Chapter 154 - 153: Lost Soul of the Basement

Chapter 154: Chapter 153: Lost Soul of the Basement

Hesia looked at Loris, who was still locked in a struggle with the giant skeleton in the distance.

The two were evenly matched.

The Knight of the Saint Sun Church was already level 19. Combined with the natural advantage Divine Magic had against Undead Creatures, it was only a matter of time before he destroyed the level 22 Giant Axe Skeleton.

Hesia planned to use this opportunity to hurry inside and find the spirit of either Jasmine or Tammy.

Loris’s intentions were unclear. If he found Jasmine’s or Tammy’s spirit, who knew if he’d charge forward screaming something about "purifying everything."

He gave a command to the skeleton he controlled: "Return to your previous position in the manor."

The skeleton received the order and immediately turned, striding toward the deeper parts of the manor.

Then, he raised his voice and shouted to the embattled Loris, "Loris! We won’t disturb your ’glorious duel’! A skeleton ran deeper into the manor. We need to go in and check things out, just in case we missed anything."

Loris, who was busy dealing with the Giant Axe, glanced back and immediately understood Hesia’s intention.

"Alright!" he responded in a booming voice while parrying a heavy chop, as if this had been part of his plan all along. "So that the Holy Light may illuminate all the dark corners more quickly... I grant you permission to scout ahead! Leave this to me!"

Hesia delayed no longer. He gave Zoya and Bruce a look, and the group quickly followed the skeleton as it staggered toward the depths of the manor, proceeding down a dark corridor.

Behind them, Loris’s powerful shouts continued to echo across the empty courtyard.

"In the name of the Sun—!!"

"Face the judgment of the Holy Light, you evil thing!"

"Your struggles are meaningless before the light!"

...

The skeleton led Hesia and his companions to the side of a staircase.

What should have been an unremarkable wall now revealed a pitch-black entrance, from which a faint, musty odor emanated.

Inside the entrance was a downward staircase.

Hesia first threw the ball of light created by his [Light Technique] down the stairs.

The white orb instantly dispelled the darkness below, casting a shimmering circle of light on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

The staircase wasn’t long, maybe a dozen steps or so, and was built from rough-hewn stone.

Within the halo’s reach, they could see the basement was piled high with all sorts of objects.

From above, the basement appeared to hold many things, but they were all common items.

’Just an ordinary basement entrance?’

To be honest, in his previous life, Hesia had never been afraid of ghosts or monsters. After all, in that world, such things only existed in stories.

But right now, knowing there was likely a resentful spirit below—especially with the eerie, bizarre atmosphere amplifying the feeling—he couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved.

’Safety first.’

With a thought, Hesia equipped [Solace of Home].

’Whether it’s useful or not, the psychological comfort is real.’

Taking a deep breath, he led the way down the stairs, with Zoya and Bruce following close behind.

Once they were fully inside the basement, Hesia used the light from his [Light Technique] to survey their surroundings.

A carved four-poster bed rested against one wall, its bedding covered in dust. Next to the bed stood a small vanity, and beside it were several stacked easels. Faded dolls, dried-up paint tubes, and broken paintbrushes were scattered on the floor.

"No wonder we couldn’t find Jasmine’s room upstairs..." Hesia realized. "Everything that belonged to her was moved down here."

’In that case, the Undead Creature that might be here is almost certainly Jasmine!’

’But if it really is Jasmine, why would she bring food to Buton? In her diary, she was filled with guilt and anger over Tammy’s death. Could that emotion have extended to Tammy’s father? It seems plausible, but would a vengeful spirit filled with hatred truly retain that kind of empathy and kindness?’

"Hesia, over here."

Zoya’s call made Hesia turn his head, and he subconsciously tossed the orb of light in her direction.

The light pierced the darkness, illuminating the scene in the corner.

Hesia’s pupils contracted.

His missing Goblin Skeleton was there, slumped against the wall.

The skeleton’s arms were bound by two chains coming from the wall, pulling them high above its head and forcing it into a humiliating kneeling position on the ground.

Its skull had been twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees by some invisible force, so that it "faced" the wall, its neck bones emitting a strained CREAK.

’This... looks like it’s being tortured?’

’Did Jasmine do this? Why?’

Furthermore, Hesia discovered that unlike the other skeleton standing nearby, he couldn’t issue commands to this Goblin Skeleton.

It wasn’t because it was tied up, but because the commands couldn’t be transmitted through the Magic Power link.

Hesia scanned his surroundings, trying to find any sign of Jasmine.

’Nothing...’

’What’s going on?’

Just then, Bruce’s behavior off to the side made Hesia realize something was wrong.

Bruce was facing a wall, a low, suppressed whine coming from his throat. The fur on his back was standing on end, and his canine face was a mask of vigilance and confusion.

Hesia quickly walked over, following Bruce’s gaze.

There was a mirror on the wall?

It wasn’t a normally hung mirror, but a Hand Mirror, only the size of his palm.

The frame was made of a black wood with twisted lines and a slick, greasy texture.

’How did I not notice this mirror before?’

’Logically, the light from the Light Technique should have reflected off the mirror, making it easier to spot.’

He brought the ball of light closer.

Hesia saw that the mirror’s surface wasn’t glass, but a viscous black fog.

’A Hand Mirror... The one Jasmine got from her teacher in the diary?’

Surprised, Hesia quickly reached out to push Bruce’s head away.

But just then, as if breaking free from some kind of control, Bruce let out a "WOOF!" and suddenly blasted a gout of flame at the mirror.

"Hesia, something’s not right with this mirror."

Before the words had even faded, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The searing flames shot toward the mirror’s surface but didn’t even cause a ripple. They were simply swallowed without a sound.

On the contrary, the temperature in the basement didn’t rise, but plummeted. A bone-chilling cold instantly seeped into Hesia’s marrow.

"Who... let... you... in..."

Hesia whipped around toward the sound.

Before them, the air rippled like water, and the face of a young girl—pale, delicate, yet twisted by endless resentment—slowly emerged from the void.

Her body was translucent, her long hair drifted as if in a nonexistent wind, and her hollow eyes were locked firmly on Hesia.

The next moment, her lips parted as if to unleash a soul-rending shriek.

There was no sound, but an invisible shockwave instantly swept through the entire basement, originating from her.

Hesia’s breath had already caught at the sudden, terrifying sight. Now, struck head-on by this torrent of pure Negative Energy, he felt the hidden fears in his mind magnify as if under a looking glass, expanding abruptly and threatening to consume his sanity.

However, before the alarms of fear could sound, another melody had already begun to play in his mind.

"Hark! The horns of a new- jour-ney- now- sound—!"

Hesia: "..."

’The way [Solace of Home] activates... is certainly unique!’

’But I have to admit, the effect was immediate!’

He quickly calmed down, his hand reaching for the backpack at his waist and resting on the spine of the [Personal Monster Quick Reference Manual].