A strange sensation welled up from within Fars. He could feel negative emotions accumulating—restlessness, resentment... a mix of feelings that sent a chill down his spine, even as a creature of darkness. In contrast, Joanna and the others appeared unaffected, their faces reflecting only confusion. However, Master Perugino's words confirmed Fars's intuition, prompting them to gather their weapons and prepare for the hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.
"It's the vengeful spirits!"
Master Perugino continued, his expression grave. Unlike his calm demeanor in Wolf Valley or when facing the countless vines obstructing their path during the day, he now exuded a seriousness that was hard to ignore.
What exactly are vengeful spirits? It's a difficult concept to define. To a mage, they are merely spiritual entities harboring lingering grudges. These beings typically arise after a living creature's death due to various reasons—perhaps an overwhelming obsession in life or the accumulation of negative energy in the place of their demise. Such spirits are unable to find peace and return to the afterlife. In the material realm of Elras, most environments are unsuitable for these spirits to exist for long periods. They are usually found in deep mountains, ancient battlefields, or other shadowy places where sunlight struggles to penetrate, fostering the emergence of vengeful spirits.
This is one explanation for their existence, but the Church has its own interpretation. Devout followers who dedicate their faith to the gods may find a chance to enter the divine realm after death. However, for heretics or those who violate their beliefs, the gods do not welcome them. Souls that find themselves without a place to go may eventually transform into vengeful spirits if they cannot dissipate over time. The Church's priests often claim to exorcise these spirits, offering them peace through the purifying light. Wealthy families may even hire priests to cleanse the souls of their deceased, hoping to wash away their sins and allow them to ascend to heaven. Yet, these believers dismiss the mages' theories about the so-called resting place. Proud mages, naturally, would not stoop to explain their views to mere mortals, especially since they cannot prove the existence of such a resting place. Even legendary masters of the soul realm have never successfully located this mysterious domain, leaving them perplexed about how souls transition there and what happens afterward. Those who reach such heights possess unique perspectives on the nature of souls.
While the group had some understanding of vengeful spirits, knowing about them did not equate to having the means to confront them. Joanna and her companions were oblivious to the presence of these spirits, let alone how to deal with them. Their youth and strength granted them considerable resistance to typical vengeful spirits, which posed little threat. However, what if they were in an environment perfectly suited for the emergence of these spirits? Everyone experiences moments of instability or mental fatigue, providing an opportunity for vengeful spirits to exploit, potentially leading to possession and control over their bodies.
Fars and Master Perugino's sensitivity to these spirits stemmed from their formidable mental fortitude, allowing them to perceive the subtle waves of spiritual energy around them.
Among those present, only Fars and Master Perugino maintained their composure. As undead beings, the blood clan naturally possessed a strong resistance to these spirits that continued to exist in Elras. With a dead body and a soul willing to embrace darkness, what fear did they have of mere spiritual entities filled with resentment? Moreover, Fars had Danis, whose noble bloodline and unique ability to consume souls made her a natural nemesis to all kinds of spirits. Even the souls of top-tier magical beasts could not escape Danis's grasp, and even ancient vengeful spirits, existing for thousands of years, would instinctively fear a being that could counter them.
The essence of vengeful spirits lies in the negative energy they accumulate, making sunlight—especially holy light—deadly to them. The blood clan's strength allows them to summon various dark elements to shield against sunlight and holy light. Conversely, powerful vengeful spirits can also form defenses using the negative energy they gather.
Mages, of course, are not powerless against vengeful spirits. The inability to use holy light does not mean they lack other means to combat them. Soul mages, in particular, specialize in dealing with spirits. To confront lesser vengeful spirits, they often need only a thought, unleashing a specific mental wave capable of dispelling various spiritual entities, including living beings! This is a common technique employed by masters who specialize in this field. Master Perugino, not being a soul mage, demonstrated his disregard for the essence of the powerful wolf king's spirit, which is a crucial material for soul mages in their research and spellcasting. They typically have specialized methods for collecting and storing souls, minimizing waste, and occasionally capturing vengeful spirits to refine magical artifacts. However, magic fundamentally relies on manipulating surrounding elements, and theoretically, every type of magic can affect vengeful spirits. Yet, standard magical effects are often limited. Over the ages, many non-soul mages have developed unique spells to deal with vengeful spirits.
Among the most powerful and effective spells is the Word of Power, which manifests the spoken word through the force of law. This is akin to how soul mages can obliterate vengeful spirits with a mere thought, utilizing the power of law to erase entities that should not exist in this realm. Such a useful spell comes with stringent requirements; mastery of the laws is essential, and without special bloodline talents, only high-tier mages stand a chance. Additionally, specific spellcasting materials are necessary. Typically, mages with strong mental fortitude do not fear these spirits and would not prepare for them specifically. Weaker mages can bolster their mental defenses and use spells like Fireball, which are effective against vengeful spirits, to scare them away.
Master Perugino had made ample preparations for this expedition, bestowing mental protections on Joanna and the others, who lacked resistance to vengeful spirits. Fars, on the other hand, did not require such protections, as he could sense the spirits' presence and, as a member of the blood clan, naturally possessed a much higher resistance than any mental barrier. He then began to produce various materials—Haimagite, Soul-repelling Grass, and Gathering Yin Flowers—not to purify the surrounding spirits but to construct a large defensive magical array specifically designed to prevent vengeful spirits from invading their camp. Attempting to eliminate all spirits in an area conducive to their existence would be exceedingly difficult for mages or priests who were not specialized in souls. The best course of action was to protect themselves and endure the night, waiting for dawn. A single ray of sunlight would be enough to deal a fatal blow to ordinary vengeful spirits.
It was no surprise that the Qihar Mountains could nurture so many vengeful spirits. Countless adventurers had perished here over the years, and a portion of the souls of various magical beasts also failed to dissipate. Over time, in such a dark environment that lacked sunlight year-round, the accumulation of negative energy naturally led to the emergence of vengeful spirits.
Fortunately, there were no particularly powerful vengeful spirits nearby. While ordinary spirits might be nearly invisible, existing as mere wisps of spiritual energy, powerful spirits inevitably gathered significant amounts of negative energy, making them much easier for Fars to sense. Some ancient vengeful spirits could even form new bodies from negative energy, becoming visible to ordinary people. If they were invisible, it was fine, but encountering one that could be seen was a different story. Unless one was a mage or a high-ranking priest, the best option was to flee. Even high-tier mages would be risking their lives; bodies formed purely from negative energy could rival elemental beings, and such vengeful spirits possessed a multitude of innate abilities, favored by the laws of nature, making them formidable opponents.
The defensive magical array was gradually taking shape, and any nearby vengeful spirits were dispersed by Master Perugino's quiet command of "Dissipate." Now, the spirits outside could not approach the camp, and the ones inside had been cleared, causing the strange feeling in Fars's heart to dissipate.
Could it really be this simple?
The answer was no. After the array was completed, clear waves of spiritual energy surged into everyone's minds. Even Joanna and the others felt it; the array flickered ominously, clearly under attack. It seemed a powerful vengeful spirit was making its move. Their only option was to channel their magical energy into the array to withstand the assault of the spirits. If the array were breached, Joanna, Agno, and the others would be the first to suffer.
Things were not so easily resolved. Since mere defense was insufficient, Master Perugino decided to take a more proactive approach. He entrusted Fars with maintaining the array while he prepared a powerful spell to send the vengeful spirits back to rest.
After accepting the responsibility of the array's defense, Fars could clearly sense the distribution of the vengeful spirits around them. Although he still couldn't see them, he could discern their presence based on the impacts on the array. Fortunately, his magical energy was abundant, allowing him to withstand the continuous mid-tier magical attacks for a considerable time. This was enough for Master Perugino to cast his spells. In truth, Fars had a little scheme in mind; if he could harness these vengeful spirits, he could use them to deal with the others, thus freeing himself.
Master Perugino's attacks were effective; with each Word of Power spoken, a portion of the vengeful spirits dissipated, which Fars could sense through the diminishing pressure on the array.
At this rate, even if he summoned these spirits, it would be challenging for them to deliver a fatal blow. With Master Perugino present, how could the spirits breach the mage's defenses?
Just as Fars thought the night would pass uneventfully, a sudden shift occurred. Vengeful spirits, while not endless, were still formidable, and after several of Master Perugino's strikes, many had been eliminated. However, Danis, perched on Fars's shoulder, seemed to sense something. She immediately flew in front of him, emitting a sharp cry, protecting him. Just then, a piercing sensation stabbed into Fars's mind. Fortunately, with Danis's assistance, he was not severely affected. But the array collapsed instantly, as if a needle had easily punctured a sheet of paper.