this dungeon?"
My voice reverberated in the hallway. I'm having goosebumps already. I almost shrieked after another screen popped out in the air.
[Screams echoed in the dark void of the purgatory. Chains dragging the lost soul back to the eternal fire. Tread upon the bridge of vengeance, free your soul from the shackles of hell.]
[Quest: Rest in Peace!]
[The ghost of the mansion is filled with fury! He was betrayed and forsaken by his friends and killed by his enemies! He will never rest in peace until his revenge is fulfilled!
Task 1: Reclaim the Vengeful Ghost's Mansion
Task 2: Kill the Traitors
Task 3: Find and Bury the Vengeful Ghost's Corpse
Reward: +10% MP, Skill (?) ]
An increase of 10% in my mana will improve my magic-related skills greatly, and I can get a new skill. No matter what it is, I guess possessing another skill is better. The rewards are not that bad.
But if my body is transparent like this, how can I even fight?
I proceeded to walk the straight path. Torches mounted on the walls ignited as I passed. Clamors were heard from ahead, so I wondered if there was a fight going on. Another large door appeared at the end of the dark hallway, and the noise beyond went louder.
I pushed the door, only my hands passed through it, and I smacked my head foolishly. I forgot I'm a ghost.
Wait. I'm a ghost! I'm the ghost? The vengeful ghost?!
I chuckled nervously. No way. Maybe I'm just an extra ghost fulfilling the vengeful ghost's revenge.
I passed through the door without much thought and was startled by the booming noise inside. It was an open hall as wide as an entire basketball court with columns on all sides and a dome ceiling as high as a low-rise building.
The hall was filled with people wearing frilly dresses and waving fans, tight-fitting frock coats, waistcoats or vests, and trousers everywhere. On the opposite side of the door was a grand staircase splitting in two and joining at the top. In the middle stood a proud noble-looking man with badges and stars on his uniform and a long sword on his waist.
The first task is to reclaim this mansion. It means this place now belongs to someone. Reclaiming things goes either way, through a diplomatic approach or territorial war declaration. I don't think I can start a conversation with anyone if I'm like this.
Then, it's a war.
A ghost waging war. I snorted. The curly mustache man beside me turned his head and stared at my face. What? I can be seen?
I waved my hand, but the man only furrowed his brows and looked very confused. Did he hear me when I snorted? I chuckled. The man's eyes widened and paled.
Ah. Of course, people can feel ghosts and some can even see them. But it still won't help me with the quest.
I strolled to the grand staircase and eyed the nobleman who looked smug. I passed him and headed upstairs. There must be something that can help me here. I started passing through walls, windows, and even floors.
This is actually fun and a good skill. I went through another floor and got dumped inside a glass box.
Hm? What is this place?
I stepped out of the glass encasement. A crown was displayed above a pedestal inside the box, where I was standing before. The walls were filled with displays; lots of different kinds of armor, gauntlets, daggers, spears, and other weapons.
In the center space of the room were encasements displaying pieces of jewelry, mystic balls, and other accessories. A glint from the corner aisle caught my attention. There was no window in that room, which I surmised was underground.
The only source of light was torches mounted on the walls. I took one and approached the corner where I saw the glare, only to be disappointed that it was just a trivial object.
A black ring band with only a tiny, purple stone in it. I wondered why it glinted when there was no light in that part before. I touched the box and was shocked at what appeared next.
[Item: Possessor's Ring
Type: Accessory
Attack Damage: 0
Skill: Astral Projection, Body Possession
Description: Ancient ring of the Defier of Death – the spirit that possesses dead bodies to continue living. ]
!!
"That's exactly what I need! And sweet! Everything in this place is an item!"
I touched another glass box where a pretty necklace was displayed, but nothing happened.
"I guess not?"
I touched the one next to it where a golden tiara was, but the screen didn't appear. It's a pity, but I just shrugged my shoulders.
"The ring's owner is a spirit, so will I be able to touch it?"
The dead color of the purple stone glowed and became vibrant after I inserted my index finger into the ring. It was larger at first, but then, a purple line appeared from the stone and traced the shank slowly, as if it was examining his finger. Then, once the line reached the stone again, the ring suddenly changed in size and fit in his index.
Lucky! With this, I can plan my revenge now. However, the moment I took my hand out of the glass encasement, a loud repetitive sound echoed through the whole room. Then, a group of armored knights marched in.