I stared down at Ryu Yeji's twisted body, crumpled like a discarded piece of fabric. Strangely, there was no blood, even though his head was completely gone.
How could someone contort themselves six times over like this, with such reckless disregard for their body?
The answer was simple.
This wasn't Ryu Yeji. This was an imposter. In fact, 'It' wasn't even human.
Shadow Demon Fang
✧ Artificial Familiar
Shadow Wolves. The same creatures of darkness that had blocked our path on the second floor of the mansion, before we reached the third.
They weren't nightmares who had taken the Path of Corruption (腐化之路) and become Terrors.
They weren't supposed to exist without some kind of intervention.
Entities created using Black Magic. They do not possess a physical body, nor do they have a soul.
Their only lifeline was a 'core,' much like the heart is to humans. If the core was destroyed, they would fade away like a wisp of dust.
Beyond that, they had no biological functions of a living organism. There was no need for them to eat, drink, sleep or even breathe.
They were simply hollow vessels carrying out the will of their creator.
However, they did possess some level of intelligence—whether naturally or installed by their creator, along with a personality. What they lacked was a Sense of Self (自我意识)
But that wasn't the most disturbing thing about them.
Being created from the Dark Element, they could freely merge with and manipulate darkness, shadows, at will. Additionally, due to their 'dark' properties, they had the ability to take the form of anything they came into contact with.
In other words, they were perfect Doppelgängers.
Imagine walking and talking with someone you thought was your friend, only to be betrayed and killed without knowing what hit you.
Yes, these bastards were a real pain in the ass.
But in the right hands, they could outshine even the most elite assassins. Of course, that requires enough mana to keep them around.
Even so, I couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Seriously, this sucks. I had a lot of questions for this guy, but that's not happening anytime soon.
Damn it. That idiot—why did he have to die so soon? Wasn't he supposed to be with Soo Jinyoung? Tch! Tch! If he was going to die, couldn't he have at least waited a bit longer?
What are we supposed to do now if we run into more traps? The sacrificial goat is already gone!
The whole reason I had Ryu Yeji participate in the Sixth Fable was to use him as a sacrificial pawn. But that idiot went and died on his own! And this, despite being paired with the strongest member of the group!
How on earth did he let his guard down and end up kicking the bucket?!
Ugh, I can sense a throbbing headache coming on.
As I rubbed my temples, Moon Jiyeon stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the rapidly dissolving body of the Shadow Wolf. Her expression was a mix of amazement and disbelief at the phenomenon unfolding before her.
She asked a question. Her voice was calm, but trembled slightly. "W-What is that? And why does it look like Ryu Yeji-ssi?"
I shrugged, answering indifferently, "A Shadow Wolf. Same thing that blocked us on the second floor."
"Shadow Wolves? Are you saying those disgusting things can turn into people?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I've been wondering why they hadn't shown up until now. Maybe they're starting to change their approach. Despite how they look, they're really smart bastards, probably even smarter than Demon Goats (恶魔山羊)."
[✧ Moon Jiyeon has activated Divination.]
Fu!
A sphere of light began to gather from the surrounding space, converging into her head. Her brown eyes dulled to a milky-white as she slipped into a half-Cogitation state.
Experiencing the phenomenon for the first time, I couldn't help but find Divination rather fascinating.
This phenomenon...
Song of Nightmares had described it as «Spirit Projection», the moment where the Spirit Body transforms into light and partially enters the Spiritual Plane. Once a connection has been established, the user could communicate with spiritual entities for assistance.
However, it was dangerous to completely abandon your physical body, as malicious spiritual entities could seize the opportunity to take control of it for themselves.
This was why a protective artifact was necessary for communicating with spirits. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a necklace with a golden gem nestled at its center resting around Moon Jiyeon's neck, its faint glow radiating an aura of subtle power.
Was that the artifact?
My attention shifted back to reality as Moon Jiyeon opened her mouth, her voice barely audible as she spoke:
"Ryu Yeji's location."
...
"Ryu Yeji's location."
...
"Ryu Yeji's location."
...
She repeated the same phrase seven times in a calm, mechanical voice. Her grip on the severed finger loosened, but the finger didn't fall to the ground.
Instead, it remained suspended mid-air, hovering before her like a sentinel awaiting its next command.
Moon Jiyeon paused for a moment, with an expression unreadable, before speaking once more:
"Ryu Yeji's location."
Her voice carried an ethereal quality, resonating with an almost otherworldly timbre, as though it could pierce through the boundaries of the unseen world.
In that instant, the suspended finger began to move forward, floating as if guided by an invisible force. Moon Jiyeon followed it without hesitation. Together, she exited the room in silence, along with the floating finger.
Soo Jinyoung and I exchanged quick glances before hurrying to follow her, leaving no room for hesitation.
Outside the room, Yoo Rin and Miyuki stood frozen, confused.
Yoo Rin finally spoke, "Ahjussi, what's going on? Why is Moon Jiyeon-nim walking like... like a zombie?"
"Just keep up. I'll explain as we go. You too, Miyuki."
"Yes, Ahjussi."
We proceeded, Moon Jiyeon leading the way, moving from one room to the next.
At some point, she stopped in front of a door, the finger having led her there. She didn't use the finger, but instead muttered something under her breath. The next moment, the severed finger erupted in flames, burning with an unnatural intensity.
The flames quickly consumed the finger, disintegrating it into ash before scattering it into the air. The ashes lingered for a moment before being sucked into the door, as if drawn by some unseen force.
Her eyes slowly returned to their natural brown color as soon as the finger was reduced to ashes.
Moon Jiyeon stood before the door, her gaze fixed on it. With a barely audible voice, she pointed at the door and said, "This is where it ends."