300 Spirit Dance (1/2)

”What exactly happened?” Adol muttered this question softly and realized that he couldn't remember what he had done the past few days.

He looked around dreamily, frightened, panicked, and confused.

”Who are you?

”Where is this place?”

”This is your washroom. Don't you recognize it? I'm a private detective in charge of protecting you.” Klein looked at the teenage boy who hadn't figured out the situation around him and chuckled in response.

”My house… Detective to protect me… What exactly happened…” Adol looked around in astonishment and murmured to himself.

Suddenly, he stopped; his already pale face filled with unconcealable fear.

”M-maybe there really are ghosts in this world! There really are ghosts!”

His voice was shaky, but Klein could hear two completely different feelings from his voice—fear and excitement—and these were perfectly depicted by the color of his emotions.

Excited? Did this boy end up provoking a wraith because of his thirst for excitement? It's true that the young are bold and unafraid of death… Klein made a preliminary guess, but he asked in confusion, ”Ghosts?”

After becoming a Magician, his Spirit Vision had been slightly enhanced, but not by much. He was still unable to see the Astral Projection surface deep in the Ether Body and, as such, unable to judge whether the target was a Beyonder or not.

Adol's pale face suddenly flushed red.

”Yes, ghosts!”

He flailed his arms and added, ”There exists a wider world beyond our senses! I'm serious! Death is not the end of everything!”

This line… He's indeed an adolescent… However, I think I've seen similar words somewhere… Klein smiled and said, ”I believe in another saying—in the face of time that is even more ancient than ancientness, even death itself will disappear.”

Without waiting for Adol to say anything, he took out his gold pocket watch, opened it and said, ”So, how did you get yourself into the state you were in before? You were like a patient with a nervous breakdown.”

”I…” Adol turned his head and thought for a few seconds, then he said, ”I joined a society; it's not an ordinary society! We all believe that death is not the end. We can use mysticism to even sense death directly and understand that everything can be reversed. Yes, we believe that the dead can be resurrected!”

Klein, who had just climbed out of his grave more than a month ago chuckled dryly.

”You and the others were trying to revive the dead?”

Death is not the end… A world beyond the senses… Everything can be reversed. Mystic sensing… Aren't these the teachings of the Numinous Episcopate? These were all created to revive Death… He muttered to himself silently in enlightenment.

”Yes!” Adol nodded, his eyes bright, but completely unable to hide his fear.

”Where did you get your corpses?” Klein pressed.

”W-we will secretly dig up graves, those that haven't been buried for long, or buy them from the hospital…” Adol said as he recalled.

It's indeed a crime that can get you thrown into jail… It's no wonder that Rogo Colloman doesn't want the police involved… You sure are bold to get your thrills… Klein maintained his genial smile and asked, ”And did you succeed?”

”Not yet… The way they looked at me during the last gathering was l-like they were looking at a corpse—as if they were wondering where to place their corresponding mystics… And then we danced a Spirit Dance and communicated with the world beyond with our senses, and t-then, I lost all my memories since then…” Adol's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Spirit Dance? It really is the Numinous Episcopate… This fellow became a test subject for his companions? Klein frowned and asked, ”Your memory is disconnected from that point until now?”

According to the internal records of the Nighthawks, ”Spirit Dances” originated from the ancient sacrificial dances that were popular in the Southern Continent. It was the ritual method that Death loved.

A ”Spirit Dance” was to use the beat, rhythm, and movements to harmonize one's spirituality so that it could interact with the natural environment so as to establish an interaction with the target of the prayer. Then, combined with a simple altar arrangement and corresponding honorific name, it can achieve the effects of a more complex ritualistic magic.

”Yes,” Adol softly replied before he suddenly raised his head. ”What day is it today? What time is it now?”

”Friday morning, 1:12 am,” Klein answered based on his memory.

Adol subconsciously took a deep breath and said, ”I've missed the newest gathering…

”They conduct a resurrection ritual outside Grimm Cemetery every Friday at three in the morning.”

Grimm Cemetery got its name because it wasn't far from Grimm Garden Street.

”You still wish to go? Have you forgotten what had happened to you? Oh, you don't actually remember, but you should ask your father, your mother, and servants,” Klein reminded the young man in front of him.

And I might not be able to help you any further… He added silently in his heart.

After this incident, he discovered another weakness of a Magician, which was the lack of an ability to deal with wraiths and shadow-related creatures. Only the control of fire barely counted. But after those creatures possessed a human body, exorcism and purification became a problem, unless he wanted to kill both the ghost and the human.

Of course, Klein wasn't completely helpless in this aspect. He could conduct ritualistic magic to do similar things, but that would be very troublesome. It would easily expose his identity and was unsuited for actual combat.

After some thought, he had finally chosen to use Azik's copper whistle to lure the wraith out. Then, he controlled the flames to complete the purification.

However, the level of damage wasn't high. If he were to encounter a slightly more powerful wraith, it was possible that he was unable to take care of it.

I still lack items or charms that deal with undead creatures. If only I had the Sealed Artifact 3-0782, Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem… Klein's thoughts were momentarily distracted.

Adol suddenly remembered his missing memories, and his face turned pale again. He answered with a trembling voice, ”No, I don't want to go! I never want to go again!”

”Very good.” Klein smiled in support.

Adol looked at his face which didn't contain the slightest bit of fear, and subconsciously asked, ”Aren't you afraid after I've said so much?”