There, in the deepest part of the icy abyss, curled up was the blonde girl, her innate goodness still intact despite being enveloped in layers of hatred and malice.
"Alice!"
Lynne bellowed, reaching out desperately towards the girl. In the frigid depths, amidst the chaos of hatred, the girl slowly lifted her head.
"I am your doctor! If you trust me." Lynne, with fierce determination in his eyes, kept diving deeper into the sea of consciousness, continually reaching out to the girl. Behind him, dark tendrils surged forward, emanating from the vengeful ghost's fierce hatred, accompanied by sharp, terrifying howls. "Then let me do it!"
Finally, in the last moment, Lynne managed to stretch his hand towards the girl. Her eyes reflected his face, the deep-seated kindness hidden within those fierce eyes.
Like once before, the family she had lost... What she had longed for... Once again, a friendly and gentle hand was extended towards her...
"Let me heal your wounds!"
Buzz—
The vast darkness and hatred enveloped him like a blood fountain, instantly sweeping over his entire body. Dense, black veins rapidly spread across his cheeks. His hand, which had penetrated the ghost's body, broke off instantly, and his body, like a torn kite, was flung far away.
Black blood, tainted with hatred, spilled across the sky. His body landed heavily dozens of meters away, leaving a long, blood-red trail.
[Ding! Your health is rapidly depleting!]
[Ding! Your body is severely corroded by ghostly energy!]
[Ding! Current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 67%]
[Ding! Current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 75%]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
But Lynne didn't care. He lifted his head, a crazed smile on his face, and suddenly reached into his system space, pulling out a broken spear.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the shattered spear and drove it into his right leg. The ghostly energy coursing wildly through his body instantly ignited the power within the broken spear. Holy light burst forth, rapidly spreading through his flesh, and surging throughout his entire body.
[Ding! Health loss!]
[Ding! Holy intervention, current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 89%]
[Ding! Holy intervention, current ghostly energy corrosion progress reduced to: 79%]
[Ding! Ghostly energy reduced to 68%]
Lynne abruptly lifted his head, facing the shrieking ghost charging towards him. He didn"t dodge; he didn"t evade because he knew...
"You've lost!"
A mad, triumphant smile split his face.
Buzz—
Just as the ghost's bloodied hand was about to pierce Lynne's eyes, it suddenly halted. Her sharp, blood-red nails began to tremble, and her ferocious face suddenly showed immense unease and fear.
She realized she couldn't advance any further. She found that the endless hatred and malice she had driven were now, at this moment, turning against her.
"Mother... it was you..."
A girl's crying voice suddenly rose from within her. The ghost retreated palely, looking at her hands in terror, exclaiming: "No! No! Alice! No!"
It was a cry of profound grief emanating from the deepest part of her being. In the icy abyss of consciousness, at the moment her hand reached towards Lynne, She saw everything Lynne had witnessed in the Remnants of the Past, the truth he wanted to tell her.
Pain. Grief. Despair. Hatred!
She saw the entire process of her mother cursing her family, heard her whispers in their minds, and saw the pain behind their masks before and after the change.
She saw them being subtly bewitched, saw the curse spreading over their bodies, saw the former tenderness gradually turning into painful coldness and madness. Like a puppeteer manipulating dolls. Like a heavy smog shrouding the castle's sky.
"Aah!!!"
A bone-chilling, piercing scream erupted.
Drip-drip—
From the lifeless eyes of Alice's body, tears or perhaps blood trickled down. In an instant, the surging hatred pierced through the castle's dome, reaching the black mist-shrouded sky, and violently stirring the dark clouds above.
Outside the castle, Bloodsaw and Puppet Mistress's expressions changed drastically. They immediately felt the sweeping hatred and resentment that almost seemed to break through the heavens. The coldness even made their hearts skip a beat.
"That is..." Puppet Mistress looked gravely at the dark clouds enveloping the castle, saying, "It's hatred. I've never seen such a scale of hatred emanating from any creature... If it's a vengeful ghost... the power derived from such scale of hatred... might surpass both of us..."
Bloodsaw's gaze flickered, intensely fixed on the burning castle.
Puppet Mistress turned and glanced at him, asking: "Should we intervene?"
Bloodsaw responded somberly, "No need."
Puppet Mistress seemed surprised, her lips curling slightly, "Don't you usually care a lot about your apprentice?"
Bloodsaw replied gravely, "He had the chance to ask for my help. After that incident, I gave him a way to contact me, but he didn"t. Either he's already dead, or he believes, even without my help, he can complete this mission on his own!"
Bloodsaw closed his eyes, his hands unknowingly clenched tightly.
"And if he really had contacted me, I would have been disappointed in him."
...
In the deepest part of the castle, the ghost screamed madly, the flames swirling around her constantly extinguished and suppressed by the hatred emanating from her body. Her spectral form showed bulges as if something was desperately trying to break free, wailing. She painfully tore at her cheeks, leaving deep bloody trails.
"Alice! Alice! I am your mother! Your birth mother! Don't be deceived by that human! Things... things aren't as you think... It's them! It's them!! They are devils in human skin! They deserve to die!! How dare they make you forget your own mother!! Daughter! Daughter! Daughter!!"
Lynne struggled to pull out the spear, using it to stand up, staring intently at the ghost.
"You're just driven by hate and jealousy, seeking revenge. You have no right to be her mother."
Lynne, supporting his body, calmly walked towards her, blood trailing with each step.
"You were jealous of your daughter being accepted by this family. You couldn't stand any joy in your eyes; you were always a malicious witch. You bewitched Carmel to fall in love with you, wanting to become the Countess. But you found the real Countess far superior to yourself!
You couldn't stand their affection, you were no match for that mother. You envied her tolerance and kindness, so you tried to kill her, and your death was entirely your own doing!
In the past revelations, I saw Carmel. He already knew you were a witch and protected you as much as he could during the witch-hunt because he loved you. But your jealousy made you unworthy of being human!"
Lynne pointed at her, his voice heavy with accusation:
"You were always a wicked witch, spreading plague in the Earl's land, using black magic to terrify everyone. He had already discovered your misdeeds and wanted to give you a chance to reform. But you squandered it, becoming even more brazen!
Are you angry he removed your mask at the stake? Are you angry you were burned?! Let me tell you, you deserved to die. If you had continued to live, that would have been a curse to everyone!"
It was like a grand judgment. Each of Lynne's words pierced her heart like a dagger. She screamed in madness.
"I'll kill you!!"
She desperately manipulated the roaring flames, trying to incinerate Lynne. But the cries from within her body grew louder, and the immense hatred finally burst forth. Her belly suddenly swelled, as if the child she once bore for ten months was blossoming inside her again.
Pop—
Screaming, her distended belly suddenly split open. The girl climbed out, writhing and entwining around her body, facing her terrified and trembling face with sorrow. She reached out with trembling, sharp hands and kneeled down, finally pleading in fear.
"Alice! Alice!! No! No!! Forgive me! Forgive your mother! It's all their fault, everything! You are my daughter; they took you away from me. You should have lived with me, grown up by my side! Alice! Alice... please... please forgive me..."
She begged, her face contorted in agony. The girl emerging from the belly of the ghost wept in anguish, biting her teeth hard, as countless images of the past, of a once harmonious family, flashed through her eyes. Everything... all of it... The ghost pleaded, slowly extending a trembling hand toward her daughter"s cheek.
"Alice... my daughter... forgive the sins your mother has committed... please forgive…”
But in that instant, a hint of malice suddenly flickered in her pleading eyes. The hand reaching out to her daughter tensed up, revealing sharp, blood-red nails. Just as her hand was about to strike Alice, a broken spear suddenly cut through the air and pierced her palm, nailing her hand to the wall behind her.
Crackling—
Holy power surged. A venomous wail filled the air.
The girl, who had emerged from the ghost's belly, finally opened her mouth wide, her hesitation turning into utter grief and hatred. Accompanied by sharp cries, the girl began to frenziedly devour the ghost's head.
Countless arms grew from the ghost's body, tearing it apart. This was the hatred of countless beings she had devoured and killed.
Finally, at this moment, their hatred was fully unleashed. Ripping and tearing, her flesh and malicious consciousness were torn apart piece by piece in her agonizing screams.
"Alice! Alice!! My daughter!!”
She begged, but it was futile. The entire castle began to tremble and shake, numerous chains and hooks fell from the ceiling of the freezer. As the curse was cleared, the entire castle started to collapse.
Stones and bricks fell, and the great dome shattered thunderously.
Lynne, gasping, clutching his pierced chest, was also on the verge of collapse.
"Get a grip, you damn guy! Why is it that every time at the end, I have to save you?!"
With Hidari's shout, the left hand suddenly stretched out, grabbing the collapsing wall of the freezer. With a mighty pull, he swiftly carried Lynne"s body, dodging the falling debris.
Lynne gasped for air, managing a wry smile. He let Hidari guide his body, weaving through the falling boulders. With the dome above collapsed, he could see the sky shrouded in dark mist. A gust of wind brushed his face, bringing a hint of relief. It seemed like light was streaming through the broken sky onto his face.
But Lynne knew it wasn't sunlight. It was just the perpetual dust floating in this Dark World... But at least, it wasn't eternal darkness.
[Ding! You have completed Task Branch One: Healing. You will receive Alice's special reward!]
[Ding! You have also completed Task Branch Two: Extermination. You have obtained a special item: Curse Eye.]
[Ding! You have exceeded the completion of both major task branches. You receive double the rewards: Experience 6000, Skull Coins 6000. Your experience is about to exceed level ten; please complete the job transfer task as soon as possible!]
[Curse Eye]
[Type: Object of Curse]
[Ability: Can cast any curse you have recorded on the target. (Depends on your and the target's mental strength)]
[Description: Contains hatred and curse of a vengeful ghost's right eye. It loathes everything it sees, bestowing the most venomous curses on all things. However, it also brings pain and backlash to your soul.]
...
On the castle grounds.
The left hand swiftly placed Lynne on the ground. Half of the ancient castle had completely collapsed. The left hand quickly reached into Lynne's medical box, rummaged through it, and finally found the premium healing potion. He pried open Lynne's mouth and poured the potion down his throat.
Hidari gritted her teeth and said, "You! Don't you dare take me down with you when you die! I still want to live a good life, you hear me! As soon as I find a way to kill that brain of yours and still survive on my own... I will mercilessly finish you off!"
There, in the deepest part of the icy abyss, curled up was the blonde girl, her innate goodness still intact despite being enveloped in layers of hatred and malice.
"Alice!"
Lynne bellowed, reaching out desperately towards the girl. In the frigid depths, amidst the chaos of hatred, the girl slowly lifted her head.
"I am your doctor! If you trust me." Lynne, with fierce determination in his eyes, kept diving deeper into the sea of consciousness, continually reaching out to the girl. Behind him, dark tendrils surged forward, emanating from the vengeful ghost's fierce hatred, accompanied by sharp, terrifying howls. "Then let me do it!"
Finally, in the last moment, Lynne managed to stretch his hand towards the girl. Her eyes reflected his face, the deep-seated kindness hidden within those fierce eyes.
Like once before, the family she had lost... What she had longed for... Once again, a friendly and gentle hand was extended towards her...
"Let me heal your wounds!"
Buzz—
The vast darkness and hatred enveloped him like a blood fountain, instantly sweeping over his entire body. Dense, black veins rapidly spread across his cheeks. His hand, which had penetrated the ghost's body, broke off instantly, and his body, like a torn kite, was flung far away.
Black blood, tainted with hatred, spilled across the sky. His body landed heavily dozens of meters away, leaving a long, blood-red trail.
[Ding! Your health is rapidly depleting!]
[Ding! Your body is severely corroded by ghostly energy!]
[Ding! Current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 67%]
[Ding! Current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 75%]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
But Lynne didn't care. He lifted his head, a crazed smile on his face, and suddenly reached into his system space, pulling out a broken spear.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the shattered spear and drove it into his right leg. The ghostly energy coursing wildly through his body instantly ignited the power within the broken spear. Holy light burst forth, rapidly spreading through his flesh, and surging throughout his entire body.
[Ding! Health loss!]
[Ding! Holy intervention, current ghostly energy corrosion progress: 89%]
[Ding! Holy intervention, current ghostly energy corrosion progress reduced to: 79%]
[Ding! Ghostly energy reduced to 68%]
Lynne abruptly lifted his head, facing the shrieking ghost charging towards him. He didn"t dodge; he didn"t evade because he knew...
"You've lost!"
A mad, triumphant smile split his face.
Buzz—
Just as the ghost's bloodied hand was about to pierce Lynne's eyes, it suddenly halted. Her sharp, blood-red nails began to tremble, and her ferocious face suddenly showed immense unease and fear.
She realized she couldn't advance any further. She found that the endless hatred and malice she had driven were now, at this moment, turning against her.
"Mother... it was you..."
A girl's crying voice suddenly rose from within her. The ghost retreated palely, looking at her hands in terror, exclaiming: "No! No! Alice! No!"
It was a cry of profound grief emanating from the deepest part of her being. In the icy abyss of consciousness, at the moment her hand reached towards Lynne, She saw everything Lynne had witnessed in the Remnants of the Past, the truth he wanted to tell her.
Pain. Grief. Despair. Hatred!
She saw the entire process of her mother cursing her family, heard her whispers in their minds, and saw the pain behind their masks before and after the change.
She saw them being subtly bewitched, saw the curse spreading over their bodies, saw the former tenderness gradually turning into painful coldness and madness. Like a puppeteer manipulating dolls. Like a heavy smog shrouding the castle's sky.
"Aah!!!"
A bone-chilling, piercing scream erupted.
Drip-drip—
From the lifeless eyes of Alice's body, tears or perhaps blood trickled down. In an instant, the surging hatred pierced through the castle's dome, reaching the black mist-shrouded sky, and violently stirring the dark clouds above.
Outside the castle, Bloodsaw and Puppet Mistress's expressions changed drastically. They immediately felt the sweeping hatred and resentment that almost seemed to break through the heavens. The coldness even made their hearts skip a beat.
"That is..." Puppet Mistress looked gravely at the dark clouds enveloping the castle, saying, "It's hatred. I've never seen such a scale of hatred emanating from any creature... If it's a vengeful ghost... the power derived from such scale of hatred... might surpass both of us..."
Bloodsaw's gaze flickered, intensely fixed on the burning castle.
Puppet Mistress turned and glanced at him, asking: "Should we intervene?"
Bloodsaw responded somberly, "No need."
Puppet Mistress seemed surprised, her lips curling slightly, "Don't you usually care a lot about your apprentice?"
Bloodsaw replied gravely, "He had the chance to ask for my help. After that incident, I gave him a way to contact me, but he didn"t. Either he's already dead, or he believes, even without my help, he can complete this mission on his own!"
Bloodsaw closed his eyes, his hands unknowingly clenched tightly.
"And if he really had contacted me, I would have been disappointed in him."
...
In the deepest part of the castle, the ghost screamed madly, the flames swirling around her constantly extinguished and suppressed by the hatred emanating from her body. Her spectral form showed bulges as if something was desperately trying to break free, wailing. She painfully tore at her cheeks, leaving deep bloody trails.
"Alice! Alice! I am your mother! Your birth mother! Don't be deceived by that human! Things... things aren't as you think... It's them! It's them!! They are devils in human skin! They deserve to die!! How dare they make you forget your own mother!! Daughter! Daughter! Daughter!!"
Lynne struggled to pull out the spear, using it to stand up, staring intently at the ghost.
"You're just driven by hate and jealousy, seeking revenge. You have no right to be her mother."
Lynne, supporting his body, calmly walked towards her, blood trailing with each step.
"You were jealous of your daughter being accepted by this family. You couldn't stand any joy in your eyes; you were always a malicious witch. You bewitched Carmel to fall in love with you, wanting to become the Countess. But you found the real Countess far superior to yourself!
You couldn't stand their affection, you were no match for that mother. You envied her tolerance and kindness, so you tried to kill her, and your death was entirely your own doing!
In the past revelations, I saw Carmel. He already knew you were a witch and protected you as much as he could during the witch-hunt because he loved you. But your jealousy made you unworthy of being human!"
Lynne pointed at her, his voice heavy with accusation:
"You were always a wicked witch, spreading plague in the Earl's land, using black magic to terrify everyone. He had already discovered your misdeeds and wanted to give you a chance to reform. But you squandered it, becoming even more brazen!
Are you angry he removed your mask at the stake? Are you angry you were burned?! Let me tell you, you deserved to die. If you had continued to live, that would have been a curse to everyone!"
It was like a grand judgment. Each of Lynne's words pierced her heart like a dagger. She screamed in madness.
"I'll kill you!!"
She desperately manipulated the roaring flames, trying to incinerate Lynne. But the cries from within her body grew louder, and the immense hatred finally burst forth. Her belly suddenly swelled, as if the child she once bore for ten months was blossoming inside her again.
Pop—
Screaming, her distended belly suddenly split open. The girl climbed out, writhing and entwining around her body, facing her terrified and trembling face with sorrow. She reached out with trembling, sharp hands and kneeled down, finally pleading in fear.
"Alice! Alice!! No! No!! Forgive me! Forgive your mother! It's all their fault, everything! You are my daughter; they took you away from me. You should have lived with me, grown up by my side! Alice! Alice... please... please forgive me..."
She begged, her face contorted in agony. The girl emerging from the belly of the ghost wept in anguish, biting her teeth hard, as countless images of the past, of a once harmonious family, flashed through her eyes. Everything... all of it... The ghost pleaded, slowly extending a trembling hand toward her daughter"s cheek.
"Alice... my daughter... forgive the sins your mother has committed... please forgive…”
But in that instant, a hint of malice suddenly flickered in her pleading eyes. The hand reaching out to her daughter tensed up, revealing sharp, blood-red nails. Just as her hand was about to strike Alice, a broken spear suddenly cut through the air and pierced her palm, nailing her hand to the wall behind her.
Crackling—
Holy power surged. A venomous wail filled the air.
The girl, who had emerged from the ghost's belly, finally opened her mouth wide, her hesitation turning into utter grief and hatred. Accompanied by sharp cries, the girl began to frenziedly devour the ghost's head.
Countless arms grew from the ghost's body, tearing it apart. This was the hatred of countless beings she had devoured and killed.
Finally, at this moment, their hatred was fully unleashed. Ripping and tearing, her flesh and malicious consciousness were torn apart piece by piece in her agonizing screams.
"Alice! Alice!! My daughter!!”
She begged, but it was futile. The entire castle began to tremble and shake, numerous chains and hooks fell from the ceiling of the freezer. As the curse was cleared, the entire castle started to collapse.
Stones and bricks fell, and the great dome shattered thunderously.
Lynne, gasping, clutching his pierced chest, was also on the verge of collapse.
"Get a grip, you damn guy! Why is it that every time at the end, I have to save you?!"
With Hidari's shout, the left hand suddenly stretched out, grabbing the collapsing wall of the freezer. With a mighty pull, he swiftly carried Lynne"s body, dodging the falling debris.
Lynne gasped for air, managing a wry smile. He let Hidari guide his body, weaving through the falling boulders. With the dome above collapsed, he could see the sky shrouded in dark mist. A gust of wind brushed his face, bringing a hint of relief. It seemed like light was streaming through the broken sky onto his face.
But Lynne knew it wasn't sunlight. It was just the perpetual dust floating in this Dark World... But at least, it wasn't eternal darkness.
[Ding! You have completed Task Branch One: Healing. You will receive Alice's special reward!]
[Ding! You have also completed Task Branch Two: Extermination. You have obtained a special item: Curse Eye.]
[Ding! You have exceeded the completion of both major task branches. You receive double the rewards: Experience 6000, Skull Coins 6000. Your experience is about to exceed level ten; please complete the job transfer task as soon as possible!]
[Curse Eye]
[Type: Object of Curse]
[Ability: Can cast any curse you have recorded on the target. (Depends on your and the target's mental strength)]
[Description: Contains hatred and curse of a vengeful ghost's right eye. It loathes everything it sees, bestowing the most venomous curses on all things. However, it also brings pain and backlash to your soul.]
...
On the castle grounds.
The left hand swiftly placed Lynne on the ground. Half of the ancient castle had completely collapsed. The left hand quickly reached into Lynne's medical box, rummaged through it, and finally found the premium healing potion. He pried open Lynne's mouth and poured the potion down his throat.
Hidari gritted her teeth and said, "You! Don't you dare take me down with you when you die! I still want to live a good life, you hear me! As soon as I find a way to kill that brain of yours and still survive on my own... I will mercilessly finish you off!"
