Chapter 156 - 155: Mirror and Soul

Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Mirror and Soul

Before Hesia could get a closer look, the Ghost Soul had already turned into a spectral form, rushing straight for the Hand Mirror.

"Bruce!" Hesia commanded instantly.

Bruce reacted with lightning speed. He darted forward and snatched the Hand Mirror from the wall with his jaws.

The very next second after Bruce snatched it, a loud cry of "Holy Light Protect Me!" rang out. Loris, clad in battered armor and covered in dust, came thundering down the stairs.

This member of the Hand of Radiance looked a sorry sight. His brilliant white armor was covered in new dents and scratches, and there were even a few cracks.

He gripped a warhammer in one hand, while his other was pressed firmly against the center of his chestplate. Faint golden healing light seeped from between his fingers—he was clearly casting some kind of Healing Art on himself.

However, when he took in the scene before him, he froze completely.

An immense pressure washed over him.

The Ghost Soul of a young girl, emanating a dense aura of resentment, stood in the shadows at the very back.

To his left was the monstrous, fire-breathing dog; to his right, the Stalker with their uncanny movements. And directly in front of him stood the genius Mage he had just recently fought "side-by-side" with!

A tragic scene instantly formed in his mind: ’This Undead Creature is so powerful! Not only does it control all those skeletons, but it has even taken control of this team of powerful Adventurers—a team I had come to respect!’

’If he could, he would cast a Holy Light right now—just to light up an escape route.’

’If it were simply a matter of being outmatched, he might have chosen a tactical retreat to regroup with other members of the Hand of Radiance and strategize.’

’But now, facing his "comrades" who were likely under someone’s control, his Knight’s oath and sense of duty prevented him from turning his back and fleeing—even as he sorrowfully realized he hadn’t mastered any magic to dispel or break a Possession.’

’And when I make my move,’ he thought, ’I must be careful not to harm these controlled "allies." All I need to do is defeat the Undead hiding in the back...’

With that thought, he took a step forward. His warhammer began to glow faintly as he pointed it directly at the flickering form of Jasmine. His voice boomed, trying to draw her aggro: "Evil creature! Your tricks end here! Release your hold on these souls! If you have any courage, come at me, Loris! In the name of the Saint Sun, I will not allow your schemes to succeed!"

Hesia quickly spoke up. "Sir Loris, I think you’ve misunderstood. This...lady, Ms. Jasmine, behind me is perhaps not the evil Undead you imagine. We’re trying to communicate with her."

[Affinity with Ghost Soul·Jasmine has increased. Decryption Points +4]

"Silence! Vile whispers!" Loris cut in sharply, his face a mask of ’I’ve already seen through your ruse.’ "Don’t think you can use my friend’s voice to deceive me! The Holy Light will guide him to break free from your grasp!"

For a moment, Hesia was at a loss for what expression to make.

’This Loris guy is actually pretty interesting,’ Hesia thought. ’He thinks I’m being controlled by Jasmine and is trying to rescue me?’

He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of fondness for this Knight whose mind was filled with nothing but the Holy Light.

But fondness aside, if he didn’t stop him now, the situation would spiral out of control.

The Knight stomped his right foot, raised his Shield, and prepared to charge straight past Hesia toward Jasmine.

[Greasy Skill]!

A pool of yellowish-white grease appeared in Loris’s path.

"Wha—?!"

Caught off guard, Loris’s feet slipped. His charge turned into an uncontrolled slide, and his tall frame swayed precariously. He only managed to stay upright by relying on his exceptional core strength, narrowly avoiding a fall.

Then, Hesia waved his Magic Wand again—

[Earth Spike Technique Level 3]!

RUMBLE! Five Earth Spikes erupted from the ground, crisscrossing to block all of Loris’s possible routes and trapping him firmly in place.

"Dammit!" Loris roared, swinging his warhammer viciously at the nearest Earth Spike.

CLANG! Sparks flew.

However, the Earth Spike didn’t shatter on impact as he’d expected. It only chipped, its main body remaining as solid as a mountain.

Hesia’s spell power clearly exceeded his estimations.

Trapped, Loris stopped his attempts. He panted heavily, looking at Hesia with a mixture of suspicion and uncertainty.

Having restrained the hot-headed Knight, Hesia spoke again. "Sir Loris, calm down. I’m not being controlled."

"I’m helping her because I found Buton—the man who issued the commission you accepted. You must have read the details of the request: to investigate the true cause of Tammy’s death."

As he spoke, Hesia passed the diary over. "Here, take a look at this first."

Loris had calmed down slightly by now.

He knew that if the people before him were truly being controlled, they would have rushed forward to attack him by now, not restrained him in such a... frankly, humiliating way.

He accepted the booklet dubiously and began to flip through it.

His expression shifted from anger to confusion, from confusion to shock, and then to incredulous rage. Finally, all his emotions coalesced into a low, teeth-gritting roar:

"This... This is an utter affront to humanity! By the Holy Light, that damned Baron, he actually..."

"My father... he didn’t..." Just then, Jasmine’s ethereal voice drifted from the shadows. "The one who... violated me... was Vio Bell. He used the mirror... to hypnotize me... He made me believe... that the one who hurt me... was my father..."

Jasmine’s words only made Hesia frown slightly; based on the earlier clues, he had already come to a similar conclusion.

Loris, on the other hand, was utterly dumbfounded. He looked from the diary to Jasmine, his mouth hanging open.

"What?! That acclaimed Painter?! He actually... By the Holy Father! What blasphemy, what a sin!" He looked at Hesia, his tone filled with disbelief and a hint of wounded pride. "You... why didn’t you tell me sooner?! Do I really look like the kind of person who just destroys any Undead on sight, no matter the circumstances?"

Hesia didn’t answer, just gave him a silent look that clearly said, ’Based on your performance just now, don’t you?’

Loris was speechless and let out an embarrassed cough.

Seeing that Loris had calmed down, Hesia turned back to Jasmine and asked, "If I’m not mistaken, the soul inside that Goblin Skeleton... that’s Vio Bell, isn’t it?"

Jasmine nodded, her venomous gaze sweeping over the twitching skeleton. "Yes, that’s right."

"Then what about Tammy’s soul? Is she under your control, too?"

Jasmine’s gaze shifted to the Hand Mirror in Bruce’s mouth, her expression becoming incredibly complex. "To be precise... they... whether it’s Vio Bell, Tammy, or even the skeletons outside... are all controlled by that mirror."

’The mirror? Controlled by the mirror?’

Just as Hesia was about to speak again, Loris, who had been listening off to the side in utter confusion, seemed to realize something terrible and cried out in shock:

"Wait! Is that... the Whispering Mirror of Elysius?!"