Chapter 387: The Suddenly Appearing Aura

In the palpable, concrete world, the people who had once embodied deviant ideologies and terrifying manifestations in the spiritual domain were now reduced to mere relics and ashes. The intense pollution that had plagued the sewage treatment facility had been temporarily mitigated, but it might have only provided a brief insight into a darker, more threatening specter, one that could potentially engulf the whole city-state.

Following a swift count and assessment of the current situation, Agatha found her attention drawn by the sight of a manager who was standing nearby, showing clear signs of a thinning hairline.

“Is his condition already verified?” Agatha queried.

“Definitely a regular human, without question,” one of the guardians affirmed with a deep, grave tone, “but he’s in a state of extreme terror. We can’t dismiss the potential of psychological contamination. He’ll likely require a prolonged period of mental therapy and steady monitoring.”

“Transport him to the local chapel,” Agatha commanded with a small nod, “And ensure they’re informed about the grave circumstances here at the sewage treatment facility. The whole establishment needs to be subjected to a comprehensive purification and examination. It should only resume operations when we are certain that all potential threats have been meticulously addressed.”

“I understand, Gatekeeper,” a team member acknowledged, understanding the instruction, and then looked at Agatha with a worried expression, “You didn’t encounter any complications, did you?”

Agatha furrowed her brows, “Hmm? What prompts you to ask that?”

“You remained ‘on the other side’ longer than is usual for you,” the team member elaborated, “Were you successful in discovering any clues in the spirit world?”

A thoughtful look crossed Agatha’s faintly lined face. There was a residual sensation of overlooking something, but despite pondering over it, she couldn’t pinpoint anything unusual – could this be a lingering effect from her extended stay in the spiritual domain? She reached into her coat pocket for her habitual eye drops, but hesitated and decided against using them.

Her eyes felt surprisingly fine, almost as if she had already applied the drops prior to returning to the physical world.

“There wasn’t any unpleasant incident,” she assured her team member, “The abrupt emergence of those heretics was unexpected, which is why I took a bit more time to interrogate them.”

Unfortunately, she couldn’t extract any useful information from the interrogation. The heretics were obstinate and zealous, and not even the prospect of death seemed to shake their unyielding beliefs.

But what had she overlooked?

A vague sensation of discomfort once again arose in Agatha’s mind, but she managed to maintain her calm and composed demeanor in front of her team.

“Are we prepared to head back to the cathedral next?” a guardian, attired in solemn, dark clothing, inquired.

“Yes, we are indeed journeying back to the cathedral,” Agatha affirmed, “It’s of utmost importance that we rapidly orchestrate an extensive search of all the subterranean facilities throughout the city. The circumstances might be graver than we initially perceived.”

...

As the cloak of evening began to unfurl, the sun initiated its slow descent towards the horizon’s edge. An impressive, dual-ringed rune halo cast a brilliant radiance near the surface of the sea, while the structures of the distant city-state were incrementally tinted by the setting sun. The result was a mesmerizing scene of the entire city seemingly melting into the enveloping twilight.

Duncan had stationed himself near the slender window at the distant end of the corridor on the second floor. His substantial figure almost completely obscured the light filtering in through the window. His eyes, visible through the small gaps in his bandages, silently observed the twilight horizon stretching out in the distance, his mind apparently entangled in a labyrinth of contemplations.

She partially understood and responded in a slow, ponderous tone, “Oh...”

“Good,” Duncan acknowledged, a smile gradually unfurling on his face as he steadily rose to his feet. “Now that you’ve grasped the concept, feel free to grab something to eat and resume your homework. I...”

He abruptly ceased mid-sentence.

Shirley, who had been eagerly anticipating his further directives, looked up in confusion, “Huh? What’s the matter?”

Duncan didn’t respond immediately, instead lifting his hand and directing his focus towards the distance. His gaze seemed to traverse the length of the corridor, but his deep-set eyes hinted at a faraway meditation as if pondering over matters not present within the confines of the house.

He blinked, one eye reflecting the architectural elements of the corridor and the lofty ceilings of the residence, while the other seemed to perceive a spectral ship enveloped in a haunting green fire, aimlessly adrift in a fog-infused, shadowy expanse.

Onboard the Vanished, gracefully slicing through the boundless waters of Frost’s ocean, Duncan abruptly redirected his attention from the nautical chart sprawled on his desk.

His sudden shift in movement instantly captivated the attention of the goat head perched at the corner of the table. It swiveled around with an audible creak, “Ah, Captain, how may I be of service? Is it mealtime already? Despite our crew’s currently depleted state, I am fully prepared to extend dining services to the best of my abilities. What cuisine might you prefer? We could start with southern delicacies: deep-fried meat rolls, savory pork chops, exquisite fish cakes, a variety of delectable egg dishes including grilled, steamed, boiled, stewed, pickled, and smoked eggs...”

“Silence, I didn’t divert my attention to hear you catalog an exhaustive culinary roster,” Duncan cast a fleeting glance at the excessively talkative goat head, his expression cloaked in a layer of solemnity. His gaze drifted towards the window of the captain’s cabin, peering in the direction of Frost as he pondered out loud, “The White Oak?”

“The White Oak?” The goat head paused momentarily before recognition dawned, “Ah, the steamship Alice once journeyed on? What provoked its mention? Do you desire to claim it as spoils of victory? I am capable of devising a comprehensive strategy for acquisition. Are you contemplating augmenting the crew? We could likely persuade the captain to...”

“It’s in close proximity,” Duncan interjected, curtailing the goat head’s ceaseless ramblings. He slowly rose from his seat behind the desk, his eyebrows furrowing together as he tuned in to that faint yet unmistakably tangible link, “Close to... Frost?”

“The White Oak is near Frost?” The goat head abruptly halted its discourse, its voice resonating with disbelief, “That’s an absurd claim... Isn’t Frost currently under siege? Tyrian’s naval fleet has imposed a blockade on the surrounding sea routes. If a foreign vessel were in the vicinity, he would certainly inform you, wouldn’t he?”

“...There’s something unusual. I can indeed perceive the White Oak’s presence,” Duncan said reflectively, “But its location... it’s rather nebulous and seems to oscillate intermittently...”

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze unyieldingly fixed on the distant sight of Frost, striving to pinpoint the sudden vivid presence that had come to his awareness.

The emergence of the White Oak had abruptly surfaced and exponentially intensified, much like a beacon spontaneously igniting in pitch blackness, irresistibly drawing his attention. It was an entirely novel sensation, one he hadn’t encountered before.

In addition to that, whether it was a figment of his imagination or a tangible reality, Duncan also perceived multiple considerable fluctuations in the ship’s energy, reminiscent of... a lantern sputtering capriciously in a gusty breeze.

Deep in thought, he cast a contemplative glance towards the meticulously chiseled goat head on the table, “Do you have any inkling of what might be unfolding?”

The goat head pondered for a brief moment before shaking its head, “Would you prefer that I propose some dish suggestions instead...”

“Absolutely useless when it truly counts.” Duncan couldn’t help but grimace as he rose from his chair, circumvented the navigation table, and commenced his approach towards the exit of the captain’s cabin.